tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28784318800098126352024-03-05T17:04:09.308-06:00Musings of Making & GamingElestehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12273658475777939898noreply@blogger.comBlogger253125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2878431880009812635.post-70723586982210432642016-12-30T07:34:00.000-06:002016-12-30T20:34:39.702-06:00Drafting UpdateIt's been over two years now that I've gone from drafting in SolidWorks to drafting in AutoCAD. Wow what a transition. I was driving an automatic for three, four years and boom - I had to go back to driving a standard. Now after three years, I'm soon to be using Inventor, so back to automatic I go!<br />
<br />
<b><i>Backstory:</i></b><br />
<br />
I originally learned CAD drafting in AutoCAD. After all, besides MicroStation, AutoCAD was about the only choice that existed when board drafting became the dinosaur. Back in the days of my rebelling, trying to figure out how to go to college against my parents' wishes, AutoCAD 10 was the thing to learn. The grid was always there, two dimensional, simple commands of line, circle, array - this was my introduction.<br />
<br />
Fast forward twenty years, I still had not landed a drafting job although I'd apply for every beginner job out there I didn't have a grasp of the industry, no knowledge of how the career world worked, and no google to search and no "How Stuff Works" to get me up to speed on the lingo. The first of those two decades I was also too immature and excited and I'm sure looked quite the eager happy pup that frightened off more than one potential employer, so those years I spent in customer-oriented jobs: delivery, cook, retail. Then the second of those decades I was too busy keeping my kids alive to care about pursuing what seemed a pipe dream, so I buried my ambition under duty.<br />
<br />
Finally after I convinced myself the kids were independent enough, my thoughts of a career reawakened with a vengeance and I began this pursuit with new tools at my disposal. I drew up a plan of how to get from point A to point B, and tenaciously began chipping away. Nothing really went according to plan, but I still knocked chunks off that block piece by piece.<br />
<br />
At the time, I wasn't sure if taking the cell phone repair technician job would really help in my career goals, it was sure a stretch but used my skills in reading blueprints, and I definitely wanted to break free of my typecast secretary rut. Unfortunately I soon found myself back in another secretary job, but because it was a manufacturer, I learned SolidWorks while working there! I learned to use calipers and modeled some parts while I was there.<br />
<br />
After three years I was able to get a job as a "real drafter" using SolidWorks. And the rest is history.<br />
<br />
<b><i>Standard, Automatic, Standard, Automatic:</i></b><br />
<br />
So the hardest part of going back to AutoCAD from SolidWorks was mastering the change from planes to UCS navigation. In the beginning I couldn't find the words to explain the difference to coworkers who had never used anything but AutoCAD. Now I see the best way to translate it is that SolidWorks (and Inventor) planes <b><i>are</i></b> UCS rotations.<br />
<br />
Models in AutoCAD are still drawn with lines, circles, arcs, arrays, but AutoCAD is gimped in that it doesn't recognize intuitively that you might want to create a feature - a bump, a hole, a ridge - on the surface of a solid body. It's not parametric modeling. It's still 2D drawing, even in 3D modeling mode.<br />
<br />
When I first started re-learning AutoCAD, I compared it to programming. It is still very much able to take command line input, and much of the skeleton is visible. Robust and powerful, yes, and some GUI features have been incorporated over the years, but that skeleton being so close the surface is far too often an obstacle to intuitive design.<br />
<br />
There is much that has improved in twenty years, of course. We use many side plug-ins, just as SolidWorks has plug-ins so does AutoCAD. I learned about CADWorx Plant, CADWorx P&ID (both for piping design), and touched some other AutoDesk software such as Navisworks and 3DS Max, 123D Design, Meshmixer and played around with other third party tools like Inkscape and Bentley View.<br />
<br />
There's a plethora of design software and analyzing for usage could be a full time job for a full team of professionals.I am sometimes staggered at the amount of information that has been dumped into my head over the last two years. I've drawn plans, I've modeled equipment, I've found out tips to share with others, I've traveled to a vendor's facility, I've been on the edge of project planning, and when a concept query was tossed in the air - I caught it and ran with it. I'm now in charge of building scale models, two under my belt and a third in planning.<br />
<br />
Now we're looking at getting Inventor, so after using "presspull" and "UCSNext" for all my model building lately, getting away from the inefficient workflows of a CAD system that was built 30+ years ago and going back to parametric modeling is a relief!<br />
<br />
I'm excited at the prospect of doing my next model with automated partitions rather than hand sketching my own wall joints based on carpentry practices. It was a nice history study, but definitely not optimum efficiency. And I'm all about logic and efficiency.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06717402355404779309noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2878431880009812635.post-14798984925683416212016-10-09T18:07:00.003-05:002016-10-09T18:18:34.864-05:00Current game: Fallout 4<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Video games. They can be a mind numbing time killer or they can present you with multiple choice moral dilemmas. Finally finished the Far Harbor chapter of Fallout 4 (yeah I'm slow at finding time to play). So not to spoil it for others I'll just say Bethesda has kept up their reputation of doing a damn fine job of story telling. I'll be thinking about the choices I made for awhile, even though I made multiple backtracks with saved files as I progressed through choices of life or death, condemnation or forgiveness, hellfire or wary tolerance, in the story.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">a side note: I'm splitting off my philosophical/social topics into a new blog. This blog will keep the gamer & maker stuff.</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06717402355404779309noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2878431880009812635.post-64563921751630243802015-03-28T12:20:00.001-05:002015-03-28T12:20:21.822-05:00Guild Wars 2 Faolin & CaitheSPOILER ALERT<br />
<br />
If you have not yet completed Season 2 of the Living World in Guild Wars 2, I strongly advise you to not read further.<br />
<br />
There are details here that if known ahead of time will dampen the impact of the story as you play through. The following discusses portions of the final two chapters, Seeds of Truth and Point of No Return.<br />
<br />
<br />
SPOILERS FOLLOW:<br />
<br />
Having finished the play-through several weeks ago, this story has been on my mind occasionally. It's the mark of excellent story-telling if you find yourself thinking about a story days and weeks later, right? I wonder at all the possibilities ahead. Then listening to others brings in a fresh perspective and gets the brain wheels turning. While listening to the GuildMag podcasts of January through February where they discussed parts of this same story, some new ideas came to mind.<br />
<br />
Season 2 of Guild Wars Living World (these stories are analogous to downloadable content in other RPG games) revealed tragic details about Caithe & Faolin's history. Caithe's naivete coupled with Faolin's evil heart directly lead to the death of all members of a Centaur camp at Faolin & Caithe's hands, plus the murder of Wynne by Caithe (albeit at the behest of Wynne).<br />
<br />
