One of the hardest parts about living with mental illness is having to work while symptomatic. I wish I could say that the best way to navigate the workplace while symptomatic is to avoid the workplace. That’s just not possible for many people, either because there is no paid time off or their workplace has…
I know how this sounds, so please bear with me. There are many problems with the job “market” as it currently stands. All the power is on the side of employers (which is why I hesitate to call it a market in the first place). Favoritism and nepotism are rampant. The process rewards salesmanship over…
Don’t worry, this isn’t going to be about peace on earth or anything like that. Not that there’s anything wrong with wanting peace on earth. On some level, I do, but it’s a very vague, diffused feeling. It’s not a real wish. I always feel like it’s a cheat when people say they wish for…
The current conversation around labor is odd. Many (most?) labor advocates still talk about their fight in Marxist terms. Never mind the more theoretical aspects of Marxism, his views on history and progress, etc., and just look at labor. Labor, in this view, is the foundation for all value. Capitalism developed when labor was commodified,…
A little while ago, I wrote this piece about work. I had just gotten a copy of John Danaher’s Automation and Utopia: Human Flourishing in a World without Work. I was looking forward to it and wanted to record some of my pre-read views on the topic. I finished the book and I wasn’t disappointed….
People have been talking about the $15 federal minimum wage for a while now. With Biden’s election, it’s a real possibility. Democrats have a way of snatching defeat from the jaws of victory, so I’m not making any predictions, but it has a better chance than it did a year ago. So, this seems like…
I just got a new book called Automation and Utopia: Human Flourishing in a World Without Work by John Danaher. I haven’t read it yet, but I’m looking forward to it. From what I can tell, he tries to present the argument that automation should be seen as a good thing. A world where people…
Time for my seventh entry in the 12 stories in 12 months writing challenge. This month the prompt was “Men and Women.” That’s an easy one. Probably more than 95% of all the stories ever written are about men and women. But the word count was 300. That’s hard. I’m a fan of short, the…
This is story #4 for my 12 stories in 12 months challenge. I’m not at all thrilled with this one. The prompt was “cut-throat” and the word count was 750. It was fairly easy to write, I can toss off 750 words in my sleep. But the prompt left me cold. I’m pretty sure the…
I’ve been documenting my recent struggles with depression in this space. I don’t think I’m saying anything original, or particularly interesting. I’m mostly doing it out of my desire to not be a hypocrite. In the past, I have cared for people suffering from depression. I would always ask them to be open about it. …
