Do You Have A Plan B, If All Else Fails ?

[Valmy]

Of course our whole agricultural sector is one big clusterfuck.

It has not been recently.  Commodity prices are going up all over the place including agricultural products.

[Razgovory]

Taking up farming isn't much of a Plan "B".  Very capital intensive.  You can make a great living at it, but it's just not something you can fall back to.

I know a lot of farmers, but none of them make a great living at it. Most of them make barely enough to cover the finance costs on all that expensive shit they have to buy. Of course our whole agricultural sector is one big clusterfuck.

Same here.  All the farmers I've know have another job to support the farm.  There's just not much money in it.  I guess some people make money at it.  Corporate farms seem to do okay, but the small farmer?  They barely break even and they get huge tax write offs and subsidies as it is.

[ulmont]

Same here.  All the farmers I've know have another job to support the farm.  There's just not much money in it.  I guess some people make money at it.  Corporate farms seem to do okay, but the small farmer?  They barely break even and they get huge tax write offs and subsidies as it is.

Define "corporate farm."  My father has managed to do well over the years, but does farm approximately 1500 acres.

[Slargos]

Depends on my mood and circumstances.

My Plan B has varied from switching jobs, to smuggling narcotics, to knocking off gas-stations, to doing €2 tricks behind dumpsters, to running my car off a high cliff. 

I'm currently on a B-plan actually, which suddenly became more of an A-plan due to unforseen pleasant improvements of the particulars of it. My old A-plan is now a C-plan, and the previous C-plan is dropped to a comfortable D.

It's all working out pretty well, despite the aforementioned A not turning out so well.

[grumbler]

Of course our whole agricultural sector is one big clusterfuck.

It has not been recently.  Commodity prices are going up all over the place including agricultural products.

Mim's whole agricultural sector could well be one big clusterfuck.  If so, he should ge t food from my whole agricultural sector.  Food has never been cheaper, on average, than in the last ten years where I am.  Family farms are pretty  much fucked in my agricultural sector, but that handwriting has been on the wall for a very long time, and those family farms that haven't specialized or boutique-ized are pretty much going through the motions until the current generation retires.

[crazy canuck]

Never had a plan.  But things worked out. 

Your improv skills are clearly superior to mine.

I dont believe in plans per se.  I think success has a lot to do with having the ability (right skill set etc) to take advantage of an opportunity when it arises.  So yes, improv is probably the best word for it.

[Razgovory]

Same here.  All the farmers I've know have another job to support the farm.  There's just not much money in it.  I guess some people make money at it.  Corporate farms seem to do okay, but the small farmer?  They barely break even and they get huge tax write offs and subsidies as it is.

Define "corporate farm."  My father has managed to do well over the years, but does farm approximately 1500 acres.

I really don't know.  I define "farmer" as a guy out side the city limits with corn, pigs, cows and chickens.  I don't ask about how much land they have or to look at their balance sheets.  I just know it's not easy.  I remember someone saying they make less then a buck an acre.  But it could be local conditions or they are just bad farmers.  Farming isn't really my area of expertise.

[Valmy]

Same here.  All the farmers I've know have another job to support the farm.  There's just not much money in it.  I guess some people make money at it.  Corporate farms seem to do okay, but the small farmer?  They barely break even and they get huge tax write offs and subsidies as it is.

Define "corporate farm."  My father has managed to do well over the years, but does farm approximately 1500 acres.

Yeah we have been doing really well as well and prices have hit highs a couple times this year.

[DontSayBanana]

The flaw in this thread is that it assumes "A" is actually planned to begin with.

I was good with computers and networks, but I listened too much to post-dotcom-bubble alarmists wailing that there was no job market for IT or computer science.  I had a knack for music, so getting a music degree and going into music production became "Plan B."  After a meltdown due to a personal life going to shit, I switched to "Plan C"- stop going to school and just work 9-5.  After getting bounced around in the job market, the state paid for me to go back to school, but it had to be an "in-demand" field.  Paralegal studies seemed like the closest match for an overly analytical cynic like me, so that became "Plan D," but I actually proved too cynical and jaded to be able to cope with that (I'm one hell of a depressing mofo IRL), so I went back to computer science, which I should have done in the first place, so depending on how you look at it, I'm either back to "Plan A" or "Plan D" (for never having attempted the original "Plan A").

[The Brain]

Once I figured out how shit works I became mega-bored and lost interest in work. Me working among people is like an average human working among chimps.

[Slargos]

Never had a plan.  But things worked out. 

Your improv skills are clearly superior to mine.

I dont believe in plans per se.  I think success has a lot to do with having the ability (right skill set etc) to take advantage of an opportunity when it arises.  So yes, improv is probably the best word for it.

While I've always felt that it's important to have a general set of goals, tools with which to reach them and back ups should they break, there is no doubt that the fundamental truth is fortune favours the prepared. If you always work hard, when good luck comes to knock on the door, odds are you're already turning the door knob.

I have never felt as "lucky" as during the times in my life when I've worked hard, stuck to schedules and gone above and beyond what is strictly necessary. Things just seem to fall into place on their own. On the flip side, slacking off has always been accompanied by mysterious accidents, break ins, sickness striking at the worst possible moment and general murphy's law style mayhem.

[crazy canuck]

Once I figured out how shit works I became mega-bored and lost interest in work. Me working among people is like an average human working among chimps.

People throw a lot of shit at you do they?

[The Brain]

Once I figured out how shit works I became mega-bored and lost interest in work. Me working among people is like an average human working among chimps.

People throw a lot of shit at you do they?

Yes.

[DGuller]

No indoor plumbing at your workplace?

[Siege]

My wife certainly have a plan.