How :poor: were you?

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max225
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:lol: This should be interesting... Share your :eeyore: :scrooge: stories.

My family and myself moved here to the states when I was a teenager (1999), with almost no money (sub $5K). I haven't worn "new" clothes until I was 20 years old. Didn't have furniture to do my homework on in the first 6 months here... couldn't afford anything until my junkyard/disposed desk, which I still have :lol:

My dad and mom both lost their jobs in 2001 (.com bubble), right when I was about to start college. Didn't have any money, but thankfully was granted Loans, when I graduated, I was -20k at 20 :lol: Not only did I not have money I was also in debt. I was working 20+ hrs a week since I was 17... Which means I have now been working longer than not working :disgust:

And here we are today, living in Utopia, driving a used mini cooper :lol:
That's my :eeyore: for the day.
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I was never actually poor because my fam always had my back.

Dad and mom were on WIC checks when I was born though. I nearly bankrupted my family with all the surgeries I needed.

Poorest I ever was... I was going out to my first internship in Connecticut. Had to buy a car, get my own car insurance, appropriate job clothes, an apartment, etc. I had it all figured out, depleted my savings account to buy a Ford Focus, outlet mall for polo shirts, and then SHTF. Apartments in CT were expensive as fuck. Eventually found one for $900/mo and took it. I couldn't afford security deposit, dad had to front me the cash.

I had about $150 in the bank when I left home. Got up there and bought some food which I didn't know how to cook. First day of the job I get to meet with HR and they inform me it'll be 4 weeks (2 cycles) before my first paycheck :shockedpikachu:

I lived for 4 weeks on about $80 in the bank. Literally ramen and peanut butter sandwiches.
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Was never poor, grew up better off than I am now. Wife grew up WAY better off than we are now. My family was solid middle class and my mom didn't work until after they got divorced. My mom has been working poor ever since, dad is still solid middle class and retired recently after 35 years with GM. 15 years ago he made about what my wife makes now, in absolute dollars - not inflation-adjusted, with no college degree and no direct reports.

Wife's family is full :waxer: but they don't have hobbies or enjoy nice things so it's kind of hard to even know how rich they really are - but they paid cash for 2 kids to go to private schools and universities and grad schools and the mom and kids never had jobs, plus two big houses and half a dozen condos in MA and they give away a lot of cash to charity and the extended family. He's been retired since age 55 or so.
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When I was a kid we lived in a trailer. My parents saved and bought a house around 94. Housing market was good to them.

We were never poor as kid but definitely not middle middle class either. We lived in a trailer, in a trailer park.

I did too for a minute but don't pretend I was 100%on my own. It was cheap college housing. The parents helped, as did my rich uncle.
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This is DFD, so I'm :wrong:

Rich? :wrong: Someone was richer
Poor? :wrong: Someone was poorer

I'm a middle class dude from the 'burbs. We went through some really rough times when my parent's got divorced, but I never went without.
4zilch wrote: Mon Apr 12, 2021 8:46 am I'm a fucking failure.
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Johnny_P wrote: Thu Oct 17, 2019 4:42 pm I was never actually poor because my fam always had my back.

Dad and mom were on WIC checks when I was born though. I nearly bankrupted my family with all the surgeries I needed.

Poorest I ever was... I was going out to my first internship in Connecticut. Had to buy a car, get my own car insurance, appropriate job clothes, an apartment, etc. I had it all figured out, depleted my savings account to buy a Ford Focus, outlet mall for polo shirts, and then SHTF. Apartments in CT were expensive as fuck. Eventually found one for $900/mo and took it. I couldn't afford security deposit, dad had to front me the cash.

I had about $150 in the bank when I left home. Got up there and bought some food which I didn't know how to cook. First day of the job I get to meet with HR and they inform me it'll be 4 weeks (2 cycles) before my first paycheck :shockedpikachu:

I lived for 4 weeks on about $80 in the bank. Literally ramen and peanut butter sandwiches.
4 weeks on $80 is :impressive: you didn't have a Crebitz card? I got my first "co sponsored" one with a $250 limit when I was 20 I think... :lol:
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Melon wrote: Thu Oct 17, 2019 5:19 pm This is DFD, so I'm :wrong:

Rich? :wrong: Someone was richer
Poor? :wrong: Someone was poorer

I'm a middle class dude from the 'burbs. We went through some really rough times when my parent's got divorced, but I never went without.
This is how america works. :hubba:
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troyguitar wrote: Thu Oct 17, 2019 4:57 pm Was never poor, grew up better off than I am now. Wife grew up WAY better off than we are now. My family was solid middle class and my mom didn't work until after they got divorced. My mom has been working poor ever since, dad is still solid middle class and retired recently after 35 years with GM. 15 years ago he made about what my wife makes now, in absolute dollars - not inflation-adjusted, with no college degree and no direct reports.