The way I saw it, Faolin started the fight with the Centaurs, attacking first. GuildMag's podcaster Kaysee talked about being angry with Caithe for being stupid. I too was angry with Caithe for going along. The player witnesses Caithe being dragged along into these horrible deeds by Faolin, and I found myself wishing that Caithe wasn't so blind and would stand up to Faolin, but I felt helpless and now I wonder if that's not perhaps the sensation the developers are trying to communicate: that Caithe felt helpless and trapped in this path by Faolin and didn't know how to find the inner strength to confront her.<br />
<br />
And later in the story when Caithe killed Wynne, that night when I played it I was so mad - why didn't Caithe just kill Faolin??! Ugh. But as hubby pointed out, maybe she didn't do that because there was a risk of failure that Faolin would win the fight and still get the answers about the dragon. And as in my own mind, perhaps she also was in a helpless, powerless place mentally and didn't know what to do to stop this horrible sequence of events she was trapped in.<br />
<br />
Caithe must be haunted by these awful memories and guilt and shame. I can't imagine she agrees with Faolin's thinking. It seems we have seen evidence to the contrary in previous stories.<br />
<br />
Faolin is a dragon minion through and through! Her thinking is warped, her actions are warped, she functions on jealousy and paranoia and power-hunger. (A really bizarre tangent possibility sprang to mind - the Quaggan might be dragon minions of the deep sea dragon.)<br />
<br />
This will be interesting to see how this all plays out in Heart of Thorns. GW2 seems to be exploring a nature-vs-nurture topic here with the Sylvari having all originated from the dragon, yet Ventari found and planted the seed of the pale tree, and although he died before he could meet the creatures, he left behind his guidance on the revered Ventari tablet, so his influence on these dragon spawn has been a positive one. Question: is his nurturing from beyond the grave enough to break the dragon's will?Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06717402355404779309noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2878431880009812635.post-42943722750858639612015-03-28T10:01:00.002-05:002015-03-28T10:01:56.129-05:00Iteration<div class="gmail_quote" style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: small;">
Food for thought: Everything is iterative.</div>
<div class="gmail_quote" style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: small;">
<br /></div>
<div class="gmail_quote" style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: small;">
So much of industry, daily work, science, construction, art, history, relationships, life, every part of human existence all builds on previous information and labor. We learn how things were done in the past and we build on it and improve the methods, make a better tool, create a better paintbrush, identify flaws in the way things used to be done, and we do it better.</div>
<div class="gmail_quote" style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: small;">
<br /></div>
<div class="gmail_quote" style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: small;">
That's all work and career and life is all about: looking at the status quo and doing it again, and hopefully doing it a little better.<br /><br />Don't let a roadblock in college stop you. Career-wise it's more about knowing how to use the tools in your field. If you can get past college and into the job, it only gets easier from there.</div>
<div class="gmail_quote" style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: small;">
<br /></div>
<div class="gmail_quote" style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: small;">
__________________<br /><br />A related note for the engineering majors - don't let hard college math stop you. The hard stuff has already been done. Once you get into the field itself, you really won't be doing advanced math anymore (unless you want to fun - yes some people are wired that way!) for day-to-day work.<br /><br /><div lang="EN-US" link="blue" vlink="purple">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>Conversation on the Engineering Commons podcast (episode 64), paraphrased:</i><u></u><u></u></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A common question that comes up when discussing engineering is "Do you ever use calculus? (in engineering)"<u></u><u></u></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Engineer #1: No, just have to sum things up and use a rough approximation,<u></u><u></u></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
maybe find a slope rise/run, I just plug a number into excel for a curve<u></u><u></u></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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Engineer #2: Not really - just have to have a working knowledge; I mostly use<u></u><u></u></div>
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reference catalogs or the sales engineer has the details/info/specs.<u></u><u></u></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The employer/client wants something simple enough so that the vendor could<u></u><u></u></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
easily replace something or if I wasn't there someone else<u></u><u></u></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
could understand it - they don't want me designing complexity.<u></u><u></u></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Engineer #3: not a daily basis, it comes up now and then, it's<u></u><u></u></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
usually all well-known problems that you just change variables on. Only if<u></u><u></u></div>
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you're pushing the boundary on new designs maybe then,<u></u><u></u></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
but <b>90% of the time engineering is redesign of existing items</b>.<u></u><u></u></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Besides getting an integral or derivative of discrete points, in<u></u><u></u></div>
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reality I used no calculus beyond junior level college classes<u></u><u></u></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Engineer #4. Yes but I cheat. Any problem worth solving in industry, or<u></u><u></u></div>
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sufficiently complex or worth finding an analytical solution for,<u></u><u></u></div>
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<b>you learn how the math works so you can go out and use<u></u><u></u></b></div>
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<b>all the differential equation solvers</b> like SPICE, etc. Do use<u></u><u></u></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
calculus on a daily basis but not actively participating in the<u></u><u></u></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
solving of calculus problems."</div>
