lemme technical comment.

I’m Dagwood and I was arguing that we’d actually had a ‘middle class’ where the average wage earner could move ahead in the world by working 40 hours a week.

Sohoriots was arguing that the middle class was an illusion.

I think you were trying to commnet to Soho and not me.

Okay?

You do know that there are people walking around your town who were alive in 1970, right?

. There actually was a time when you could have a pretty good life with a simple job.

In 1960 minimum wage was $1.00/hour and the price of the average US home was $11,000.00.

No. There actually was a time when you could have a pretty good life with a simple job.

Look up “Hells Angel’s” by Hunter Thompson. There’s a chapter where he runs down the economics of dropping out circa 1970. A biker could work a Union stevedore job for six months and earn enough to live on the road for two years. A part time waitress could support herself and her musicain boyfriend.

That was before Nixon started printing paper dollars to pay for Vietnam and Ronald Reagan cut taxes for the rich.

I haven’t made a vast study. On the other hand this book has been in print for over 30 years.

And had money to go to the nudie bar…

On the other hand, the mayor is point man for literally hundreds of crises. Lindsay had a good shot at becoming President, and lost it because of a snowstorm; Dinkins got screwed by a Korean grocery store boycott.

All three major networks have stations in NYC, plus Fox News and CNN, plus the NY Times and the Wall Street Journal. That’s not counting the Congressional delegation and the New York Stock Exchange.

The mayor is under a microscope with no Secret Service protection.

Now let’s pivot to what ‘real power’ is. Let’s put Lex Luthor as US President and as NYC Mayor. Either way, Lex can have one person killed anywhere in the world, but only as President can he start a war of bring a nation to their knees.

I estimate that Lex could get a billion in brides and kickbacks in one term in office; he could call the Saudis on Inauguration Day and have $50 billion in a Swiss account by the ned of the business day.

We need to stop using the term “middle class.”

Back in the day, middle class meant Archie Bunker/Al Bundy supporting a family of four with one job.

Today it’s two college graduates struggling to keep up with the bills.

We’re in Tsarist Russia; a huge mass of serfs, a small set of professionals, and an aristocracy that controls 90% of the wealth.

Reagan/Bush era lasted 1988 to 1992.

But yeah, let’s blame Clinton and ignore the GOP controlled Congress.

Did you actually look at the book I wrote about?

Thanks to the antics of old time Mayor Jimmy Walker and Tammany Hall, a lot of NY’s power is controlled by the Governor of NY State.

Someone lied to you.

David Dinkins was Mayor before Giuliani.

He lost his election.

Rudy did bring a mob of cops to city hall, but they never “occupied” it.

I hate Rudy as much as anyone, but keep the facts straight.

Ronald Reagan started the fight to get rid of the Fairness Doctrine.

Back in the Cronkite Era, if a station ran an editorial it had to provide equal time for opposing views.

Being NYC Mayor is harder than being President. You’ve got the same 24/7 spotlight and much less actual power.

Addiction is separate from circumstances.

Look at Heath Ledger, Amy Winehouse, Michael Jackson, etc etc etc.

Heath was young, successful, dating a billionaire, and had everything in the world at his fingertips. He decided to have a one man party with drugs and alcohol.

Get this book.

“Discover What You Are Best At” by Linda Gail. It’s a series of self tests you can do in half a day, and a list of jobs that use those skills. Fro example, product demonstrator and nurse and hair stylist all need good dexterity and good people skills; three totally different jobs with a similar skill set. The book also has a list of jobs for each skill set, including education requirements.

Second, start applying for civil service jobs. In most of the US a civil service job has a good union and good benefits

Four Seasons Garden Center has entered the chat…

Washington is full of GOP operatives who have worked on political campaigns across the country. None of those people want to work with Trump because he doesn’t pay.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt33355888/

I liked Philomena Crunk’s version “Titan One-Cee.”

Nothing anyone says has anything to do with you. You’re off in your own little world where you can tell yourself you matter.

Have fun.