Good Magazine: America’s Dirtiest Interview (Yet) October 12, 2010Mike Rowe, the host of Dirty Jobs, is building a resource for skilled trades, sounding off about the false dichotomy of blue versus white collars, and extolling the virtue of good old-fashioned filth.
As the creator and host of Discovery Channel’s Dirty Jobs, Mike Rowe has wisecracked his way through almost 300 apprenticeships at some of the country’s hardest jobs, poking ...read more...
Mr. Rowe Goes to Washington (and Peoria, etc.) October 11, 2010October 10, 2010
Finally home, and man am I tired. Frankly, I don’t remember the last time I felt this whipped. Then again, I don’t remember the last time I’ve been this old. Coincidence? Probably not. Looking back, I can see now that each of the last ten days required a separate part of my brain. Which is probably why nothing ...read more...
The Future of Farming August 26, 2010The last time I was in Indianapolis was the summer of 2003. I remember it pretty well because I was still sulking about The Colts being moved there without my permission and not quite over their inglorious departure from my hometown of Baltimore twenty years earlier. My bitterness melted away however in nearby Plainfield at The National Chimney Sweep Training School, the ...read more...
Building Symmetry August 15, 2010Funny thing about symmetry – you never know it’s going to happen until the moment it actually does, and then all of a sudden, you say things like “Well, how about that? That was very symmetrical.” Which is pretty much what happened when I heard from “Go Build Alabama.”
“Go Build Alabama” is a website built to champion Skilled Labor. It’s ...read more...
John Adams ~ Independent, Politically Incorrect and Would Look Great on a $50 Bill June 30, 2010From Mike’s forum on Discovery:
Q: As we celebrate our nation’s birthday ~ the 4th of July, have you ever considered which president you would have liked to have met? — Pen
John Adams
My reasons why are between the covers of McCullough’s biography on the man and his presidency, and too numerous to mention here. But for starters, he was a true ...read more...
Mike Rowe’s First Podcast – For Father’s Day No Less! June 19, 2010Mike reads Father’s Day al Fresco Fiasco from his 2009 Father’s Day blog. Download it here, listen and then let us know what you think – should he do more Podcasts? And look for it on iTunes soon!
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Mike Replies To A Slightly Offended, Not Very Enthusiastic Scout June 13, 2010Dear Mike Rowe,
Hello, I am a boy scout in Iowa, and I read the letter you sent to a boy who was contemplating whether or not to become an eagle scout. I am sorry to say this, but I am slightly offended by the meaning I interpreted when you brought up taking the path to become an eagle scout, or ...read more...
To What Degree Do You Think A College Degree Matters? June 8, 2010From Mike’s Forum on Discovery:
Q: Mike
I’m curious how you, who attended 6 years of college, came to appreciate and respect the people who do the less glamorous jobs. Did your parents raise you to appreciate every one’s struggle?
Seems like a simple point these days, but it’s shocking how many people still think that schooling has anything to do with wisdom, ...read more...
Can We Help But Be Defined And Sometimes Hardened By Our Work? May 26, 2010There comes a time in life when you know deep down, that you have become HARDENED and for me it is a fringe benefit of the working class. I feel it is earned and not just handed out. When I look at my Father and uncles, who are in the same career field as I am you can just tell ...read more...
Despite Magnificent Evolution, YOUR Safety Cannot be Your Employer’s Top Priority May 14, 2010From the MRW Water Cooler:
Q: Mike,
Years ago this country’s workers were deliberately kept in the dark about the dangers of their work and to stand up against employers or to question the practices would risk them being fired.
Personal responsibility is obviously important and when we feel it is the company’s fault we look for justice. We are a country of ...read more...
A One Size Safety Approach Doesn’t Fit All or Make You Safer April 27, 2010From the MRW Water Cooler:
Q: Mike,
I can’t imagine any company saying that safety is not their number one priority and companies offer items to keep the workers safe, so maybe I do not understanding the concept of “Safety Third”.
Also, I think many of us feel profits are put before worker safety. Is it just disregarding employee’s verses the economic ...read more...
What’s Riskier – Working Without a Net or Without Personal Responsibility? April 22, 2010Companies spend millions and millions of dollars trying to convince their employees that individual safety is the company’s NUMBER ONE PRIORITY. In my opinion, that is illogical, untrue and counter-intuitive to encouraging optimum vigilance in an employee. Certainly, management based safety programs are critical and greatly reduce on the job injuries; I’ve never said otherwise. But dangerous environments cannot be ...read more...
Mike Rowe, the host of Dirty Jobs, is building a resource for skilled trades, sounding off about the false dichotomy of blue versus white collars, and extolling the virtue of good old-fashioned filth.
As the creator and host of Discovery Channel’s Dirty Jobs, Mike Rowe has wisecracked his way through almost 300 apprenticeships at some of the country’s hardest jobs, poking ... read more...
October 10, 2010
Finally home, and man am I tired. Frankly, I don’t remember the last time I felt this whipped. Then again, I don’t remember the last time I’ve been this old. Coincidence? Probably not. Looking back, I can see now that each of the last ten days required a separate part of my brain. Which is probably why nothing ... read more...
From Mike’s forum on Discovery:
Q: As we celebrate our nation’s birthday ~ the 4th of July, have you ever considered which president you would have liked to have met? — Pen
John Adams
My reasons why are between the covers of McCullough’s biography on the man and his presidency, and too numerous to mention here. But for starters, he was a true ... read more...
From Mike’s Forum on Discovery:
Q: Mike
I’m curious how you, who attended 6 years of college, came to appreciate and respect the people who do the less glamorous jobs. Did your parents raise you to appreciate every one’s struggle?
Seems like a simple point these days, but it’s shocking how many people still think that schooling has anything to do with wisdom, ... read more...
There comes a time in life when you know deep down, that you have become HARDENED and for me it is a fringe benefit of the working class. I feel it is earned and not just handed out. When I look at my Father and uncles, who are in the same career field as I am you can just tell ... read more...
From the MRW Water Cooler:
Q: Mike,
I can’t imagine any company saying that safety is not their number one priority and companies offer items to keep the workers safe, so maybe I do not understanding the concept of “Safety Third”.
Also, I think many of us feel profits are put before worker safety. Is it just disregarding employee’s verses the economic ... read more...
Companies spend millions and millions of dollars trying to convince their employees that individual safety is the company’s NUMBER ONE PRIORITY. In my opinion, that is illogical, untrue and counter-intuitive to encouraging optimum vigilance in an employee. Certainly, management based safety programs are critical and greatly reduce on the job injuries; I’ve never said otherwise. But dangerous environments cannot be ... read more...