Family
Why Don't More Moms Talk To Their Daughters Like This Famous Actress Talks To Hers?
Next time someone compliments you... resist the urge to roll your eyes and/or say something self-depricating, and just say, "Thank you."
03.29.13
How can anyone get by on this?
I've written extensively about minimum wage, supported by fact-checkers, economists, and scholarly studies. All of them support raising the minimum wage as a solution to lifting people out of poverty and getting them off public assistance. It's slowly happening, and there's much more to be done.
But when it comes right down to it, where the rubber meets the road is what it means for everyday workers who have to live with those wages. I honestly don't know how they do it. Ask yourself: Could I live on this small of an hourly wage? I know what my answer is.
(And note that the minimum wage in many parts of the county is STILL $7.25, so it could be even less than this).
One year of work at McDonalds grossed this worker $13,811.18.via JustFrugalMe/YouTube
The YouTube channel Just Frugal Me discussed the viral paycheck and noted there's absolutely nothing wrong with working at McDonald's. More than 2 million people in the U.S. alone work for the fast food giant. The worker's paycheck shows they put in 72 hours over the pay period, making $8.75 per hour. Before taxes, that's $631 for the week. Just Frugal Me's breakdown is even more eye-opening, breaking down this person's pay after taxes and weighing across average rent and utility costs. Spoiler Alert: the total costs for basic necessities far outweigh what this person is making even while working 12 hours per day. But they do make too much to qualify for Medicaid, meaning they will have to go out and buy their own health insurance.
A photo of a McDonald's in Hartford, CT. via Mike Mozart/Flickr
Even in states like California, where the state's $20 minimum wage ensures that people earn nearly three times as much as the federal minimum wage, which remains as low as when this paycheck first made the rounds nearly 10 years ago.
Still, even for a worker that maxed out at 40 hours per week and took zero vacation or sick time, that's only a little over $41,000 per year. That's barely half the median wage in the state of $78,000 and far below a sustainable living wage in cities like Los Angeles.
- YouTubewww.youtube.com
The U.S. federal minimum wage is just $7.25 and hasn't been raised since 2009. In April 2025, the Raise the Wage Act of 2025 was introduced in the House of Representatives and U.S. Senate. The bill would increase the federal minimum wage to $17 an hour by 2030 and eliminate the subminimum wage for tipped workers and those with disabilities. But supporters should be cautious that it's unlikely to pass the Republican-controlled Congress.
If the Wage Act of 2025 were to pass, over $22 million workers would get a raise, which is 15% of the U.S. workforce. It would raise $70 billion for low-wage Americans, an increase of $3,200 per worker.
“No person working full-time in America should be living in poverty," Virginia Congressman Bobby Scott said in a statement. "The Raise the Wage Act will increase the pay and standard of living for nearly 22 million workers across this country. Raising the minimum wage is good for workers, good for business, and good for the economy. When we put money in the pockets of American workers, they will spend that money in their communities,”
This story originally appeared ten years ago. It has been updated to reflect new information.
Canva
A man looks confused. A person swipes on a dating app.
A couple of months ago, a story went viral about a man in a southern Indian airport who claims he got over one hundred matches on a dating app in just ten minutes. His name is Ankit and he posted a screenshot of the evidence on X, putting smiley emojis over the faces of women who allegedly swiped right. His post got thousands of likes and so many comments that he decided to make another post about how to have a successful dating profile.
Tips included, but were not limited to: taking photographs in light spaces, using the color green, and "Pictures with horses are nice. Dogs are outdated." (Hard disagree.)
Dating experts, app marketers, and, well, daters alike have been trying to figure out the exact formula for the perfect profile. In 2017, Good Housekeeping even ran a story, "The Colours to Avoid Wearing on Your Online Dating Profile," where the head of marketing at Tinder, Rose Pambakian, is cited as claiming most people wear muted colors. "So if you really want to stand out, show a pop of colour in your outfit."
