Cav's Place

Somebody told me a while back that 20 years ago it seemed like everybody was middle-class, but today it seems like nobody is anymore. She was talking about the US, but the issue of a missing middle-class applies everywhere, the only difference being that in many places in never really existed in the first place.
I’m talking about a middle-class from the strictly financial point of view and all I mean to do in this post is define what I understand by that term, since some are likely to compare the people who can get by with those who can’t make ends meet and say there is a middle-class after all. And, in order to put it into perspective, I’ll also define what I understand to be the other four classes from a financial point of view, making comparisons on a number of issues.

The very poor face serious problems regarding putting any kind of food on the table. They can’t afford to pay for medical care and are therefore severely hampered or even killed by health problems which could normally be cured.
Housing is a serious problem and they’re often found living in cramped, unsanitary conditions. They often have to do completely without most utilities, such as safe drinking water or electricity, because they can’t afford to pay for them. They can’t afford appliances and gadgets, though sometimes they can be found using salvaged and potentially unsafe equipment.
They generally rely on walking for transportation, unless they’re somehow able to hitch a ride for free. Decent new clothes and accessories are virtually unheard of.
Free time is usually at a premium, as simply managing to survive is a full-time job. Recreational activities are simple, as their options don’t include doing anything that costs money or buying things that are not absolutely necessary for survival. Travelling for leisure is out of their reach.

The poor can put some sort of food on the table, but they have to make their choice more according to price than according to how healthy and nutritious it is. They might be able to pay moderate fees for medical care and buy some medicine, but this requires great sacrifices and therefore they’ll usually look for cheap alternatives at the expense of quality.
Housing may be somewhat of a problem as too many people may need to share a residence and their houses or apartments are probably not in the best repair. They often have to be very restrictive in their use of utilities, such as heating or electricity, because their finances are stretched too thin. They can rarely afford appliances and gadgets and when they do they have to choose according to price instead of quality, therefore often ending up using outdated and potentially malfunctioning equipment.
They generally use cheap forms of public transportation where these are available, walking or trying to catch free or cheap rides elsewhere. Affording decent new clothes when they need them requires sacrifices and purchasing anything but the cheapest accessories is a serious problem.
Free time is usually at a premium, as they’re often looking for another way to earn some more money in order to help make ends meet. Recreational activities are relatively simple, as both their time and finances are more needed for other things. Travelling for leisure usually takes the form of visiting friends or relatives, though they might be able to afford a few other trips every so often, but they have to work within extremely tight budgets and therefore the possible destinations are limited and the accommodations will be poor.

The middle-class are able to put healthy, organic food on the table and follow a balanced diet if they so choose, though exotic foods or eating in good restaurants will be reserved only for the most special of occasions, if even then. They can afford decent private medical care and follow reasonably-priced treatments, though more expensive procedures might send them looking for financing, especially if they’re on short notice.
The purchase and maintenance of reasonable housing where each has enough personal space may require sacrifices, but it is an attainable goal for those who plan well. They can afford to make good use of utilities, such as heating or Internet access, in order to live comfortably. They can afford decent appliances and gadgets, which they can maintain properly and replace at reasonable intervals, though the purchase of high-end equipment may require sacrifices.
The purchase and proper maintenance of decent automobiles may require sacrifices, but it is certainly possible for those who plan well, though some will prefer to use public transportation, walking or biking for various reasons such as poor traffic conditions or environmental concerns. They can afford decent new clothes and accessories when they need them, though expensive items will be reserved only for the most special of occasions, if even then.
They enjoy a reasonable amount of free time, not needing to tolerate being overworked. Both their time and finances allow for recreational activities that vary according to personal tastes, though there is a reasonable upper limit when it comes to this. Travelling for leisure, both within their own country and abroad, is certainly affordable for those who wish it, though five-star hotels and exotic destinations are usually not among the options.

The rich are sometimes able to put exotic food on the table and go out to eat in expensive restaurants if they so choose. They can afford excellent private medical care, most treatments and all but the most expensive procedures, including things like plastic surgery, even on short notice.
Housing is not a problem, the only potential difficulty being having to choose between owning one luxury residence or multiple decent ones. Their use of utilities, such as air conditioning or cleaning services, is not limited by finances. They can afford high-end appliances and gadgets, which they can maintain properly and replace at whim.
Purchasing and maintaining automobiles is not a problem, though they might need to choose between one luxury vehicle and multiple decent ones. They can afford expensive new clothes and accessories not only when they need them but also whenever they want them.
They choose how much free time they have, knowing that they have accumulated enough wealth to take them through the remainder of their lives in reasonable comfort and can therefore stop working whenever they wish to do so. While those who wish to keep increasing their wealth might have limited free time, finances are certainly not a problem when it comes to their options regarding recreational activities. Travelling for leisure, occasionally including exotic destinations and luxury accommodations, is certainly affordable for those who wish it.

