You can do all the vacation type things that don't involve much money.

Today I went out and bought wedding anniversary presents and almost felt guilty about buying coffee while I was out. But coffee when I am out 3 times a week is my main source of calcium so over that.

Can't really go away when you are looking for a job.

Can't turn off the phone if you are waiting to be called back.

Check emails.

Get rejected a lot applying for jobs. Then some more. Wade through the ignorance and stupidity of recruiters if you can get them on the phone or return an email (some are good, diplomatically others are useless).

Check email, make calls. Field stupid questions from every man and his dog and your wife. Listen to "chin up" and "keep trying" from everyone ("it's all you can do").

If the state government wasn't in the process of sacking 10,000+ people (plus allowing contracts to expire and ending contractor/consultant engagement) I might be more confident of taking some time off.

I saw something like this coming and am sort of prepared financially and can hold out for a while dollar wise (but that also means my skills and knowledge are seen to atrophy). I may just go completely bonkers though. Some days I think I do.

If I was in Europe and had a job, I would be holding on for dear life.

Thank you

Brisbane Australia.
Spreadsheet jockey. Contract/Policy/Regulatory Analyst.

Actually accepted submission.

Fonts annoy me. So many licences, variability and availability and differences machine to machine. Like standards I suppose so many to choose from and non completely compatible.

from the ads, you would every time you changed provider a fairy would be born and a unicorn saved.

I had to hassle Origin a few times to get them to actually send me a bill. Billing systems are the pits.

cost? someone overseas offering to it cheaper

true, they will just get laws passed if us pesky citizens get in the way of profit

Data security is such a good thing. Good thing the hackers didn't get it.

And with the data retention proposals of course no isp is going to be tempted to defray the cost with either on-site or outsourced datamining. And all storage is onsite and under their control.

From the FTA
"An Origin spokesman said the portal was fully compliant with Australian privacy legislation. He said the additional information requested about each household ''adds to the richness of the Origin Smart experience''.

Customer information can only be accessed by staff involved in billing. He said the electricity retailer only shared information with third parties when they had a ''legitimate business need to do so in order to meet our service obligations to our customers''."

"with third parties" the easiest way for the NSA to get all the data in the world would be to sell cheap datamining services as the Narly Stats Advisers.

And government and business wonder why people don't trust them.

Before this goes off and i can't comment anymore. Still haven't got it to work but just applied some updates & need to restart anyway so will check again.
Thanks. Adding the MTP tools did get the hardware recognised, now trying to remember if I wiped the 2 x 500 GB and is possible the 1Tb disk is dead anyway. S it might all be working but no way to prove it.

Get fined unless you have a good excuse. Car brokedown or suddenly sick works.

People feel a lot better about having a say but many know it is just as pointless here. Both sides whisked thru the federal legislature recent laws about increased powers for our spy agencies (which is separate from the data retention stuff which is yet to go to parliament).
One forum I am a member of - politics can only be directly referenced in the sub-forum "They are all lying assholes"

I don't know if you will be able access the video but the transcript is there
http://www.abc.net.au/foreign/content/2012/s3582815.htm

It's compulsory down here if you are on the electoral roll.

Given the column inches devoted to US politics, we probably do a better job as well.

Sorry but the derp from the USA over politics is strong (very strong like raw prawns left in the sun for a day or two).