Realistic Expectations

[Muzh]

I agree with all in your list except George Washington University.  At first, I thought you had just confused it with Georgetown, but I see you have Georgetown on your list also.

George Washington University has one of the best foreign policy programs in the US.

Also, University of Chicago has the highest number of Nobel Prize winners (in the world) teaching in many of their programs.

Regarding Ivy League schools, there are plenty of other schools in the US that would run circles around the Ivy colleges in terms of academics. What Ivy league schools have in their favor is the number of connections you will make that will serve you well in the future. You can be a mediocre student and still become the POTUS.

Prime example, Larry Sumners. Number one reason Russia is a power vertical kleptocracy.

[Vaughn]

In the USA, the top business schools are mostly in the same listing noted previously by Chivo for Universities having top law schools.

My niece graduated from the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School of Business. I submit there are few finer - with the exception of the Graduate Business School at Stanford.
 

[BC]

I'm wondering about all this higher education talk and whether or not it's really that relevant.

There have been a couple of young men going through college / university drop by but I have yet to see one WM state that he will go back to school in order to marry a RW..

One of those either you got it by now or not kinda things in my book.

[Muzh]

 
See here - The causes for  sharp increase in mortality are widely debated, with some academics citing alcohol abuse as the main culprit, and others citing the drastic and widely negative changes in lifestyle caused by economic reforms that followed the dissolution of the Soviet Union. According to a 2009 report by The Lancet, a British medical journal, mass privatization, an element of the economic-reform package nicknamed shock therapy, clearly correlates with higher mortality rates. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demographics_of_Russia
 

aka Larry Sumners

[OlgaH]

To Misha

Misha, how much your wife spends per month for her clothes? $50? If so, she is a spender. I put your wife to shame.   

Preparing the papers for our Tax Return I took interest how much I spent this year on my clothes. Holly Molly, it was just $39.17 (rounding it up) per month. $470 total! that is just 0.43%, less than 1% of our total spending this year  I guess I should be deeply upset and cry (how I could miss so bad) or maybe I should run to a mall and make it at least to $50 per month. 

Tell your wife a big hello from me, she should be more frugal regarding spending on her clothes. 

[Muzh]

To Misha

Misha, how much your wife spends per month for her clothes? $50? If so, she is a spender. I put your wife to shame.   

Preparing the papers for our Tax Return I took interest how much I spent this year on my clothes. Holly Molly, it was just $39.17 (rounding it up) per month. $470 total! that is just 0.43%, less than 1% of our total spending this year  I guess I should be deeply upset and cry (how I could miss so bad) or maybe I should run to a mall and make it at least to $50 per month. 

Tell your wife a big hello from me, she should be more frugal regarding spending on her clothes. 

LMFAO

I'm glad you brought that up. Imagine a minimum of $600 a year on clothes.

Between you and me, I still have shirts that are unwrapped from two Christmases ago. Same for ties. Most of my clothing expenses are for jeans, underwear and socks. I have so many dress slacks that I have no idea what to do with them. Every year I do claim the clothes we don't wear and send to goodwill in our taxes because we simply don't use all. Nice deduction.

Just in case, we shop at Macy's most of the time because my wife still has her employee discount. Something with her 401 that she maintains it. Also, I can show you the tags of my shirts. $50, 65, $75 And we paid, maybe, $10 each. When Macy's have a sale, they have a sale.

[OlgaH]

I have so many dress slacks that I have no idea what to do with them.

Good thing is my husband's dress slacks have different size in waist. So when his weight is balancing we don't need to run for new slacks or fix it 

Just in case, we shop at Macy's most of the time because my wife still has her employee discount. Something with her 401 that she maintains it. Also, I can show you the tags of my shirts. $50, 65, $75 And we paid, maybe, $10 each. When Macy's have a sale, they have a sale.

Yes, I also got my business shirts/blouses with original prices around $100 and even more just for $20. Plus I noticed they usually have a very good discount on small sizes and my husband is a good talker, women love him, so we also get extra discount. 

[Misha]

To Misha

Misha, how much your wife spends per month for her clothes? $50? If so, she is a spender. I put your wife to shame.   

Preparing the papers for our Tax Return I took interest how much I spent this year on my clothes. Holly Molly, it was just $39.17 (rounding it up) per month. $470 total! that is just 0.43%, less than 1% of our total spending this year  I guess I should be deeply upset and cry (how I could miss so bad) or maybe I should run to a mall and make it at least to $50 per month. 

Tell your wife a big hello from me, she should be more frugal regarding spending on her clothes. 

LOL! Last year we spent $705 for both of us on clothing. Clearly, we didn't need much last year. So, I would say we are pretty much tied 

[OlgaH]

LOL! Last year we spent $705 for both of us on clothing. Clearly, we didn't need much last year. So, I would say we are pretty much tied 

Misha, don't wriggle out of your words. You are not counted. And don't try to recalculate. It is not fair!  It is between your wife and me. $39 is less than $50. I won 2011! Get over it. 

[Misha]

Misha, don't wriggle out of your words. You are not counted. And don't try to recalculate. It is not fair!  It is between your wife and me. $39 is less than $50. I won 2011! Get over it. 

LOL! Okay, we will settle for silver, or perhaps bronze 

[ghost of moon goddess]

For "spoiled" girls living in big cities like Moscow, Saint Petersburg and Kiev "50$-per-month" fashion diet would feel like starvation 

[OlgaH]

For "spoiled" girls living in big cities like Moscow, Saint Petersburg and Kiev "50$-per-month" fashion diet would feel like starvation 

Yes, of course! Try to find in Moscow malls, for example, Antonio Melani suit for $40 or blouse for $15 

[GQBlues]

WOW! This thread went over the weekend non-stop, LOL. So much for having a life...
 

