Marjorie Getz
  • Marjorie Getz's web site about her dealings in the Maine court system, (and federal Bankruptcy Law) with Liz McCusker. Stephen McCusker, and other issues surrounding the efficacy of the judicial system
  • Defamation by Elizabeth A. Mccusker and Stephen R. Mccusker
    • Liz & Steve McCusker's Defamation and the fake facebook they created called "Jack Hill"
    • Liz McCusker poses as "Jack Hill"
    • Liz and Steve McCusker's statements, in case you are wondering why they got sued and lost
  • lynn marcisso and travel
  • For those who doubt: Take a look at how the McCuskers left their home [slideshow]
  • The Cook's Corner---back by popular demand!
  • Bankruptcy law help: That pesky little thing called the "2004 Exam"
  • Cool videos of stuff I've been doing
  • What Steve's siblings say about Liz:
  • Osterman Propane and Downeast Energy: Don't do business with these companies
    • These companies are totally unreponsive
    • Steve and Liz McCusker and responsibility (somebody suggested it's anoesis)
    • Downeast Energy strikes again----either that or steve does
    • Downeast Energy in Maine: Don't do business with them!
    • Downeast Energy in Maine----Don't do business with them if you value privacy!
  • Stuff Steve and Liz Mccusker told me (and others) at random times
    • More Steve McCusker prevarications
    • Cringe-worthy grammar: A brief lesson in pronouns
    • Steve says he doesn't like to spend time on the internet, so i seriously doubt his wife has mentioned this page!
    • Liz McCusker revises history yet again
    • New testimony by two new interesting sources
    • Recent reviews of the court records
    • How is it that the McCuskers have those brass bells on their doorknob at Whipporwill?
  • If I'm such a horrible person, why am I always Steve Mccusker's go-to person when he needs help?
  • Yeesh
  • Specific details of the McCusker bankruptcy,
    • Bankruptcy fun, including the jewelry for Steve McCusker's Mistress
    • Income inequality and Bankruptcy Law
  • Steve McCusker's ring for his mistress
  • Much McCusker background
    • From a fellow Roger Bill person Liz McCusker calls a "best friend"
    • What a marriage is built upon
    • Today's laugh: The "P.I." idiocy
    • Visiting Steve in his condo-----a story of friendship
    • Anniversary of Steve McCusker's move back "home"
    • Ed Walsh's legacy/Steve McCusker takes money from his son
    • How difficult it must be: To fail with your child while a cousin excels
    • Stephen and Elizabeth Mccusker's lies: The Antigua Saga
    • Does she mean to lie, or is it wishful thinking?: Liz McCusker attempts once again to change history
  • Today's Quote:
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  • updated (almost) daily! New Stuff from The Cook's Corner
  • The Blog-ish
    • Hey Liz Mccusker---a short lesson in grammar
    • No excuse for not having a job these days if you are having trouble paying your bills
    • Cruel children and idiot parents
    • Strange photos by Liz McCusker
    • Just fun stuff >
      • Construction zones finished at last!
    • Internet stuff >
      • Have you ever googled yourself? It's laughable
      • The Facebook Idiocy
      • Liz Mccusker's geniusness strikes again----more Facebook lunacy >
        • Letter Steve McCusker didn't write
  • Facebook creepiness
  • more cool photos
  • How we are doing with COVID19
  • Liz McCusker statements
    • Liz McCusker's nonsense about buying properties
    • What the heck did I do to liz mccusker to deserve this?
    • "My mind is made up, don't confuse me with the facts"
    • Liz McCusker: "Don't want to brag, but I grew up on the West End"
  • Maine Court Issues:
    • New information on neutral crowley
    • Were Judge Crowley's actions and questions appropriate?
    • Negotiation, Mediation, and the Maine ADR
    • Maine District Court and the PFH process
    • Maine Courts don't work for resolving payment issues
  • Musings
    • Feast of Stephen
    • For the courtesy-challenged----and you know who you are
    • I got the nicest compliment today
    • If you tell someone something, and they don't do it......
    • Well, at least it keeps our web site visitor-numbers up
    • Middle Class or Middle Income?
    • There's some kind of thing called "Dump Cakes" and "Dump Dinners"
    • Everett Ave area-----I love it when this happens
  • Updated 12/26/20 Liz McCusker and her lack of understanding the law about Facebook

What is "middle class"?