</div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06717402355404779309noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2878431880009812635.post-13381896881636709222014-11-22T07:25:00.001-06:002014-11-22T07:25:11.463-06:00Don't Be An Ass - Generic Template<span style="color: #444411; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: #fbfff6; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.4799995422363px;">Following is a more generic version of my previous "Don't Be An Ass" post. This version is applicable to a broad spectrum of current human events.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #fbfff6; color: #444411; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.4799995422363px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #fbfff6; color: #444411; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.4799995422363px;">Taking a cue from Wil Wheaton's motto "Don't Be A Dick" I've decided my motto is "Don't Be An Ass." I'm just about annoyed with extremism in any form and lack of respect for honorable cultural traditions.</span><br style="background-color: #fbfff6; color: #444411; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.4799995422363px;" /><br style="background-color: #fbfff6; color: #444411; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.4799995422363px;" /><span style="background-color: #fbfff6; color: #444411; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.4799995422363px;">To one who takes offense at cultural traditions of honor and greeting: you ruin your own chances for affecting cultural change when you get over-rabid. Chill out and </span><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/i-took-the-dalai-lama-to-a-ski-resort-and-he-told-me-the-meaning-of-life-2014-11?utm_content=buffere0dce&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=buffer" style="background-color: #fbfff6; color: #888855; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.4799995422363px; text-decoration: none;">be more Dahlai Lama</a><span style="background-color: #fbfff6; color: #444411; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.4799995422363px;">. Laugh and enjoy life in spite of; love the time that you are in, here, now. That's how you win.</span><br style="background-color: #fbfff6; color: #444411; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.4799995422363px;" /><br style="background-color: #fbfff6; color: #444411; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.4799995422363px;" /><span style="background-color: #fbfff6; color: #444411; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.4799995422363px;">Focusing on injustice and berating your "enemy" only makes you bitter and friendless - it doesn't change anyone's mind, quite the opposite - you cement the polarization and isolate yourself when you make yourself out to be an enemy instead of a compassionate friend.</span><br style="background-color: #fbfff6; color: #444411; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.4799995422363px;" /><br style="background-color: #fbfff6; color: #444411; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.4799995422363px;" /><span style="background-color: #fbfff6; color: #444411; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.4799995422363px;">Lead by example. Drop the negativity. Drop the criticism of others. Love others right exactly where they are in the journey of life. </span><a href="http://www.wonderingsound.com/feature/barbara-lynn-pioneer-blues-r-b-guitarist-interview/" style="background-color: #fbfff6; color: #888855; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.4799995422363px; text-decoration: none;">Pave the way for improvements to come behind you</a><span style="background-color: #fbfff6; color: #444411; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.4799995422363px;"> - smooth and even roads make far better advances to human culture than walls of brick and stone. This journey is bigger than you and me. Are there cultural t</span><span style="background-color: #fbfff6; color: #444411; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.4799995422363px;">raditions that say you should not be there? Break tradition - do it anyway with joy in your heart and happiness on your face no matter what reaction comes, and so continue to smooth the path for those to follow in your steps.</span><br style="background-color: #fbfff6; color: #444411; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.4799995422363px;" /><br style="background-color: #fbfff6; color: #444411; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.4799995422363px;" /><span style="background-color: #fbfff6; color: #444411; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.4799995422363px;">Live Free. Free to be who you want to be. Go for it. Step into the water and BE. What's stopping you? The person you just screamed at for ___________ (performing a cultural gesture of respect / admiration / affection / honor)? Wow. Just wow. Lay down the brick & mortar - we don't need a Berlin Wall between "sides" - trade it for </span><span style="background-color: #fbfff6; color: #444411; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.4799995422363px;">building cross-cultural bridges</span><span style="background-color: #fbfff6; color: #444411; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.4799995422363px;"> to understanding and encouraging human growth.</span><span style="background-color: #fbfff6; color: #444411; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.4799995422363px;"> </span><br style="background-color: #fbfff6; color: #444411; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.4799995422363px;" /><br style="background-color: #fbfff6; color: #444411; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.4799995422363px;" /><span style="background-color: #fbfff6; color: #444411; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.4799995422363px;">While you were standing there spitting obscenities, some of us went around your road block and went on ahead without you. Learn about the meaning behind another culture's gestures - and then accept and reciprocate with grace.</span><br style="background-color: #fbfff6; color: #444411; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.4799995422363px;" /><br style="background-color: #fbfff6; color: #444411; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.4799995422363px;" /><span style="background-color: #fbfff6; color: #444411; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.4799995422363px;">Don't Be An Ass.</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06717402355404779309noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2878431880009812635.post-51466675575397052642014-11-21T22:56:00.001-06:002014-11-21T22:56:55.157-06:00Don't Be An AssTaking a cue from Wil Wheaton's motto "Don't Be A Dick" I've decided my motto is "Don't Be An Ass." I'm just about annoyed with extreme feminists (and all extremists actually but lately the feminism kick has been plastered around with annoying crap from all sides being bandied about).<br />
<br />
As a female who works quite happily in a male-dominated field, thank you very much, I say to extreme feminists: you ruin your own cause when get over-rabid. Chill out and <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/i-took-the-dalai-lama-to-a-ski-resort-and-he-told-me-the-meaning-of-life-2014-11?utm_content=buffere0dce&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=buffer">be more Dahlai Lama</a>. Laugh and enjoy life in spite of; love the time that you are in, here, now. That's how you win.<br />
<br />
Focusing on injustice and berating your "enemy" only makes you bitter and friendless - it doesn't change anyone's mind, quite the opposite - you cement the polarization when you make yourself out to be an enemy instead of a compassionate teacher.<br />
<br />
Lead by example. Drop the negativity. Drop the criticism of others. Love others right exactly where they are in the journey of life. <a href="http://www.wonderingsound.com/feature/barbara-lynn-pioneer-blues-r-b-guitarist-interview/">Pave the way for improvements to come behind you</a> - smooth and even roads make far better advances than walls of brick and stone. This journey is bigger than you and me.<br />
<br />
Live Free. Free to be who you want to be. Go for it. What's stopping you? The guy you just screamed at for holding the door and now he's crying? Wow. Just wow. Lay down the brick & mortar - we don't need a Berlin Wall between "sides" - trade it for paving a pathway to understanding and encouraging human growth.<br />
<br />
While you were standing there spitting obscenities, some of us went on ahead without you.<br />
<br />
Don't Be An Ass.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06717402355404779309noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2878431880009812635.post-52519119520260007622014-08-12T20:55:00.001-05:002014-08-12T20:55:42.445-05:00ReliabilityExistential crisis:<br />
<br />
