Is that an ad?!??

"If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent" (essextee)
03/25/2020 at 15:44 • Filed to: None

On muh good christian Oppo????

DISCUSSION (18)

Aremmes > If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent
03/25/2020 at 15:50

Oh, it IS an ad. I gotta find how to block this one.

For Sweden > If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent
03/25/2020 at 15:51

It’s a Tide ad

If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent > Aremmes
03/25/2020 at 15:52

It’s getting past adblock plus AND ublock origin on my end.

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent
03/25/2020 at 15:52

Please upgrade your Kinja+ subscription to the platinum package to get Oppo Gold bundled. It’s a bundle only deal.

E90M3 > If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent
03/25/2020 at 15:56

Kinja'd!!!

Just Jeepin' > If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent
03/25/2020 at 15:57

Given how close we came to losing Oppo, I don’t give a rat’s ass if they put a clumsy ad on there.

Aremmes > If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent
03/25/2020 at 16:01

Figured it out, just add “ cperformmedia-a.akamaihd.net” to your filter list.

WasGTIthenGTOthenNOVAnowbacktoGTI > If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent
03/25/2020 at 17:21

You can specifically block it on Ad Block Plus. Worked for me anyway...

PyramidHat > If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent
03/25/2020 at 17:24

Lessee: Dental implants, car insurance, luxury cars, eyeware, reverse mortgages, CD’s and “Trendy Dresses for Older Women”...are you a fellow middle-ager? (read: Gen X or older)

If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent > PyramidHat
03/25/2020 at 17:25

I’m 26

If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent > WasGTIthenGTOthenNOVAnowbacktoGTI
03/25/2020 at 17:25

That’s what I ended up doing

Stef Schrader > PyramidHat
03/26/2020 at 08:06

Yep. Absolutely disgusting chumbox.

And to think that previous owners didn’t want to put ads on here because they couldn’t control the content.

PyramidHat > Stef Schrader
03/26/2020 at 09:07

Alas, the new boss is not the same as the old boss...

Stef Schrader > PyramidHat
03/26/2020 at 09:23

I can’t believe they found a group of idiots who makes Univision’s ownership as the good ol’ days, but HERE WE ARE.

I didn’t trust Univision to sell the network to anyone who would treat it well, and welp. I should’ve found a new job before leaving, though. Everyone who stayed landed on their feet, while I’m the stupid leftover nobody wants to ha ve around.

PyramidHat > Stef Schrader
03/26/2020 at 09:34

Oh, I dunno...I think a few of us are glad you’re still here :)

But tell me, as I don’t know automotive journalism outside of reading it: what’s considered the dream job? Working for one of the big pubs (R&T, C/D)?

Stef Schrader > PyramidHat
03/26/2020 at 10:41

“Still” “here.” Just going through the motions, it feels like.

I just want a decent step up into a more senior role at a good, more stable publication. Senior something, a mid-level editor role, etc. I want better pay and less existential dread than I had over here. Opportunities for advancement would be nice! It’s encouraging to see places that promote from within. I’ve always been at the bottom level my whole life and it’s eating me alive to see everyone else able to get ahead when I can’t. I don’t know what’s wrong with me, or if I’m just in the wrong place at the wrong time. I want to be happy for other people without feeling as if I’m permanently locked out of being able to achieve success on my own. I just feel like a drain on everyone lately.

Anyway, I’d like to end up somewhere on par with Jalopnik, and not in an environment where I’d have to tone down what I say to appease advertisers or put salvaging manufacturer relationships over plain ol’ honesty. If something about a car is bad, I need to say that for my readers’ sake. Good editors are a must, too. Don’t add things in that I’d never say (running significant revisions by writers first is always a good idea!), catch my typos and encourage me to do cooler, better things. The R&Ts and C&Ds of the world seem pretty solid, as do some of the bigger web properties. Niche Porsche mags might be fun, too, and the longstanding Porsche mags seem to be pretty stable

It could also be fun to move over to a related subject or take on a broader subject range to break up the cars, cars, cars that is my life. I know the cars part is why I’m good at writing about cars, but let me talk about space pooping or houses! Cheese! Any number of other interesting things! Or I’d probably be happy doing communications stuff on the brand side, so long as it’s a brand I generally like the direction of. Goodness knows, I know what even the most cynical members of the journo side want. (Too bad “Cayenne Stan” isn’t a job title anywhere, haha.)

Really, I just want to have a steady paycheck again with enough money left over to do what I really want: hoon the cars. Get back into track days. Maybe get a PCA racing license and Spec 944 it up. Do more cheapo enduros. Fix my dumb cars. Do new and wonderful bad ideas. Ship the Lancer to the Nürburgring. Actually, shipping the 411 instead to do a combo roadtrip Wörthersee/Lemons car Nürburgring record would be the BEST bad idea ever. There are too few 411s at VW shows and that’s the biggest one I know of. (I need to fix it first.) Rallycross more. Try ice racing. You get thei idea, but I digress.

“Hoon the cars” is why I get myself up in the morning, and honestly, with all of my cars sorta-broken, all the local tracks shut down indefinitely and no hope of being able to really fix my cars up for repeated track pounding in sight, the whole “will to live” thing is a difficult proposition. Why am I here? Why do I bother? So I can just be disappointed again? I couldn’t get hired anywhere when times were good, so when times are bad, it’s certainly only going to get worse.

(Phew, long answer—but I’ve thought about this a lot. Goodness knows, I’ve had time. )

PyramidHat > Stef Schrader
03/27/2020 at 11:30

I know I’m just some rando on the internet, but I’m sorry you’re going through this. About 10 years ago, I went to a lecture held by Adam Savage and Jaime Hyneman. So meone asked them for general wisdom and Adam said something that really stuck: “You have more time than you think.” I’m 48 - while I’m doing better than I ever thought I would , I still feel there’s something else so I still remember those words.

Anyway, I hope you feel better/find what you’re needing . Do let us know when you decide to pull the rip cord, won’t you? I’m sure a lot of Opponauts would be interested.

Stef Schrader > PyramidHat
03/30/2020 at 04:49

I just feel like I’m permanently behind everyone else in life, with no opportunity to play catch-up. I know people say it’s bad to compare yourself with others, but when they’re getting ahead and making more than I am with similar experience and skills, something ain’t right.

As usual, I’m the one who gets screwed over. There’s just no hope.

Thanks for the kind words, though. If I’m ever able to make anything of myself beyond “industry leftover reject,” Oppo will be the first to know.