InsideTech

I just wanted to thank my other personalities. I feel it is important for everyone to get along. No, it's not. Yes, it is. Well, that didn't last very long...

Just try to keep those internal discussions to yourself.  LOL

But we enjoy those internal discussions since MB is an entertainer they are entertainment!

Barry, I have a suggestion.  Why don't you record yourself doing your soft shoe and post it on YouTube?  Now THAT would be entertaining.

Ah, the good old days! Instead of now when all you have to do is turn on the Playstation 3, XBOX, WII, etc. 150 cable channels (and amazing that nothing good is on) get on the internet, or any of a million things that are around now versus back then, and kids still complain of being bored. Oh wait, maybe I should go to the soapbox forum.

Anyway at least we have MustangBarry to keep us entertained!

Thank you MustangBarry!

Steve, what a novel idea, actually talking to your wife! She might even like that! You should have posted this in Dating and Relationship tips!

Curtis, yep, wrong forum. We are going to have to call you Wrong Forum Curtis. LOL

Those G&Ts worked like a charm.  Oh yeah, and that talking part too.  I think I'll try it again tonight!

Well if you mix up the order it could still work ... lol

So Steve, how'd the G&T work with your newly found Gin?  I find the talkng thing works whether you first ply her with something or not.  However, the plying does enable a bit deeper conversations (they are much less likely to hold back). 

Don't remember if I've mentioned it before, but my wife has been in the EMS for some time.  Now that she feels too old to actually roll with the fire department, she has found that she prefers to actually teach.  I began helping her about two years back (having sat through like 15 or so of her previous classes (at 120 hours each class)).  Since I'm not actually state certified, I can only help them to understand the concepts etc...  Anyway, the reason I've been so busy lately is that we decided to make my involvement a tad more tangible.  Yup, I'm taking the actual course for credit now.  Think of that on a resume...  ya da ya da ya da...  EMT, ya da ya da ya da.  I'm sure I'll empress many prospective employers.  But it sure has made a difference in our relationship.  I suppose it is taking the old advice of finding someting that you can do together, to the next level.

I'm noticing that as you get a bit older and the kids are on their own, it is much better to have something that you enjoy doing to do together.  I've never been too much at sitting on the rocker on the front porch, so this will be a much better solution.  One can teach way into retiirement (I used to teach, but it was more like engineering topics - Math, Physics, Electronics, Computers etc...) so this is a way to keep doing things together for a long time to come.

Moldy01 says ...

So Steve, how'd the G&T work with your newly found Gin?  I find the talkng thing works whether you first ply her with something or not.  However, the plying does enable a bit deeper conversations (they are much less likely to hold back). 

Don't remember if I've mentioned it before, but my wife has been in the EMS for some time.  Now that she feels too old to actually roll with the fire department, she has found that she prefers to actually teach.  I began helping her about two years back (having sat through like 15 or so of her previous classes (at 120 hours each class)).  Since I'm not actually state certified, I can only help them to understand the concepts etc...  Anyway, the reason I've been so busy lately is that we decided to make my involvement a tad more tangible.  Yup, I'm taking the actual course for credit now.  Think of that on a resume...  ya da ya da ya da...  EMT, ya da ya da ya da.  I'm sure I'll empress many prospective employers.  But it sure has made a difference in our relationship.  I suppose it is taking the old advice of finding someting that you can do together, to the next level.

I'm noticing that as you get a bit older and the kids are on their own, it is much better to have something that you enjoy doing to do together.  I've never been too much at sitting on the rocker on the front porch, so this will be a much better solution.  One can teach way into retiirement (I used to teach, but it was more like engineering topics - Math, Physics, Electronics, Computers etc...) so this is a way to keep doing things together for a long time to come.

EMS is cool.  EMS in the fire department is cooler.  I'm impressed.  Your wife sounds like an extraordinary person.

It think it's great you're going for a certification.  At the last real (as opposed to paying simple lip service) civic-oriented company I worked for back in the '90s (Adaptec, Inc.), they used to a MERT on each floor of each building to respond to the usual emergencies that would arise.  It sounds like the EMS is similar in nature.  And I think your strategy to keep yourself out of the rocking chair is great.  My wife is working on an idea to keep us both employed, working together, as consultants doing data management for whoever thinks they need help.

One major problem in engineering and other technical fields is analyzing and presenting data.  It's easy to collect data; the devll's in the details, and the only solution is to reduce the data to some concise and understandable form that is useful to engineers and execs.  We'll see where that goes.  Being unemployed now for 8 months, I'm getting edgy and beginning to look for creative alternatives to what I used to do.

LOL  Well, what I meant was reports designed separately for managers and engineers and executives.  The trick is in how the data is summarized so that it means something to viewer.  It's a true art form.

And good luck with your startup.  I wish I could think of something.

Ditto that, MB.

Steve,  I've been working on this project (though it has changed scope several times) for almost 5 years now.  It is just recently that I've come across an excited investor (with LOTS of money) who is excited by 'helping' entreprenuers get their start.  All he wants is a portion of the action when it is up and running. 

By the way, I knew what you meant, I was simply giving you a ration...    It really is a great idea to manipulate data for others.  I'm betting that you could really sell that by merely mentioning that you would cost them a small fraction of having someone(s) on staff all year to condense the data from time to time.

Ahhh, but you raised the Health Care issue.  Did you happen to hear that Obama wants to penalize (Fine) those who don't participate in the Health Care Program?  I overheard it on the news, then looked it up just to be sure that I hadn't heard incorrectly.

No, I'm not trying to open a political discussion herein... Sorry

On to Outsourciing...  LONG a thorn in my political side.  To your overview (and your conclusion) of the topic, I say here here... 

cmartin9 says ...

Enabler says ...

That is, of course, the idea.  We're in the age of outsourcing.  No one wants to pay to have permanent expertise on their staff.  They'd have to give them health care!?!

I've done a little consulting during the last 8 month period of enforced retirement, and I've confirmed many tmes an observation I made years ago (when I never dreamed I'd be unemployed), that you pay a consultant about 2x what you would pay them if they were on your staff as a salaried employee.  Outsourcing is dumb, short term thinking, and for wimps.

Whew!  I feel slightly better.  Sorry for the brief rant.

And you weren't even in the soap box forum, Steve!

Yeah, sorry about that, Curtis.  I just sort of slipped out.

I agree that heath care is an issue, but I don't believe that goverment should have anything to do with it.  Everything they fund from Social security, medicare to the "cash for clunckers" program have problems.  But it does give it an opportunity to get fatter, in the short term.