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« Sex, Jealousy and Richard Dawkins | Main | More on Dawkins, Sex, Jealousy »

December 05, 2007

Here Comes Another Bubble

Michael Blowhard writes:

Dear Blowhards --

It's bewildering enough to be a 50-something media-and-arts guy living through the changeover we're undergoing from an analogue-based to a digital-based culture. God knows I've had moments when I've felt like a buggywhip specialist watching Henry Ford's business explode. Oops, there goes the whole basis of my commercial life. Such as it is, of course.

But I've also spent a few minutes wondering what it must be like to be a youngster these land-rush / gold-rush days. Great new tools and toys ... Fantastic opportunities ... But is it in fact all that much fun? A few lucky and/ or brilliant people hit it rich by 30 ... Fads and paradigms are forever erupting and popping ... Everyone's so relentlessly career-obsessed ... You're a loser if you don't have a clever idea and cash out at the exact best moment ...

Living through early adulthood these days must sometimes feel like blundering your way through a cyclone, no? Lordy, what a lot of pressure and anxiety not to be left behind. Talk about needing to play aggressive offense just to stay even.

Anyway, here's a funny evocation of the rattled and frantic "Omigod, why aren't I a billionaire yet?" mindset that the air seems so full of these days:



Best, as well as pleased -- for the moment at least -- to be over that particular hill,

Michael

posted by Michael at December 5, 2007




Comments

The other side of this: If you are clever and you've got your priorities straight, you can make a damned good living working part time, while you devote yourself to the things that make life worthwhile.

I've been doing it for almost 40 years.

The ability to program in a high level language in the multimedia world is worth big money. Find yourself a couple of corporate clients and you can make a six figure income working three days a week.

Back in the dark ages of the 70s, the ability to do word processing, a spread sheet and program a little bit in BASIC gave you the same edge.

And the best part of this is, if you avoid the full time job (which I have done except for a couple of misguided periods in my life), you also avoid the office politics and the stupid fighting for position.

Following this strategy, I was able to be there for my kids while they were growing up, even as I pursued a second career as a performing musician. Now, I've still got time to tour on my Harley, play in a variety of bands and take a walk to the lake.

There is a middle ground between the career obsessed striver and the reject everything hippie. And the tech revolution has been manna from heaven for those who can find the middle ground and can learn the skills.

Posted by: Shouting Thomas on December 5, 2007 11:25 AM



And the tech revolution has been manna from heaven for those who can find the middle ground and can learn the skills.

shouting thomas... yes. and the key words there being "who can learn the skills". it is a very selective bunch that manna falls on.

Posted by: roissy on December 5, 2007 7:51 PM



This video is priceless!

This video has been floating around the net for a few weeks, but I just saw it now.

Posted by: kurt9 on December 8, 2007 5:29 PM






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