"Actually, that's exactly what I'm thinking about doing. The Mod II of that idea is to maybe team up with some of the older tech guys in the area and start a company just for experienced techies. But I don't really need much help, I'm pretty sure I can carve out a niche on my own. Still, it's nice to share an office with like-minded people. You can do more, aim bid bigger gigs. It's a trade off."
You might look into working with a few of the older guys...like you said, will give you the ability to bid on bigger projects.
If you can manage to incorporate the company with either a minority, or female owned (female minority is the best) you can find yourself in competition for Govt / DoD related small business projects...and be rolling in jobs and money.
Something to seriously look into. Sadly...the minority/female 51% ownership, from what I've seen in the world...is absolutely a requirement to get into these contracts. But hey, you gotta do what you gotta do to get in there and get a piece of the pie.
"The Logan's Run reference wasn't lost on me... I saw it in the theaters when it was 'new'. The red crystal in the palm of his hand shouldn't be going off until he's 30."
Oh c'mon...you're old enough and should have read the book (much better than the movie by the way)....and you'd know the true age your crystal signaled you for "lastday"...was the ripe old age of 21.
Each crystal color change happened at 7 year intervals.
"I'm going to have to start my own business again. Searching for a programming job when you're over 50 is a Sisyphean endeavor. It's all a go until you get to the interview and, no matter how well that goes, the job goes to a younger candidate. "
Interesting. You might consider incorporating yourself (if not already), and doing the contracting thing? I mean, I've done mostly that the past years....and honestly, they never really know my age, especially since all my interviews have been phone interviews!!
Hard to tell your age if they can't see your face!
:)
But seriously...look into it...places that want contractors WANT someone experienced, and that can come in, be the gunslinger and get things done, and they PAY extremely well too. I find MANY more 'older' people out in the contracting world than young ones, and they don't seem to have a problem getting work at good pay.
"Keeping more than one version of anything requires effort and more people. Also, it's not THAT much different. A few links and buttons were moved around and panels changed a bit. Other than that, I can't really tell what else has changed. If you're complaining about that...i mean really... i'll just get off your lawn now."
That, and I find the newer version, is MUCH slower...on older hardware.
I've got an old iBook G3...and am stuck at an older version of Firefox on it....and the newer version of Gmail is just dog slow.
Just liked to keep using an old lappy that is chugging along, and for just webmail, I'd like to keep using it...it should suffice, but the webmail part has gotten just too big and slow with all of the (IMHO) unneeded additions. How about just simple web facing email? Or, at least give options to turn most of the crap like chat and what-have-you off?
"This looks a lot more like "corporate espionage" than "kickbacks". I usually consider kickbacks to mean that he accepted bribes from clients for favoritism. But this guy was basically getting paid to spy on his employer and provide intelligence."
If this is actually the case....is there an actual CRIMINAL law against letting out company information for $$?
I mean, sure...he's likely open to civil lawsuit from Apple on his doing this, violation of NDA's..etc, but is there an actual federal/state law making this a criminal offense?
This is all nice and good, but, I sure wish they'd not phase out the 'classic' gmail look. I just don't like the new interface, and can't imagine it takes THAT much effort to keep this older, simpler one around?
"I really value my exercise time for this 'down time.' I can't stand running with headphones because I can't get lost in the moment. "
I'm the opposite...I find that I really LOVE tunes when exercising, both with weights and aerobic (mostly walk/running). I find that it distracts me from the 'pain' aspect, and especially the boring monotonous part of walking/running. I love slinging weights, but do not enjoy the aerobic stuff, but to me...it is a very necessary evil.
Especially in my past...when doing things like studying for finals, etc, I found that if I was in a completely silent room, my mind would wander, and I'd find myself soon doing things ranging from cleaning the apt (never cleaner than during finals)...to learning to juggle oranges.
However, if I had the tv on in the background, or threw on a bunch of CD's on the changer...I'd hum along tap my pen...etc, while I could study and concentrate. I'd find often after awhile, I'd played through all the CD's...and not realized or remembered much of what was going on. Strange.
I find I'm the same way when trying to sleep....if it is pitch black, and silent, I have a hard time shutting off my brain to go to sleep. So, I always set my TV on the timer, and at a fairly low volume where I can barely hear it...and drift off to sleep, and it turns itself off when I crash.
I've always been this way...only recently is there a major exception, and that is at work...I find that often when in a tense situation, needing research and troubleshooting, I can't don the headphones usually, but like you mentioned, maybe that is age?
"You and your fancy 6 cylinders, 12 volt electric, and a TURBO.
