If the Government would just legalize drugs and tax them then it would solve a big problem with the "dark net/deep web/whatever they call it now"!

It's definitely a by choice thing. I've gone back to school to learn everything that interests me about Computer Science. I'm 46 years old working on my Bachelors and my goal is to have my PhD and either do research, teach, and write. Or just research and write. Or just write. I'm not sure about that. I do know that I do not EVER want to retire. Everyone I know that has retired by 65 has become bored with life and either an alcoholic or a zombie. I don't ever want to be bored. For me its not even about money. If I'm at least teaching at a community college and making peanuts I don't care. It's about having something to do and instilling a sense of purpose.

I can't remember my history too well but it seems to me that when FDR instituted Medicare & Social Security it was to help our elders so that they wouldn't be in poverty and living on the streets. It was to help them, and possibly educate them, to save for a future without a job. It has become much more then that and a lot of people never really saved their money (or couldn't because they were trying to make ends meet). But everyone I know that has retired seems to have just given up on life and they are bored. Heck, I get bored watching more than two hours of television I can't imagine what I'd do if I didn't have a job or work to do. I don't need the college education though I just want it. I have a good job with a large company that has no problems employing people over 60+ years of age. I can stay here until I'm tired of cube life but I'm ready for a third career and something that is different and fun.

So no I don't ever want to retire. Coming home after a full day of working and simply fading one night when I'm 110 years old just sounds great to me.

unwanted software. CleanMyMac2 to the rescue. Found all the Parallels Access files and good-bye. No hunting or anything!! Left Parallels alone just removed the PA that I asked not to install. Though I wish everyone would just create an app that keeps it's files to itself so when I trash it EVERYTHING is gone. But then those that make CleanMyMac2 would not be selling their software.

FYI: Ghostery is created and used by advertisors :

Source: wikipedia So they are still receiving tracking information.

Having just spent some time at a Community College and was successful in receiving my Associates to continue to a Traditional Four Year school, and being someone who needed to take Online Courses. The biggest problem that I had was that the instructors did not take it as seriously as their traditional classes. They would spend the face to face time in the classroom and even in their office. But they wouldn't spend the online time with their online students. I've instructors that stated they could be reached by email and there would be 48 hour turn around time, others stated that they would use Skype and even have office hours for that. But most of my emails were answered a week after I needed assistance. And forget about ever finding the instructor on Skype at the times they stated.

Now, the best online instructor I had ran a forum and that really worked. Everyone could see someone's questions and even respond to it but the biggest thing was that by each Saturday afternoon the instructor had responded as well. And if he felt that it was something that needed to be one on one, we would receive a detailed email. But he was, unfortunately, the exception.

With the problems you could take it up with the school but ultimately I never received answers just my grades seemed to be better than I expected, which I felt wasn't the right way to handle it. I think the schools are a little out of touch and nervous about online classes due to the testing of the students. Mine packaged the class and rotated the tests every other semester but the test pool came from the publisher and it wasn't hard to gain access to it. I didn't feel that some of the classes I was taught as just repackaging the answers from the book.

My best online instructor, well he had actually made us write in the answers. No multiple choice, nor true/false, according to some students who took his class in person stated he hated them, and nothing seemed to be coming from the publisher, we had to truly think about our answer and give an answer. So no instant knowledge of the answer and when we received a grade we all felt that we earned it and learned something. I actually understood the subject which happened to be Physics. BTW: I received a 'B' in the class I missed an 'A' by a few points on an online lab but I still felt that I learned more in that online class than the other dozen courses I took online.

My experience, if a school has an online course, then the instructor has to run it just like she was face to face and make time for the students questions because there seemed to be a lot more questions online than the students who were face to face. Why? I dunno but I think it had more to do with the course being a one size fits all packaged course versus the instructor actually has to have a discussion of the subject. I think that schools need to make sure their instructors are teaching and not use those publisher online courses. I don't blame the instructor for the online material just not being 'there' with the students.

Background: I worked as a Data Analyst for a small Healthcare company for about 8 years. I learned computer languages (perl), MS-SQL Server, Access, etc. I built a data warehouse from the ground up with only a book, which I lost and it was a great book on data warehousing. I quit that job to be with my partner. His job moved him to a new state and new city. I was unable to get a job doing what I was doing regardless of my experience. I wouldn't get in the door because of no degree in CS or CIS.

Now, I'm 44 and entering a four year university as a Junior. I have spent the last couple of years working hard full time for a bank, and going to community college. I graduated with my Associate's Degree. I've used it to transfer to the university. It was hard. I had to adjust my work schedule, a tweak here and there. Started later, and went home a bit later, and studied my a** off. I worked hard at both of my jobs. Work and School. The result, I'm happier, I was able to find a better job at the bank, using my experience and the fact that I have just an Associate's Degree. It was the combination that helped. And work is still working with me. It is to their advantage that I continue my studies and receive I higher degree.

If they value you and will help you with a degree with tuition reimbursement then they should work with you as you go to school. You may not be able to do more than a couple of classes at a time per semester and it will be hard. It will also be more rewarding than you can imagine. First talk to your employer and let them know your dilemma. Work with them towards a solution, and then apply to school and go. You won't regret it.

Hear Hear! If you need a new language learn C make a new yourself, and keep it to yourself!!

It was actually different. The aliens in that one was concerned with Man destruction of Earth. In the 50's movie it was seen as Man destruction may infect the rest of the galaxy. It was more about nuclear weapons that we were developing in the 50's. The original is, IMHO a much better film. Less special effects and more plot driven. The remake just sucked air.

Same scenario as the movie "The Day The Earth Stood Still" sans Keanu Reeves. We win, why? I don't remember but I do remember that we are on borrowed time. Surprised that Hollywood as tried to do a sequel of the Aliens coming back after 60 years and saying:

"You know what Earth? We screwed up last time. Say goodbye to all of this...and hello to oblivion."

"Hello Oblivion, how's the wife and kids."

For most magazines, and newspaper articles, most of the content is just informative rehash of information that can already be found somewhere else for free. It's just that that particular writer accumulated to present it a bit differently but it's still the same information, so I would necessarily care to pay for that.

Now, information that actually teaches and brings knowledge of how to do something that may be complicated, a DIY project, a new or old computer language, something that, again there are sources, but it represented in a way to actually help the reader gain knowledge or how to do something, I would pay for.

Back in the day there were computer magazines that taught me how to program in a particular language, it meant not to only inform me, but to teach me the ins and outs of doing something useful. I bought those magazine, but National Geographic, which I read because it is a annual Christmas present, is informative but I still could have done some of the research myself to learn about this or that. The articles tend to be more narrowly focused in their thesis but still the information is out there for free.

I pay for the practical, not the informative.