One of the things I absolutely do not miss about public school is the peer pressure–and I’m not talking about the pressure among students, but rather that which other parents put on the others. I’m still surprised with what I let myself get pressured into, one of which was buying Christmas presents for a family…
Month: June 2010
Costco Deals, Costco Rip-Offs, and Middle Class Snobbery
Recently, Peter and I got a Costco membership despite my assertion that Costco is a rip-off. As it turns out, the truth is nuanced–you can save some money by joining their club, but you have to know the value of things, since not everything is cheaper, and some is even more expensive. And the deals…
The Taxing Equilibrium
Like most citizens, I don’t like paying taxes, and as a sole proprietor, I’m acutely aware of what I pay in income tax, because I have to pay it directly in big chunks (rather than having it taken out of my paycheck bit by bit.) But a weekend helping out a friend in the rugged…
The Internationale, jazz style
I’ve heard The Internationale in French, Russian, and English, but I have to say this version’s so groovy it made me laugh, even though I’m not a communist. Tony Bambino the Internationale (via YouTube)