KRAM1

Taking back part of 15. Am now “fully engaged” in the Ale and Gin Festival...even better for me as I don’t care for whiskey...and, now must admit that “sissying up” my Gin with some of the infusions they have in the fins (over 50 varieties...can I get to all of them in three days....and try some of the 40 plus ales) is pretty darn great. Especially when used with some of the local tonic waters! I may have found my happy place here in Plockton! 😂😂. Found a group of English Navy guys to “share” a bit of gin with to start the festival. Yes..20-30 something’s all right. Fun lads all..,I should correct that to say one is from Wales.

Didn’t ask. 😂😂.

Oh, the opportunities provided by this post...must use restraint. 😂😂

So, Aussie college follow-up with a third Aussie (Sally) ... a college grad... biology...added to the mix. She agreed with the prior comments from her fellow Aussies. But also added that students loans are paid back through payroll deduction. You have a loan...you get a job...boom...payroll deduction. Payment based on income and can go up in amount as your salary increases. No job? No payment says Sally. She does have student loans by the way. I don’t know...but I am sticking with what the now-three Aussies have said. One currently working and saving for college. One with an MBA whose Dad paid for her bachelor’s degree (and took advantage of the govt supplied discount by paying up front each year) and where her company paid for her MBA. One with a bachelor’s degree with student loans who is currently repaying through payroll deduction. I think these Aussies know more than the American google warriors. But, hey, who knows?

1. Use both as AA agent gave us paper ones day of travel at DFW. Already had it on my phone. Both indicated same flight, seats, etc. 2. No 3. Yes 4. See #2 above 5. 20 and 30-somethings are fun 6. No 7. Easy..they are 20 and 30- somethings 8. No and neither are they 9. Yes 10. Not yet 11. Yes 12. Yes..they have paid or are paying or did not have student loans and have not as yet whined about their student loans. They enjoy buying me pints...as I enjoy buying them pints. 13. Doubtful, but they did get a laugh or two when I showed them the thread about how Americans know more about Australian college and costs than they do...that got me a pint on them. 14. Didn’t. AA screwed it up in Dallas and did not get it on our flight to Philly. 15. Harris Gin my favorite so far...from Harris Island. Amazing. Nope...will keep spelling it the American way..my friends know I am American...they get it and I am not trying to impress anyone. And, no infusions for me...don’t want to “sissy up” my gin. I always have a great time. Hope you do as well.

I will be sure and let them know, especially the young lady with the MBA, that they don’t know what they are talking about. We Americans will show them Aussies who knows more about their educational system! 👍👍. Take that you Aussies! Am sure they be duly impressed and insist on buying my next pint as an apology. OK...and, yes, boarding flights in different countries can be very challenging...even your own as we experienced this trip. Handed the gate agent in Philly our boarding passes for our flight to Edinburgh printed out the same morning at DFW with the seats we had reserved nine months prior clearly stated, and the agent goes nope...not good. Step to the side! Really? Made me prove I had paid for the tickets and had those seats assigned after waiting until everyone else boarded. Did showing them my on-line AA generated itinerary work? Nope. This after having left our luggage in Dallas with the same Philly gate agent saying...and I quote “I don’t care where your luggage is or the problems you are having, those boarding passes are not valid!” So, at this point, I am not going to dispute a kid’s “gate agent” story. Especially one from Australia working with an Australian gate agent. I asked him if he meant customs agent upon arriving in the UK. He said no...gate agent. Odd...yes, we agree. But, after my experience...who is to tell the kid he is mistaken as to what happened to him? Anyway, we’ll have a fun discussion tomorrow. Anyway...we/I have gone far astray. And as one posted...probably best for another thread. I have a Whiskey and Gin festival to attend in Plockton starting Saturday. Much more important.

