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I'll Take the Sub-Sahara Over America
A few months ago a Nigerian immigrant wrote to me about his difficulties staying afloat. In his letter, he noted that after losing his job he has faced difficulties receiving unemployment benefits. He argued that for some Americans – namely immigrants – the recession is hitting them harder than other groups. While that point is…
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Fake Rhymes, Even Faker Chains
Just when you thought things couldn’t get any worse comes news that even the rappers have been forced to scale back. Yesterday, the Wall Street Journal reported on the plight of the braggadocios emcee. I know, I know: My heart aches for them, too. Though the death of the music industry started years before the…
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Is That Your Mama At The Bar?
Normally in times of turmoil, one quick call to mom will set things right. But what happens if mama is too busy drinking at the bar dealing with her own problems to help her children with theirs? Don’t laugh because it’s happening. Normally in times of turmoil, one quick call to mom will set things…
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Keeping the Faith
Out all of the letters I received in response to my piece about my plight with student loans the one that stuck out most was from a reader who noted that I neglected to mention how faith helped me deal with my circumstances. I tend to keep my faith private, but for many Americans there’s…
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Spam: What's For Dinner
I understand that some of us have since moved on to the finer things in life like free KFC grilled chicken and such, but who else grew up having to eat Spam when times got a little rough? I can’t be the only with a mom who fried up the spam in a pan and…
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End Racism, End The Recession?
According to ACORN every 13 seconds a family loses its home. As it’s been made painfully clear a portion of those families are ones of color. Survey a number of Black neighborhoods and you may find them riddled in a sea of for sale signs. Last year conservatives placed the blame of the mortgage crisis…
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There Ain't Nothing Going On But The Rent
I distinctly remember looking over a writer’s resume and portfolio online with a friend last year and being in awe of the site and said writer’s extensive background. My friend and I both agreed that we needed to step our own respective games up. A year later I find out through a colleague that this…
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Despite Talk of Peak Unemployment Still Rising
Celebrations over reported initial job losses falling and talk of the recession peaking both appear to have been pre-emptive. Despite job loss claims falling earlier in the month, they have since grown higher than anticipated last week. The Labor Department said the number of first-time job loss claims rose to a 637,000 in the…
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Will Cities Start Using College Students for a Bailout?
Providence, Rhode Island is the home of four private schools — Brown, Providence College, Johnson & Wales University and the Rhode Island School of Design. In 2003 each school agreed to pay the city nearly $50 million over 20 years. Apparently that’s no longer enough. Facing a budget crisis the mayor of Providence wants to…
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Hanging Up On Fearful Spending
I’ve come to hate spending money. I’ve never been a cheapskate, but between the student loan industry becoming my personal pimp and working in an industry that seems hell bent on encouraging would be writers to step up their math skills I’ve had to learn some stern financial discipline. Meaning I have had to break…
