After several years of being a technical cube dweller, a couple decades ago I started my first small business almost accidentally on my kitchen table. Ran it while staying in the cube to pay the bills. No vacation for 11 years.

Finally made the break and have now started 6 companies, abandoning the state of my birth (CA) along the way, due to democRats, quite some time ago.

End of July, I sold my most recent business with the following vows: I will NEVER AGAIN undertake or support a payroll. I've signed the front side of thousands of paychecks and it's just not worth the expense, hassle, taxes and government bullshit anymore to sacrifice so that others can show up to a job for which they get paid before I do (assuming there's anything left this month to pay me) and via which they qualify for medical and unemployment insurance (paid for by me) that I don't qualify for, since I just pay the premiums and owners don't qualify for that which I pay for.

I will NEVER AGAIN collect and remit sales taxes for any government entity. Same reasons. Screw 'em.

From now on, my personal revenue models have changed. Turns out, I like trading and am getting fairly good at it.

Go, Karl! At the very least, I owe you for turning me on to the Z-10, not to mention all the interesting reads here.

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He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harass our people and eat out their substance. - The Declaration of Independence