@datingbyblaine 🗣️ “Blaine, is it true red is the best color to attract women?” I'm here to debunk this rumor! I guarantee the best color to wear on dates or in your dating app profile is a color (and outfit) that you feel AWESOME in! No matter what anyone else claims (even me)👩🔬❤️ #datingtips #datingadvice #ootd #datingcoachformen
While this is all good advice, it's the trusty Redditors who have really come through—for one guy in particular. An OP wrote, "Need help with online dating profile, here's what I have so far." (He then inserted a smiley face, as if to say…be kind.)
He shares, "So, I have no idea what I'm doing, to be honest this would be my first proper relationship. I had one way back in high school, but I'm not counting that. Anyway, since up to probably the last two years, I had pretty bad social anxiety and barely left the house, now I'm starting to do more so thought I'd try."
He then explains that he doesn't have a lot of photos of himself and hates being on camera. "The only thing I can think for pictures is to set phone up somewhere and try a photo of me messing with my PC, building a LEGO Technic set or me 3D modeling on PC."
His second issue, he explains, is crafting his bio. He says, "I'm a quirky, hyper guy but don't know what to put to make me a little more interesting." He added, "I think I'd definitely be looking for someone introverted like me — bonus if similar hobbies. Any help would be appreciated because I have no idea."
A hand swipes through photos on a dating app.Giphy Chris Hemsworth animation gif, lunarpapacy
He posts a screenshot of "what he had so far" of his bio, including that his name is Jack and he's 28. He writes, "A big-time introverted car enthusiast and motorsports fan. In my spare time I enjoy creating 3D art, gaming or Discord on my PC, or driving around in my sh--box. Enjoy a quiet night in, but also a quieter night out with friends."
In his main photo, he's staring intently while wearing headphones. In his second, he's smiling while giving the "hey hey" finger guns to the camera. The second, third, and fourth pictures are of cars.
Over a hundred people chimed in and their responses were (mostly) completely heartwarming. The first comment was straight to the point and so genuinely supportive: "I don't know much about online dating, but that photo of you pointing at the mirror with a smile is a winner. Whatever you change, don't change that one. It looks more natural and has good lighting and makes you seem like a really nice person."
Quite a few agreed with the "finger guns." One writes, "100%. It shows OP’s personality and sense of humor. It will definitely stand out amongst all of the ab-flashing mirror photos and hunting trophy photos other dudes love to post."
Steve Carrell gives finger guns to the camera on The Office.Giphy, Peacock, NBC
This commenter gives an uplifting pep talk: "I wish you all the best dude. If I was to offer any advice, stay true to yourself and your personality as much as you can. If you're a shy guy like me, especially at first when you get to know people, then just be honest about it. Ask questions, get to know them, think of some general and nice places to go with them, etc., and find out what you have in common and who you are as people to see if this is someone who is compatible with you. Once again, all the best and good luck, you've got this! :)."
While a couple (okay, quite a few) gently suggested to lose all or most of the car photos, they still approach with kindness. "You seem like a sweet and genuine human being, and cute too. 10/10 would date. I think you can put fewer pictures of your car (at least the ones without you in it) and try to show more of your personality."
The OP was very receptive and seemingly appreciative of the kind and helpful words. Fingers crossed it all yielded fantastic results.
Van Gogh's Starry Night, 1889.
Vincent van Gogh never got to enjoy his own historic success as an artist (even though we've been able to imagine what that moment might have looked like). Van Gogh died in 1890 at the age of 37 in Auvers-sur-Oise, France after shooting himself in the chest with a revolver. It was a tragic end to a turbulent life marked by mental instability and severe self-doubt.
According to the Van Gogh Museum, in a letter to his brother Theo in 1890, just a couple of weeks before his death, Van Gogh wrote, "...my life, is attacked at the very root, my step also is faltering." The man was struggling and exhausted. The high standards he had set for himself and his art were taking a toll. He was unsure about his future and, up to this point, had not received much recognition for his work and thought himself a failure "as a man and as an artist."
