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WCDT: 2626-2630 (Jan 27 - 31 2014) Weekly Comics Discussion Thread

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aphanisis81:
Music History and Critical Theory...I distinctly remember the comic where this was revealed, but I never totally understood if the second part of it also has to do with music - i.e. Music History and Musical Critical Theory - or if he dual majored in music history and also got a degree in like works by Foucault and Zizek and Derrida. Which I've never heard of being a thing an undergrad can do outside of the auspices of an English dept. or Comp-Lit program.

Either way, he said that his music education was basically about listening to John Cage w/ a few other dudes. The point is that he never attempted to make a career out of anything he did in college. Which wouldn't exactly have been an abundance of options anyway, but it sounds like his education was knowledge for its own sake, not something to be diverted into a career.

Xader:

--- Quote from: NilsO on 28 Jan 2014, 06:57 ---
--- Quote from: Hybris on 28 Jan 2014, 06:20 ---Ancient wisdom say if girl is hairier then you... run away with haste. That is all.

--- End quote ---
Too much hair phobia in this forum. Although Marten has on a previous occasion expressed his anti-hair stance. Time to wake up. Body hair is natural. Let us make 2014 the year of the bush!

--- End quote ---

Wake me up in 2015...

Interlude:

--- Quote from: Mlle Germain on 28 Jan 2014, 07:20 ---
--- Quote from: NilsO on 28 Jan 2014, 05:53 ---Basically, Marten is a loser, without education and career opportunities. And he has no ambitions, other than a rather unrealistic wish to be a successful musician.

--- End quote ---

Not true: Marten has a college degree, although we do not know what kind (I think). Although I do not know how this compares to the German education system, I'd hardly call that "without education". It just seems to me that this degree is something that does not lead so some specific job, so Marten did not really know what to do with it once he had it. Also, Tai has hinted that Marten might get her job when she graduates, which seems to be more administrative than scientific, so probably you don't need a library science degree for it (Tai doesn't have one either).
The lack of serious ambition seems to be more of a problem, although really not everybody has to find their life's fulfillment in their job, you know? Lots of people are happy just working for a basic income and have fulfillment with friends/ hobbies/ family - like Marten with the band. It doesn't matter that he might never be able to earn his living with the band (as he has himself stated repeatedly, by the way), it can still be a fulfilling thing to do, while his job is just that, a job - although I agree that the job should pay enough to build up some savings, social security etc. Not sure his current job does that.

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The main problem, for me, with Marten's job is not his lack of ambition. It's that I find it irritating that he took a job that a COLLEGE STUDENT could have had. I feel that entry-level college positions should go to college students, and it's so annoying to me that Marten basically stole a job from one of the students who could really use that money to fund textbooks or classes or anything else. Not everyone has parents who pay for college. Marten should never have been offered that position (again, in my opinion).

I also don't think Tai has the authority to give him a job promotion. When she is no longer there, what is Marten going to do? Stick around with 18-early 20s college students for the rest of his life? More likely, he will be dismissed at some point in the future. I know Tai and Marten had some leverage because they caught (who were they?) in a sexual act, but they will not be there forever, either. With them gone and Tai gone, at some point, someone will complain that Marten has a job that should go to a college student or that he is making too much money for the position, and there's really no reason for him to be there. Even if it takes years, what will happen? He'll be in his late 20s all of a sudden AND be out of a job.

And, honestly, going to drug-filled college parties with dangerous games and excessive drinking is a big step back. But I've always hated parties like that, so I'm completely biased.  :psyduck:

judemorrigan:

--- Quote from: Technetium on 28 Jan 2014, 05:14 ---
--- Quote from: Is it cold in here? on 27 Jan 2014, 20:08 ---Marten has been creeping away from being directionless. He has a career path now, granted one that Tai imposed on him, and is beginning to take the band seriously.

--- End quote ---
The library job? He's a glorified intern. And to move up significantly he needs a degree (Library Science or something close to being called that depending on what school).  More importantly, has there ever been a time where Marten has said "you know, I think I'd really like to be a librarian, I can see myself doing that for the rest of my life."? Never. This is just a job he took because he needed the money. He's also a long way from being able to make a living doing music. They have no demo album, are only just talking about the possibility of performing in front of people, and nobody outside of Northampton (or whatever Jeph is calling it in QC universe) knows about them. His band is at the same place that many early-teen bands are at.

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Random thought: I assume it was a matter of it not being all that interesting from a plotting perspective, but it seems like a bit of a shame that Marten's music blog never took off.

Mlle Germain:
Not saying you guys are wrong about Marten not having that great of a long-term perspective jobwise and this probably affecting his life negatively, but just out of interest: Would you call Faye a "loser" in the same way? Their situations in life are comparable, with the exception that Faye is in a long-term relationship and Marten isn't.

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