Free State Wyoming Forum
Prospective Free State Wyoming (FSW) Members and Interested Parties => Prospective Free State Wyoming (FSW) Members and Interested Parties => Topic started by: MichiganMan on September 16, 2008, 08:44:22 PM
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Hello,
I am interested in moving to an area where people are liberty-minded (such as yourselves). I live in suburban Michigan, and I feel slightly out of place. I am sure that most of you have felt the same way.
My question is regarding the more populated parts of the state - specifically, the cities of Laramie and Cheyenne. Are these cities politically similar to the rest of the state? I get the impression from other posts on this forum that the rural areas are certainly liberty-friendly, but it seems like this part of the state is not heavily considered.
The reason I ask this question is because I have my eye on U. of Wyoming for some type of graduate studies, and it is located in Laramie. I would like to move to Wyoming in a few years, and I believe that attending school in the state would be better than if I attended school in Michigan and moved after graduation (in terms of finding a job). I would also assume that my employment would be in a city such as Laramie, Cheyenne, or Casper.
Thank you for your help.
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I'm in my last year of college, myself, and I've often thought about the logistics of moving out to WY. Basically, I'm going to have to move to one of cities and get a job, or start my own business in some smaller town. I'd probably be better off moving to a city. Some searching in these forums will reveal that the cities in WY are less freedom-friendly than rural areas. But, one thing that I'm guessing is that the cities in WY are still probably better than most other places, even rural ones. For instance, you'd be better off moving to anywhere in WY than living in CA. Even rural Minnesota can get pretty bad, as most people here are typical neocons (I'm sure the farm subsidies have plenty to do with it.)
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Absolutely! The cities in Wyoming are nothing similar to cities elsewhere. Remember that Casper only has 55,000 people - nowhere near what a "big city" has. Also, remember that while liberals are moving in, they are still outnumbered. :)
Seriously, Casper is hiring tons of people - they can not get enough help- but you could work there and live 20 miles away in a liberty minded city like Glenrock - where the Sheriff is in favor of open carry and 100% behind liberty. Twenty miles out here is nothing. Some children ride the school bus 40 miles every day.
Cheyenne, please forgive me anyone who lives there, is a cess pool. Too many have moved up from Denver and Colorado Springs to get away from the big cities and brought all the problems with them. They have a gang problem and crime is the worst in the state. I, personally, would not consider Cheyenne.
Laramie has a huge LDS population that are very friendly. You could easily move outside the city limits and find like minded individuals, but I, again -speaking personally, would not consider living in the city.
If you plan homeschool, I also would not consider Rock Springs. They have instituted a daytime curfew for "school students" meaning that anyone who looks less than 18 is not free to walk around town during the day without constant hassles.
I live 20 miles from Casper and you could easily find many, many like minded individuals within that distance (or more) from the city while finding a job in Casper. Be prepared to take your time and prove yourself - many around us wait until they know what a person is made of before they share their thoughts. Once you have proven you are not just a city person wanting to move to the country but have a convenience store on every corner and no farm smells or noises, you will be welcomed with open arms and invited to shooting-fests and barbecues.
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If you plan homeschool, I also would not consider Rock Springs. They have instituted a daytime curfew for "school students" meaning that anyone who looks less than 18 is not free to walk around town during the day without constant hassles.
I'm moving to that area in December and was planning on Rock Springs. Sounds like the local government may be a downside? Any thoughts on Rock Springs vs Green River? I lived in GR for a summer and liked it, especially that range in FMC park. The longer commute to work and distance to shopping and some semblance of night life makes me think twice about GR.
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MichiganMan, If Laramie has a program for you I would take a close look at it. Again the "cities" in Wyoming are small towns compared to most other places. So I doubt that Laramie would be a problem for you. Of coarse there are students from all over the country there so you just have to pick you friends, just like anywhere else. If you don't mind saying , what degree are you going after ? I ask cuz it might be that after graduation you may be able to stay out of the bigger cities?
craigercj, I have lived in both RS and GR they each have thier pro's and con's. I liked GR better as it is smaller, the drive to RS is only about 15 minutes so the distance isn't a real problem. I never had any trouble with local government in either town but the recent boom cycle may have them reacting to all of the new folks in the area who may be bringing problems with them as they did in the last boom. When things settle down I would hope that the gov would settle down also, we will see.
