I was browsing through one of my previous instructor's blog and came across his views on abortion. I thought he made some valid points and I liked his blog enough that I thought I would pass it along. Contrary to what the title may suggest, this is not supportive of abortion.
Abortion: What's the Big Deal?
Saturday, August 30, 2008
Monday, August 11, 2008
I Blame Bobby
I know I can't blame Bobby for my blatant addition of letters to words, such as adding u's and q's to words, or even my more recent turning Pogues into Progues, but I can blame Bob for this verbal slip:
"You can catch more honey with flies...."
It's so reminiscent of "Let's spill," "I'm forced to agree with myself," and "Open mouth insert tongue," and definitely all his fault!
"You can catch more honey with flies...."
It's so reminiscent of "Let's spill," "I'm forced to agree with myself," and "Open mouth insert tongue," and definitely all his fault!
Monday, August 04, 2008
Hurricane Day
I've had snow days, vacation days, and sick days, but I've never had a Hurricane Day. We'll get official word later this afternoon, but I won't be too heart broken if I don't.
Update: We got official word this afternoon stating that our Houston offices would be closed tomorrow in advance of Edouard. My first Hurricane Day, I'm so excited! Ok, so it's more likely just going to be a Rain Day, but I prefer that to an actual Hurricane Day -- but I'm not going to complain about a paid day off. Now I just need to bring in all my junk from the patio.
Update to the Update: Edouard was a total disappointment. I guess I should be happy, since we suffered no damage or anything -- but my Hurricane Day turned into a Rain Day. It wasn't even an impressive storm, we had much better storms with the hurricane that struck Brownsville.
Update: We got official word this afternoon stating that our Houston offices would be closed tomorrow in advance of Edouard. My first Hurricane Day, I'm so excited! Ok, so it's more likely just going to be a Rain Day, but I prefer that to an actual Hurricane Day -- but I'm not going to complain about a paid day off. Now I just need to bring in all my junk from the patio.
Update to the Update: Edouard was a total disappointment. I guess I should be happy, since we suffered no damage or anything -- but my Hurricane Day turned into a Rain Day. It wasn't even an impressive storm, we had much better storms with the hurricane that struck Brownsville.
Sunday, August 03, 2008
Where am I going and What am I doing here?
I've been thinking a lot lately about life, the universe, and everything. Mostly I've been trying to decide whether I want to stay in engineering or not. For anyone that's talked to me in the last couple years, it's been a major struggle for me -- for several reasons.
On the stay in engineering side:
1) Money. I make good money as an engineer, and the financial prospects will only get better over the next ten years. If I were to stay in engineering and progress professionally, I could easily double my salary in the next ten years. Obtaining the Professional Engineers license would only enhance this.
2) Analysis. After been out of an analyst type position for the past year, I seriously miss it. I like numbering crunching, I like writing programs to number crunch, I like interpreting data and the results of data processing, and I like running numerical models -- my favorite being wave and sediment transport models.
3) Prestige. I like the way people respond to me when I tell them I'm an engineer. It's a little self confidence boost everytime it happens.
4) Variety. Unless you're in a large company, everyday in engineering is different. While I can not say I like wild swings from day to day, because I do like some stability, I do like the variety of work where I could spend one week programming, the next analyzing sediment samples, the next writing a bid document, and the next running a wave model.
5) Construction oversite. I've not been able to do this much of late, but its something I really enjoy. Of course, the only projects I've ever done it on would not have resulted in any deaths -- other than possibly my own, but there's something nice about getting to see your work completed and constructed. Not to mention the thrill of stomping around in work boots outside for day!
Against engineering:
1) Other engineers and contractors. This has been my biggest and most difficult hurtle in engineering. I've been told by potential employers that they were not interested in hiring married women, I've been told by a previous employer that I would not be able to manage a construction project because I was married -- all the while both KNEW my husband and I were living apart while he was in graduate school. Then, there's always the "boy club." Imagine being the ONLY female engineer in the company and having the boss come tell you that he and all the male engineers are going out, but "You're not invited because your husband would mind" even though he knew Bob wouldn't care and knew I was living alone. While at first glance it may seen mild, but functioning as a team is difficult when you're never a part of the bonding experience in the group.
That's not to mention the arrogance of engineers. They are some of the most ignorant, arrogant people I've ever met. There have been times where I attempt to argue a particular concept and rather than focusing on task conflict, I get this response: "I've been doing this for X many years, and X spent X amount for me to become an expert - So, trust me." Is it really so much to ask that engineers let go of their ego long enough to argue method?!
