My visit to the Social Security office

I have been to the social security office now three times. Once at 15 to get my work permit and social security number, second time to make an appointment for early retirement, and Thursday to sign up for retirement.

The parking lot was packed. I enter and they have two computer kiosk which look like the old pong game. You enter your social security number on the screen and they print a number. I remember in 1955 my mother going to our town bakery and she pulled a number off a metal post. They called her number and she chose her baked goods and gave them the number back. Social Security has simply decided to printout that number.

Well the appointment was for 11:30 and they call my number at 12:15. The lady was rude and mean. I worked on her and had her laughing before I left. I asked her why she had not retired. She said she will never be able to retire. It might have explained how unhappy she was.

In any regard when I had cheered her up, and answered her questions it was a painless process of setting up the automatic deposit. I had been looking around the room thinking I would see a bunch of people applying for disability, but what I mostly saw was mothers bringing in their 16 year old kids to get social security numbers for work. We got numbers for our children right after birth. I also saw many people like myself a babyboomer checking out of the working world.

I get a kick out of Mr. Markle. He has a thread talking about how bad Obama is because of all the people leaving the labor market. Like a President is going to control the fact of life of the babyboom bubble. Well the youth that enjoyed the Beatles and the summer of love are lining up at Social Security offices all over the country. 10k a day. The historic bubble is working its way to the surface.....where eventually it will simply pop........left only in the history books. I will continue to work until I drop, but it is nice to know all those years of paying into the insurance pool, I might get a few years of those payments back.

2seaoat wrote:I have been to the social security office now three times.  Once at 15 to get my work permit and social security number, second time to make an appointment for early retirement, and Thursday to sign up for retirement.

The parking lot was packed.   I enter and they have two computer kiosk which look like the old pong game.   You enter your social security number on the screen and they print a number.   I remember in 1955 my mother going to our town bakery and she pulled a number off a metal post.   They called her number and she chose her baked goods and gave them the number back.   Social Security has simply decided to printout that number.

Well the appointment was for 11:30 and they call my number at 12:15.  The lady was rude and mean.  I worked on her and had her laughing before I left.   I asked her why she had not retired.  She said she will never be able to retire.   It might have explained how unhappy she was.

In any regard when I had cheered her up, and answered her questions it was a painless process of setting up the automatic deposit.   I had been looking around the room thinking I would see a bunch of people applying for disability, but what I mostly saw was mothers bringing in their 16 year old kids to get social security numbers for work.  We got numbers for our children right after birth.   I also saw many people like myself a babyboomer checking out of the working world.

I get a kick out of Mr. Markle.  He has a thread talking about how bad Obama is because of all the people leaving the labor market.   Like a President is going to control the fact of life of the babyboom bubble.   Well the youth that enjoyed the Beatles and the summer of love are lining up at Social Security offices all over the country.  10k a day.   The historic bubble is working its way to the surface.....where eventually it will simply pop........left only in the history books.   I will continue to work until I drop, but it is nice to know all those years of paying into the insurance pool, I might get a few years of those payments back.

I cannot understand why anyone would want to visit a Social Security office in person. Anything that you can do in a brick and mortar building you can do online and without all the aggravation. Only thing in the personal interaction with a living breathing human, but who really needs that, specially when they are going to be rude.

This was totally sentimental for me. The first time I went to the Social Security office a very good friend and I had got jobs as busboys for the summer at a country club. I remember us going to the office as if it was yesterday. The excitement of being able to be in the workforce, and we were going to be paid a $1 an hour. We had both been working shagging balls and working as a caddy, but this was going to be official. We worked that summer and I learned so much about life. He went off to college and so did I. That fall I got the weekly church bulletin when I returned home, and he had been killed in a VW beetle accident. They already had the funeral, and I felt lost. I think about his spirit and the fun we had as dishwashers and busboys that summer at 15. A million years ago, but on Thursday it seemed like yesterday.

So my visit to the Social Security office was simply an experience and conclusion in one phase of my life. I have an account set up online, and it was seamless, but I needed to do this in person. It just seemed like the right thing to do.

Hey I just found another ....
Future quote from Obama: If you like the liberties and the freedoms you have now, you can keep them.

