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The Middle Class – The 20th century and the rise of labor
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,…
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The Middle Class – The Industrial Revolution
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…
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The Middle Class – Its Origin
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…
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Entering 2024
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.
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2023 in review
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…
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Unpopular Views
Every rational, thinking person has a few unpopular positions, these are a few of mine
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Hope for the future
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…
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Growing up Poor
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…
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New Guitar Day – The Harley-Benton Modern ST Plus
A new addition to my stable of guitars, the Harley-Benton provides unparalleled bang for the buck, punching well above its weight, delivering a great value, and playability for a modest cost
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The 2023 techmas update
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!