Everywhere you look on the internet, you will find bogus gurus selling the secrets of success.

 always end up being to buy their products. Go figure!

 on how to set yourself up for a good life?

It is because the real advice we need to hear

 doesn't make the person who gives it any money.

The good advice is stuff that you've heard many times before, but you probably need to hear again.

So to bring a little sanity to an internet overrun with self-help insanity, here are a few pieces of that time-tested advice.

[And if you have another piece of timeless, real advice that helps make life great, we want to hear it. Please send it to 

Sure, there are sometimes when debt is unavoidable.

But if we're being honest, those times are actually far fewer than we (and lenders) trick ourselves into believing.

Debt will cost you money, energy, and time.

It's always tempting to get what you want now instead of later.

But when you take on debt you get what you want now, 

Don't trade your future self for your present desires.

One of the biggest reasons that people end up in debt is because of a lack of patience. Rather than waiting until they have the money for something that they want they buy it immediately, using credit.

But that credit needs to be paid back eventually, and with interest.

Being patient means learning to be happy with what you have now and postponing the fulfillment of desire for the thing you want.

But being patient is bigger than just money and buying things.

The better you are at paying with time (being patient), the more of life's best things you will be able to afford.

It's a self-evident truth that no one can have everything.

So if you can't have everything, you better make sure you know which things you actually want.

The world is more than happy to tell you what things you want if you don't decide for yourself. And then it will make you miserable to pay for those things that it told you to want.

Pick what you want. Decide what matters to you. And then focus on that, and don't let the world tell you that you need to want something else instead.

[Do you have piece of timeless, real advice that belongs on this list? We want to hear it. Please send it to 

3 Golden Rules for a Golden Life

When we are little, we often talk about what we want to be when we grow up.

Children fantasize about being ballet dancers, actors, rock stars and even the President of the United States.

Time goes by and in a flash, answering this question becomes a life decision that faces many high school students. The first step will be deciding on a path for continuing education.

While college is a common choice, many students are picking trade schools over colleges. This is because a trade school is a relatively inexpensive option that is less time consuming and more focused than college. In many cases, the courses are more interesting to students as well.

If you have determined that trade school is the way to go, the next step will be deciding which trade will be best for you. Here are some things you will want to consider.

You may be young, but you need to consider that the trade you choose may be a huge part of what you do every day for the rest of your life. Therefore, you should go with something that you are passionate about and that makes you happy. Research has shown that finding a rewarding career path is more important to most workers than the amount of money they are making.

Everyone has things they are naturally good at. Some of us are good with our hands. Some of us are great at coming up with out of the box ideas. Some of us can sell sand in a desert.

If you pursue a job you are good at, you will be more likely to be hired and you will be happier in your position. While skills can be developed over time, it’s always best to pursue something you already have a natural talent for doing.

There are many tests that you can take online that will assess your skills and passions and come up with careers that maybe right for you. You need to be careful as some of these tests are incomplete and do not ask for the information necessary to provide you with an adequate assessment. However, if you take a test provided by a reliable source, it may surprise you by coming up with career suggestions you never considered.

Even though personal fulfillment may be a priority for most workers, you want to make sure the trade you choose will make for a financially wise decision. Not only should you determine your money making potential, you should make sure that your trade is in demand in the area you live in. If you think you will have to relocate to find more career opportunities, decide if this is a viable option.

Before deciding on a career, think of what it will take to become qualified in your field. How much schooling will you need? How much testing? What materials will you need for your education? How much will your education cost?

Make sure that you have what it takes to go through the educational process. This may seem like a very small part of your decision, but many students drop out of school before completing it which can be a considerable waste of time and money.

Next, think of what your job will entail on a day to day basis. Many people focus on the big picture and don’t think of the smaller responsibilities that are involved, but this can make all the difference as you progress in your job field.

For instance, if your job involves a lot of driving, this can be problematic if you hate driving. If customer service is a major part of your career, make sure you are a ‘people person’.

Many people change career paths down the line. This could be because the job they are doing is no longer in demand, or they may simply decide that want to pursue another opportunity.

Some trades will provide a wide range of career options so that you don’t have to pursue another degree or certification if you decide to change paths. In general, the more specialized the skills required for a job, the narrower the opportunities will be.

If you are narrowing down your career options, it’s a good idea to talk to others who are currently working in the fields you are thinking of pursuing. Ask them what their jobs are like on a day to day basis.

Ask them what their education was like and how difficult it was for them to find a job and become established. Find out if they are financially and mentally satisfied with their positions.

This will give you real insight into what it will be like if you decide to pursue this career.