LOL What a Guy!!! I think I will go hang out at the Social Security office today. It is the right thing to do. LOL I guess the dentist was booked up?


A wonderful walk down memory lane, and I made somebody smile. All in all it was a very good day. Life is beautiful when you are happy. I understand sadness and futility, I just prefer to take another course, and most of the time it simply begins and ends in one's mind. It is funny what we sometime consider to be a productive day.

I had a good day also Almost the same as what I posted on my Facebook page but I editied it just a bit


Yesterday I went back to visit the Shipyard. I worked there for many years and was one of the very first employees. It was hard work but very very challenging. Frank was tough guy to work for, but he was always fair and would not ask you to do anything he would not do. For years he would come out and work with us. He lead by example. You might be welding in a hot, smoky tank and yell for some one help you grind out a weld and it might be the Boss with the grinder. A good man.
He gave me a chance when others would not
His son now runs the yard. His son worked for me sandblasting the stern of boat on his first day of work at the yard. Work was damn sure hard back at the "Old Yard". We nick named it "The Flint stone yard" But He hung in and developed into a excellent craftsman. His dad may have owned the Yard but he was harder on him than any of us.
Fast forward 30 years.
I walked in the gate,I have been gone 5 years, and was meet with a big "Damn there is old Man Hallmark" Jr completed his lift with the friction crane and jumped down to see me.. Not some skinny kid blasting on the stern of a boat but now a dynamic business man, Master boat Build and just a damn all round good guy. At break time my old friends came to shake hand hand, pat me on the back and tell some story of how I messed up some project, all in good fun. Vietnamese ,Cambodians,Black guys, white guys all came to say hello. The shipyard is mostly likely one of the few place that people of different races and culture live and work in harmony with out even thinking about it.
Everyone wanted to know if I was coming back. for a few minutes I though I would. But I am 71 and my heart and spirit is still strong but I dont think i could do what I used to do.
It was a great day. It made me feel very good to know that I still have true friends. Something that is very very easy to forget.

2seaoat wrote:LOL What a Guy!!! I think I will go hang out at the Social Security office today. It is the right thing to do. LOL I guess the dentist was booked up?


A wonderful walk down memory lane, and I made somebody smile.  All in all it was a very good day.   Life is beautiful when you are happy.  I understand sadness and futility, I just prefer to take another course, and most of the time it simply begins and ends in one's mind.  It is funny what we sometime consider to be a productive day.

I have a hell of a lot better things that I can be doing with my time other than waiting 45 minutes past my appointment time. Hell I have never waited that long for an appointment with my doctor. Matter of fact, I am normally in and out of his office even before my appointment time.

The military has this saying, "Hurry up and wait". and after enduring that for 26 years, I swore that once I retired it would not happen to me again and believe me, it hasn't.

I have a hell of a lot better things that I can be doing with my time other than waiting 45 minutes

I guess you do. I used to be that way. I simply have a bit different perspective. I am enjoying things other people would find frustration and impatience. It is that hell of a lot better thing, you probably do not understand yet.........you will. Life is glorious if you enjoy today, and take it as it is.....not try to take control and take it to that place where you think it is a hell of a lot better.......a fool's mission. Now I am not saying there are not more important things than sitting in an office observing people and being treated rudely......but damn it was an enjoyable day, and one that I will never do again, and therein lies the answer.

2seaoat wrote:I have a hell of a lot better things that I can be doing with my time other than waiting 45 minutes

I guess you do.  I used to be that way.  I simply have a bit different perspective.   I am enjoying things other people would find frustration and impatience.   It is that hell of a lot better thing, you probably do not understand yet.........you will.   Life is glorious if you enjoy today, and take it as it is.....not try to take control and take it to that place where you think it is a hell of a lot better.......a fool's mission.  Now I am not saying there are not more important things than sitting in an office observing people and being treated rudely......but damn it was an enjoyable day, and one that I will never do again, and therein lies the answer.

SO, you and I are the same age, so please do not attempt to try and tell me what I will or will not understand. If a person does not control the things that go on in their life, then outside sources certainly will.

SO, you and I are the same age, so please do not attempt to try and tell me what I will or will not understand. If a person does not control the things that go on in their life, then outside sources certainly will.