There have been several articles in The Wall Street Journal lately about how in the U.S. we've gotten away from the definition of "middle class"--------or perhaps more accurately about how it's gotten away from us.

Something like 85% of Americans define themselves as "middle class"......Huh? 

As a financial-type, I'd like to make a nice even split-------33.33% middle class, 33.33% upper class, and 33.33% lower class (which is by definition a bad label).  From a pure mathematics point of view, of course one can split the American population's incomes that way.  But unfortunately, life isn't so easily pigeon-holed.

The problem is that the above simple math is about "Middle Income".....NOT what makes someone "Middle Class".  Economists and sociologists are finally recognizing the differences, which was the point of the articles in the WSJ.

"Middle Class"  (as opposed to Middle Income) has to do with much more than just at what level a family's income is.  In 2015, to have been Middle Class in America meant that a college degree has been obtained by both "Heads of Household" (as defined by the I.R.S.).

But according to the latest studies, it's much more than that.  A big piece of this is attitudes about certain issues.   The studies also tracked "class" by  speech patterns (specifically certain pronunciations), choice of words, and most particularly grammar.

The third and most interesting piece is that the university studies could track "class" by tastes in certain things, including choice of home-decorating, choice of clothing, some slight differences in hobbies, and....surprisingly......speech patterns and grammar comes up again
.



Nancy Mitford (20th century novelist, essayist, and historian)  wrote some very comical things about "U" and "non-U", which was again publicized by Debrett's in the 1970's or 80's.  This was truly funny stuff, but Mitford did have a point.  For those unfamiliar with the concept, "U" stands for "upperclass", and Mitford's point was that certain concepts and actions have over the course of the last couple of centuries have come to be understood as "U"....but unfortunately many of them are so subtle that unless someone is really, really into learning those subtleties, as much money as they may have they will still appear "non-U".

Debrett's (i.e. the etiquette guides) was practically a bible in all the houses of family and friends that I knew growing up.  While this has given me such useful skills as knowing how to alight from a brougham and knowing where the butler is supposed to stand during a formal dinner; amazingly enough this knowledge is not very useful in 21st century Maine.

However there's an underlying point:  There's been a lot of sociology texts written about this...even back in the Stone Age when I was at Bates College, in Sociology 201 we were studying texts like "White Collar Life".  I recall that course very specifically because it was called "Social Stratification" and it said exactly what Nancy Mitford said, only in a very boring way.



But education is the great equalizer!!!!

I am so grateful to live in a world today where....well at least in the U.S., Japan, and other places...anyone can become upper class via taking the time and effort to get a higher education.  It's EDUCATION  and only education that causes the demographic shift in any individual.  Because "class" is indeed about attitude; about one's awareness of the issues around them; and let's face it.....about being able to write a grammatically correct sentence.  I sometimes look at things that certain people write and all I can think of is Henry Higgins and Eliza Doolitttle:  "It's 'Aooow' and 'Garn' that keep her in her place/Not her wretched clothes and dirty face".

Class is not about how much money one has----that's "income".  Otherwise why is it that some people like to follow, say, the "real housewives" of wherever?  It's because the women are upper income but otherwise clueless.

It's secondly the contrast of being upper income but having no values-------study after study have shown that the true upper class give back disproportionately large amounts of time to volunteer service.

And thirdly people watch that dross because it makes them feel superior....."at least I'm not like THAT!"

It's the same reason some people won't live in a trailer park......they figure that a big fancy house upgrades their "class" in society. 

But by Steve's logic, are Ed and Dot Mason "low class" because they live in a trailer park?  I personally do not think so.   I'm no fan of Dot, but respect her for living within her means, (and apparently really enjoying it).