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A woman noticed a striking resemblance between JPMorgan's office perks and the show 'Severance'

Lumon would be proud.

​Adam Scott and Tramell Tillman in Severance
Apple TV

Adam Scott and Tramell Tillman in Severance

RIP remote work? Now that we're 4-plus years removed from the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, more and more companies are beginning to mandate that employees return to the office, on a full or part-time basis. JPMorgan Chase is just one of the latest (and biggest) names to make the move. Starting March, the company announced, all employees must return to the office five days per week. Their CEO even ditched the policy that allowed employees to work-from-home two days per week.

To mark the occasion, and welcome everyone back, JPMorgan is planning to soon unveil a massive $3 billion, 2.5 millions square foot tower on New York's famous Park Avenue. The building will house 14,000 workers and feature state of the art architecture and technology.

The United State's largest bank is loading up its new corporate headquarters with perks to help employees transition back to office life. Some of the perks are great and truly enticing. Others are... questionable, to say the least.

Grace Tallon on LinkedIn noticed that some of the benefits of working in the JPMorgan Office seemed like they were yanked right out of one of the most popular current TV shows on the planet: Severance

If you don't know it, Severance is a psychological thriller on Apple TV that doubles as a dark and biting satire of corporate office culture and capitalism. Employees at a mysterious company called Lumon are "severed" — meaning their brains, memories, and personalities are literally split in half. While at work, they are a different person and retain no memories when they leave the office every night. In return for their sacrifice and for hitting key milestones, the employees receive ludicrous rewards like short dance parties with their boss, melon parties with carved watermelons, and handfuls of balloons. Employees are also expected to marvel at bizarre pieces of art that line the hall, featuring stoic images of Lumon's revered (and more than a bit creepy) founders.

Man in a white turtleneck smiling and laughing in an office hallway.Giphy

Conversely, JPMorgan's new tower will feature 19-restaurants with at-your-desk delivery, an Irish pub, and on-site physical therapy and yoga. But that's not all!

Tallon notes, however, that JPMorgan is also trying to entice employees with things like "personalized climate" in rooms and offices, a "signature scent" that wafts through the halls and somehow reinforces the brand, and, get this, even a "corporate art collection" that celebrates the company's history and values. Be more on the nose next time, will you JPMorgan? That's to say nothing of design elements that support worker's circadian rhythms and coffee machines that learn your favorites over time.

"Let’s stop pretending this is about connecting and doing better work," she writes.

Read Tallon's full post below on the striking similarities:

Commenters agreed that the perks came off more than a little tone deaf.

While some folks defended the corporation for doing their best to make employees feel cared for and taken care of, others didn't quite see it that way.

"the climate in my own home office is just right. Along with my own coffee, artwork, lighting (window wide open), and other perks and it cost me zero dollars to drive there and I don't have to wear shoes! Way out of touch," wrote Alix Z.

"Those perks sound more like a high-tech museum experience than actual employee benefits. Instead of a 'signature scent,' how about giving employees real reasons to feel good about coming to work?" said Diana Alayon

"Working at home perks: My own candle collection, curated to suit my preferences, Coffee and tea on tap, from our favourite brands, Comfortable cushions and blankets to help regulate my temperature at my desk, A variety of lighting options, ranging from warm white lamps to 'the big light', Freedom to work anywhere I want, such as my office desk, sofa, kitchen table or a coffee shop near by, Personalised art with photos of family and pictures we enjoy, Working space decorated to my own specifications, Plenty of spaces nearby for fresh air and dog walks" wrote Eloise Todd in a mic-drop comment.

Man joyfully dancing in an office with a clock on the wall, labeled "Severance."Giphy

Hey, I'm not totally naive. I do think there is something positive about working together in-person with your colleagues. And sure, if I'm going to be there, I'd love to have delicious lunches and free yoga classes available to me. But to take away even the option of occasionally working from home and duct-taping over it with an algorithm that tracks my coffee order and temperature preferences, and filling the halls with strange paintings that move when I walk by? It kind of loses the thread, and it's exactly the kind of thinking that the creators of Severance are so good at skewering.