His most well-known work, Starry Night, was famously painted while Van Gogh was staying in an asylum in France 1889 after he mutilated his ear during a psychotic episode. According to the Van Gogh Museum, though, this may not be the full story. While it is widely agreed that Van Gogh did in fact cut off his own ear, the museum notes that it was because of a fight between Van Gogh and Paul Gaugin, the artist he had been working for in Aries, that led to the violent explosion that highlighted his deteriorating mental state.
Vincent Van Gogh's Self-Portrait, 1889Image via Canva.
As one of the best known and most studied artists of the 19th century, Van Gogh's madness and how it influenced his work is not new information. But it turns out that those of us who have appreciated his work have been missing out on some critical details for more than 100 years—revealed in the 2010s thanks to the Hubble Space Telescope.
A video at the bottom of the page will explain everything, but before we get there, let's do some backstory:
We known Van Gogh was an artist—and a genius artist at that—but, it turns out, he was also scientist. Kind of.
Whether intentionally or not, fresh eyes have found that Van Gogh's art—aside from being breathtaking—also captures one of science and nature's most elusive concepts: Turbulence.
The concept of turbulence is hard to understand with math, but it turns out art makes it fairly easy to comprehend through depiction. So, what is turbulence?
According to Britannica, turbulence, or turbulent flow, is a concept of fluid dynamics in which a type of fluid flow (liquid or gas like air or water or air) undergoes an irregular fluctuation or energy cascade. In other words, the air or water swirls and eddies as it moves: big eddies make smaller eddies, and those make even smaller ones, and so on. Common examples of turbulent flow include blood flow in arteries, lava flow, atmosphere and ocean currents, and the flow in boat wakes or surrounding the tips of aircraft wings.
It looks like this:
Turbulent flow illustrated and animated.All Van Gogh GIFs via TED-Ed.
The thing is, scientists only started figuring this out pretty recently.
Animation of art referencing science.All Van Gogh GIFs via TED-Ed.
And yet, there was Mr. Vincent van Gogh, 100 years earlier in his asylum with a mutilated ear and able to accurately capture this turbulent flow in what would become his most famous work, Starry Night.
Animated Starry NightAll Van Gogh GIFs via TED-Ed.
The folks who noticed Van Gogh's ability to capture turbulence checked to see whether other artists did the same. Most of the Impressionists achieved "luminance" with their art—a striking and lifelike depiction of light's effect on color. While impressive, they did not capture or depict turbulence the way Van Gogh did.
An animated depiction of The Scream.All Van Gogh GIFs via TED-Ed.
Not even Edvard Munch's The Scream, with it's swirling color and movement, could recreate what Van Gogh had accomplished.
Even in his darkest time, Van Gogh was able to capture—with eerie accuracy—one of nature's most complex and confusing concepts 100 years before scientists had the technology to do so.
Who would have thought that the beauty Van Gogh captured was foreshadowing what scientists would observe in the real, natural world in a century's time? To learn even more, watch the TED-Ed video below:
- YouTubeyoutu.be
This article originally appeared twelve years ago. It has been updated.
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Working at Costco is nothing to mock.
As the adage goes, there's an exception to every rule, and the exception to the rule of retail employment being a hellscape of low pay and high turnover is the warehouse giant Costco. It seems not everyone is aware of Costco's reputation as an employer, though, since a woman sharing her triumph at landing a job there was initially met with surprising derision on social media. But the critics were quickly corrected by both Costco employees and people familiar with the company's employment practices, launching a celebration of Costco as a responsible business that takes care of its employees.
A woman named Doreau shared a selfie from her car holding up her Costco employee badge with a caption that read, "After almost 3 months. I'm officially hired." Whether she'd been searching for a job in general for 3 months or had been in the hiring process with Costco for that long isn't clear, but her smile and triumph emoji indicated that she was proud of the accomplishment.
