Continuing on in the vein of the concept of the “middle class” that politicians and pundits love to banter about. Prior episodes highlighted the rift between the nobles and the serfs that gave rise to the powerful merchant and professional class that was the genesis of the “middle class”. The formation of the United States, a representational, constitutional republic...
The last post I explored the rise of the talented, educated professional and how their roots were in the guild system. This time, I will start with the industrial revolution, and how that upended the rising of that middle class. The Industrial Revolution While the shift from craft based manufacture of goods was well underway in the mid 18th century, the trend accelerated mightily with the...
Politicians love to rant, and one thing they agree on is the importance of the Middle Class to the economy. It is taken for granted, and all that yada-yada. Like this middle class has always existed, and been the lynchpin of progress, but that is not true. This is the first of a series of posts on this thing called “the middle class” that is so popular. In the beginning… The...
T'was a challenging New Year's Eve, had my first ban on substack, , and reading recommendations. The author also expresses interest in writing about several topics, including AI, music, aging, gaming, and the impact of Zero Interest Rate Policies on major industries. The reader is invited to subscribe for updates.
The start of 2023 was busy on Tralfaz, with 28 posts on guitar playing, gaming, and more. The decision to move professional blogs to Substack was a trial run. A new gaming PC was built and several recommendations on movies and shows were made. However, social media habits were kicked, and plans for the coming year include writing more and exploring alternatives to Substack.
Every rational, thinking person has a few unpopular positions, these are a few of mine
When I was growing up, in a suburb of Sunnyvale, the neighborhood was typical. Single family dwellings, clean yards, lots of grass, and busy professionals who worked at Lockheed or Westinghouse. There were a couple of enterprising youths who leveraged this situation by mowing lawns. $5 a week, they had their own power mower and edger, and would come and keep your lawns in good shape. Just about...
Perhaps I should clarify this provocative intro. My early childhood was well taken care of. Late 60’s, Sunnyvale California, father worked at a defense contractor (and made a good salary). I was too young to know that this made us solidly middle class. There weren’t many worries about money, and the essentials. Then, when I was in 1st grade, my mother decided that she wanted out...
Looking back on 2023. The year started with a flurry of activity here before I chased another venue. The holiday shutdown and my free time has translated into a significant look at what I have built here, and I like it. Here's to 2024!
(Repost from earlier in 2022) New gear is here, a kick-ass guitar, and bhoo-boy, is she sweet!