I'm so disgusted at the whole mess that I've run out of bad things to say. Maybe we'll all get lucky and both coast lines will suddenly fall into the ocean.
That's all for now.
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Frustration
Work is going OK, but I've been a bit frustrated this week.
I spent 3 days fixing a 3D model assembly and resolving dimensional inconsistencies between the model, 2D drawings and the hardware that has been built and is being used. This was done by a co-op student from a local engineering school, who's not there anymore. In the future I should be working with the co-op ME so I can teach some attention to details like functional dimensioning and tolerances.
Then the Chem E I'm assigned to help, keeps changing his mind on what's required and the priorities of the work I'm doing for him. He's one of those over-the-top intelligent individuals who tends to be a bit scattered in his thought processes. With a little more time and trust on his part, I think we'll be able to be more efficient. In the interim I'll be exercising my patience a bit more than I would like. I really shouldn't complain very much because he's the guy that wanted me over the other applicants.
I spent 3 days fixing a 3D model assembly and resolving dimensional inconsistencies between the model, 2D drawings and the hardware that has been built and is being used. This was done by a co-op student from a local engineering school, who's not there anymore. In the future I should be working with the co-op ME so I can teach some attention to details like functional dimensioning and tolerances.
Then the Chem E I'm assigned to help, keeps changing his mind on what's required and the priorities of the work I'm doing for him. He's one of those over-the-top intelligent individuals who tends to be a bit scattered in his thought processes. With a little more time and trust on his part, I think we'll be able to be more efficient. In the interim I'll be exercising my patience a bit more than I would like. I really shouldn't complain very much because he's the guy that wanted me over the other applicants.
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
How Long ??
My last employer moved the entire operation out of state, and merged it into another business unit last fall. For various reasons I thought, and still think that was a bad business decision. They screwed up the only profitable division during this "recession".
Rumor has it that the payback time frame for the cost of the move is about 40 years. Sounds like a decision the federal government would make doesn't it?
Rumor has it that the payback time frame for the cost of the move is about 40 years. Sounds like a decision the federal government would make doesn't it?
Temporary Employment
My present place of employment is actually paying an agency that then pays me for my time. The agency gets a cut, but I suspect that it's still cheaper for the company where I'm working than if they hired me direct. In this way they're more flexible with manpower, don't pay any benefits, and if they get rid of someone there's no dealing with unemployment payments to the state.
It seems (though I don't know for sure) that the lower skilled spots are entirely agency supplied temporaries. They stay about 3 months, and are then let go. If someone is still needed another Temp is brought in. Other skill levels are probably open ended.
In my case the arrangement is open ended. There isn't a duration to hire or let me go, at least not to my knowledge. They bought and installed a high end computer for me to use, and so I suspect that so long as I'm doing a good job my temporary status will last quite a while. I also suspect there will be no offer to hire me, regardless of the job I do, until I get offered a position elsewhere.
I don't know how many are working there this way, but I suspect it's around 30% of the workforce. I'd wager that any company that can do things this way are doing it now and into the foreseeable future.
It seems (though I don't know for sure) that the lower skilled spots are entirely agency supplied temporaries. They stay about 3 months, and are then let go. If someone is still needed another Temp is brought in. Other skill levels are probably open ended.
In my case the arrangement is open ended. There isn't a duration to hire or let me go, at least not to my knowledge. They bought and installed a high end computer for me to use, and so I suspect that so long as I'm doing a good job my temporary status will last quite a while. I also suspect there will be no offer to hire me, regardless of the job I do, until I get offered a position elsewhere.
I don't know how many are working there this way, but I suspect it's around 30% of the workforce. I'd wager that any company that can do things this way are doing it now and into the foreseeable future.
Rope, Tree and Some Assembly
Since the establishment media is convinced that tea party members, 9/11 truthers, libertarians, Ron Paul supporters, and basically anyone with a dissenting political opinion is a likely domestic terrorist, they should be celebrating the fact that a new bill would allow the government to detain such people as “enemy belligerents” indefinitely and without trial based on their “suspected activity”.
The “Enemy Belligerent, Interrogation, Detention, and Prosecution Act of 2010,” introduced by Senators John McCain and Joseph Lieberman on Thursday with little fanfare, “sets out a comprehensive policy for the detention, interrogation and trial of suspected enemy belligerents who are believed to have engaged in hostilities against the United States by requiring these individuals to be held in military custody, interrogated for their intelligence value and not provided with a Miranda warning,” writes the Atlantic’s Marc Ambinder.
However, according to the bill, an individual doesn’t even have to pose a threat to be snatched, detained and interrogated – they can merely be deemed to be of “potential intelligence value” or come under the vague and sweeping mandate of “such other matters as the President considers appropriate”.
This last designation hands Obama dictator powers to have any American citizen kidnapped, detained, and interrogated on a whim.
Since the beginning, the USA has been held high as the last chance for an individual to live in liberty. Well, the last chance is coming to and end. Tyranny is on the front porch and knocking with authority. All it takes is for good men to do nothing.
The “Enemy Belligerent, Interrogation, Detention, and Prosecution Act of 2010,” introduced by Senators John McCain and Joseph Lieberman on Thursday with little fanfare, “sets out a comprehensive policy for the detention, interrogation and trial of suspected enemy belligerents who are believed to have engaged in hostilities against the United States by requiring these individuals to be held in military custody, interrogated for their intelligence value and not provided with a Miranda warning,” writes the Atlantic’s Marc Ambinder.
However, according to the bill, an individual doesn’t even have to pose a threat to be snatched, detained and interrogated – they can merely be deemed to be of “potential intelligence value” or come under the vague and sweeping mandate of “such other matters as the President considers appropriate”.
This last designation hands Obama dictator powers to have any American citizen kidnapped, detained, and interrogated on a whim.
Since the beginning, the USA has been held high as the last chance for an individual to live in liberty. Well, the last chance is coming to and end. Tyranny is on the front porch and knocking with authority. All it takes is for good men to do nothing.
Monday, March 8, 2010
Shoot the Engineers
I've often said that if we're left alone, we'll absolutely never complete any project. We engineers need sales, or somebody, to put pressure on us to declare it's good enough.
There Comes a Time in the History of Every ProjectI stole that from Kevin.
When It Becomes Necessary to Shoot the Engineers
And Begin Production
At The Range
The eldest son twisted my arm very, very hard and convinced me to go to the range with him yesterday. There must have been a lot of cabin fever this winter because the place was packed. Every position was occupied, from 7 yards to 200 yards. We managed to get one position to share at the 25 yard range, to start. After a few hours we managed to move on down to the long range area.
Apparently my neglect of the long guns has had an effect. AT 200 yards I was pushing my shots about half a clay bird to the right with the sporterized 6.5mm Swedish Mauser.
And then the batteries were dead in the holosight on the AR. Naturally my spares were also dead, so I used the flip up iron sights. That's why they're there, I guess.
Apparently my neglect of the long guns has had an effect. AT 200 yards I was pushing my shots about half a clay bird to the right with the sporterized 6.5mm Swedish Mauser.
And then the batteries were dead in the holosight on the AR. Naturally my spares were also dead, so I used the flip up iron sights. That's why they're there, I guess.
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