Iwritecode

An interesting thing is happening in IT. I know mainframe programming which has been around for a long time and continues to be used by a lot of companies. The first problem is that many of the programmers that know these languages are going to be hitting retirement ages within the next 10 years or so. The second problem is that there aren't very many younger programmers to take over simply because the languages aren't taught in schools anymore.

QUOTE (Whitewashed in '05 @ Jun 17, 2010 -> 03:22 PM) So I just got a speeding ticket. Since this is my 2nd in less than a year I believe I have to do the eight hour traffic school to avoid it being on my record. I didn't get my first speeding ticket until I was 22, now I've gotten 2 within 1 year... ugh, wtf? Did you go to the traffic school for the first one? If you did, part of the deal is to not get another ticket within 12 months. That means both of them are now on your record.

QUOTE (Rowand44 @ Jun 13, 2010 -> 08:45 PM) I know there's a few people that are really good bowlers on this site, so I thought I'd share: Started my first bowling league since I was 12, have a 176 average after the first week. Hoping to consistently be in the 190's by the end of the year. I forgot how much fun that game can be. I luv bowling. My problem when I came back after a long layoff is that I would usually bowl really good the first couple of weeks so that my average would end up being unsubstainably high. More than once I started a season with an average in the 200's and by the end of the year it would drop down the to high 190's. QUOTE (knightni @ Jun 14, 2010 -> 02:39 PM) Kids don't have a fully formed brain that has a true sense of right and wrong. No one gets that until they are older. Some never do. Most kids have sense of right and wrong. They just think that they'll never get caught. Thinking back to when I was a kid and all the crap I got away with, more often than not, they are right.

QUOTE (StrangeSox @ Jun 14, 2010 -> 12:25 PM) Should riot police be able to open up on protest crowds if someone decides to throw something at them? I think riot police typically wear a bit more protection.

I've got Liberty Mutual and I'm paying 1585 for 12 months but that's for full coverage on 2 vehicles and a pop-up camper. I also have discounts because of multiple cars, and having our house insurance with the same company.

QUOTE (Tex @ Jun 7, 2010 -> 07:57 PM) How about the rules where each player has to play? I don't have a problem with that, considering how much parents have to pay just to get the kids on the team. That's not even including equipment.

QUOTE (Y2HH @ Jun 4, 2010 -> 12:57 PM) I know a lot of police, and exactly ZERO of them have ever helped another cop cover illegal happenings in their careers, and exactly ZERO of them said they would ever do such a thing. I stood right next to a cop while he was talking to another cop about how he got pulled over once for blowing a stop sign that he "always blows" (his exact words) near his house. Once the cop that pulled him over found out he was also a cop, he shut his lights off and didn't issue a ticket.

QUOTE (Quinarvy @ Jun 2, 2010 -> 11:37 PM) Also, it'd generate revenue for Reinsdorf, which in a fantastic world means we bid for bigger FA's in Soxdom and pay for drafting. I don't think he could do that even if he wanted to.