The very rich are not only able to put any kind of food on the table, including rare and outrageously expensive dishes, but also to hire highly skilled staff to cook for them on a regular basis. They can afford excellent private medical care and any treatments and procedures, whether they’re actually required or simply desired, even on short notice.
Housing is not a problem, as they can easily afford purchasing multiple luxury residences and hiring a good maintenance staff for each. Their use of utilities and services is under no circumstances limited by finances. They can afford high-end, luxury and even unique appliances and gadgets, which they can maintain properly and replace at whim.
Personal automobiles, yachts and aircraft are all among their transportation options, being able to own multiple luxury vehicles and to hire a good maintenance staff for them. They can purchase expensive and even unique, custom-made clothes and accessories at a whim.
They choose how much free time they have, knowing that they have accumulated more than enough wealth to take them through the remainder of their lives in great comfort and can therefore stop working whenever they wish to do so. While those who wish to keep increasing their wealth might have limited free time, finances are certainly not a problem when it comes to their options regarding recreational activities, which could even include very extravagant affairs. Travelling for leisure, often including exotic destinations and luxury accommodations, is by no means a problem.

According to these definitions, I believe you’ll agree with me that we have few middle-class individuals in the world today, many only choosing to define the poor as middle-class because they compare them to the very poor.
This state of affairs is no surprise if you think about it. With Liberals often supporting the rich, Socialists usually supporting the poor and Democrats certainly supporting the majority, which are again the poor, there are no interest groups working for the middle-class. What’s worse, those who support the poor need them to stay poor in order for them to keep their positions of authority!
Personally, I’d want to eliminate both the very poor and the very rich and put the vast majority of people into the middle-class I defined above, with the rest split between poor and rich as needed. But that’s hardly likely within the confines of this society we have built for ourselves. Still, that only means we need a new society!

When people think about a job, they usually think about going to a certain location every day and either sitting at their desk or taking their place around some sort of machine. Granted that many jobs do require the worker to be there in order to operate the equipment or get in direct contact with the customers, but plenty of others do not and people shouldn’t need to leave their homes for them.

I’m mainly talking about the jobs that require working on a computer. What can you do on your work computer that you can’t do on your home computer? And with the advances in broadband connections, communication with bosses and coworkers is just as easy from home as it’d be at work. After all, many companies use e-mail and instant messaging for internal communications anyway.
Some will claim that will raise security problems, but no security can do more than delay a determined hacker anyway. And if a person is going to tell their password to another, or write it down and leave it where others can find it, they’ll do that whether they work from home or not.

From the employee’s point of view, working from home means, first and foremost, less stress, especially if the employee can more or less decide on their work schedule. That’s something you can’t put a price tag on and in itself is enough to make the option an excellent one. But there’s more! Not needing to travel to and from work certainly means less expenses, and those expenses are further reduced if you factor in how some people are more likely to buy things on impulse if they happen to see them in a shop window when they’re coming back after a stressful day at work. And then there is the time saved when you’re not wasting any in transit and the chance to mix work, housework and fun in the most effective way. All these things mean that an employee working at home will be better off than one doing the same job in an office even if they’ll earn less money.
Looking from the employer’s point of view, an employee working in an office requires a lot of expenses that would vanish if that same employee would work from home. I’m talking about the physical space required, the services and devices that provide decent working conditions, the desk and chair, the computer and the software installed on it, the Internet connection, electricity, water, any other things the employee needs for their job and any other expenses associated with the maintenance of the extra space and equipment. And the savings are further increased when adding the potential of offering slightly lower pay to the employee working at home. Which in turn means being able to offer their goods and services to their customers at lower prices while keeping the same profit margins, which usually means more customers and therefore even greater profits.

So, if everybody stands to gain from it, why isn’t it being practiced more?
While some are likely going to say that some people working from home are less likely to actually do their work, I think there are ways to check on their progress without actually looking over their shoulder, if only you’d be willing to work them out so things will go smoothly. And that brings us to what I think is the real obstacle, namely people unwilling to change the “tried and true” ways for something new, even if it’s obviously better, and also bosses who are too controlling and unwilling to lose the direct control they have over subordinates that they can physically watch over.
But how long will this situation last? How long will we let it last? Because, for better or worse, through action or inaction, people shape society. If one person goes against society then they’ll be crushed, but if enough others support them then society will change to suit their desires. So, asking everybody and nobody in particular, when are you going to turn the tide?

I’m just missing her too much… And the cats… And living there… And the view from the window, such as it was… And having something that could be called a life…
And now… I guess she had to compensate for Friday evening when we talked for a few hours and it actually went well, without awkward moments or me not knowing what to do or say to make her just say a few words to me. Not a word during the weekend and all I could get out of her yesterday were a few one-liners. Afraid of even logging on today because if she will give me the silent treatment again I don’t know if I could handle it anymore.
I know, I shouldn’t be writing this here, but at this point… It doesn’t matter…

