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Job opportunities?  What job opportunities.  You have one of the highest, if not the highest, unemployment rates in America. 

Look, it doesn't matter how beautiful a place might be, politics and culture can ruin it.

I've lived in Fresno and Monterey California.  Fresno isn't much, but Monterey was nice.  I've traveled and visited just about every place between San Diego to Oreville and I've panned for gold along the 49er highway.  I've visited every major park.  I've hiked it, I've camped it, sailed it, and I've swimmed it. 

California is truely a beautiful place, but it's politics and culture remind me of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest.  The silly, job-killing, anti-business, social experiementation sort of cr*p that goes on there borders on the inane--or more accurately the insane.

California is perhaps the most intolerant state I've lived in--and I attended the University of Alabama when Governor Wallace stood in the door--but I had no problems with black students living in my dorm (I'm not from Alabama).  As far as I was concerned, they were just students trying to make a better life for themselves like me.

On the other hand, Conservatives in California are considered lower than pond scum.  See if students will allow a conservative to speak at Berkely or other liberal bastions without protests and interruptions--fat chance.  Despite professing a love of freedom of speech and diversity, most Californians find conservative speech and philosophy repugnant.  They do not want to hear an opposing argument.

For those of you who are not familiar with how intolerant Californian are please visit www.zombietime.com.  I can confirm that the lunatics on display pictured in those protests are in fact typical of liberal protesters. 

Did I mention that the politics there are about as corrupt as it gets?  I'll concede that Boston (lived there) is worse as a city and Illinois is worse as a state, but California is in the bottom 2.5 percent.

Can you name me another state that is 16 billion dollars in debt and wants to spend tax dollars on electronic license plates to advertise while your car is stopped at a red light.  Simultaneously, California is begging the federal government (i.e., everyone else in America) to bail them out?  Never mind that I may not agree with the product or the political position being advertised on the license plate, it will be making the state money.  These people are freaking nuts.

There is something in the water in California that somehow turns an otherwise wonderful place into a toxic political landfill.

Lest you think I've lived a protected life, I've lived in 13 states. I've visited all of the states.  I've lived in Canada.  I've lived in El Salvador (2 years) at the height of the civil war there.  I've lived in Vietnam for a year as a Marine platoon commander.  I've lived in Okinawa and mainland Japan.  And I've traveled extensively around the world in both the military and for business and pleasure.

While California is at the top of my list of beautiful places, it's at the bottom of my list for places to live.  There is more to quality of life than landscape.  Actually, I would prefer to go back to El Salvador than live in California.

When I returned from Vietnam in 1969, I landed in San Francisco on my way to my new assignment.  In those days, we were required to wear our uniforms.  All I wanted to do was to have a drink at the Top of the Mark where my parents once enjoyed a special occasion and my first decent dinner in over a year.  The reception I received from those ever so tolerant San Franciscans was in the form of a constant stream of expletives and intimidation.  My first night back in the US, I got into two fights in which I got my ass kicked being out numbered both times.  I never did get the drink or the dinner.

Right, welcome back for serving your country in a war that the politicians started.  Not much has changed.  They still loath the military while enjoying the freedoms the military guarantees them.

I do not support giving a single tax dollar to California to bail them out of the mess they made for themselves.  You screwed California up--you fix it yourself.

And to answer the rest of your question, while the culture, art, topography, climate, and sports may not be to your liking, I think Alaska and Hawaii (I've lived in both states) beats California hands down.  Alaska is breathtakingly beautiful if unforgiving.  Hawaii has better weather, beaches, sailing, swiming, topography, sports, and despite the fact that Hawaii is a left leaning state, the people are friendlier as well.  Actually, Florida is much better place to live too (born there).

Finally, I survived a major earthquake in El Salvador in October 1986.  It was a horrific event that I will never forget.  Thousands died.  My wife and I were lucky.  Even if California were perfect in every other respect, I would not live in an earthquake zone.  Unless you've survied a major earthquake, you don't know what it's like.

