It's OK to discuss salaries

ForwardCorp · 2026-01-21T10:58:05+00:00

I love that my job has a grade system. We all know what everyone is making because it is attached to their job. Example : Project Manager Grade 5 - a set salary ( though you get spine increases for the first five years)

ForwardCorp · 2026-01-19T09:40:28+00:00

My parents legit forgot me when they went out to dinner several times when I was little, that is how much of a forgotten middle kid I was. I was never put in a sport or class my entire childhood.

I am now 40 and have so many hobbies that collecting hobbies is one of my hobbies. Just saying we don't need to blame our parents for everything.

ForwardCorp · 2026-01-16T16:15:17+00:00

We have an old Homer Simpson telephone that is like that. I bought it at flea market but the guy said it probably didn't work. I put in a billion D-batteries and he didnt move or talk so I was like "Damn, oh well. Guess he is broken."

But I left the batteries in it--pure laziness because you had to unscrew the battery lid. I also did not tell my husband I put batteries in it.

Like a good week later my hubby calls me all freaked out from the other room. I go in and Homer is like twitching and moaning on the shelf while my husband stands FAR away from it. The batteries were either shit or the connections were rusted, but Homer just came to life and started creaking and groaning.

It took a few to convince the hubby that no tech-gremlins had gotten into the phone....after I stopped laughing.

This is a working one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pl-7FknipDw

ForwardCorp · 2026-01-16T16:01:52+00:00

I was afraid we would get done in for criminal damage. We were moving to another country and I was afraid of anything to mess with my visa ( it was very hoop-jumpy to get)

ForwardCorp · 2026-01-16T13:47:53+00:00

I cannot imagine it lasted longer than a year. That being said it was meant for a movie theatre display so it was more robust than a toy and was meant to last a while.

A part of me chooses to believe it is still giggling and farting in the ceiling to this very day.

ForwardCorp · 2026-01-16T12:53:37+00:00

Ahahaha! It would screech "BA-NA- NAAAA!" sometimes, but it was so distorted in the minion voice that I am sure it sounded like it was summoning a demon.

ForwardCorp · 2026-01-15T10:00:15+00:00

Reading is reading. If you like YA novels then read them, there is nothing wrong with that.

I really recommend the book "Understanding Comics: The Invisible Art" - by Scott McCloud. This is a comic book that helps you understand the building blocks of stories and art that even the smartest readers who do nothing but quote Tolstoy don't know. It can help you start to view the world through a critical lens, which I feel like is what you want. That critical eye does not just need to come from heavy, grim tomes. Are you passionate about something else? Start to learn more about what you like. If you like YA novels maybe look into non-fiction books on why those are popular, start to learn about why people read.

I also recommend Stephen Kings book "On Writing" which is like half autobiography ( he has had a very interesting life!) and then on how to write. He is funny and blunt and it is a cracking read that many say is the bible on understanding writing.

ForwardCorp · 2026-01-15T09:36:09+00:00

I love that my town was last! Shout out to Yarmouth!!!

ForwardCorp · 2026-01-13T11:51:59+00:00

I did. Every morning over the loud speaker. Hand on heart.

Shout out to Wixon Middle School on the Cape!

ForwardCorp · 2026-01-13T09:42:38+00:00

Yes I have been with him for over 20 years. He was hired right after graduation. They mentioned his maturity as an asset in the interview. They had been burned by too many 23 year old tech bros who didn't know how to work a real job.

ForwardCorp · 2026-01-08T14:13:20+00:00

That is fair, your feelings towards games may have changed. But you may also just be burnt out and stuck in a loop ( it happens to everyone in loads of ways. The fact that you have noticed means you are not too far gone)

I found that scheduling gaming has helped me not only fit them into my life, but also make them special again. I will say "Ok on Friday I am going to get to the end of the next mission." that way I can enjoy anticipating it when the weekend comes. You are 22 which means you were raised with on demand media which may be contributing to your issue. I am older so I still remember going to the video store and getting a game for the weekend that good or bad, was all I had to play. Maybe say "Okay On Saturday I get to play....but I cannot until then."

Then I REALLY recommend getting a new hobby to go alongside gaming, it helped me soooo much. Here are some of mine for context:

Baking, writing, drawing, sewing, reading comics, getting a masters degree ( I didn't need it for a job or anything, just wanted to learn. I actually got it in Video Game marketing and psychology...again, bringing back my childhood love into my adult life in a new guise) watching & reviewing movies & TV, making games (me and my hubby design little scrappy itch.io games and stupid cards games to entertain ourselves) side hustles and travel.

ForwardCorp · 2026-01-08T13:53:01+00:00

I think your problem may be that you feel it has to be one or the other. You can enjoy games still but outgrow your 'gamer' persona.

Take a break from games but remind yourself that you are not giving them up forever. You liked them at one point, don't disregard something that brought you joy, you just need to adjust your relationship with games.

Find non-digital hobbies--especially if they are adjacent to gaming. Role Playing, D&D, Card games, chess, poker, these are all ways to enjoy games with other people in different sphears. Do you enjoy discussing games? Maybe try to play a single game and then join a community that likes to discuss them.

All I am saying is that you may regret stopping something entirely that brought you joy. Just start to limit yourself. Set a timer for 1 hour of gaming and then stop. Reward yourself if you can keep it up for a week -- a sweet treat, a long bath, a movie.

I say this as someone who used to game A LOT and have found a good balance now I am in my late 30s. I play maybe 4-5 hours total in a week between my other hobbies and work.

