I admit to being not nearly as savvy as many of the posters here about economics, politics, etc. But why is no one, not one political figure that I've read about, neither Democrat nor Republican, talking at all about repealing the tax cuts to the wealthy to help pay for this? Seems to me--and again, I'm out of my depth here--that the extreme, ever-widening class divide is contributing to the financial crisis in the first place. And now the same (middle) class that's been taking a beating from all these shenanigans is supposed to bail these weasels out, too? If anyone can enlighten me, please do.

We planted white clover when we were building our house and that has done well; both honey bees and bumblebees love to visit the clover. Recently, we have had some scars on our land from construction and wanted to plant more clover on them but could not find ANY white clover seed for sale in our town ANYWHERE because, I assume, people are so rabid about having a pristine grass lawn. I guess we will have to order the white clover off the Internet; all the local garden supply people look at us like we're crazy for wanting to plant it. Sigh. But we also have lots of rosemary, which the bees love, and lavender, which they also love. And we encourage all kinds of native plants, too. Very little of our few acres is cultivated; just a fringe around the house. And we use no pesticides in our gardens. It has been very heartening to see such a healthy population of both bumblebees and honey bees. Bumblebees pollinate plants, too. I'll bet if more people who lived in neighborhoods could have more interesting yards (that is, without their neighbors going ballistic), including using ground cover such as white clover, that might be beneficial if enough people did it. Lawns can be so sterile in so many ways - and I understand many of them are quite toxic (in order to be so perfect-looking).

I'm getting in quite late on this thread and haven't read all the other letters, but I was college educated, got a Master's degree, too, in fact. In the sciences, thinking that would be a good place to get employment. Turns out I hated working in the lab. I wanted to spend more time outside and to be a writer, which was my first love. So I turned to that after I got my degree. Then I found out just how hard it is to make money as a writer (for one thing, most writers will work for nothing just to get a byline; we really do need to support each other better than that and refuse to work for pittances). I tried temping and I think that's a good suggestion that a lot of other people made. There are a number of permanent jobs I could have segued into from a temporary job.

But one thing I got into sort of by accident, because my family was so white collar, was carpentry. Turns out I loved it! It's good money. It's good work. There are a lot of other trades to consider, too, cabinet-making, tiling, painting, etc., etc. I worked piece jobs so I could save up money and then take time off and write. People are always looking for good people in the trades. Seems like, at least where I've lived, there are never enough really good people in any trade and the good ones have more work than they can handle. If you're prone to depression, working physically is a good way to counter that. Spending all day inside in front of a computer or at a desk can be very numbing, IMHO.

And while you're getting older, keep working on something like writing so that by the time you're too old to work in the trades comfortably, you'll have another profession to move into. Or maybe you'll like your trade so much you'll take on some apprentices. At any rate, it's worth considering. So many educated people don't even consider it. And I'll tell you something else, building something requires a great deal of intelligence. It's mentally challenging and stimulating and fun. (Yeah, I know there's a downturn. It won't last forever; and people still need things maintained and repaired in the meantime.)

It's called scientism. And it's not pretty, either. Tends to shut down certain portions of the cerebral cortex, which, personally, I think are needed when approaching scientific subjects.

I would agree, John Anderson (at least to a degree :). In my experience, the root of loneliness is not about other people, but is about accepting and appreciating ourselves. The times I have felt the most lonely is when I've been the hardest on myself; and when I've been accepting of myself the way I would others, other people seem to enjoy my company. Many aspects of our culture, in my opinion, romanticize self-hatred, or regard it as amusing. It's not. It's really destructive. And if you enjoy your own company, genuinely and sincerely (as opposed to artificially inflating one's ego), loneliness doesn't seem to visit so heavily. In my experience, loneliness has a lot to do with comparing ourselves to others or looking outside ourselves for fulfillment or approval.

I'm so sorry to hear about the loss of your wife. You're right. There's loneliness and then there's something else that grief brings that is almost unbearable. I hope you find solace over time. I don't know what I would do if I lost my husband (which I very nearly did two years ago). My deepest sympathies.