Browsing my news feeds this morning, it’s hard not to feel vertigo, moving from this piece in the New York Times about thousands of domestic workers, already living hand-to-mouth, being fired by professionals feeling the pinch of the economic downturn, to this in the LA Times about luxury dog houses complete with vintage furniture for the dogs’ wardrobes.
I’ll be heading out for my morning run in a few minutes. I’ll pass the empty storefront where my favorite independent bookstore was a year ago, pass the corner where the drugstore that had employed so many African immigrants is now closed. I’ll check to see whether anything is moving into the buildings where two small clothing stores went out of business a few months ago.
But on an early morning run last week, I did see that the new Gucci Store had opened in time for the holidays, and even as my local newspaper is disintegrating day by day, we are now treated to glamorous full-page Gucci ads most mornings.
Really: The problem here is not just our international competitiveness on math tests, is it?
Education and Class 
No kidding. Yesterday, I saw a New York Times article about how to get a really good dinner at a restaurant for 2 for under $100.
This, and my uncle and cousin are laid off in the steel industry because of the American car industry collapse.
They can’t afford a restaurant meal for two if it were under $50 and $25 is pushing it.