QUOTE (Controlled Chaos @ Jun 2, 2010 -> 02:05 PM) And some kids were better because they worked hard at it. I would practice with the team for an hour and then with my dad for another 2. I wanted to be the best out there and busted my ass to do so. Other kids didn't want to play or didn't have the passion I had. What's next, banning extra practice, to keep everyone on the same playing field? When kids are old enough to know the game then they're old enough to know winning and losing. Hell my daughter turns 4 Saturday and she has known winning and losing for a year. I don't know why one day out of the blue she said "lets race daddy", but I let her win and she was all excited that she "won" I never even taught her what "winning" was, but there she was throwing her hands in the air jumping up and down. You can bet your ass the next race, I taught her what losing was. Now I beat her about 1/2 the time. The first couple times she cried and threw a tantrum and I had to do some 'GASP' parenting. Now when she loses she says good race daddy. Kids are exposed to winning and losing with tag, musical chairs, red light green light etc.... They know winning and losing at 4 years old. Competition is a part of life...better that they learn to deal with it. What's really fun is when you quit letting your kids win and they still beat you.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Jun 2, 2010 -> 03:26 PM) And when it comes right down to it, if a team is running up the score every game, isn't that pretty much exactly where the idea of creating a rule to stop that comes from? Depends on the rule I guess. The rule in the OP actually punishes teams for being too good. Also there are some teams that can't really help it. There were two teams that my daughter played against last year that were pretty good. One was good because they always took extra bases even though most of the kids couldn't even throw the ball all the way across the diamond and they always put their best players at certain positions the whole game. We actually beat them once and they were PISSED. The other team was just good. They didn't take extra bases, they rotated the players positions around the field, they had fun and they still won.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Jun 2, 2010 -> 02:27 PM) First of all... Second of all...you're ignoring my main point here, and perhaps you're doing so correctly because I think I've gotten sidetracked...is there no good to come from learning the values of sportsmanship as well? This rule clearly is a poor way of enforcing it, but the talk here has been all about the benefits of teaching kids about winning and losing and how they should be ready to be competitive in everything and always try to be winners, but at least to me, the idea of having a good time doing something, or making sure everyone at least enjoys themselves, seems like its being lost here. That's the point I'm trying to make. Teaching kids about winning and losing and how to have fun while doing either one is on the parents and coaches IMO. There are some bad coaches out there that only care about winning and take the fun out of the game.

QUOTE (Y2HH @ Jun 2, 2010 -> 02:05 PM) I think we do. Which is why American children are getting dumber and dumber. While the movie Idiocracy is off the charts, it's becoming more and more evident that that's the way this country is headed. QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Jun 2, 2010 -> 02:26 PM) Its called social promotion and it happens all of the time. I actually thought about that after I posted it. I hear all the time about high school grads that can barely even read. I've never actually had any first-hand experience with it. I only failed one class in high school but I didn't really need it to graduate. I saw nearly half my classmates get held-back in second grade. Another friend of mine had to take Government twice in order to graduate. We were never given anything.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Jun 2, 2010 -> 01:45 PM) Yes, reinforce the lessons that you shouldn't work as hard as you can, and that someone else will just give it to you. Quit, because you get more out of it than hard work. Just imagine if we did this in school. "Well little Johhny, you actually failed this class but since everyone else passed it's not fair for you to fail so I'll pass you too."

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Jun 2, 2010 -> 12:41 PM) So, then my question in reply would be...if you're in charge of a league where one or two teams have been running rampant and blowing everyone out and running up the score, to the point that half the players on your team don't want to even show up because it's no fun to face off against the team that has Bryce Harper at catcher, what do you do? Do you sit by and let half the league's players quit because no one wants to put up with that any more and no one is having any fun, or do you try to come up with a rule that makes things more workable? When I played there was always one or two teams that nobody liked to play against because they were really good. The thing is those teams didn't always win every game. Those few times we did win against them they were hard-fought and well-deserved. I see the same thing happening when my daughter plays.

What does this really teach the winners? We always tell kids to do their best and try their hardest. But if they are too good, then what do we tell them? Still try but don't do your best?

QUOTE (lostfan @ May 10, 2010 -> 07:14 PM) I bought a CFL bulb last week and it blew out already. What in the f***... I know it has a warranty but you need to keep the box (I actually did) AND the proof of purchase. Who actually keeps proof of purchase on a light bulb? I must have 20 or 30 CFL bulbs in my house, when one is bad that's just money down the s***ter. Buy a new bulb and use that receipt instead.

I missed the first thread but I'll probably be hitting this one or making a new one sometime in the next year or so. We are in the process of making enough repairs to our current house to make it sellable. Then we eventually want to move somewhere close enough to cut my commute down from 2+ hours to around an hour, more or less. My biggest worry is that we'll be able to afford what we want on my salary alone because when we move my wife will have to find a new job ASAP.