The best way to determine if a career is right for you is to actually try it out for yourself. There are many colleges that offer pre-apprenticeship programs that give students the opportunity to try out different trades before committing to their area of study.

If you have a friend or relative that works in the industry you are thinking of pursuing, offer to shadow them for the day. This is a win-win situation as you will be learning more about your potential career while offering them free labor.

Finding the right career is a major decision that can be difficult for many high school students to make. But by considering positions that suit your skills, interests and financial needs, you will be able to find a trade that is right for you. We wish you the best of luck in your future endeavors.

How to Pick the Best Path into the Trades for You

High school graduates are increasingly focused on getting big paychecks as opposed to getting fancy college degrees.

For a high school graduate in today's world, entering the skilled trades is now the fastest route to a major payday.

While many trades have union apprenticeship options for prospects to consider, for many trades the best way to get in is to attend a trade school. However, not all trade schools are created equally and not all trade school experiences are as valuable as they could be.

Here are some factors to consider that will help you choose the best trade school for you, and ensure that you get the most out of your time there.

Many vocational schools will boast about the successes of their former students in regard to their placement rates and salary potential. While this is a definite selling point, prospective students should review the information carefully to make sure the school can carry through on its promises.

Students should review the facilities and curriculum to make sure the equipment is not outdated and that the training offered will prepare them for their career fields in accordance to modern standards.

Many students complete a vocational course only to find out that they will still need more training or testing before they can embark on their careers. While this can be standard in some industries, it is best to find a school that brings you as close to being prepared to start your career as possible.

The right instructors can make all the difference when it comes to getting an education that prepares you for the road ahead. Find out if the instructors in the school you are considering have academic and professional experience in your field of study and whether they hold licenses and certifications. You can also sit in on classrooms to experience their teaching methods first hand.

Before applying to a school, it is a good idea for students to check with the Better Business Bureau and the state Attorney General to make sure no complaints have been filed against it.

All schools should be properly licensed. Private vocational schools are licensed by through the Department of Education. Truck driving schools maybe licensed by the state transportation department. In any case, it’s important to ask the school what agency handles its licensing.

Accreditation means the school’s program has been evaluated and is verified to meet certain requirements. A school that is accredited is likely to provide the appropriate training and education.

If you are starting out in the career field, you may be struggling financially. Make sure the school you enroll in is affordable and won’t leave you paying off loans for the better part of your life.

Lower income students may qualify for financial aid. This is a great way to lower your payments without having to pay off a hefty loan. Before applying, find out about your financial aid options.

If you do end up taking a loan to pay for your education, be sure to review the terms of the loan carefully. Be aware of the interest rates and the terms of repayment to make sure you’re not getting in over your head.

Most vocational schools will offer you a contract before signing up. Look over the contract to make sure you can cancel within a few days if you are dissatisfied with the program. Also, if the school’s spoken promises are not reflected in the contract, it could be a red flag.

Most continuing education facilities require you to purchase books and materials that are essential to your coursework. Find out what supplies you will need so you can include this expense when considering the total cost of the school.

While vocational schools can provide a comprehensive education, they may not be your only option. Community colleges may offer courses that are less expensive and just as extensive. On the job training may be another viable option where you can earn money while learning.

14) Does the School Offer the Program You Want?

It may seem obvious that the school you are looking into would have the program you want. But if you are looking for a specific kind of training, you may find the school doesn’t offer exactly what you require. It is better to find this information out sooner rather than later.

If you have had previous education that can be applied to your degree, you want to make sure your credits will transfer. Otherwise, that training will have been a waste of time and money.

16) What is the School’s Reputation in the Industry?

If you were educated by a school that has a good reputation in the industry, you will be much more likely to get a job. Do a bit of research to find out which schools will help your resume to stand out.

You can learn a lot about a school by finding out what past students have to say about their experience. While online reviews can be helpful in providing you with information about what the school is like, getting a list or recent graduates and asking them about their experiences is a foolproof way to get information you need to determine whether the school is right for you.

A trade school is a great option when it comes to career training. But finding the right school is essential. Before applying, glean as much information as possible to find out if the school is getting you on the best path for success.

We wish you luck in your future endeavors.


17 Things to Think About When Choosing a Trade School

As these photos show, the history of America cannot be told without the history of welding.

From wartime manufacturing to the Tennessee Valley Authority work projects, the welder's torch has lit the path for Americans through our most trying times.

