Just trying to be helpful. Of course, since the protaganist is married with children, thus has had sex with a female, I suppose these tips are of limited usefulness here. Fine, YOU figure out a way to live in the Post Oil Economy.
You know, remember, oil -> electricity -> runs computers. ON TOPIC!
Some advice for the newly outsourced, downsized, and generally unemployed
First of all, welcome to the nouveaux pauvre (that's "new poor" to you. Your french phrase days will gently fade into happy memories, like some other things.)
The purpose of this thread is to help you understand some of the changes that accompany this new chapter in your life.
For those of you who still have savings, early withdrawn IRAs, homes or automobiles to sell, or other assets that you have not yet liquidated and spent, you may wish to print this page out and save it. Depending on how hotshit a coder you were, it may be months, for a few of you, either a couple of years, before you need it.
For those of you who have already passed through that "well honey thank goodness we have enough to keep going for a little while" to the "hm, I think we've got enough equity that if we sell the house, we can get enough to tide us over" to the "holy shit! We have a total of $700 to our name, no income coming in, and this $1200 apartment I thought we'd be in for a month or 2 is now asking for month 6 of the rent" phase, some of you will now transition to the "I guess we can go back to Peoria to stay with the folks for a while" benchmark.
Print this and save it. You are very fortunate.
Now those of you are left are the ones who have already sold and spent everything you had, you don't have folks to go stay with for a while, and you have just made a new and important discovery: Your new "survival jobs until.." are not enough to enable you to afford housing. In other words, you are now priced out of the housing market.
If you are lucky, you may find something with a roof that with one more shift you can afford, where you will learn many new things, and so will your kids.
You always knew that there were neighborhoods like this, but you never thought YOU'D be living in one, especially not with kids, who you have had to take out of the progressive alternative school and place into the one with the metal detectors and the very reasonably priced nearly new Glock swap meets in the parking lot, from which they will return every afternoon to discover their new neighborhood while both of you work your second shifts.
There is no one way to explain to them that everything you taught them about calling 911 is no longer applicable, because the only way the police will come here at all is if you yell "officer down!" into the phone, and frankly, nobody at the precinct is buying that any more because they know that no officer goes there. It's an opportunity to grow in your parenting skills.
There will be some dietary changes. As soon as your car is repossessed or stolen, you will be reliant on your feet and public transportation, and in combination with your new 5 AM to midnight 7 day schedule, you will notice some differences in your food choices. Instead of riding out to the big supermarket with the produce section, grocery shopping will now mean picking up some loaf bread and stale peanut butter at a convenience store for about twice what you paid for it at the supermarket. The plus side is that it is open 24 hours, and you can walk to it!
Hot meals will now be available at McDonald's. You will soon find that this is both more economical and practical than trying to make a hot meal out of a dusty can of peas and a small $4 pack of beef jerky from the convenience store.
Another big change will be health care. You have probably been accustomed to take the kids to the doctor, even go yourself, in the case of illness, and made a point of making sure that the whole family gets in for regular wellness checks and preventive care, like an annual physical for those of you who are over 35 or so.
While that will no longer be possible, what you can do is discover that while some illnesses and injuries are painful and uncomfortable, they eventually get better and/or heal on their own.
You can also know that you are participating in the free market system, and your education w
They've been promising this for years. It seems that it would make sense to run all the utilities/services in one set of cables anyway. Hopefully this will reduce the cost of the "last mile" problems.
Then again, with just a handful of providers in each area, I'm sure they will collude to support prices. You'll be able to get pretty cheap, mostly one way connectivity bursting with ads and spam, and pay a hefty price for a simple two way connection.
Wow, CmdrTaco actually submitted a story! How's the wife doing ya, Taco?
From what I understand, the GPL (and most software licenses it seems) has never been tested in court. Perhaps this will be that test. I only hope that the GPL holds up in court.
So it's, one, test the GPL in court, two, pray it holds up???, three, GPL software profits!
Imagine how happy Microsoft would be if the GPL is ruled invalid...
Perhaps Mac shops will use one of these new Apple servers to connect their workstations. Since it's basically a BSD box, it will probably work out fine. Apple just hopes that there are enough Mac shops that will buy one of these. Unless everyone uses Mac, there really isn't a reason for one of these, is there?
Heh, sort of like, In Apple Land, workstations choose the server! or something
The facts are that most people just don't understand linux, and can't tell the difference between honest differences of opinion and outright FUD about Linux. Consider this gem that I discovered (still not sure who is behind it) - note the deliberate misinformation about free software (which they call "radical"):
Linux Myths & Facts
Suddenly linux has become a hot topic. As a parent, this makes it difficult to instill in your teen that the use of linux is still dangerous and illegal. This column is not going to debate the issues over hacking linux, but rather give you myths, facts and information to assist you in talking to your teen about using linux.
