Jim

Those are interesting examples, but the vast majority of folks don't work in either manufacturing or farming these days. But yes, the computer, as an example, has helped increase the productivity of office jobs as well. That said, I don't know what is the solution - it is apparant, however, that the gains in productivity - increased profit and wealth, are not being shared - I wouldn't even say equally because there is a risk in business ownership - but the upward push of benefits is obvious while the middle class is slumping. Yet cranking it out for the boss man.

The link I provided includes a line for both wages and total compensation. With total compensation worker productivity still outpaces worker wages by a factor of 10. Someone is getting that cash. Trickle up theory in action.

While it's true that those factors have always had a role on poverty, they don't go far in explaining the trend over the past 20 years of a huge gap between gains in productivity and wage stagnation. The only way households are keeping up in the middle class is because now there are two adult workers where there used to be one. The Gap

My wife the teacher had to have two middle-school girls picked up from school because they were hacking so hard she thought they were going to drop a lung on the floor. Guess what they had - and guess what was not up to date. Another teach is pregnant - thanks parents for not vaccinating!

......was being genral not specific. Didn't mean to imply you. Not having lived, but having had extended contracts in the Interior I must say a lot more of one's life energy must go to the basics with corresponding excess time/energy expended close to home. I'm more tired of the city hipster scene that revolves around the latest cafe subculture or whatever naval gazing repertoir.

All too common refrain. Self absorbtion seems to be rampant. I know what I'll do with my free time - I'll take another (fill in the blank) tai chi, cooking, pen and ink class - instead of volunteering or anything like that. [video:youtube]

Like I said:

Yea, and look how well that worked out. The biggest advantage now being home to the Piggly Wiggly chain and inventor of po' boys. Hopefully we'll stave off that fate.

Very interesting Frontline piece. Surprise Oakland! Justice department says it's illegal even with a state medical mojo law! My guess is that if, and a big if, it passes here in WA it will unravel in a sad, short , and similar fashion once the state receives the Justice Dept letter.

Unfortunately I'd have more confidence of the inhabitants of this asylum than those in the one in D.C.

What a concept. Consider another's opinion and be open to a reasonable compromise. WTF already Congress?

Except that no one ever argued that just taxing the rich was the solution. Total straw man. We've argued that, to be just (at all), it NEEDS TO BE part of the solution. Don't know how wide the "we" can stretch. But most of the Dems are avoiding issue like the plague.

The larger looming question is how stupid will the American voter be in November.

While not a Repub fan, I gotta say the hub-bub about how much Federal tax Mitt pays is BS. The vast majority of Americans don't pay 15% of their AGI in Federal Tax. With all the deductions for houses, kids, whatever, most Americans are below this rate. http://www.taxfoundation.org/news/show/250.html#table8 Yea, yea, theres SS/Medicare but that was not caluclated in Mitt's returns either. So as ususal Americans are about their high taxes. Not! You are never going to get what is needed to get a more balanced budget by trying to milk the top 2%. A more reasonable approach would be to let ALL Bush era tax cuts expire, bump up the capital gains tax, and remove the SS cap on taxes.

Newt is a nickname for "Newton". Geez, man. ....or the first president named after a cookie!

Oh, "President Newt" is much better. The first president named after an amphibian!

This can be recycled for most snow event headlines in Seattle:

Similar discussion here: http://www.turns-all-year.com/skiing_snowboarding/trip_reports/index.php?topic=22068.0

How does does a web site "look credible"? Hmmm. Such as the website you linked to that started this circular logic discussion?

This looks pretty credible. http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/huntsman-gets-early-start-to-another-day-of-campaigning-in-nh/2012/01/05/gIQAUmsUcP_story.html

Is this a sentence?

We'll see.

Oh, I'm pretty sure the voters will support it, but it will be close. Latest polls show it has been losing support and would be close, but still would pass. I'll vote for it. The question of what comes next from the Justice Department is the crux. Will they be intimidated by the pot tea party of the Pacific NW? I doubt it.

De-criminalize is one thing - mild toleration - legalizing is another. My guess is that the Obama Justice Department will step on the air hose of the state just like they did in Oakland. Might have been wiser to take it in increments and take the CA state model, which is a very liberal use of medical cards for hangnails and such. Doesn't everyone in CA have one now? Hate to see all the money and effort going into the current effort for a noble flamming auger into the ground.

Oh, Nov 3 will be interesting. Nov 4 more so when the Fed squashes it iike a cockroach as they did when Oakland was set to legalize. That was flushed pretty quick. What is going to be different here? All for it, but don't see it happening.