Looking at what anything (a house, a car, a lifestyle…) I actually like costs, it’s just horrifying. I’m in that frustrating financial bracket where I’ve got enough wealth to make working a normal job I dislike not worthwhile, but not enough to provide anything more … Continue readingAll My Little Dreamlets
It’s curious how Americans seem to find it normal and acceptable that not just particular neighborhoods but whole regions of the country are off-limits for you to live in unless you make more money than most people. This economic situation is of recent provenance, and … Continue readingNo Escape for the Cheap
It’s kinda funny that I have such a dearth of normal careers I like and can realistically enter, because it’s struck me more and more, both for my New Year Resolutions for 2022 and for my birthday the other day, that I might actually have … Continue readingInterests Too Many, and Never Enough
Ah, makeovers: those times we change our physical appearance, through clothing, haircuts, hairstyles, cosmetics, accessories, procedures, even surgeries. All to get that most wholesome feeling of looking better, or at least different, becoming the best you you can be. Contrary to what some people who … Continue readingMakeovers: The Allure of Becoming a Brand New You
We’ve all heard the mantra “Build Back Better” so beloved by our political leaders, including President Joe Biden, but what does it mean? At last we have an answer on the White House website, as encapsulated in “The Life of Linda”. Here I will go … Continue readingUpgrading the Life of Linda
Go onto Google and search for “I never went to college” or some such, and what do you find? You don’t find stories of people like me, someone who was a gifted kid, is a sophisticate, and a performing-artist type with intellectual curiosities but who … Continue readingI Never Went to College…or High School
Why do employers generally require college degrees or high school diplomas to get a job? On one hand, it makes sense: a more knowledgeable man who has demonstrated he can stick with a long-term project is a better employee. On the other hand, it makes … Continue readingThe Puzzle of Credentialism
Financial independence is often thought of as a pathway where you get a good job with the usual methods, work and save diligently well beyond the median percentage, and have the ability to retire early and safely. Although still unknown in many quarters and somewhat … Continue readingThinking Outside the “FIRE” Box
More than a generation into the age of the Internet, we see everywhere a vast information network ideally suited to the sharing of man’s knowledge, yet almost nowhere do we see it being effectively employed to teach people from start to finish how to do … Continue readingToward a New Vision for Online Education
When looking at the discourse around jobs, careers, and work, one of the most striking aspects is how precious a “stable job”, a “stable career”, and “job security” is to so many people. While those are real advantages, what if the pursuit of career stability … Continue readingThe Siren Song of Job Security