Mike Rowe Rocks

[Ben]

Mike hands it to a pseudo-pedant critic (who is a perfect example of how we got Trump - "I'm an intellectual!!! Recognize that I'm better than you!":

http://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/2017/08/23/mike-rowe-slams-critic-that-compared-fans-to-white-nationalists.html

[T.O.M.]

I've had increasing respect for Mike Rowe over the years.  His efforts to emphasize the value of "blue collar" jobs and push back against the "everyone needs a college degree" is commendable, and IMHO should be heard around the country as a call to put more money into trade schools and vocational education. 

[Brad Johnson]

Found out yesterday that a local high school is putting plumbing, electrical, and HVAC programs back into their shop class academics. Specifically, the coursework is designed so the student will have the required academics and intern/apprenticeship to be able to sit for their respective certification exam right after they graduate high school. They also got a waiver to allow instruction from persons who didn't have a formal teaching certificate (i.e. the Master Plumber from a local shop coming in as an academic instructor). It's getting a lot of positive word-of-mouth, especially from parts of the community traditionally less likely to seek higher ed experience.

Brad

[230RN]

I've had increasing respect for Mike Rowe over the years.  His efforts to emphasize the value of "blue collar" jobs and push back against the "everyone needs a college degree" is commendable, and IMHO should be heard around the country as a call to put more money into trade schools and vocational education. 

Amen.

Found out yesterday that a local high school is putting plumbing, electrical, and HVAC programs back into their shop class academics. Specifically, the coursework is designed so the student will have the required academics and intern/apprenticeship to be able to sit for their respective certification exam right after they graduate high school. They also got a waiver to allow instruction from persons who didn't have a formal teaching certificate (i.e. the Master Plumber from a local shop coming in as an academic instructor). It's getting a lot of positive word-of-mouth, especially from parts of the community traditionally less likely to seek higher ed experience.

Brad

Halleluya!

[Pb]

I really like Mike Rowe.

[Scout26]

I've always enjoyed his work, since Dirty Jobs.  He advocacy for trades education goes toward filling a great need in this country for hands-on blue collar type work.   There are millions of high-paying blue collar jobs that need to be filled, yet our education system fails to provide to those who coul dand should be working in the those careers, the necessary skills and training to do those jobs.

Plus, Mike is an Eagle Scout.

[KD5NRH]

Found out yesterday that a local high school is putting plumbing, electrical, and HVAC programs back into their shop class academics.

Oh hell yes.  One of the things I got most tired of listening to the old boss complain about was how he couldn't shortchange the electricians because even the journeymen knew what they could be making elsewhere, and if a master walked off the job it would screw up the schedule for 8-12 weeks.

I've known more than one HVAC tech that out-earned plenty of college graduates, and often with comp time and/or on call arrangements that made 60+ hour weeks a sign of dire emergency (i.e. once or twice a year, right after a major storm) rather than a regular occurrence.

[Parker Dean]

There is a minor hiccup on the road to Mike's beatification it seems. Two or three years ago he was on Opie and Anthony (or maybe it was just Opie and Jim after Anthony got fired after being a creep with a camera in Times Square and getting beaten up then threatening violence on Twitter) and told a story in the first person of being on a mini bike as a kid and running from the cops who had been looking for a store robbery perp also on a mini bike in the area. Word is that story has been around forever and can't be linked with Mike at all. The hosts didn't call him out on it but the pests (audience) certainly did over the next few days and made a convincing case that he claimed a story as his own that couldn't possibly be. Not sure why he would do that because he certainly doesn't need to but there it is.

[BlueStarLizzard]

I also think Mike Rowe is probably one of the best celebrities out there, just in terms of being level headed. I've not seen many episodes of Dirty Jobs, but, from what I've seen, it was a good show.

I do follow him on FB and have yet to read one of his posts that I disagreed with. I also like that he really sticks to his shtick and neatly avoids getting dragged into anything else.

[T.O.M.]

There is a minor hiccup on the road to Mike's beatification it seems. Two or three years ago he was on Opie and Anthony (or maybe it was just Opie and Jim after Anthony got fired after being a creep with a camera in Times Square and getting beaten up then threatening violence on Twitter) and told a story in the first person of being on a mini bike as a kid and running from the cops who had been looking for a store robbery perp also on a mini bike in the area. Word is that story has been around forever and can't be linked with Mike at all. The hosts didn't call him out on it but the pests (audience) certainly did over the next few days and made a convincing case that he claimed a story as his own that couldn't possibly be. Not sure why he would do that because he certainly doesn't need to but there it is.

In this day and age, if he was going to get jammed up for saying something in an interview, it probably would have hit by now.  Unless he decides to run for office. Then it will be there waiting to spring up.

(edited for a typo)

[Fly320s]

Mike Rowe is way too smart to run for office.  Or to be elected to office.

[grampster]

^^^^^^This.   I discovered when I lived in a smaller community, one could actually get much more good stuff done if one volunteered for various and sundry public boards that were empowered by state statutes.  Politicians appoint you, but much hacking up of the waste and fraud can be done, mostly because the ones who appoint you keep their hands clean by letting others do the dirty work.

[HeroHog]

Been kinda overcast and SLIGHT rain here today in Shreveport, LA.

[cordex]

Been kinda overcast and SLIGHT rain here today in Shreveport, LA.

Mike Rowe thanks you for the weather report.

[HeroHog]

Seems I posted that in the wrong thread.

Nevermind...

[Sergeant Bob]

I would love to buy Mike Rowe a beer or two.