dirty jobs

June 08, 2015

Mike Rowe And The ‘Propaganda’ Of Work

Mike Rowe, the “Dirty Jobs” guy, makes an occasional appearance here on the PowerBlog. Why do we like him? Because he appreciates hard work, honest work, just as we do. It’s surprising how many people don’t share that appreciation. Continue Reading...

February 10, 2015

Mike Rowe on the minimum wage: There’s no such thing as a ‘bad job’

In the latest addition to Mike Rowe’s growing catalog of pointed Facebook responses, the former Dirty Jobs host tackles a question on the minimum wage, answering a man named “Darrell Paul,” who asks: The federal minimum wage is $7.25 and hour. Continue Reading...

November 18, 2013

Mamas, Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up To Be Newspaper Reporters. Let ‘Em Be Actuaries and Optometrists and Such.

What’s the deal with actuaries? Whenever a new list of the best jobs is compiled—like the rankings by Career Cast—they are always near the top of the list. What could really be so great about interpreting statistics to determine probabilities of accidents, sickness, and death, and loss of property from theft and natural disasters? Continue Reading...

November 01, 2013

Mike Rowe on Higher Education and ‘Vocational Consolation Prizes’

Ever since the cancellation of Discovery Channel’s hit show Dirty Jobs, former host Mike Rowe has been spreading his message more directly, challenging Americans on how they approach work and success. Continue Reading...

September 06, 2013

God Gave You a Toolbox: Mike Rowe on Hard Work and the Knitting of Civilization

Dirty Jobs host Mike Rowe has made a career out of elevating down-and-dirty labor, constantly reminding us to never take for granted the hands of those who keep society moving. The show was recently cancelled, but Rowe continues to spread his message, most recently in the cover story of the latest issue of Guideposts magazine (HT). Continue Reading...

March 14, 2013

5 TV Shows That Demonstrate the Importance of Ordinary Work

Television is often lamented for its propensity to exaggerate the mundane and the ordinary. Yet when it comes to something as routinely downplayed and unfairly pooh-poohed as our daily work—the “rat race,” the “grindstone,” yadda-yadda—I wonder if television’s over-the-top tendencies might be just what we need to reorient our thinking about the broader significance of our work. Continue Reading...

October 27, 2010

Make Work Your Favorite

Very often it is difficult to see in any concrete way how our work really means anything at all. The drudgery of the daily routine can be numbing, sometimes literally depending on your working conditions. Continue Reading...