Everyday Signs of Our Stratifying Society:

1) Here in the city, an upscale hotel bar bartender told me that bottle service, which had been imported from NYC not too long ago, has gone bonkers over the past 5 years.

(What's bottle service?  Essentially, a group, usu. of men, buy a table at a club and get a bottle of liquor for hundreds or even thousands of dollars, and then the club supplies free mixers...  These men then use the booze and the allure of $ to try to "make it" with women.)

2) In the neighborhood of the university where I go, the kinda upscale restaurant that opened has $30+ entrees. so bills can get up to a few hundred bucks for two people.  Yet, that restaurant is most frequented by *juniors* and *seniors* in college out on dates and whatnot, says my one hippie friend from Michigan, who recently started working there!

. . .

Remember, for some people, the economy is doing very well, as my one (half British) (half Sudanese) friend has said.