Three words: Become a consultant. Consultants get paid for every hour they work. If the client keeps loading up the work and responsibility, and pushes your weekly hours north of 60, so what?! You get paid for it! And if your client decides they don't want to burn too much budget on consulting fees, so what?! You work 40 hours and have an increased quality of life! I've spent half of my 20-year IT career as a consultant in one capacity or another, and have enjoyed 1.) getting paid for ALL of the work I do, 2.) the increased salary consultants get over a full-time employee, and 3.) the vast opportunities offered by working at myriad types of client. Having a diverse set of marketable job experiences WILL help you find work- contract or full time. And yes, if you work for a firm as a W2 employee, you CAN have both healthcare and 401k benefits. 1099 independent contractors make more $$, but are on their own for benefits. Albeit you have to be a bit more saavy with money to be a consultant, as in have 6-10 months of salary saved in case of lean times. But consulting sure as hell does help prevent you from getting "Lumbergh'd." Sure, I'll work Saturday if you need me to... Cha-ching! Work responsibilities piling up = license to print money. And remember, job security is soooooo 1980s. At least when you are a contractor you are more likely to know when the end is coming (end of contract). Layoffs are usually less predictable.
Simple answer to the privacy solution: Don't put any information on Facebook that you don't want used by marketers/against you/exposed to the world. No matter WHAT the Facebook privacy policy says, putting your picture/address/phone number/vacation schedule online is a bad move. Why? Because once the information is out there, it is out of your control. Even if Facebook offers a guaranteed privacy policy that your information will NEVER be shared with ANYONE, what about hackers? What about internal Facebook employees that sell your data on the black market? What about "former" Facebook friends that now decide to do something nasty with your data, e.g. sign you up as a donor/interested party in the Church of Scientology? Think I'm just another "tinfoil-hat wearing paranoiac?" Read Database Nation sometime. A little data goes a long way. http://www.databasenation.com/home.htm The bottom line is that Facebook users need to be smarter about what they put online. Anyone who would put their vacation schedule online, a.k.a. "when I won't be home" is asking to be robbed. By the way, the same applies to Twitter. There was a site set up to illustrate how dumb Twitter users are in announcing where they are every minute of the day http://pleaserobme.com/ Smarten up Facebook denizens. The power to protect your privacy is in YOUR hands. Don't let this issue become another "we need the government to step in" situation. The smart man digs his well BEFORE he is thirsty. Think ahead.
Anything that is put online can be searched, and potentially misused. Whether or not the searcher has good or bad motives matters little. Bottom line: be careful of what you put online. One of the reasons I hate Facebook, MySpace, etc. is because they generate HUGE volumes of human stupidity. People put all kinds of information online, and then are surprised when it bites them in the ass. The family that was robbed after putting their Hawaiian vacation plans on Facebook is a classic example. I am glad that this cat killer lady got her "karmic adjustment"- people like that "need killing." But people need to realize that the Internet is not this big "anonymous" world where all information and misdeeds are untraceable. The World Wide Web is fast becoming like a small, mid-western town where everyone knows or can find out everyone else's business...
Of course the Autism study was DEFINITELY flawed. DEFINITELY flawed... Uh oh, almost time for "The People's Court." DEFINITELY five minutes until Wapner...
IT used to revered; we had the keys to the castle, and money flowed into it. Now the castle keys have been transformed into that giant key ring that the high school janitor carries, and the only thing "flowing" is the digital toilets we get to unclog daily, in the form of haphazard upgrades to 3rd-party applications where "2 or 3 versions were skipped."
"Our universe itself keeps on expanding and expanding,
In all of the directions it can whiz;
As fast as it can go, that's the speed of light, you know,
Twelve million miles a minute and that's the fastest speed there is.
So remember, when you're feeling very small and insecure,
How amazingly unlikely is your birth;
And pray that there's intelligent life somewhere out in space,
'Cause there's bugger all down here on Earth!"
