What's everyone's background?

[Bicycle Bob]

Gosh, we sure could use more entrepreneurs to mix with the inventors of machines that are better for the consumer.

[Brillig]

Background: Mathematical Physicist, currently working as 'the computer guy' for a big research company, doing stuff related to plasma, (no, not blood type plasmas).

Midlife - well, latelife - crisis, I feel I am getting stale, thought I would do something fun, and 'discovered' you guys.

Car is an 'inherited' Ford Escort, and I'm milking it for all of it's simple goodness.

[FLYBYU]

Wow! There is a lot of highly educated people in here. Personally I'm a truck driver, I drive a vac truck for an envirnmental company currently. In the fall I'm planning to take my pre-apprenticeship course at the local college for a machinist.

[Brillig]

It takes about 12 years to break even on going the college route, compared to getting on with a good company, and staying with them, growing in to the company. College can work out well, but so can just working, and improving yourself along the way.

Good idea to 'polish' your skills to go with the current employer's needs - then sell your increased value to that employer (you already have a trust relationship with them!)

Don't under value your choice. My uncle made a FORTUNE as a trucker, and thought I was a fool to go the college route. I dunno. The machinist thing is a good idea, though, and pretty satisfying in itself.

[FLYBYU]

I wouldn't say I'm making a fortune, but getting my class 1 licence was certainly a smart idea, I've been doing okay since then. I've done some machining in the past and it's something I will enjoy, hence the career change.

[China Monkey]

I live in China, teaching english. I had 2 majors History and east asian economics. Mad there are so amny technical ppl here. Like to say i love seeing all the e drive bikes around China but Sh#@T they are ugly. Trying slowly to build a nice looking one for myself. its a issue living in an apt with a baby on the way LOL. I commute by bus with a million Chinese ppl can't wait till the subway is finished - warm in winter ( its -35 C here ) cool in summer and enviromentally friendly!!! In love with the idea of hub motors and skate board cars.

[Intrigued]

Yeowza!! Man, that's cold!!! Us silly Americans still haven't caught up with the rest of the world on measurements, so I went to convertit.com to see just how cold that is. Here is the printout:

-35 Celsius degree =
-31.0000000000001 Fahrenheit degree
(thermodynamic temperature)

Now besides getting a laugh from all the decimal points...

31 Below Zero!!! Man, that's like living in Alaska in the winter!!! Are you up high in the mountains, or way up north, or both???

[FLYBYU]

This past winter we had several weeks where it didn't get above -35C, I remember working one Sunday with the vac truck and the outside temp guage was reading -48C! Then that Monday they told us to stay home because it was too cold, after I worked outside all weekend when it was colder I could see Northern China getting that cold for sure.

[nigelfrazer]

I'm a Helicopter Pilot Instructor, though I'm just in the process of applying for recruitment into the NZ Police.

[LeanBurninating]

I am a Mechanical Engineering student at San Jose State, CA.

I have worked a bit in the software industry, also I have some friends that run independent automotive service shops and we have all been racing together for years. So I am fascinated with race car setup and preparation, suspension, tuning, etc. Love being around it.

For the summer (and maybe longer) I have been doing part time work at my friends diesel performance shop. Most of the trucks make over 400 hp and 1000 lb-ft of torque. Its easy making power with diesel! But its like working in a coal mine. Soot everywhere.

I also own a small home based vinyl decals business.