Robert Hall

Yes, that's what I meant. Not computer or software architecture. Sounds like the market is really weak right now, tied with the drop off in new construction, I assume.

Nah, current X3...

Likewise for city and state governments... I've worked for a department of the City of Phoenix and my sister has done gigs w/ various State of California agencies...all pretty dysfunctional. But, they do have opportunities for contractors and consultants to come in and get a decent bill rate to do some work for a while, same with big companies..

On the way back from the airport this evening, saw a very clean '67 Mustang 2+2 in Wimbeldon white...looked original, had a patina of age..

Saw a new Honda Insight for the first time today..maroon, was directly behind me..didn't get to see the side or rear, the front through my rearview mirror. Saw a white Transit Connect on a car hauler, first I'd seen. Also saw a current style Transit (the big one) tall roof window van.

Pontiac's only been gone a few months. It will take them time..a few years at GM speed.

The truth hurts--what was special about the G3, G5, G6 or Vibe? Just FWD generics. No Excitement!!! I can see Buick offering Buick-style sport sedans--emphasis on luxury with some sport--maybe sort of Saab like sophistication w/ Buick style. But I can't see them offering anything as overtly sporty as the good Pontiacs (G8, GTO, Solstice).

The scary thing is when the incompetent people get promoted and start making the decisions... I started out my career at MCI in Colorado Springs, had an ex-Bell South coworker IIRC. Had tons of Virginia/DC area transplants (where MCI's home offices were) as well as transplanted Midwesterners, East Coasters, and Californians...(there was also a clique of South Africans who owned the mainframe systems architecture group, ran it like a military organization, as well as the usual h1B Indian programmers)--all had come to Colorado for the great climate, winter sports, abundant sunshine, booming job market. 2 1/2 years was enough in telecom for me...was there through the Worldcom takeover..

That's not a Buick, though. Buicks are automatics,smooth, quiet cushy ride, comfy soft interiors, wood. Different demographic.

I think they are just trying to survive right now... Chevy can fill the Avis niche Pontiac left behind (weren't many sales at Pontiac in this decade fleet)? Other than a few low-volume speciality models (GTO, G8, Solstice) the rest of late-model Pontiac were just forgettable FWD generics that Chevy has plenty of... beyond the G8 and Solstice, any Excitement!! was just marketing.

Speaking of banks, I'm currently contracting at one of the largest banks in the US...the inefficiencies in their SW development processes, etc is amazing.... I'm truly amazed anything actually works...infinite levels of beauacracy, hidden reporting structures, departments that won't communicate, complex, poorly documented systems, hundreds of acronyms, etc.

I've heard that in my own family...a sibling that attributes basically all that was good to our late father, and all that is bad to our mother. There is some degree of truth to it, but once you are out of the house and on your own--college and beyond--you make your own choices in life, good or bad..can't blame anyone but yourself at the point and beyond, IMHO. Blaming everything on your childhood and a repressed, conservative emotionally distant mother only goes so far... My own family has had plenty enough of it's own drama over the years, enough to convince me I have no need to have children. Of my 2 siblings and myself, the one that is definitely the most f*cked up is the one that isn't taking any meds... the other and myself have our prescription anti-depressants and sleeping pills going on.. Putting the fun in dysfunctional. Rob

Damn..that's an amazing number...architecture is your field? I've talked w/ a few recruiters lately, and they claim it's about 5 percent in the Phoenix metro, and about 3 percent in the Denver metro for my niche.. Rob

That was one of my stranger job experiences...anti fraud software company..the interview went well, they were building some interesting technology, but working there sucked...I worked with a bunch of obnoxious 20-something Toyota fanboys that gave me a hard time constantly for driving an American car and stole things out of my cube...

They took my stapler. (this really happened at the startup I worked at last year...the bastard Toyota-lovin' kids stole my red Swingline)

That one has an interesting description...'purchased from CIA fleet'... the CIA?? Interesting...wonder what they used them for.

In English, please...'GMMG'? 'B4C'?

Around here black has been the most common color..then yellow, bright red and silver. Also, i've seen one in white (looks great), one in the dark red, one in the met. orange. Haven't seen a gray one or either of blues yet.

Problem solving is one of the main reasons I like software development... not just design problems, but I even enjoy solving production problems...digging through code, log files, etc to see why last night's batch update took a dump, etc...

I like the backyard Stonehenge...

Chevrolet Fleetmaster or something?

<cynical> he's just messing with our heads again.. </cynical>

So you are going over to Ohio this week and next week (24th-25th is the G20 meetings, thought you said 17th-18th in another thread)?

Are they also going to bring the Ute version w/ a cap for police animal control handling use? (Like the pic PCS posted the other day). And the wagon for coroner's office use?

I've been guilty of that... Move from company to company with my collection of stories, different ones for different contexts... I'm also guilty of when encountering a situation at work, saying 'well, at company XYZ, we did this..."..