No one I know has a job anymore. They’ve got Gigs.

Gigs: a bunch of free-floating projects, consultancies, and part-time bits and pieces they try and stitch together to make what they refer to wryly as “the Nut”—the sum that allows them to hang on to the apartment, the health-care policy, the baby sitter, and the school fees.

Gigs: They’re all that’s standing between them and…what? The outer-outer boroughs? Eating what’s left of the 401(k)? Moving to Alaska? Out-and-out destitution?

To people I know in the bottom income brackets, living paycheck to paycheck, the Gig Economy has been old news for years. What’s new is the way it’s hit the demographic that used to assume that a college degree from an elite school was the passport to job security.

Brown’s musing, I’m rather certain, is meant to elicit sympathetic clucks and nods of the head from readers.  But not for the individuals in the bottom income brackets because, hey, they’re used to living paycheck to paycheck and the so-called “gig” economy, but rather for the college degreed individuals who were astute enough to attend college, but not astute enough to understand that borrowing fifty to one hundred thousand dollars for a degree in Leisure Studies was an unsound investment.

Should these college degreed “gig” workers receive sympathetic clucks and nods of the head?  You decide.

Just as startling, these new alternative workers are not overwhelmingly low-income. They’re college-educated Americans who earn more than $75,000 a year.

I can think of myriads of individuals who are gig workers.  My son, for instance, who is a 1099 worker in the financial industry.  He does not get paid unless he sells, just like any other 100% commissioned worker.  I, also, am a “gig” worker, who doesn’t make a penny unless I sell.  There are many, many more which could be listed.  Writers are gig workers, artists are gig workers, every small business owner is a “gig” worker.

Not all gigs are great gigs, of that there is no doubt, but if an individual at least has a gig or three which keeps a bit of change jingling in their pockets, they should at least be grateful enough to say themselves “I can gig it, man.”

“You know why its called the black market? Because its in the black.”

A comment from fairwitness posted at Bill St. Clair’s place.

Claire at Sondrakistan.

Ann,

You have stated that you are 35 years old and, from what I can tell, have no children. Just wondering what method of birth control is preferred by hypocrites like you.

Signed,

D

—————————————————————————-

Dear D,

Virginity.

Regards-
Ann

It’s the concerned people that I worry about. They’re never happy just standing around being concerned; they’re always getting all up in your business, trying to “help” and generally only succeeding in screwing things up even worse.

From Tam’s post News Flash.

“If a man comes to kill you, rise early and kill him first.”

Preemption and Jewish Scripture

If you’re going to be an outlaw, what better way to escape the law and get people to help you than to have them believe that you’re doing it for them. For a greater good.

There’s a lesson that has not been lost on the seekers of political power and popularity.

Jesse James transcript.

As I was reading this, I kept thinking, “There’s no way this is going where it seems to be going.” But that’s exactly where it goes. And then beyond.

The “this” Radley refers to is an article posted at the DiscoBlog titled NCBI ROFL: Probably the most horrifying scientific lecture ever. which relates the story of Professor G.S. Brindley giving a lecture on his groundbreaking ED research in Las Vegas.  It’s some story, though I hardly think it qualifies as the “most horrifying scientific lecture ever.”

1) No “advanced” technology required. Ability to manufacture present in all areas of the globe.
2 ) Crude but functioning units can be made by kindergartners with pencil, paper and glue.
3) Operating system and interface rock solid.
4) All types of information can be stored.
5) Has been demonstrated to be able to retain information in retrievable form across several thousand years.
6) Of the two, the User will often crash first.
7) All parts can be recycled.
8) All or part can be backed-up at any Kinkos.
9) Can be powered for hours with one candle.
10) All users receive up to 12 years of interface training free.

I would point out that NPR’s use of the scare word “illegal” legitmizes State control of firearms, and that Mexico’s firearms laws are most prohibitive, as I mentioned here, pointing to a Washington Post article detailing those prohibitive Mexican firearms restrictions, such as one, and only one gun store.  Is it any wonder, at all, that “illegal” gun sales in Mexico are so prevalent?

There is a more principled reason for owning firearms, and it has nothing to do with the State, whether it be Mexico, or America.

I have more principled reasons for my stand on owning firearms, and I don’t care one whit in the world for the Second Amendment. It means nothing to me. My rights have nothing to do with the U.S. Constitution, and when it dawns on people that it has finally been erased—the principal danger of all political premises posed as “social contracts”—my rights will still validly exist, even if I die defending them. I own firearms because I have a right to private property. That is the First Thing.