Some misconceptions just won't die. One of the biggest is that retail and fast food jobs don't constitute real "careers," and are temporary dead-ends meant only for teens or seniors. Let's face it: There's a stigma against what are viewed as lower-level jobs, so much so that working fast food is often used as a PR stunt by politicians to show how "normal" they are or a punishment for criminals.It really doesn't have to be this way. Imagine a world where an entry-level retail job could turn into a real career, steadily rewarding loyal employees with more and better pay, strong benefits, and advancement opportunities. Imagine if you could get on-the-job training and new certifications that would help you move up the ladder and earn even more money, all with the support of your company. Shouldn't working hard at a job, any real job, give you the right to a pretty good and comfortable life? Is that so crazy? Season 2 Money GIF by Sony Pictures Television Giphy Well, it's not common, but one woman's story shows us that it is possible.A woman has gone viral on TikTok for sharing exactly how much she earns as a loyal employee at Costco and people can't believe their eyes.The young woman, who goes by Joce on social media, shared a video breaking down how her pay has changed over the years she's worked at the bulk-retail giant.According to the video, she was hired in 2018 at a meager but respectable $14 per hour. In one video she jokes she always said it was "just a summer job."But she stuck around for seven years and counting, and it's not hard to see why. Steady raises each year brought her to a whopping $37.90 in 2025.This number doesn't even account for Costco's twice-a-year bonuses, benefits, and time-and-a-half pay on Sundays, and would put Joce at just under $80,000 per year assuming a full-time schedule. Not bad for a "summer job." @thelifeofjoce loyalty really paid off #costco #paytransparency Nearly 11 million people watched the video. Commenters were in shock that someone could make so much at a so-called dead-end retail job.In particular, people who'd spent a lot of time (and money) on advanced degrees just to be struggling with debt and burnt out in their careers were absolutely shook by the revelation:"just looked at my masters degree and sighed" one user joked."Does Costco need nurses" quipped another."THIS is why I left teaching after 8 years with a masters degree and never looked back" someone said."So getting a college degree is a scam" another person added. People are enthusiastic about working at Costco. Giphy Others shared their own stories from their lives or from people they knew:"True story.. RN working with me full time and keeping her part time work at Costco since she got paid same or maybe little more. eventually she went back fulltime working for Costco.""I had a friend who worked [there] over 20 years, her 401K, was set for life. Costco employees, stay forever. Their pictures on the wall. They treat employees great"While impressive, $37.90 per hour doesn't quite tell the full story. No, the full story is even cooler.Joce breaks down her pay even further in another video, explaining that she's able to make so much at Costco because she moved into the optics department and became a licensed optician. In addition to her base rate of $31.90, Joce gets a premium added to her wages. Certain specialist positions get premium pay and some store locations offer additional premiums as well. She also makes $56.85 per hour on Sundays, making for some pretty beefy paychecks.But lest you think that Joce's optician's license should take away from her success story, think again! In responses to comments on her videos, she explains that Costco helped support her as she worked to get certified as she had no prior experience or training:"It’s all on the job training and they give you time to study while working!" she writes. "They give you 3 months to study for the first exam (ABO), then up to a year or so to pass the second one (NCLE) to get fully licensed" @thelifeofjoce cleared up the confusion and my astigmatism #newglasses #costco #faq From a young age, many of us are fed the belief that we need to spend four years in college and take on crippling debt just so we can get a degree and give ourselves a shot at a proper "grown up" job. You know, like an engineer, doctor, generic business-person. These are the careers you're supposed to aspire to have. But there's no guarantee that achieving that dream is going to make you happy just because it's considered respectable.Over 42 million Americans have student loan debt and the average comes out to just under $40,000. For many, it's impossible to pay off, which can be especially grueling when you find out the career you were chasing isn't as fulfilling or well-paying as you thought it would be. It doesn't have to be this way. People like Joce are proving that there are other paths to success, and she's not alone. More and more of Gen Z is turning to "blue collar" work because it's viewed as more balanced and stable. If more companies would take care of their employees and pay a fair, living wage the way Costco does, people would have a lot more options.

