Helsi, yes, the 1980s was the rise of Reagan and Thatcher, aka ‘there is no such thing as society, only individuals and their families’ which meant slashing away at social safety nets and state investment in their citizenry. My point was directed at Muddy who was chastising the ‘young, angry’ poster who is grappling with a fundamentally different economic structure from what existed for Muddy (and even for myself since I caught the very last gasp of higher ed when it was still subsidized by the state).
Feck me, I had to Google half of that.
Mibbe that wonderful Scottish edjumacation had a few wee gaps.
JF
4 Likes
Well, I never went to university at all. I graduated high school, then travelled a bit, but it was a work/study program, so it didn’t cost me anything, then I started doing leatherwork and have been self employed doing leatherwork and sewing all my life (and a few other things, like drywall finishing).
Raised three kids on about $1000/month, no one had Nike runners or brand-name jeans and there wasn’t any going out for dinner. Always had beater cars. The only thing I got financially lucky with was I bought a old house really cheap, that needed major work, which got done little by little over the course of about 20 years while I lived there with my girls.
I sold that house for a decent profit, but turned that around into buying a lot and building a house in Mexico. I’ve always lived under the poverty line and am still working at the age of 71.
So pardon me if I get a bit irritated when 35 year-olds with iphones, Mac laptops, wearing artfully pre-ripped $200 jeans, and covered in expensive tattoos whine about how much harder they have it.
4 Likes
The f word, not so bad. The C word, well naughty step, naughty step, naughty step! Did your mom actually have a naughty step program, by the way? Do parents still do that in your country?
Still? Never had it that I’m aware of, I always assumed it was an American term…
It’s a cultural issue. You hear it used on a daily basis here in Spain, and no great offence is taken. I used when making a retort to my local bar owner the other day, after he’d successfully ripped the piss out of my Spanish, and no one was in the least offended. His wife laughed her head off as it was pretty appropriate.
In the UK it’s used regularly, without any shock or horror:
However, with its increased frequency in modern British English, the C-word seems to be losing some of its harshness and edge. In fact, in certain friendship groups (including mine), it has almost become a term of endearment. This says a lot about the perversities of the British psyche – horrified at the thought of giving a compliment or displaying affection, British people somehow feel more comfortable using the C-bomb to refer to their nearest and dearest.
However, once you leave the shores of the UK and Europe, heading west:
In American English, the word is still terribly taboo. Our US cousins wouldn’t dream of using it unless they wanted to offend someone in the worst possible way and it is far more incendiary than the ubiquitous Mofo.
JF
3 Likes
I’m so glad my father’s ancestry is there. Scots are so much more friendly and sensible than the Sassenachs. So when are you just going to vote again, so you can stay in the EU?
My SNP friends are really getting irate, and are ready for independence now. Such a parcel of rogues in a nation!
That ship sailed a long time ago.
Let’s hope we don’t see a scenario like the Cataluña vote a couple of years ago, if and when we go for it again.
JF
2 Likes
That’s not how it works.
1 Like
Are you a Robert Burns fan or a Steeleye Span fan? I’m both.
1 Like
Steeleye Span! OMG, it’s been forever since I was reminded of them. Robert Burns too but that’s a different topic. LOL.
1 Like
No naughty step in the US, to my knowledge. Kids have to stand in the corner or they are banished to their room. Or, now, we take away their phones. Most dreaded punishment of all!!
It is an English custom!
My youngest daughter is in her mid-thirties- she took out student loans to pay for her education, and paid them back over time when she started working in her field. And she worked while going to school, as well. All the young people I know have decent jobs, they live within their means, none rack up any sort of massive debt, and don’t whine about how hard they have it compared to their parents’ generation.
I’m not at all out-of-touch with the younger generation, as you seem to think. But none of the ones I know would have the audacity to be outraged about a guest cancelling because it would ruin their holiday that they had a flight booked for, while at the same time bitching that they “have to fucking grind out here to make it”.
People who are supposedly having a hard time making it can’t book flights and go on holiday.
2 Likes
Muddy - in no way am I trying to diminish your hard work and achievements, nor what your kids have managed to do which sounds admirable and impressive.
However, for working-class undergrads at my institution, many of whom are 1st generation college, I really worry about their future (and our collective future). They work hard at low wage jobs in the service sector (some of them catching covid while they do it) when they’re enrolled in a full load of courses, while taking out huge loans that I have no idea how they’ll pay off in this labor market. It honestly just keeps me up at night…
3 Likes
Hey, I know some young folks have it hard when they are trying to further their education. Especially in countries like the US, which doesn’t even have a livable minimum wage for a lot of jobs.
It was the attitude of the particular young poster here and some subsequent comments that I objected to, trying to make out as if everyone over a certain age grew up on easy street.
1 Like
Aye! Wad the pow’r the Giftie gie us is more fun to type than 2020202020
1 Like
I allow them to cancel, lose their money, and offer them any money I may recover from a new booking. However, Airbnb has refunded every last bludy pound / dollar of cancelled bookings this year (pandemic), and the end of last year (bushfires) despite…despite…despite…
So I dont know why I bother. Here, you are all speaking as though a cancellation policy has some real teeth. Dont let them change dates. Cancel only. New policy means guests can (supposedly) no longer cancel without hard evidence - that poor grannie who has died a hundred times? Need some proof now.
2 Likes
Although I have a strict cancellation policy, I have given 100% refund for all Covid related cancellations. I am in Canada and none of my European or American guests were able to come due to circumstances beyond their control. I had Christmas bookings that just cancelled because, though not mandated, our province has strenuously requested that people do not move outside their geographical area if it is not essential travel. They are doing the responsible thing and staying home. It’s unfortunate all around but it is a tough time and so it goes. Airbnb has refunded all my guests’ booking fees if they have contacted them. I give my guests the link the that information so they can pursue that. One guest moved his reservation to next year. Several others will book with me in the future so in that sense, I think it is a good business decision to refund them now. Fortunately, we had more local travel in western Canada over the summer and fall so I was able to rebook some of the dates.
2 Likes
I bought my first house when I was 22 years old. The car I have now cost about the same… That was in the early 1980’s and we could barely afford it. We looked art houses in San Diego then which were out of our price range, low 200 thousands had we figured a way to make that work those houses are now 1.2 million
RR
Where do you find instructions for this?
well jeez, this is good to know. Not a million years would I have thought that. The email reads almost “hey - do you wanna be a nice guy for your guest that cancelled and give them a full refund”. Should have had a little * “we’re still gonna get ours”