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EuphCW1
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Country: United States
State: Texas
Birthday: 6/13/1984
Gender: Male
Interests: I'm a ChE student, I don't have time for hobbies! Though, I try to do some weightlifting, DDR, mountain biking and play racquetball when I have the chance (not often).
Expertise: I'm not an expert at anything at the moment; I hope to start specializing in polymer engineering/development later this fall
Occupation: Student
Industry: Engineering
Message: message me
Member Since:
7/17/2003
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| I'm a goody-two-shoes. As a child I rarely did things that got me in trouble. When I was back in middle/high school, I never had a detention or suspension. Admittedly, I did get a speeding ticket once, but it was an honest mistake of me not knowing the speed limit. Other than that, my closest run-in with the law was when I was 7 and had to find a policeman after getting lost in the mall.
I understand that rules and laws are usually made for good reasons: don't steal, don't assault people, don't trespass, don't lie, follow traffic signs, etc.... Generally, I follow them because justified, well-implemented, and appropriately enforced laws are what help keep our society from degenerating into a poo-slinging contest (unless you live here). However, there are some laws that I think are either rediculous in and of themselves, or they are improperly enforced. I will purposely and stubbornly ignore these laws. Luckily, these laws are so inconsequential that breaking them doesn't harm or really affect anybody.
For example, In my State, you are mandated to have a front license plate the front of your auto. I don't because (1) my car wasn't designed for one--there is no bracket there, (2) it would block about 1/4 of my radiator frontal area, causing hot spots and diminished cooling. The front license plate law is such an unnecessary law that may states do not require them. If they were truly necessary they would mandate them on motorcycles. The only function I can see a front license plate serving is to identify a vehicle as you are surveilled by Big Brother.
I found out on Tuesday that I get really pissed off when laws are inappropriately enforced. About one day a week, I ride my motorcycle to work. The building where I work makes an "L" shape, and there is a small courtyard with a paved walkway along its perimeter in the inside corner of the "L". No one ever uses this section of sidewalk. I enjoy parking my motorcycle here--there is an overhang from the building that protects my motorcycle from the sun and elements, I don't have to worry about cagers knocking my bike over, and it saves the full-size parking spaces for cages. But Tuesday, the building operator told my company's facilities director that I can't park my motorcycle there because it was on a "sidewalk". He had every right to tell to say I couldn't: it was technically his property, but there was no reason for his request other than it was technically against the law. If a bicycle can park on the sidewalk, why can't my motorcycle? It was definitely not being an obstruction. I felt betrayed and furious so I began to look up the laws and contemplate how to either get around his request or openly mock it (for example, I could park my bicycle in the same spot which would be illegal for him to move if it is not an obstruction), but being on work time I had to let my temper simmer down a bit and get back to work.
Despite my fury on such an inconsequential request, I will probably yield to the facility operator's wishes, but only because he could tow my motorcycle. Besides, I'm a goody-two-shoes. | | |
| Murray? Are you behind this?
http://www.mitsubishi-motors.co.nz/corporate/news/news_item_0168.asp
...only in New Zealand.
(for the uninitiated, Murray is the band manager and promotional engine of the Flight of the Conchords: formerly New Zealand's fourth most popular guitar-based digi-bongo accapella-rap-funk-comedy folk duo)
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| Exhaustion - I feels it.
I spent the last 4 days immersed in the latest advancements in fuel cell and battery technology at an electrochemistry conference located right here in A-town. Since Saturday, I think I've gotten a total of 16 hours of sleep between the conference lectures (sometimes spanning 13 hours in a day) , commuting, working (on work work), ironing, and a concert thrown in just to make things interesting.
Most of the people in attendance at the conference are pioneers in the development of fuel cell and battery technology. Going into the conference, I was concerned that they would be talking way over my head since I only have a lowly BS degree in ChE. Being a battery guy, I am not knowledgeable about fuel cells beyond their basic operation, and during the first few lectures I had some trouble understanding exactly what the point of each lecture was. Fortunately, there were probably six lectures trying to address the same specific fundamental problem, and by the end of the conference, I found myself able to keep up and understand the complexity of the issue. I'd elaborate, but (1) I'd probably bore you to death, and (2) I don't want my xanga entry to be in the search results of serious researchers on the subject (hey, I have to keep some professionalism in the real world!). However, I will share with you some non-technical insights:
1. Even the most dry, dull scientific subjects can be entertaining if the speaker has a thick German accent.
2. It is true - wearing a suit will actually make you more insightful, articulate, and...dead sexy.
3. COFFEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!
4. No matter how nerdy you think you are, there will always be someone (or lots of someones) to out-nerd you =[
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| To get the extra fiber all bran for $3.24 or two boxes of regular all bran for $4.15... sigh...the boy didn't really care. Monday was coming to a close and he just had to pick up a few things for breakfast in the morning. His body ached from a physical weekend of working on his car - unsuccessfully. His tired eyes had bags under them from a late night and a day at work staring at a computer.
The handbasket now 1 cereal box heavier, he dragged his feet to the rear of the store for some eggs, but somewhere near the flour, the boy was transformed. A familiar electronica riff that he first heard in 3rd grade music class emanated from the loudspeaker. The aisles were now colored with pastels and everything happened around him jerkily as if filmed with time-lapse cameras. He was now in an 80's music video: blank, expressionless face staring straight ahead; slow confident strut to the beat of the drum machine; nothing around him mattered. He walked the straight line. Shopping carts moved out of his way; the giggles of teenage girls buying ice cream were drowned out by his nostalgic focus. His soul paddled from a dingy lost in an ocean of blase superficiality, not deserving of his attention. He was going somewhere
What song could elicit this retro transformation from this exhausted boy? Try a techno tribute to an eighteenth century composer.
Rock me Amadeus.
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| 6/26/08
Today is my second day in Tianjin. I woke up early with some stomach issues again =/. Got out of bed at around 6:20, got ready, called Stacey on Skype, and ate breakfast at the hotel (148 RMB - $20!). It is crazy how the cheap dinky hotels will include continental breakfast buffets and the more expensive ones charge you $20 to eat at their restaurant.
After breakfast, Luke picked me up to take me to Li Shen. At Li Shen we were given a tour of the production lines. I tried to ask meaningful questions about the process and what was controlled and recorded – I wont bore you with the details. After the tour, we met up for lunch about 100 yards away at a place called the Jazz Café. Luke ordered everyone fish and we made some small-talk. After lunch we waited around until 2 when Mao (process engineer) showed us some process documents and an improvement presentation. Then Singer and his group joined us and they all had a meeting in Chinese. We got a ride back to the hotel and I had dinner in the hotel restaurant. I spent the rest of my evening working on some documents and reviewing my notes from the production line tour.
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