-- Eric Idle
Become a consultant. I did. When "Lumbergh" announces "yeah, I'm gonna need you to come in on Saturday", you get to hear the lovely sounds of "CHA-CHING!!!" Overtime turns an "MP" (my problem) into a "YP" (your problem, as in the employer.) Face it- bureaucracy and inefficiency are free and abundant! Like wind and solar energy. Harness it! Their screw-ups are your profit! "Gee, the release date slipped a month, and we are going to need weekend work until then." This is gravy for a consultant!!! Think it over!
--ecto
Good call!! New editions are EXACTLY why this model will not work. Feel free to argue whether or not the publishing of a minimally-different new edition of a book is ethical/good/necessary. Guess what? Publishers/authors are in business for the same reason any other company is in business- to make money! Along the same lines as evolution, the publishers/authors will find a way to survive and prosper in spite of "rented books." It may mean that the authors make more sweeping changes to the tomes, so that "last year's edition" is difficult/impossible to use. If their business model is "publish new editions", the business will need to change/adapt to survive like any "organism." It wouldn't be the first time a business has altered its business model to protect itself from third-party competition.
-ecto
Here is what I did:
Sales Rep: Hi, did you call to extend your automobile warranty?
Ectotherm: Yes, I did !!!!
Sales Rep: Great!! What is the make, model, and year your car was manufactured?
Ectotherm: Well, since you called me, shouldn't you know? After all, if you are telling me that my warranty is expiring, shouldn't you already know that information?
Sales Rep: Well, your auto company called US and let US know to make you the offer.
Ectotherm: Really? Hmmmmmm... Which auto company called you?
Sales Rep: YOUR auto company called US and told US to contact YOU because your warranty is almost up.
Ectotherm: But my car is only six months old! Is the 3 year/36K mile warranty up already?
Sales Rep: >
"my buddy who was 21 at the time was in a sexual relationship with a 17 year old whose father(who was a Sheriff) allowed it, even inviting my buddy to go on camping trips with them and allowing them their own tent."----
I see the following issues here:
1.) A law officer knew about a law violation and did nothing.
2.) The law violation was AGAINST HIS OWN DAUGHTER, and he did nothing.
3.) The 21 year old knowingly broke the law.
One man's opinion: The 21 year old got less than what he deserved. Yes, his rep was trashed, but since the charges were dropped he won't have to register as a sex offender and have to explain the charges to all future employers/creditors. If you can't do the time, don't do the crime... The sheriff also did not get what he deserved. He knowingly let the 21-year-old break the law. Not a lot of "moral gray area" here. Breaking the law is breaking the law. Law officers are supposed to enforce the law, and should be punished for turning a blind eye. I know, "small town politics." That does not make it right.
Just curious, did you crunch the numbers in your personal budget to make sure you could afford the 66% pay decrease? Did you take steps to scale back your living expenses before you took the new job? Not judging, but it sounds like you took the job without thinking about the financial ramifications.
So, why is it that you are at the "threshold" of bankruptcy? Real Estate values are constantly changing- if you turned down a great career opportunity that could have led to more $$ later just because you might lose a little money selling a house, then you might have made a mistake. The housing market will get better and worse, while your salary will increase (or stay steady in bad economic times) if you do things right. You have a university degree (not a guarantee) and a job- go out there and get a better job!
No, screw you... You should have gone with a fixed-rate mortgage, math whiz. Thanks for contributing to the sub-prime mortgage problem! Now my tax dollars get to bail your dumb ass out. Quants didn't screw you over- you did! Didn't you understand the terms of your mortgage? Didn't you plan accordingly? If the answer to the last two questions is "no", then you should not be buying a house. No sympathy here- see you at the soup kitchen!
