I've signed up as a mentor to teach programming to an interested High School senior, so it isn't a 12 year old. I chose C because, frankly, it is what I know best. Java might be appropriate also but for starting out I think C is a better bet than Java. (I can't address Python since I've barely coded in it.)

The teacher had a copy of K&R, 2nd edition on the shelf. I had them order a second copy for me. We'll start in Februray. Meeting about once a week for the rest of the term but staying in email and Skype video contact.

Wish us luck!

far side, not dark side. You know, the side Gary Larson lives on, not the one Pink Floyd lives on.

Except that Macintosh had this in 1984, way before Windows 95 or 3.1 was released. Mac mice have always worked this way.

You might want to try a Macintosh, they are speed sensitive. As I move my finger slowly it moves slowly, you can't even get more than a few hundred pixels. When I move fast, I can move across all 1900 pixels with room to spare. Mice work the same same way, I can barely use a Windows machine because of the mouse/trackpad. Apple really has sweated the details on this one.

Finally: "Move where you live": If the first two options aren't viable, then perhaps you should consider that a 90 minute commute is insane under these circumstances. I personally have an hour commute after a 9 hour day.

I second this! Over the past 11 years I've sat in a cube 5 days a week for only 1 full year. I done both part time telecommuting and full time telecommuting the rest of those 11 years. (About half was full time telecommuting.)

Now the original poster clearly can't telecommute but they can shorten their commute (by either moving or quitting). Let me tell you just how beneficial that is. Not commuting my (1 hour+ one way) commute anymore has seriously changed my life for the better. You don't know just how bad traffic is until you are no longer wasting time in it.

Think about this? What is one of the most precious things you have? It is your time. And you waste how much of it in a stressful environment?

Oh, about that year? I had a new boss that didn't "get" telecommuting. That ok, I didn't work on changing him, I worked on changing my job.

Way back when dinosaurs roamed the earth, ok not really, but in the late 80s, Sun had a problem with some of their hard drives. When they would park they heads they would stick and you couldn't unpark them. Sun's solution was to tell you to HIT the computer. They even sent us a letter showing you where on the "pizza box" enclosure one would strike.

I'm serious. I find that I solve many of my hardest problems in the shower. Now that I telecommute 100% of the time I'll often just take one, say in the middle of the afternoon, to jump start the solution!

Obviously the shower has nothing to do with the situation, it is the "stepping back" that is important, so find something that works for you, and do it.

Interesting.

I had made the assumption that the company would not treat their employees unfairly, that an "over time" call that was arguably a legitimate call would be ok.

Of course that is extremely naive of me.

Even though you are an anonymous coward, I would never wish that on you, or think such horrid thoughts. Have you considered anger management or something similar?

I just noticed your scare quotes around "friend." Yes, he was. It wasn't me. I waited tables in college for the first 2 summers then wrote code the third.

Writing code paid better and was more fun. I almost didn't graduate because of that. I just wanted to drop out and get a job! Oh man, I cringe when I think about that now.

or maybe he fell into a hole filled with drugs in college. I was trying to be kind. He climbed out, not everyone is so lucky.