dreadedmonkeygod . net

~1~

The West Wing put a few big ideas in my head. Every character in the series was taking a huge pay cut to work at the White House, from the president on down. Yet there was nothing they'd rather be doing.

In effect, the government was covering their living expenses for a few years so they'd have the free time to help out with governing, instead of having to get real jobs.

~2~

My dad tells a story about a writer who pointed at a room full of famous and powerful Hollywood people and said, "I have something that none of them will ever have: enough."

~3~

Bruce Sterling said something to the effect of: If you are not an investment banker, you are by definition not serious about making money.

~4~

A friend recently asked me why I don't become a contractor, since contract programmers commonly make more than I do. I said that I see working for a company as outsourcing my business functions so I can do what I'm best at: programming. I get great value for my money by working for a good company. When a given company fails to meet service level requirements, I switch vendors.

~5~

No amount of money will buy me a car and a spot on the starting line at the Indianapolis 500. The only way to get there is to be given a car and be paid to drive it.