Slashdot Mirror
Three words: Become a consultant. Consultants get paid for every hour they work. If the client keeps loading up the work and responsibility, and pushes your weekly hours north of 60, so what?! You get paid for it! And if your client decides they don't want to burn too much budget on consulting fees, so what?! You work 40 hours and have an increased quality of life! I've spent half of my 20-year IT career as a consultant in one capacity or another, and have enjoyed 1.) getting paid for ALL of the work I do, 2.) the increased salary consultants get over a full-time employee, and 3.) the vast opportunities offered by working at myriad types of client. Having a diverse set of marketable job experiences WILL help you find work- contract or full time. And yes, if you work for a firm as a W2 employee, you CAN have both healthcare and 401k benefits. 1099 independent contractors make more $$, but are on their own for benefits. Albeit you have to be a bit more saavy with money to be a consultant, as in have 6-10 months of salary saved in case of lean times. But consulting sure as hell does help prevent you from getting "Lumbergh'd." Sure, I'll work Saturday if you need me to... Cha-ching! Work responsibilities piling up = license to print money. And remember, job security is soooooo 1980s. At least when you are a contractor you are more likely to know when the end is coming (end of contract). Layoffs are usually less predictable.
Simple answer to the privacy solution: Don't put any information on Facebook that you don't want used by marketers/against you/exposed to the world. No matter WHAT the Facebook privacy policy says, putting your picture/address/phone number/vacation schedule online is a bad move. Why? Because once the information is out there, it is out of your control. Even if Facebook offers a guaranteed privacy policy that your information will NEVER be shared with ANYONE, what about hackers? What about internal Facebook employees that sell your data on the black market? What about "former" Facebook friends that now decide to do something nasty with your data, e.g. sign you up as a donor/interested party in the Church of Scientology? Think I'm just another "tinfoil-hat wearing paranoiac?" Read Database Nation sometime. A little data goes a long way. http://www.databasenation.com/home.htm The bottom line is that Facebook users need to be smarter about what they put online. Anyone who would put their vacation schedule online, a.k.a. "when I won't be home" is asking to be robbed. By the way, the same applies to Twitter. There was a site set up to illustrate how dumb Twitter users are in announcing where they are every minute of the day http://pleaserobme.com/ Smarten up Facebook denizens. The power to protect your privacy is in YOUR hands. Don't let this issue become another "we need the government to step in" situation. The smart man digs his well BEFORE he is thirsty. Think ahead.
Anything that is put online can be searched, and potentially misused. Whether or not the searcher has good or bad motives matters little. Bottom line: be careful of what you put online. One of the reasons I hate Facebook, MySpace, etc. is because they generate HUGE volumes of human stupidity. People put all kinds of information online, and then are surprised when it bites them in the ass. The family that was robbed after putting their Hawaiian vacation plans on Facebook is a classic example. I am glad that this cat killer lady got her "karmic adjustment"- people like that "need killing." But people need to realize that the Internet is not this big "anonymous" world where all information and misdeeds are untraceable. The World Wide Web is fast becoming like a small, mid-western town where everyone knows or can find out everyone else's business...
Of course the Autism study was DEFINITELY flawed. DEFINITELY flawed... Uh oh, almost time for "The People's Court." DEFINITELY five minutes until Wapner...
I, for one, welcome our hypertrophic, simian overlords...
We now have an explanation for the "Metrosexual" trend...
For what it is worth, I am running XP (Kubuntu as my dual boot!) and was able to either disable or uninstall with no problem. Nothing greyed out...
IT used to revered; we had the keys to the castle, and money flowed into it. Now the castle keys have been transformed into that giant key ring that the high school janitor carries, and the only thing "flowing" is the digital toilets we get to unclog daily, in the form of haphazard upgrades to 3rd-party applications where "2 or 3 versions were skipped."
Yeah, but the guy at the HP Store showed me the cool proprietary coffee cup holder that only HP machines have!!