It turns out that what people really want out of their jobs is actually pretty simple. They want fair pay, autonomy, some level of flexibility, and good benefits. Perks are nice — even the kind of weird ones — but they can only go so far. It remains to be seen if companies that dictate back-to-the-office edicts are willing to follow through on the things that really matter.

One anonymous worker reiterated as much when they told the NY Post: "I'm looking forward to some of those little amenities — but I'm still not down for having to go to the office five days a week."

This article originally appeared in February

parenting, teens, raising teens, teen hangout, high school, game night for teens, activities for teens, parenthood

Amy White explains how her house became "the house" for her teens.

I grew up in "the house." In high school, my home was the designated place where my friends gathered, sometimes in big groups, sometimes just my small core squad. My three best friends spent the night there almost every Friday and/or Saturday night for four years straight. We devoured Totino's frozen pizzas by the dozen, inhaled soda, and laid waste to any snacks or leftovers that were brave enough to survive in the kitchen. Not only that, but my house was pretty small — four teenage boys took up a lot of space in the living room (the whole thing) and made a lot of noise playing video games deep into the night. It must have driven my parents and older brothers crazy. It's a wonder anyone put up with it.

Or so I thought when I was younger. When I became a parent myself, I started to understand a little more why my mom and dad were so willing to host and feed all my friends and me every single weekend. Why the outrageous grocery bill and constant chaos in the house were probably a small price to pay.


Mom explains how to make your house 'the house' where teenagers hang

One mom has perfectly encapsulated the value of turning your home into "the house" for your kids and their friends, and exactly how she did it for her family.

teens, teen house, teens hanging out, teens having fun, teenagers Teens hanging out in a living room.via Canva/Photos

Amy White shared a reel on Instagram showing her college-aged son hanging in her dining room with a group of friends playing cards. The text overlay reads "What makes your kids' high school friends want to come over, play cards & spend the night on their College Christmas Break." I think most parents can agree that we want our kids to keep coming home as long as possible! So how exactly did White pull this off?

Her explanation in the caption was spot-on.

First, White says that you have to start early. Become "the hang out house" in high school or even earlier. Then you have a better chance of holding onto the mantle into your kid's college years.


Next, be ready to stock the house with snacks and drinks, and don't make a fuss when your kid's friends have at it. "The kids knew we had food," she writes, "BUT they also knew I didn't care what they had. They knew they could eat anything in my pantry and fridge."

Third, and this is a big one, don't mistake being the "cool house" for being "the house." Some parents choose to allow their underage kids and friends to drink alcohol under their supervision, but you don't have to bend your morals and the law to lure the squad over to your place. Pizza and Coke is plenty to keep most teens happy. "We were not the house that served alcohol or even allowed the kids to bring alcohol to our house. And Guess What?? The kids still came and wanted to hang at our house!"

teens, teen house, teens hanging out, teens having fun, teenagers Teenagers eating pizza.via Canva/Photos

Fourth, always say Yes (as often as possible, anyway) when your kids want to have friends over. "They know my answer is 99% of the time YES," White writes. "You have to have your kids take the leadership of offering your home and if your home was 'open' to their friends in high school, they know it will be 'open' to their friends in college."

As a bonus tip, White pleas with parents not to worry about the mess having friends over makes. "I love a clean house and organization, BUT I would much rather have a crazy messy house for the kids where memories are made than a quiet house with nothing going on just to keep my house 'clean.'"

Should parents allow teens to drink at home?

There's an age-old debate over whether parents should allow teens to drink at home because it's better than if they do is unsupervised or keep their home dry as a bone. A recent study out of the University of Buffalo found that kids who grew up drinking at home had a greater chance of having addiction problems when they got older. "A robust relationship was found between parental permission to use alcohol during adolescence and increased alcohol use frequency and quantity, alcohol use disorder symptoms, and alcohol-related harms in young adulthood," the study says.

White writes, "It's worth being 'the house', so let go of control & get to know your kids friends." Commenters agreed.

White's video went viral to the tune of 8.5 million views and hundreds of comments. Parents shared their own experiences of what it's like being the default hang out house.

"Our house was the high school hangout for my son and friends... every weekend... I loved it!! Miss it now that they are all college graduates and have moved away. I love seeing them when they do come home for the holidays"

"A wise man once said don't be the house with the alcohol. Be the house with the food."

