Want to understand the average American rural community, watch these videos

originally posted by: SkeptiSchism
Education isn't enough, you need contacts like good friends or relatives in the field of your study. That's why people from Ivy League schools end up with most of the really good positions in this country it's a networking thing.

Yes and no. In Ivy Leagues a lot of networking comes down to who you know in class. It's about building a network of peers. In lower tier schools the networking is more about the employer contacts the school has. Who they bring in for job fairs, companies that like their graduates, and so on.

The problem is, as we're both agreeing on, getting a resume through HR when you don't have a contact. Resumes have low hit rates, and it's mostly on the HR side of things. Hiring managers are more willing to at least give a preliminary interview if they get a good resume, but HR will block a bunch of them.

I'm re-tooling now hoping to get into 3d printing or modeling, but I also know there is a small window there before AI and automation take over most of that work. Basically 1 engineer with AI and automation will do the job of a whole office 10 years ago.

One of my degrees is in this. I actually use my 3d modeling skills on a near daily basis in my current job. Automation won't be taking it over for awhile. The tools are rapidly improving though, I got a 2 year degree in "Computer Graphics" (which was about digital art basically) in 2010. Discounting differences in skill in that time, my productivity in Maya has probably tripled between 2010 and 2018 due to workflow improvements. Max has seen even more gains as the way that software works is more open to efficiency boosts. Tools like 3d scanners have also been released, that have made it a lot faster to get a model in 3d. You no longer have to build everything from scratch, and prebuilt asset libraries only continue to grow.

The boom on rapid prototyping was short, and has already passed, but a lot of those jobs are still available. The field seems like a good one to be in for now, and it's sustainable if you go the printing route. If you go more for modeling, the field is very broad between CAD, visualizing blueprints, media artwork, special effects, animation, and more. Lots of jobs are available.

I haven't seen the vids yet, here at work...but I can certainly bet where they go.

Personally, I've lived in a rural area now for the past 6 years (and off an on prior to that). My experience has been far from seeing my fellow neighbors as racist. Maybe the really old farts, but we also have a high population of Mexicans and other Latinos due to the agriculture, as well as a smaller population of African Americans. I just haven't seen the racism so often touted. If anything, we realize the importance of even illegal immigrants, to the economy, for example.

Also, most of the fellow rural dwellers I've met are educated, successful, and we live out here because we're getting older and want a somewhat quieter life than city life. My wife and I have Masters degrees, most friends out here have at least two or four year degrees as well. We're tech saavy, and nearly have to be, to be somewhat self reliant...so often, we're quick adopters of new tech to make life easier.

We also typically have to commute quite a bit, for those of us who work in cities. My wife and I have a one hour commute each way. In addition to this, we get up each morning and take care of animals (including horses, chickens, and bunnies), and do the same when coming home at night.

I'm just tired of seeing this same old sterotype so often touted of those of us who choose not to live in cities. It's far from the actual truth of it. Indeed, we are often far more genuinely accepting of folks, and their differences...than our city dwelling cousins who feign acceptance while then talking about folks behind their backs (or being content for them to work in service to them, vs. having someone different over for dinner).

My own vote for Trump had nothing to do with much more than he was simply the lesser crook. It wasn't so much FOR him, as it was AGAINST one who got CAUGHT rigging the primary, and accepting money from foreign governments that are not friendly to the US. It wasn't emails, it wasn't Benghazi, though those weren't exactly stellar moments either. She was simply the bigger crook. It's really that simple, and I'm fairly certain it was a combination of that, along with the fact that Trump didn't really have a filter. Folks are so sick of this PC nonsense, that it was refreshing to hear a bit of honesty (or something that sounded honest). Now, since then, he's done a 180 on many promises, and is truly disappointing, but many of us would STILL wager that in the long run, it was better than HRC selling us down the river.

a reply to: toysforadults
When we abandoned Mom and Pop enterprises and allowed big business to come in and take over our towns, we opened the door to our own demise.

The lure of emulating the elite in a watered down faux fashion, led us to selling our future for cheap products.

Every time we give our money to any group or company that is not invested in our communities, we are destroying our local towns and and eventually the whole country.

The simple fact is, these bigger entities simply do it bigger and better, faster and cheaper.

To survive, small businesses must fill a specialty niche in the market. Those that do, survive.

originally posted by: ketsuko
Most urban folks, city dwellers forget that people live in smaller towns all over the country. They actually like that lifestyle, not because they're racist, but because they like the pace of life.

Not everyone wants to urbanize to survive.

