Thoughts, Rants, and Musings

[Jibralta]

It turns out I was able to watch the activity of a dozen or more calls that came in about the kitty and the updates about the full freeway traffic stop (I am sure the 4k people affected appreciated it) Then an update from the officer who couldn't catch it and requesting assistance from animal control.

 

YAY! This makes me so happy. Hopefully the cat is ok!

[Jibralta]

Correlation and causation are not the same thing.

 

I just feel like this should be plastered across a wall. People have a very difficult time understanding this. I've only seen it taught in statistics classes. I hope that one day it will escape the statistics classroom and become common knowledge.

[itsallgrand]

^ Agree!

I learned about correlation and causation in philosophy and logic classes. Statistics sounds interesting!

[thealchemist]

"I think conversation fills in where vocabulary lacks. And sometimes a label tends to shut a conversation down. A list of definitions can leave little room for discussion." -jib

 

I agree with this a lot too.

 

The whole issue with that discussion has a lot to do with people rebelling against the terminology.

 

Which I can understand because it is not representative of its meaning.

 

I very much agree that labels limit the conversation and try to force everything into predefined categories.

 

Humans are not so cut and dry.

 

 

I'm a chemist so I have had many statistic and logic classes.

[Jibralta]

^ Agree!

I learned about correlation and causation in philosophy and logic classes. Statistics sounds interesting!

 

Me too!

 

And statistics is super interesting. And it's amazing how vulnerable it is to misinterpretation. There is A LOT of bad information out there due to poorly set up studies and misinterpretation or results. And bias--there are so many forms of bias that can affect things. The world is filthy with bad information. I'd be willing to go so far as to say that if you are getting information for free, it's probably worthless (the news comes to mind...). Because industries protect their information fiercely, and if they share it with you at all, you have to pay for it.

 

I'm a chemist so I have had many statistic and logic classes.

 

In undergraduate school, I majored in economics and philosophy. That's how I got my dose of statistics and logic!

 

I always found it amusing when people got angry in the critical thinking classes. They were not prepared for the possibility that their beliefs didn't make sense, and were unable to accept it.

 

Logic was a different story because we were dealing with the mechanical aspects of critical thinking. It was more of a math class where we translated arguments into symbolic notation and tested them. The people who got angry during the critical thinking prerequisites didn't make it to symbolic logic. Half of that class dropped before the end of the semester, because it was tough and the teacher was very rigid. But I made it through and did quite well.

 

I recently tried to find course offerings for logic so that I could brush up on the concepts. But so few schools seem to offer it anymore. I know certain professions require critical thinking, like science, engineering, and law. So where are all of the logic classes? Is it now taught as part of other classes?

 

I'd also like to retake some courses in statistics, especially regression analysis. Those are available, but the challenge is finding the time!

[Jibralta]

The whole issue with that discussion has a lot to do with people rebelling against the terminology.

 

Which I can understand because it is not representative of its meaning.

 

I very much agree that labels limit the conversation and try to force everything into predefined categories.

 

Humans are not so cut and dry.

 

There was a lot of irony in the way that whole conversation played out.

[Jibralta]

My first job out of graduate school was with an architect who practiced as a sole proprietor. His office was in his basement. I worked for him for two years. He was not the best businessman. He messed up my taxes really bad one year and it took months to correct the error.

 

I recently discovered that he also didn't pay into my social security while I worked there. I contacted him and let him know. His offered to pay me the money directly instead of open a can of worms with Social Security or the IRS.

 

I am not sure if that is legal. I don't want to accept money and then get in trouble down the road. Also, if he gets audited, he'll probably have to pay the money into social security anyway. So, I told my former boss that I would tale to my accountant and get back to him.

 

So then I called my accountant and asked for advice. He gave me the name of two lawyers who specialize in this sort of thing. He said the IRS is going to find out sooner or later, and that one of these lawyers could keep him out of jail.

 

So, I've been procrastinating about contacting my former boss again and telling him he could go to jail. I don't want to be the bearer of bad news, especially now that he's won a position as a town councilman. I'd feel kind of bad. But I really do need to get this straightened out.