Not everyone was so enthusiastic, though, in what appears to be a misunderstanding by some about what it means to work at Costco. Some commenters mocked the woman, indicating that working at Costco was nothing to boast about, as if it's just another retail job. As one example, someone wrote, "Who tf spends 3 months chasing a job at Costco." But people in the know shut that idea down immediately.
"They must not know that Costco’s employee turnover rate…She hit a lick on that one!!"
"Costco pays their employees INCREDIBLY well and has benefits unlike any other grocer. I’m so happy for her!!!"
"Man i’ve been trying to get a job at costco for sooo long i know somebody who works at the door checking receipts and makes $25/hour"
"The best employee benefits, satisfaction, retention and upwards mobility in American retail. God bless her."
"My guy has been at Costco for 20yrs, makes 6 figures and has almost 1M in his 401k. No stress at work, tons of PTO, and has a wonderful work/life balance. Y'all still struggling with basic life stuff."
"People don’t leave Costco when they find employment there. It’s getting your foot in the door that’s the hard part. Good for her."
Reposts with hundreds of thousands of likes showed that she had every right to be proud of landing that Costco badge, especially in an economy where people seem to be having a hard time finding jobs despite low unemployment rates.
What makes Costco a great place to work?
Of course, you can find people who will complain about any job, but the numbers at Costco speak for themselves. According data cited in the Harvard Business Review, Costco's turnover rate—the percentage of employees that leave—is only 8%, a notably small fraction of the retail industry average rate of 60%.
There's a reason for that extraordinary statistic—several of them, in fact.
Costco prioritizes paying employees well—including good benefits
According to an Ethics Unwrapped case study, Costco pay tends to be around 40% more than Walmart and Target and the company provides more comprehensive health and retirement benefits as well. Part of what enables them to do that is the money they save with their low turnover rate, as it costs a lot to hire and train new employees.
Costco cofounder Jim Sinegal rejected the idea that a company had to either take care of its shareholders or its workers, calling that "a false choice."
"It's really pretty simple. It's good business," Sinegal said in 2009. "When you hire good people, and you provide good jobs and good wages and a career, good things are going to happen."
It truly is that simple. Costco's philosophy hasn't changed since Sinegal's retirement in 2012; it's all about the reciprocal care between employee and employer: "Costco’s success depends on the well-being of employees within all areas of our business. Our operational practices, benefits, and paid time-off policies acknowledge and reward employees for their continued contribution to our culture and success."
According to Investopedia, Costco's average wage is over $30 per hour, around $5.50 per hour higher than the national retail average. Its minimum wage is $19.50/hr.
Costco is known in the retail world for its excellent pay and benefits.Curlyrnd/Wikimedia Commons
Costco provides lots of opportunity for advancement
Look no further than Costco's new CEO, Ron Vachris, for proof of Costco's internal promotion philosophy. Vachris began as a forklift driver at Costco as a teenager (technically when it was known as Price Club, before it became Costco). Now, at 58, he runs the whole company.
He's an extreme example, but Costco has purposefully opportunity baked into its employment model, encouraging employees "to view Costco as a place for a long-term career rather than just a job." As the company website states:
"When it comes to employee development, our goals are to:
● Provide all employees with training, education and opportunities for career development and advancement.
● Ensure there is fair access and resources to help employees succeed.
● Encourage leaders to continue to teach and mentor employees, so that employees will be prepared for opportunities and greater responsibility.
● Encourage employees to take advantage of opportunities for development and advancement."
From the stories people tell of moving up the ranks in their Costco careers, that's not just lip service.