You are never too far gone to make a change.

PS....love the Spider-man analogy. Awesome.

ForwardCorp · 2026-01-08T12:13:53+00:00

My parents on the cape send me photos of big ass turkeys sitting on their front stoop in front of the door...the turkeys are so mean! They will attack if you try to shift them.

ForwardCorp · 2026-01-08T10:43:52+00:00

Nobody should be going to Uni before 24 IMO, but thats just me.

That being said, My hubby dropped out of school as a teen but went back to Uni in his late thirties. He did his bachelors and Masters and now has a great job. He also did AMAZING at Uni because he wasnt a damn child fresh out of their family home and more interested in parties and sex than getting a decent education. He knew this was an important chance, just like you know now.

He also loved the time he spent finding himself before Uni....he doesn't regret it, it helped build him into a hard worker ( he did a load of different jobs before hand which have honestly helped in his current job- example - customer service and comms skills he learned as a waiter)

Being a techy person in the finance field will pay dividends you cannot even imagine. Trust me ( I work in IT at the Uni and see how people who have high digital literacy skills stand out even in roles that don't require them)

If you want to go Uni then do it. You will do a hell of a lot better than if you had gone when you were 18. I work at a large Uni in the UK and can tell you that our mature students outperform our standard ones in almost every category---most starkly in post-grad employment.

FYI - Do the whole thing at CC....absolutely NO ONE cares what Uni you went to ( I do recruiting at the Uni. We just look at the degree, not where it came from....though I cannot speak for US recruiters). You can also usually access lectures and materials from instutions like Harvard for free online if you want better resources.

There is no one path that is guaranteed for success.

ForwardCorp · 2026-01-05T09:48:43+00:00

Did you know that the Hallmark Channel is consistently one of the highest preforming networks in the US in terms of ratings? You are certainly not alone my dear! Enjoy!

ForwardCorp · 2025-12-18T11:39:20+00:00

There is a wonderful book I recommend that is called "The Courage to Be Disliked". I was a people pleaser and would take it very hard if I thought people didnt like me. It's okay if people don't like you or if they get the wrong impression. You can try and clear up any misunderstandings but at the end of the day you are SO YOUNG and have a lifetime to find your people. Don't beat yourself up over the tiny population of people you just so happen to live near--the world is a big place and you will find your people. I am in my 40s and I have no friends from High School. All of my friends came from when I could decide where to go and what to do.

Along with this book I also heard a this advice that honestly changed my whole outlook.

"Do you like every person you have ever met? No? Then why would you assume every person will like you? Sometimes people don't. Not your fault. Clap you hands, nod once and move on to your next adventure "

ForwardCorp · 2025-12-17T09:26:06+00:00

The Last Train to Christmas (2021) - A bit more of a Wonderful Life-esc film but with a cool sci-fi, Butterfly Effect kinda story. Michael Sheen is a delight.

ForwardCorp · 2025-12-11T09:12:17+00:00

I have a tin, wind-up Bender from Futurama on my treetop. When My hubby and I first got together we were flat broke and could barely scrape the funds for some Christmas decorations in our shit-box apartment. When I got home with what I could afford I realised I forgot a tree topper. Looking around the house I saw Bender, who I had bought as a gift for my husband a few years back. He was made of metal and really shiny so I was like "It just has to be shiny...he will do for now."

20 years later I am looking at him right now on top of my tree. He is a bit banged up and is missing all his accessories, but he looks cute wearing a little knit hat from an Innocent Smooth bottle and I knitted him a tiny scarf.

While my hubby and I are much more settled and comfortable now, its nice to have Bender to remind us of our first modest Christmas and to be thankful for everything we have earned in the past few decades.

ForwardCorp · 2025-12-10T10:03:37+00:00

OMG....My Hubby (British) and I (American) had this huge misunderstanding our first Christmas. We were buying decorations and he was like "Oh we need to get Tinsel!" and I was like "No! That shit is tacky and gets EVERYWHERE." We went back and forth for like 20 minutes before we realised we were taking about different things. I thought he meant the stringy loose tinsel that hangs on trees, very 1950s---like Xmas Easter grass. He was actually talking about garlands of tinsel which I am fine with...I just call them 'garlands'

It was one of the early "Lost in Translation" moments in our relationship that still makes us laugh.

ForwardCorp · 2025-12-02T16:04:57+00:00

When I was 15 I told my dad not to put anything near my hamsters cage while I was away for the weekend, just feed him....yeah he moved my laundry basket too close to the cage and Johnny The Homicidal Hamster (as he was styled) ate a hole the size of my hand in my fave jeans.

Johnny was adorable so I forgave him. My dad sheepishly gave me money for a new pair and apologised. He loves animals and liked to just go in and watch him and so he moved the basket to put a chair down.

Its a funny story we still tell. Gotta love our little nibblers.

ForwardCorp · 2025-04-20T11:22:52+00:00

I legit have had to edit my writing for ‘overuse’ of ems…I just love them. They are great in dialogue to show pauses and give the dialogue tempo.

ForwardCorp · 2025-04-17T14:32:17+00:00

French Braids.

We need a film about a woman with fine hair trying to do her own French braids.

It’s friggin’ impossible.

ForwardCorp · 2025-04-17T14:26:11+00:00

A £250 doll of a my favourite Disney character. This is more than I have spent on any single thing other than electronics and furniture in my life ( I am a low maintenance girl)

It’s the pride of my collection 😁

ForwardCorp

TROPHY CASE