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I live in Laramie Michigan man and would LOVE it if more folks of a liberty oriented mind moved here. The town is absolutely FULL of "Obama '08" stickers but that's cause we have so many academic types that don't have to work for a living, they vote for their stolen subsidies. They are not the real majority here however as we have a serious ranching/shooting community surrounding town. The place is absolutely gorgeous with abundant outdoor recreation opportunities. We are 7,200 feet above sea level and have real winter up here. Look me up if'n ya want. Welcome to FSW.
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I have to laugh at all you guys who think "liberals" and people with Obama stickers are the problem. ::)
My view is that Wyoming is schizophrenic.
On one hand, Wyomingites pride themselves on independence and self-reliance. On the other hand, Wyoming has more government employees per capita than any state but Alaska. Cody, a supposedly conservative place, just passed a tax hike for a new government library (no new books though), and has what I call "garbage socialism" (city owns the garbage collection). The state government is rolling in cash and spend it on new socialist programs like free college for nearly everyone and new day care regulations. Vehicle licence fees are very high. The wildlife bureaucracy is unreal here, the ranchers and farmers are on welfare (ain't no Obama supporters among them either), etc., etc. And folks, it wasn't just Cheyenne legislators voting for all that stuff. The votes came from legislators all over the state. Wyomingites support the war more than most states.
On the other hand, average Wyomingites are pretty damn independent and self-reliant. Bureaucrats, while there are a lot of them (per capita), they are nice rather than nasty (that's small-town life for you - your reputation gets around). Or you can simply ignore them; people here tend to mind their own business. There's no income tax, which is something, and the sales tax is lower than a lot of states, and so is the property tax. The anti-smoking campaign has stalled here more than most places. There's open carry everywhere. The cops are even nicer here (small town life again). If you want to have nothing to do with government, that is more possible here than most places.
Personally, I wouldn't worry about living in or near Laramie. Why, not that long ago the city newspaper had a front page article celebrating the shooting sports. They did pass a smoking ban, but the opponents of it put up a hell of a fight (and that's another regulation that is probably ignored a lot). Just because some idiots pass a law, does not mean you have to obey it. You still have free will.
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I've found that it's a mistake to simply reduce the political views of everyone of the government cheese as only voting to keep that check coming. I talk to these folks a lot, and many have some legitimate (meaning libertarian) positions. After hearing quite a few mention that they are really voting for someone because of some grant, subsidy, or check, I quickly explain how they would be better off living in a freer society with almost no taxation; that anything they're getting from Uncle Sam must be eaten up pretty quickly by high taxes, higher interest rates, utilities, consumer costs, market volatility, and all manner of economic problems caused by government intervention. Showing students, poor folk, seniors, farmers, and others that government subsidies just lead to excess production and higher prices changes their mind that they're better off.
What good is that union pay or government job if you lose half your pay to taxes? Housing, health care, medicine, and college all cost much more than they did because government regulates, mandates, litigates, and subsidizes these activities to death.
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Its in the mind. You either move or you don't. Conditions notta. Things will fall into place once moved. You won't necessarily be alone, there are those here of like mind who would help. a lot is in the hustle of the individual.
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I grew up in Laramie, my father was born there, - it's really not a bad place overall. If you are going to college that's the place in Wyoming to go. Housing gets a bit sticky, but they have dorms for students. But as with any college, and graduate programs especially, you should find out what the professors are doing and if you want to work with any of them. The University is the reason the town has the political issues it has (IMO), so the town aside, you may not want to be part of THAT institution. There are very few graduate schools in the country that are not this way though.
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Laramie has a beautiful 1000 yard rifle range. Membership is only $50 a year. There are many covered firing points and even a building with a stove you can shoot 100 yards out of.
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I am actually looking into attending the University of Wyoming starting next fall. I would be majoring in rangeland ecology and watershed management. I'm assuming with a major like that, it wouldn't be too hard to find work in Wyoming after college. If I do get the chance to move out there next fall, I would love to meet up with some liberty-minded individuals who, like me, believe that freedom is worth fighting for.
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Well howdy sclibertytree ! How did you hear about FSW?