Myth: Linux is not addictive.
Fact: Linux contains "free radical programs" (FRP), that produce the relaxed "good feeling" also known as hacking. Often, users build up a tolerance to FRP. The build up of this tolerance requires users to hack more frequently and in higher quantities.
Myth: Linux does not impair a person.
Fact: False! FRP can produce short-term memory loss and cause an inability to make quick decisions and use good judgment. Other effects of linux include paranoia, anxiety attacks and impaired hygeine. Mixing linux and masterbation further diminishes the central nervous system, seriously impeding a person's ability to make decisions and utilize a rational thought process.
Myth: Linux does not lead to hard-core pornography
Fact: Linux is also referred to as gateway pornography, which is pornography people are first exposed to and experiment with. Linux does not always lead to the use of harder pornography, but most hard-core pornography users admit their addiction started by casually using linux. According to a 1996 report published by the "National Household Surveys on Pornography Abuse," adolescents ranging in age from 12 to 17 using linux on a weekly basis were 9 times more likely to use illicit pornography than non-linux users.
Myth: Linux use does not lead to other types of delinquency.
Fact: According to the "Adolescent Self-Reported Behaviors and their Association with Linux Use" study conducted by the Computer Abuse and Hygeine Services Administration, teens using linux on a frequent basis had a higher rate of running away, theft, truancy, drug dealing, drunk driving and thoughts of suicide, compared to teens not using linux.
Myth: Linux does not cause lasting health problems.
Fact: Research indicates linux users have a greater risk of developing body odor and unkempt appearance problems similar to long-term LISP programmers. Researchers are also studying the effects of linux on chromosomes and reproductive organs, but have not been able to find any linux hackers who have ever had sex.
As a parent, it's important that you talk with your child about all types of computer abuse. Arming yourself with facts and information will make your conversations easier and more insightful for your teen. Remember, if you don't talk to your teen about linux, someone else will and it may not necessarily be a person who is clean.
This anonymous clan of slack jawed trogdylytes cost me the election, but if I were to have them killed, *I* would be the one to go to jail. That's democracy for you!
David Barry is a master troll - and gets his trolls published daily by major newspapers, in a sense, "highly moderated". Could you give the slashdot trolls (of which I am not one) some tips?
If we don't put people in jail for copying other people's ideas and music, we'll have to give out all of our exam answers. I have a feeling Suzy doesn't REALLY like me at all!
What applies to people must apply to companies equally, otherwise we've got ineptitude, corruption, and stupidity, evildoers, dogs and monkey doing it, and I'll tell those lazy politicians in Washington that's I'm not gonna take it anymore!
"they rightfully own the patent under U.S. law no matter how many other people violated it"
Did the government says rambus rightfully owns the "patent" and now no one can copy their ideas?
When I was in elementary school, we called each other "copycat" whenever we imitated someone. I didn't realize at the time that as an adult, you can be sued and put in jail for being a copycat.
Now I'm not going to comment on government's track record of figuring out right and wrong. I'm not going to tell lies to the American people, I'll leave that to others. Something about a beautiful actress and clustery breakfast food.
SBC isn't a villian for trying to bully small companies with a horde of lawyers, any more than a dog is a villian for humping your leg. It's the expected nature of the beast.
Nevertheless, when the dog starts humping people's legs, we cut his balls off. SBC will need similar treatment to stop their anti-social behaviour.
I'm not surprised that there will be no open source software for Gnu/Linux from Microsoft. It's basically against their business strategy. However, did anyone notice that M$ has shared the code for windows with the Russian government? And of course, the Russians are voting against Bush on Iraq.
I hardly ever use perl anymore, first of all I find that phphome is amazing, a really great resource, and second, exactly what can you do with perl that you can't do with php??? Third I find it about 3X profitable to just use static pages with some basic markup.
Now, I'll admit, I used to be rather pro-perl, but as they say, A programmer who's under 30 and uses php has no heart, and a programmer over 30 who doesn't has no brain!
Slashdot Mirror
Just trying to be helpful. Of course, since the protaganist is married with children, thus has had sex with a female, I suppose these tips are of limited usefulness here. Fine, YOU figure out a way to live in the Post Oil Economy.
You know, remember, oil -> electricity -> runs computers. ON TOPIC!
Some advice for the newly outsourced, downsized, and generally unemployed
First of all, welcome to the nouveaux pauvre (that's "new poor" to you. Your french phrase days will gently fade into happy memories, like some other things.)
The purpose of this thread is to help you understand some of the changes that accompany this new chapter in your life.
