The Ralph Nader Radio Hour Podcast. They talk about a ton of people and orgs doing things.

My problem is I WANT to fight back. But I don’t know where to go as many of the orgs are lawyers, consumer rights, or environmental. I’m an academic who fled and desperately want to do something - form a research institute or think tank that helps inform. Where to start, though…

Im going to start physical mailings and cold emails. I’m over this job market, its AI/ATS nonsense, and the people who think its OK.

JFC…I had to take a second to blink and realize you were being facetious. I totally expected him to rename the medal.

Not great. My job is ending in ~10 weeks. Academic. My market is saturated and some. The amount of rejection letters for applications rivals the post 2008 world. Tried everything. Trying to continue my work, seek funding, but I don’t do grants and schmoozing for money well. I’m starting to wonder if I’m aging out or just so far down the pecking order that the surge of new and fleeing academics is making it impossible to continue. Lots of doubt. I get so much joy from my classroom, my students. And I may not get to do that again. Its terrifying and is shaping my day, overwhelming the good that is there.

So I’m scared, doubtful, and its compounding.

I find some of the subreddits that aren’t attractive for selling/marketing are ok. Otherwise…it’s been falling faster than my self-confidence. Which is pretty damn fast.

I’m new here. I’ve sat on short stories and some other works for too long. I’ve been writing a children’s adventure story which started as a gift to my kid. I finished rewriting it and completed a first draft that I’m going to table and come back to re-read.

In the interim, I started writing a sci-fi novella based on academics facing authoritarian takeover and punishment. Something I sadly know a little about.

I have yes. It’s a hefty sub fee IMO.

I made some stupid anxiety driven mistakes and luckily did not get hurt too much for it. A grant I was working on, rather rushed new organization, was shit and I was politely told just to stop as it wasn’t going to work. 3 months of work, but learned my lesson to slow down and not rush forward. Now if I can only maintain that lesson for the rest of my days.

Thanks for the suggestions and info everyone. I have some testing to do!

Academic here. I’m arguing amongst my colleagues that, practically, its already a hybrid regime. What’s that? Think China or Iran. Some local autonomy, some voting, but the real power is centralized in one person or party. A touch of aged democracy with a heavy dose of authoritarianism baked at 451 degrees.

The Constitution is not worthless, not bynany means. Its useful but in a new way. It has been co-opted into the regimes (and it is a regime now) ruling apparatus. A nostalgic and nebulous rallying cry when needed, and a useless piece of paper that doesn’t apply when necessary. Because the rule of law, that all important and oft misunderstood phrase, is truly dead, the regime can and is doing whatever it wants.

There may be a few moments of respite, a court case win a back off there, but those are strategic withdrawals. Distract and redirect.

That’s all. Keep your heads up, fight for a better tomorrow even if today is lost.

Tree fiddy is the only price I’m willing to pay.

I’m not quite sure how to jump into this, so here we go.

I’ve found myself unable to get new work but am in a position that I know my job is gone in 3 months. Academic, no funding.

I’ve been using Claude to parse through job postings and help me tailor a CV or resume. I never, if at all, even get a rejection email. I’m sad to say but leaving academia is going to likely be a survival issue. The prospect of having to get passed AI screeners is insane to me. AI is ruining so much in ordinary everyday life so rapidly that I’m frankly shocked…and I did climate disaster research so I’m hard to shock.

Thank you. I just needed to read that.

I’m ok. Made a big change with my family and moved after a residence permit was approved to another country (2+ year process). Starting over isn’t the right term, maybe learning to adult? Everything is just a little different, so I find myself lost or confused on everything from the grocery store, to the market, to norms on crossing the street. It’s overwhelming.

Applying for jobs has been, well, bad like everywhere else. So much ghosting or emails that start with “Thank you for applying…” or “With over 100 candidates…” and you can take it from there.

I tried it in BG3 and just nopped out. I just can’t do it. Neutral at worst for me.

Ok? I’ve been applying for every grant that I remotely qualify for (academic stuff). I moved across the world with my family. Trying to get myself started again and not feel worthless has been a challenge.

I hear feel this. I’ve applied to jobs, consulting roles, grants (I’m an academic). I empathize and you’re not alone in this.

Good week so far. Applying for grants and jobs, ditching Windows entirely and going with Pop_Os, reading a ton of history books just for fun.

I had a visa application in for another country. Was a long term long time plan to relocate back to the old country. My timing could not be worse, as the mood at the consulate has…shifted?

Public Administration and Policy.