Post Race!

[wes4dbt]

You might try JB Weld. It probably has the same curing issue in cold weather as any other epoxy, but at least you can make it look bad, too.

Yeah, I saw that JB Weld makes an epoxy specifically for plastic. I going to hope this patch job lasts a couple of months till the weather warms up. I hope the door doesn't fall off while I'm driving. lol

[Peter Porter]

I've been working on an experimental build of VBForums for a few months now, all in HTML and JavaScript, and I finally got a decent version working offline today. I put it on hold two months ago out of frustration because I couldn’t get the logged-in user profiles to work correctly, but I managed to fix that problem today after spending the last few days modularizing its single script into smaller scripts to debug it more easily. Once I make a few more updates, I'll create some videos to show it off. I basically built it to showcase some unofficial forum ideas for this place.

[Niya]

Nobody has submitted a battleship contest yet

I would love to participate, but I just got contracted again(blue collar work as a deckhand) for a few months and won't have that much time for programming.

[wes4dbt]

I would love to participate, but I just got contracted again(blue collar work as a deckhand) for a few months and won't have that much time for programming.

To bad you can't get work in the software industry, you seem to have a lot to offer in that field. Unless you enjoy that type of work, if so, then congratulations.

[Niya]

To bad you can't get work in the software industry, you seem to have a lot to offer in that field. Unless you enjoy that type of work, if so, then congratulations.

I made $500(approx $72 USD) a couple weeks ago for a utility that filters out zero-markup sales from a database, and another $500 diagnosing a login problem with SQL Server for a university about 3 days after. Truth is, in my environment and circumstance, it is prudent to be adaptable. I don't have the luxury of specialization. I have to be capable in multiple fields.

Also, truth be told, I often prefer blue-collar work. It's a lot simpler. Move this, clean that, paint this. Those tasks are a lot simpler than spending half a day trying to figure out why an SQL Server instance isn't accepting a login.

And as much as I love programming, the things I'm passionate about writing aren't the things that make money. I don't very often get to do things I actually like doing as a programmer. Most of the time, it's LOB stuff, which I find very boring, to be honest. You can look at my CodeBank entries to see the things I'm actually passionate about but I can't get paid for that over here. There's no market for it.

[Peter Porter]

I submitted my Battleship entry a day ago. I worked on it in between other coding projects.

[Shaggy Hiker]

That's certainly an issue with programming. I had the advantage that I started as a biologist and there's usually stuff to write for data management around biology.

[Shaggy Hiker]

Usually, that is. Eventually, I kind of got it done. No new projects on the horizon, so I retired.

[wes4dbt]

Also, truth be told, I often prefer blue-collar work. It's a lot simpler. Move this, clean that, paint this. Those tasks are a lot simpler than spending half a day trying to figure out why an SQL Server instance isn't accepting a login.

That's true, it is simpler. They can even be interesting and enjoyable. I worked many years in blue collar jobs. The problem is after doing the same mindless thing day after day you can lose any interest or joy.

I definitely enjoyed programming work more than my early jobs. I'd say the biggest down side to me was having to deal with clients.

[wes4dbt]

Usually, that is. Eventually, I kind of got it done. No new projects on the horizon, so I retired.

That's a nice position to be in. Retire when you want. I don't know your age, is this forever or are you going to seek some other work at some time?

[Niya]

The problem is after doing the same mindless thing day after day you can lose any interest or joy.

Yes, blue-collar work is very repetitive, but for me, I just love the culture of it. Blue collar workers know how to make even the most mundane tasks fun. It's constant ribbing and being dicks to eat other, all in good fun. Guys might wrestle or start kicking something around playing football. Someone might bring out a speaker and start blasting music while we work. Blue collar job sites can get pretty wild, and I love that. I can smoke when I want more or less and don't have to be as obsessive about grooming or attire. I just love the laid back free spirited culture of blue-collar work. You don't get anything like that in white-collar jobs.

White-collar work jobs are often highly restrictive and regulated. How you spend your time is micromanaged, and your speech, behavior, and grooming are very regulated. I feel like I'm walking on eggshells all the time. Most of all, it's a very boring environment. This is very uncomfortable for me. It goes against my very nature.

[Niya]

I think for the foreseeable future, I'll stick to using my IT/programming skills as a hustle. You know, the odd job here and there, fixing a client's network or writing utility apps, reports etc but if I have to work within a company structure, I'd rather it be blue-collar work. The last thing I want is to be stuck in a cubicle somewhere, navigating petty and childish office politics. Yuck!

[Bonker Gudd]

Computer confirms I'm human.

[Shaggy Hiker]

That's a nice position to be in. Retire when you want. I don't know your age, is this forever or are you going to seek some other work at some time?

I don't NEED other work, but there is something I will see about. I wrote a program that would be useful in this field. Various states have spent millions writing bad versions. This is a good version. The problem is...it's easier to argue that the program shouldn't be written at all, good or bad. People clearly want it in theory, but in practice, I'd say they shouldn't want it. Makes it mighty hard to convince people to take a leap when you feel there's a better argument that they shouldn't.

