Best part about this comment:

Justin Bieber is Canadian.
Shakira is Columbian.

Go Go Gadget U.S. lawmakers!

I call bull.

Some very social people I know don't drink alcohol or coffee, smoke, or eat meat. But you know what? They still come out drinking, they just drink cranberry & soda, or lemon & soda, or just water. And they stay inside when people go smoke. And they order tea (or iced tea, or juice, or water) instead of coffee. And they play sports, or go running, or whatever with the rest of us.

They don't feel the need to point out to everyone else that they don't like beer, coffee, or cigarettes, and for the most part, you never even notice that they're not imbibing (or whatever). You've just invented a convenient excuse for never going out and socializing ("It's not *me*, it's the fact that I don't like *beer*. *That's* the only reason I'm at home every Friday and Saturday night, sitting in front of the computer.")

Get off your high horse or pity wagon or wherever you're sitting, and go out and talk to people and stop whining.

(Apologies if you're the first person I've ever met who breaks this pattern.)

I've been pulled over and breathalyzed exactly *once* in my life. At the time, I was only driving because "I only needed to go three blocks" and worried that I was close to the .08 limit. I would *not* have been dumb enough to get on the highway, since I knew my reactions were slow. I blew .02. Yep, .02 - one quarter of the legal limit; half of Oregon's. I have little sympathy for anyone who gets charged with DUI at anything higher than that. It's irresponsible in the way that shooting automatic weapons randomly in a shopping mall is irresponsible.

I worked as a bike courier for a couple of summers, and we guaranteed package delivery within an hour. When you had to deliver something on the 30th floor of a building where the power (or just the elevator) was out, it was an interesting experience.

Interesting because, although it kind of sucked to have to run up 30 flights of stairs (to make... $1.75), it was kind awesome to see the look on the secretary's face when she said, "Oh, the elevators are working again?" and you answered, "Nope. Sign here."

And then you turned around and got to run back /down/ 30 flights of stairs.

I seriously wouldn't worry about security issues.

You know, not all 17- and 18-year-old kids "have a real plan." And oddly enough, I don't think we should expect them to.

Here's a personal counterpoint: I went to a good CS school to get a degree so I could write computer games (the plan!). I enrolled in the the co-op education program (so I could get those paid internships!). And after a couple of internships, I learned that writing computer games actually kind of sucks.

So I went to grad school to get a PhD, so I could become a professor. Not to avoid the real world, but because I really liked being a TA: running lab sessions for 20-40 students (and giving the occasional lecture). I was good at it, students liked me, etc.

I got a PhD. But you know what? About a year before I finished, I realized that I didn't really like research. So I went looking for a job. Ended up as a "management consultant" with a starting salary in the low six figures, and ramping up from there. So much for minimum wage. And my company hires plenty of smart BA and BSc students (in the high 5-figures) every year. (Then, if you're good, we pay for business school - if you want to go.)

But you know what? Now I'm not sure I want to be a consultant anymore. It's funny how big plans don't always take you where you expect. There might be a lesson in there.

My biggest regrets? That I didn't spend a year on exchange to Denmark (where I am rightnow) or Spain (where I've visited) so I could expand my horizons. As long as you're making enough for food, shelter, and some left over, money really doesn't buy happiness. College isn't just about classes: it's about the dorms, the parties, the professors, the trips abroad during summer, the exchange programs, etc.

So follow the parent's advice (despite my story, I agree: it's the right advice for some people). Or stop looking at life as a linear-optimization problem, go to college, get "educated", and become "well-rounded". Live the life you want to lead.

And if it matters that much to you, run the damn VM to get around the stupid IT policy. :-)

The same people who are shooting everyone. In fact, we could replace the mod system with remote-control rifles.