[AccessD] OT: What are you lot doing now and then?

Heenan, Lambert Lambert.Heenan at AIG.com
Fri Feb 18 12:02:56 CST 2005


I believe it might have been 18 years, but I was fortunate enough to miss
the last three. :-)

> -----Original Message-----
> From:	accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com
> [SMTP:accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com] On Behalf Of accessd
> Sent:	Friday, February 18, 2005 12:52 PM
> To:	'Access Developers discussion and problem solving'
> Subject:	RE: [AccessD] OT: What are you lot doing now and then?
> 
> Oohhhhnnnnn.  That is not right, Lambert
> IMO the difference between Labour and Conservatives is null (a technical
> term)
> When a party is in opposition they promise the world.
> When in power, they do as they want.
> Jaded - only a lot!
> Max Sherman
> Ps. Wasn't it 18 years? 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com
> [mailto:accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com] On Behalf Of Heenan, Lambert
> Sent: 18 February 2005 17:03
> To: 'Access Developers discussion and problem solving'
> Subject: RE: [AccessD] OT: What are you lot doing now and then?
> 
> Hmm. I see the RNC propaganda machine is doing a great job. 
> 
> "Universal healthcare" = "Die outside the hospital". 
> 
> The British health system is in a mess right now because Maggie Thatcher
> and
> her cronies did everything the could to kill it off during 15 years in
> power.
> 
> 
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From:	accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com
> > [SMTP:accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com] On Behalf Of Charlotte Foust
> > Sent:	Friday, February 18, 2005 11:48 AM
> > To:	Access Developers discussion and problem solving
> > Subject:	RE: [AccessD] OT: What are you lot doing now and then?
> > 
> > Universal health plan?  Does that mean where NOBODY has decent medical 
> > coverage?  In countries with "universal" medical, you get in line for 
> > health care.  If you're wealthy, you can jump the queue by paying for 
> > your care.  If you aren't wealthy and you die before it's your turn 
> > for the transplant, pacemaker, dialysis, whatever, too bad.
> > 
> > Charlotte Foust
> > 
> > 
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: Jim Lawrence [mailto:accessd at shaw.ca]
> > Sent: Friday, February 18, 2005 8:40 AM
> > To: 'Access Developers discussion and problem solving'
> > Subject: RE: [AccessD] OT: What are you lot doing now and then?
> > 
> > 
> > OT: Totally
> > Hi John:
> > 
> > Do you think they will have a 'universal' health plan in place in US 
> > in the next ten years like some 'Democrats' have been talking about?
> > 
> > Jim
> > 
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com
> > [mailto:accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com] On Behalf Of John W. 
> > Colby
> > Sent: Friday, February 18, 2005 7:58 AM
> > To: 'Access Developers discussion and problem solving'
> > Subject: RE: [AccessD] OT: What are you lot doing now and then?
> > 
> > Yea, the days of working for IBM for 40 years and retiring at X% of 
> > salary and full medical are over.  The kid graduating from college 
> > today will likely have at LEAST 5 to 10 jobs over 40 years and in the 
> > not too distant future will be damned lucky to have any medical, even 
> > while working.
> > 
> > I was reading on the internet (MSNBC) the other day that the company 
> > average cost of medical per worker covered was $6000 / year in 2000, 
> > and is now $12000 5 years later.  That is a double in five years and 
> > the projection is that it will continue into the foreseeable future.
> > 
> > Hmmm... $24,000 in 2010, $48,000 in 2015, 96,000 in 2020...
> > 
> > Seems rather likely that only the company execs will have medical 
> > coverage by 2015.
> > 
> > I am an independent contractor.  I pay $700 / month for just my wife 
> > and I. I would pay an addition 200-300 if I had children.  Will I be 
> > able to pay for medical in 5 years?  Maybe, but my rates will be a LOT
> higher.
> > In 10 years?  No.
> > 
> > I do have a plan though.  I will pick some thing that happens to me, 
> > blame it on a deep pocket, sue and retire on my 1/2 billion dollar 
> > settlement, and SCREW the rest of you guys.  ;-)
> > 
> > John W. Colby
> > www.ColbyConsulting.com
> > 
> > Contribute your unused CPU cycles to a good cause:
> > http://folding.stanford.edu/
> > 
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com
> > [mailto:accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com] On Behalf Of Lawhon, 
> > Alan C Contractor/Morgan Research
> > Sent: Friday, February 18, 2005 10:38 AM
> > To: Access Developers discussion and problem solving
> > Subject: RE: [AccessD] OT: What are you lot doing now and then?
> > 
> > 
> > Randall:
> > 
> > Good luck on getting reemployed.  I've been down the exact same road 
> > as you, (i.e. laid off by a defense contractor), so I know where 
> > you're coming from.
> > 
> > After I was laid off, (along with a group of about 6-8 other people), 
> > it took me nearly four months to get re-employed, during which time I 
> > managed to drain nearly all of my savings.  The strange thing about 
> > being laid off was that this particular job was my first "professional"
> > job after I had graduated from college - and it only lasted about six 
> > months - so I was blown away when the manager called us all into a 
> > small office and told us the bad news.  I remember thinking at the 
> > time, while he went on and on about this not being "a negative 
> > reflection on any of you or the job you have done," ("Yea, right!"), 
