Alienware

Wow, Doc. You took two years off to learn java? It took me two years just to learn how to spell compewter.

you don't have to answer this, but when you say you're taking a leave of absence, then I'm assuming you still have a position wherever you 'used' to work - so I guess my question is: What did you do previously, and is your current work contracted?

I'd be happy to answer your questions because you may find it to be an interesting story of sacrifice, priorities and doing the right thing. Plus, it's related to your signature message "Twenty years from now, you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did do"

Before I took a leave, I had a small R&D company with a handful of employees (all Physics Ph.Ds) and we did research for the plasma TV industry. A few years ago, the industry changed abrubtly and I didn't have enough contracts to keep all of my guys working. At that point, I laid myself off so that I could afford to keep the rest of the guys working. During that time, I decided to make myself useful and I started work on this software idea which I had floating around for a long time.

After about six months of working on the program, both of my parents became seriously ill. As you may recall, I had a pretty rough year last year when both of my parents died. For about six months leading up to their deaths, I had to take care of my Dad 24/7 while my sisters took care of Mom.

Also during that time, I got an offer from another plasma TV company for a VERY lucrative research contract. It was a guaranteed long-term contract for nearly half million dollars per year. The best offer I ever had. The problem was that it required about two week's of up-front work that only I could do and it had to be done within a month. I could have easily done this if not for the time I had to spend taking care of Dad. When I say he needed 24/7 it is not an exaggeration.

Now here, I have to admit that I didn't try very hard to find a way to do this up-front work. I could probably have found someone to take over for me with my Dad. But two things prevented me: I wanted to stay with him, and I was also afraid that if I did get this new contract, I knew that my virtual library project would wither on the vine.

I didn't have to worry about my employees because each of them had good offers for other jobs, but would stay if we got this contract.

It came down to weighing the "disappointment by the things I didn't do" or sell out my dreams and the last days with my Dad for a ton of cash. So I turned the contract down, dissolved my company and all my guys took new jobs.

So now, this program is all I have. But no regrets.

*wipes a tear from the corner of his eye*

Wow, what a story - I'm extremely touched - I'm sure many people in your position who had taken the other way and sold out would be a lot more miserable than you seem now. I feel silly saying this to someone who's obviously more established than myself, but I'm proud of ya'. I think you made the right choice, and I'd probably have made the same choice facing the same circumstances. I'm really sorry for your loss last year, and I'm dreading the day that I will be forced to face these tragic events myself.

Besides that I'm happy to know you - a physics doctor This board certainly knows how to pick 'em One of the most astonishing and perplexing personalities in the historical counts of physical phenomenon is "Johann 'Orffyreus' Bessler". Have you heard of him? Whenever I meet a physics doctor I mention his name, and most always they blow me off, calmly informing me that his work must somehow have been fake - any thought? If you haven't heard of him, I suggest you look him up - there are numerous historical accounts of his wonderful, ever useful contraption.

Bests, Rockefeller