Why have I pursued drafting & engineering all these years? I began to question myself recently and at first I feared that after all these years of yearning, striving, and finally achieving, that I had done it only out of stubbornness to follow my teenage vow of rebellion against my parents.<br />
<br />
I was quite alarmed to think that I had perhaps wasted my time in pursuit of a vain goal. But as I continued to think on these things for days, weeks, and months, I rediscovered the origin of allure.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkEGN0qsqGqKVElXAi7Qo8Fqr19_sxix8gSwhzWfisufYB9VdS3jdSB6hKLKlvF4t2gJwzXHkARWzoyEOx19VlyAZprvMAp_x195pCGGSVyE8fnnzVcBkO5-dy2vNDB38hCxB9OWiN11Y/s1600/14597574400_d27f927a43_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkEGN0qsqGqKVElXAi7Qo8Fqr19_sxix8gSwhzWfisufYB9VdS3jdSB6hKLKlvF4t2gJwzXHkARWzoyEOx19VlyAZprvMAp_x195pCGGSVyE8fnnzVcBkO5-dy2vNDB38hCxB9OWiN11Y/s1600/14597574400_d27f927a43_b.jpg" height="320" width="142" /></a><i>Control, rules, order, precision</i> - these are the qualities that govern technical drawings. And this world of order is astoundingly beautiful to me. Everywhere in my life I have always sought order and logic, and viewed intuition and feeling with a skeptical eye, not trusting in concepts born of emotion.<br />
<br />
Even as a child I sought order and structure. Where there were rules, I was adamant that everyone follow them exactly- even to the point of being loyal only to the rules, not to my friends. If a friend broke a rule, I was the first to correct them or tattle. (I was not a likable child!)<br />
<br />
The detail laid out in drafting, instructions that could be followed and relied upon, with no room for deception or hypocrisy or doubt - it was a comforting world that appealed greatly to me as I ran from the terror of superstition.<br />
<br />
So here resides Logic and Order. This is why I love drafting and engineering. Rules must be followed. Consequences are immediately apparent. Emotion is superfluous, entirely unneeded.<br />
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I can count on a technical drawing to speak to me logically, to communicate instructions in detail. Rules live here that can be followed, and that also can be questioned and subsequently explained. There is reason behind every line, every letter. Extraneous information is eradicated. I can <i>rely</i> on engineering drawings (or corrections are absolutely welcomed when they are flawed).<br />
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In retrospect, I do not wonder that I find such great comfort in that.<br />
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Images sourced from Flickr, no known copyright restrictions: [First] "i<span style="background-color: #f3f5f6; color: #212124; font-weight: 600; line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">mage from page 873 of "Appleton's dictionary of machines, mechanics, engine-work, and engineering" (1861)". </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">[Second] "i</span><span style="background-color: #f3f5f6; color: #212124; font-family: inherit; font-weight: 600; line-height: 18px;">mage from page 807 of "Modern mechanism, exhibiting the latest progress in machines, motors, and the transmission of power, being a supplementary volume to Appletons' cyclopaedia of applied mechanics" (1892)"</span></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06717402355404779309noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2878431880009812635.post-69942703503227315102014-07-31T21:10:00.000-05:002014-07-31T21:10:16.737-05:00Maker Space DreamsThis is a stream-of-consciousness gathering of my dreams for an ideal maker space. I've cleaned up the spelling and grammar a bit, but it's still very rough. I really would be thrilled seeing these ideas brought to fruition. Enjoy.<br />
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I want to see maker space with show and tell hour. No one is allowed to sell their products there. Can exchange time teaching others how to do something for time credits. Can earn time credits for show and tell.<br />
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Public schools would be ideal spaces for this, except lack of space. Encourage adults to get involved too though. How to make it for both? Set times for adult space and times for kids space and then have show and tell for each. Or have adult maker spaces at high schools only. No, maybe the schools would be better for demos only, just to introduce kids to the concept and encourage them to come hang out at the actual space.<br />
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Maybe libraries should be the controlling force. For space, empty warehouse type buildings. There are lots of unused commercial properties. Perhaps the owners could receive subsidized rent or tax incentives for allowing use of the space?<br />
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Businesses like Home Depot and Lowes and Tandys and Radio Shack could be sponsors. No selling on location, but advertising, signage. And maybe tool rental? Like would ABC Rentals participate?<br />
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<a href="http://lifehacker.com/why-creative-side-projects-are-good-for-you-1612792201">Importance of being creative</a> article<br />
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Have recycle bins for material scraps by size and type, free for anyone to take from. Employees and volunteers sort and discard as needed.<br />
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Have full sheet materials available for at-cost purchase.<br />
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Admission free to use open tables and just hang out. Encourage an arcade atmosphere.<br />
Anyone under 14 must be accompanied by parent or guardian.<br />
$1 per hour to use a booth (basic equipment/tools) - have coin-op doors with a credit card slot, but just waist or chest high doors & walls so people can talk with you and observe your project while you work<br />
$5 per hour to use advanced booth (power tools)<br />
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Would require security for locking up things, and one or possibly two full time staff members on site during all open hours. Have volunteer opportunities for anyone over 16.<br />
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Needs to open around noon and close around 9 pm so students and workers would have plenty of time to work on a project. Open Tuesday through Saturday to cater to customers. The employees would have Sunday and Monday off.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06717402355404779309noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2878431880009812635.post-3819013239406885122014-07-25T21:58:00.001-05:002014-07-25T21:58:46.957-05:00For my friend who left Oklahoma years ago, here is a familiar cicada song, courtesy <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cicada">Wikipedia</a>.<br />
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These guys sing to me of summer. Their song heralds bare feet in hot grass, dry stream beds with puddles hiding wily crawfish, wild grapevine swings, resting on the grass with the Milky Way glowing faintly across the blackness overhead, lightning bugs along the tree line, and halo'ed sodium lights, cold lemonade in a thin walled wave-bedecked glass. This chorus is the song of bliss.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06717402355404779309noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2878431880009812635.post-53465452399020612662014-07-14T21:58:00.001-05:002014-07-14T21:58:06.645-05:00Science + ArtWell dammit. I just listened to an interview today and went to look the guy up, and <a href="http://www.cnet.com/news/bill-moggridge-early-laptop-designer-dies-at-age-69/">he's dead</a>. Sheesh.<br />
<br />
Charming British fellow, captivating speaker (maybe it's the accent), recipient of a lifetime achievement award for design, author of two books - the latest one he discussed briefly on the podcast interview.<br />
