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I lost my last "career" position as a programmer almost a year ago (Sept 26) and had a hard time getting back in. Many thought I was too old (48) and set in my ways. There were a couple of positions that I did make it to the final round of selection at least.
In the mean time, I did get licensed as a first responder, took a position with a sporting events company providing first aid at races. I also worked for UPS last Christmas season running packages to a million Amazon shoppers. I took a job at a quick lube and changed oil on about 1000 cars and trucks over the last 3 months.
I started Monday as part of the Senior IT Applications Team at the corporate offices of a larger manufacturing company. Kind of nice to be back in, and I am looking forward to spending the rest of my working years there.
The only downside is the coffee; I have a choice of $2.00 a cup at the cafeteria (they serve Starbucks) or vending machine instant. I thought I had a spare coffee maker but I guess I'll be doing Thermos bottles for the next couple of weeks.
Director of Transmogrification Services
Shinobi of Query Language
Master of Yoda Conditional
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Arguing with a woman is like reading the Software License Agreement. In the end, you ignore everything and click "I agree".
Anonymous
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I have an old school Stanley Vacuum Bottle from my days doing field work. Fresh ground coffee brewed every morning, served hot all day!
Welcome back to the slog, good sir!
"There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies and statistics."
- Benjamin Disraeli
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I'll credit you the Stanley bottle, but I'm afraid you're still amateur class.
This[^] is what professional coffee drinkers (such as myself) carry.
Software Zen: delete this;
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What I found interesting is that, in their bullet points, the first item is Imported. I would not have expected that to be a selling point in the US. Here in Singapore made in US is a huge selling point of course 
Never underestimate the power of human stupidity
RAH
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Mycroft Holmes wrote: Imported. I would not have expected that to be a selling point in the US
Sometimes it isn't, but for most Americans it's an unavoidable fact of life. Many if not most consumer products are imported, or include a significant number of imported parts. A significant amount of our food supply (produce for example) is imported.
(JSOP look away)
For what it's worth, in some cases I prefer imported products: cars, for example. I drive a Honda Civic, and have owned several other imported cars. The ironic thing is that my Civic was built less than 100 miles from where I live.
Software Zen: delete this;
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It's not the size, it's, er, what you put in it.
"There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies and statistics."
- Benjamin Disraeli
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1 scoop of caffeinated, 4 scoops of decaf(*), a dash of sweetener and milk, to make a full pot.
(*) My blood pressure does Bad Things if I drink the stuff full strength.
Software Zen: delete this;
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Though I may look a bit down my nose at decaf, I accept and respect your drinking it as dedication to the lifestyle.
"There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies and statistics."
- Benjamin Disraeli
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I'm following in the tradition of my maternal grandmother. The kindest name anyone called her coffee was "battery acid"  .
Software Zen: delete this;
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Congrats! Glad you're back in technology sector.
I've worked at my current company longer than any other so far.
Coffee Must Be Good and Cheap
That's been good, but the coffee has changed over the years.
Originally, they had a special coffee system that was great. Then, that changed to some lesser quality and I was ok. Now they are on a frozen concentrate coffee. 
Terrible. I make my coffee at home (inexpensive) and bring it in a Thermos. This thing will honestly keep the coffee hot enough for drinking for over 24 hours. It is fantastic. Highly recommend.
Thermos - The Rock 1.1 Quart (1.04 liters) - amazon[^]
It's perfect because we have 160z styro cups and this will fill that twice. Once in the morning and once in the afternoon. Caffeine-charged afternoons are the way to go!
Also, all you have to do is rinse the thing with hot water as long as you don't drink directly out of it (which I don't recommend).
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raddevus wrote: Coffee Must Be Good and Cheap
We have it free - via espresso machine... I do not know about quality and taste (it is one of the free services I do not use), but it has Lavazza capsules (various colors)...
Skipper: We'll fix it.
Alex: Fix it? How you gonna fix this?
Skipper: Grit, spit and a whole lotta duct tape.
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Congratulations! I hope it goes well for you. I too am 48 and currently devising plans should I get fired or get mad madder and quit. It is not easy to find work once you get close to the 50 number.
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MadMyche wrote: In the mean time, I did get licensed as a first responder, took a position with a sporting events company providing first aid at races. I also worked for UPS last Christmas season running packages to a million Amazon shoppers. I took a job at a quick lube and changed oil on about 1000 cars and trucks over the last 3 months.
You should put it into your CV - it may teach those HR people what is seriousness and how age can be unimportant...
Skipper: We'll fix it.
Alex: Fix it? How you gonna fix this?
Skipper: Grit, spit and a whole lotta duct tape.
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Kornfeld Eliyahu Peter wrote: teach those HR people
If they could be taught anything useful, they wouldn't be in HR. 
If you have an important point to make, don't try to be subtle or clever. Use a pile driver. Hit the point once. Then come back and hit it again. Then hit it a third time - a tremendous whack.
--Winston Churchill
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yeah, gotta up vote that...
Charlie Gilley
<italic>Stuck in a dysfunctional matrix from which I must escape...
"Where liberty dwells, there is my country." B. Franklin, 1783
“They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.” BF, 1759
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Congratulations, and, yes, you deserve a thermos full of the bean-brew of your dreams' delight !
cheers, Bill
«While I complain of being able to see only a shadow of the past, I may be insensitive to reality as it is now, since I'm not at a stage of development where I'm capable of seeing it. A few hundred years later another traveler despairing as myself, may mourn the disappearance of what I may have seen, but failed to see.» Claude Levi-Strauss (Tristes Tropiques, 1955)
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MadMyche wrote: Many thought I was too old (48) and set in my ways.
 I would hope that if I'm in my 70's and of sound mind, I could still find work in this industry. It'll be interesting to see what age discrimination lawsuits start appearing in this industry. Oh look...
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Marc Clifton wrote: I would hope that if I'm in my 70's and of sound mind, I could still find work in this industry
I never knew that sanity was a requirement for employment. 
If you have an important point to make, don't try to be subtle or clever. Use a pile driver. Hit the point once. Then come back and hit it again. Then hit it a third time - a tremendous whack.
--Winston Churchill
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Daniel Pfeffer wrote: I never knew that sanity was a requirement for employment.
Good point.
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I was holding an in-house training today at a customer's site which should last the whole working day. But at 11:00 PM a departmental note was issued telling all employees to leave at 12:00 because of a storm warning.
Not a really heavy storm (max. expected wind speeds of 110 km/h) but the building is located on a pier and it lost parts of the roof with the last storm.
They can go home getting still paid while I have return to the office (and continue the training tomorrow). 
Working for a civil research department of the German navy has its benefits compared to working for a "normal" company.
Thanks to all the upvoters of my QA solutions from yesterday which pushed my rep over 200K.
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Today is 256th day of the year! So congratulations to everyone on this Programmer's Day[^].
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