Nice people thread part 5 - nicely does it

vivatifosi

misskool wrote: »

I'm tempted to apply for another job that's been advertised. It's not in my current area but a sidestep (analyst for a consulting firm). Permanent job, great benefits. I think it's the permanent that really makes it attractive, as I'm currently unemployed as of 31 Dec 2013.

DH went through that dilemma from a very similar situation. As you know he also has a PhD in a scientific field. Ultimately making money in his field was becoming hard as it went out of fashion (has since come back into fashion big time), jobs were on contract only. He left research and uses his analytical skills on different problems. I think he misses it and some of the opportunities, for example he could have spent some time working at CERN, but ultimately we have a better life as a result of that choice.

Having said that, he did miss the mental stimulus so now does undergraduate degrees for fun. Finding something that gets the grey matter working in the same way and gives the same challenges is important. The other question that you have to answer - the one that landed me in a public library - is whether your work in consulting will give you the satisfaction that you've done your bit for society. Now if chewy's reading this (I'm reading your mind here sir) I can imagine him thinking "sod my bit for society, I'd rather play cricket and eat sandwiches", but if that's important to you, you may need to find an outlet for that too.

PasturesNew

Raining here, wet and grey .... and I try not to mention old issues too often else I'd be post 10x as much as I do with doom/gloom, that nobody wants to read.... but the old's got the "C" thing to be looked at and I hope it's not raining later this week when I have to go with them to the Hospital..... it's going to be a tough drive as I have to take them next to the building where the other old died. Hoping they're so confused they don't realise really.

sss555s

I prefer reading minds to reading books. The last book I read was Digerati Glitterati around 8 years ago...oh wait! I think I read a few of the John Grisham books on various holiday's around then too but I much prefer listening to music on holiday now.

The type of books that would interest me would be time travel, invisible man, secret agent/ super hero type of books. I loved the Back to the Future films and how it showed what difference the slightest things can make and the how generations grow up similar but in a different technical age.
I also quite liked the Gremlins films on how they show what humans are exactly like from an outside view.
I remember saying that to someone and they couldn't grasp what I meant. I thought that was the whole base of the those films.

Weather's nice here today but it's supposed to change for Thursday/Friday.

tomterm8

Well, I hope it goes all-right for you, Pastures New. Is there a back way in you can use so it isn't obvious they are going to a building that is so near?

tomterm8

sss555s wrote: »

The type of books that would interest me would be time travel, invisible man, secret agent/ super hero type of books. I loved the Back to the Future films and how it showed what difference the slightest things can make and the how generations grow up similar but in a different technical age.
.

It might be worth checking out SM Stirling's Island in the sea of Time, if you can find it.

sss555s

tomterm8 wrote: »

It might be worth checking out SM Stirling's Island in the sea of Time, if you can find it.

Thanks tom. I may just have a look for that.

Any other ideas NP?


Edit: Just bought that book on Amazon after looking at a couple of the reviews :beer:

tomterm8

sss555s wrote: »

Any other ideas NP?

Orson Scott Card has done a lot of alternative history, he is one of the leaders in the genre. Turtledove is also good - his All the Guns of the South is worth reading it hits a lot of what you say in your 'perfect' book.

PasturesNew

State Opening of Parliament on TV ... apparently live.

I have absolutely NO Idea what that is. You might think I might know wouldn't you. Looks dull though.

Won't be watching it, whatever it is.

PasturesNew

tomterm8 wrote: »

Well, I hope it goes all-right for you, Pastures New. Is there a back way in you can use so it isn't obvious they are going to a building that is so near?

No. Only one way.

tomterm8

PasturesNew wrote: »

State Opening of Parliament on TV ... apparently live.

I have absolutely NO Idea what that is. You might think I might know wouldn't you. Looks dull though.

Won't be watching it, whatever it is.

All the big wigs get together in parliament, and then her nibbity comes to parliament and gives it the authority to actually start debating stuff. Historically, the Monarch In Parliament is the source of all legislation and state power in the UK...

In reality these days, the queen reads a speech that the government writes that says what laws it is going to pass over the course of the parliament. it is a chance for the government to say what it is going to do.