Publication materials ...

Some progress, but now more fine-tuning, working on a cover design, dedications, table of contents, and most important: an ISBN number and a marketing plan.

I'm excited that the book shown below will be complete in just a few days!  It was only possible to finish something this detailed over the 2017 holiday because, truthfully, this was the first break in my work schedule that I've had in over 18 years.  Of course, the contents have been undergoing consistent revisions over the many semesters of being in the classroom, but the luxury of having a solid block of uninterrupted time to compile and sort through my notes cannot be overestimated.  Wasn't it Virginia Wolfe that commented that women, " ... must have money and a room of her own if she is to write ... ".  That statement is just as true today as it was in 1928, 90 years ago.

And now for volume II - Principles of Microeconomics ...

Choosing a College Major

Having a difficult time deciding how you want to spend your life?  There are so many options and narrowing it down seems next to impossible and especially when you're 18-19 years old.  People will ask -- what do you love to do, what makes you happy, what are you good at doing, where do you see yourself in twenty years, what would you regret not having done?  All good questions and at the same time, not really all that helpful.

The NYTimes link, Choosing a College Major, might enable you to consider what to focus on, at least in the short-run and as a student and who knows what these early decisions could mean in the longer run.

Molly II

Another girl named Molly looking for a nurturing and safe home.  This isn't her, but she looks almost exactly the same as the dog below.  Very sweet, for sure!  I don't know much about her, except that she's faced several challenges and hasn't had a good start to her life.  She also hasn't had a chance to socialize with other animals, and that's why she needs to be placed as an "only dog", somewhere quiet, etc.

Near campus, looking up 10th Avenue in Denver ...

The Buckhorn Exchange in Denver -- a new, "old" neighborhood.

Spectacular and recent transformation!

According to Justin Trudeau:

" ... politics doesn't happen in thoughtful, reasonable conversations anymore.  It happens in soundbites, shouted slogans, bumperstickers, and ten-second videos ... "

                                                         -- Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada

Self-Sufficiency Standard continued ...

When I read the CCLP article and saw the statistic pointing out that a single-parent household would require approximately $50,000 per year in order to be self-sufficient, I was truly skeptical.  That number just sounded way too high!

However, years ago I worked on a similar "self-sufficiency" study for the University of Colorado.  We referred to our research project as the Denver Cost-of-Living Study and just like the current self-sufficiency study, our goal was to estimate a minimally-adequate budget for a single-parent, female-headed, Denver-area household without any public or private assistance.  Our 1988 long-run, minimally-adequate monthly budget estimate was $19,611 (excluding taxes and saving) needed by a single-parent, female-headed household with two young children (Augostine 95).  Using the online CPI calculator to adjust for inflation, today's estimate for the Denver area would be $41,052.76 (again, excluding taxes and saving).

Note that the concept of a minimally-adequate standard of living means essentially that --- no luxuries!  It's somewhat above what one would consider a "subsistence level" standard, but by no means extravagant in any way.  Minimally-adequate is essentially the predecessor to what we might consider "minimalist" living today, I suppose.  The family's food budget is derived from the government's Thrifty Food Plan, transportation is a small, used-car, no cable TV, no pets, no restaurant meals, no vacations, mostly thrift-store clothing, etc.

The 2015 CCLP self-sufficiency index study indicates a before-tax estimate and also includes a minimal and emergency savings plan.  Comparing the two studies in 2015 dollars, the before-tax Denver Cost-of-Living Study would fall within the same range as the CCLP calculation of $47,914 for a one-child household, and $57,409 for a household with two children living in Denver county (Pearce 8).

How realistic is the current CCLP self-sufficiency study?  Reliable and right-on!

                                                         Works Cited

Augostine, Daurie R., MA., Modern Poverty: An Investigation of Current Needs Standards and Their Relation to Subsistence Requirements and Public Policy., 1988.  

Pearce, Diana M., Ph.D., The Self-Sufficiency Standard for Colorado 2015., 2015.