I am sure that you would never put your son on a pedestal.... right D_P? 
 
Funny thing.
You left a "society" where a man (male child) is placed on the pedestal by Mom and Babushka.
 
I know what I am talking about here.
GOB has witnessed this same behavior over and over again here in SIB.
 
Mom and Babushka fawn over a male child like he is the second coming of JC himself! 
It is actually quite nauseating to watch.
My wife actually rolls her eyes when she sees it going on.
 
If the couple happens to have a daughter also, I truly feel sorry for the poor child.
 
GOB

Based on my observations, here and in Russia, I fully agree with this.

[GQBlues]

LOL! Last year we spent $705 for both of us on clothing. Clearly, we didn't need much last year. So, I would say we are pretty much tied   

Winter must've been longer than usual in Canada last year then, eh?

[ghost of moon goddess]

Yes, of course! Try to find in Moscow malls, for example, Antonio Melani suit for $40 or blouse for $15 

Olga, you have the unrealistic expectation that one can shop for Antonio  Melani clothes in Moscow 

It appears that wearing Antonio Melani as well as  Gianni Bini, Nurture and Michelle D is a privilege of American women, since these designer brands are available exclusively at Dillard's 

[Misha]

My wife and I went to the gym before work and the topic of happiness came up as we were relaxing in the sauna after our cardio exercise. Without any prompting she explained to me how she is happy: she is happy with her husband, she is happy with her home, she is happy with the fact that she isn't searching for a job and that she has a part-time job, and overall, she is completely content with her life. She does not envy anybody and she is satisfied with her life. What can I say, I am a fortunate husband 

[OlgaH]

Olga, you have the unrealistic expectation that one can shop for Antonio  Melani clothes in Moscow 

It appears that wearing Antonio Melani as well as  Gianni Bini, Nurture and Michelle D is a privilege of American women, since these designer brands are available exclusively at Dillard's 

 


But being realistic the brands are very often overpriced in Russia. As my girlfriend, who was running her fashion boutique in Russia said "there is always will be a girl who will pay $500 for boots when I paid $50, and $100 for a blouse that cost me $10" Her shopping destinations were China, Turkey (of course everything was made in Italy  ) and discounted stores in Europe. 

Last time when I went to Russia I looked for a pair of flats. The flats that cost in the US no more than $15  in the Russia store were for $50.

I like Calvin Klein and Anne Klein business suits and dresses, they fit me very well, and I pay just $30-$50 in the Florida stores. 

[Donna_Pedro]

For "spoiled" girls living in big cities like Moscow, Saint Petersburg and Kiev "50$-per-month" fashion diet would feel like starvation 

Actually us, spoiled Moscow girls, are rather relieved not to have to wear expensive brand clothes anymore. Besides, I dont think that a lot of people here who are capable to recognize a good brand from something bought in Macy's, at least not the ones I work with every day. So for me its pointless to waste money on clothes. And nobody is putting me on this "fashion diet", my  own priorities have changed. I have other, more rewarding things to spend money on.

[OlgaH]

I have other, more rewarding things to spend money on.

Exactly 

[JR]

I recall that last year in SPB I was shocked at the prices of clothing and foot wear.

[mies]

Most folks cannot even afford vodka, but rather samogon, and I have it on good authority, from an actual Russian lady (American citizen) I lived with, who said, she would never have left Russia if it was not a horrible place to live.

I think you have misinterpreted her reasons to call Russia "a horrible place to live." Vodka or samogon have really nothing to do with it. (And btw, samogon is often far better than commercially sold vodka.)
You can read some of the reasons why Russian people consider immigration here: http://ej.ru/?a=note&id=11696

[BC]

I recall that last year in SPB I was shocked at the prices of clothing and foot wear.

10 years ago, the same tv that sat in our living room was offered for 20% less than what we paid for it at a corner electro store in FSU.

Prices have gone up since then of course, but I did see the prices of staples and especially vegetables rise dramatically when I last visited a year or so ago, even above EU prices.

As to clothes, yes I would rather buy them here than FSU, but I can tell ya, our budget for clothes and shoes is nowhere near 50 bucks a month.. I wish I could say 30, but all considered we're talking at least a couple K per year or more for our family of 4.  During our recent visit to the US, we spent around 7 or 800 USD on clothes for me alone.. a bargain in the end as they will last a couple of years.

I guess bottom line, all is relative.

One Luisa Spagnoli sweater, very nice set us back 300 EUR.  was an xmas gift BTW.

I remember back in '85 when I bailed my friend out of jail in the US for a DUI.. a thousand bucks.. as I was counting twenties and handing them over to the jail clerk, one woman watching told me 'My mother wouldn't be worth that much..'

Argue back and forth.. 50, 100, 1000 for clothes.. not much difference in the end.

It's all really relative, certainly not grounds for bragging.

[Hammer2722]

I just got back from Ukraine and I must say the decent clothes are much more expensive there than in US.

[Eduard]

interesting to watch how my original post got totally lost in this cross-continental shopping spree

[OlgaH]

interesting to watch how my original post got totally lost in this cross-continental shopping spree

Eduard, don't you see how nicely this "spree" fit in?  Do you remember a thread by an Alaskan lumberjack?     

I never said she didn't want to shop at Goodwill.  She was happy to shop anywhere.  The main goal for her is to shop anyplace and spend spend spend.  The keywords are SHOP  and SPEND.