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I visited Wyoming this past summer to participate in a project called ArrowCorps5 in the Bridger-Teton National Forest. As I drove through the small towns across Wyoming, I grew to love the state and decided that this was were I would like to live. Ever since I have returned to South Carolina, I have been researching Wyoming and I stumbled across FSW by fate it seems. I'm tired of my neighbors giving me evil stares from across the street everytime I take my rifle out to my car to go hunting. The Greenville-Spartanburg area of South Carolina is not what it was 10 years ago. I used to be able to ride my bike down the middle of my road without having to worry about cars. Now, I sit in my driveway anywhere from 5 to 10 minutes everyday just waiting for a break in the traffic. Free State Wyoming seems like the perfect fit for a guy who loves hard work, freedom, and the country way of life.
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Free State Wyoming seems like the perfect fit for a guy who loves hard work, freedom, and the country way of life.
Yep! I would agree.
Regards, Danl ~W~
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Who do you plan on working for with that degree?
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I currently don't know. I would very much rather NOT work for the federal or state government. I'm sure there are jobs in the private sector for someone with a degree in rangeland ecology and watershed management. Someone please let me know if I am correct in this or if I am mistaken.
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You know, Mining companies might be interested in hiring you, especially considering the changes in consumer preferences towards "green"y and "green"er businesses and whatnot - industrial businesses might receive higher profits simply because of an increase in demand for green businesses, so any money spent in that area could be considered an investment that would yield more business, you know? If I were you, I'd find some of them and apply, maybe try to get an interview and then explain the reason you think you might be good for the company (be sure to have some of this worked out ahead of time, maybe include some examples of other companies that have done this, and with projected increases in business from hiring you, etc.)
Just a thought.
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Maybe you could start your own business as a high-priced consultant to ranchers, farmers, and construction companies. Figure out how to save them money, make the ranch/farm more productive (crop and grazing land rotation, water conservation, irrigation, I dunno), help construction with regulatory compliance, and possible "green" initiatives, or just save money. Charge 'em 20% of the first five year's benefits (or whatever the market will bear). There might also be some need for those skills for things like site selection for various industries. If there's a business angle in any of that, you'd probably be able to find clients all over Wyoming, Montana, Colorado, the Dakotas, and maybe beyond.
Or, there may already be such a company that you could try to get hired at.
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I currently don't know. I would very much rather NOT work for the federal or state government. <snip>
What about the BLM? They are facing a serious problem in hiring qualified people.
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I currently don't know. I would very much rather NOT work for the federal or state government. <snip>
What about the BLM? They are facing a serious problem in hiring qualified people.
That would be Department of the Interior, AKA FedGoons. I'm glad they're having hiring problems, let's hope it continues.
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Working for the Bureau of Land Management would be an absolute last resort and is not an option that I am currently considering. Working to help the feds manage the land that they THINK they own would be a step in the wrong direction for FSW. Don't you think? Wouldn't it be nice though, if the feds were forced to sell off some of the land that they are holding a claim on? From what I've heard, they are letting some prime properties just sit there and remain unproductive.
Thank you alexspartan and kylben for your ideas. Those options that yall mentioned are more along the lines of what I will be looking into going into. I expecially like kylben's idea of being a consultant.
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I expecially like kylben's idea of being a consultant.
Damn, I forgot to get you to sign my Career Consultant's contract.... you would've owed me 10% of all the money you ever made. >:D
Seriously, though, glad you thought the ideas were useful. Here's another hint, for what it's worth: look at adding a business or management minor to that, or at least taking a lot of electives in that area. Combination degrees often have a synergy that brings in more income than two people with those same degrees could, and knowing the business end of it could increase your worth to your potential clients exponentially.
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Thanks a ton kylben for the advice. You have definitely given me more confidence in my decision to pursue that as a career. If I were to ever make it big, I will make sure to remember you.
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Thanks a ton kylben for the advice. You have definitely given me more confidence in my decision to pursue that as a career. If I were to ever make it big, I will make sure to remember you.
Well, good luck. Just make it big and make a market. That way, when I get up there and start looking for markets of my own, I can take you for every penny the market will bear, and we'll both benefit.
Just something to keep in the back of your mind for future reference, I'm a software engineer, and the business you're looking at is probably very software intensive - or could be. Someday, hopefully soon, we'll both be in Wyoming looking for ways to make more money.