QUOTE (Tex @ Apr 8, 2010 -> 08:02 PM) perhaps a weird one, and not technically a cereal, but graham crackers in milk. I actually like saltine crackers in milk. As far a cereal goes, I'm not too picky, but I don't really like chocolate cereal. Chex, Fruity Pebbles, Pops, Golden Grahams, Kellog's Raisin Bran, Frosted Flakes and Honey Bunches of Oats with Strawberries are all good.

QUOTE (Steve9347 @ Mar 3, 2010 -> 11:45 AM) I'm a 34 waist. Shop at Express and Banana Republic vs Kohl's. You can find sales where jeans will be like $50 vs $90/$100. I've never paid more than $30 for a pair of jeans at Kohls. QUOTE (BigSqwert @ Mar 3, 2010 -> 02:56 PM) If anyone is still rocking carpenter jeans then it's time to hit the Levi store for a jean refresh. Uh oh... I'm so far off the fashion train that I just don't care anymore. As long as I'm comfortable and my ass is covered, I couldn't care less what other people think of my jeans. QUOTE (Chi Town Sox @ Mar 3, 2010 -> 05:23 PM) If you pay a little more for some jeans they feel as if you can sleep in them they are so comfortable. I've slept in my $30 jeans with no problem.

QUOTE (StrangeSox @ Sep 2, 2009 -> 11:57 AM) CareerBuilder or Monster. I can't remember which one. QUOTE (Steve9347 @ Sep 2, 2009 -> 03:21 PM) Found through Monster. That's been my method so far without much success. Over the years I've actually gotten three interviews from postings on job boards but they weren't a fit for me. The thing I really hate is the fact that you spend 30 minutes signing up for the site and filling in information that's all on your resume anyway. Lately I'm running across job titles that aren't totally accurate. Like having mainframe programmer (which is what I am) as the title and then in the description they are really looking for a web programmer.

My wife and I haven't had insurance for a couple of years now simply because we couldn't afford it. I'm hoping I'll qualify for what my kids have (Kidcare) when I start my unemployment next month.

QUOTE (Tex @ Aug 10, 2009 -> 11:20 AM) Isn't that about the same as the hands free laws? I thought you could be ticketed for a variety of unsafe driving actions, putting on makeup, etc. Cops arrest people all the time by observing them breaking the law, and they make excellent witnesses on the stand. With the hands-free thing they can at least see the person holding the phone to their ear. With texting, the most they would probably be able to see is the person looking down at their lap.

QUOTE (Tex @ Aug 7, 2009 -> 11:24 AM) About 13 states now have laws with many more expected to follow. Direct observation will be the most used technique of enforcement. I just have a hard time seeing them using this as a reason for pulling somebody over unless they can actually see the person using the phone. Even then, they'd have to be able to prove they were actively texting at the time. I can see them pulling somebody over for swerving or something and then hit them with this as a secondary thing...

QUOTE (Athomeboy_2000 @ Aug 7, 2009 -> 08:47 AM) Illinois just banned texting while driving effective Jan 1, 2010. I'd really like to know how they plan on enforcing this.

Question for those that play Mafia Wars... What is considered "abuse" on that game? There is another player at about the same level as me that had a mega casino that I robbed. Then she hitlisted me. So I went back and robbed another one of her properties. She hitlisted me AND tried to attack/rob me. Since I have more mafia members, the attacks weren't very successful. I hitlisted her 3 times in 10 minutes (why she kept healing herself is beyond me) and it kept going back and forth. This is all with a 4-5 hour time period. She finally sent me a message that I should quit attacking her and she reported me for "abuse". I say it's just part of the game and when she kept retailiating, that meant that she was willing to play along. My general rule is that if somebody with a higher level or more members than me robs/attacks me, I'll try to retailate once or twice and just take my lumps and be done with it. FWIW, I told her that we can call a truce.