2) Children. And boy, oh boy, do I want kids! Kids are a part of my biggest struggle because working full time regardless of which profession you're in will mean sacrifices of time with the kids. Now I know engineering, so I know if a major project comes up personal plans get put aside. When major changes happen in the office, vacation, and flex hours disappear -- something I'm experiencing now, and how much would I really be willing to give up? How many sporting events (or recitals, or whatever!) would I be willing to give up? I know that my parents missed a lot (and I understand if its a necessity, but if I could work it out so it wasn't .... ), and having experienced the disappointment of looking in the stands and rarely finding them there, I don't want to repeat that in my childrens lives. Of course, I may not have a choice, but if I did....
3) Engineering itself. While there are aspects of engineering I like, there are others I really don't. My biggest fear is that I'd kill someone -- and while I know I'm not the only engineer to repeatedly check a calculation prior to construction for fear that the whole thing would just fail, it's not an enjoyable part. Then there's mechanical engineering -- a soul crushing experience in my opinion. Widgets and gadgets are cool to play with, but the designing aspect of it is not for me. I like water and sand, not metals.
Of course, then there's some of the basic grunt work of engineering. Design calculations and design standards. While very necessary, I prefer to analyze a situation more than I enjoy the nit and gritty of tiresome design calculations.
Plus, engineering isn't even what I spend the majority of my time thinking about. When I daydream I drift into a land of religious and philosophical quandry. It's what I spend the majority of my free time focused on, and it's what I'm most obsessed with -- not engineering. If I had to chose between Modern Marvels or a Discovery program on religion --- I'd be on the religious program in an instant.
4) Job stability. As more and more engineering jobs are being shipped overseas, it's only a matter of time before ocean engineering will be performed in Singapore, India, and South Korea ... where a large percentage of vessels are constructed. My future prospects aside, the oil and coastal industry also fluctuates with oil. Every 10 years or so, the market collapses and by all accounts we're due for a collapse. And while I hope I can maintain a position when the inevitable occurs, do I really want to put myself in a position similar to my mom where I'm just waiting for them to close the doors so I can try and figure out what to do with myself?
5) Bob. Bob and I have never had much luck finding jobs in the same location. His highest job potential locations are inland, and mine are coastal. As he gets nearer to the end of his PhD, could I really limit his search again -- after all that time and money he put into the PhD? I don't think so, and I told him I wouldn't.
So, here's where I am now. I'm at the point where if I'm going to stay I should take the PE exam, but even still there are times I want to take the PE exam regardless just so noone could ever say I left engineering because I couldn't hack it -- but is giving up 3 months of my free time and suffering through an 8 hour exam just to prove a point worth it if I don't want to stay in this profession?
Questions, questions, questions... if only I knew how 42 applied.
On the stay in engineering side:
1) Money. I make good money as an engineer, and the financial prospects will only get better over the next ten years. If I were to stay in engineering and progress professionally, I could easily double my salary in the next ten years. Obtaining the Professional Engineers license would only enhance this.
2) Analysis. After been out of an analyst type position for the past year, I seriously miss it. I like numbering crunching, I like writing programs to number crunch, I like interpreting data and the results of data processing, and I like running numerical models -- my favorite being wave and sediment transport models.
3) Prestige. I like the way people respond to me when I tell them I'm an engineer. It's a little self confidence boost everytime it happens.
4) Variety. Unless you're in a large company, everyday in engineering is different. While I can not say I like wild swings from day to day, because I do like some stability, I do like the variety of work where I could spend one week programming, the next analyzing sediment samples, the next writing a bid document, and the next running a wave model.
5) Construction oversite. I've not been able to do this much of late, but its something I really enjoy. Of course, the only projects I've ever done it on would not have resulted in any deaths -- other than possibly my own, but there's something nice about getting to see your work completed and constructed. Not to mention the thrill of stomping around in work boots outside for day!
Against engineering:
1) Other engineers and contractors. This has been my biggest and most difficult hurtle in engineering. I've been told by potential employers that they were not interested in hiring married women, I've been told by a previous employer that I would not be able to manage a construction project because I was married -- all the while both KNEW my husband and I were living apart while he was in graduate school. Then, there's always the "boy club." Imagine being the ONLY female engineer in the company and having the boss come tell you that he and all the male engineers are going out, but "You're not invited because your husband would mind" even though he knew Bob wouldn't care and knew I was living alone. While at first glance it may seen mild, but functioning as a team is difficult when you're never a part of the bonding experience in the group.