"Amy 1000% agree!!! My house is full of teenagers on the weekends and I love every bit of it. Even though I wake up to a kitchen that looked much different from when I left it"


teens, teen house, teens hanging out, teens having fun, teenagers Teenagers eating pizza.via Canva/Photos

"We never allowed alcohol, drugs, bad language, always respectful, and guess what, our house was always the house where the kids hung out. First my daughter, then my son. Through grade school, high school, then when my kids went out of state for college their college friends would come spend a couple weeks during the summer. I always thought of it this way, I loved knowing my kids friends and, who knows, maybe some of those kids, especially during the younger years, just maybe those kids just needed an adult to care. Anyway, it was always fun to have them here!"

"It used to crack me up when my daughter would bring over a bunch of her friends (girls and boys) in high school and instead of hanging out in the family room they all wanted to crowd into either the kitchen with me or our tiny office and happily share all the gossip with me."

Experts say that knowing your kids' friends, and their parents, can have huge benefits. Not only will it bring you the peace of mind of knowing where your kid is and who they're with when they get to those crucial high school years, it has been shown to tangibly improve kids ability to create positive relationships and problem-solve collaboratively. Plus, it can actually be really fun! Kids and teens are the funniest, silliest, most interesting people on the planet. Having a house full of them is messy and loud, but it's always a good time.

One caveat: "don’t feel bad if your house isn’t the chosen house," one commenter reminds us. "Just be happy your kid has a good group of friends and be thankful they have somewhere safe to hang out."

This article originally appeared last year.

Jenga; family game night; board games; original Jenga; who started Jenga; Jenga creator; Jenga from Africa

A couple plays Jenga.

Game night is something that lots of friends and families enjoy around the world, and certain games have become staples. Monopoly, Trouble, and Scrabble are games most Americans are intimately familiar with, but another has risen to the top of the heap. Jenga is played in dining rooms around the world. There's even a giant version that's often played at bars, pubs, and backyard barbecues.

It's a game made of wooden rectangular blocks stacked to form a tower. Each row of blocks is laid in a different direction to create a stable foundation as players begin removing blocks one by one and placing them on top of the weakening tower. Eventually, the tower collapses when an unlucky player removes a weight-bearing block. But the anxiety-inducing game didn't start in America.


Jenga; family game night; board games; original Jenga; who started Jenga: Jenga creator; Jenga from Africa Focused fun: A child plays a tower block game.Photo credit: Canva

The game didn't start in Europe either, though the woman who trademarked the simple wooden game lives there. Before Leslie Scott decided to sell her childhood game to the masses, she lived in several African countries. While living in Ghana with her family, Scott was near a timber mill where children often collected small discarded pieces of wood, called "Takoradi Bricks," and stacked them on top of one another. According to Ghanaian content creator Kobe Boujee, the game was popular among local children and was called "Osiadan," which means "one who builds," or "a builder."

Scott never mentions the game as something commonly played by other children in her Ghanaian town, though it's possible she was unaware of that. She and her brother were in different age groups. When he was playing with blocks, Scott was a senior in high school, making it plausible that he picked up the game from other children in town without his sister's knowledge. When their parents moved the family to England, they brought the Takoradi Bricks with them.

Scott tells YouTube's Seize the Play:

"Takoradi was the main port in Ghana. Having had this set for him, we then actually had a few sets made deliberately to play this game that we called Takoradi Bricks. I mean, our family just played games. We made games out of everything, so it's of no particular surprise that he's playing with his blocks, and we sort of push him out of the way and start playing with his blocks. I mean, that was the basis of the game, the game that then I turned into Jenga."

In the interview, Scott acknowledges hearing people describe the game as African, telling the interviewer, "This wasn't a game that existed. I often hear people saying, 'you know it's an African game.' Well, it wasn't. There's no evidence of anybody playing a game with little wooden blocks like that in any sort of culture."

If the game was localized because of the children's proximity to the timber mill, it's possible it was never widely documented. It's also possible, however, that the formal game didn't exist before Scott’s family created it.

