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We’re starting Friday with cats enjoying the retirement they deserve, which seems like a reasonable aspiration for the rest of us. There’s also a look at the American habits that travel with us, whether we notice them or not, and a paycheck that puts everyday expenses in perspective. To finish, Evan Porter tackles a question for your next museum visit: what’s with the hand tucked inside the coat?
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Elderly cats now safe thanks to adorable cat retirement village | ||
Elderly cats are being saved from being euthanized with adorable cat retirement village | ||
It’s a cat paradise. | ||
By Jacalyn Wetzel | ||
An amazing retirement village is accepting guests in Shropshire, England, but instead of catering to elderly people, it’s designed for elderly cats. Shropshire Cat Rescue has been rescuing elderly cats set to be euthanized and providing them with top-notch elder care for over 21 years. Thanks to donations and sponsorship, the retirement village was built in 2009 to create comfortable homes within the rescue for senior and super senior kitties. | ||
The owner and co-founder of the rescue, Marion Micklewright, was tired of seeing older cats get passed over for adoption and subsequently put to sleep simply because they were old. So she decided to do something about it. Shropshire was created in 1991 and moved to Micklewright and her husband Richard’s current home address in 1998. Today there are cats wandering the retirement village who are over 20 years old. One cat, lovingly named Cat, loves to hang out in the little “store” in the tiny cat town, while others lounge in cat condos. | ||
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People from other countries share 14 things that instantly tell them someone’s American | ||
Have you ever heard of the “American lean”? | ||
By Tod Perry | ||
Americans have a style and personality all their own, which isn’t a bad thing. It’s just noticeable when they travel aboard. Americans often stand out because of their outgoing personalities. They are friendly and enjoy having casual conversations with strangers. | ||
This is an endearing trait to a lot of people in more reserved cultures, although it can also come off as a little brash. | ||
An American characteristic that isn’t quite endearing to people in other countries is that they can be rather loud. In Europe, one can always notice the Americans in the restaurant because they can be heard from across the room. | ||
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With community, anything is possible ✨
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Here’s a paycheck for a McDonald’s employee. And here’s my jaw hitting the ground. | ||
The federal minimum wage is still less than this. | ||
By Brandon Weber | ||
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). | ||
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An Upworthiest Poll
What was the biggest lesson from your first job?
Yesterday’s Results
In yesterday's issue, we shared the story of a man who shipped himself a potato garden in an Amazon box to prove a point.
And we asked: When you eat a regular potato, which part of the plant are you actually eating?
Only 2.2% of you got this one right! A potato is actually a modified underground stem called a tuber. I finally found a question to stump you clever people! I’m so excited.
A root (43.7%)
A stem (2.2%) 🏆
A bulb (44.9%)
A fruit (9.2%)
For those who still don’t buy it, I would never pretend to be an expert. Take it up with the fine folk at Wikipedia.
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Why do men in famous portraits all have one hand in their coat? | ||
Historians explain why men in old-timey portraits always had one hand in their vest or coat | ||
It goes all the way back to the days of ancient Greece. | ||
By Evan Porter | ||
One of the most famous portraits of Napoleon, completed in 1812, features him striking a rather odd pose. He’s slouching in a formal uniform while standing in his study, but it’s the placement of his right hand that strikes some viewers as unique. | ||
His hand is tucked into his uniform. Not in a pocket, per se, but right through the buttons, which have been opened to accommodate all five fingers. It looks a little like he’s getting ready to pull out a pocket watch or a pistol. It’s not a pose you would see commonly these days, that’s for sure. | ||
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