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Okay, so <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Moggridge">Bill Moggridge</a>, industrial designer, was interviewed on Design Matters <a href="http://designobserver.com/feature/bill-moggridge/20918">podcast</a>. He explained his goal is (was) that every student should have some sort of chance at design experience by age 12. That if people understood that everything they touch, every physical item around them, has all been designed ...<br />
<br />
Well it was quite a good interview. And someone needs to carry on spreading this message.<br />
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<i><b>Science plus Art equals Design.</b></i> And everybody can design something. Everyone interacts with things and experiences and tastes and senses. We are surrounded by design. It's all about how a thing is designed that makes an experience stellar - or completely invisible.<br />
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The invisible or unnoticed design is the most perfect - because it doesn't interfere with one's natural actions.<br />
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Art is so very closely related to engineering, and I have come to realize there are a huge number of young folks passionate about art, and yet the message I had in my mind even just a decade ago was "art is a hobby, not a career." I was so wrong.<br />
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To anyone interested in art, explore it fully. Art isn't just creating an attractive surface on a canvas, it is the very thing driving our economy - and the economy of the entire planet. Cars, planes, trains, automobiles, cell phones, robots, prosthetic limbs, hearing aids, shoes, seatbelts, door handles, computer interface devices, solar panels, telescopes, materials like Kevlar, ALL of the man-made things we can touch or see around us have artistic input!<br />
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So don't give up on art just because math is scary. We have computers to do the crazy math anyway. And even you don't want to be an engineer, business needs artisans, designers!<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06717402355404779309noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2878431880009812635.post-10565602768905065132014-07-11T21:11:00.000-05:002014-07-11T21:11:52.717-05:00California Dreamin'Jenny was our super star.<br />
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I don't remember who told me, probably Eddie, he was always up on the latest gossip, but I vividly remember the sotto voce awe in the words "she was in a Pepsi commercial." In our little country town 50 miles from the nearest metropolis, with less than 500 students in the entire high school, she was the exotic foreigner.<br />
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California girl of epic beauty and dazzling smile, she was untouchable. Above our peasant horizons she sailed through the skies like limpid sunshine.<br />
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I admit I was always a little jealous of how awed others were of her, but jealousy was inconsequential; her unattainable amazingness made us better - our class's status was raised just by her membership. At first we were intimidated, but her charming smile won us all over. Its like we were so proud that she was ours. We laid claim to her like fans to a starlet.<br />
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We were warmed by her brilliance but sadly her star burned bright and fast.<br />
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Coincidentally in recent days thoughts of the pressing impermanence of life has stalked my thoughts. Jenny only got to have half as long as most of us.<br />
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How compressed I must make my efforts. So much I want to accomplish before I run out of time. So much to build. So much to design. So much to make. So much to share.<br />
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I expect I have only half my life left, and while I will work like Charles Schultz to the very end and die the day I quit working, I feel with urgency the need and desire to get things done and done quickly before the fuse burns away.<br />
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Tonight I drink a glass of California zinfandel in her memory. So with my dinner this wine escalates a humble Oklahoma burger charmingly, much as she graced us, her high school classmates, with her too-short presence.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06717402355404779309noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2878431880009812635.post-80433804191062340772014-07-08T22:22:00.001-05:002014-07-08T22:22:21.356-05:00Skyrim Got MeSo listening to all these podcasts ... my favorite, next to StarTalk, is The Indoor Kids, and hearing them go on and on about how great Skyrim is, well, I went ahead and bought it while it was on the Steam summer sale for $10, so I've been playing for less than two weeks.<br />
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Dang if it ain't all engrossing.<br />
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The graphics are a big step down from Guild Wars. The textures are chunky looking even with the highest graphics settings, but the puzzles and the story are fascinating. I can see this keeping me entertained for a very long time.<br />
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Nothing quite like a mohawk and blood red eyes to make a chick feel fiercely sexy.</div>
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Going for a conjurer mage here but this is not the right look at all - this gold-tone elven stuff is just the most attractive-looking light armor I've found. I'm trying to increase my points in light armor to get the lightweight bonus, and the more you wear it in combat, the more points you earn. </div>
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I like the look of the mage robes better, but they aren't beneficial to me at the moment. I keep carrying them around though. </div>
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There seems to be a ton of quests and places to learn and understand in this game. It's very much a game of politics and every choice you make has consequences of how you get treated by the characters you encounter - your reputation precedes you eerily. I mean, for so long I've heard others say Skyrim has a ton of content, but now I am really getting the feeling I'm chipping at an iceberg with a tiny cocktail fork.</div>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06717402355404779309noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2878431880009812635.post-36159840707122226982014-06-27T21:12:00.002-05:002014-06-27T21:12:50.134-05:00Girls, Creativity, and Misguided Societal PressuresTwo posts on Facebook that I reshared hit me in a eureka moment - combined into one important concept.<br />
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Constantly making verbal observations to a young girl that she is pretty is <b><i>not</i></b> a compliment. Instead this is subtlety telling her that her primary value is her looks: her appeal as a mate so that she can attract a suitable male to support her, ostensibly because she is incapable of supporting herself.<br />
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And in turn, when she internalizes this idea at a young age, she becomes angry inside at both the message of her being inferior and incapable of self-support (which her own heart and mind know as untrue!), and also for having suppressed her own entirely human and natural scientific exploratory interests of childhood at the behest of parents, other relatives, or peers.<br />
