Makes my blood boil

uk1

agarnett wrote: »

Funny you should say that - a PhD is aspired to by rather more post-graduates than usedto be the case, and strangely, if they obtain their doctorates in philosophy, it seems the corporate recruiting world deems them as superior candidates !

For the removal of doubt and unintended slurs ..:p... it may not be widely known but not all PhD's have first degrees or even "A" levels. Some are invited to complete research degrees to document original practical but undocumented work they have already brought to practical fruition. PhD's should not all be presumed to be remote impractical academics.




Jeff

agarnett

uk1 wrote: »

For the removal of doubt and unintended slurs ..:p... it may not be widely known but not all PhD's have first degrees or even "A" levels. Some are invited to complete research degrees to document original practical but undocumented work they have already brought to practical fruition. PhD's should not all be presumed to be remote impractical academics.




Jeff

Yes, you are right - one of the young people of my acquaintance was telling me of one such in their cohort who had stumbled upon something very interesting and t'was thought by those wiser than most, that he or she should be encouraged to complete the research to the highest standards for the benefit of the whole of mankind, asap

So indeed a PhD is not just the ultimate stage in the Tesco Finest Education Sausage machine. You can get the sausage without the skin if you are of the correct disposition and of sufficient original and lateral ability, and don't need constant visible means of support like public servants generally speaking, perhaps

In fact as I write this, I just remembered who she is - well done that lady :T

I have remembered the subject too - and a huge number of the world's population might benefit from her work - suffice only to say that it is in medicine.

agarnett

bowlhead99 wrote: »

I'm sorry you spend time with maths and stats and engineering people, and produce them, yet don't know how many zeros to put on a trillion these days.

The government for its part has not changed its mind on how many zeros there are in a million or billion or trillion for at least four decades ...

I think you probably already know, bowlhead, that "billions" or "trillions" are not useful units to anyone other than the media and those that spin whatever it is they fancy.

Mathematicians and engineers and scientists and uncorrupted statisticians would never use them except when they succumbed to pressure to dumb-down the unambiguously accurate results of their work for some kind of general public consumption. And unfortunately, that is usually where the politicians and spin artistes take over!

... but if you're right in your assertion that the 65 million UK residents who aren't part of my elite cohort don't know what numbers are, it doesn't bode well for people voting for stuff. But maybe that's your point.

Methinks again you are playing to the mob ... whether they understand numbers or not

agarnett

uk1(our_Jeff) wrote:

Muscle750 wrote:

I take your point however i do work hard and have done for years and often worked 7 days a week prehaps i should have jumped ship years ago but with 4 kids now all grown up and gone i had to put the food on the table some etc, I just cant getmy head round how many can afford to retire at 50 /55 from the public sector which you must admit there are alot. I do know a few that have walked with big money from companies such as Shell and Kraft Foods with health issues unrelated to work but still walked with big money. My wife may well be pensioned off due to ill health soon and she is in the public sector its certainly hasnt been a easy last 4 years for her

You are clearly unhappy with the way things have panned out for you, but it does seem unproductive to be annoyed with people retiring in the public sector, particularly as your own wife is in the public sector.Feeling embittered about things that have happened and that you cannot change is unproductive. You can't change the past. You can't change who you perceive to be unfairly advantaged. All you can do is to start planning your joint futures and how to make the most of the options you do have rather than fret about those you don't or about the past.

Hopefully you have someone close you can chat these things through with? Also if these issues are so serious, the good thing about these forums is that you are anonymous.

All the best

Jeff

All good stuff, Jeff, but I do think we must also allow that without Muscle750's original post and this thread, the country would be the poorer for not understanding better one of the big issues of the day. So we all owe him thanks for it.

uk1

agarnett wrote: »

All good stuff, Jeff, but we must also allow that without Muscle750's original post and this thread, the country would be the poorer for not understanding better one of the big issues of the day. So we all owe him thanks for it.

We do, but they must be seen as two entirely seperate issues. The first is how does Muscle750 plan and organise his time and affairs to ensure he optimises both his income and retirement. The second is how does society confront and deal with what is the moral imperative of paying the public sector pensions that have been promised when it conflicts with the practical apparant impediment of how it is paid for.

I fear that the thread has dealt with neither of them perhaps because they were concatenated and also some of the posts were very long and meandered a bit. No names no pack drill.

Jeff

uk1

agarnett wrote: »

Yes, you are right - one of the young people of my acquaintance was telling me of one such in their cohort who had stumbled upon something very interesting and t'was thought by those wiser than most, that he or she should be encouraged to complete the research to the highest standards for the benefit of the whole of mankind, asap

So indeed a PhD is not just the ultimate stage in the Tesco Finest Education Sausage machine. You can get the sausage without the skin if you are of the correct disposition and of sufficient original and lateral ability, and don't need constant visible means of support like public servants generally speaking, perhaps

In fact as I write this, I just remembered who she is - well done that lady :T

I have remembered the subject too - and a huge number of the world's population might benefit from her work - suffice only to say that it is in medicine.

Sometimes a professor hears you talk about your work and suggests a research degree. And it doesn't need to be as important as your friends' friend's work. It might be in marketing or management for example.

Many do not know that there is no set minimum educational qualification entry requirement for research degrees set in law, you could have even been booted out of school at 16. If a professor decides to sponsor your programme subject and he thinks you can "do it" then you are "in".

Jeff

Muscle750

I will certainly admit i never expected such a response certainly seems to stirred a few opinions

BobQ

agarnett wrote: »

All good stuff, Jeff, but I do think we must also allow that without Muscle750's original post and this thread, the country would be the poorer for not understanding better one of the big issues of the day. So we all owe him thanks for it.

The OPs rant and the discussion since is not of national importance as you think, probably only read by 50 people intrested in pensions (which is about 5% of the population under 55.

maxie014

Been an interesting read,just a shame these early retired public servants often go on to make a damned nuisance of themselves on town councils etc.

bigfreddiel

Funniest thread of the year so far!