I started a consulting business with my dad in 2021. We were growing well for the first 18 months. In about 2022 we saw a HUGE decline in the industry. Many of our competitors went out of business. Some shrank by 75% or more. We lost $250k in 2023 and the actual drag was our leadership team. So I, along with 2 other leaders, were laid off at the end of last year. I am proud to say we did not lay off any staff. I got a job at a giant company that pays me a shit ton to do the job of a monkey. I hate it there.

So I know it is just semantics, but for some reason I don’t label your description as a “woke mob” but rather just decent humans.

Yet, I do have an image of “woke mob” that is full of college-aged people who haven’t experienced any adversity, but have a desire to make a mark on the world and have chosen a really irritating way to do it. And unfortunately that very small segment of the population gives the right something to latch onto that demonstrates how unhinged the left is (even though the left is how you describe it).

Taylor Swift, Star Wars, McDonald’s.

No, that is a deal breaker for me.

Tartar sauce.

For me, Stalin falls out of the cool category due to deaths under his leadership (about 3.3 million officially recorded victims).

I have always enjoyed Alice Roosevelt, Teddy Roosevelt’s daughter. She was brash, witty, at full of antics. Here’s an example: When it came time for the Roosevelt family to move out of the White House, Alice buried a Voodoo doll of the new first lady, Nellie Taft, in the front yard.

Like Armie Hammer?

Piece of clothing, like “I like that shirt” or “cool shoes”.

And aspect of personality, like “I appreciate the perspective that you bring to our team” or “you are a strong writer”.

“out of pocket” is what you pay, but may not be the total cost of the item/service. “I only had to pay $50 out of pocket and my insurance covered the rest”

It can also be used in business to mean unavailable. “I have to take my kid to the doctor and will be out of pocket for a couple of hours”

I often look like a deranged raccoon holding a knife - and am excited the look is catching on! 😉

Well, I’m in my 40s, so to call me cute would be weird bordering on rude. But to say you like a piece of my clothing or some aspect of my personality is nice to hear.

I use it all the time for convenience. I have 2 autistic little kids and work 10-12 hours a day and it isn’t always practical to get to the store. Plus I’m lazy. Amazon is local to my area - friends and family work there (both tech and warehouse).

Security software from a Russian company. It was recently banned in the US due to its national security concerns.

TikTok and Kaspersky.

Goose simulator.

Yes, but more importantly, shortsighted unless you do not have to take any exams in the future.

New Chad

I think of it as being similar to the fantasy genre - which often has things like oarks, trolls, etc. Billionaires are the oarks of romcoms. 😉

To validate your perspective: I am a hiring manager in tech in the US. I will greatly discount any resume over 2 pages (especially for a higher level candidate). For entry level candidates, one page is sufficient for me. I’m also less concerned about gaps in resumes and more concerned with ability to learn - so I look for things that demonstrate that.

Prom is part of the culture and teenage experience here. Some people are more into it than others. It’s ok not to totally understand or like it. I’m sure there are things that we don’t understand about other places too.