We grew up middle class. We may not have had a lot of *stuff* but we never ever worried about where the next meal was coming from. Here are some inspiring stories from folks who grew up in much worse straits. Yes I am cheap on her childhood. Revanche on generational poverty and how she always wants to stay out of that trap. I definitely identify with that idea, but one generation removed. My father is 5’2″. I think of bananas as luxurious not because they were to me, but because they are to him and to my tiny late bonmama who offered them as the greatest treat available whenever we would visit.
Every day I am grateful for living in this country of plenty and I worry about what permanent damage we will do if, as a nation, we stop feeding and educating our poor children (NYTimes and MicroDrO). And yes, I would not die if my taxes were raised, as Dr. Crazy suggests, I can afford it, especially if it means we pay less for jails down the line.
Speaking of getting all political… even if you don’t understand adverse selection and market failure, this example pretty much encapsulates why there is a need for government intervention in health insurance markets. Read it. (Yes, there are plenty of problems with the new health care law, but completely scrapping it without fixing the problems in the private market is not the way to go. Let’s get some bipartisanship on this problem!)
An incredibly interesting post by historiann about whether or not female academic bloggers should mention their parental status, and what people assume if they do or don’t disclose their status… also should non-parents be allowed to talk about parenting.
Mutuant Supermodel makes some mature decisions. First Gen American would approve.
Dancing books!
OMG. NEW HYPERBOLE AND A HALF. CLICK. YOU MUST CLICK. OR YOU WILL BE DEAD INSIDE.
Steampunk challenge: still working … a grant ate my soul this week.
Writing challenge: Did it, but did not enjoy doing it. Perhaps I will enjoy having done it, but I’m not there yet. Still concerned about what on earth I’m going to write today given that I haven’t heard from two coauthors and the project with the third coauthor was scooped completely (as in, same dataset, same questions, same methodology, same answer) and has been canceled. I do need to fix up the midterm…
Grumpy Rumblings (of the formerly untenured) 
February 26, 2011 at 4:09 am
I pay plenty of taxes too and I never complain about giving money to take care of old people, children, infrastructure and health care. Unfortunately defense spending is a necessary evil. At the same time, I do think it’s possible to do it without being trillions in debt.
There is just so much waste in how some of these places are run. I am actually glad that there are more government workers making six figures because that means they actually have a chance to recruit competent people from the private sector to turn some of these organizations around. I have hope and I hope things will get better soon.
February 26, 2011 at 5:00 am
Bob Gates is trying really hard to cut inefficient programs… but Congress won’t let him. And seriously, why is the department of defense supporting Nascar when we’re laying off hundreds of thousands of teachers, police officers, nurses etc. all over the country?
February 26, 2011 at 5:42 am
In relation to people without children commenting on raising children, I don’t see that raising children is some sort of magical wagical topic for which the opinions of people who haven’t raised children themselves are automatically illegitimate. People blogge/comment all the f***en time on all sorts of things that they have never done themselves: politics, professional sports, media, etc. Raising children isn’t somehow categorically different.
February 26, 2011 at 6:47 am
It’s funny that those categories you mention are also full of idiots who think they know things they don’t. I don’t really think that folks need to have actual experience, but I do wish that the people most certain about their “rightness” would have informed opinions about things rather than the uninformed ones.
February 26, 2011 at 11:55 am
“HYPERBOLE AND A HALF” was incredible as usual!!!
Very funny how her story backfired on her! Well, at least that explains a bit about her Art…
February 26, 2011 at 12:06 pm
Seriously!
February 26, 2011 at 12:32 pm
Her artwork captures childhood so vividly.
February 26, 2011 at 1:01 pm
It sure does.
February 26, 2011 at 9:59 pm
Thank you for linking to my post! I was surprised that the theme of growing up in poverty reverberated with other bloggers. I don’t know why we are so afraid to talk about the reason for our motivation as bloggers, especially when it comes to poverty, but so many of us grow up the way that I did that it can not be avoided.
February 27, 2011 at 5:31 am
I think for a certain segment of the financial blogger population there is a blame-the-victim mentality when it comes to poverty. Among many of these folks there’s also an anti-immigration sentiment. My father’s immigration is probably ok, since he came from Europe (and is a white Christian).
February 28, 2011 at 9:11 am
Thank you for the link :) It’s a good group to be in!