Quote :

"I am actually considering something blue collar, like a lot of IT professionals. The only problem is, once EVERYBODY is laid off due to AI"

I had this same thought with the offshoring craze in 2000. I had convinced myself there would be no jobs and I should do something else, which motivated me to go back and get a degree in Biochemistry. Looking around though it's kind of similar in a way. Back then it was helping companies figure out the internet. You'd build intranet sites to manage content, databases to track whatever metrics execs wanted. There was a boom in consumer products that came after too. Everyone needed an App to be the "uber for jerking off" or whatever.

People are rightly scared shitless of AI, and it's completely changed how I've worked. However, a lot of what I'm doing now feels a bit like the early 2000s. I'm meeting with non-technical people showing them capabilities and helping them see if they can use it. I got this lady using opencode this week and she's creating dashboards for her business unit to do reporting on this big gnarly project.

The job is completely different, however a lot of what was built to manage IT projects over the last 15 years is likely going to need to be rethought and the opportunity is limitless.

Quote :

"Actually my mind keeps going back to HVAC. "

Guy who did did three HVAC systems for me was a former art major. He really sold it as a job. Said it's always like a puzzle to figure out. Every house is different, especially older homes. Liked trying to make it work and look nice. Did say it's super hot and mentioned 150 degree attics being a particularly bad hazard.

Quote :

"seems like a good time to have a PhD in philosophy for... the first time ever"

Why? My best friend from high school is a Philosophy PhD. He's moved to working on transformers (not the models) for big power plants. He started that before the big data center boom, but now it's like minting money.

6/19/2026 7:57:36 AM

ironically, I'm strongly considering enrolling in a computer science associates program at Wake Tech

this would help me pick up more understanding of the audience I write for
and it would also put my student loan payments back into deferment

tuition for ongoing degrees is cheaper than paying my student loans

6/19/2026 10:41:39 AM

^ aren't you a mid-level manager for a Fortune 500 company? if so, who are you writing for? and why do you have student loans (unless they're for a rather late-career MBA, or your kids, maybe)?

just curious - I pictured you kicking it in airport lounges, driving a bimmer or equivalent and living the good life. although maybe "mid-level manager" is not as illustrious a job as I'm making it out to be. but to me, it suggests you're managing managers, which sounds lucrative.

and maybe you are living the good life, regardless.

[Edited on July 12, 2026 at 10:30 PM. Reason : x]

7/12/2026 10:25:30 PM

I'm writing for my writers who write for developers and sys admins.

I have student loans because they were large to begin with and that can kept getting kicked down the road. I've got a MA that I received in 2012 that constitutes the majority of that debt. I have no kids. I do think I'm gonna go back to school, though. Not for an MBA. Maybe an engineering degree.

I'm not managing other people managers. I'm mostly managing program managers and individual contributors. But, yeah, management isn't particularly glamorous. It's mostly paperwork and politics.

I'm living a good life but not the BMW airport lounge good life. I suppose I could if I wanted to but that's not my style. I'm more of a Burning Man tech guy. I spend my money on my many hobbies.

7/13/2026 8:33:21 AM

Thanks for the update man. Hope you're enjoying raking in the dollars, writing no doubt eloquent tech missives for your minions, and being a savvy political animal for most of the year so you can go to Burning Man where all social norms can be disregarded.

I've often thought, though, that I'm overestimating the relaxation of social rules at Burning Man. I vaguely picture walking around with my cock out, casually commenting on women's breasts and if I'm lucky participating in impromptu orgies. But I'm sure there's a de facto culture, and assholes are shunned as is the case everywhere.

7/13/2026 11:00:14 AM

Quote :

"raking in the dollars"

I earn enough not to worry too much about what I earn. It stands in contrast to the life of destitution that was promised me by naysayers.

I've also never been to Burning Man. I did spend 13+ years going to regional Burning Man events and I spent 7 of those years on the board of directors of 2 regional events. Some of that work included dealing with abuse allegations and making decisions to ban people who walk around exposing themselves while leering and jeering at women. Nudity is one thing but catcalling is something else and, in my experience, tends to imply a general disregard for other peoples' autonomy. You're right about the culture aspect. There's a very strong consent culture in the burning community. Almost anything is allowed so long as everyone is informed and consents. This includes passersby. You wanna get weird with the cheez whiz? Tell folks what that means, get their positive consent, and put up a visual barrier so I don't have to see it if I don't want to.

What I was really into, in that community, was creating interactive experiences for other people to enjoy. Watching people have fun inside of my daydream is enormously gratifying for me. These days I'm interested in haunted attractions. I'd like to build a haunted house.

7/15/2026 8:17:50 AM

Thanks for the clarification. That's quite interesting that consent is prominent in the Burning Man ethos. It makes sense though - and in that kind of free environment, it feels necessary; difficult to radically be yourself and drink deeply of reality without a guarantee that others will not be up in your shit without your permission. I guess it's a testament to the whole institution (and humanity) that it's possible to carry the thing off successfully. And I'm glad you've played a role in banning assholes.

Humm. "Creating interactive experiences" sounds intriguing, and I can see how having others engage in and enjoy your daydreams and actualizations could be a massive kick. We need scarier haunted houses IMO. Anyway, that is a pretty respectable sampling of hobbies and interests, sir. You seem to be enjoying your ride decently.

7/16/2026 10:47:46 PM