Has anyone bothered to check eBay?? ;-)
"Our universe itself keeps on expanding and expanding, In all of the directions it can whiz; As fast as it can go, that's the speed of light, you know, Twelve million miles a minute and that's the fastest speed there is. So remember, when you're feeling very small and insecure, How amazingly unlikely is your birth; And pray that there's intelligent life somewhere out in space, 'Cause there's bugger all down here on Earth!" -- Eric Idle
Become a consultant. I did. When "Lumbergh" announces "yeah, I'm gonna need you to come in on Saturday", you get to hear the lovely sounds of "CHA-CHING!!!" Overtime turns an "MP" (my problem) into a "YP" (your problem, as in the employer.) Face it- bureaucracy and inefficiency are free and abundant! Like wind and solar energy. Harness it! Their screw-ups are your profit! "Gee, the release date slipped a month, and we are going to need weekend work until then." This is gravy for a consultant!!! Think it over! --ecto
Good call!! New editions are EXACTLY why this model will not work. Feel free to argue whether or not the publishing of a minimally-different new edition of a book is ethical/good/necessary. Guess what? Publishers/authors are in business for the same reason any other company is in business- to make money! Along the same lines as evolution, the publishers/authors will find a way to survive and prosper in spite of "rented books." It may mean that the authors make more sweeping changes to the tomes, so that "last year's edition" is difficult/impossible to use. If their business model is "publish new editions", the business will need to change/adapt to survive like any "organism." It wouldn't be the first time a business has altered its business model to protect itself from third-party competition. -ecto
Here is what I did: Sales Rep: Hi, did you call to extend your automobile warranty? Ectotherm: Yes, I did !!!! Sales Rep: Great!! What is the make, model, and year your car was manufactured? Ectotherm: Well, since you called me, shouldn't you know? After all, if you are telling me that my warranty is expiring, shouldn't you already know that information? Sales Rep: Well, your auto company called US and let US know to make you the offer. Ectotherm: Really? Hmmmmmm... Which auto company called you? Sales Rep: YOUR auto company called US and told US to contact YOU because your warranty is almost up. Ectotherm: But my car is only six months old! Is the 3 year/36K mile warranty up already? Sales Rep: >
Is this one of those Government "Pork Projects" I keep reading about? ;-)
My worst job: Public Relations manager for Microsoft Vista...
Step One: Learn to speak Hindi...
See, I KNEW we should never have stopped using VHS... ;-)
You are suffering abuse? One thing comes to mind: BOFH. Now then, what was your password again? ;-)
Kudos- well said! Carbon trading is nothing more that this year's hula hoop. By the way, I can get you a great deal on algae farm futures... ;)
"my buddy who was 21 at the time was in a sexual relationship with a 17 year old whose father(who was a Sheriff) allowed it, even inviting my buddy to go on camping trips with them and allowing them their own tent."---- I see the following issues here: 1.) A law officer knew about a law violation and did nothing. 2.) The law violation was AGAINST HIS OWN DAUGHTER, and he did nothing. 3.) The 21 year old knowingly broke the law. One man's opinion: The 21 year old got less than what he deserved. Yes, his rep was trashed, but since the charges were dropped he won't have to register as a sex offender and have to explain the charges to all future employers/creditors. If you can't do the time, don't do the crime... The sheriff also did not get what he deserved. He knowingly let the 21-year-old break the law. Not a lot of "moral gray area" here. Breaking the law is breaking the law. Law officers are supposed to enforce the law, and should be punished for turning a blind eye. I know, "small town politics." That does not make it right.
Bummer! Well, I do wish you the best of luck. Tough spot indeed...
Just curious, did you crunch the numbers in your personal budget to make sure you could afford the 66% pay decrease? Did you take steps to scale back your living expenses before you took the new job? Not judging, but it sounds like you took the job without thinking about the financial ramifications.
So, why is it that you are at the "threshold" of bankruptcy? Real Estate values are constantly changing- if you turned down a great career opportunity that could have led to more $$ later just because you might lose a little money selling a house, then you might have made a mistake. The housing market will get better and worse, while your salary will increase (or stay steady in bad economic times) if you do things right. You have a university degree (not a guarantee) and a job- go out there and get a better job!
No, screw you... You should have gone with a fixed-rate mortgage, math whiz. Thanks for contributing to the sub-prime mortgage problem! Now my tax dollars get to bail your dumb ass out. Quants didn't screw you over- you did! Didn't you understand the terms of your mortgage? Didn't you plan accordingly? If the answer to the last two questions is "no", then you should not be buying a house. No sympathy here- see you at the soup kitchen!