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Overnight Briefing & General Reality Check - Sep 30, 2013
September 30, 2013
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Culture Shock:
American life is looking more and more like a Bruce Springsteen song.
Just 39 percent of Americans believe in the age-old American dream: that their children will have a higher standard of living, according to a Washington Post poll released yesterday.
The poll of over 15-hundred adults showed the wearying effects of the economic meltdown five years ago, with almost two-thirds of people saying they had concerns about how to cover their family's basic costs, and one in three saying they worry about paying the bills "all the time."
Nobody is getting any satisfaction in the workplace either: 58 percent said they earn less than they deserve, and more than half doubt they could find a better-paying job within five years. To top it all off, fear of losing your job is at its highest level since 1970. (Maiman)Bid'ness is Bid'ness:
An online company is marketing a new kind of rolling papers for big spenders.
Shine Papers are 24 karat gold rolling papers made from an edible type of gold leaf. It costs about $60-dollars for a pack of 12 papers. Company owner DAVE D. (he refused to give his last name) says, "It's definitely not an everyday product because of the price point."
While the papers can be used for tobacco, the company's Twitter account seems to suggest other uses. The profile reads: "Roll up on a party with 24K gold joints!" (Still)Idle gossip & unconfirmed rumors:
LIAM HEMSWORTH may be a single dude on the prowl, but his big brother, CHRIS, is a tried and true family man. RadarOnline.com reports the "Snow White and the Huntsman" star just splurged on a new home with wife ELSA PATAKY. The estate features five bedrooms, a library, state of the art kitchen, oceans views and a pristine resume --the previous owners were "Crocodile Dundee" couple PAUL HOGAN and LINDA KOZLOWSKI. (Lee)
MELANIE GRIFFITH is ready to get her freak on. Star magazine reports that the actress is vying for a role next to her daughter, DAKOTA JOHNSON, in "Fifty Shades of Grey." She thinks she's perfect to play Elena Lincoln, the older woman who turned Christian Grey into the dominant he is today!
Casting Call:
Add "Hunger Games" star JENNIFER LAWRENCE to the cast of "Dumb and Dumber To."
The Hollywood Reporter says Jennifer will be playing a young version of KATHLEEN TURNER's character in a cameo in the sequel --it wasn't too difficult to get her to pop in; the two movies are currently filming and the sets are near each other.Health and Medical Briefs:
By law, your son or daughter may be considered an adult at age 18, but a new study suggests adolescence actually continues until we're 25 years old.
BBC News reports there's evidence of brain development well into the early twenties. This could explain the growing social acceptability of young adults living with their parents.
But some professionals worry we're being too soft on younger generations. Fewer young people aspire to be independent and strike out on their own. One expert reasons that psychologists' perception of extended adolescence "inadvertently reinforces that kind of passivity and powerlessness and immaturity." One solution to this is to have young adults living at home do their own washing, pay their own way, give money toward the rent, pay toward the bills. In that case, they'll grow up when they realize "that there are no grown-ups and everyone else is winging it." (Page) -
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