blueshed: Think of Java as a mini version of Windows or Linux that sits on top of Windows or Linux. You install a Windows version of Java on a Windows machine or a Linux version of Java on a Linux machine. The programmer doesn't need to know much about Windows or Linux, just about Java. So that programmer will tell/ask Java to perform a task and Java will then know on which operating system it is installed (Windows/Linux) and ask that operating system to do the specific task in the way that operating system can understand. Using this technology one programmer can write one application for many operating systems. You might have it on your computer because some web pages run java applications called applets. We program on Windows machines at work and we run our system on Linux servers, the same code, no need to make any changes
Companies usually prefer programmers to sit there where managers can watch them, because they like seeing work get done I guess. Even if you don't have anything to do you need to make sure it looks like you are doing something in case a higher level manager comes past or your manager gets into trouble. Trust and all those wonderful things. They use the excuse that you need to go to meetings and that is why you need to be in the office, but if we can have relationships and business partnerships and Oprah on Skype why not a 30 min meeting? Anyway :)
ozzie: I was thinking maybe that might work, but what do you do if you have kids? I don't yet, but we might have. I was thinking another idea is to rent a small place in Sydney and buy a nice open space in the Hunter area. I saw places yesterday in the 200k range that are a couple thousand m2. Big enough for an airstrip where an RV 7 or 10 can land. Setup a South African lodge. Fly people into the lodge on weekends and make money in the city during the week