My 356 with Bursch exhaust probably sounds nicer, and I can cruise with 6 windows open! Lets see you do that in your fancy Butzi designed car!"
Well, the Vette had a nice healthy V8 in it....The Porsche had 6 VERY LARGE cylinders in it, which seemed pretty darned effective.
And windows down during August in New Orleans, in the summer? No thanks...I need my engine/exhaust to sound good enough to hear with the windows up and the AC on full blast!!
"I'm extremely happy that most of the real talent comes from a random dude in a basement with a homemade vocal booth, or some chick jamming on a synth in a bedroom. Being able to get our own emotions and musical inspirations available to the public so easily (and cheaply!) is, in my opinion, one of the greatest side effects of the Internet."
The only real downside is....finding these talented musicians.
At least...for those of us with real jobs, where you can't generally stream music while at work (security and bandwidth concens), and certainly can't spend the day searching for content.
At the end of the day...sure, I guess some time could be used, but many of us have family obligations, etc.
If you have time to spend searching and downloading and listening to it all to cull out the crap...sure you can find good new music.
But, it sure used to be easier in my day...just turn on the radio while driving about....or even at work. But, alas...they killed that long ago too...
"Somehow the republicans have managed to convince people that increasing taxes on the rich (over $250,000/yr) "
Where do you live where a working couple making $25oK/yr are RICH???
Sure, fairly well to do in some parts of the country, but barely scraping by in other parts.
If you are working a private business ("S" corp or maybe LLC), you're business dollars fall through to your personal taxes..this can make it look like you are making a TON of money, even if you are putting most of it back into the company.
An individual making in the lower 6 figures, is not rich in this day in age my friend....
"That doesn't stop my manufacturer from setting up the electronic and the software to prevent it. I can stick the part on, but the computer fights back and compensates for the extra HP. It's a rare thing, but my 2006 car does this and annoyed a few modders since the car has potential. I think the most performance add-on I can use is a cold air intake."
"Why are people repeating this over and over again w/o walking down to the damned produce section in Mega-Lo-Mart and even ATTEMPTING to find something that was grown within 1000 miles of their home? Mexican strawberries? Fish from Chile? Apples from China? Brazilian beef? Helloooo! Oh, wait, the GMO wheat, HFC and soy-based oil in my Coke, Twinkies and Cheetoes is locally produced. Thanks, rural resident!"
Wow...where do you live that you can't find US grown produce and meat?
Sure, I see some of those labels, but usually on fruits and veggies that are out of season in the US. I tend to buy what is in season, and I easily find it grown from US farms.
And I am glad that they now have to label where seafood is caught. I do not buy foreign seafood, but then again, I live in New Orleans, and local seafood is no problem to get here. Thankfully...it really has not been impacted by the oil spill....and we're all glad that much of the fishing areas have been re-opened.
"Large cities often impose an additional sales (or wage) tax in addition to what the state already imposes; rural residents avoid paying those taxes."
But, wouldn't that be due to people in cities requiring and consuming more city resources? I think this example, the city people are just paying for city services they need that a more rural populations does not? Garbage pickup might be a good example.
Yeah...but most cities in the US are not densely packed urban areas. Most are spread out....I'd argue that THEY use more cars, to drive more miles than sparsely populated areas do. Most people live in cities sure, but they still have to drive a lot to work, shop and do general things to live.
I think one problem is here...that most people when they speak of the 'city' they are talking about the super population dense ones like NYC. The problem is, that really is NOT the typical city in the US. Most cities are not densely populated in a small area, but are instead.....spread out, and really the suburbs are part of those cities.
And in the more typical city, as someone else pointed out, look at all the driving that takes place, to shop, to work, etc. There is no viable mass transit in most of the typical cities. YOu have to drive to get food, to eat out, to work...to do anything, and some are worse than others. When I visit friends in Nashville...I joke with them that it seems you have to drive 20 min just to get ANYWHERE to do anything. They agreed that's about right.
Don't even get me started on Houston.
So, I posit to you, that it really isn't the few people that are truly rural that are the problem, but the way most typical cities have evolved, and currently function.
"The same now applies to the US. While you could blockade the US fairly easily with a fleet or two of submarines I have a sneaky feeling it would not take very long for the US to sink them all and then bomb the crap out of whatever country tried it."
Well, we do build a lot of bombs and other weapons....and occasionally, we do need to get rid of some inventory...
"If privacy is a big concern for you my answer will probably keep you away from FS: I just like to see what people are up to in their daily lives. The places that are important to them."