After bringing the game to England, it became popular among the family's friends, prompting Scott to trademark it and begin producing it for sale. The game was originally called Kujenga, a Swahili word meaning "to build." Eventually, the name was shortened to Jenga, and although it didn't sell well at first, it began to take off in the mid-'80s.

Whether the Ghanaian content creator is correct that the game originated with local children, or Scott is correct that her family created it, the game was developed in Ghana. But before deciding to market Jenga to the masses, Scott made a small change to the rules. By adding each removed block to the top of the tower, she transformed it into a uniquely Scott creation and the blood-pressure-raising game the world has come to love.

robert frost, poet robert frost, robert frost poem, robert frost poems, writer robert frost
Images via Wikipedia

American poet Robert Frost as a young man in 1910 and again in 1949.

Poet Robert Frost created inspiring poems that are beloved around the world. Frost was known for his simple yet deep style of poetry, and, although he didn't publish his first book until he was 40, he went on to earn four Pulitzer Prizes.

He created a body of work that continues to touch people. Yet, like many great artists, Frost struggled with his mental health throughout his life. (Frost was born in 1874 and died in 1963.) William & Mary English Professor and Frost biographer Henry Hart found that many of Frost's relatives struggled with schizophrenia as well as depression.


"Throughout his life, he struggled to fit in. His education was irregular, routinely disrupted when Frost dropped out after suffering attacks of anxiety and depression that expressed themselves in various physical ailments," notes the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH).

- YouTube www.youtube.com

Frost experienced many hardships during his life, beginning at a young age. His father William Prescott Frost, Jr., died when he was just 11 years old. His sister Jeanie would later suffer from mental illness, and died in a mental hospital.

Frost would go on to marry his high school girlfriend, Elinor White, in 1895. The couple had six children, a blessing that came with loads of tragedy.

"Four of Frost’s six children died before he did, including Carol, the son who committed suicide. Frost’s daughter Irma suffered mental problems that required hospitalization, and Elinor battled anxiety, too. She died of heart failure in 1938," according to the NEH. "Frost’s own bouts of depression brought physical and mental anguish. 'Cast your eye back over my family luck, and perhaps you will wonder if I haven’t had pretty near enough,' he lamented at one point."

- YouTube www.youtube.com

His wife Elinor was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1937, and died in 1938 from heart disease. "She had been the unspoken half of everything I ever wrote," Frost said. He would go on to live 26 more years without her.

Through these challenges, Frost developed resilience and perseverance. One of his most famous quotes describes his advice on how he pushed through:

"In three words I can sum up everything I've learned about life: it goes on."

The quote is reported to come from a September 1954 interview with journalist Ray Josephs for This Week Magazine. During the interview, Josephs asks Frost, "In all your years and all your travels, what do you think is the most important thing you’ve learned about life?"

- YouTube www.youtube.com

From there, Frost shared his wise insights.

"He paused a moment, then with the twinkle sparkling under those brambly eyebrows he replied: 'In three words, I can sum up everything I’ve learned about life. It goes on. In all the confusions of today, with all our troubles . . . with politicians and people slinging the word fear around, all of us become discouraged . . . tempted to say this is the end, the finish. But life — it goes on. It always has. It always will. Don’t forget that.'"

Frost died at age 88 in 1963 and was buried in Bennington, Vermont, next to his wife Elinor. Honest about life's struggles to the end, Frost's gravestone reads: "I had a lover's quarrel with the world."

Joy

People share the 15 signs you should know it's time to leave a party

"If the host starts cleaning up instead of socializing, it's either time to help or time to leave."

girls at party, party time, having fun, great party, time to leave, party people, girls in 20s

Two women having a good time at a party.

There's something incredibly satisfying about knowing the right time to leave a party. You felt the vibe was about to shift in the wrong direction, so you grabbed your coat, said some goodbyes, and hit the door. Then, when you hear the next day that the couple who hosted the party got into a big argument that brought everything to a halt, you can be proud you called it.