There are people among us who have no idea that a conversation should be a balanced back-and-forth between two or more people. Instead, they monopolize the conversation, going on and on without letting anyone get a word in edgewise. What’s worse is that they often have no idea how to take a hint and miss all of the verbal and nonverbal clues that they should stop.These situations can be incredibly frustrating because you don’t want to be rude and tell them to stop, especially if it's a coworker or someone you have to see every day. But, at the same time, they are being incredibly rude by taking up your time and they're being selfish by not allowing you to contribute to the discussion.A Redditor on the Social Skills subforum was fed up with a coworker who wouldn’t stop talking and asked the posters for some help. “There's this person at work who will corner me in the break room and talk for 20+ minutes about random stuff,” the person wrote. “They're nice enough, but I just want to eat my lunch in peace sometimes. I've tried saying ‘Well, I should get back to work,’ but they just keep talking. What are some polite but firm ways to extract myself from these conversations?”The posters provided numerous verbal and nonverbal cues to get out of conversations with someone who won’t stop talking. Many also reiterated the point that it’s not rude to get up and walk away from someone who won’t shut up, especially if they were being inconsiderate in the first place.Here are 17 ways to end a conversation with someone who talks too much1. Pause, walk away"At the very first semi-break in the monologue (time their breathing if you have to), you say, 'It sounds like you had a really great time (or other filler appropriate to the discussion). I’d love to talk, but I’m on a tight schedule.' AND WALK AWAY WHILE YOU’RE TALKING. It’s the last part that’s crucial. Those people just will not stop.""Just this morning I had to basically do that: 'I really must be going' with a smile and wave, standing up and walking away to a woman still talking."2. Grab their arm"If they don't stop talking long enough for you to say, 'Great talking with you, I gotta run,' then you put a hand on their arm and SAY IT ANYWAY. I know you say they're 'nice,' but those who take up others' time with excessive talking are not being nice. They may think they're nice, but TIME is your most valuable asset! Also, don't spend a lot of time worrying about appearing rude. (since they obviously aren't worried about that!) They are just looking for an audience, ANY audience. People like this don't take hints, and often don't take direct feedback well. They just keep doing it because it's compulsive."3. Slap your knee and go"At conferences and such I say something like 'lovely chatting, you’ve got my phone number let’s stay in touch, I’m going to circulate as there a few more people here I have to talk to before the event is over.' As I’m British, I can also just slap my knees and say 'right' and other people get the message."Further explanation..."While sitting down, literally slap your own knees (well, a little above the knees, really) so it makes a bit of a sound. When English or Australians do this, they say, "Right!" and then stand up, and everyone knows it's time to go." - YouTube youtu.be 4. Walk 'em back"I used to have an employee who would constantly stop working,(shipping department) wandering away to chat and gossip with everyone. Of course, it was a distraction for everyone. She would show up at my office and walk in already talking. So the minute she showed up I would stand and continue the discussion while walking her straight back to her work station. I would then remind her I have work to do and exit the conversation. I would do this multiple times a day."5. Understand they are being rude"The first thing to realize is that the 'monopolizing' offender is being inconsiderate (not caring about you, not thinking about you, not considering your interest level or needs) in the first place. They may be socially oblivious or more likely just so self-centered that they don't think about other people until they are forced to. That means you are perfectly justified if you have to use actions that might normally appear abrupt to protect yourself from them."6. The 'anyway' get awayA good 'anyway' is a goofy way to break things up and move on. If they don't stop talking, you sometimes need to cut them off and move on. It may be rude, but who's wasting whose time in the situation?""Anyway... and get ur ass away from them."7. Close the door"I slowly closed the door while they kept talking. It felt like comedy lol. For me, it seemed rude, but I’m not sure that they registered what happened?""Don’t open the door. They are still talking."8. Slow escalation"These people are used to being told off. You start politely and keep escalating your 'Stop Talking' requests until they do. Each and every time. They’ll get it."9. How to end a chatty meeting"So one day we had this meeting with another company and that started happening, and the owner of the other company said 'good meeting!' And wow, the meeting was just over. And I realized even if I wasn’t the leader, I could do the same thing. Basically, anytime I’m in a meeting and it starts running down, I just say 'good meeting!' And the meeting is always over."10. Try the blunt approach"You don’t need to worry too much about being rude to them because they don’t get social cues anyway. Just say, 'No time for stories today. I need some downtime by myself.' And walk away even if they’re still talking.""Exactly. Placating them by dodging the issue just kicks the discomfort down the road. Sure, it's blunt, but there's nothing wrong with coming right out and honestly saying 'Hey, sorry, I just want to have some quiet time.'"11. Delay the conversation"I had a similar coworker and honestly felt bad because I knew they were just lonely, but I also really need my lunch break to mentally reset. I just asked 'Can we catch up after work?' Then I’d sit down, pop my headphones in, or start eating. It felt weird at first, but they actually respected it once they realized it wasn’t personal, just me needing some space."12. Play the opposite card"'Hey, seems like you decompress by talking, but I decompress by having quiet time to myself. I don't think we're compatible to share break time.'"13. Don't ask questions"It is frustrating because you really can’t ask questions to this type of person. Even if you want to know something, the knowledge that their response will include a hundred more details than you needed makes me keep my mouth shut. Where is the self-awareness? Are they so eager to engage with others because they don’t understand why people tend to distance themselves from them, or because they overwhelm those who are too polite and don't know how to escape until it’s too late?"14. The Uno reverse card"In Ireland, we say 'well I’ll let you go, sure.'"15. Set the conversation timer"Before they start talking or right after, you can say you have only one minute. Around when you think it's been a minute, politely say you have to go or just walk away."16. Compliment them, set rules"I've dealt with this by approaching the person when they're not mid monologue, and going: 'Hey there. I really appreciate how friendly and outgoing you are, you're super genuine to talk to (clarifies it's a problem with the convos themselves, not a personal attack). I have some social anxiety, and I've noticed I have a hard time cutting into the convo around extroverts (neutral framing of core issue). I think we could figure out how to end our chats so that you don't feel like I cut you off, and I don't feel more anxious when I have to go ('we' puts y'all both on the same side to problem solve, not competing).'"17. Act supremely disinterested"If you're in a situation where you do not want to leave the space (ie, in the break room during a break) and they do this, that can be more difficult. In practice, for a coworker that you have to see every day and don't want to burn bridges with, your options outside of avoiding the space may be limited. you can try subtle techniques - ie, don't make eye contact or look up when they start talking at you, say hi softly/tiredly, keep saying, 'what?' repeatedly as tho you're distracted and not paying attention to what they're saying, check your phone a lot - but, some people are so oblivious/feel so entitled to your attention that it may not work."

