In 2014, I was given a complimentary coffee mug by the Association for the National History Day. I used the mug for a while and then left it on a shelf in my office. Some time later I discovered that the mug was not cleaned before being shelved and a mold started to grow inside. I decided to not clean the mold and look after it as long as I could, because it was the perfect metaphor for my disappointment with academia. Slogans printed on the outside of the mug further enhanced the relevance of this 5 years old mold.