Knowing when to bail means making sure you don't have to console somebody who got into a disagreement with their significant other, talk to the cops, or sit through someone picking up an acoustic guitar and playing bad Nirvana covers.


acoustic guitar, party, lighter, singing, harmonica, house party A guy playing guitar at a party. via AG Gilmore/Flickr

Becoming a trained professional in the world of partying doesn't just happen overnight; it comes from years of experience honing a keen social Spidey sense. The folks on Reddit came together to share the signs it's time to leave a party, hoping to protect younger people from making the same mistakes they did.

The answers fall into two lanes: the first focuses on recognizing when the host wants to wind things down, and the second on signs the party is about to go sideways.

15 signs that it's time to leave the party

1. Leave before round 2

"When that one guy who got drunk first and had to be airlifted into a bed to come to his senses at the beginning of the party gets up and is ready for round two. Time to go, you do not want to see round two."

"You absolutely do want to see round two, just from the safety of your own place, the next day, laughing at the photos people took."

2. Take the "well" clue

"Host puts their hands on their knees, stands up and says 'Well, it's getting late.'"

"Slap the knees and say 'right' is the British way."

3. Host cleans, you leave

"If the host starts cleaning up instead of socializing, it's either time to help or time to leave."

"A friend of mine would regularly stop the music, yell '10 second tidy!' and everyone would just start picking up bottles and stuff and clean up. It was always quite fun and somehow never a buzz kill."

4. The first drunk cry

"When that one girl starts drunk-crying and making a scene for nothing."

"Since everyone is sharing stories; I used to work in hotels and we would often have parties at someone's house after shifts. There was one girl in particular who was sweet as pie and super shy when sober, but when drunk, she turned into an absolute mess. After she got drunk, started crying and then locked herself in the bathroom for multiple hours, two parties in a row, we stopped inviting her."

"I see you've met my brother's wife. There is always a moment at family gatherings when she starts her sh*t, my husband and I look at each other and announce we are leaving. Staying never ends well."

Why is it that some people get extra happy when they drink, while others get depressed? Researchers aren't sure of the exact reason, but polls show that around 2% of people regularly cry when they drink alcohol. Scientists suggest that drinking may increase some people's stress response, which can leave them crying in their beer.

bbq, bar b que, back yard party, argument, beer, Argument at a backyard party.via Canva/Photos

5. When the dog gets nervous

"This is for real. If the dog's trying to deuce out, I'm gone too."

"This is the one. The dogs know what's coming."

6. If the host yawns

"When the hosts yawn, leave. If the hosts don't yawn, leave by the time half the guest have. Don't stay until the end unless it's your best friend."

"Yeah, basically just observe the hosts. It's not always a yawn. Sometimes they go into this thousand-yard stare, sometimes they excuse themselves and start cleaning up, sometimes they just start looking at their phone or watch a bit more than usual."

7. Weird dudes roll up

"A group of males that no one really knows show up."

"This happened at a house party I was at once. The host was a female and asked who they came with, and they just stared at her and left the room and went to the backyard. It was so creepy. It was 5 or 6 guys and absolutely no one at the party knew them. She ended up calling the police because she was scared to tell them to leave."


house party, res solo cup, beers, rager, big party, fun party People hanging out at a house party.via Canva/Photos

8. When the phones come out

"In my experience, when someone shares a YouTube video they're excited about. The video is fine, but it inevitably leads to 'Oh, that reminds me of one I saw!' leading to an unending chain of people sharing videos, most of the group bored at any given one. The party is over, now its just people watching Youtube. Bail."

"Underrated answer. I looooathe the end of night YouTube loop."

9. Trust your gut

"As soon as your gut tells you to leave. Don't let anyone convince you to stay if you have that feeling."

10. It depends on your age

"In your teens: any vomiting.

In your 20s: it's just you and the host's closest friends, and everyone left there is a closer friend than you.

In your 30s: the babysitter needs to get home.

In your 40s: no one needs encouragement. Our pajamas start calling us immediately after dinner."

11. Leave by midnight

"Been a bartender for several several years. NOTHING good happens after midnight. It's just drunk people and the people trying to take advantage of them."


hungover, hangover, sleeping on floor, after the party, disco ball, the next day A woman who slept on the floor.via Canva/Photos

12. When it moves to the front lawn

"When the party spills outside the house cause the cops are coming."