Well, much like my considerations for FB...I was thinking of making a pretty untraceable account for both....and doing them that way, but keeping any personally identifiable information off the accounts. I figured I'd set up a 'nym' email account to do it through....and likely only 'check in' through browsers with tor running...
"Because all of us here on the internet (the younger generations) are accepting of the majority of now middle-aged Americans that support monitoring of the internet, support outlawing gay marriage, support a zero-tolerance war on drugs, etc..."
Hmm...well, I guess I'm middle aged now...[shudder}, but honestly, most people I know MY age, do not support monitoring of internet, the war on drugs (hell, most everyone I grew up with grew up with at least a little weed in their history in HS and college bare minimum). I'll give you the 50/50 on gay marriage, although most I talk to think that the govt. should not be in the marriage business, let marriage be a church thing, between man and women, but that the govt. can sanction the financial contract between the parties...that should make everyone happy.
Frankly, it those older than myself and my immediate generation that are governing and against the things you wish.
I was there when the web started to take hold...so, most of my peers were there too, and we remember the true wild west days of it...and aren't for monitoring or stifling it.
I guess tho...we would be the guilty party in what I mentioned...in "accepting" some of these...and your generation is now "embracing" them.
Hard sometimes to know a freedom has been lost, if you never grew up with it in the first place.
Slashdot Mirror
You might look into working with a few of the older guys...like you said, will give you the ability to bid on bigger projects.
If you can manage to incorporate the company with either a minority, or female owned (female minority is the best) you can find yourself in competition for Govt / DoD related small business projects...and be rolling in jobs and money.
Something to seriously look into. Sadly...the minority/female 51% ownership, from what I've seen in the world...is absolutely a requirement to get into these contracts. But hey, you gotta do what you gotta do to get in there and get a piece of the pie.
Oh c'mon...you're old enough and should have read the book (much better than the movie by the way)....and you'd know the true age your crystal signaled you for "lastday"...was the ripe old age of 21.
Each crystal color change happened at 7 year intervals.
That's actually a nice way of thinking about it...
Sadly, that type of thinking isn't ever gonna make you rich.
Interesting. You might consider incorporating yourself (if not already), and doing the contracting thing? I mean, I've done mostly that the past years....and honestly, they never really know my age, especially since all my interviews have been phone interviews!!
Hard to tell your age if they can't see your face!
But seriously...look into it...places that want contractors WANT someone experienced, and that can come in, be the gunslinger and get things done, and they PAY extremely well too. I find MANY more 'older' people out in the contracting world than young ones, and they don't seem to have a problem getting work at good pay.
I would venture to guess...there are PLENTY of 40-50yr olds that have yet to see a project managed competently...
I love mutt...but I can't figure how to keep it from downloading EVERYTHING from gmail via imap every time it accesses it....any tips?
That, and I find the newer version, is MUCH slower...on older hardware.
I've got an old iBook G3...and am stuck at an older version of Firefox on it....and the newer version of Gmail is just dog slow.
Just liked to keep using an old lappy that is chugging along, and for just webmail, I'd like to keep using it...it should suffice, but the webmail part has gotten just too big and slow with all of the (IMHO) unneeded additions. How about just simple web facing email? Or, at least give options to turn most of the crap like chat and what-have-you off?
If this is actually the case....is there an actual CRIMINAL law against letting out company information for $$?
I mean, sure...he's likely open to civil lawsuit from Apple on his doing this, violation of NDA's..etc, but is there an actual federal/state law making this a criminal offense?
This is all nice and good, but, I sure wish they'd not phase out the 'classic' gmail look. I just don't like the new interface, and can't imagine it takes THAT much effort to keep this older, simpler one around?
Seriously, if this guy was socking cash back and wanted to hide it from the feds, why didn't he think of better hiding places?
Heck, just watching the Sopranos would give you some better ideas for cash placement than shoe boxes all over the house.
I'm the opposite...I find that I really LOVE tunes when exercising, both with weights and aerobic (mostly walk/running). I find that it distracts me from the 'pain' aspect, and especially the boring monotonous part of walking/running. I love slinging weights, but do not enjoy the aerobic stuff, but to me...it is a very necessary evil.
Especially in my past...when doing things like studying for finals, etc, I found that if I was in a completely silent room, my mind would wander, and I'd find myself soon doing things ranging from cleaning the apt (never cleaner than during finals)...to learning to juggle oranges.
However, if I had the tv on in the background, or threw on a bunch of CD's on the changer...I'd hum along tap my pen...etc, while I could study and concentrate. I'd find often after awhile, I'd played through all the CD's...and not realized or remembered much of what was going on. Strange.