1. A welder works on the engine support assembly of an M-3 tank at the Chrysler tank arsenal in Detroit during WWII.

2. Another welder fabricating M-3 tank parts

3. Welders building the war emergency pipeline from Longview, Texas to Norris City, Illinois

4. A welder at a military base in California

5. A welder working in the Bethlehem-Fairfield Shipyards in Baltimore, Maryland

6. Another welder in the Bethlehem-Fairfield Shipyards

7. A welder fabricating transformers at Westinghouse in Sharon, Pennsylvania

8. A welder makes Bofors forty-millimeter gun mounts in a Midwest rubber factory converted for war production

9. A student learns at De Land school in an aircraft construction class in Florida

10. A welder in Stamford, Connecticut takes a break while working on a sub-chaser.

11. James Kermit Lucas welds on the top deck of the ship "Booker T. Washington"

13. A Tennessee Valley Authority welder takes a break at the Watts Bar Dam hydroelectric plant

14. A female welder works on sub-assembly for a B-25 "Billy Mitchell" bomber in Inglewood, California

15. A welder runs a seam on a high-pressure boiler in one of the Chattanooga shops of the Combustion Engineering Company

16. A welder joins parts of the body of a halftrac scout car in the converted Eastern plant of a lock and safe manufacturer Diebold Safe and Lock Company in Canton, Ohio

17. A welder working on a Dodge army truck

18. Spot welding on the Shasta Dam in Shasta County, California

19. Floyd Swick, a welder from Newton, Kansas works in the Valley Center oil field near Wichita, Kansas

20. A welder takes a break at the Shasta Dam

21. The structural shop of the Keystone Drilling Company in Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania

22. 40th Street weld shop of the C & NW railroad in Chicago

23. A welder works in the round-house at the Chicago and Northwestern Railroad's Proviso yard

24. Welding boilers for a ship in Chattanooga, Tennessee

25. Welders at the Combustion Engineering Co

26. Another shot from the Combustion Engineering Co

28. The California Shipbuilding Corporation in Wilmington, California

29. A military welder on the Western front

30. A welder takes a break at the Cherokee Dam, a TVA project

31. A welder of the Ingalls Shipbuilding Company

32. A welder at the Landers, Frary, and Clark plant in Connecticut works on gun mounts for the war

33. A welder poses for a photo on the Arkansas-Texas state line war emergency pipeline

34. A pipeline welder works on the Arkansas-Texas line

35. A welder builds a new steel mill for the Columbia Steel Company in Geneva, Utah

36. Jesse Kermit Lucas takes a break with his apprentice Rodney Gail Chesney while working on the construction of the ship "Booker T. Washington"

37. A welder helps convert the Plymouth Car factory for wartime production in Detroit

These 37 Rare Historical Welding Photos Will Leave You Speechless

Everyone is familiar with the iconic red, white, and blue pole that hangs outside of barbershops, but few people know the surprising (and graphic) story of how it came to be.

In order to understand the history of barber poles, you first have to know a little bit about the history of barbers.

The trade of barbering has a long and fascinating history, and for most of that history being a barber meant a lot more than cutting hair.

In Ancient Egypt, for example, barbers would shave the pharaohs and their families to denote their believed distinction from the rest of the Egyptian people.

Barbering was important in many other ancient cultures for marking people as being part of different levels of society. The practice was even found in the ancient Mongolian and Viking cultures.

But it was not until the Middle Ages that we see the emergence of the cultural trends that would eventually lead to the present-day barber pole.

Barbers in Medieval Times (aka Barber Surgeons)

In the Middle Ages barbers had also become surgeons.

In Medieval Europe, hair grooming was only one of many services provided by barbers, who were then called "barber surgeons." Barber surgeons also performed procedures such as leaching, blood-letting, amputations, and tooth extractions.

Prior to the rise of barber surgeons, surgeries and minor medical procedures were often performed by Catholic monks.

But monks were prohibited from performing any such procedures by 

 in 1163, who decided that these procedures were not part of the role that a monk should have in society.

And while Pope Alexander III saw the minor surgical tasks as incompatible with the clergy, professional physicians saw them as too menial for them to perform.

This created a hole in the market that barbers--who already had lots of blades--were well positioned to fill.

The most common health remedy provided by barber surgeons was bloodletting. Bloodletting is exactly what it sounds like--the draining of blood from the patient--and was done to release "

It was believed that draining blood would both rebalance "the humors" of the patient and encourage new healthy blood to be made by the body.

It was a common treatment for all kinds of ailments, from head aches to rashes.

During this common procedure, barber surgeons would have patients 

, which served both to expose veins for cutting, and increase the blood flow once they were cut.

To advertise this service barber surgeons began to hang the blood-stained pole (or a replica of it) outside their shops.

Fast foward to London in 1540 and the barbers, who had organized themselves as the Worshipful Company of Barbers, joined together with the Fellowship of Surgeons to form what would be called the Company of Barber and Surgeons.