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At worst, out of jealousy she then becomes cruel in turn to her peers that haven't been subjected to the same indignity, criticizing their lack of self-consciousness when they are far more interested in frogs and kittens than in catching the attention of a boy, and thus spreading a horrid viral mental disease of female domestication. In some circles, this female passive-aggressive behavior has been identified as bullying.<br />
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Look, it is okay to be pretty. Good grooming is important to both females and males; grooming reduces disease and fosters social bonds so that we can function in society. But handsome looks are far secondary to being capable, intelligent, and creative.<br />
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Tell her how smart she is. Answer her questions about how the world works, about animals, insects, reproduction, and the color of the sky. And if you don't know the answers, take her to the library or help her use Google search. Praise her curiosity.<br />
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Don't set too close limits. Let her push her boundaries, even at the risk of danger. It is far more satisfying (and more beneficial to our species overall) for a human to live a short dangerous life filled with exploration, than a long safe one ensconced in a locked castle.<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06717402355404779309noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2878431880009812635.post-39717554203295731032014-06-24T21:03:00.000-05:002014-06-24T21:03:08.117-05:00Recipe: Career of OpportunityBeing dead set on attaining a certain career is like sulking at 6 pm because I don't have tomatoes for chili although I have a thousand other lovely meals possible with the ingredients on hand.<br />
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Look at the shelf. Here's a few years experience with database programming. Here's some years in food service. Here's some time as a hot-shot delivery driver. And also that time soldering IC chips. And then here's my key ingredient that I want to build this dish around: design drafting. There's a million directions to go with these ingredients.<br />
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I need to focus on customizing my career to utilize the skills I have attained over the years. While I did not go the traditional four-year route (due to circumstances full of teen-esque angst which I choose to forgo recounting) even though I certainly had the grades, test scores, and ability, the experience I have gained as I meandered over these years is equally valuable.<br />
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The trick is putting them all together into a tasty presentation. I'm certain I would make a great project manager; I just need a couple more ingredients and I'm there. And it's not quite 6 pm. I still have time to run to the store; definitely not the time to grow the ingredients and butcher the cow, but I can grab a couple quickie skills to round out this dish!<br />
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My career is really just beginning. Ready, set, GOAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06717402355404779309noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2878431880009812635.post-91861761058001938772014-06-20T21:53:00.001-05:002014-06-20T21:53:40.455-05:00Here We BeI was going to write more about my own personal self-discovery, but after searching for an old photo and then instead spending time reliving the tragic death of a friend (motorcycle, 23 years ago, two weeks before his high school graduation), when I came across old letters and journal entries, I decided I'll just keep my self-improvement crap to myself.<br />
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No need to sound like an intellectual snob, right?<br />
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Point is, life is short. Grab it by the nads and make it yours.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06717402355404779309noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2878431880009812635.post-77563775507586898622014-06-19T21:11:00.001-05:002014-06-24T20:53:09.298-05:00ConfidenceI listened to an unexpectedly profound StarTalk today. NDGT interviewed Anthony Bourdain in a <a href="http://www.startalkradio.net/show/a-seat-at-the-table-with-anthony-bourdain-part-1/">two-part show</a> (part two <a href="http://www.startalkradio.net/show/a-seat-at-the-table-with-anthony-bourdain-part-2/">link</a>). His story surprised and touched me more than once.<br />
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This all sounds gobbledey gookish when written down. It sounds better in my head. All the things in my head that are so important to get out. I succeed when I like myself. I have definitely figured that out.<br />
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The three steps to confidence outlined in <a href="http://www.dumblittleman.com/2014/06/3-ways-develop-rock-solid-self-confidence.html">this article</a><u> </u>are similar to these ideas that have been floating around my semi consciousness for the past ten years or more, having come across them in other articles. 1. Mind- awareness 2. Dream outloud 3. Impress me (yourself)!<br />
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I am now realizing that I already started on this path awhile back: my life was on hold for many years, stewing in introspection. The first step I mastered was mindfulness. I was so painfully mindful I froze into inaction.<br />
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Now I dream, and dream out loud. I make plans of how to reach my dreams. Even if I die before I attain my dreams, at least I have a workable map laid out.<br />
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And despite many regrets, I like myself more now than ever, plus I have come to like my past self as well. I like who I am, who I was, and who I will be. And anytime I start feeling bad, I identify what I could do to make me like me again. Usually it has something to do with getting up and being ballsy. I like me best when I'm up and at 'em, in your face.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06717402355404779309noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2878431880009812635.post-22006700544279397502014-06-14T22:59:00.004-05:002014-06-14T23:05:12.346-05:00Wolfenstein: The New OrderSo yeah I bought Wolfenstein: The New Order shortly after it came out. I'm almost finished with it already, and that makes me sad. I mean, I am loving the game so very much I wish it would last longer. I'm spoiled by having played mostly MMO titles - Guild Wars, Lord of the Rings Online - games that you can spend years in and still never see everything. So playing Fallout, Bioshock, and now this newest Wolfenstein - these single player games are always somewhat of a let-down, because they are so short.<br />
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I love the genre so much I wish I could spend a couple of years in one of these games like I can with MMO's. Maybe I should play some of the single-player Elder Scrolls titles. I hear Skyrim can take forever to wander around in and that it has meandering story lines and random arcs.<br />
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But I really want that kind of a meandering story to include a sniper rifle & sneak knife assassinations. Fallout's been the closest to achieve my happy place. Wolfenstein's perks are much easier to manage than Fallout's though - they are more like just earning achievement points without having to make hard decisions.<br />
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My personal favorite New Order screenshots:<br />
German beer distracts me.<br />
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First snapshot with the scope<br />
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This lady. Salut. If I were ever to get tattoos ...<br />
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Infinity ammo? Hot Damn! Let me just drive this bad bitch outta here!<br />
