When I was last looking around a few years ago, I had a company come out and say that my age (early 40's back then) might be a problem for the chemistry in the office (mostly mid to late 20s?), but they were the exception. Everyone else was interested in the projects I had worked on and the tech I had been using.

So... I'm sure the discrimination is out there, but there are also a ton of companies that value the experience a person with some time under their belt can provide.

At our school, it was part of the JROTC program, but that was something like 30 years ago, so who knows what they're up to these days.

This is exactly how I'm using it (plus streaming my kid's youtube videos to the TV). The TV's NetFlix interface is horrendous and this makes Netflix so much easier/fun to use. So... yep, I purchased a $35 dongle to make Netflix run better, but the 3 month discount eases the pain.

Thank you for the suggestions, I'll check them out!!

I tried a trackball on the preview version, but for some reason, it just didn't "click", so I'm hoping there's another way to use the surface interface without my monitor looking like my car's windows after the baby has run his hands all over them.

I guess the way I was thinking about using it was the trackball for clicks and mouse actions and then moving my hand to the right to the trackpad(?) for swipe/pinch/etc gestures.

Perhaps? I'll check it out, thanks! I've used the Logitech Trackballs for years, so i have no clue about the current state of pointer devices.

This might be out there, but I haven’t seen it yet, so some help would be appreciated.

Is there a touchpad/mousepad I can lay on my desk to act as the touch proxy for the screen? I’ve seen the Surface and the screen looked great, well... until it started being used, that is. It got all mucked up after a little bit of use and there’s _no_ way I can use that on my work machine.

So. is there some way I can use something like a mouse pad as the interface (pinch, zoom, swipe, etc, etc) without having to touch the screen?

My take on it is that the first step is to pick _something_ and start working with it. I'm not sure whatever "it" is has to be the best language, versus training your brain to go through the mental process of programming again.

The $64k question is how your accident has impacted your mental capabilities when it comes to programming, so starting with something "basic" will give you the chance to start to work with a coding project and self-analyze where you might have some holes due to lack of knowledge or due to the accident.

That being said, the concepts and languages available now versus the late 90s are very much changed, so even if you hadn't had the accident, picking up something after 15 years would be a challenge, so don't be discouraged if it doesn't "click" right away!

Seriously. As soon as you try to negotiate or assert your position, the overwhelming chances are they will balk or claim your employment contract grants them rights to your work. It's much easier to talk to a lawyer now who knows the circumstances unique to your location and can advise you hat your chances are.

Don't forget, you can also 'donate' it to your job and position yourself as the good guy, which might help you out down the line, depending on your bosses and the company. Not to mention, it's also a nice thing to put on your resume that will look great at the next interview you go to.

Ok, can you tell I watch the Disney Channel with my toddler?? My first thought was "Wobble Goggles" from the Imagination Movers! :-)

But you pointed out facts that they don't like, hence you're guilty of troll-like behavior.

Kinda like what happens to the scientists who question the whole global cooling->global warming->climate change (what will be next?) hypothesis.

Sure, why not?

There are trillions of dollars at stake in the global green economy and it would be pollyannaish to think there aren't people, corporations, not-for-profits, governments, etc that aren't looking at ways to make that pay off for themselves.

The focus of the corrupting influence would probably be on the science that causes the new regulations to be written and on the bureaucrats that actually implement the regulations.

I'm not sure what the non-profit/governmental/academic status has to do with anything? Any group can have its own motivations or prejudices. Just because that group is non-profit/governmental/academic doesn't mean it isn't looking out for its own interests or for a larger agenda.

I think you should ask your developers. Some mixes of developers I've worked with would have been great in a close seating arrangement and others would have driven me straight up the wall.

Also, if you're going to have them facing each other, make sure the monitors are adjustable; I worked with a guy who had a pretty bad facial tick and if that guy had been in my line of sight, I would have been pretty much useless as I waited for the next spasm to show up!