This is a complete aside, but it is interesting to me that many people who live in cities will hold a rural way of life in other countries as exalted and pure, but denigrate those who live in their own country and choose it. They will vilify them as stupid and lazy and "backwards", but a sheep herder in eastern Europe or a keeper of cattle in Africa is a noble, wise upholder of tradition both within their own culture and even, for the entire human race.

a reply to: Gazrok
Sounds like you don't live far from me. I grew up in the country and could not wait to leave home for the big city and the bright lights. After about 20 years of city life, I returned to country living. They may have been right when they said, "you can take the girl out of the country, but you can't take the country out of the girl".

What I am noticing here is very much what you described. I would agree that many of the old folk are bigots but I wouldn't call them racist per se. Many of the older folk have died off or are too old to manage their homesteads and their children either already have their own, or don't want to be bothered, so they are selling off a lot of property to people that either want to be preppers or think it is safer than living in the city. They are usually young professionals that are very tech savvy and commute to well paying jobs.

Some of the problems this presents is that these folks are used to expedience, so the next thing you know, the box stores start popping up all over the place. Then comes the gas stations, which then calls for city water and utilities, followed by gated communities, code enforcement, and the death of the rural community. Soon the area looks exactly like the places that they called themselves escaping.

As far as tolerance goes, I believe there is more tolerance in rural communities than in the city because in the country you know who your neighbors are, even if you don't like them, and too often you have to work elbow to elbow, shoulder to shoulder, for the benefit of all the community.

originally posted by: NightSkyeB4Dawn
a reply to: toysforadults
When we abandoned Mom and Pop enterprises and allowed big business to come in and take over our towns, we opened the door to our own demise.

I was going to point this out. These small towns aren't languishing for no reason, their founding industries died off. And one of two mistakes are pervasively made over and one again -- allowing in something like Walmart, which suppresses other small businesses from ever coming into existence there, or doing nothing at all and trying to pin all hopes on a president.

Look, regardless of who is president at any given time, THEY ARE NOT THE JOB FAIRY. They're NOT going to magically wave a wand & breathe life back into a dilapidated town no matter how much you hope in one hand. Just defecate in the other, let's see which fills up faster.
That local industry growth is YOUR job as the residents. Letting in Walmart may give you immediate jobs, but ask yourself at what future jobs cost is that really worth having around? You'll never have enough jobs with that tactic, pay will remain low, new businesses will seldom (if ever) open, and you're right back at Square One with just as many unemployed people down the road.

It seems rural communities aren't much different from city folk at the end of the day when you take off the romanticization sunglasses -- everybody wants gubmint to fix the jobs. They can't. Best gubmint can do is drop taxes once in a while, they already have their contracts well-established elsewhere. BFE Georgia isn't going to win that ballistic missile manufacturing contract.

a reply to: Nyiah
Two ways we may be able to fix this.

One is better regulation of businesses. Businesses should not be able to be monopolies. I know that this is supposed to already be in place but they have loop-holed that into oblivion.

The second is more in our control. We should not be financing companies that take job income and growth out of our country.

Sacrifice begins with each of us. It doesn't make a whole lot of sense to buy cheap products from companies that are insidiously stripping you of your ability to buy their products.

Global companies don't care about the destruction of a million small towns when they are selling by way of the internet to a global market with a pool of a potential of 7 billion customers.

Globalization.
Multinational corporations and outsourcing.
Illegal immigration.
Excessive regulation and taxation.
Inflation.
Loss of the family farms.
Declining religious values.
These are the things killing our rural communities.

a reply to: toysforadults

The economy is not in the dumps, as far as I can tell. The problem is that the jobs are moving to the cities and the jobs in rural areas are becoming irrelevant or automated.

As far as the rest of your post and the videos, I couldn't care less. I don't believe these people are racist or stupid and just because I am a Leftist does not mean I have to account for the thoughts of others.

I especially do not have to account for what you or anyone on the Right thinks Leftists believe.

I can't think of any of my neighbors who think the government can fix anything...lol.
When the Walmart came in, mom and pop businesses adapted to fit the community needs.
Some die hards hold on, but really, if they aren't a specialty

We're much more of the "fix it ourselves" type.

I personally love where I live. I have a little over 5 and a half acres, we have a well, and septic, so no city water. Yet, 10 minutes up the road, I still have many of the conveniences of a city (even a grocery store). Just a cluster of businesses right off the Interstate exit really...but handy. 15 minutes away, I've got pretty much everything else. (including a Walmart and a Lowes, pretty much the two must have stores of rural life). Tractor Supply is a close third.....

originally posted by: Asktheanimals
Globalization.
Multinational corporations and outsourcing.
Illegal immigration.
Excessive regulation and taxation.
Inflation.
Loss of the family farms.
These are the things killing our rural communities.

I agree with all points except illegal immigration.

As of now, we do not have enough people to fill jobs in the cities and jobs are becoming few and far between in rural areas because of automation.

originally posted by: NightSkyeB4Dawn
a reply to: Nyiah
Two ways we may be able to fix this.