That's not to mention the arrogance of engineers. They are some of the most ignorant, arrogant people I've ever met. There have been times where I attempt to argue a particular concept and rather than focusing on task conflict, I get this response: "I've been doing this for X many years, and X spent X amount for me to become an expert - So, trust me." Is it really so much to ask that engineers let go of their ego long enough to argue method?!
2) Children. And boy, oh boy, do I want kids! Kids are a part of my biggest struggle because working full time regardless of which profession you're in will mean sacrifices of time with the kids. Now I know engineering, so I know if a major project comes up personal plans get put aside. When major changes happen in the office, vacation, and flex hours disappear -- something I'm experiencing now, and how much would I really be willing to give up? How many sporting events (or recitals, or whatever!) would I be willing to give up? I know that my parents missed a lot (and I understand if its a necessity, but if I could work it out so it wasn't .... ), and having experienced the disappointment of looking in the stands and rarely finding them there, I don't want to repeat that in my childrens lives. Of course, I may not have a choice, but if I did....
3) Engineering itself. While there are aspects of engineering I like, there are others I really don't. My biggest fear is that I'd kill someone -- and while I know I'm not the only engineer to repeatedly check a calculation prior to construction for fear that the whole thing would just fail, it's not an enjoyable part. Then there's mechanical engineering -- a soul crushing experience in my opinion. Widgets and gadgets are cool to play with, but the designing aspect of it is not for me. I like water and sand, not metals.
Of course, then there's some of the basic grunt work of engineering. Design calculations and design standards. While very necessary, I prefer to analyze a situation more than I enjoy the nit and gritty of tiresome design calculations.
Plus, engineering isn't even what I spend the majority of my time thinking about. When I daydream I drift into a land of religious and philosophical quandry. It's what I spend the majority of my free time focused on, and it's what I'm most obsessed with -- not engineering. If I had to chose between Modern Marvels or a Discovery program on religion --- I'd be on the religious program in an instant.
4) Job stability. As more and more engineering jobs are being shipped overseas, it's only a matter of time before ocean engineering will be performed in Singapore, India, and South Korea ... where a large percentage of vessels are constructed. My future prospects aside, the oil and coastal industry also fluctuates with oil. Every 10 years or so, the market collapses and by all accounts we're due for a collapse. And while I hope I can maintain a position when the inevitable occurs, do I really want to put myself in a position similar to my mom where I'm just waiting for them to close the doors so I can try and figure out what to do with myself?
5) Bob. Bob and I have never had much luck finding jobs in the same location. His highest job potential locations are inland, and mine are coastal. As he gets nearer to the end of his PhD, could I really limit his search again -- after all that time and money he put into the PhD? I don't think so, and I told him I wouldn't.
So, here's where I am now. I'm at the point where if I'm going to stay I should take the PE exam, but even still there are times I want to take the PE exam regardless just so noone could ever say I left engineering because I couldn't hack it -- but is giving up 3 months of my free time and suffering through an 8 hour exam just to prove a point worth it if I don't want to stay in this profession?
Questions, questions, questions... if only I knew how 42 applied.
New Computer
For the past year or two, my 2001 Sony VAIO was dying under the weight of the many updates that Microsoft has put out. So much, that I could no longer have any programs on my computer other than Quicken, Office, Windows, and Messenger. My 11 gig machine was barely managing that and I was using an external drive for all my music, websites, pictures, and other documents.
After fussing about it for over a year, Bob and I finally went out and purchased a new computer. We had been saving up for a vacation, but a lot has changed in our group at work and a vacation is out for the near future -- so we decided the money would be well spent on a new laptop.
It's an HP -- we looked at the VAIO's but were more impressed with the features on the HP. With all my programs installed, music, pictures, and documents copied over I still have a staggering 200 gig to work with. Mesa like. :)
After fussing about it for over a year, Bob and I finally went out and purchased a new computer. We had been saving up for a vacation, but a lot has changed in our group at work and a vacation is out for the near future -- so we decided the money would be well spent on a new laptop.
It's an HP -- we looked at the VAIO's but were more impressed with the features on the HP. With all my programs installed, music, pictures, and documents copied over I still have a staggering 200 gig to work with. Mesa like. :)
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