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Thanks Kylben. We'll have to make sure and keep in contact. I know that there is a lot of mapping software that goes into this profession and I'm sure there are many others.
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Thanks Kylben. We'll have to make sure and keep in contact. I know that there is a lot of mapping software that goes into this profession and I'm sure there are many others.
Sure, drop me a PM, or an email through my blog.
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The company I word for has recently hired two Rangeland graduates (one from UW) for their coal mines to do permit coordination and land management. One of them is supposed to end up doing reclamation design and implementation, more of an engineering role. Don't know if they're looking for more or will be in the future. There should be opportunities in the mining industry.
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The company I word for has recently hired two Rangeland graduates (one from UW) for their coal mines to do permit coordination and land management. One of them is supposed to end up doing reclamation design and implementation, more of an engineering role. Don't know if they're looking for more or will be in the future. There should be opportunities in the mining industry.
Since you used the words "engineering" and "mining" pretty close together...do you have any first-hand knowledge of what types of engineers are in demand in mining? I'm looking at mining or aerospace for now, certainly there'll be other industrial sectors to look at, but I wonder if the mining outfits up there are automated to a point where computer, electrical, and mechanical engineers are in considerable demand to even the watershed management, geotech/enviro/civil engineers, etc.
It'd be great if a handful or more of FSWers can pull some brains, funds, and resource strategy together and make a start-up venture. Reading posts by some other folks on here who've mentioned moving out to WY and starting up their own companies definitely gives a vigorous rush to the often stressful task of getting a business up and running. With WY being ranked #1 of 50 states for low business/corporate taxes, makes me feel a lot more excited about entrepreneur ops, even with the socialist BS from the feds about to kick into overdrive.
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I personally know of two recent eng grads (May 08), one an ME from Louisiana Tech and the second a ChemE from Penn State. Both are working (and training) as field engineers in natural gas production for Halliburton in Rock Springs.
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I personally know of two recent eng grads (May 08), one an ME from Louisiana Tech and the second a ChemE from Penn State. Both are working (and training) as field engineers in natural gas production for Halliburton in Rock Springs.
That sounds cool. Personally, though, Halliburton in addition to any other public or government entity is off the table from the start. It's a personal philosophy thing, not a come-lately political thing.
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For what it's worth!
Should anyone be interested in starting somekind of FSW-peopled enterprise....
I hold a Master's in Geology, about 35 years experience in AutoCad, am computer literate (used to be better), experience in environmental, mapping, uranium (papered as Logging Supervisor and have training time in as PFN operator), limited experience on rigs & drilling, carry whenever possible and sometimes when not (part of the reason for quitting last 'job' was being lied to about the ability to carry on the job).
Right now, I run my own business as a consulting geo and CAD drafting/design for CBM water retention dams.
Also, built custom laminated longbows, and plan to get back into cedar strip canoes.
Plan to make it down to the Dec Buffalo Feast - see you there.
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For what it's worth!
Should anyone be interested in starting somekind of FSW-peopled enterprise....
I hold a Master's in Geology, about 35 years experience in AutoCad, am computer literate (used to be better), experience in environmental, mapping, uranium (papered as Logging Supervisor and have training time in as PFN operator), limited experience on rigs & drilling, carry whenever possible and sometimes when not (part of the reason for quitting last 'job' was being lied to about the ability to carry on the job).
Right now, I run my own business as a consulting geo and CAD drafting/design for CBM water retention dams.
Also, built custom laminated longbows, and plan to get back into cedar strip canoes.
Plan to make it down to the Dec Buffalo Feast - see you there.
Hey Ugly ;D, I'd definitely be interested in talking to you about ideas, plans, etc. In addition to the handful of people on the forums who have at least alluded to entrepreneuring experiences, there's a couple of us Wyoming-bound in the somewhat-near-future who have inclinations to starting some independent ops from the ground-up.
