Blogs / Articles

  • Top 10 Interview Questions I Would Ask Mike December 20, 2008 From the MRW Water Cooler Q: 10. What areas of your life do you feel like you are shortchanging? Nothing major. Friends, family, pets, etc. 9. If you could do anything tomorrow, what would it be? Sleep till noon. Write till 6. Read till midnight. In the leather chair. By the fire. Near the wine. 8. What is the thing you are most proud of accomplishing ... read more...
  • My analysis of Mike’s Mission December 16, 2008 From the MRW Water Cooler Q: As I was watching the mission statement, I had a few thoughts about what you, Mike Rowe, want to do. And I thought I might share it with you. 1) You are absolutely right about the problem of work in the country, but looking at it straight, it is coming from a well-off prime-time stud that ... read more...
  • Mike and being a Perpetual Apprentice November 25, 2008 From the MRW Water Cooler Q. Mike it occurs to me that you are comfortable in the perpetual apprentice role. Is that keeping you from having to be an expert in something? Do you want to excel in writing? It’s not that I feel that you are not good at what you do, because you are good at everything even if ... read more...
  • Thinking Work is the Enemy is the Problem, crumbling infrastructure and poor work ethic is the Symptom August 8, 2008 From Mike’s forum on Discovery Q: At Work…a man came in with so many maggots embedded in a wound in his arm, it took 3 hours to clean it. You want to smell something Dave and Mike? He has been moved to a downtown hospital, where he can be treated. But since he cannot care for himself for several reasons all ... read more...
  • The “Reverse Commute” August 2, 2008 From Mike’s Mud Room on Discovery.com Q: I just read the interview Mike did for the BCPS (Baltimore County Public Schools). In this interview he is asked this question: “What advice do you have for current students on choosing/building a career? He answers: “I’m a fan of the “reverse commute”. He goes on to explain the reverse commute is: watch where ... read more...
  • Crumbling Infrastructure June 26, 2008 Q: “Crumbling infrastructure? Decreased enrollment in trade schools? How about letting the rest of us read it?” Moose —  desertengineer Mike’s Reply 6/27/08 (compilation reply to many) A: Hi Moose, if I send it, you’ll see it, as will everyone else, since it will be an “open letter.” I haven’t decided yet if I want to go there, but if I do, it will ... read more...
  • Mike, Are you a bringer of a new Consciousness? May 31, 2008 From Mike’s Mud Room on Discovery.com Q: Dear Mike, I am not sure how you feel about it, but I feel that you are a bringer of a new consciousness. Thanks to Liz I finally received the February issue of Fast Company and was able to read it. Sorry it took so long but I could not get a copy. You stated humbly ... read more...
  • Glamorizing Blue-collar Jobs? March 9, 2008 From Mike’s forum on Discovery.com Q: I am a big fan of the show. However, I am picky, and this is my only beef. Because this show glamorizes blue-collar and other jobs in the modest spectrum of vocations, it will affect how your fan base contributes their professional careers to this country. In other words, this is a very successful show, and ... read more...
  • Fast Company: The Dirtiest Mind in Business January 28, 2008 How Filth Met Opportunity and Created a Franchise by Ellen McGirt, January 28, 2008 Mike Rowe has drawn a crowd. Again. This time it’s on a chilly December night in Florence, South Carolina, at a local joint called J. Michael’s Grill and Raw Bar. In between autographing beer naps and posing for pictures, Rowe, the craggily handsome star of the Discovery Channel’s ... read more...
  • Seven Dirty Habits of Highly Effluent People January 28, 2008 By Mike Rowe, January 28, 2008 Most public speakers are wildly overpaid, and I am no exception. I used to think I could justify my ridiculous fee by putting a lot of careful thought into each appearance, so I called my first presentation “Egalitarianism in the Modern-Day Workplace,” and talked at length about “the changing face of the contemporary proletariat vis-à-vis ... read more...
  • I’m curious Mike… January 5, 2008 From the MRW Water Cooler Q. What are your feelings on education? Did you start school with an idea of what you wanted to be or a degree you wanted to pursue? It seems you are a well-rounded individual and I’m just curious if there was anything you had ever considered pursuing as a career. You are obviously a gifted writer ... read more...