I don't want to work very hard

If you have a lump sum to invest then waiting to invest it to use "cost dollar averaging" is not really a great idea.

However, if you compare your rate of returns over 30 years with the best and worst possible lump sum investments vs your rate of return from consistent inflation adjusted investing over 30 years the peaks and overall risk is far lower and the average expected return is higher.

No approach can consistently beat the market investing lots of money over the long term. But some R/W profiles are better for small investors looking for a safe retirement than others. I would suggest most people start young and aim for a 98% chance to hit 90% of their inflation adjusted salary at 65. Getting there sooner is great, but not getting their at all is really bad so trying to time the market is not helping your odds.

How do you get into anything else?

A. Research. B. Experiment. :)

What is the ;-) for? You think you've found one? If so, you would do better not to judge people for whom the sum of your knowledge is: "they don't completely agree with me". ;-)

The last project I did at my last job I did several hours overtime every day until the projects completion. Not because I was asked, or because I felt it was expected. I did it because I was 40% into a refactoring that I didn't want to back out of. I could have, as my manager suggested, gone back to the main branch and added the new business feature requests and avoided the overtime, but the maintainability of the code means something to me. How "beautiful" it is, if you will. It didn't bother me to invest the extra time because I knew the several-months-long refactoring that was desperately needed (6+ year old code base that had changed hands 8 or so times) could happen no other way.

I think you over-simplify and focus in the wrong area. In any thing people set out to do, the best ones truly love what they're doing. Micheal Jordon didn't wake up every morning saying "Oh, god, do I have to play basketball today?". This is also why many fighters retire so many times. They just can't stay away. The thing to look for in other programmers isn't "oh, look! He only worked 7 hours today, he's a free-loader!". What happens when you ask them about programming projects they do outside of work? Does the thought create an instant grimace on their face? It will for most, but not the best ones.

Personally, I'd rather have one guy who works 4 hours a day that's passionate about programming then 2 of your non-loafers. They tend to cause me the most work in the end. ;-)

Perhaps I can help you.

I have a technology company that is focused on helping non-profit organizations and it is VERY rewarding. I'm in need of a partner that is a good coder that REALLY does want to do good for others. The person that helped me get this off the ground is now too busy with a J.O.B.

I'm not looking for a volunteer but someone that wants to improve the tools that we have already been created, help those that are using them and work with new organizations as I add them for equity and immediate share in the revenue.

We are about "Helping Others Help Others!" Too often a charity gets a donation or hand from a kind volunteer. That's a mistake. It's like giving someone a fish. You need to give them tools that are easy to use so they can do it themselves. Our easy to use tools have helped raise over a million dollars by just a few organizations.

I'm willing to give equity in the company to the right person. You can live anywhere you want. You can code a few days a week. You can help shape the company.

I want this people who do so much for others to have a great organization behind them and I need help.

Want to know more?

Please check out http://www.GivingTechnology.com and contact me.

BTW.. Anyone else looking to do good? What are your skills? I need a Graphic Artist and Marketing. Again, interested in sharing equity to get this out to as many non-profit organizations as possible.

what ever happened to survival of the fittest, now i.e: modern day, everything is run by a human being, who wants controll over everything, little knowing that we are as equivalent to an ant. yet they want to know about what was here millions of years ago what is going to happen to the earth in a million years, whats beyond the universe, look how simple a birds life is, the only problems they have is where to get there next meal. yet somehow our species have manged to make living in this planet so much more difficult. its mainly run by paper, forms, money, letters, a government. a group of people who put them selves in charge and enact laws in which thay can controll the whole of the race. you need a passport a visa to travel across borders. yet birds do it for free, you put a man behind bars for illegitimate reasons while hes rotting away in his cell the prison guard goes home to his wife with a smile on his face. a ceo of a large multinational company says he worked hard to where he got, no he didnt he got lucky, yet the thousands of people who depend on the job they got within the company have their lives resolve around the job. but the ceo doesnt care. he/she needs to get a new massage chair for their mansion. and what about the 'shes' females are all so niave and have become so equal within the past century with men. and what is with feminists shaving their head to make a statement. when i see a bald woman placing orders on a male it makes me want to get a razer and shave the skin of her head right down to her skull. i cant beleive we live our life by what other people made up and have now apparently become official 'laws'. i dont like this! i want This world to end now everyone including me every man woman baby bird lion giraffe horse cat monkey should be wiped out there should be nothing here except a big ball of rock. I am far beyond the term 'fed up' with this world!