I think when I wrote my first post in #GigEconomics, I had the overview of why the theory has been largely substantiated in a report from PBS about women over 50 fare so badly in the job market (and therefore some of us are forced into the tenuous “gig economy”).

Here is the empirical data sets that apparently proved the fact, that it isn’t just in our heads.  Granted, once through the menopause cycle, our heads are a little more wobbly due to lack of estrogen–seems brains are tied to that hormone, else what would explain the behavior of a lot of men?

Anyway, I recall “60 Minutes” did a story back in the mists of time about the difficulty of African-Americans finding apartments (someone told me contemporary England did a similar story for black citizens in that country), where it was clear the rental agent discriminated against a “black sounding” phone caller who wanted to view a nice apartment (he was told it was no longer available) and a “white sounding” phone caller (the joke being that the caller was an African American who could change his voice to meet an insidiously racist impression of what was black and what was white) who rang up shortly after the first call and was told the agent would be happy to show the place to him.  It was the age-old story of #redlining in real estate.

Joking aside, it continues to be the reality that haunts so many of us.  I never dreamed I would not be of SOME value in the workforce, so I never prepared for this day.  Think about it, I was getting launched from grad school into the professional world when #RonaldReagan was spouting that it was “#MorninginAmerica” and Bobby McFerrin was warbling “Don’t Worry, Be Happy!”  Truly #Brightsided and now blindsided.

And with the shaky condition of the U.S. middle class, that magically shrinking demographic, the #gigeconomy really sucks, too.  The ultimate down side to all this is that obtaining my own housing is as baleful as it would be for the African American who is “red lined”, while I am “in the red”.