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"I'm on the m-f-ing moon." - favorite quote from the game thus far.<br />
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<span id="goog_1751404381"></span><span id="goog_1751404382"></span><br />
By the way, the creepy ambient sounds are hair-raising on the moon chapter. Again, wish I could wander around a little less off-the-rails. Great story. Too short.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06717402355404779309noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2878431880009812635.post-27951017638624791802014-06-12T22:15:00.002-05:002014-06-12T22:15:43.431-05:00College DecisionsEnamored of paper and pencil and gadgets and gizmos since childhood, when I was about 12 years old, I decided I wanted to be an architect. I found out some ten years later I liked structural or mechanical design much better.<br />
<br />
I had a small scholarship I never used because it wasn't enough to pay for everything and feed me too.<br />
<br />
I still wish I would have followed my friend to the Army. She is a mechanic now. And she has unused college money that she has no desire to ever use - she just wanted the on-the-job training.<br />
<br />
For purchasing two $60 textbooks and honing my skills on the computer I'm doing far better than the useless associate degree I got 8 years ago.<br />
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Message to students: if you think you "have" to go to college just because that's what you've been told a bazillion times, ask yourself why. If it's just about earning more money and you have to take out loans to do it, explore other possibilities before you go into debt that is going to overreach the income.<br />
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And if you're going for a two-year degree, do not take business administration or anything generic like that. Huge waste of money. It should be a crime for two-year colleges to even offer that "major." If you can only do a two-year program, focus on a marketable skill.<br />
<br />
Or start with a two-year skill program so you can actually earn a living while you then pursue the real four-year college degree. If I could go back in time:<br />
<br />
1. Go Army the day I turned 18, learn a trade<br />
2. Work full time and actually earn enough money to pay rent & buy food<br />
3. While simultaneously attending a real four-year college as a night student, fully paid by Army benefits<br />
4. Be the engineer I wanted to beAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06717402355404779309noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2878431880009812635.post-6122556087168782782014-06-11T21:39:00.003-05:002014-06-12T22:16:38.964-05:00Education ReformThere has been a buzz about online college classes, and the potential for education to be self-directed. I was going to save this post as a draft and continue working on it, but I just saw that <a href="http://bigbeacon.org/blog/">Big Beacon</a> is having a twitter discussion about Engineering Education Reform tomorrow June 11, 2014.<br />
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I was just listening to <a href="http://theengineeringcommons.com/episode-54-brain-on-a-stick/">episode #54 of Engineering Commons</a> today and the discussion resonated with me. While I did not get to complete my engineering education for financial reasons, I did pursue less expensive options that from my perspective had little to no value for their cost. I learned more on the job, and by purchasing textbooks and teaching myself, than I ever did in any tech school or college.<br />
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Eureka moments and skill mastery have nothing to do with education. To paraphrase, education is just teaching math and theory with no guidance on how to use this information. (I believe he said "Exploration is stifled.")<br />
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My initial thoughts as I listened to the podcast were along the lines of 'things you learn in school just don't tie into real life' - theory vs. comprehension. A good direction that came out of the discussion was that perhaps educators need to be more like mentors, and draw the theory courses from online sources where the most highly skilled theorists can sell pre-recorded course lectures, but the in-person professor can be freed up to provide a more relevant guidance model to integrate the student into real work.<br />
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More thoughts on this later - wanted to get this out there in time for tomorrow's twitter discussion.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06717402355404779309noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2878431880009812635.post-31590182391091163412014-06-09T21:35:00.000-05:002014-06-12T22:16:15.996-05:00Podcasts!A huge upside to being out of the front office is the ability to listen to audio again. I had missed that soooo much at my last job. While getting the opportunity to learn SolidWorks was definitely worth the time I spent there, being in the front meant no headphones, so my entire day was spent in silence. I've only had a couple of jobs where I was off in a cubicle and could listen to music or internet radio; I cherished and longed to have that perk again.<br />
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Now that I do once more, I have been exploring the new world of podcasting. I grew up listening to old-time radio replays on KRMG news radio. They would play ancient classics like The Shadow, Jack Benny, Dragnet, and even would replay the War of the Worlds on Halloween. Being that my family prohibited television, listening to the old-timey radio rebroadcasts was the next best thing for me. Although I was growing up in the 1970's I was reliving a world wars era childhood (maybe explains my obsession with career and duty).<br />
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Podcasts entertain and enlighten me as I work (have I said how much I <b>love</b> being able to listen to audio at work? It's absolutely wonderful!). I looked up a couple of old-time radio shows for nostalgia's sake, but the best ones are new.<br />
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I'm using a free Android app, Podcast Addict, to feed podcasts to my phone nightly and then I listen as I work during the day.<br />
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For anyone involved in design and/or engineering at any level, <i>The Engineering Commons</i> podcast is fun and informative.<br />
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For a rich sound somewhat NPR-ish in style, but mostly history with a side of design, <i>99% Invisible</i> is an absolutely heavenly listen.<br />
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And for slightly shocking PG-13 humor from scientists, <i>StarTalk</i>, hosted by Neil deGrasse Tyson (now the host of the new Cosmos TV series), is a must.<br />
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My absolute favorites:<br />
99% Invisible<br />
The Indoor Kids (hilarious, and all about video games)<br />
StarTalk (Neil deGrasse Tyson, superstar)<br />
BackStory (History professors chatting about history!)<br />
Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine (authors reading their own short stories)<br />
The Engineering Commons<br />
STEAM Power Podcast (interesting topics, rough production quality)<br />
Stuff You Should Know (5-10 minute tidbits by the How Stuff Works website)<br />
The Infinite Monkey Cage (Brian Cox, British crush-worthy scientist)Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06717402355404779309noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2878431880009812635.post-20902162383167996512014-06-07T13:28:00.000-05:002014-06-07T13:28:27.433-05:00Chapter Titles of my LifeChapter 1: Hellfire (age 0 - 12)<br />
Chapter 2: The Awakening (13 - 18)<br />
Chapter 3: Tequila Times (19 - 25)<br />
Chapter 4: Dutiful Doldrums (26 - 42)<br />