Wife's family is full :waxer: but they don't have hobbies or enjoy nice things so it's kind of hard to even know how rich they really are - but they paid cash for 2 kids to go to private schools and universities and grad schools and the mom and kids never had jobs, plus two big houses and half a dozen condos in MA and they give away a lot of cash to charity and the extended family. He's been retired since age 55 or so.
Unless your wife has siblings, why aren't you rolling in a BRZ yet? You guys are going to retire once the old folk are gonezo
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I grew up comfortable, never wanting for anything.

Then when I moved to CA, I discovered what it was like to be poor. $35k was my salary in 2007, I rented a room in a house owned by a crazy conservative dude for $500/mo. He liked to show me his guns and how his Duramax could "roll coal". :disgust:

I moved every year from apt to apt because rents increased to levels I couldn't afford. I did that for 5 years until I met my wife and we moved in with her grandparents after we got married to save money. It's that money we used to buy our first house in Detroit after we moved, and it's been pretty solid since. We've been very fortunate with real estate overall, but nothing crazy.

Now, I want for nothing other than for more free time and less stress. Which has lead me to a bit of a mid life crisis of sorts, but that's for another time in another thread.
Desertbreh wrote: Tue Oct 10, 2017 6:40 pm My guess would be that Chris took some time off because he has read the dialogue on this page 1,345 times and decided to spend some of his free time doing something besides beating a horse to death.
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max225 wrote:
troyguitar wrote: Thu Oct 17, 2019 4:57 pm Was never poor, grew up better off than I am now. Wife grew up WAY better off than we are now. My family was solid middle class and my mom didn't work until after they got divorced. My mom has been working poor ever since, dad is still solid middle class and retired recently after 35 years with GM. 15 years ago he made about what my wife makes now, in absolute dollars - not inflation-adjusted, with no college degree and no direct reports.

Wife's family is full :waxer: but they don't have hobbies or enjoy nice things so it's kind of hard to even know how rich they really are - but they paid cash for 2 kids to go to private schools and universities and grad schools and the mom and kids never had jobs, plus two big houses and half a dozen condos in MA and they give away a lot of cash to charity and the extended family. He's been retired since age 55 or so.
Unless your wife has siblings, why aren't you rolling in a BRZ yet? You guys are going to retire once the old folk are gonezo
No telling if or when that will happen. They give away a lot of money to charity and the fucking church, plus there are siblings and extended family who are worse off than us, plus... Her grandmother turned 96 last week and is still in pretty good health. There's likely to be a LONG time before we might see anything at all.

In the meantime I expect to have to support my mom starting in the next 20 or so years, plus possibly my dad if he keeps blowing money on boats, plus my sister's 2 kids really need a ton of help that she can never afford so in theory I should do that for her.
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troyguitar wrote: Thu Oct 17, 2019 5:46 pm
max225 wrote:
Unless your wife has siblings, why aren't you rolling in a BRZ yet? You guys are going to retire once the old folk are gonezo
No telling if or when that will happen. They give away a lot of money to charity and the fucking church, plus there are siblings and extended family who are worse off than us, plus... Her grandmother turned 96 last week and is still in pretty good health. There's likely to be a LONG time before we might see anything at all.

In the meantime I expect to have to support my mom starting in the next 20 or so years, plus possibly my dad if he keeps blowing money on boats, plus my sister's 2 kids really need a ton of help that she can never afford so in theory I should do that for her.
Fuck em that's their problem. :disgust: having this battle with the AZN at the moment.
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Detroit wrote: Thu Oct 17, 2019 5:36 pm I grew up comfortable, never wanting for anything.

Then when I moved to CA, I discovered what it was like to be poor. $35k was my salary in 2007, I rented a room in a house owned by a crazy conservative dude for $500/mo. He liked to show me his guns and how his Duramax could "roll coal". :disgust:

I moved every year from apt to apt because rents increased to levels I couldn't afford. I did that for 5 years until I met my wife and we moved in with her grandparents after we got married to save money. It's that money we used to buy our first house in Detroit after we moved, and it's been pretty solid since. We've been very fortunate with real estate overall, but nothing crazy.

Now, I want for nothing other than for more free time and less stress. Which has lead me to a bit of a mid life crisis of sorts, but that's for another time in another thread.
I am waiting for it ... literally same spot in life myself...

