I think in the American class system, money trumps everything else. For instance, Donald Trump is higher up in the tree than a starving English Ph.D, even though DT is totally classless.

he might want some time alone, Cindy. too many people around when I am in pain makes it worse for me.

the class thing is very straight lined. because the job of a librarian is fairly middle of the road prestige wise. unless you are way up there in the high prestige area - then haveing a wife in a service /education industry - esp. part tiem and the family prestige goes up.

He's having muscle spasms in his lower back.

Is he using a heating pad, or one of those ThermaCare wrap thingies? Might really help.

Yeah. I also included my retirement fund.

I left mine out, since that's money I don't have ready access to. I was really surprised to see my income ranked as upper middle class, though it compares favorably with flyover state per capitas. But the job prestige and net assets rankings handily dispelled any pride that category would have engendered.

were it not for a massive crush, I would not have bothered

erika, I think this is quite often true. At least, in my case there was a guy whose girlfriend couldn't finish it, which definitely added some motivation. IJ is... well, it's flawed. I enjoyed it, but I wouldn't tread through it again, especially since what resolution there is (which is at the beginning of the book -- another problem) seems to be so depressing. But I do find myself thinking about the tongue-scraper-death-of-network-television cycle every once in a while.

Does that differ from maintaining a heightened state of arousal and having sequential orgasms with no refractory period?

ita, I think Hec was agreeing with and clarifying the definitions you'd presented, in response to my question which proposed a different definition, i.e. a short refractory (or recovery) period between successive orgasms.

Based on the definition you and Hec present, I don't find the 13% statistic so surprising, but I'm not convinced it's the definition in use in common parlance.

I think in the American class system, money trumps everything else.

I would have said the opposite. But maybe that's because I've spent my life surrounded by academics and clergy, who always feel higher-class than their income.

I think probably class is used in different ways depending on context. Sometimes it has to do with standard of living, other times with "culture" factors.

Retirement fund should be counted towards wealth, as should property. Wealth /= cash, it's value of assets.

I think probably class is used in different ways depending on context. Sometimes it has to do with standard of living, other times with "culture" factors.

Buffista axiom # 1274: Spend enough time trying to come up with the right phrasing for something, and someone else will say it for you.

My wealth takes a big nosedive if retirement funds don't get counted.