2.22.2004
goody. my first quasi-political rant.
Interesting article in the NYT today
Are things getting better or worse? Two surveys used by the Bureau of Labor Statistics to measure job creation and unemployment show contradictory information.
"The payroll survey, which is based on a monthly poll of 400,000 employers, shows a loss of more than two million jobs since 2001. The household survey, based on questions posed to people in 50,000 households, shows an increase of more than 500,000 jobs over the same period."
<...>
"The household survey also seems to support a political theory: that many people dropped from the company payrolls are not unemployed but rather self-employed."
It occurs to me that we may actually be at the end of the industrial revolution, a social phase that started with the relocation of people from country farms to the city factories. The rise and fall of the middle class happened within the lives of my grandparents. The shift from "occupation" to "profession" took people from direct control of their livelihood to employment for a corporation. The efforts of the labor movement won the 40-hour week, health care and pension plans. It worked for a while, as long as there was plentiful unskilled professional (blue collar) labor to be done. In my grandparents' day, someone with a high-school education could get a good factory job, and with some dedication, raise a family, own a home and retire. Then the manufacturing jobs moved overseas and the rust belt states died. Now, even the white-collar programming and tech support jobs are moving overseas, and finally the general population is starting to notice.
So, Bush wants to take credit for building entrepreneurial jobs, eh? The present American of health care, retirement and taxation are set up to favor people who hold "salaried" jobs. (Group health plans, pensions/401K plans, no self-employment tax). At the same time, the infrastructure (pension plans, social security) which were set up for the benefit of a nation of blue and white collar corporate workers have broken down under the miss-management of centralized government. We've allowed the monies collected for the public good to be hijacked for the benefit of corporations and governments who prioritize funding foreign wars.
Interesting article in the NYT today
Are things getting better or worse? Two surveys used by the Bureau of Labor Statistics to measure job creation and unemployment show contradictory information.
"The payroll survey, which is based on a monthly poll of 400,000 employers, shows a loss of more than two million jobs since 2001. The household survey, based on questions posed to people in 50,000 households, shows an increase of more than 500,000 jobs over the same period."
<...>
"The household survey also seems to support a political theory: that many people dropped from the company payrolls are not unemployed but rather self-employed."
It occurs to me that we may actually be at the end of the industrial revolution, a social phase that started with the relocation of people from country farms to the city factories. The rise and fall of the middle class happened within the lives of my grandparents. The shift from "occupation" to "profession" took people from direct control of their livelihood to employment for a corporation. The efforts of the labor movement won the 40-hour week, health care and pension plans. It worked for a while, as long as there was plentiful unskilled professional (blue collar) labor to be done. In my grandparents' day, someone with a high-school education could get a good factory job, and with some dedication, raise a family, own a home and retire. Then the manufacturing jobs moved overseas and the rust belt states died. Now, even the white-collar programming and tech support jobs are moving overseas, and finally the general population is starting to notice.
So, Bush wants to take credit for building entrepreneurial jobs, eh? The present American of health care, retirement and taxation are set up to favor people who hold "salaried" jobs. (Group health plans, pensions/401K plans, no self-employment tax). At the same time, the infrastructure (pension plans, social security) which were set up for the benefit of a nation of blue and white collar corporate workers have broken down under the miss-management of centralized government. We've allowed the monies collected for the public good to be hijacked for the benefit of corporations and governments who prioritize funding foreign wars.
2.15.2004
OK. This is getting out of hand.
There's a product called Creative Name Generator. With a name like that, I'm supposed to believe they know what they're doing and send them $19? Sheesh.
I wonder if they can help me come up with cool names like blue martini.
There's a product called Creative Name Generator. With a name like that, I'm supposed to believe they know what they're doing and send them $19? Sheesh.
I wonder if they can help me come up with cool names like blue martini.
2.13.2004
Happy Valentine's Day.
There's something charming about a holiday that causes businessmen to carry flowers in the city.
There's something charming about a holiday that causes businessmen to carry flowers in the city.
2.08.2004
God bless Los Angeles. Especially Big John's Surplus.
2.04.2004
Another one for the weird company name file...
from http://www.whitepajama.com/us/about_us/name.html
what's in a name?
> the origin of the White Pajama name
How did we get our unusual name you ask? Let us tell you a little story...
Before creating White Pajama, our founder was very close to finalizing a multi-million dollar deal with a world-renowned financial institution. When he and his business partner arrived at the final, crucial meeting, his partner was wearing a trendy white linen suit by a famous Italian designer. It was a suit that may have been appropriate for a stroll through the streets of Monte Carlo, but was clearly the wrong choice for the world of high finance. It looked, quite simply, like white pajamas.
Our founder was sure the deal would fail because of his partner's fashion faux pas. His partner disagreed, and in the discussion that ensued, they wagered that if the deal did indeed go through, they would name their next company White Pajama.
The deal was closed, and White Pajama was born.
from http://www.whitepajama.com/us/about_us/name.html
what's in a name?
> the origin of the White Pajama name
How did we get our unusual name you ask? Let us tell you a little story...
Before creating White Pajama, our founder was very close to finalizing a multi-million dollar deal with a world-renowned financial institution. When he and his business partner arrived at the final, crucial meeting, his partner was wearing a trendy white linen suit by a famous Italian designer. It was a suit that may have been appropriate for a stroll through the streets of Monte Carlo, but was clearly the wrong choice for the world of high finance. It looked, quite simply, like white pajamas.
Our founder was sure the deal would fail because of his partner's fashion faux pas. His partner disagreed, and in the discussion that ensued, they wagered that if the deal did indeed go through, they would name their next company White Pajama.
The deal was closed, and White Pajama was born.