For those of you who still have savings, early withdrawn IRAs, homes or automobiles to sell, or other assets that you have not yet liquidated and spent, you may wish to print this page out and save it. Depending on how hotshit a coder you were, it may be months, for a few of you, either a couple of years, before you need it.
For those of you who have already passed through that "well honey thank goodness we have enough to keep going for a little while" to the "hm, I think we've got enough equity that if we sell the house, we can get enough to tide us over" to the "holy shit! We have a total of $700 to our name, no income coming in, and this $1200 apartment I thought we'd be in for a month or 2 is now asking for month 6 of the rent" phase, some of you will now transition to the "I guess we can go back to Peoria to stay with the folks for a while" benchmark.
Print this and save it. You are very fortunate.
Now those of you are left are the ones who have already sold and spent everything you had, you don't have folks to go stay with for a while, and you have just made a new and important discovery: Your new "survival jobs until.." are not enough to enable you to afford housing. In other words, you are now priced out of the housing market.
If you are lucky, you may find something with a roof that with one more shift you can afford, where you will learn many new things, and so will your kids.
You always knew that there were neighborhoods like this, but you never thought YOU'D be living in one, especially not with kids, who you have had to take out of the progressive alternative school and place into the one with the metal detectors and the very reasonably priced nearly new Glock swap meets in the parking lot, from which they will return every afternoon to discover their new neighborhood while both of you work your second shifts.
There is no one way to explain to them that everything you taught them about calling 911 is no longer applicable, because the only way the police will come here at all is if you yell "officer down!" into the phone, and frankly, nobody at the precinct is buying that any more because they know that no officer goes there. It's an opportunity to grow in your parenting skills.
There will be some dietary changes. As soon as your car is repossessed or stolen, you will be reliant on your feet and public transportation, and in combination with your new 5 AM to midnight 7 day schedule, you will notice some differences in your food choices. Instead of riding out to the big supermarket with the produce section, grocery shopping will now mean picking up some loaf bread and stale peanut butter at a convenience store for about twice what you paid for it at the supermarket. The plus side is that it is open 24 hours, and you can walk to it!
Hot meals will now be available at McDonald's. You will soon find that this is both more economical and practical than trying to make a hot meal out of a dusty can of peas and a small $4 pack of beef jerky from the convenience store.
Another big change will be health care. You have probably been accustomed to take the kids to the doctor, even go yourself, in the case of illness, and made a point of making sure that the whole family gets in for regular wellness checks and preventive care, like an annual physical for those of you who are over 35 or so.
While that will no longer be possible, what you can do is discover that while some illnesses and injuries are painful and uncomfortable, they eventually get better and/or heal on their own.
You can also know that you are participating in the free market system, and your education w
Dave Barry is not funny, but George Carlin is.
I'll admit, I mostly use perl. For what sort of jobs is php the best tool? Comparisons of php/mod-perl?
Like what, squeamish about using aborted fetuses for medical research. Pshaw, Nazis used fully grown humans!
it's been time for a paradigm shift for years now.
They've been promising this for years. It seems that it would make sense to run all the utilities/services in one set of cables anyway. Hopefully this will reduce the cost of the "last mile" problems.
Then again, with just a handful of providers in each area, I'm sure they will collude to support prices. You'll be able to get pretty cheap, mostly one way connectivity bursting with ads and spam, and pay a hefty price for a simple two way connection.
Wow, CmdrTaco actually submitted a story! How's the wife doing ya, Taco?
From what I understand, the GPL (and most software licenses it seems) has never been tested in court. Perhaps this will be that test. I only hope that the GPL holds up in court.
So it's, one, test the GPL in court, two, pray it holds up???, three, GPL software profits!
Imagine how happy Microsoft would be if the GPL is ruled invalid...
Hey, great sig! The way to tie Linux (free, open source) with Apple (proprietary hardware, closed source except for the BSD part).
Can you get me a job promoting Apple on slashdot too? How much do they pay?
Perhaps Mac shops will use one of these new Apple servers to connect their workstations. Since it's basically a BSD box, it will probably work out fine. Apple just hopes that there are enough Mac shops that will buy one of these. Unless everyone uses Mac, there really isn't a reason for one of these, is there?
Heh, sort of like, In Apple Land, workstations choose the server! or something
The facts are that most people just don't understand linux, and can't tell the difference between honest differences of opinion and outright FUD about Linux. Consider this gem that I discovered (still not sure who is behind it) - note the deliberate misinformation about free software (which they call "radical"):
Linux Myths & Facts
Suddenly linux has become a hot topic. As a parent, this makes it difficult to instill in your teen that the use of linux is still dangerous and illegal. This column is not going to debate the issues over hacking linux, but rather give you myths, facts and information to assist you in talking to your teen about using linux.
