Sheldon | Unexpected Leisure

December 16, 2011

What the State of Our Health Care System Means to the Unemployed

When you lose your job, you have to replace lost resources by improvising. Many options exist for essentials such as food and shelter. Health care is different. In many situations, no amount of cleverness or commitment to self-sufficiency will see you through. Read more [...]

December 6, 2011

Occupy Radio Network: A Proposal to the Occupy Movement

Currently most of the broadcast media in the United States are controlled by six major corporations, none of whom are friendly to OWS or any of the other Occupy communities. Imagine a network of stations sharing information, getting the word out, and making the case for creating a better world. Read more [...]

November 24, 2011

A Minimalist Thanksgiving

You're not trying to feed the whole block, so don't try. Overindulgence sounds like fun until you actually do it. Make enough for nibbling afterward plus some leftovers. You want to enjoy yourselves. Read more [...]

November 15, 2011

Zuccotti Park and the Incompetence of Violence

You would think that by now, Mayor Bloomberg and the NYPD would have learned the lessons from Spain and Egypt and Tunisia and Wisconsin, that repression only causes certain kinds of ideas to flourish. OWS is one of those ideas, and it will continue to grow. Read more [...]

October 23, 2011

The True Message of Occupy Wall Street

Occupy Wall Street is telling the powers that be, "We can make a better society than you can, and here's how to do it!" Read more [...]

October 4, 2011

The Other Price of Foreclosures

A growing body of research shows that foreclosure itself harms the health of families and communities. In our 2008 survey of 250 people undergoing foreclosure in the Philadelphia area, 32 percent reported missing doctorâ€™s appointments and 48 percent said they let prescriptions go unfilled, significantly higher rates than others in their community. Read more [...]

September 29, 2011September 30, 2011

Some Random Thoughts on “Occupy Wall Street”

As the general economic, political, and cultural climate continued to deteriorate it was hard for me to come up with hopeful, helpful things to say. I mean, what's the point of clipping coupons when massive, indifferent or even malevolent forces were (and remain) poised to do so much harm to so many for the benefit of so few? Read more [...]

September 27, 2011

Can you Make It on 8 Bucks An Hour?

Next time one of your smarmy friends or family members tells you how lazy the poor have it, how they get by with doing nothing and don't need to get any help from government, challenge them to walk that talk--digitally. Read more [...]

September 26, 2011

Audit Your Benefits

Do you have a Costco or BJ's membership? Gas card? Discount card for a local supermarket like Safeway or Stop 'N Shop? Auto club? Professional organization? Do you have a small business? If you answered yes to any of these questions, it might be a good idea for you to sit down with each of these items and see if there is some perk you could use. Read more [...]

September 3, 2011

A Thought on Government Spending

In other words, in order to win World War II, the United States essentially transformed itself into a socialist nation. And after the war, government spending on free college educations for GIs and excellent deals on home loans launched an unrivaled era of prosperity and economic growth. Read more [...]