This was the coat of arms for the Worshipful Company of Barbers:

The Company of Barbers and Surgeons decided to give each trade a distinct pole which which to advertise their services.

Barbers would be marked by a white pole with blue stripes.

Surgeons would be marked by a white pole with red stripes.

This setup lasted until 1745 when the surgeons broke away from the barbers to form the Royal College of Surgeons and abandoned the pole identification system altogether.

In the years that followed, barbers would eventually combine the blue and red stripes into the modern barber pole that we see today.

Today, barber poles are found outside of all barber shops in the United States and barbers take great pride in the symbol of their trade.

Fun fact: There are even laws governing who is allowed to have a barber pole and who is not.

Now you know the story of the barber pole!

The Shocking (and Bloody) History of the Barber Pole

Eight-Hour-Days and Dynamite Bombs:
The Ugly History of the Haymarket Affair



The long uphill battle for workers' rights in the United States experienced one of its most shocking and bloody episodes on the dark Chicago night of May 4, 1886.

Chicago was a somewhat labor-friendly city compared to its eastern counterparts, and as such had become a refuge for laborers run out of eastern towns for attempting to organize.

Chicago was also home to a large population of immigrant German laborers who had a rich history of guild labor.

These factors made Chicago the epicenter of the 8-Hour-Day Movement which was gaining momentum in 1886.

On May 1, 1886, a large and multi-day organized labor demonstration began with 80,000 workers marching up Chicago's Michigan Avenue arm-in-arm, waving the banners of their unions and singing sings.

Iron Workers made up the single largest trade group within the 80,000.

Tragically, the peaceful event took a violent turn on May 3, when police attacked and killed picketers at the McCormick Reaper Plant.

The attack provoked the planning of an evening rally for the following day, May 4th, to be held at Haymarket Square. However, in its haste, this gathering was poorly planned and suffered from low turnout and poor coordination.

The Mayor of Chicago, Carter Harrison, made an appearance and--hoping to preserve the fragile piece--commanded the police to leave.

As soon as the Mayor left, however, chaos ensued.

The small group of about 200 laborers was attacked by 176 armed policemen.

And then, in a blast that would be heard 'round the industrial world, someone threw a dynamite bomb into the crowd.

It was the first use of such an explosive during peacetime in the history of the world.

When the smoke settled and the gunfire stopped, at least four workers and seven policemen had died.

No police officers were held accountable for their actions, and the following year four of the laborers arrested that night were hanged for the crime of anarchy.

Cries for justice for the abused laborers of the Haymarket Affair would help lead the growth of the newly founded American Federation of Labor, and the arduous journey for proper labor rights in the United States plodded on.

The Shocking True Story of the Haymarket Affair

One of the most well known champions of the trades recently had some awesome things to say about the trades and how our culture thinks about them.

Mike Rowe Keeps Fighting the Good Fight

From the instructive to the funny, these welding YouTubers are worth checking out.

Austin Ross is on a mission to help aspiring pipeline welders make the most of their careers.

Jacob is a pipeline and factory welder who will take you into his world.

This one contains many welders! WeldTube is a team of welders who will show you the broader world of welding.

3 YouTube Welders You Should Be Watching

YouTube is fast becoming one of the best ways to stay on top of what's happening in the electrical trade.

Here a list of the best YouTube channels for Electricians for the next time you have some downtime in the truck.

Run by Austin, Texas master electrician Dustin Stelzer, Electrician U is "an online learning community for Electricians who are seeking a far deeper understanding of the invisible force that they work with."

If you are committed to taking the mastery of your craft to the next level, this channel is a must-watch.

Mike has been an electrician for 17 years, and Mike's Tool Shed is where he shares his thoughts and reviews on all the tools of the trade, plus other hard earned bits of trade wisdom for those just starting out.

"Your favorite electrician Doug" injects a little humor into electrician life, such as walking you through 

 how to name your tools after famous people.

With a healthy dose of all things electric, S33 Electric brings you a varied dose of electrical content.

From the history of the IBEW to short inspirational videos, the IBEW International channel is definitely worth keeping up with.

Craig Michaud is an electrical instructor at Porter and Chester Institute in Rocky Hill, Connecticut and has been kind enough to put a lot of his instruction on this channel.

The most trusted name in electrical tools also has an outstanding YouTube channel with everything from how-tos to new tool announcements.

Another channel by Dustin Stelzer (of Electrician U), Journey 2 Master follows Dustin's as "a young Master Electrician starting up an electrical contracting company to building up the best electrical company on the planet!"

IBEW Local 47 out of Diamond Bar, California recently started a series on their channel called Roundtable that has been phenomenal so far. Definitely subscribe so you don't miss any of these episodes.

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