Myth: Linux is not addictive.
Fact: Linux contains "free radical programs" (FRP), that produce the relaxed "good feeling" also known as hacking. Often, users build up a tolerance to FRP. The build up of this tolerance requires users to hack more frequently and in higher quantities.
Myth: Linux does not impair a person.
Fact: False! FRP can produce short-term memory loss and cause an inability to make quick decisions and use good judgment. Other effects of linux include paranoia, anxiety attacks and impaired hygeine. Mixing linux and masterbation further diminishes the central nervous system, seriously impeding a person's ability to make decisions and utilize a rational thought process.
Myth: Linux does not lead to hard-core pornography
Fact: Linux is also referred to as gateway pornography, which is pornography people are first exposed to and experiment with. Linux does not always lead to the use of harder pornography, but most hard-core pornography users admit their addiction started by casually using linux. According to a 1996 report published by the "National Household Surveys on Pornography Abuse," adolescents ranging in age from 12 to 17 using linux on a weekly basis were 9 times more likely to use illicit pornography than non-linux users.
Myth: Linux use does not lead to other types of delinquency.
Fact: According to the "Adolescent Self-Reported Behaviors and their Association with Linux Use" study conducted by the Computer Abuse and Hygeine Services Administration, teens using linux on a frequent basis had a higher rate of running away, theft, truancy, drug dealing, drunk driving and thoughts of suicide, compared to teens not using linux.
Myth: Linux does not cause lasting health problems.
Fact: Research indicates linux users have a greater risk of developing body odor and unkempt appearance problems similar to long-term LISP programmers. Researchers are also studying the effects of linux on chromosomes and reproductive organs, but have not been able to find any linux hackers who have ever had sex.
As a parent, it's important that you talk with your child about all types of computer abuse. Arming yourself with facts and information will make your conversations easier and more insightful for your teen. Remember, if you don't talk to your teen about linux, someone else will and it may not necessarily be a person who is clean.
IIRC, in the Soviet Union, YOU were required to make sure your products didn't infringe on anyone's patents. The Times, how they change.
This anonymous clan of slack jawed trogdylytes cost me the election, but if I were to have them killed, *I* would be the one to go to jail. That's democracy for you!
David Barry is a master troll - and gets his trolls published daily by major newspapers, in a sense, "highly moderated". Could you give the slashdot trolls (of which I am not one) some tips?
If we don't put people in jail for copying other people's ideas and music, we'll have to give out all of our exam answers. I have a feeling Suzy doesn't REALLY like me at all!
What applies to people must apply to companies equally, otherwise we've got ineptitude, corruption, and stupidity, evildoers, dogs and monkey doing it, and I'll tell those lazy politicians in Washington that's I'm not gonna take it anymore!
I work hard for the money, baby!
"they rightfully own the patent under U.S. law no matter how many other people violated it"
Did the government says rambus rightfully owns the "patent" and now no one can copy their ideas?
When I was in elementary school, we called each other "copycat" whenever we imitated someone. I didn't realize at the time that as an adult, you can be sued and put in jail for being a copycat.
Now I'm not going to comment on government's track record of figuring out right and wrong. I'm not going to tell lies to the American people, I'll leave that to others. Something about a beautiful actress and clustery breakfast food.
Well, I should have used the "Preveiw" button.
I plan on taking two jobs and hiring a Chinese teenager to do the other one! I'll call it outsourcing! Yea thats the ticket
1. Start company of unemployed geeks.
2. Bribe government officials for fat military contracts.
3. Retire!!!
Your ideas intrigue me and I wish subscribe to your newsletter.
Call up Greenspan and crank up the printing press - we've got an insurance bailout on our hands!
Yes, we need cute cartoon firebomb graphics. They look great on anarcho-syndicalist agitprop, and are amusing to young people.
SBC isn't a villian for trying to bully small companies with a horde of lawyers, any more than a dog is a villian for humping your leg. It's the expected nature of the beast.
Nevertheless, when the dog starts humping people's legs, we cut his balls off. SBC will need similar treatment to stop their anti-social behaviour.
I'm not surprised that there will be no open source software for Gnu/Linux from Microsoft. It's basically against their business strategy. However, did anyone notice that M$ has shared the code for windows with the Russian government? And of course, the Russians are voting against Bush on Iraq.
I hardly ever use perl anymore, first of all I find that phphome is amazing, a really great resource, and second, exactly what can you do with perl that you can't do with php??? Third I find it about 3X profitable to just use static pages with some basic markup.
Now, I'll admit, I used to be rather pro-perl, but as they say, A programmer who's under 30 and uses php has no heart, and a programmer over 30 who doesn't has no brain!
I like the idea of larger drives. I'll get one as soon as the price comes down.