I started at $18 an hr in 05. Dat twin life :wub:
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My mom is up to about $12 an hour now at age 57, maybe $13? I forget. :thisisfine:
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max225 wrote: Thu Oct 17, 2019 4:36 pm :lol: This should be interesting... Share your :eeyore: :scrooge: stories.

My family and myself moved here to the states when I was a teenager (1999), with almost no money (sub $5K). I haven't worn "new" clothes until I was 20 years old. Didn't have furniture to do my homework on in the first 6 months here... couldn't afford anything until my junkyard/disposed desk, which I still have :lol:

My dad and mom both lost their jobs in 2001 (.com bubble), right when I was about to start college. Didn't have any money, but thankfully was granted Loans, when I graduated, I was -20k at 20 :lol: Not only did I not have money I was also in debt. I was working 20+ hrs a week since I was 17... Which means I have now been working longer than not working :disgust:

And here we are today, living in Utopia, driving a used mini cooper :lol:
That's my :eeyore: for the day.
My parents landed as refugees in the 1980s, poor as dirt. By the time I left the house we were middle class, I had no debts aside from a car loan and had enough saved up for a downpayment that my wife and I split on a semi-detached (split) home. I consider myself really lucky and thankful everyday.
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Ha. Good Thread Marshal Zhukov. Will contribute soon.
Detroit wrote:Buy 911s instead of diamonds.
Johnny_P wrote: Thu Feb 09, 2023 3:21 pm Earn it and burn it, Val.
max225 wrote: Mon May 01, 2023 5:35 pm Yes it's a cool car. But prepare the lube/sawdust.
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max225 wrote: Thu Oct 17, 2019 5:50 pm
Detroit wrote: Thu Oct 17, 2019 5:36 pm I grew up comfortable, never wanting for anything.

Then when I moved to CA, I discovered what it was like to be poor. $35k was my salary in 2007, I rented a room in a house owned by a crazy conservative dude for $500/mo. He liked to show me his guns and how his Duramax could "roll coal". :disgust:

I moved every year from apt to apt because rents increased to levels I couldn't afford. I did that for 5 years until I met my wife and we moved in with her grandparents after we got married to save money. It's that money we used to buy our first house in Detroit after we moved, and it's been pretty solid since. We've been very fortunate with real estate overall, but nothing crazy.

Now, I want for nothing other than for more free time and less stress. Which has lead me to a bit of a mid life crisis of sorts, but that's for another time in another thread.
I am waiting for it ... literally same spot in life myself...

I started at $18 an hr in 05. Dat twin life :wub:
I'll probably start a thread tomorrow.

You were at $18 an hour in 05 yet still managed to buy a used C5 cash not long after. Quite impressive, I was rolling my MKV that I took a $20k loan out on and wasn't sure how I'd make ends meet. :lolol:
Desertbreh wrote: Tue Oct 10, 2017 6:40 pm My guess would be that Chris took some time off because he has read the dialogue on this page 1,345 times and decided to spend some of his free time doing something besides beating a horse to death.
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1994, Wenatchee Washington. Moved with the ex. Living in an apartment, 75K in the hole from law school debt, just got hired by a guy for $1500/month. Prior to that I took my only four unemployment checks. That went up very rapidly from there, but that was my starting salary for my first gig as an attorney. Had to go grab something for the job, some kind of plans at a copy service....cash only. I had like $40 in my checking account.....I needed like $75. Forty fucking dollars. I think I took a cash advance on a credit card. My boss apologized for not giving me an office check when I arrived back but no way was I going to admit that I didn't have seventy five bucks to my name. Etched in my brain forever.

Grew up middle class, no food/shelter issues. Undergrad paid for. Fortunate son, but I'm trying to make my progeny even more fortunate as long as she's still pulling on the oar.
Detroit wrote:Buy 911s instead of diamonds.
Johnny_P wrote: Thu Feb 09, 2023 3:21 pm Earn it and burn it, Val.
max225 wrote: Mon May 01, 2023 5:35 pm Yes it's a cool car. But prepare the lube/sawdust.
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Max, what did your dad do when he got here/what does he do now?
Detroit wrote:Buy 911s instead of diamonds.
Johnny_P wrote: Thu Feb 09, 2023 3:21 pm Earn it and burn it, Val.
max225 wrote: Mon May 01, 2023 5:35 pm Yes it's a cool car. But prepare the lube/sawdust.
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Detroit wrote: Thu Oct 17, 2019 6:39 pm
max225 wrote: Thu Oct 17, 2019 5:50 pm

I am waiting for it ... literally same spot in life myself...

I started at $18 an hr in 05. Dat twin life :wub:
I'll probably start a thread tomorrow.

