> My point is actually this: I know about data compression, cryptology, DSP, 
> complex numbers, statistics, logic circuits, numerical integration, sound 
> synthesis, differential calculus, functional programming, data structures 
> and algorithms... I could go on. Now, who *the hell* is going to care 
> about any of these things?

Nobody.  95% of what I know I won't use in my job.  In another job it might 
be a different 5% that I use, but it's not going to be much more than that.

> Heh, if only I could *find* thousands of IT jobs! :-P

monster.co.uk "IT support" gives several thousand.

> Actually, I've been thinking about this one. Maybe I'm setting my sights 
> too high. Maybe I just need to accept that nobody is ever going to pay me 
> to write computer programs,

See to me you don't seem like the type that would enjoy someone pressuring 
you every day to get some code finished and out the door (that you might not 
be 100% happy with), you seem to prefer the more relaxed "hobby" attitude of 
programming (as do I).

> and start looking for boring sysadmin jobs instead... Those surely have 
> drastically greater availability, and at least I can claim to have real, 
> relevant commercial experience.

a) Almost any "boring sysadmin job" is going to pay more than you are 
getting now
b) I suspect quite a lot of sysadmin jobs would give you the opportunity to 
write programs at a more leisurely pace than if it was your main job

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