Re: $1,250

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>I _agree_ that whining sucks.  I don't like having to do it. 
>

You don't need to whine, Tom.

What you need to do -- and I get to say this because I'm both Jewish and 
a fairly grumpy  grandfather -- is:

* GET A JOB *

I don't necessarily mean in the software industry. I mean something 
that'll generate a paycheck and pay your rent and buy food so you can do 
all the socially responsible engineering you want during the hours 
you're not working. Starbucks. McDonalds. The courier or cab company. I 
hear they're all hiring, even in Silly Valley.

My wife is in the living room right now, painting a series of pictures. 
Maybe she'll frame them and a gallery will display and sell them, and 
maybe not. She's doing art, Tom, not trying to make money. She's doing 
socially responsible, attractive art. And she is not on the Free Art 
Business email list whining about how the world doesn't recognize her 
talent, either. She's just... painting.

Debbie can paint for five days straight because her husband (me) works 
long hours and gets a pretty good salary in return. If I lose my job, 
she may have to go back to work, probably at some crappy customer 
service job. She'll still paint, just not as much.

Out here in trailer-trash land, we don't expect anyone to give us what 
we want, just because we want it. We do what we have to do to pay our 
bills, and do the rest of the stuff on the side.

Personally, I think my greatest talent is drinking bourbon, but so far I 
have failed to find anyone who is willing to give me $1250 to do it -- 
and $1250 is about what I can make in 3 days of whore-style (commercial) 
writing, so I'm better off writing for money and drinking bourbon for fun.

Not many openings listed in today's local classifieds for dock bums, 
beach kite-flyers or any of my other happy skills, either.

Oh, well.

Lots of talmudic scholars have done other things for money. I think even 
the knock-off Jews (Christians) had some early comments abouthow it was 
better to separate work from preaching or your true calling. some guy 
named "Paul" had a lot to say on this topic. He preached the gospel like 
mad, but supported himself making tents, didn't he?

Ditto Omar Kayyam. He didn't get paid squat for writing The Rubiyat. 
Made tents  to pay his bills.

Even "Kettle Belly" Baldwin, the character Heinlein later evolved into 
Jubal Harshaw, then Lazarus Long, sold used copters for a living and 
improved humanity on the side.

Get a job, Tom.

- Robin