Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[BY Bob]

I think it was lust Bob.....

Is that a "lower" power?

 

[Shadrach]

My dad wept on his deathbed because he wasn't allowed to go to uni.

Well I hated Uni the first time around. I got a grant which was lucky but still needed to work in the holidays.
The second time I got a full grant as an adult learner and studied from home which I eally enjoyed. An odd thing is the amount of output I had to produce the second time was far more demanding than what had been required at a traditional Uni.
My half brother did about 18 hours a week actual work for his degree. It was a complete walk through. They couldn't give degrees away fast enough it seemed.
But, to get a first class degree you had to put in a lot of work.

 

[BY Bob]

My dad wept on his deathbed because he wasn't allowed to go to uni.

That is very sad. My Dad would have made an exceptional engineer but it was never a consideration for him. While he is not upset over it, the world has lost out. He would have contributed something truly significant if the door had only been opened for him.

 

[MaryJanet]

This gets complicated. Of course the people of Pennsylvania could raise taxes to pay more to the state schools.

Consider this though, the population of Pennsylvania is the second oldest in the nation. Second only to Florida. That means that there is a large group of voters on a fixed income. Every dollar they have is precious. In general, you can assume that they will not vote for any tax increase for any reason. It hurts them the most.

Every year Pennsylvania (PA) also leads the nation in youth brain drain. Those students that get educated in that state system of higher education, leave the state in droves after graduating. So the state just keeps getting older.

I'll give you an example. PA runs a state lottery. The proceeds from that lottery goes to support programs for the elderly. The state of Georgia also runs a state lottery. The proceeds from that state lottery goes to higher education. If you as a student that lives in Georgia, go to a state run university, your tuition is free as long as you maintain a 3.0 gpa.

I see. Thanks again Bob. States in Australia don't have the authority to tax people. It's all done at the federal level. I don't really understand how the taxes get redistributed to the states. Buf there's alsays a lot of argybargy over eg funding for schools.

 

[MaryJanet]

That's amazing and being the honest person that I try to be...way over my head!

Everyone else's research is above my head! I think that's where research should be.

 

[MaryJanet]

Well I hated Uni the first time around. I got a grant which was lucky but still needed to work in the holidays.
The second time I got a full grant as an adult learner and studied from home which I eally enjoyed. An odd thing is the amount of output I had to produce the second time was far more demanding than what had been required at a traditional Uni.
My half brother did about 18 hours a week actual work for his degree. It was a complete walk through. They couldn't give degrees away fast enough it seemed.
But, to get a first class degree you had to put in a lot of work.

I really like the UK practice of a qualifying year. Is that the way it is across the board?

 

[Shadrach]

The thought of you at her baptism!! Your eyes must've been rolling non-stop!

I was very well behaved. It was her choice. I did make sure she thought seriously about it all and took her to church every Sunday for a few weeks beforehand.

Strangely I enjoyed the whole business apart from the priest who wasn't all that.
Her wedding was lovely. Full on Polish. I was as pissed as a rat by the time I walked home. Given I'm tea total except for Christmas you can imagine what Polish home brewed vodka did to me.

 

[MaryJanet]

That is very sad. My Dad would have made an exceptional engineer but it was never a consideration for him. While he is not upset over it, the world has lost out. He would have contributed something truly significant if the door had only been opened for him.

I should add that he could've gone to uni if he really wanted to because the doors are open to people of any age, but he never did so and he may have had reasons for not going. I think he was weeping because he saw it as a lost opportunity. He always thought he had more time and he carried certain fears of failure. His father's violence against him when he was a boy did some deep harm to poor dad.

 

[MaryJanet]

I was very well behaved. It was her choice. I did make sure she thought seriously about it all and took her to church every Sunday for a few weeks beforehand.

Strangely I enjoyed the whole business apart from the priest who wasn't all that.
Her wedding was lovely. Full on Polish. I was as pissed as a rat by the time I walked home. Given I'm tea total except for Christmas you can imagine what Polish home brewed vodka did to me.

I daresay it gave you god- damned good time and a rip snorter of a hangover!

 

[MaryJanet]

That is very sad. My Dad would have made an exceptional engineer but it was never a consideration for him. While he is not upset over it, the world has lost out. He would have contributed something truly significant if the door had only been opened for him.

The waste is the thing I don't like. If we're going to live in communities and share resources, we have to reciprocate by contributing our strengths. It gets to me that some people opt out of this duty or, like your dad, are somehow prevented from contributing their best work.