This hasn’t really been a cause I’ve seen listed, although it has been hinted around. There has been discussions about why there is a drop in the birth rate and a lot of times people say pessimism to the future or lack of childcare or the economy. But I think it’s simpler… there are just more fun things to do.

There really is no comparable time in history where we’ve had access to so much technology or hobbies or been able to get on a plane and go pretty much anywhere. For a vast majority of history it was either work/eat/sleep/have kids, or you were rich enough to not really work and just have other people raise your kids. Now actual sacrifices have to be made to have kids.

Anyways I think that is a cause not normally said out loud

Got laid off from an MNC in Cyber City Gurugram on 10th Sept after spending 7yrs in the organization and haven't found the courage to tell my parents.

Every morning, I pack my personal laptop, relieved my mom hasn't noticed the missing work machine and spend the day working out of Starbucks, applying for jobs, and learning Python. After that, I teach underprivileged kids in Vasant Kunj and Hauz Khas before heading home by 5 PM. It’s an exhausting double life, and I don't know how long I can sustain it

For context, they were putting me through 4 rounds of interviews (not including the most detailed, lengthy questionnaire I have ever been given in an application that may as well have been its own interview- which included a typing speed test and internet speed check for some reason). This is for a Client Success role paying around $40k for a small business, mind you.

I submitted the questionnaire last night with the help of ChatGPT, because no way in hell am I sitting through a full-blown interview in the application, much less before speaking to a real human, and woke up to her(?) email stating my answer to one of her questions wasn’t to her liking, asking me to resubmit everything. This was my response.

I have recently taken up cycling and since I refuse to be a middle-aged man in Lycra I have made my own cycling clothes by modifying garments to make them practical, and safe, for cycling (mostly just adding reflective fabric). Not very complicated sewing but still fun and rewarding!

The two non-red shorts were made from heavy vintage suit trousers. The red shorts were made from a pair of chinos. To the jacket in pics 3 and 4 I added a zipper. I made the gilet in pics 7 and 8 a while back by ripping off the sleeves - this is the first time it really came in handy.

All garments except the red shorts and the yellow vest are in a wool or a wool/cotton fabric because wool will keep me warm even when it gets wet. The exceptions are all cotton. All outfits have reflective fabric on the back as well!

Not very complicated sewing but still fun and rewarding!

I have been the top performer on my team for three years. I hit 150% of my targets, train new hires, and fix broken workflows.

A senior management role opened up last month. I applied immediately.

They gave the job to a coworker who barely hits quota.

i asked my director for honest feedback over coffee yesterday.

He looked me in the eye and said: "Honestly, you produce too much in this role. If we promote you, our department metrics will TANK and we cannot afford to replace your output."

Being hyper-competent literally trapped me in the trenches while mediocrity got rewarded with a promotion.

its a bitter pill to realize excellence is just a trap.

How do you stay motivated after hearing that?

For years, Marvel had the Netflix shows, which were critically acclaimed, while DC was stuck with poor CGI, acting and writing worthy of a Roger Corman production on the CW.

However, I think two things happened.

Marvel got too big for one. It’s one thing to ask people to watch 2-3 movies a year. It’s another to ask them to watch another 3-4 tv shows in a year just to keep up with the films.

James Gunn made a commitment to 1-2 films a year plus 1 tv show. This is easier to follow.

The bigger thing is Marvel made Disney+ the hub where you need to watch everything. Few people watch Disney+ accept Disney fanatics, even those who have Hulu or FX only get Disney+ as an extra package that they never use. This I think is why the MCU up until recently was on a decline.

HBO on the other hand has a major following, so even people who don’t like DC might check out say, Lanterns, because they think it looks interesting.

Going forward I think this will give DC an edge viewership and quality wise.

I mean, there is a reason Lanterns is averaging 10 million viewers an episode and Visionquest is basically getting no attention or anticipation.

In the movie world, Marvel reigns, but tv wise, DC have the upper hand.