Many upper-middle-classers don't even realize they've climbed into this tier. Randy Shilling, a 58-year-old chemical plant worker in Texas, saved more than $3 million for retirement. 'I view myself as an average Joe,' he told The Wall Street Journal. 'But when I want something, I go get it.'
Starting next month, the cost of renouncing your U.S. citizenship will go down dramatically - a boon for people already shouldering the burden of paying for a major overseas move. Anyone wishing to formally shed their American citizenship is required to obtain a form called a Certificate of Loss of Nationality, and right now it comes with a whopping $2,350 fee. In April, that fee will drop by 80% to $450.
So I've seen generations change, and Gen Z is the generation that's most similar to my generation, the sixties. They're very value-driven. They're concerned with climate, they're concerned with authenticity, truth, being who they are, and relationships.
Back in the post-WWII era, being middle class meant something clear and attainable- a steady job, a home you could afford on one income, being able to buy a new car, and the ability to raise a family without constant money stress. Pew Research defines the middle class as households earning about two-thirds to double the national median income, with the exact dollar figure depending on where you live.
Beleaguered Louvre president Laurence des Cars quits after a historic heist under her watch. The next morning, a new leader is announced. It's Christophe Leribault from the Palace of Versailles, a true museum animal who ran a few during his career.
In stark contrast to the much larger McDonald's menu of today, there were only nine items back then - no combo meals or anything, just à la carte options. The only food was a hamburger, cheeseburger, and fries, while for drinks you could get a Coke, root beer, "orangeade," coffee, milkshake, or just plain milk. The most expensive item on the menu was the milkshake, at 20 cents, while all the other drinks cost 10 cents, as did the fries.
Growing up, I remember my father coming home from the factory, his hands stained with machine oil that never quite washed off. He'd sit at our kitchen table, carefully counting out bills for the week ahead. Years later, when I asked him about those days, he just smiled and said, "You kids had everything you needed."
We might be exposed to more ads and commercials today than ever before in human history, but the idea of advertising itself is certainly not a new concept. According to Instapage, the first signs of advertisements actually appeared in ancient Egyptian steel carvings from 2000 BC. Meanwhile, the first printed ad was published in 1472, when William Caxton decided to advertise a book by posting flyers on church doors in England.
Few ideas are as central to the nation's identity as that of the American Dream. With the 250th birthday of the United States coming up in July 2026, it's worth stepping back to examine a concept essential to the nation's self-image. The term "American Dream" was actually coined in the 1930s by historian James Truslow Adams. Ever since the establishment of the Colonies, however, America has been viewed as a land where individual and collective hopes and aspirations can be realized.
A woman got in line behind him, who looked to be about 70. You know, sometimes when you meet someone, you just get a sense that they're kind of an asshole? Yeah, she was one of those types. She pushed her cart up behind him, made a few comments that we all ignored about 'not having enough open registers' and 'we'll be here all day at this rate.'