Remember all those PC RPGs made during the late ’80s and early ’90s? (Ok, I can’t say I remember those from the late ’80s since I didn’t have a computer back then, and I’d have been too young to understand much anyway, but I know they existed.) It seemed like everybody and their cousin was coming up with one and, even with the hardware constraints of the time, some of them turned out really well. Quite normal if you think about it, make enough of something and some are bound to be very good.
Then the genre seemed to have matured in the late ’90s and early ’00s. You had less quantity, but more quality. Who hasn’t heard of Baldur’s Gate 1 and 2, Diablo 2, Gothic 1 and 2, Knights of the Old Republic, Might and Magic 6, Morrowind or Neverwinter Nights (and the list is by no means exhaustive)? I think these games will be remembered for a long time to come, and even by those who haven’t played them!
But then something snapped. The quantity kept dropping but this time it started taking the quality down with it. You have a lot of focus on graphics at the expense of story and feeling and the few attempts at doing everything right that turned into a bug-ridden mess. New content is scarce and even the sequels flop. Gothic 3 was a buggy mess, Knights of the Old Republic 2 was basically unfinished, Neverwinter Nights 2 seems to have flown in pretty much under the radar and Oblivion turned out nowhere near what it should have been. Thankfully we have The Witcher now, but that’s far too little in far too long…
I know I overlooked some good but lesser known titles, but I only included well known ones on both lists to have a fair comparison. So, honestly, what’s going on? Is it just me not looking in the right places or is the PC RPG an aging genre that should start looking into booking its own funeral?
And no, I won’t take MMORPGs into account, those are something else entirely, I’m talking about games you can play alone, on your computer, and especially about games that you can own, not rent!

I was just thinking about how so many say that people change and evolve and it’d be really sad if they stayed the same. I firmly disagree with that, I think that if you change who you appear to be then either who you were before was nothing but a mask or who you are now is the mask. Or, of course, it’s quite likely that they both are masks, and also likely that you’re not even aware of it because you don’t actually know who you really are, and that’s the sad thing…
Yes, of course you can become aware of options you haven’t been aware of before and form opinions about them at that moment, that’s not an actual change though it can also sometimes cause problems, but anything other than that usually spells trouble… When you are aware of an option, have an opinion about it and then change that opinion, letting the change carry over into your daily life, those who are close to you will usually be affected, and in a bad way more often than not.
As for evolving, I think you need to stop and smell the roses more often than not. Putting too much energy into moving forward won’t leave you any to connect with what, or who, is around you.
I find it depressing to see how many people put going forward above anything else without even knowing what their destination really is. Any debate about whether the journey is more important than the destination or not is pointless when so many are hardly aware of the journey while at the same time not really knowing the destination either.

When it comes to relationships, because that’s what I’m getting at, you keep hearing about “growing apart”, people “evolving” into different directions, or at different rates, and therefore no longer being able to stay together. I find that really sad and think it shouldn’t be happening. And it wouldn’t be happening if people would know themselves better and stick to who they are regardless of circumstances, because then it’d mean that if things worked well once they’ll keep working equally well in the future. Yet people are selfish and put “I” above “we” infuriatingly often…

Imagine two (or more, but two is certainly enough to illustrate the point) people in a relationship as two motorists in a city. They start at the same time, from the same place, and drive alongside each other for a while. This is the time when they both are who they appeared to be at the start of the relationship.
But then what happens when one puts their need for rapid personal advancement, even without any changes, above their need for their partner? You have one motorist accelerating while the other one doesn’t, making the two grow more and more distant and eventually lose sight of each other altogether. Even if you stop the comparison here, at both of them driving along the same straight road, you see that, if each chooses their speed according to their own desires instead of correlating it with that of their partner, it’s very improbable that they’ll stay alongside each other for very long.
Knowing that, try also adding change into the mix. Imagine that one of the motorists wonders which way to take at every intersection, whether they should keep going forward or take a turn, and that if they think it’s better to take a turn they’ll actually do it. The moment they’ll take the first turn they’ll no longer be driving on the same road as the other motorist. And granted that if both of them take turns there is a small chance that they’ll decide to take the same ones for a while, but what are the odds of them deciding, more or less independently, to take the same turns all the time? I don’t know about you, but it looks completely impossible to me.

You have the changes made because the person wants them, those made because they feel they have no other choice, and those made because the situation appears to demand it. And when you put all of these together you have to wonder how come there are any relationships that work out at all…
My answer to that? I think many don’t really work even when they seem to, the people are simply stuck together for one reason or another, which is sad. Or, also often, one loves and needs the other more and therefore tries to keep up at all costs in order to keep the relationship going, which is equally sad. But there are also a select few who do it right, and I only wish more people would learn from them…

When you put “I” above “we” you’ll end up walking a long and lonely road all by yourself. And there’s always choice, we only say there’s no choice to comfort ourselves with the choice we have already made. As for situations that demand change, this world has maddeningly many people with high self monitoring, chameleons who are more worried about who they should be than who they really are, and depressingly few with low self monitoring, people who know themselves and will stand up for who they really are regardless of situation.
That said, I think the right thing to do is to keep your speed in check so you’ll always be alongside each other, plan together any turns you want to take ahead of time, and, for fuck’s sake, stop when you find a place you both (or all) like.
Putting your need for change or personal advancement ahead of your relationship is only a good thing if you also have a desperate need to walk that path in loneliness, or at least a strange need to be in unhappy relationships all the time…