In
Thurday's New York Times, an oddly sympathetic article shed a river of tears for recent college graduates who can't find jobs in their chosen fields, referring to them as Generation Limbo: "highly educated 20-somethings, whose careers are stuck in neutral, coping with dead-end jobs and listless prospects."
Say what?
Careers?? What careers? These newbies are just joining the workforce, navigating their way in the real world. To say their careers are stuck in neutral is like calling raw hamburger meat overcooked.
But what was most alarming in the piece is that a number of these youngsters are accepting government handouts, such as food stamps. One recent graduate noted that a half-dozen of her friends are gleefully taking $150 a month from the government.
In Michigan, however, 30,000 college students were
recently booted from the state’s food stamp program. “
Maybe (students) could go get a part-time job; that’s what I did,” said Human Services Director Maura Corrigan, a former justice of the
Michigan Supreme Court. “We want to encourage people to be self-sufficient, not to be dependent on the government."
Salon.com, meanwhile, published an article in 2010 about 20-somethings
using food stamp benefits to buy fresh produce, raw honey, soy meat alternatives and gourmet ice cream.
"I'm eating better than I ever have before," one hipster boasted, while another commented, "I'm sort of a foodie, and I'm not going to do the 'living off ramen' thing," instead feasting on roasted rabbit, tarragon and sweet potatoes. "I used to think that you could only get processed food and government cheese on food stamps, but it's great that you can get anything."
Pardon me for sounding like the grizzled senior, but WTF? Don't tell me that young, attractive, energetic 20-somethings cannot find jobs as waiters, bartenders, retail salespeople and the like?
Unless circumstances have greatly changed since the sun rose this morning, it's not 40-somethings and beyond that are swiping those positions from recent college graduates. I know that the economy is in the gutter, but we're not talking about displaced career veterans who have families, mortgages and grown-up responsibilities. So how about spending less time braising the rabbit and instead
work for a living?
When I finished college 1,000 years ago, I was fortunate enough
to get a job that propelled me out of Lynchburg, Va., to metro Washington. My salary was
$12,000 a year, which was as lousy then as it sounds now—in a top 10 market, at that, which was not cheap.
I had two roommates, lived in the basement of a townhouse and to
supplement my income, I worked nights and weekends as a telemarketing
rep, making cold calls from a bullpen to convince folks to check out vacation properties. It wasn't much fun, but that's
what it took to make ends meet... and so it was.
Food stamps at 21? Perhaps the more accurate term is Generation Entitled.
Tonight was FI's big annual drag something or other. I ran into Adasha Bitters & partner Asplasha Cranberry, AKA Bob & Tim at low tea. Tea tee hee.
The beach at Fire Island's Grove was particularly crowded, as moderate temps and plentiful sunshine blessed the day on this Labor Day weekend.
issuing a brief statement noting unemployment remains 
"unacceptably high." Why, how empowering that is.
Mr. President, please stop yammering about offering companies incentives, when it's clear they have no intention of hiring, and get to the heart of the matter: the actual unemployed, who have surrendered hope they will ever work again. Remember "The New Deal"? It was about creating new jobs...
For Labor Day weekend, I took the Long Island Railroad Friday at 2:30p to Fire Island—about the gayest destination on the planet. And just like New York, all melodramatic reports of Hurricane Irene's decimation were purely fictional. Apparently, a couple parking lots flooded on the other side of the bay, but the delicate cottages in the Grove were able to bare 60 mph winds just fine... 
One final hurrah for the glorious summer of 2011, as I head to Fire Island for Labor Day weekend—where rain and thunderstorms are forecast every day. It 
just wouldn't be the same without it... I can't think of a single trip to FI where I haven't been drenched.
After just railing on the poor deprived 20-somethings for accepting food stamps comes the monthly federal jobs statistics report... and it's a real classic...
"introduce a plan for creating jobs..." as if we haven't been hearing the same bunch of nothing for the past two years.
politician. Words, words, words, with so much consistent caving to Republicans that he remains paralyzed. Grow some balls, Mr. Prez, and behave like a Democrat, how about it? He could learn a lot from New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, instead of behaving like former Gov. David Paterson.
Michigan Supreme Court. “We want to encourage people to be self-sufficient, not to be dependent on the government." 
using food stamp benefits to buy fresh produce, raw honey, soy meat alternatives and gourmet ice cream.
"I'm eating better than I ever have before," one hipster boasted, while another commented, "I'm sort of a foodie, and I'm not going to do the 'living off ramen' thing," instead feasting on roasted rabbit, tarragon and sweet potatoes. "I used to think that you could only get processed food and government cheese on food stamps, but it's great that you can get anything."
Unless circumstances have greatly changed since the sun rose this morning, it's not 40-somethings and beyond that are swiping those positions from recent college graduates. I know that the economy is in the gutter, but we're not talking about displaced career veterans who have families, mortgages and grown-up responsibilities. So how about spending less time braising the rabbit and instead work for a living?
to get a job that propelled me out of Lynchburg, Va., to metro Washington. My salary was $12,000 a year, which was as lousy then as it sounds now—in a top 10 market, at that, which was not cheap.
After a rousing catch-up with pal Tinatin—who has just returned from a songwriting sojourn in Russia, London, Montreal and Las Vegas(!)—Leo and I headed to age-old queer tavern Townhouse on Manhattan's East Side. Along with the vintage queens, we met a sweet young man visiting from Denver. I have decided to adopt Jacob, since he's probably half my damn age. He'll make a fine trophy for the mantle. Isn't he adorable? And yes, these photos above were a total set-up.
Leonard's buddies Scott and Peter (I have no idea what their names are, so awarded them generic gay monikers).
Just thought this dude cast a handsome profile, yes?
New York's original Roseland Dance City opened in 1919 at 1658 Broadway and 51st Street as a 
"whites only" dance club, boasting "refined dancing," where cool cats pranced around doing the jitterbug, Lindy Hop and Charleston under the club's star-studded ceiling.
Throughout the 1920s and 1930s, orchestras that played the venue included Vincent Lopez, Harry James, Louis Armstrong, Tommy Dorsey and Glenn Miller. The appearance by Count Basie was a turning point in his career and a breakthrough in the all-white atmosphere of the club. 
dozens of highly publicized jazz weddings with couples who met at the club.
acts such as Beyonce, The Script and Primus (in August 2011), as well as special events, including dinners, corporate conventions, charity fundraisers and fashion shows.
At last! Superman is actually built like a man! Here's a first look at Henry Cavill in the upcoming Superman: Man Of Steel. Webbies are going gaga over Clark's super-bulge (and the fact that he no longer has his red undies). No complaints here. 
You may recall that Brandon Routh was pretty much neutered in the previous Superman Returns.
as a busboy in the theater district, before winning a small part in Broadway play See the Jaguar—which closed practically before it opened.
short-lived, it ultimately changed his career as he adopted method acting. In 1954, he returned to Broadway in The Immortalist, which led to a screen test at Warner Brothers for the part of Cal Trask in the screen adaptation John Steinbeck's novel East of Eden. After winning the role of Jim Stark in 1955's Rebel Without A Cause, he moved to Hollywood.
