Nomadland

[Vladimir]

4 hours ago, Solo18 said:

................................. It is a sad book to read, but the only inaccurate thing so far is that many camp hosting jobs are not as difficult as described.....................

It depends where your working.

Concessionaire hosts are NOT covered by typical Federal wage and overtime laws.  There is a "special" law that applies to concessionaire hosts and ski area workers.

I did administer the concessionaire program for the Forest Service on a National Forest.  A Department of Labor investigator called me about a complaint regarding labor laws and the concessionaire program.  He was pretty hot under the collar, and I told him that the Forest Service would comply with any of his findings.  I never heard from him again.

I have to admit up front I am not a fan of concessionaire campgrounds on public lands. 

One of our Ranger Districts did an analysis of the Forest Service taking back operational management of the campgrounds.  He said it penciled out, IF we paid our employees minimum wage for 30 hours and required them to donate 10 hours a week!! 

I don't think we EVER want to be in the position of the Federal government "requiring" their employees to "donate" their work hours!!  Thankfully, it is illegal.

So think about it.  A non-profit, the Federal government, cannot provide the same level of service as a FOR-PROFIT corporation.  The difference was made up by the employees of the concessionaires.

That said, we had some great concessionaire operations.  We had one or two awful companies that we cancelled their permits.

Bless, the campground hosts, they do a great job for very little pay. 

Would I do it??

NO, but some people do not have the choice.  Treat them kindly.

[RV_]

Linda, again, thanks for the link to the Homes on wheels alliance. I read the Van donations stories and recipients and already donated a small initial amount.

We too are fortunate and very grateful we are able to afford our retirement comfortably.

Lou great links.

[sandsys]

2 hours ago, RV_ said:

Linda, again, thanks for the link to the Homes on wheels alliance. I read the Van donations stories and recipients and already donated a small initial amount.

We too are fortunate and very grateful we are able to afford our retirement comfortably.

Lou great links.

Thank you. I'm glad others are finding the Homes on Wheels Alliance to be a good place to put your money. These people are so deserving to get even a small piece of what we have enjoyed.

Linda

[etcetera]

It is ironic that the main actress in RL lives in a NYC apartment, and I can't help but think that once the film is over, she will go back to that high-life ritzy lifestyle and the vandwellers will stay in their vans.

This is not to say she is not a gifted performer. She is way more talented than the average Hollyweird person.

I do want to watch  it, I suspect I will like it.   the trailer looks promising. 

 

I would find NYC very stressful and depressing. I would rather wake up in the middle of nowhere, Nevada and look at the stars. It's just such a liberating experience.

Edited June 13, 2021 by etcetera

[slackercruster]

On 4/27/2021 at 12:35 PM, 2gypsies said:

Don't forget that the founders of the Escapees RV Club, Kay & Joe Peterson, were workers with family, also.  We had the pleasure to share some meals with them at the Escapades.... awesome folks!  Now many Xscapers and other Escapee members are doing the same.... some because they need to do so and some because they want out of the corporate rat race.

https://www.escapees.com/40-years-escapees-rv-club/

https://www.escapees.com/escapees-rv-club-history-roots-run-deep/?fbclid=IwAR2aPi27fUWuSEivZ3gGUvt7kAKhwRTyICIRThMML_LUd2vYUMRP1lGZh54

 

That is great they got the history here. So often it gets forgotten.

[Blues]

On 6/13/2021 at 12:40 PM, etcetera said:

It is ironic that the main actress in RL lives in a NYC apartment, and I can't help but think that once the film is over, she will go back to that high-life ritzy lifestyle and the vandwellers will stay in their vans.

She's more associated with living in Bolinas, a tiny hippie town in northern California. 

https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2021/05/31/what-the-bolinas-poets-built

[etcetera]

So I watched it.

Interesting. Not a bad flick but not a normal movie scenario with plot, development and a resolution and action in between.

It had almost no plot. No character development.  Instead of a flowing scenario, it was more of a static snapshot of a woman (and many others) stuck in some life situation. 

This doesn't make it a bad flick, just different.

At times it was very depressing, like getting trapped in that Amazon factory and other semi min wage jobs.

It kept me engaged the whole time.

I thought I could relate to a lot of it.

 

Edited July 30, 2021 by etcetera

[LarryN]

On 5/4/2021 at 4:43 PM, Solo18 said:

Depends on what you mean by "forced." 

I am guessing drug out of your house or car, maybe at gunpoint,  and put to work on some sort of assembly line job.  Amazon should be ashamed to be offering jobs to people. Tesla, too....my worldly 15 year old grand daughter "educated" me about the slaves that are engaged at putting electric cars together.  Her nonsense reminded me of.......me....back when I was in my twenties and knew everything.

Thanks, Kirk, for your comment. I was about to make a similar one. We ALL have choices. We all know that we live, get old, and then die. It is our job to not be a burden, in any way, on our fellow man along the way. Don't make enough money? Then make more. 

[LarryN]

3 hours ago, etcetera said:

.

At times it was very depressing, like getting trapped in that Amazon factory and other semi min wage jobs.

 

 

Well, I believe I saw ways out of that Amazon facility. There were lighted signs that said "EXIT".  Do they lock the slave labor inside? That is just plain wrong. There ARE building codes after all. 

Movie was depressing, only bright spot was Frances and her almost relationship. Reminded me of The Road (people eating people)....dark...dismal....and most of all contrived. When she gave that sandwich to that young man I almost started to sing "kum baya, my lord.....kum baya" and dance in a circle with my tamborine.