I find I'm the same way when trying to sleep....if it is pitch black, and silent, I have a hard time shutting off my brain to go to sleep. So, I always set my TV on the timer, and at a fairly low volume where I can barely hear it...and drift off to sleep, and it turns itself off when I crash.
I've always been this way...only recently is there a major exception, and that is at work...I find that often when in a tense situation, needing research and troubleshooting, I can't don the headphones usually, but like you mentioned, maybe that is age?
My 356 with Bursch exhaust probably sounds nicer, and I can cruise with 6 windows open! Lets see you do that in your fancy Butzi designed car!"
Well, the Vette had a nice healthy V8 in it....The Porsche had 6 VERY LARGE cylinders in it, which seemed pretty darned effective.
And windows down during August in New Orleans, in the summer? No thanks...I need my engine/exhaust to sound good enough to hear with the windows up and the AC on full blast!!
And yet...still be able to move when called upon.
The only real downside is....finding these talented musicians.
At least...for those of us with real jobs, where you can't generally stream music while at work (security and bandwidth concens), and certainly can't spend the day searching for content.
At the end of the day...sure, I guess some time could be used, but many of us have family obligations, etc.
If you have time to spend searching and downloading and listening to it all to cull out the crap...sure you can find good new music.
But, it sure used to be easier in my day...just turn on the radio while driving about....or even at work. But, alas...they killed that long ago too...
One thing I'm certainly gonna miss...a well tuned exhaust note of a healthy engine!!
Nothing like the rumble of a Corvette, or my old 911 Turbo with the Borla exhaust....made sitting in traffic idling fun!!
I won't even get into how little fun an electric motorcycle would be.....*sigh*
Where do you live where a working couple making $25oK/yr are RICH???
Sure, fairly well to do in some parts of the country, but barely scraping by in other parts.
If you are working a private business ("S" corp or maybe LLC), you're business dollars fall through to your personal taxes..this can make it look like you are making a TON of money, even if you are putting most of it back into the company.
An individual making in the lower 6 figures, is not rich in this day in age my friend....
What kind of car?
Bloody Romans....
Wow...where do you live that you can't find US grown produce and meat?
Sure, I see some of those labels, but usually on fruits and veggies that are out of season in the US. I tend to buy what is in season, and I easily find it grown from US farms.
And I am glad that they now have to label where seafood is caught. I do not buy foreign seafood, but then again, I live in New Orleans, and local seafood is no problem to get here. Thankfully...it really has not been impacted by the oil spill....and we're all glad that much of the fishing areas have been re-opened.
But, wouldn't that be due to people in cities requiring and consuming more city resources? I think this example, the city people are just paying for city services they need that a more rural populations does not? Garbage pickup might be a good example.
Yeah...but most cities in the US are not densely packed urban areas. Most are spread out....I'd argue that THEY use more cars, to drive more miles than sparsely populated areas do. Most people live in cities sure, but they still have to drive a lot to work, shop and do general things to live.
And in the more typical city, as someone else pointed out, look at all the driving that takes place, to shop, to work, etc. There is no viable mass transit in most of the typical cities. YOu have to drive to get food, to eat out, to work...to do anything, and some are worse than others. When I visit friends in Nashville...I joke with them that it seems you have to drive 20 min just to get ANYWHERE to do anything. They agreed that's about right.
Don't even get me started on Houston.
So, I posit to you, that it really isn't the few people that are truly rural that are the problem, but the way most typical cities have evolved, and currently function.
Well, we do build a lot of bombs and other weapons....and occasionally, we do need to get rid of some inventory...
Only the illegal ones....
Well, much like my considerations for FB...I was thinking of making a pretty untraceable account for both....and doing them that way, but keeping any personally identifiable information off the accounts. I figured I'd set up a 'nym' email account to do it through....and likely only 'check in' through browsers with tor running...
Hmm...well, I guess I'm middle aged now...[shudder}, but honestly, most people I know MY age, do not support monitoring of internet, the war on drugs (hell, most everyone I grew up with grew up with at least a little weed in their history in HS and college bare minimum). I'll give you the 50/50 on gay marriage, although most I talk to think that the govt. should not be in the marriage business, let marriage be a church thing, between man and women, but that the govt. can sanction the financial contract between the parties...that should make everyone happy.
Frankly, it those older than myself and my immediate generation that are governing and against the things you wish.
I was there when the web started to take hold...so, most of my peers were there too, and we remember the true wild west days of it...and aren't for monitoring or stifling it.
I guess tho...we would be the guilty party in what I mentioned...in "accepting" some of these...and your generation is now "embracing" them.
Hard sometimes to know a freedom has been lost, if you never grew up with it in the first place.