Sunday, January 28, 2007

Why I'm a Genius and Why Chicks Should Dig Me

Sorry for the short posts here crew, but finally putting the finishing touches on my move, namely an X-Box 360.

And you can't just buy it.

You have to set it up.

And you can't just set it up.

You have to test it.

And you can't just test it with anything.

You have to test it with Call of Duty 3, because lord knows when those Nazi bastards are coming back.

But, as with most things, genius does not strike when you are sitting there philosophizing. For example, not one good idea ever came from a philosopher at some university's philosophy department (beyond new and creative ways to rationalize socialism).

Genius strikes when you're doing day to day tasks where you have to sit and do nothing.

Going #2 is a perfect example. I theorize more great ideas were concocted whilst sitting on the can. Going #1 doesn't really give you the time.

But in my particular case, genius finds me more often than not while I'm driving. Going here, going there, going to work, going to dance, going to class, etc. etc. I think I must drive about 10 hours per week and that's a lot of time for genius striking.

Well it struck last night when I was going to pick up the newest member to the Cappy Cap household (read-X-Box 360).

I have found a way to solve our global warming problem that will be palatable, if not, preferable to both sides.

And no, I'm being serious, I am not kidding.

You see, it has not been since 1998 that I've had an office job where I actually had to be there. ie-the technology existed that the duties of my job could have been done from home.

Yes, it may have cost a little bit to install a higher end computer or high speed internet, and yes I may have had to put a fax machine in, but by and large, and ESPECIALLY TODAY, most people have the set up by which they could work from home.

And I'd gander that if one thinks about it, most, I'd say 75% of office jobs could be done from a home office. If not at lesast 75% of the work could be done from home, thereby eliminating the need to drive to work.

If companies were to allow employees to work from home this would render a bevy of benefits.

First there'd be a lot fewer cars on the road, less traffic jams, what cars that would be on the road would get to where they're going much faster, thereby exhausting less "greenhouse gases" thereby solving our problem (of course, most on the global warming crowd don't realize automobile emissions don't account for the majority of greenhouse gases and just hate people with nicer cars than them).

Second, you would not get the slightest argument from people whose jobs would then be done from home.

Third the highway system would wear out less, we'd arguably even need less money spent on roads and transportation in general.

The only drawback or road block I see to this is the Pointy-Haired Bosses of the world that compose (I estimate somedays) 99.9% of the corporate muckymucks of the world. Armed with MBA's they no longer can think independently or have a creative thought. That, or they're just such control freaks they cannot trust you will get your work done or that you might write that report IN YOUR BOXERS!!!!

But with spinless corporations bending over backward to seem "socially responsible" to they may placate the political crowd, the political will may be there for them to actually take measurable action and some corporations may just offer employees, or encourage employees to work at home because "they care about global warming."

Although, a conspirary theory does pop into mind.

If we eliminated the need for 75% of people to travel to work, we then by default eliminate the need for 75% of office space. Commercial property would tank, downtown office buildings would be rendered immediate money losers. Vacancies would sky rocket. Skyscrapers in every major city would have to convert to some other use (more freaking condos?). That's a whole lot of money that a whole lot of businesses don't want to see lost and may pose an economic argument why some businesses rather you not be able to work from home.

This aside, the idea is perfectly feasible. The government offers some kind of tax incentive or break for companies AND people that have a "work from home" program. It requires no costly expenditure by companies to cut back on emissions, the employees would eat it up.

All that's left to do is wait for the sure-to-come contra-American thinking that "we CAN'T do that because XYZ"

I hate those people.

Regardless, that's why I'm a genius and chicks should dig me.

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

Good thought, Cap.

But there are some problems associated with working from home. There are office workers who have no clue about how their personal computer works, although they have one in their office since 20 years. Then there are the notorious gamers, who haven't yet understood what to do with a PC in a office. If they sat at home, big boss wouldn't be able to put pressure on them to get at least some work done. So, will working from home perhaps decrease productivity?

BTW: We Germans think about America as a country where new ideas are praised, not constantly critisized, since that's how it's like in Germany. But that's probably nonsense. Stupid people are everywhere...

Captain Capitalism said...

Yes, but there's at least a fair percentage of the working population that would know how to set up the necessary computer systems and software/firewall/anti-virus, etc., that would be "mature" enough to handle it.