> > thinking to myself "Hey, this is NOT what I spent six years struggling 
> > in college for - to be unceremoniously dumped!" Fortunately, I was 
> > unmarried, so I didn't have to go thru the stress of explaining to a 
> > "better half" that there was going to be a drastic slowdown in the
> income
> stream.
> > 
> > I've been lucky since then in that I've managed to stay (more or less) 
> > gainfully employed, but the business we're in is very up and down.  As 
> > one boss once told me, "Alan, in government contracting it's either 
> > feast or famine.  If you've got a contract, it's feast.  If you don't, 
> > it's famine ..."  (In government contracting, if you're a "worker bee"
> > doing mundane technical work - like computer programming or 
> > run-of-the- mill engineering work - it's a mistake to ask for [or 
> > demand] too much money.  They'll just hire a younger worker willing to 
> > work for less. The reality is that on government contracts neither the 
> > contractor (or the
> > government) wants the most efficient and/or "productive" workers. They 
> > want the "cheapest" workers.  (Nobody ever acknowledges this openly, 
> > but a defense contractor maximizes profit by hiring workers as cheaply 
> > as possible since the government pays a fixed hourly rate for each 
> > "labor category" - irrespective of the competence and skill of the 
> > interchangeable "worker unit" that is plugged into the slot.) It's 
> > really just a game ...  <End of rant>
> > 
> > I've never forgotten the experience of walking the streets ("pounding 
> > the
> > pavement") trying to get a job interview where everybody you talk to 
> > says, "Sorry, we're not hiring ..."  (Just make sure that you have a 
> > new job lined up before you make any "career change".)  I long ago 
> > realized that there is no "security" in life.  Even Albert Einstein, 
> > the great physicist, once complained about the "constant struggle" 
> > people have to go thru just to keep food in their stomachs.
> > 
> > A funny thing about being suddenly (and unexpectedly) unemployed: You 
> > find out (real quick) who your friends are ...
> > 
> > Alan C. Lawhon
> > 
> > 
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com
> > [mailto:accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com] On Behalf Of Randall 
> > Anthony
> > Sent: Friday, February 18, 2005 8:29 AM
> > To: 'Access Developers discussion and problem solving'
> > Subject: RE: [AccessD] OT: What are you lot doing now and then?
> > 
> > Steve,
> > I find myself in a position similar to yours, unfortunately I got laid 
> > off in the process (lack of contractual funding, natch).
> > 
> > 1.  I was very much immersed in developing and maintaining dbases and 
> > applications from Access2.0 through A2K, using SQL and ASP pages for 
> > some.
> > 
> > 2.  As the work slowed down, my access to developing new apps 
> > disappeared. Consequently, when push came to shove, my skillsets 
> > deteriorated.
> > 
> > 3.  The company I worked for was a division of a defense contractor 
> > with a small IT department.  Last I heard that division's IT 
> > department is getting smaller.
> > 
> > 4.  So, during this "sabbatical", I decided to bite the bullet.  I've 
> > got one class left, SQL Server 2K Implementation and Administration. 
> > I'm now an MCP in ASP.Net development, I'm studying to pass the SQL 
> > Programming exam next week, then I have two exams left to get my MCDBA.
> > If I had achieved this while working, that company would have given me 
> > a bonus and a pay raise, however, even if I had accomplished this with 
> > them, I still would have gotten the axe.
> > 
> > I have spoken with a number of professionals in the field when I was 
> > contemplating getting my Masters degree.  Most concurred that a 
> > Masters would be beneficial if you were aiming for management type 
> > positions within the IT world, but the return on investment would be 
> > negligible if I wished to remain technical.  Ergo, the next best thing 
> > to separate oneself from the pack in IT is to get certified (in my
> humble
> opinion).
> > 
> > I'm starting to get more positive replies from companies I have 
> > submitted a resume to, and I feel fairly confident that I will be 
> > affiliated with someone soon.  I think that could be attributed to my 
> > obtaining certification.
> > 
> > Randy.
> > 
> > 
> > Dear Group,
> > 
> > Could you indulge me in a little survey?
> > 
> > 1) What's your main line of work these days? Access development, SQL 
> > Server administration/development, VB, ASP/ASP.NET, PHP...?
> > 
> > 2) How does your work today differ from what you were doing a few 
> > years ago? Is it only that you're using newer versions of the same 
> > tools, or are you doing entirely different development work?
> > 
> > 3) Are you independent or do you work for a company? If you work for a 
> > company, what's the size of the company and where do you fit in?
> > 
> > 4) Do you have any Microsoft Certifications? If so, do you keep 
> > current with them, and/or have they made any difference in your 
> > current position?
> > 
> > Thank you very much. I'm approaching a career crossroads with the 
> > decision to stay in business as an independent developer or not. I 
> > have picked up a fair amount of .NET knowledge (the hard way -- is 
> > there any
> > other?) but I have no Microsoft certifications.
> > 
> > Regards,
> > 
> > Steve Erbach
> > Scientific Marketing
> > Neenah, WI
> > www.swerbach.com
> > Security Page: www.swerbach.com/security
> > 
> > 
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