You were at $18 an hour in 05 yet still managed to buy a used C5 cash not long after. Quite impressive, I was rolling my MKV that I took a $20k loan out on and wasn't sure how I'd make ends meet. :lolol:
I was dirt cheap... and borrowed some money from my parents which I then paid back. I think I had 10k and borrowed 15k, paid em back after a year or so. Man that was ageees ago. I was a dumb ass for buying that car too. Fking :plac: life.
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Desertbreh wrote: Thu Oct 17, 2019 6:49 pm Max, what did your dad do when he got here/what does he do now?
Software/QA engineering. He was the head engineer of a Tram depot of the city where I was born... :yikes: He told me quite some stories...
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Desertbreh wrote: Thu Oct 17, 2019 6:48 pm 1994, Wenatchee Washington. Moved with the ex. Living in an apartment, 75K in the hole from law school debt, just got hired by a guy for $1500/month. Prior to that I took my only four unemployment checks. That went up very rapidly from there, but that was my starting salary for my first gig as an attorney. Had to go grab something for the job, some kind of plans at a copy service....cash only. I had like $40 in my checking account.....I needed like $75. Forty fucking dollars. I think I took a cash advance on a credit card. My boss apologized for not giving me an office check when I arrived back but no way was I going to admit that I didn't have seventy five bucks to my name. Etched in my brain forever.

Grew up middle class, no food/shelter issues. Undergrad paid for. Fortunate son, but I'm trying to make my progeny even more fortunate as long as she's still pulling on the oar.
ah yes... man 75k in the hole in 94 is insane... that's a house in todays dollars.
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max225 wrote: Thu Oct 17, 2019 6:54 pm
Detroit wrote: Thu Oct 17, 2019 6:39 pm
I'll probably start a thread tomorrow.

You were at $18 an hour in 05 yet still managed to buy a used C5 cash not long after. Quite impressive, I was rolling my MKV that I took a $20k loan out on and wasn't sure how I'd make ends meet. :lolol:
I was dirt cheap... and borrowed some money from my parents which I then paid back. I think I had 10k and borrowed 15k, paid em back after a year or so. Man that was ageees ago. I was a dumb ass for buying that car too. Fking :plac: life.
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Desertbreh wrote: Tue Oct 10, 2017 6:40 pm My guess would be that Chris took some time off because he has read the dialogue on this page 1,345 times and decided to spend some of his free time doing something besides beating a horse to death.
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Lets go back to the era where I bought my mk6 GTI. I was still not exactly independent where I wasn't used to having major financial responsibilities like car payment/insurance; so living the mommy/daddy sponsor life back then, but definitely don't want to imagine that right now especially considering how much I used to make :lol: I can certainly say I was better than I am now in the first 2 years of my mk7's ownership, then I struggled where I had to prioritize my spendings, it sucked, but honestly could've been worse. In 2017 most of my cards were maxed out, and then again for nearly couple months for 2018. But fine since then and not far off where I used to be in my mk6/early mk7 days.

My parents fortunately were never poor nor rich throughout my entire life pretty much, other than a few hiccups. My dad however, grew up poor where he almost got evicted when he was a teenager and my mom was from a :waxer: family.
Nephew of a :plac: a few first gen immigrant on DFD, resident turk, and ex nazi egg lover now driving a middle class mom mobile.
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My young life was spent in a typical immigrant family situation. Bro and I born here, mom born here from immigrant parents. Old man was an immigrant with a 6th grade education from the Old Country due to the Nazi invasion and occupation, which killed his father due to starvation (he gave up all his meager food so his kids could eat-they all survived the occupation, he didn't). As a young child 6 of us lived in a 2 bedroom/1 bathroom apartment - 4 adults and 2 kids (parents, uncle, maternal grandfather+bro and me). Old man had several jobs, taxi driver, successful tavern owner, failed shoe store owner, failed produce store owner) Bro and I shared a bedroom with our grandfather and uncle. Fast forward a few years, grandpa died when I was 5, uncle got on his feet and moved out, old man bailed on us for reasons when bro and I were 11 and 16 and mom didn't have a job or car. Old Man also bailed on his meager child support obligation ($25/wk) after a couple months. Mom scrambled to buy a car (74 Mercury Capri, kind of a :neat: car) and get a job. We had some LEAN Christmases for several years (underwear and socks-type gifts, super practical but necessary stuff). Meanwhile bro got an after school job to help out, I shoveled snow for the elderly neighbor for a few shekels, etc. We got by for a while, never went hungry, rarely had new clothes, etc, but soon the neighborhood starting really going to shit with increased gang activity, shootings, break ins, etc. but we couldn't afford to move. Went to a local college that I could walk to until I finally bought my Beetle. I had a decent after school jerb by then, making about $10k/year. Bro and I still lived at home because we had to; mom (or her sons) couldn't make it on her own on her secretary salary so we needed to pool our measly earnings to eat daily and not be homeless. Eventually, after saving and borrowing $10k from the uncle who used to lived with us, the 3 of us pooled our salary (combined $45k/yr) and put down 20% and bought a :scrooge: little Chicago bungalow, which is a 5/7 awesome, sturdy little starter home, for under $90k. All 3 of us were on the title so I became a homeowner at age 22. The night before we moved out I heard 5 gunshots in the alley followed by ambulances. It was definitely time to go. Things were tough for a while, but we made it work and bro and I were able to leave once we, and mom, were able to fend for ourselves. Fast forward several decades and we're all doing 5/7 well and other than the bullshit my old man put us through, (he was a real ass for years after he left as he refused to go away), it wasn't a bad childhood. We were happy, used our imaginations a TON to play and have fun, etc. I had a bike that I spent hours on every day in the summer. Had a few good neighbors, etc. Didn't get shot or mugged.
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Born and spent the first three years of my childhood in Romania. Parents applied for the Diversity Visa Lottery program hosted by the US government where they pick families to come here and have an expedited and free path to citizenship so they can pull in immigrants from places other than just Mexico, China, etc.

