Just to get it out of my system

[Longwatcher]

I have found out that my day-job contract is likely to get renewed - sort of...

The bad news is I won't be able to become a full time photographer. The good news is I can afford more/better equipment.

I had been told that my contract was not likely to be renewed so had been planning accordingly. Well I found out that it was because the USAF was consolidating contractors, not becasuse they did not want me. While I think it is a stupid policy in the long term, it is hard to fight their logic with mine.

What the result for me is, I will need to change companies I work for. This will result in no difference in pay or benefits, but I may lose some of my unvested retirement from the consolidation. So I am thinking of asking for a 1Ds in compensation. Knowing the way the universe works, they will probably give me a one-time cash signing bonus, but it will magically at least match the price of a 1Ds if I have anything to do with it. Strange how that works 8)

Just had to get that out of my system. Note: there is still a chance it won't get renewed, but I am thinking renewal is more likely now then I did a week ago.

[PacAce]

Tim,

Sorry to hear about your situation at work. It's never a good thing when one is forced to change the company one works for without any increase in salary or benefits, and especially so when you're going to lose any unvested retirement interests you may have accrued. :(

I hope you DO get your 1Ds as I think that's the least they can do for you.

Good luck.

[CyberDyneSystems]

I hope it all works out,.. including the 1Ds AND a nice 300 f/2.8 L,.. or 400mm f/2.8,.. (I mean why stop at the 1Ds??? :) )

[Longwatcher]

Well I did ask for Canon 1200mm as a signing bonus (that or a BMW Z3) :p

I got a blank stare to the first and a "Yeah right" to the second. The 1Ds is much more realistic and I am fairly sure I can get that much out of them.

.............
I am getting the feeling though that you all did not get the actual humour of the message that I felt when I wrote it.

perhaps some background would help:
I am not worried about my losing my day job very terribly, except that it gives something to do and it pays me way more then I feel I am worth (except of course for the frustration of working with a monolithic bueuracracy). Money versus frustration is my primary motive in what I expect in salary. Also, if I did not feel that what I was doing was making any difference, no amount of money would get me to stay. (okay a couple a mil a year might do it)

I am retired from the USAF after 20+ years and my retirement will cover all of my monthly expenses, including food. What it won't do is give me spending money. For that I need to earn some money somehow.

So I figured; I am fairly competent at photography and usually know what I am talking about. I enjoy taking pictures, so If I could get a low cost studio in a decent location and take enough pictures to pay for it and my equipment and get me some spending money, all is good with the world.

Meanwhile back at my day-job, I do requirements research for the USAF in advanced sensor technology for airborne platforms and their ground stations. This roughly translates into I have to sit at a desk and use my brain to figure out how we can use new technology, how it will interact with other systems and help determine if it has any military utility and if so how much versus what it will cost and the level of technological development it is at.

I have to put up with one of the slowest acquisition systems on the planet resulting in perfectly good technology rotting away for years before it gets used. Talk about frustrating.

Adding to that is I will have a vision of how something will work to make information better/faster/more accurate for the people who have to decide what to "engage" (read as blow things up - usually). And when the technology finally makes it to the field in a hurry (after 3-4 years*) they don't bother to check back with me to see how it should work and so spend a lot of effort re-inventing the wheel at a slower pace. Again very frustrating.

So to summarize: I was kind of hoping my contract would not be renewed at all, so I could sit back and have fun as a photographer.

sigh... I guess I will just have to content myself with the new toys I can afford. That and the fact that they need me for some strange reason I can't fathom.

I know, if only everyone had my problem.

Just in case you think I am one lucky SoB. I am single never married and until recently really wanted to be married w/kids. So I figure it all balances out somehow.
I have recently discovered with my current girlfriend that I am a bit too used to being single, so we are taking it real slow for my benefit (at least she lets me take pictures of nekid women :p

[*=Normal acquisition takes about 7-10 years from concept to fielding, I have not been around long enough for more then one of those systems done the right way yet, but am getting closer. This is why I have learned to believe it when someone tells me they are still using a 386 era processor in a modern jet fighter]

[PacAce]

Tim,

Interesting story. Anyway, I hope things work out the way YOU want it to! :)

Re the 386 chip, I heard that that's what they're using in the space shuttles (or one of those older technology cpus). I initially found that hard to believe but then, looking back at when the systems were initially designed, it made more sense. I also heard that NASA's been scrounging around at the PC scrap and junk yards to salvage old 386 chips since they aren't being made anymore. How ironic, huh? A "space age" outfit like NASA using old microcomputer chips to keep their birds up in the air!

[stopbath]

pacace wrote:
Tim,

Interesting story. Anyway, I hope things work out the way YOU want it to! :)

Re the 386 chip, I heard that that's what they're using in the space shuttles (or one of those older technology cpus). I initially found that hard to believe but then, looking back at when the systems were initially designed, it made more sense. I also heard that NASA's been scrounging around at the PC scrap and junk yards to salvage old 386 chips since they aren't being made anymore. How ironic, huh? A "space age" outfit like NASA using old microcomputer chips to keep their birds up in the air!

It's not too ironic if you figure the system has been debugged and all bugs left are known entities. To change the processor, would require starting debugging all over, this could bring about new bugs that may only be found in the air. Not a good scenario. If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

[pradeep1]

Have you considered starting your own business?

I have a lot of old 386 chips lying around in an old collection I'll let your government contractor "have" for a good price.

:)

[PacAce]

pradeep1 wrote:
Have you considered starting your own business?

I have a lot of old 386 chips lying around in an old collection I'll let your government contractor "have" for a good price.

:)



That's the reason NASA is not letting on that they're in need of all the 386 chips they can get their hands on. If they did, everybody would horde their old 386 PCs in the hopes of selling it to NASA for a good profit. That in turn would drive up the prices of the 386 chips caused by the shortage. :)

[pradeep1]

and considering how the 386s are the rage in nerd fashion, one can only imagine the crush for 386 items for the Christmas season.