Devaluing Labor

Labor Day is almost upon us, and like some of my fellow graybeards, I can, if I concentrate, actually remember what it was that this holiday once celebrated. Something about America being the land of broadly shared prosperity. Something about America being the first nation in human history that had a middle-class majority, where parents had every reason to think their children would fare even better than they had.

The young may be understandably incredulous, but the Great Compression, as economists call it, was the single most important social fact in our country in the decades after World War II. From 1947 through 1973, American productivity rose by a whopping 104 percent, and median family income rose by the very same 104 percent. More Americans bought homes and new cars and sent their kids to college than ever before. In ways more difficult to quantify, the mass prosperity fostered a generosity of spirit: The civil rights revolution and the Marshall Plan both emanated from an America in which most people were imbued with a sense of economic security.

That America is as dead as the dodo.

as harold meyerson says, happy labor day.

first person to mention pluto being deplanetized and doesn't that affect astrology gets a boot to the head. (what, you thought astrology was a science? um. no.)

City Pages - Free Will Astrology

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): I really encourage you to have a celebration. The planets are urging you to revel and rejoice, too. I wouldn't be surprised if God Herself is rooting for you to whip up festivities worthy of a jubilee. So what are you waiting for? What? You say you don't have anything to celebrate? I beg to differ. How about extolling the end of your addiction to a time-wasting delusion? Or maybe the loss of a "privilege" that encouraged you to be lazy, or the end of a false hope that kept you stuck in the past? How about if you throw a party to express your gratitude at finally being forced to embrace a creative limitation that will ultimately set you free?

dear rob: out of my head! out!

if you want to live two doors from me, email me (betsy at my domain name) and i'll point you at the house across the street from me that's for sale. it's a nice looking house, too!

library porn. omg. pardon me, i need to be alone now.

Hot Library Smut

(the den haag picture? whew. [fans herself])

wow. i found who i'm voting for in the gubernatorial primary races next month.

Becky Lourey for Governor

i was pretty sure i was going to have to hold my nose when i voted, but i haven't yet found a policy that i strongly disagree with her on.

for those of you who have never seen the original, or for those of you who haven't seen it with, um, dioramas, i present dogs in elk!

this link is to dogs in elk in vegetables, a halloween tribute. no dogs or elk were harmed in the making of the pictures; the pictures are pumpkins, tomato sauce and imagination.

A WARNING: put down your drink and go to the bathroom before you start reading. i am TOTALLY SERIOUS HERE. anne v. and her dogs are like james thurber, only, um, elkier.

i r smrt. go, me!

Testriffic | IQ Test Results: ""

because saving rich people from paying more taxes is more important than having people be able to get the medical care they need, i bring you our (i hope) soon to be former governor pawlenty.

Hatch presents his healthcare strategy: "In a written response, Pawlenty said he shares many of Hatch's goals including increasing access, holding down costs and improving outcomes.

'However, we are very concerned that Hatch's proposal for universal health care will lead to dramatically higher taxes,' Pawlenty said."

this is what the internet is for. publishing pictures of yourself drawn by weird anime image generators.

itunes. my lovely lovely itunes.

are you run by monkeys? terrifying space monkeys?

tuesday is free music day, so i went over to grab whatever was free today on the theory that if it's awful i can delete it. i am on my way to hitting the "get song" button, when i finish reading the flavor text.

"single of the week: fink's history is deep in electronic music, but he's delved further into his own musicianship than ever before to produce a folky acoustic, and intimate sound. our single of the week is the uk singer-songwriter's sexy, simple, heartbeat of a song..."

(you're thinking, betsy! what are you so cranky about? i see no evidence of space monkeys! just wait, i say.)

"...describing one man's complimentary notice of a woman, 'pretty little thing'."

it must be monkeys. either that, or the itunes single of the week copy is written by someone who thinks that objectification and belittling someone are complimentary. and it couldn't be that, huh?