I'm going to be flying into Gillette on the 11th at 2PM local time, and departing from there at 8AM on the 14th. If I can get Saturday (13th) freed up, I'll drive down and meet everyone. If not, and you will be anywhere near an intermediate point from Gillette to Laramie that's got some sights (industry, land, nat resources) worth driving to see, I'd like to meet up with you. I can't justify going out of my way for only a "Big Ugly" fella ;D
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Hey guys,
Just wanted to add a thought I just had for those of you thinking about starting up businesses in the near future. From reading some of the more recent posts there seems to be a good sized influx of young workers with little experience but the desire to learn and especially to live free in WY. I should know as I am one of them. ;D Seems like in addition to you more experienced folk there are also us youngin's to fill in the ranks. Just an idea, it is very encouraging to see such growth and opportunity in my (hopefully) future state. Good luck with everything!
Brent
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Hey guys,
Just wanted to add a thought I just had for those of you thinking about starting up businesses in the near future. From reading some of the more recent posts there seems to be a good sized influx of young workers with little experience but the desire to learn and especially to live free in WY. I should know as I am one of them. ;D Seems like in addition to you more experienced folk there are also us youngin's to fill in the ranks. Just an idea, it is very encouraging to see such growth and opportunity in my (hopefully) future state. Good luck with everything!
Brent
So long as somebody's got the money, brains, and patience accounted for, and all the young'uns know when to lead and especially when to follow, it could be fun! So long as nobody quits their day job ;)
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Since you used the words "engineering" and "mining" pretty close together...do you have any first-hand knowledge of what types of engineers are in demand in mining? I'm looking at mining or aerospace for now, certainly there'll be other industrial sectors to look at, but I wonder if the mining outfits up there are automated to a point where computer, electrical, and mechanical engineers are in considerable demand to even the watershed management, geotech/enviro/civil engineers, etc.
Right now the demand is mostly for dedicated Mining Engineers. Civil Engineers can fill the lack of Mining Eng grads with enough training. Mechanical engineers mostly deal with maintenance planning.
Cat is pioneering automated (or at least remote control) mining equipment for surface applications. Some mines already have the wi-fi and gps infrastructure for the equipment GPS units, and they are probably maintained by contractors. It will probably be at least a decade before we see wide-scale use of automation for large surface applications. For Ceng's, ME's, and EE's, the support industries (equipment manufacturers, dedicated mining software, etc) are probably more viable options. Ceng's would be resigned to technician work at the mine site. EE's may have opportunities for managing power systems, but I'm not aware of any.
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Cat is pioneering automated (or at least remote control) mining equipment for surface applications. Some mines already have the wi-fi and gps infrastructure for the equipment GPS units, and they are probably maintained by contractors. It will probably be at least a decade before we see wide-scale use of automation for large surface applications. For Ceng's, ME's, and EE's, the support industries (equipment manufacturers, dedicated mining software, etc) are probably more viable options. Ceng's would be resigned to technician work at the mine site. EE's may have opportunities for managing power systems, but I'm not aware of any.
Very interesting. Electronic automation architecture/infrastructure is something I've been really reading into lately, but def no expert on yet. Mechatronics, being a sister study, is more what I did "formal" studies on.
Maintenance planning - I'm guessing there's a minimum 10 yrs or so experience in a related field required to apply for such a position. Even if so, and the position interests me, I'll just loiter around the big dogs shining shoes until I can prove I know what's going on.
How long have you been with your current company? Done much moving, or have you stayed in your current locale most or all the time employed there?
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Since you used the words "engineering" and "mining" pretty close together...do you have any first-hand knowledge of what types of engineers are in demand in mining? I'm looking at mining or aerospace for now, certainly there'll be other industrial sectors to look at, but I wonder if the mining outfits up there are automated to a point where computer, electrical, and mechanical engineers are in considerable demand to even the watershed management, geotech/enviro/civil engineers, etc.
Right now the demand is mostly for dedicated Mining Engineers. Civil Engineers can fill the lack of Mining Eng grads with enough training. Mechanical engineers mostly deal with maintenance planning.
Cat is pioneering automated (or at least remote control) mining equipment for surface applications. Some mines already have the wi-fi and gps infrastructure for the equipment GPS units, and they are probably maintained by contractors. It will probably be at least a decade before we see wide-scale use of automation for large surface applications. For Ceng's, ME's, and EE's, the support industries (equipment manufacturers, dedicated mining software, etc) are probably more viable options. Ceng's would be resigned to technician work at the mine site. EE's may have opportunities for managing power systems, but I'm not aware of any.
We need a smiley with a lightbulb over its head, so just pretend I put one here...
