Lunchtime Photo — Throwback Thursday

I promised you a beard, so here’s a beard. I grew this in 2002, when I was switching roles at my old company from divisional manager to VP of strategic acquisitions. I asked for a six-week vacation before I took up my new role, and I figured that was a good time to find out what I looked like with facial hair. Mine grows very slowly, so I knew it would take a while.

In the end, it all worked out poorly. The beard, as expected, looked lousy, and the new job didn’t fit me either. After six months I left. I did a few different things over the next couple of years, and then accidentally ended up in the blogging and then magazine-writing world. And all because strategic acquisitions didn’t appeal to me. It’s funny how life works sometimes.

July 8, 2002 — Irvine, California

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BEFORE YOU CLICK AWAY!

“Lying.” “Disgusting.” “Scum.” “Slime.” “Corrupt.” “Enemy of the people.” Donald Trump has always made clear what he thinks of journalists. And it’s plain now that his administration intends to do everything it can to stop journalists from reporting things they don’t like—which is most things that are true.

No one gets to tell Mother Jones what to publish or not publish, because no one owns our fiercely independent newsroom. But that also means we need to directly raise the resources it takes to keep our journalism alive. There’s only one way for that to happen, and it’s readers like you stepping up. Please help with a donation today if you can—even a few bucks will make a real difference. A monthly gift would be incredible.

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