Things that fascinate me.

I like learning about how things work. I love the back story. I adore sub-cultures. I have a tendency to try to read everything and then pull out the funniest, most insightful, cleverest, pithiest items for the people that I love. Instead of dealing with my onslaught of gchats and tweets and emails- consume on your own time. And then lets talk about it. Preferably over beer.

Quote 19
Notes
"
Modernization has always caused some kinds of jobs to change or disappear. As the American economy transitioned from agriculture to manufacturing and then to other industries, farmers became steelworkers, and then salesmen and middle managers. These shifts have carried many economic benefits, and in general, with each progression, even unskilled workers received better wages and greater chances at upward mobility.

But in the last two decades, something more fundamental has changed, economists say. Midwage jobs started disappearing. Particularly among Americans without college degrees, today’s new jobs are disproportionately in service occupations — at restaurants or call centers, or as hospital attendants or temporary workers — that offer fewer opportunities for reaching the middle class.
"

Really, really worth reading this NYT article that takes a single case - Apple manufacturing - and perfectly turns it into the big picture: Apple, America and a Squeezed Middle Class (via caro)
(via caro)