You know, I hadn't put it together until just now, but the last time I was looking for a programming job, I'd occasionally see ads from the mines here. I think I applied for one, but didn't get a response. If there are software engineering jobs at the mines up there, it might change my calculus for moving. Being unable to do without that level of income for a while yet is the biggest barrier to doing it. I had assumed there wouldn't be any decent programming jobs in WY (and that is supported by a cursory look at the online help wanteds), but maybe that assumption is not correct.
I have a year of GIS experience, though it is old and rusty and the tech has changed, but it might be worth looking at what skills I'd need to beef up to be able to move into that area. GIS is a booming segment of the software world anyway - though I'm in financials/risk management right now, no lack of customers there these days ;D. Do you know anything about what platforms and commercial systems they are using? Do they develop in-house? Can you tell me the names of some of the mining companies active in WY? I'll start looking into it myself, but if you have any basic info, I'd appreciate it.
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Kylben, not sure if this will help but all of the big plants I have worked at had on site IT departments. Also in the plants we have control boards which are DCS ( distributed contol systems) Some are honeywell some are Delta V ,and others, so that always needs a person to tweek. There are plants all over Wyoming. Sweetwater county in the SW corner has Trona mines, coal mines, power plants , oil and gas, and fertilizer. Some of the places I have worked have promoted from within. So the maint planning jobs have been maintenence guys.
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I'm firmly convinced that if we can get enough computer geeks into the Free State WY movement, you'll see exponential growth of prosperity. Hell, all a typical programmer needs to be happy is a supercharged PC with a USB-powered coffee cup warmer, a fresh install of that World of Warcraft game with Level 20 weapons (sumthin like that), and a platter of Bagel Bites. ;D
Seriously though, get all the Da Vinci's, Tesla's, Newton's, Einstein's together, add a dash of John Galt, and it's on like Donkey Kong.
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I'm firmly convinced that if we can get enough computer geeks into the Free State WY movement, you'll see exponential growth of prosperity. Hell, all a typical programmer needs to be happy is a supercharged PC with a USB-powered coffee cup warmer, a fresh install of that World of Warcraft game with Level 20 weapons (sumthin like that), and a platter of Bagel Bites. ;D
Seriously though, get all the Da Vinci's, Tesla's, Newton's, Einstein's together, add a dash of John Galt, and it's on like Donkey Kong.
VFTR55, that's all so 2006... What we need to be happy now is two quad-core (minimum) boxes running Linux, and a high-end Mac, all three running Windows in disposable sandboxed VMs, all networked together of course, at least two monitors per machine, 24" minimum on the primary dev box; a tablet and various wearables for mobility; all of it iTunes enabled to a central library - along with Bose noise-canceling headphones; an iPhone with Twitter, Cowbell, and all the ballistics tables I need (there is a range next door, right?); a commercial-grade web-enabled coffee machine; an office with a view of trees and a lake (that I'll never visit, but it's, like, totally realistic wallpaper), and blackout shades - those night and day cycles can be very distracting; an endless supply of low-carb M&M's, pizza, and Diet Coke (this is a fantasy, right?). And for games, my taste runs to Tetris and 2nd Life, I never did get into WoW.
That's all I need, really. ;D Short of that, what you said will work too. Hell, I could find a way to be happy writing code with Vim on a 386 in an old refrigerator box under and underpass somewhere if I had to... Well, maybe not Vim. ;) Once I get in the zone, I won't even notice the difference.
Your main point is right on, but it's not enough to get them all together, we have to get them all in a market - or at least an FSW skunk works. Then, the sky is the limit, we'd have the Pentagon drooling over our defensive tech within a decade.
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all three running Windows in disposable sandboxed VMs, all networked together of course, at least two monitors per machine, 24" minimum on the primary dev box; a tablet and various wearables for mobility; all of it iTunes enabled to a central library
Well, if you insist, we'll keep Windows partitioned off, and set it up on one face of the VM, Compiz, or XGL "cube" - until I can get a Solidworks-like app on Linux or Mac or at least port to WINE, I guess Windows is a necessary evil. Rats.
iTunes? How about a central install of Mythbuntu? You get central storage of audio, video, all that good stuff. But, if you want to keep the latest ES Posthumus album in your iPod, I guess there's another necessary evil, just nowhere the diabolic dominion of Steve Ballmer.
