This is for those unemployed occupiers: just because you went to college doesn’t mean you are owed a job. Maybe you majored in the wrong field. According to a survey of U.S. manufacturers, some 600,000 job openings went unfilled in 2011 because employers could not find enough workers with the necessary skills. So many of you believed you would make your bundle studying finance and psychology, but manufacturers say they need workers who are trained in the use of computers, automation, and other technologies. The only technologies most of us are familiar with are how to use an iPad and a cellphone.
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Everybody knows what a “Boomer” is, is but how many of you are familiar with the term “Boomerang Kid?” By definition, a Boomerang Kid, sometimes called a “Boomeranger,” is a young person past high-school age who returned home to live with his parents after college or a period of independence. The Pew Research Center estimates that 29 percent of adults between 29 to 34 are living with their parents, thanks to the weak economy. In the 18- to 24-year-old group, the number rises to 53 percent. That makes this the highest share of young adults living in a multi-generational household since the 1950s.
“Who cares about that stigma of still living home anymore? I’ll move out when the economy gets better and I can find a well-paying job. In the meantime, it’s not so terrible. The fridge is always well stocked, there’s always gas in dad’s car, and as long as I keep my room clean, it’s really not so bad.”
Who knows? Maybe he’ll never leave.
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Almost 20 million of us suffer from depression. The saddest part of that stat is that more than a million of the affected are teenagers. The depression is almost always linked to poor performance in school, frequent absences, and substance abuse. The most severe form that depression frequently leads to is suicide, the third leading cause of teenage death. The youngster you know may be crying out for help. Please don’t wait until it’s too late.
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“Will the person who left a cellphone at the security gate please come back for it.”
I heard that announcement three times while waiting for my flight to be called. It could have been three separate announcements for one single phone or, with cellphone users constantly misplacing their phones, it could have been three separate losses.
According to a new industry survey, Americans lost about 30 billion — that’s billion with a capitol “b” — dollars, worth of cellphones in 2011. On average, consumers lose their phones once a year.
Do you know where your phone is right now? Are you sure?
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A recent Gallup poll found that 50 percent of Americans support legalizing marijuana use. This is up from 36 percent five years ago. I don’t use pot and I doubt if I ever will. Between my many mega-magnificent travel and cruise adventures, shows, dinners, and parties, and my ultra-fantastic friends and family — especially my friends and family — I get high on life. I am StanGershbein@Bellsouth.net recommending that everyone try it. Getting high on life can be super-sensational, and a lot safer.
Read Stanley P. Gershbein's column every Monday on BrooklynDaily.com, except this week, when it appeared on Tuesday. (Sorry, Stan).
