As ridiculous as those little things are, I think the “Shmoos” from the cartoon in the article ‘Class Counts’ by Erik Olin Wright are an interesting concept. They exist for no other reason than to make humans happy, or at least live more comfortably. They transform into the things we need as humans to survive. I briefly tried to imagine what my world would be like if I didn’t have to work for the things I needed just to survive. Work and education wouldn’t be nearly as important. I’d probably live longer because I would never stress out over the small things. I literally think my entire life would be different.

I also briefly tried to think of the real-life equivalent of the “Shmoo”, something that exists solely for the purpose of making the lives of men and women more comfortable, more livable. About the only thing I could think of is welfare and I think that analogy is really pushing it. Welfare is available, but not for everyone. It can be used to buy life’s essentials, but it doesn’t have to be used in that way.

Like I said, I briefly tried to find the “Shmoo’s” equivalent, but I don’t think it exists.

Regents of the University of California v. Bakke (1978)

"Why do some individuals get ahead and some fall behind? Certainly, genetic endowment helps. Being tall, slender, good-looking, healthy, male, and white helps in the race for success, and these traits are totally or partly determined genetically" (Grusky 20).

I think the use of the word "certainly" may be a bit strong. If being male and white helps, why do white-males have to put their gender and skin-color on college and job applications? The landmark Supreme Court case, Regents of the University of California v. Bakke (1978) found that the use of race as a criterion in admissions decisions in higher education was constitutionally permissable. Women make up nearly half (over 47 percent) of all law students in this country while minorities make up over 20 percent. As for medical school applicants, the 2007-2008 class is 49 percent female. As for being white and male making all the difference in whether or not one will be a "success", I think that idea is becoming less and less of a certainty.

Workers as "free agents"

I thought it was interesting, the way the author compared low wage workers to free agents. If low-wage workers were compared to free agent athletes, they would be the backups, bench-warmers, and bullpen catchers of the work force, taking the first deal at the first employer who offered. They are told the amount of money they can make; there is no haggling. Scott Boras won't be negotiating better contracts for these men and women. There aren't scouts and experts watching every single move of every single one of their shifts to determine how much they are worth. No one will be phoning them or their agents about a new, better deal that awaits them if they would only accept it. Many times, low-wage workers don't have the option of rejecting one job offer in hopes that a better one will come along. The hourly wage offered to them is the one they are going to get.

I never considered low-wage workers as free agents. But low-wage workers really aren't treated anything like free agents... no wonder the thought never crossed my mind.

Starving - Pregnant - Injured - Overworked

The hardest part for me to stomach in "Scrubbing in Maine" was how little the maids would eat and drink during a normal working shift. No food or water while they were cleaning the inside of homes. A half a bag of Doritos for lunch and nothing else during an eight hour work day. The hungrier maids had a sandwich to hold them over until five p.m. I know this is the middle-class, white-male coming out of me, but don't they realize that they need food to work - to survive?? I realize that they are poor, that they have children to cloth and feed. But a bag of Doritos? Why not just skip the bag of Doritos for two or three days and buy a loaf of bread that will last all week?

It just makes me so upset to see and hear about people who are hungry because I love to eat so much. I hate to see people starving, especially the maid who is pregnant during Ms. Ehrenreich's stay in Maine.