- along with Bose noise-canceling headphones; an iPhone with Twitter, Cowbell, and all the ballistics tables I need (there is a range next door, right?); a commercial-grade web-enabled coffee machine; an office with a view of trees and a lake (that I'll never visit, but it's, like, totally realistic wallpaper), and blackout shades - those night and day cycles can be very distracting; an endless supply of low-carb M&M's, pizza, and Diet Coke (this is a fantasy, right?). And for games, my taste runs to Tetris and 2nd Life, I never did get into WoW.
I'll keep my Nokia N800 for now...yeah it's slightly more bulky than the iPhone, but it's got Linux-based OS and open-source expansion to spare. Get some Fring or Gizmo VoIP on that iPhone!
Speaking of controlling home comforts, check this guy out: www.bwired.nl ; I'll bet if his cat farts he gets a WiFi signal trans. Those trees, mountains, and lakes give you a playground to burn off the M&Ms and pizza ;D
Your main point is right on, but it's not enough to get them all together, we have to get them all in a market - or at least an FSW skunk works. Then, the sky is the limit, we'd have the Pentagon drooling over our defensive tech within a decade.
Definitely - a "Techno Gulching Geek Resort," similar to what's going on at openfarmtech.org, but on electronic steroids. Throw in lots of open-source programming and automation controls, build and launch some CubeSATs or ground-based sovereign telecoms network, a couple EMP shields/hardeners, etc. and we'll have some REAL fun. The Big Boys will be trying to break into our network to learn the secrets of this "magic coffee machine" too. ;D
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set it up on one face of the VM, Compiz, or XGL "cube" - until I can get a Solidworks-like app
OK, you win. Wish I could keep up with all that, I just haven't had time. Hell, I'm only now getting around to Ruby. But seriously, I'll be moving my free-time focus to Linux, open source in general, and more varied languages, platforms, and hardware. At the very least, it's a hedge against TSHTF, and is probably the better long term career path if TSDHTF. The work I do now (financials/risk management, some of our clients have been in the news lately) is C++, and not very platform-specific anyway, except for the GUI stuff and some legacy COM still in the system.
Don't have to work off the M&Ms and pizza, they're low-carb, remember. :D I'm going to get engrossed in those two links you posted, I just know it. Another evening blown futzing around....
When his cat farts, he gets an IM saying "I haz a steenk".
Think Boston will fund the skunk works?
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OK, you win. Wish I could keep up with all that, I just haven't had time. Hell, I'm only now getting around to Ruby.
Ehh, all you need is time; with your obvious knowledge of programming, you can pick up on any of that in a snap. Just need 20 minutes and a bag of M&Ms :D
The work I do now (financials/risk management, some of our clients have been in the news lately) is C++, and not very platform-specific anyway, except for the GUI stuff and some legacy COM still in the system.
That GUI programming, SQL, data mining, etc is bound to be useful no matter how much SHTF, so long as infrastructure is still standing. I do a lot of surfing around at sourceforge.net ; TONS of open-source projects there. Trying to get an open-source ERP up and running at my current place of business before I leave there next April. Just like you, all I need is time.
Another evening blown futzing around....
All that futzing adds up in a hurry, doesn't it? Hard to stick to a rigid hunt for coding architecture, apps, and hardware for a skunk works project when there's so much cool stuff out there.
When his cat farts, he gets an IM saying "I haz a steenk".
:D
Think Boston will fund the skunk works?
Dunno, depends on how much gold he's got stashed in 'dem mountains.
I bet we could get a small group together, define the goals, design architecture, component sources and ball-park price estimates, and shop it around within the "free state realm." If we get our logistics/procurement margins down, and you're willing to live up to your word on that prospect of working out of a refrigerator box for M&Ms and pizza, and we might get 'er off the ground. ;D
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you're willing to live up to your word on that prospect of working out of a refrigerator box for M&Ms and pizza
If that's all I'm getting paid, we'll shortly need a bigger box. They haven't actually invented the low-carb versions yet, not edible ones, at least. That should be the first project.
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NERDS!!!!
Truly I am home.
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Well, yeah, all nerds can feel safe here. After all..."what good is mining for nose gold is I can't share it with the townspeople?!!" :D