Chapter 5: Embarkation (43 - )Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06717402355404779309noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2878431880009812635.post-91601117835076601342014-06-06T22:12:00.001-05:002014-06-06T22:12:38.348-05:00Maker SpaceTulsa is short on maker space. All we have is FabLab. I made my phone stands there a couple years ago, but I haven't been back.<br />
<br />
They have reduced their public non-member hours to once a month, but the fee is low (2 months for $25). Lately I'm more short on time though. They are <a href="http://makerfairetulsa.com/attend/">sponsoring a maker fair</a> at one of the small buildings on the fairgrounds here in August, which I've marked on my calendar.<br />
<br />
The library is planning to open a maker space when renovations are complete, but that's a long way off. I am skeptical of the space they show on the <a href="http://librarium.tulsalibrary.org/">temporary Librarium space</a>. It looks like there are no machines. Another "too short on time to go confirm" problem.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06717402355404779309noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2878431880009812635.post-29360275444586698662014-06-05T21:42:00.001-05:002014-06-05T21:42:32.594-05:00Officially a DrafterMy time gets clocked to the mechanical engineering department. I about danced a jig every day for the first, sheesh, I don't know, two months? I still get a little heart skip sometimes (like now) thinking about it. I work in the mechanical engineering department. <i>I work in the mechanical engineering department!</i><br />
<br />
I finally landed an honest to goodness drafting job. Not that I had to search very long, it's more that I put off my career in a misguided attempt at raising my kids "right" and not pursuing a satisfying career but instead being severely dutiful in simple low-level part time jobs to the detriment of my finances and happiness as they were growing up. I have regrets about my choices, but meh, it's in the past, over and done with, and I'm really excited about my new career taking off and I can devote myself to career now like I always wanted to, and the kids are entering adulthood and are both very happy that I'm finally excited about my job and talk happily about it. Now they smile and tease me about my enthusiasm.<br />
<br />
In my quest to gain entry into the career I had longed for, the thing that helped me most was being a member a local professional group. Although none of the members gave me a referral (and I did not ask for one), and they did not put me in touch with the company where I landed the job, the conversations over the past three years of attending quarterly meetings helped me gain a better understanding of the industry and what hiring managers needed - so I could tailor myself to meet those needs.<br />
<br />
Besides that, the half a dozen failed interviews also helped tremendously in understanding how to better prepare for the next time.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06717402355404779309noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2878431880009812635.post-76989045341734770122012-12-22T20:17:00.000-06:002012-12-22T20:17:42.037-06:00Peter Jackson's HobbitI am a die-hard fan of J.R.R. Tolkien. I have read The Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings trilogy many times over from the time I first discovered them around age 13. When I first heard rumor that Peter Jackson was making movies, I was skeptical, but I joined forums and participated in a study group of the books to pass the years of waiting. I read the Silmarillion and portions of the History of Middle Earth.<br />
<br />
And then the movies were excellent. I had faith after Peter Jackson did a tremendous job given the time he had to cover the content of the books, and he was faithful to the story. Any changes were inconsequential or at least forgivable as necessary. I was so pleased that I bought the collector's edition. And I was excitedly awaiting the opening of his interpretation of The Hobbit, so much so that I went and sat in line more than hour early the first Saturday it opened (I generally avoid seeing movies on opening weekend).<br />
<br />
I suppose all that anticipation was too much.<br />
<br />
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Party was a bit of a let-down. My gripes with the movie aren't those of most critics, but rather with blatant inaccuracies such as the orc confrontation shortly after the trolls, on the west side of Rivendell. It never happened. No orcs attacked until the party camped in the Misty Mountains east of Rivendell.<br />
<br />
I don't mind the more serious tone as much as some complain. The Hobbit was written years before Tolkien had fully worked out his history of middle earth, and it originated as a child's tale. But yes, the story evolved and grew, and I certainly do not mind that Peter Jackson decided to attempt to weave the two together (and a bit more from the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Silmarillion" target="_blank">Silmarillion</a> and the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_middle_earth">H.O.M.E.</a> for that matter).<br />
<br />
The movie overall could have done with a great deal more narration; Lady Galadriel (as played by Cate Blanchett) would have been a logical choice for this as was done in the LotR series. Some of the scenes are not tied in well and seem too obviously picked up off the cutting room floor and pasted back in, or added in last-minute with not enough time allowed to polish the transitions between ideas.<br />
<br />
Yes, ominous foreshadowing is needed to tie the stories together and the elves did not need to be so merry as in the book. Those were fine changes.<br />
<br />
But the dwarves weren't treated as enemies of elves. They were welcomed with polite greetings and a great deal of good-natured mocking, but certainly no spear points and open hostility. Too much tension was added here.<br />
<br />
Bilbo did not need to see the ring drop. As in the book, he still could have been searching for his way out in the darkness and found it by blindly reaching along the ground.<br />
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After the riddle game, Gollum should have gone to his island to search for the ring. The same amount of time was spent in the movie, but with less dramatic tension. Tension was reduced here where it should have remained a strong and frightening element.<br />
<br />
So many little details like that were unnecessarily changed. That is what bothers me. Why? Why did Peter Jackson blatantly change some important details?Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06717402355404779309noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2878431880009812635.post-76189099943579425952012-11-18T21:28:00.001-06:002012-11-18T21:28:40.585-06:00Almost There (Drafting)I am on schedule with my plan to complete The Book* before I test for Certified SolidWorks Associate. I was actually ahead of schedule but then I got an assignment to actually draw something for a customer (!), so of course I set aside my book for that!<br />
<br />
The practice test is next on my plan. I may skip the rest of the book and move on to the test if I can do the practice test in the recommended time, but first I need to complete my live assignment. I am honored but concerned. I need someone with experience to critique my work.<br />
<br />
I did get some constructive criticism from an interview recently - very helpful, in fact - so I do know of a few specific things I can do to improve my drafting standards.<br />
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*Did I mention how error-filled that book is? Horrible grammar, misuse of tense on every other page, often multiple errors on a single page; however, it is good for step-by-step instructions and works okay for learning how to use SolidWorks if you can ignore the grammar problems.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06717402355404779309noreply@blogger.com0