A committee of support. The post The artists who pulled Patti Smith out of retirement: “I hadn’t performed for over 16 years” first appeared on Far Out Magazine.

Grocery giant Aldi has dropped some tasty treats over the years, but many shoppers say this limited-time frozen dessert is one of its best offerings ever.

Memphis May Fire will embark on a headline tour this fall on the “Memphis May Fire: The Shapeshifter Tour Leg 2.” “The first leg of the ‘Shapeshifter’ tour was absolutely unforgettable, and we knew we had to keep it going,” shared vocalist Matty Mullins. “We’re beyond excited to announce Leg 2, hitting more cities.” Memphis May Fire  released its latest album, “Shapeshifter,” last March. Memphis May Fire Tour Dates: Ticket Information Nov. 17 – Pensacola, FL – Vinyl Music HallNov. 18 – Chattanooga, TN – The SignalNov. 20 – Greensboro, NC – Piedmont HallNov. 21 – Myrtle Beach, SC – House Of BluesNov. 22 – Richmond, VA – The NationalNov. 23 – Washington DC – The HowardNov. 25 – Hartford, CT – The WebsterNov. 26 – Sayreville, NJ – Starland BallroomNov. 28 – Buffalo, NY – Electric CityNov. 29 – Detroit, MI – MajesticNov. 30 – Chicago, IL – House Of BluesDec. 01 – Madison, WI – SylveeDec. 03 – Boulder, CO – Boulder TheaterDec. 05 – Boise, ID – Treefort Music HallDec. 06 – Missoula, MT – WilmaDec. 07 – Spokane, WA – Knitting FactoryDec. 09 – San Luis Obispo, CA – Fremont TheaterDec. 10 – Riverside, CA – Riverside Municipal AuditoriumDec. 11 – Las Vegas, NV – The PortalDec. 12 – Tucson, AZ – EncoreDec. 14 – Oklahoma City, OK – Tower TheatreDec. 15 – Kansas City, MO – The TrumanDec. 16 – Fayetteville, AR – Ozark Music Hall Memphis May Fire Tour Poster Memphis May Fire: Matty Mullins – Vocals Kellen McGregor – Guitar Cory Elder – Bass  Jake Garland -Drums ### The post Memphis May Fire Tour appeared first on RockinTown.

"You’re gonna tell me that I don’t deserve to get brownies?"

“The strangest part? She seems completely unbothered by destroying our family. It’s like she’s watching it happen from outside her own body.”

Where exactly are microplastics to be found in the environment?

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by A Midwestern Doctor, The Forgotten Side of Medicine: Unmasking Bayer and Monsanto’s Cruel and Destructive Legacy and How Toxic Sludge is Destroying Our Farmlands Story at a Glance: •For over a century, Monsanto has produced incredibly toxic (but “safe”) products that have injured millions and rendered many areas uninhabitable. However, due to cutthroat legal […]