[sandsys]

1 hour ago, LarryN said:

contrived. When she gave that sandwich to that young man I almost started to sing "kum baya, my lord.....kum baya" and dance in a circle with my tamborine.

This irritated me. I know people who give away sandwiches to the hungry. And who volunteer at soup kitchens. And who support Feed My Starving Children. And make donations to food shelves. The ones I know, including me, don't play tambourines or act like you suggested. I'm glad you don't support activities like these because your method does not show respect to the recipients who are, after all, still human beings.

Linda

[LarryN]

8 hours ago, sandsys said:

This irritated me. I know people who give away sandwiches to the hungry. And who volunteer at soup kitchens. And who support Feed My Starving Children. And make donations to food shelves. The ones I know, including me, don't play tambourines or act like you suggested. I'm glad you don't support activities like these because your method does not show respect to the recipients who are, after all, still human beings.

Linda

Linda, of course you do not know me at all, certainly not to the extent to claim who I "respect". You don't know what I do to help others.  I have served food at "soup kitchens". But I do not need to publish on a forum all my good works as you have done.  I have also "been there", living my early adult years as a slacker whose only impediment to success (or just feeding my family) was staring at me in the mirror. I have had my name on the cash register....should you know what that means. I have heard the oil furnace growl in the middle of the night when it sucked in the last drop of fuel oil, with two youngsters in the next room. You don't know me.

We all have a duty to find the means to sustain ourselves and sustain those we chose to bring into  the world. An able bodied man or woman should not be standing on the street corner holding a sign "Hungry, God Bless" when there is a sign on the building 100 feet from them that says, "hiring, all shifts, sign on bonus". 

Thank you so much for feeding the starving children. They are the victims of their parents who should be horsewhipped. 

 

[Zulu]

5 hours ago, LarryN said:

Linda, of course you do not know me at all, certainly not to the extent to claim who I "respect". You don't know what I do to help others.  I have served food at "soup kitchens". But I do not need to publish on a forum all my good works as you have done.  I have also "been there", living my early adult years as a slacker whose only impediment to success (or just feeding my family) was staring at me in the mirror. I have had my name on the cash register....should you know what that means. I have heard the oil furnace growl in the middle of the night when it sucked in the last drop of fuel oil, with two youngsters in the next room. You don't know me.

We all have a duty to find the means to sustain ourselves and sustain those we chose to bring into  the world. An able bodied man or woman should not be standing on the street corner holding a sign "Hungry, God Bless" when there is a sign on the building 100 feet from them that says, "hiring, all shifts, sign on bonus". 

Thank you so much for feeding the starving children. They are the victims of their parents who should be horsewhipped. 

 

TMI

[sandsys]

 

6 hours ago, LarryN said:

Linda, of course you do not know me at all, certainly not to the extent to claim who I "respect".

Your words, sir, were disrespectful. You are right in that I have no other way of knowing anything about you but by your words. And they were disrespectful.

Linda

[LarryN]

1 hour ago, Zulu said:

TMI

Then kindly take a mint and head for the door......

[RV_]

Linda, you are OK in my book. Thanks for being a friend.

[sandsys]

Thanks, RV. Do I still get to come to you if we have an apocalypse even though you've moved?

Linda

[Blues]

17 hours ago, LarryN said:

I have also "been there", living my early adult years as a slacker whose only impediment to success (or just feeding my family) was staring at me in the mirror.

Then you are very fortunate. 

[LarryN]

9 hours ago, Blues said:

Then you are very fortunate. 

Blues, yes....I was very fortunate.......to own a mirror. I have always appreciated RV's Confucius quote which I have inserted here:   "When you see a worthy man, endeavor to emulate him. When you see an unworthy man, look inside yourself. - Confucius"

 

[RV_]

23 hours ago, sandsys said:

Thanks, RV. Do I still get to come to you if we have an apocalypse even though you've moved?

Linda

Sure Linda but we're in town now and don't have full hookups anymore. We have a convertible sofa with memory foam mattress though! 😉

[Blues]

8 hours ago, LarryN said:

Blues, yes....I was very fortunate.......to own a mirror.

I'm thinking you might benefit from a window.

[LarryN]

2 hours ago, Blues said:

I'm thinking you might benefit from a window.

Thank you for your concern. Lots of windows, and sometimes in my travels I can see for 60 miles.  I am sure you must have a point buried somewhere. Go for it.

[Danandfreda]

We all have a duty to find the means to sustain ourselves and sustain those we chose to bring into  the world. An able bodied man or woman should not be standing on the street corner holding a sign "Hungry, God Bless" when there is a sign on the building 100 feet from them that says, "hiring, all shifts, sign on bonus". 
 

we have seen this way to often

[2gypsies]

11 hours ago, Danandfreda said:

We all have a duty to find the means to sustain ourselves and sustain those we chose to bring into  the world. An able bodied man or woman should not be standing on the street corner holding a sign "Hungry, God Bless" when there is a sign on the building 100 feet from them that says, "hiring, all shifts, sign on bonus". 
 

we have seen this way to often

I totally agree.  There are jobs out there.  I quit giving to panhandlers when I saw one packed up for the day getting into a spiffy newish car!

[NDBirdman]

Finally got to watch the movie.  All I can say is it is very depressing. 

 

 

[Kirk W]

3 minutes ago, NDBirdman said:

All I can say is it is very depressing. 

I have not watched it and have no plans to do so. Based upon the comments in this thread I suspect that I would react similarly, so I'll pass.