Costco has a well-earned reputation as an ethical company
Costco is often held up as an ethical example of capitalism in the way it treats the people it employs, serves, and works with. Internally, the company abides by a 4-rule code of ethics, which seems remarkably simple on the surface:
1. Obey the law.
2. Take care of our members.
3. Take care of our employees.
4. Respect our suppliers.
But when you dig into what each of those rules entails in the company's Mission Statement and Code of Ethics, it's easy to see why it works. "At the core of our philosophy as a company is the implicit understanding that all of us, employees and management alike, must conduct ourselves in an honest and ethical manner every day," the document reads. "Dishonest conduct will not be tolerated. To do any less would be unfair to the overwhelming majority of our employees who support and respect Costco’s commitment to ethical business conduct… If you are ever in doubt as to what course of action to take on a business matter that is open to varying ethical interpretations, TAKE THE HIGH ROAD AND DO WHAT IS RIGHT."
Well, that's quite clear. Costco demonstrated its own commitment to its own ethics when it resisted pressure to abandon its DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) initiatives in late 2024, saying, "Our commitment to an enterprise rooted in respect and inclusion is appropriate and necessary."
Perhaps most importantly, Costco emphasizes that abiding by this code of ethics is what enables shareholders to be rewarded, and at this point, they've proven that to be true. A good business practicing good ethics ultimately leads to good results—it really does seem to be that simple.
This article originally appeared in January
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via Canva/Photos
A child who disagrees with her mother.
If an elementary school teacher starts their job right after finishing college and then works until they are 65, they’ll probably teach over 1200 students and interact with around 2,000 parents. That type of experience, paired with a great understanding of children, gives teachers incredible knowledge about what makes a great parent.
That experience can also help people understand where many parents need help these days. Elena Nicolaou, senior editor for “The Today Show,” asked her mother, a retired elementary school teacher, to share the most significant parenting mistake she had seen throughout her career, and it’s disappointing to hear. “They didn’t enjoy them,” she said. “Kids are fun. You’ve got to enjoy them. They wanted them to be something that — most of us aren’t exactly what other people want us to be — so enjoy the kid you have.”
“I enjoyed you,” the retired teacher said while looking at her daughter.
@elenanico22 Lisa says it like it is #momlife #momsoftiktok #momwisdom #momtok #momhumor #parenting #parentingwisdom
What’s one of the biggest mistakes parents make today?
The teacher’s advice reminds parents everywhere to see their children for who they are, not who they want them to be. Because there’s nothing worse in this world than being a square peg that our parents are trying to squeeze into a round hole. You may want your child to excel in sports, but maybe they are happiest and most successful in theater. You may push your child to be in beauty pageants when they want to play music. You may want your child to be stoic when they are really sensitive and artistic.
The teacher’s advice suggests that parents should help their children become their best rather than shaping them into something that conflicts with their inner nature.
A father listening to his son.via Canva/Photos
What is the problem with strict parenting?
The retired teacher shared what happens when parents push their children too far by using the example of a famous person at the school where she taught. “There was one very famous parent who, unfortunately, is sort of still involved now in politics,” the teacher said. “But he was a doctor then, and he was very strict about what his kids could eat. Like, super strict. So, of course, what did the kids want? Everything they couldn't have.”
There’s a reason why kids who have overly strict parents often rebel against how they were raised, whether it’s in a repressive household where they aren’t allowed to watch cartoons or a health-obsessed home where they couldn’t enjoy the occasional cookie. It’s a psychological phenomenon called “reactence.” When people feel their freedom is being threatened, they will become motivated to do the opposite of what they feel pressured to do. This can also be a problem when children are pushed to be something they are not.
“I call it the picture frame parent. As long as the kid looks like the perfect kid in a frame on their desk and the kid doesn’t mess up big enough to break that image, it’s all good,” one commenter wrote. “Toddler teacher. Same. So heartbreaking. I saw it a lot when I worked with highly educated parents with high incomes,” another added.
A great carpenter cuts with the grain just as a seasoned sailor adjusts to the wind and a master chef seasons according to taste, not just the recipe. So, according to this retired teacher, a good parent sees their child for who they are and tries to develop them into being the best version of themselves instead of pushing them to be someone they are not.
This article originally appeared in January