My parents weren’t super well off, but my dad did own a few businesses and land in Romania. Neither had a college education but the opportunity to become US Citizens lit a fire under their ass to step up and be productive members of their new society.

Mind you around this time Romania was only a few years fresh off the communist revolution train (1989) and it was still very corrupt with many of the cronies that were at the top levels of communist government just taking leadership roles in democratic parties that made up parliament.

Anyways, I was an only child and born with cleft lip and palate. Fortunately romania has free healthcare for all children/under 18 citizens. Saved my parents what would’ve been a house in surgeries by being a dual citizen and flying back as needed for surgeries (mind you 99% of our family is still in Romania).

We get to the states and my dad would literally deliver food for pizza places and Chinese restaurants, mom worked as a waitress and several restaurants, and finally a Romanian restaurant before she launched her own career track working in high end retail. She worked at Bloomingdale’s and climbed up super fast to become brand ambassadors for designers and would get flown out to NYC every year to see unreleased “season” merchandise (even broke bread with Kate Spade once).

Dad decided he would do the delivery business on his terms, so he bought a Mercedes Sprinter van and established his own business. He started contracting for last mile/aircraft on ground/rush/sensitive logistical packages that needed to be delivered ASAP. He wasn’t in a locked route truck, so he sort of paved his own career track as well.

My mom eventually got tired of dealing with :pout: rich people who demean her and she quit for a manager position at Marshall’s/Homegoods. They love her so much that they fly her out to train other store managers and she hasn’t even been there but for 2 years now I believe.

Dad and mom eventually became estranged/drugged away because my dad in general seems to be a very old school “man” mentality who is sexist and jealous and whatnot, so he drove her away. Plus he wasn’t really responsible with the finances and overall I left the coop (only child) so they kind of had nothing else to really work/live for.

Regardless, they both support me in any way they can. My mom’s parents live with them currently. I always thought of myself and my family as “well off” but a lot of that was due to my dad spending shit to look a certain part. My first car was a hand me down 2005 Porsche Cayenne that was handed to me due to my dad buying a 2012 Cayenne for the family.

My parents still help pay for my car but that is purely because they want to still feel like they are helping and maintain a relationship with me. Myself, I’ve done well to pretty much use the platform and opportunities my parents gave me to make them proud. Not Ivy League valedictorian proud, but in a way, Swiss Army knife proud.

Busted ass in high school while still doing sports and having a social life. that got me a full ride to a local public university where I networked and interned and made my own opportunities to the point where I had 2 relevant internships, 2 years of research leadership experience, etc. graduated and started working at Tarjay doing loss prevention. Once there I started applying everywhere and ended up in my current gig. A year and a half into my entry level at current company I got tapped to get promoted and move to San Antonio. 40% lower cost of living with a 58% raise and i make just about 10% less than my mom does before bonuses.

I am pretty :fuckyeah: at the circumstances all things said and done, I’m happy my parents weren’t shitheads who abused the system once they got citizenship handed to them on a platter and they worked hard to assimilate and contribute to society, and I take their work ethic with me as it shapes and defines who I am.
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Desertbreh wrote: Thu Oct 17, 2019 3:05 pm DFD. The forum where everybody makes the same choices and then tells anybody trying to join the club that they are the stupidest motherfucker to ever walk the earth.
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