[Jibralta]

Is it judgmental to call someone racist or sexist? Or are you pointing out there judgement?

 

Actually, I think it's both. These terms have become loaded with meaning and people lose their minds reacting to them.

[Jibralta]

From 23andMe, I've learned that I am part of the H6a1a haplogroup on my mother's side. The H6 haplogroup is common in the Caucasus mountain region between Europe and Asia, in Central Asia, and throughout the Middle East. This is interesting, since according to my DNA I am mainly Northwestern European. According to 23andMe, H6 is associated with the Yamnaya people, who domesticated the horse on the Eurasian steppes. But I've seen other research that seems to make it more likely that that my haplogroup is associated with the Corded Ware Culture (a.k.a. Battle Axe Culture) and the Srubna culture. It's pretty neat to look at the world in terms of these ancient migrations.

 

[dias]

From 23andMe, I've learned that I am part of the H6a1a haplogroup on my mother's side. The H6 haplogroup is common in the Caucasus mountain region between Europe and Asia, in Central Asia, and throughout the Middle East. This is interesting, since according to my DNA I am mainly Northwestern European. According to 23andMe, H6 is associated with the Yamnaya people, who domesticated the horse on the Eurasian steppes. But I've seen other research that seems to make it more likely that that my haplogroup is associated with the Corded Ware Culture (a.k.a. Battle Axe Culture) and the Srubna culture. It's pretty neat to look at the world in terms of these ancient migrations.

 

There is no point to seek so far back. I mean, in the end, we are all a blend of homo sapiens and neaterdal lol.

[Jibralta]

There is no point to seek so far back. I mean, in the end, we are all a blend of homo sapiens and neaterdal lol.

 

Of course. But I think it's so interesting to see the way that different technologies and commodities moved throughout the world. For example, the Silk Road is fascinating to me.

[dias]

the Silk Road is fascinating to me.

Funny you mentioned this. A couple of weeks ago, an engineer working in the supply chain industry in London made a presentation at the university and he told us that the Chinese are trying to "revive" the Silk Road to Europe. They manufacture faster trains which will be able to freight larger quantity of goods to Europe with less cost than sending them with large ships.

 

One of the trips I want to do in my life is to take the Trans-Siberia train from Europe to China or Vladivostok. It would be a unique experience for sure.

[Jibralta]

There are apparently a number of different Silk Routes. What I'd really like to do is plot them in ArcGIS and look at how they change over time.

[Jibralta]

My first official day at my new job was yesterday. Only worked about three hours. Mainly, the boss went over the file systems with me and then had me create a digital model. He seems pretty organized. He did overexplain a little bit, but not unbearably so. And it is understandable at this point because I am brand new. He is capable of giving a concise, decisive answer, which is good. I'm excited to see where this goes and what I learn. One weird note was when he thought he needed to remind me about the size of a parking space. Not a big deal, but I thought it was sort of out-of-the-blue since we'd talked about it at length before I started the drawing and I indicated that I understood. Maybe he just thinks I'm stupider than I actually am.

 

At my full time job, my boss is navigating a family tragedy and he has been out of the office quite a lot. Today one of my coworkers forwarded to me a poignant eulogy for the deceased family member. Then he stood over me as I read it and said, "Did you read it? Wasn't it well done?" as I sat there trying not to cry. My voice was slightly strangled as I said, "Yes, it's beautiful." He seemed satisfied by my level of emotion and wandered off. I really like that coworker, but he is like a bull in a china shop with some things.

 

I have another coworker who is not nearly so comfortable with emotion. He is British, and I wonder if that has something to do with it. Last week, I was standing in his office when the heel of my shoe suddenly gave way. It didn't throw me off balance, but I felt it go. I said, "Did my heel just break?" I bent my knee so that my foot came up behind me. Sure enough, it was broken. A laugh burst forth from my coworker, and I started to laugh, too. But then he cut himself short, and said, "Mustn't be rude." Then he assumed a completely stoic demeanor and maintained it for the rest of the conversation. The dude barely made eye contact with me for the rest of the day. He really didn't want to talk about my broken heel. Other coworkers were highly entertained by it and my failed attempt to repair it with crazy glue. Lucky for me, it was a boot and I was wearing a long skirt.

