Gen X Is About to Win the Lottery

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Happy Saturday, Gen X.

Can you believe it’s been 38 years since Live Aid?! It was held on July 13, 1985 in two locations: Wembley Stadium in London and John F. Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia.

There were many memorable moments: Queen’s triumphant set, Phil Collins crossing the Atlantic on the Concorde so he could perform at both concerts, and, of course, Duran Duran’s Simon LeBon hitting that seriously sour note while singing “A View to a Kill.” Ouch.

(Fun fact: We actually roadtripped to Philly for Live Aid, but were unable to get our hands on tickets. Alas, we ended up watching the whole thing on TV from our sister’s apartment, a mere two miles from JFK Stadium. We’re not bitter or anything.)

*****

In today’s issue:

• 😴 Sleep divorces are a thing

• 🤖 They’ve come for the guacamole

• 🍭 Remaking Willy Wonka … again

^{ONE GEN X THING}

Consider This a Divorce … a Sleep Divorce 

Does the thought of having the entire bed — and the entire blanket — all to yourself elicit squeals of joy? Does your desire to drown out your partner’s snoring sometimes border on the diabolical? Turns out, you are not alone.

An increasing number of Gen X couples are apparently taking drastic measures to ensure a good night’s sleep, embarking on “sleep divorces.” As many as 33% of us are not only sleeping in separate beds, but in separate rooms altogether.

There are reasons aplenty for this new phenomenon:

• Differing sleep schedules

• Snoring

• Restless leg syndrome

• Room temperature

• Desire for personal space

Sleep divorces seem like a win-win: they allow couples to prioritize their individual sleep needs while maintaining a healthy and fulfilling relationship during waking hours.

If you and your other half are sleep divorced, it’s probably a good idea to find ways to maintain closeness and connection outside of the bedroom.

Meanwhile, enjoy all that space!

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BONUS STORY: How well do you know the 80s? Take this quiz and find out.

^PRE-TIREMENT

The Great Wealth Transfer is Headed Gen X’s Way

What is The Great Wealth Transfer, you ask? It refers to the shift of wealth from the Baby Boomer generation to Generation X (and millennials), estimated to be a staggering $84 trillion. In short, boomers are aging and starting the process of handing down their treasure to their Gen X kids.

As we discussed two weeks ago, Gen X is behind on saving for retirement, so these windfalls could be a blessing to many who have some catching up to do. The time to prepare for this is right now.

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BONUS STORY: The best place to retire in America might surprise you. 

^{AI FOR XERS}

GuacBots and AutoChips

Chipotle is taking things to a whole new level with their fancy new AI kitchen buddy. Meet Autocado, the avocado-slicing, coring, and peeling robot that's here to make the guacamole of your dreams (ours, anyway — we love the stuff).

Not only is Chipotle is testing this high-tech marvel with the goal of saving time and boosting efficiency, it’s also experimenting with Chippy, an autonomous chip-making whiz. Get ready for perfectly cooked tortilla chips, seasoned with lime — just the way you (should) like them.

Gordon Ramsey was unavailable for comment.

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BONUS STORY: This is super freaky — a camera without a lens. We’re not ready for this.

^{YOU MAKE THE CALL}

The Flintstones vs. The Jetsons

^{… AND THE REST}

Remaking Willy Wonka and Gen X on Tour  

• Hollywood: We’re not sure why, but they’re remaking Willy Wonka … again. Here’s the trailer.

• Stamps: You may not have noticed, but the price of stamps just went up. (On a related note, UPS might be going on strike real soon. Thankfully, they waited until after Amazon Prime Day.)

• 80s TV: An iconic 1980s soap opera star has passed away.

• On tour: A very helpful Redditor has compiled a list of Gen X-era bands that are currently on tour.

• MTV: Billy Idol shares rarely seen original video for “Hot in the City.”

• 2024: Gird your loins, it’s presidential election season again. The GOP had announced the date for the Iowa caucuses.

• Fun: Here are 50 tweets that are “laugh inducing” for Gen X. #7 speaks to us.

• Travel: We might not be putting enough way for retirement, but that’s not stopping us from spending money on travel! Oh, and if you need a passport, here’s a way to expedite the process.

• Toy time: KISS + Fisher Price Little People = awesomeness. This is definitely going on the Christmas list.

^{FROM THE GEN X MEMORY VAULT}

Tasty Memes and Memories

^{WEEKLY EAR WORM}

“Steal My Sunshine” by Len

We’ll go with a 90s tune this week. Sun, fun and a Canadian brother/sister duo. “Steal My Sunshine” was released in March of 1999 and reached the top 10 on Billboard’s Hot 100. Rolling Stone magazine placed it at number 33 on their list of the "Best Summer Songs of All Time."

That’s it for this week’s Latchkey! We’ll see you back here next Saturday.

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