Besides which, even some of the more mundane tasks could be outsourced where the information isn't sensitive or confidential.

The whole point is that at some level a certain amount of work could be done at home and make a notable impact on rush hour.

On a side note, I thought you were in Switzerland. You jump the border or something?

Anonymous said...

Hell, I've been doing it for weeks. And since I work at night, NOBODY HAS EVEN NOTICED! All the same work gets done, and actually gets done better because I have a decent chair, a keyboard I don't have to fight against, and light that doesn't give me headaches. And it saves me 3 hours per day of commuting, and about $40/week in gasoline.

J West said...

Cappy,

I saw computers coming around to general use back in 1991. By 93 I bought one just to see what it was about. It had DOS a new overlay system Windows 3.

Long story short, I had taken typing in high school back in the late 50s (that's where the chicks were) and still retained the basic skill having used a typewriter occasionally over the years.

Point being that after a 20 career as an R&B saxophone player, and hobby motorcycle builder, I got into the wind instrument repair business. I always wanted a job where I didn't have to get up the morning and rush off anywhere. There was good espresso to drink and a little Cuban Purito to smoke with my head in the fireplace lest smoke linger in the house.

Even more the shortening of a story, I have been operating this neat little repair biz out of a nicely adapted half of my garage on a quiet street. Having developed computer skills over the year because I just thought they were neat and worth learning how to use, I found that I am able to run several facets of a small business with no outside help.

I learned HTML over ten years ago and have been running an elaborate information and communication site for my biz. I use the computer to stay in touch with my customers ... school band teachers, musicians, suppliers, shippers, do all my banking online including online faxing. I also use the computer to do all my biz accounting.

I don't have a lot of formal education and I presently 64 years old. I plan to continue working for another five years albeit less and less each year.

To sum up, I am pretty average, but not lazy. That's usually at the root of the lack of creativity in one's work life ... too lazy to do much about it.

In a time when fewer and fewer people know how anything works and know even less about how to anything with their hands, or heads for that matter .. there is a lot opportunity in doing things for other people for a fair rate.

I live what I like to call a "small life". I make a good living with week-ends off and I have no stress. Not everyone can have this lifestyle, but I agree with the Captain, a lot more people should be trying to achieve it.

As bonus we chose to live in a place five minutes from where my wife works.

Thanks for your post. Somewhere in there is a lot of potential good and it's all common sense. I truly hope many chicks dig you.

Captain Capitalism said...

DMK,

OH dude, it's like a freaking orgy over here. I mean, I kill a Nazi and there's a girl nibbling on my ear.

I take out a Panzer tank and a bra goes flying off somewhere.

I disable an M-88 and the chickbabydolls are all like "oooh, you are soooo hot!!!"

Dude, it's totally like that, all the time, serious.

Captain Capitalism said...

Duke,

Ha! I'm Gen X.

I pursue the same life that you do, actually, come to think of it, have probably achieved it.

But the dames in my generation aren't those from your days (which I truly envy).

They're busy watching The View and studying "Sex in the City" as a how to manual in how to interact with men.

There's a reason I work 95 hour work weeks.

What else is a Gen X male to do?

Paul E. Zimmerman said...

But, as with most things, genius does not strike when you are sitting there philosophizing. For example, not one good idea ever came from a philosopher at some university's philosophy department (beyond new and creative ways to rationalize socialism).

Not true! It was at my desk in the philosophy department I was teaching for this past semester, while thinking over various philosophies of finding happiness in this world, that I hit upon a great idea that was at the same time a practical approach to answering the broader question I was pondering: I would use the study of philosophy to convince my students to major in anything else, particularly the stuff that pays.

It was a success! Last I heard, not one of my 130+ students has declared a major in philosophy. Several expressed interest, but I gently nudged them back toward more marketable degrees with the advice, "get a degree in something that pays - you can always check this stuff out from the library and read it on your free time."

And while I was at it, I constantly annoyed the resident socialists. Posting editorials from the Wall Street Journal on one's office door does that very well. It's almost like throwing garlic and crosses and vampires.

Captain Capitalism said...

You know Paul, and I'm being totally serious here, that is the largest contribution to society, GDP and economic well-being of a nation for a philosophy degree that I've ever heard.

You actually SHOULD be proud of yourself!