[Jibralta]

Just got contacted by another potential employer to set up an interview. It is a company that I would actually be interested in working for. This is both heartening and terrifying.

[Jibralta]

I scheduled an interview for Tuesday, before work. The problem is, what do I wear? I don't want to walk into work later than usual in an outfit that screams, "I JUST HAD AN INTERVIEW!!"

 

I'm so horrible; I just do the minimum with clothes. I'm so freaking lazy. Most of the time, I wear dresses to work because it's one less step than wearing pants.

 

I thought I'd wear a dress that I recently purchased, but I put it on when I got home from work and it's just not right for an interview. So, I'm going to have to go shopping. Bleh.

 

This new prospective employer has a relatively large practice and I was genuinely interested in working for them when I applied. But now, for a couple of reasons, I am not sure.

 

I figured I'd come clean during the interview and tell them that I was no longer actually looking for a job. Fortunately, my boyfriend talked some sense into me.

 

I guess I'll just use this opportunity to practice interviewing my interviewer. I learned an interesting lesson when I got my current job: The fact that someone is hiring you is not proof that they are competent or intelligent. I was hired by one of the stupidest, most incompetent men on the planet. His true talent is the power of the cockroach: surviving. But as an architect and a project manager, he's awful. So, the lesson learned here is INTERVIEW YOUR INTERVIEWER.

 

Anyway, I have nothing to worry about. I don't have to work for this company. And they may not even offer me a job!

 

There's nothing to worry about. Nothing to worry about. Nothing to worry about...

[dias]

Fortunately, my boyfriend talked some sense into me.

 

If the salary is better, the company is as good or better and it has interesting projects, why you are not considering it?

[Jibralta]

Fair question. My mind was just closed to the possibility of it being a better opportunity. But I have no concrete reason to believe that.

 

Because I work for a large company, I assume that I have the best benefits that I can possibly get. But that's another baseless assumption. I have had waaay better benefits before, and with much smaller companies.

 

However, that was before I became an architect.

 

So far, my experience with architects making business decisions has been very negative. So, I guess I don't trust that any architects will be able to negotiate good benefits. But of course, I could be wrong.

 

I have no idea what the salary is. If they can give me what I'm asking, then I'll probably freak out and tell myself that they will go out of business soon. Apparently, I like to scare myself. I guess I like the thrill.

 

This particular company is interesting because they are also involved with real estate development. That is an unusual path for an architect to successfully navigate.

 

When I called today, the guy who answered the phone sounded miserable. And the lady who scheduled my interview also sounded somewhat downtrodden. That may have also influenced my attitude towards the company.

 

I just need to keep an open mind and carefully consider the situation. The anticipation has me a little jumpy.

[Jibralta]

Last Thursday, as I was pulling into the parking lot at work, I noticed that a goose had nested on a small bit of landscaping in the middle of the parking lot. She was sleeping on her nest and her mate was trying to attack the cars as they were speeding into the lot. I was worried that someone might not see him and hit him with their car. Geese can be annoying, but I don't want to see them get hurt. So, I notified one of the environmental scientists in our office, hoping that she would take care of the situation with her tree-hugging powers. Well, she took care of it today, but she needed me to be a side-kick. We went out there, located the nest, and got the maintenance man to promise to put cones around the area. I felt like a huge dork, but I really worry about those poor dumb geese.

 

Well, the maintenance man never put cones out like he said he would, but the geese seem to be fine. I think mom had her eggs. She was sitting on her nest yesterday and today. I drove as I left for the day and saw dad standing behind a nearby car. I don't know how the people who park in the two spots near the nest get in and out of their cars without getting divebombed by dad. As I drove by, he actually turned and bit the bumper of the car behind him. Ha ha. I hope they stay safe.

[Jibralta]

Yesterday was my second day at job#2. Honestly, it's not that bad having two jobs. Job #2 is mostly drawing and design at this point. It's kind of relaxing. And knowing that my main source of income is coming from somewhere else is even more relaxing. However, I was exhausted at the end of the day.

