Smile for the Camera      
   
   Not in the old days. Ah...why not?  
  
   Unlike formal, painted portraits in old-old days, 
early subjects of camera shots had to be still only 
for a few seconds. The curator of photographs at 
the National Portrait Gallery believes photography 
was so expensive and rare that people chose to 
look thoughtful rather than informal. 

   When George Eastman, founder of Eastman Kodak, introduced hand-held cameras in 1888, photography became more common and casual. By the turn of the 20th century, there were a lot more smiles. 

   Today, there's a selfie every few seconds. Wow! Human progress!  

Pay More, Hire Less   

   Emeryville, California raised the minimum wage to $16.30 an hour. 
Now, everyone is well off and no one needs food stamps? 

   No. Employers are resorting to more kiosks etc. and fewer employees, in order to stay profitable. 

   The U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill raising the national minimum wage to $15 by 2021. (The senate is not following.)  

   The Congressional Budget Office determined that $15 would lift 1.3 million people out of poverty...and...result in 1.3 million lost jobs.

       Jimmy