I'm such a chickenshit. I've been in my niche of the field (content management) since 1993. I've done different things in the niche (from code to hardware to analysis and project management), but it's all been CM. But when I look at the sideways movements (especially of the un-CS-degreed) I realise I don't need to be here forever. But something as straightforward as your progression and refinement of niche, tommy, still feels scary and naked-making.

I wonder if it's the rest of the UK educational system that makes showing up at university with your degree chosen viable there. Or maybe it's broken ... but my classmates seemed fine with it (except for Rachel, who did English Lit, French, Math and Further Math A Levels, because she couldn't decide -- she's now a reporter for The Telegraph). Even though the N.American way seems slow for impatient little me, I guess it works for here. But I really have no familiarity with the high school system that feeds it (except my sister got to take typing for credit, which made my snotty self shake my head).

I'm pretty good at taking a product, correctly interpreting its language and function, and then bending that product to suit my will.

I was going to say that I only seem to be truly creative with words, except that's not exactly true anymore.

Wow. I just depressed myself.

I was going to say that I only seem to be truly creative with words, except that's not exactly true anymore.

Wow. I just depressed myself.

Why? Or am I being naive in assuming that you struck the word "only" from the sentence, and not something more disparaging?

Thing is, once I graduated university, I realised I didn't love programming, not like those who really love it love it. Just a punter. My strengths lie in abstraction and design, not the small details. In fact, I swore I'd never code for money again (but went back on that about a week after graduation).

Still, I'm so glad I have book learning in it. It makes my job a lot easier.

I realised I didn't love programming, not like those who really love it love it.

Still, I'm so glad I have book learning in it. It makes my job a lot easier

ita is me. Except that I could only kill people with my pinkie if I painted it with cyanide.

I was just thinking - years ago when I was first working in computers (for money) I used to tell myself that I wasn't a computer geek. I'd say things like, "A real computer geek works in hexidecimal," or, "A real computer geek gets excited by an OS," or (back when I was only doing Access stuff), "a real computer geek uses SQL."

Now all those things can describe me.

Heh. My work experience is remarkably similar to Tommyrot's. Except once I got to a particular level with Access and understanding databases, I found a niche in HR where I'm the person that pulls the data together from all the different systems and makes it into reports. Or just runs Access databases for tracking things.

Oddest thing I saw on my way to work today: half a rabbit, on the lawn of a univeristy building.

From my previous career as a groundskeeper at Kenyon College, I can state with some authority that half-a-rabbit is a fairly common side effect of using big tractor lawn mowers.

I'm impressed with the people who can program, because for the most part looking at code just hurts my brain. I mean, I have some basic html knowledge and can sometimes look at the code on a website and figure out how something I'm unfamiliar with is done like figuring out a puzzle, but it's very rare. For that matter, I'm not a big fan of logic puzzles anyway. Never did figure out how to do a Rubix cube. Though one time as a kid I finally got fed up and removed the stickers and stuck them back on in the right place.

Yeah, I can't program. I mean, I can open the hood on Access and poke around in the SQL code, but that's about it.

I went to the big art deco bookstore last night and was absolutely flabbergasted by the number of books like The Lazy Husband and various other Here's-What's-Wrong-with-Your-Man- and-How-To-Fix-It-without-Him-Ever-Noticing titles that were out on prominent display. Although it has no direct bearing on my life, I feel like I should give the finger to women who regard their significant others as fixer-upper opportunities out of solidarity with my heterosexual brethren.

How 'bout you find Dr. Laura and give her a good, old bitch slap for writing The Proper Care and Feeding of Husbands. I married a man, NOT a cocker spaniel.

The whole manipulative side of that book market gives me hives. If your husband is an ass, he's not likely to change. If he beats you, leave.

How to draw "fu" (good luck).