 

I've met three of my four new coworkers: my new boss and two draftsmen/interns. My boss hired a second project manager like myself, but I have not met her yet. She is also part time, and keeps different hours than I do. I sense that there may be a personality difference between the two of us, and here is why:

 

My new boss sent an email 'virtually' introducing both of us. The email also contained a brief update about a project that he wants to win, saying we're "close" to full steam ahead and that his goal is to bring us both on full time asap. To me, it just looked like more of the same non-information. Plus, I'm not keen on a full time job there anyway.

 

So I pretty much ignored the update and replied to both, "Hi Sally, I look forward to working together and to meeting you in person one day."

 

I was surprised by Sally's response, which was quite different from mine. She wrote first to our boss, "Thank you for the introduction. Also thank you for the update regarding the project, this is great news. I am looking forward to getting rolling on the project full time along with the team." And then, under that, to me, "Welcome! Looking forward to meeting and working with you too. Hopefully should see you in office next week. We can coordinate as per our availability. Please let me know yours and I can plan around it and be in office at the same time."

 

I was like, whoa.

 

I figure there are two possible explanations for her formality: 1) she is someone who stands on ceremony a lot, OR 2) she is very eager to become a full time employee and is putting her best foot forward. It would be better work-wise if it's the latter, because decorum becomes inconvenient in the long term. However, if it's the former, it could still be very entertaining.

 

So far, this second job is almost better than having a hobby.

 

Today, I took off from work so that I could do a little cooking for Easter (I am Greek Orthodox). But now I need to use a big chunk of this time to shop for an interview outfit. Then I have horseback riding at 6:30, which means I should probably leave my house at 5:30 to compensate for rush hour traffic.

 

My boyfriend thinks I am a time management imbecile. He is right, of course. This morning, he wrote out a schedule for me, and I see that I am pretty much booked for the entire day.

 

For some reason, time slushes around in my mind and means nothing unless someone else writes it down for me. When I write it down for myself, I just veto everything on the list and do whatever I want. I am already trying to do this with my boyfriend's schedule, but it's harder because it's in his handwriting.

 

He really enjoys time management and strict organization, so we balance each other well in this regard. He brings the order and I bring the chaos.

[Jibralta]

It's creeping up on 10:30PM over here. I've been thinking of sleep for the past 2 hours. I can't believe that 20-25 years ago, I'd just be getting ready to go out for the night! F*ck I've aged..

[thealchemist]

I think your boyfriend and I would get along pretty well...

 

I just read your post from the video game OP

[Jibralta]

Haha yeah, probably!

 

It's really not an issue. I admit that in the beginning of our relationship I felt some suspicion towards video games. And he actually didn't play them for a while because of that. But he missed playing video games, so eventually he did start playing again BUT he made sure that I never felt like the video games were taking precedence over our relationship. And still to this day, he is like that. Even if I interrupt him to ask the dumbest question, he is totally gracious about it.

[thealchemist]

I think videos games are no different than anything else as far as past times go.

 

As long as moderated properly it doesn't matter.

 

I laughed at your story because my wife got me D2(Diablo 2 + expansion)a couple years ago.

 

Although I played D2 in 6th grade and not college...

[Jibralta]

I loved Diablo and Diablo 2 when I was in college. I would play them for hours. I continued to play Diablo 2 after I graduated and got a job. I conquered the game with every character. Then one night it dawned on me how much time I was spending on this game. It freaked me out, so I stopped cold turkey. I've been reluctant to play video games ever since.

 

My boyfriend and I started to play Diablo II after he got me the games. We played the dual player set up. He had the big dope 66" TV and I had a crappy little laptop monitor haha. He killed the main guy on the first level and ended up on the second level without me. At that point, it was time for me to start studying for my licensing exams so we put it on hold.

 

It's been a year, and I'm done with all of my exams. But we still haven't touched the game. It's hard for me to justify playing a video game when my apartment's a mess. So I abstain out of guilt (and still don't clean my apartment!), and in the meantime, he has skyrim and assassin's creed and all that stuff to keep him occupied.

 

One day, we'll pick it up again...