One is better regulation of businesses. Businesses should not be able to be monopolies. I know that this is supposed to already be in place but they have loop-holed that into oblivion.

The second is more in our control. We should not be financing companies that take job income and growth out of our country.

I absolutely agree, no company should be allow so much of a monopoly that other businesses can't get a foot in the zip code door.

That is actually one of the biggest differences I immediately noticed between W FL and W MI when we came up here -- there may be some common big chains around, but they're spaced well enough apart that mom and pops have a good chance despite them being there. Walmart has no foothold here to suffocate them all with -- the ones I know of are on the outskirts of the metro area, and see little business compared to homegrown Meijer & other places.

But that is retail, manufacturing is a different story. There's constant competition with manufacturing in other states, though it's picking up serious steam here. People will always follow the money in that industry from region to region, it's always how the cookie has crumbled.

Sacrifice begins with each of us. It doesn't make a whole lot of sense to buy cheap products from companies that are insidiously stripping you of your ability to buy their products.

Global companies don't care about the destruction of a million small towns when they are selling by way of the internet to a global market with a pool of a potential of 7 billion customers.

Yes, wise shopping is our responsibility as citizens. The easiest place to start is with what you eat, too. We get our groceries from a mom & pop grocery store, and to be very truthful, it's the first time I'd ever seen one. They don't exist in this quantity in FL because so many areas are monopolized by Walmart and Publix. Granted, Publix treats their people & customers extremely well, but it's also a competitor-crushing powerhouse chain. If they show up, it's like Walmart showing up -- whoever was there first is on borrowed time.

But here, we're able to support the Little Guy everywhere, and it's not even breaking the bank to do it. Sure, we're eating more regional foods because it's largely regional farms they work with. Some people might see not being able to buy kiwi or starfruit or some other imported thing at a mom & pop as a sacrifice they're not willing to make, but whatever, it's not the end of the world.
It's certainly not the same as rejecting cheap Chinese plastic/electronics in favor of domestic, but it's a start. And a very easy one that makes a slow transition to domestic-made goods easier to do when that industry starts expanding. Think of it as snowball effect to reclaim those small businesses' footprints.

a reply to: Nyiah

i love our mom and pop grocery store...best price for quality meats, and hard to find things....but regular items are much higher here, so i get those at Publix.

a reply to: redhorse

With greater opportunity, comes greater expectations.

originally posted by: Gazrok
a reply to: Nyiah

i love our mom and pop grocery store...best price for quality meats, and hard to find things....but regular items are much higher here, so i get those at Publix.

Totally understand. Meat & produce are largely much cheaper at our mom & pop's, to the tune of half the price (if not even cheaper) than chains sell the same cuts for. Quality is also substantially better. If it's fresh/raw, they're the place to get it.
But when it comes to manufactured foods like cereals, condiments, bread? Yeah, Aldi, Meijer or Family Fare tend to do much better in price.
The store we use does have their own line & in-state/local brands of things like jams/jellies, salsa, spices, and some of those are indeed more expensive than national brands/chain brands/Aldi. But the quality is so much better, and I'd rather pay that than buy something full of corn syrup for cost-cutting.

Similarly, we're looking very forward to restocking our dwindling honey soon. It's extremely easy around here to support local apiaries, and it's all excellent quality honey. The kids use it on everything from toast to oatmeal to pancakes (in lieu of real maple syrup) to tea. The national stuff is crap by comparison, local stuff is much better honey that is NOT cut with HFCS (looking at YOU, Sue-Bee)

We have to go four places for groceries, typically, to get the best prices.

The mom and pop (Felton's Market), we go to for meats and hard to find items (like a marinade mix no longer at other stores, bulk spices, authentic Mexican food items, etc.)

Publix, we'll hit for BOGO (buy one, get one) and sale items, and get enough stuff every 3 weeks to get $50 gas cards for $40.

Aldi, we'll hit just for the odd deals here and there and it's right up the road from:

Winn Dixie, which typically has the best prices overall (even better than Walmart, and not near the hassle of that place)

Of course, this includes using coupons as well (so we generally do this on Sunday, and about every 3 weeks to coincide with Publix's gas card deal).

Similarly, we're looking very forward to restocking our dwindling honey soon. It's extremely easy around here to support local apiaries, and it's all excellent quality honey.

The produce stand, just off our exit, has a wide variety of honey from locals. Usually though, the produce amounts there, while cheap, just too much of something, more than we'd use before going bad.

a reply to: Gazrok
Honey is the eternal food. If stored properly it never goes bad.

I buy local honey and I buy it by the buckets.

Since I use it in place of sugar for everything, it doesn't last forever.