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I don't want to work very hard

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Re: I don't want to work very hard

#111

Post by gambling8nt »

illumen wrote: post #106
jreese wrote: post #92

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The fact that his work was applied to the creation of nuclear weapons was one of Eintstein's great regrets in life. The fact that those weapons were used on cities full of civilians was his greatest.

Albert signed a letter urging for the creation of an atomic bomb. If you think someone that intelligent could not have realized that an atomic bomb would be used to actually kill people -- then you are sorely mistaken.

In the letter he suggested that it might be used to cause significant damage to a port. He had no idea that it would be (1) anywhere near as destructive as it was, or (2) small enough or light enough to drop from aircraft rather than only being used in either naval warfare (where death tolls would be much less) or as a fixed weapon acting as a disincentive to invasion (building them along some border so that an overland aggressor would surely be destroyed--essentially, a much more powerful minefield).

Re: I don't want to work very hard

#112

Post by rlockerl »

babul wrote: post #79

Without being passionate about what you do, you are unlikely to succeed in your aims. Build a portfolio of passive income assests. Ideally you should have been doing this while you had those 38hours per week "free", but it is not too late to start.

What kind of passive income assets would you recommend?

Re: I don't want to work very hard

#113

Post by mhartl »

tome wrote: post #9

I'm afraid the good times won't keep rolling. Over the next fifty years, humanity is going to face the largest ever crises amongst those that it has the ability to deal with: potential global catastrophe from climate change, and certain global catastrophe unless we develop and widely deploy effective non-fossil energy sources. I say "it has the ability to deal with" because if people become aware of the seriousness o…

Among many other things, solar energy technology is on an exponential curve right now with a ~2 year doubling time. Remember computers 20 years ago vs. today? Most people were surprised at the increases in computer price performance, but not those who understood Moore's Law. The same thing will probably happen in solar energy. Try to look surprised. :-)

Re: I don't want to work very hard

#114

Post by drawkbox »

With the 38 hours free at work... You really shouldn't waste these valuable hours. Ideally you have a job that challenges you enough to fill your time... but in any case. > > >

- Write a book about a cube dweller in your position that on lunches and in down time he is saving the world with a team all controlled from his work PC where he is doing "nothing". Apparently that might be an untapped market judging by the response here.

- Find a problem at work, solve it, sell that.

- Create a community or site/product for one of your hobbies, even it is is knitting.

- ???

Morale of the story is, find a way to build something of value with this time. That something might help you, your like minded peeps, or even your company (although you might have to get reinforcement externally before you sell anything internally, I find this route works best).

Just do it son! And don't feel too bad if you try to contribute and it is knocked down. Have everything as dual purpose for your own and possibly your company's good. But make sure it has some of your own in it.

You have the power to create value.

Re: I don't want to work very hard

#115

Post by jhancock »

spydez wrote: post #12
epi0Bauqu wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

And take care of the kids.

Taking care of kids is a lot of work...

The trick is to have 5 kids; each about a year or two apart. After the first 10 years, you have bootstrapped a built-in babysitting system, lawn mowing, and house keeping, you name it...its a lengthy bootstrapping cycle, but should pay off well after 10 years unless they all turn out to be spoiled brats ;). But, hey, all start-ups have their risks.

Re: I don't want to work very hard

#116

Post by jhancock »

mhartl wrote: post #74
felixc wrote: post #20

As much as I sympathize with your sentiment, I'd just like to point out that the real benefit of a larger-than-necessary paycheque is being able to actually save money for when you are too old or technically outdated to continue working. It's certainly enjoyable to switch on and off from work and live off savings, but then you eventually get to the point where you can't find a job to switch back on to, and your savin…

when you are too old or technically outdated to continue working I'd be willing to bet that, for the current generation at least, that will never happen. (But I still max out my retirement account, just to be safe. :-)

I'm confused by that statement. Do you really mean that IT gurus won't get too old or burnt out on re-leanering new stuff every few years?

I am 40 and have been programming since I was 12; almost always on the bleeding edge. I can assure you that there is a point of being "too old".

Unless you are quite a different person that I, I highly suggest you keep maxing out that retirement account. ;)

Re: I don't want to work very hard

#117

Post by sutro »

ggrot wrote: post #98
webwright wrote: post #67

"I think I've found a niche with a need, and if I can put enough in my pocket that I can buy insured and very low-risk securities to quietly live off a trickle of interest." Markets are pretty efficient. It's pretty unlikely that you've found a niche where you can make a good living without any work. If you do, it won't be long before someone who wants to work hard comes around and blows your business out of the wate…

Job markets are not as efficient as real markets where you buy and sell things because jobs are not liquid. If I find a job paying $50/hour and someone else is working doing the same job earning $30/hour, I can't exactly make any profit arbitraging the market to efficiency. For a pretty small investment in time and money, most grocery store cashiers could learn to become plumbers. Plumbing routinely pays 4x a grocery…

it is harder/nastier work and often deals with fecal matter

Sounds like programming.

Re: I don't want to work very hard

#118

Post by olefoo »

dmoney wrote: post #95
olefoo wrote: post #47

So, if on average you were pushing an (hours worked/hours present) ratio of between 0.5-.15 how much of the money paid to you would the hours you were present but not engaged be worth to you? I should mention that I too find the application of industrial age factory schedules to intellectual production to be equally ludicrous, but have so far found the transaction costs of alternative compensation structures to be to…

...but have so far found the transaction costs of alternative compensation structures to be too expensive and or risky. From an employer's or employee's perspective?

I've actually experienced it from both sides; mostly as an employee though.

If you're a little on the shady side of unethical it's equally easy to game the system from either direction. For every goldbricker like the OP there is someone running a 'design competition' where the top prize is having your entry fleshed out by vietnamese contractors working at 1/10th the going rate of any of the contest entrants.

There are multiple problems with the social construction of what work is and it's place in our lives, for one thing our society is constructed so that much of what passes for work is in fact random noise, this is more pronounced at large companies where the wastage of time, attention and psychological energy are well worn clichés; but it exists at small companies, and solo acts as well. For another, we are not for the most part able to work effectively; somebody who can pull a reliable twenty minutes of productive flow out of a day can be a miracle worker, especially in a shop where the standards are already low.

Re: I don't want to work very hard

#119

Post by zupatol »

ecuzzillo wrote: post #97
zupatol wrote: post #27

Have you tried working part-time? I'm not sure this would help, because I don't really understand how you can love coding and hate working at the same time. Here is what I do: I have an arrangement with my employer that I will not work full-time for more than 9 months straight. After 9 months I have a 6 months break. The arrangement is tacit, it's not in a contract, but it has been working for the last 3 years. It to…

What's the hobby?

I write and draw comics

Re: I don't want to work very hard

#120

Post by shiranaihito »

GrandMasterBirt wrote: post #102
odimrof wrote: post #94

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> "No man on his deathbed ever said, 'I wish I had spent more time at the office.'" - The late Massachusetts Senator Paul Tsongas, speaking at another Harvard Commencement No, but I bet a lot of men have said, at least to themselves if not out loud, "I wish I'd had sex with a lot more gorgeous women." cf. Little Miss Sunshine. Spending more time at the office is a fairly reliable way of upping your odds when you're n…

Also if you have really hot co-workers spending time in the office is always a plus! I have no problem looking for a different job in exchange for a hot piece of ass if company policy gets in the way. (alright now I offended someone)... The trouble is getting the hot married ones, this takes skill and dedication (and a complete lack of caring for your current job).

Has it crossed your mind that maybe the hot married pieces of ass should be left alone?
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