Sorry to burst your Australian college costs bubble, but according to both the Australians on the little tour with us to the Highlands, your thinking is out of date. Most college tuition is not government subsidized and longer. If you pay “up front” you can get a small discount but other-wise you pay. And, you pay per subject on average about $3000 per subject...take English...$3000 please..add history $3000 please, etc. That is the average...they can cost more and/or less. So...add that up per year times four and it’s a bit of Australian change! The young lady, Amy, who has her MBA said...”my Dad paid for my bachelor’s degree so I was lucky” but my MBA cost me about $6000 per class”. And, yes, I had help as my company paid most of that. Hmmm...where has that been mentioned? 🤔🤔 And, Yep, there is a student loan program and some “skip out on paying” by going overseas to work, but if they come home...trouble. Some complain about having to repay, but she said not so many as they know they have to repay loans. My young friend Isaac, the 19 year old, confirmed the same and said the cost is why he is delaying college a few years as he wants no loans to repay if possible. Like I said, kid is a working machine...manager at 19 at a major grocery, living at home (but paying mom and dad rent) doing double and triple shifts to save all this cash and now on his first holiday since starting to work at fourteen. Said the airline tried to keep him from boarding as they did not believe he had paid cash for his two-month trip as he was so young. Had to whip out his phone and show them his bank account where he withdrew the funds. 😂😂 Glad he didn’t run in to you guys as well...poor kid would have never gotten on the plane. But, thanks for the opportunity to go to the actual people involved to ask about how college costs work in Australia. Not all that different now than in the US. And thanks to Amy and Issac for “educating” this Boomer with the actual costs and systems. Hope this helps..thought the people involved and who actually experienced it might be a tad more accurate than google. But, hey, what the heck do Amy and Issac know? 🤷‍♂️

Ding ding ding! Yes, but I am guessing that this might be “in spite” of MacLeod not because of...😂😂😂

Typical whine. Always someone else’s fault...always not fair. Responsibility is always for someone else. Got it! By the way..just met a 19 year old from Australia that is on a two-month holiday from his job...yep two months...who has been working since age 14 and has saved enough from his paychecks to pay cash (about $10,000 Australian) for this two-month vacation and has two years of college paid for with additional savings. Kid is going to pay 100% of his own college expenses..debt free. So, tell me again why student loan debt is a must and why things are so different today! BS on this boomer garbage. Responsibility and proper planning know no age and is not “out of style” as you seem to think. Fun facts for kids.

Are you certain that I am not the source of those rumors??? 😂😂😂🤔🤔

It certainly is...they really changed it for the better. 👍

Don’t like loan debt? Don’t take out loans. And it is silly to think one cannot get a college degree without big student loan debt. Parents and kids just don’t want to make decisions early, go to the community colleges first for two years, live at home and work while going to that Community College. etc., etc. There are ways...such as using loans ONLY for tuition and books and fees...not cell phone bills, Taco Bell, tattoos, dating, rent, etc. Those things prior planning and part-time work goes a long way in handling. There are tough decisions to be made...decisions that should be made EARLY...most today don’t. They would rather claim the only way they can go to college is by racking up thousands and thousands in loan debt. Absolutely wrong! And, let’s not forget doing the job in HS so you might qualify for some scholarship money. And, let’s not forget the GI bill. Enlisting in a branch of the military and get a bunch of your college costs covered after you complete your enlistment. And, find a company to work for they helps you pay your loans back. Just read about such perks in the paper this week. Companies are having challenges hiring in today’s hot labor and economic market and they are offering such perks...and some...hiring GS and CC grads are helping pay costs to complete a 2-yr or 4-yr degree. I could go on. Not, saying it is easy...not saying some of the above is not in the cards for some folks, just saying that “going the loan route” has consequences. Consequences one accepts when they borrow the money. Tough love, I guess. Lots of folks seem to need it these days. OK, I’ll look forward to all the “it’s not fair” and “old man you don’t know what you are talking about” replies in 10...9...8...7.....

OK...in no particular order and a bit over ten... Joe Greene Abner Haynes Ken Washington Carl (Spider Lockhart) Mason Fine Craig Robertson John Love Brandon Kennedy Toby Goin Iseed Khoury Cedric Hardman Lance Dunbar Jordan Case Zach Orr OK...that's 14...I'll just stop there.

Tech does love to come to the Metroplex. They have held a "spring game" at the Star for at least the last two years. The Metroplex is a recruiting hotbed for Tech, just like it is for just about everyone else. Plus, Tech has a boat load of grads in the Metroplex who support Tech really well whenever they hold an alumni, athletic or other event in the area. I think it behooves them to keep this game on the schedule. Just my two cents.

Reported today that Coach DeLing turned down an invite to the NIT tourney. Looks like it’s the NCAA’s or nothing for softball. Nothing wrong with not settling for anything but the top. Congrats on a great and record-setting season!