"The first time a neighbor complains. They may have already called the cops."

13. When the "Grease Megamix" comes on

"I always left office Christmas parties when the DJ played Grease Megamix. After 20 years in the industry, I deduced that this was a distinctive sign that everything was going to go downhill rapidly from that point. My advice to young people when hearing Grease Megamix at a company party:

Put down your drink.
Get your coat.
Vacate the premises using the nearest exit in a calm and ordinary manner."

"The only time i've heard the Grease Megamix in the wild was at a wedding in the middle of nowhere, and sh*t got weird soon after. fighting, crying, screaming, throwing things—mostly by the couple's relatives, all of them over 50. you're absolutely right, it always goes downhill after the megamix."

- YouTube www.youtube.com

14. When the badmouthing begins

"When everyone just starts bad mouthing each other and no one is actually socializing lol. like what's the point?"

15. If you're the only woman there

"As a woman?? You show up and you're either the only girl there or one of the only girls there...you won't be having a good time."

Gen X, Generation X, Senior Living Facility, Senior home, aging
Photo Credit: Canva

Gen X-ers are their cool selves as they enter their official senior years.

The time has come. Some Gen X-ers have officially begun to enter their "third act," in which they're picking out and moving into senior living facilities. (Though to be fair, the oldest Gen X-er in 2026 is only 61, so still relatively young.) But as each generation enters this season of life, surely the senior homes will reflect their generational preferences.

A thread on Reddit got right to the meat of it, posting this question: "How do you envision what Gen X nursing homes will be like?" They follow this up with a few thoughts, "The most striking difference between visiting my great grandparents, grandparents, and parents in a nursing home was the musical entertainment. It used to be old wartime songs and now it's the Beatles and Rolling Stones tunes.


Late 80s rave in the U.k. www.youtube.com, Kinolibrary

Are younger folks going to come in and put on some raves? Will a band play Alice in Chains and Pearl Jam songs? Will a DJ start a dance party for us with us chiming, 'It's Britney, Bitch?' My dream nursing home would be a converted abandoned mall and revive it as a hangout place: arcades, Dairy Queen, movie theater, shops."

There are over 350 comments in response to the thought-provoking inquiry. Some are sincere suggestions and others are brilliant jokes, exemplifying Generation X's avant-garde irreverence.

One commenter points out that the latch-key generation didn't need much to entertain us growing up. "Ironically, I was just talking about this to my best friend, lol. Let's be honest, most of us spent our time entertaining ourselves and being self-sufficient. I don't see that changing. We just need a few raw materials. I like the idea of abandoned malls."

They then got super specific, with one writing, "Definitely have metal and grunge playing through the intercom. How about a mech shop with a small racetrack for all the modded scooters? Smoking area, after all, it's medicinal now. Gaming rooms with D&D, MTG, and whatever else. Video gaming areas. Gardens. Movies. Kitchen/baking."

Another Redditor notes that there should be different "zones" based on one's musical tastes: "Acid house jazz and banging Drum n Bass. Chill-out zones with metalheads swaying on Zimmers. Somewhere Carl Cox is still mixing on seven decks, eternally young."

This person worries that elderly Gen X-ers will have specific physical issues, writing, "Lots of injuries from walkers and oxygen tanks in the mosh pit. Infected piercings."

And quite a few brought up the idea of marijuana (medical-grade, of course) dispensaries: "They will definitely need a dispensary. It could be high school for Gen X-ers. I can tell you I'm not going down without a fight."

To prove that Gen X is still going strong and not quite ready for the senior mosh pit, 50-year-old teacher Josh Johnson has gone viral for showing off his incredibly gifted '90s-styled dance skills. Standing at a school desk, he is "called" by the music—in this case, it's the 1991 hit "Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now")" by C+C Music Factory. Once his legs start moving, they can't stop…won't stop.

The comments on both his Instagram and Facebook page seem truly impressed. One writes, "The call of the Gen X knows no boundary. It's primal."

Another is impressed by his actual dancing abilities, writing, "No way, those are 50-year-old knees."

And bringing it back home, this commenter declares, "Gen X is gonna have the best nursing homes." Indeed, we will. Or in typical Gen X speak…whatever.