I watched impatient people frustrated and angry....who had better things to do. I had an appointment at my office for 12:30 that day. I called them and told them I was held up and pushed our meeting back a half hour. I used to get mad and walk out. I used to ask if I could fill out a card and tell people how bad their system was.......I used to have time where I thought I could spend it a hell of a lot better than the cards I had been dealt. I have found wisdom. Just do not give a whit, or care. You still think you can control your life......great......go find that thing which you can better spend your time. Sit online and get your SS benefits, and with that time you saved.........you utilize it efficiently.......me I am simply enjoying everything.

My wife still gets worked up, and yesterday we got a call from the super wal mart about a written complaint she made about their stocking shelves. I smiled at her as she was explaining to the manager how the shelf had been bare and without stock.........he was listening, and she was spending her time a hell of a lot better than I would.....I would just get something else at the store if my favorite item was not stocked.....yep....it really is pretty simple, but I love her spirit.

2seaoat wrote:I have been to the social security office now three times.  Once at 15 to get my work permit and social security number, second time to make an appointment for early retirement, and Thursday to sign up for retirement.

The parking lot was packed.   I enter and they have two computer kiosk which look like the old pong game.   You enter your social security number on the screen and they print a number.   I remember in 1955 my mother going to our town bakery and she pulled a number off a metal post.   They called her number and she chose her baked goods and gave them the number back.   Social Security has simply decided to printout that number.

Well the appointment was for 11:30 and they call my number at 12:15.  The lady was rude and mean.  I worked on her and had her laughing before I left.   I asked her why she had not retired.  She said she will never be able to retire.   It might have explained how unhappy she was.

In any regard when I had cheered her up, and answered her questions it was a painless process of setting up the automatic deposit.   I had been looking around the room thinking I would see a bunch of people applying for disability, but what I mostly saw was mothers bringing in their 16 year old kids to get social security numbers for work.  We got numbers for our children right after birth.   I also saw many people like myself a babyboomer checking out of the working world.

I get a kick out of Mr. Markle.  He has a thread talking about how bad Obama is because of all the people leaving the labor market.   Like a President is going to control the fact of life of the babyboom bubble.   Well the youth that enjoyed the Beatles and the summer of love are lining up at Social Security offices all over the country.  10k a day.   The historic bubble is working its way to the surface.....where eventually it will simply pop........left only in the history books.   I will continue to work until I drop, but it is nice to know all those years of paying into the insurance pool, I might get a few years of those payments back.

2seaoat, like President Barack Hussein Obama, are you simply a pathological liar and don't even realize you are lying?

FAR, FAR more people are dropping from the labor market each month than the baby boomers.  As you say, 10,000 a day are retiring and last month, October, how many dropped out of the labor market?

To simplify this for you, 10,000 times 30 days is 300,000.  Not even in the realm of 932,000.


Whopping 932,000 Americans Drop Out Of Labor Force In October; Participation Rate Drops To Fresh 35 Year Low
by Tyler Durden on 11/08/2013 08:44 -0500

The only two charts that matter from today's distorted nonfarm payrolls report.

First, the labor force participation rate, which plunged from 63.2% to 62.8% - the lowest since 1978!



http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2013-11-08/whopping-932000-americans-drop-out-labor-force-october-labor-participation-rate-drop

Keep up the good work 2seaoat, you continue to be one of the best foils here!

Look at the work force participation rate for young people... there is something fundamentally wrong. Older workers are increasing.

http://www.businessinsider.com/youth-labor-force-participation-falls-2013-9

PkrBum wrote:Look at the work force participation rate for young people... there is something fundamentally wrong. Older workers are increasing.

http://www.businessinsider.com/youth-labor-force-participation-falls-2013-9

This article flies in the face of the argument about baby boomers being the ones  who are retiring and leaving the work force.

http://www.pbs.org/newshour/businessdesk/2013/08/is-baby-boomer-retirement-behi.html

It is not rocket science, old people retire. When the largest percentage of our population is babyboomers what do you think is going to happen?

