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 > > > > > > -- > > AccessD mailing list > > AccessD at databaseadvisors.com > > http://databaseadvisors.com/mailman/listinfo/accessd > > Website: http://www.databaseadvisors.com > > > > -- > > AccessD mailing list > > AccessD at databaseadvisors.com > > http://databaseadvisors.com/mailman/listinfo/accessd > > Website: http://www.databaseadvisors.com > > -- > > AccessD mailing list > > AccessD at databaseadvisors.com > > http://databaseadvisors.com/mailman/listinfo/accessd > > Website: http://www.databaseadvisors.com > -- > AccessD mailing list > AccessD at databaseadvisors.com > http://databaseadvisors.com/mailman/listinfo/accessd > Website: http://www.databaseadvisors.com > > -- > AccessD mailing list > AccessD at databaseadvisors.com > http://databaseadvisors.com/mailman/listinfo/accessd > Website: http://www.databaseadvisors.com