[Shaggy Hiker]

I think for the foreseeable future, I'll stick to using my IT/programming skills as a hustle. You know, the odd job here and there, fixing a client's network or writing utility apps, reports etc but if I have to work within a company structure, I'd rather it be blue-collar work. The last thing I want is to be stuck in a cubicle somewhere, navigating petty and childish office politics. Yuck!

Yeah. While I had a cubicle, I always worked with good people dedicated to a cause...even if it was a pretty strange cause. I mean...I was dealing with fish, others with plants. There's a whole lot of money sloshing around hunting and fishing, but it's still pretty odd.

[Shaggy Hiker]

Computer confirms I'm human.

Some day they'll be smart enough to get it right.

[wes4dbt]

I don't NEED other work, but there is something I will see about. I wrote a program that would be useful in this field. Various states have spent millions writing bad versions. This is a good version. The problem is...it's easier to argue that the program shouldn't be written at all, good or bad. People clearly want it in theory, but in practice, I'd say they shouldn't want it. Makes it mighty hard to convince people to take a leap when you feel there's a better argument that they shouldn't.

Some people do work even if they don't need the money. Maybe because of interest in something or just social interaction. I miss the problem solving.

[Peter Porter]

The last thing I want is to be stuck in a cubicle somewhere, navigating petty and childish office politics. Yuck!

I'll probably lose my mind in a cubicle, surrounded by walls, popping-up like a Meerkat every once in a while to look over them.

[Peter Porter]

Computer confirms I'm human.

Mine said I was 87% toaster.

[dday9]

Psh, loser. It said I was 115% toaster.

[dday9]

Oh wait...

[Shaggy Hiker]

It just said I was toast

[dday9]

Finish him!

[dday9]

I've started adding "quizzes" to my html-lessons website.

[dday9]

Keeping with the zero-JavaScript approach, it uses CSS3 to dynamically show the result based on the selected answer.

[dday9]

I am finding it hard to ask questions that aren't too simple but at the same time it's also hard to ask questions that aren't too difficult.

[Shaggy Hiker]

That's always the issue once you get beyond the basics. Intermediate questions are the most difficult.

[dilettante]

I got old and retired.

Then I got older and really retired.

Now I am ancient, and hoping I'm not too broke to die.

[dday9]

When my grandfather died, he had literally spent every penny he had. Up to the point to where my dad said "I hope the check clears at the funeral home."

I thought that was pretty funny.

Of course he lived like a perpetual sailor on a 3 day drunk, so it's not all that surprising in retrospect.

[dday9]

Maybe "a sailor on a perpetual 3-day drunk" is more correct.

[dilettante]

With age things like hearing and vision can fade. This might give the appearance of a perceptual drunk.

[dday9]

No, he was a literal drunk... and a drug addict.

[dday9]

The Rich Dad, Poor Dad book really hit home with me.

My paternal grandfather was very frugal and lived a healthy life. He was able to retire at 55 and live comfortably until he died at 96.

My maternal grandfather on the other hand spent everything he owned, completely destroyed his body, and "retired" in the sense that he physically couldn't work anymore and had to rely on my parents and social security to make ends meet.

I love both of them, but at the same time I understood at a very early age which grandfather I wanted to emulate.

In the end, both grandfathers spent their final days living at my parents' house for them to take care of. My paternal grandfather passed very peacefully whereas my maternal grandfather... did not.

[wes4dbt]

When my grandfather died, he had literally spent every penny he had. Up to the point to where my dad said "I hope the check clears at the funeral home."

If you can time your death to when you spend your last penny, then good job!!! It going broke before you die that's the problem.

For some reason I'm hoping to stretch my savings and leave my house to the kids.

[Shaggy Hiker]

My father grew up on a farm in the depression. For his entire life, he never bought what he wanted, just what was good enough to get by. He's still doing that. I guess I might live long enough to spend it.

He's happy, though, and doing pretty well. At some point, you just don't need much money outside of health care...which is a BIG one.

[Shaggy Hiker]

I spent the morning exercising. Now I'm so tired I can't even spell exercising without help.

[Shaggy Hiker]

Ready to go back to sleep, but I need to go do some shopping, and I'm on a conference call...even though I'm retired. I've got a bit of historic perspective to add to part of the discussion.

It's all their business, now.

[wes4dbt]

My father grew up on a farm in the depression. For his entire life, he never bought what he wanted, just what was good enough to get by. He's still doing that. I guess I might live long enough to spend it.

He's happy, though, and doing pretty well. At some point, you just don't need much money outside of health care...which is a BIG one.

It's hard to change life long habits. I haven't changed my spending habits and probably never will.

Medical bills can be VERY BIG. I'm not far away from having a major increase in medical expenses. Probably at least $4k a month till I either die or my money is gone. It's a strange situation, if you have no money the state will pay the expense so it makes you want to spend you money on other things before those medical bills start. But you don't know when that day is. I can't seem to make myself spend my savings.

[dilettante]

Yeah, health care is a biggie. Even scarier though could be long term care if you get to that point without anybody able to take your care on within your family. Many people even bought into and keep up with long term care insurance but find it falls short when the time comes. It's a very high-cost market.

[dday9]

Somehow, my dad purchased a very good long-term care policy that is already paid up, but apparently Allstate doesn't sell that policy any longer.