2seaoat wrote:http://www.pbs.org/newshour/businessdesk/2013/08/is-baby-boomer-retirement-behi.html

It is not rocket science, old people retire. When the largest percentage of our population is babyboomers what do you think is going to happen?

You tell us einstein... why are the old remaining in the workforce... but the young are refusing to participate?

You tell us einstein... why are the old remaining in the workforce... but the young are refusing to participate?




I do not agree with your statement, so why would I want to be Einstein.....it seems that Einstein as our revisionist have presented him put inaccurate information on the blackboard, and now you want me to agree with something which as usual is a tattered recitation of the facts and the concepts which impact current employment. I never knew a tennis ball could cause so much damage.....or was it a racquet.

2seaoat wrote:You tell us einstein... why are the old remaining in the workforce... but the young are refusing to participate?




I do not agree with your statement, so why would I want to be Einstein.....it seems that Einstein as our revisionist have presented him put inaccurate information on the blackboard, and now you want me to agree with something which as usual is a tattered recitation of the facts and the concepts which impact current employment. I never knew a tennis ball could cause so much damage.....or was it a racquet.

It must be nice to ignore that which does not support your position. Happy unicorn day..!!

It must be nice to ignore that which does not support your position. Happy unicorn day..!!

I ignore nothing. Your statement was not even intelligible and you wanted me to answer the same?

Lets help you get me out of unicorn land.....you know....by asking cogent questions which can be put into context and answered. What was the percentage of retiring people over the last 30 years who have continued to work beyond the full retirement date, and what percentage of people took early retirement and continued working part time jobs. Now take those percentages and apply the same to the 10k babyboomers a day who are retiring. I am retiring, but I will continue to work. Now, look at people below thirty as a percentage of the total population. What is that percentage? Now historically what percentage of people under the age of thirty were not in the work force....school, military, unemployed, etc. Now apply that percentage of the overall population and determine if in fact there is something statistically significant.

Absent your determining the same, I think I will respectfully pass on you pulling facts from thin air. The truth is pretty simple. 10k folks are retiring every day. regardless of what is shown as to % who keep working, the babyboom bubble of population is unquestioned and significant in any statistical sense and part time employment does not cover the loss of those 10k who have retired every day.....but I am all ears if you want to firm up your statements you want me to accept at face value.

Cogent... Thin air... Statistically significant... "regardless of what is shown"... You are firmly in unicorn land sir.

Argue with the numbers... I have no time for dementia logic. What time is the rainbow tomorrow?

dementia logic.LOL

2seaoat wrote:It must be nice to ignore that which does not support your position. Happy unicorn day..!!

I ignore nothing.  Your statement was not even intelligible and you wanted me to answer the same?

Lets help you get me out of unicorn land.....you know....by asking cogent questions which can be put into context and answered.   What was the percentage of retiring people over the last 30 years who have continued to work beyond the full retirement date, and what percentage of people took early retirement and continued working part time jobs.    Now take those percentages and apply the same to the 10k babyboomers a day who are retiring.  I am retiring, but I will continue to work.   Now, look at people below thirty as a percentage of the total population.  What is that percentage?  Now historically what percentage of people under the age of thirty were not in the work force....school, military, unemployed, etc.   Now apply that percentage of the overall population and determine if in fact there is something statistically significant.

Absent your determining the same, I think I will respectfully pass on you pulling facts from thin air.  The truth is pretty simple.   10k folks are retiring every day.   regardless of what is shown as to % who keep working, the babyboom bubble of population is unquestioned and significant in any statistical sense and part time employment does not cover the loss of those 10k who have retired every day.....but I am all ears if you want to firm up your statements you want me to accept at face value.

You just can not make this up! 2seaoat wants us to believe that millions of people no longer in the labor market is somehow, by his "reasoning" a good thing. Say what?


More of those FACTS you consider so detestable!

But more importantly, the number of people not in the labor force exploded by nearly 1 million, or 932,000 to be exact, in just the month of October, to a record 91.5 million Americans! This was the third highest monthly increase in people falling out of the labor force in US history.



http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2013-11-08/whopping-932000-americans-drop-out-labor-force-october-labor-participation-rate-drop

The largest segment of the American population is retiring in record numbers and people are confused why labor participation rates are dropping.....I love this place.