I'm now retired in Florida and enjoying my glass of wine each afternoon watching the sun set in the now oil clogged Gulf of Mexico.  It's still better than California. 

I sought government assistance ONE time.  I mean actively go and get it, had a lawyer and everything and I got it. 

It was the TOUGHEST decision I ever made because I hated, I mean HATED the idea of relying on governmental help because I was raised to be independent but I had to do it.  I had to do it because I made a mistake unwittingly years ago (follies of youth) and I had to pay the piper as it were because it caught up with me and it was a bit of an act of desperation and had very little choice.  (bankruptcy)

I was taught not to look to the government for more than the execution of righteous laws, including and especially the Constitution, and its military defense of the country.   So this was little more than a handout from the government and because it bothered me so much, I actually went to therapy for a short while.  Things are fine now, as I said, this was years ago.

Because of the way I was brought up, and the way I am, I don't see how people can seek government help without trying other avenues first?  And I mean really trying.  Yeah, there are some legit cases, but then you know there are the loafers out there too, and this business of the unemployment benefits has been abused in recent times, especially since it has been certified that the Obeyme administration truly is anti-business and places to work at don't want to hire people in that kind of climate.  So you got two big problems here, the people taking advantage of a situation and the current government taking advantage of a situation and NEITHER one benefits in the end....except the government has tighter control.

So what are people to do?  The options are getting more and more limited these days.

-Jon

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You were planning to apply to an MBA program in finance. But after last April, in the wake of the collapse of Bear Stearns, you started having second thoughts. By September, you decided to put off applying for at least a year, and after Congress began assailing "greedy bankers" every other day, and John Stewart publicly embarrassed Jim Cramer, you dismissed the idea entirely.

Well, that's understandable, but it may be a bit short-sighted. There are a few good reasons to consider applying now:

Reason Number One: Regardless of the popular opinion of investment banking right now, finance is still an extremely useful and indeed critical field. Sure, the days of sky-high salaries and bonuses in investment banking may be rapidly receding, but investment banking is still an integral part of the global financial system. Investment bankers provide capital for firms through the issuances and sale of securities, and handle mergers and acquisitions. When the recession ends, investment banks (and countries) will still need investment bankers.

Moreover, finance itself is not limited to investment banking. You can apply your finance skills to most industries: apply for jobs in the finance departments of consumer products firms, health-care organizations, or even government agencies. If you have overseas experience, consider taking a job abroad. Many foreign firms are seeking workers with knowledge of both the U.S. market and their own. And an MBA program, coupled with the financial skills you will acquire can be a good launching pad for you to start your own business. Bear markets present all kinds of interesting opportunities; an MBA program may position you well to take advantage of them.

Reason Number Two: MBA applicants, and finance applicants in particular, are notoriously competitive. If your peers are also having cold feet, that reduces your competition for admissions. It also potentially reduces your competition for scholarships, and as MBA programs themselves can be quite expensive (an Ivy League degree can easily leave you saddled with six figure student loans), you need to avail yourself of as many potential funding opportunities as possible (particularly if you are footing the bill yourself).

Reason Number Three: Last, but not least, you actually like finance. Employment considerations should not be your sole reason for pursuing or not pursuing a particular degree, just as you should not pursue a degree strictly because you are interested in a field (unless you are already fabulously wealthy). Make sure though that you know what you are getting yourself into. Understand that an interest in personal finance is not the same as having the interest, drive, and abilities to have a successful career in finance. Network with people in the industry, and obtain finance internships to get a better sense of the day-to-day.

If you seriously want to pursue a career in finance, give seriously reconsider pursuing an MBA in the field. A good MBA in finance will provide you with both the solid technical foundation and the professional network necessary to have a successful career.

Sources

Graham Bowley and Louise Story, Crisis Reshaping Wall St. As Stars Begin to Scatter, The New York Times


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