Do I Need to be an Engineer to Hang Out Here?

Hi Giorgia, and welcome to the party!

I'm no engineer, I know absolutely nothing about driving trains, but none the less these kind souls have taken me in and made me feel at home. As I'm sure we will all do for you.

And as far as pick-able brains, well let me just say....... What were we talking about??

Once again, welcome and glad to have ya.

A guy in the lab used to come into my office and ask to pick my brain. After the zillionth time I went to Toy Joy after work (a local, independent, awesome toy store here in Austin) and bought a full-size life-like rubber brain¹. Except that it was too floppy so I stuffed it with nylon rope to give it some body. Then I bought an ice pick and shoved them both in my desk drawer. Next time he came round I pulled them out of the drawer and handed them to him: "Have at it, Pal!"

^{1 Also bought a 20-inch, amazingly lifelike plastic monitor lizard and put her -- where else? -- on my monitor!}

Of course you don't have to be an engineer to hang out here. As you can see from my current avatar, I'm a grape-colored doughnut.

Actually I am a drafter by training, currently providing installation support for Autodesk student products (AutoCAD, Inventor, 3DS Max, etc.) My avatar is a 3D model I created in Inventor to illustrate something in the Tangent Circles Challenge Question thread.

I will change my avatar from time to time. Usually I draw something to keep up my skills and use it. Recently, I've been using images I've drawn some time ago and they've been just sitting in the My Pictures folder not doing much.

I'm also a ham radio operator and a storm spotter (chaser wannabe and research meteorologist wannabe), so I might comment some on those areas where I can.

If you want to get into engineering in a quick manner, look into getting a ham radio license. You don't pay anything for the license in the US, just for the test and any study materials you use to prepare for the test. You have the opportunity to build your own equipment, either from kits or your own designs.

If you live in an area that routinely sees severe weather, storm spotting gives you an opportunity to combine science and public service. Many National Weather Service offices are now conducting their spotter training classes in preparation for the spring severe weather season. Check the website for your local NWS office to look for a schedule.

So, you don't have to be an engineer to hang out here. Being crazy does help.

Doug,

You need to go low-cal on the avatar.

Mike

Keerful thar, podner! Or I'll be a-tuirnin' myself back into an anvil and droppin' meself on ya!

Those donut thingies. What are they? All I know is that my best friend's mom used to sit on one.

Inner tube maybe, great things for floating in a pond, or better yet riding down a ski hill.

Looks like a character from the Sci-Fi movie "Invasion of the Toroids". Aliens invade Earth... Hang around donut shops... and when accidentally eaten by humans, reproduce their own kind.

Welcome aboard Giorgia

Well, she wouldn't want to sit on me! Anyone tries to sit on me and I'll morph into something uncomfortable. Or I'll go hide somewhere...

I'm glad being crazy helps -- I'm right there.


Thanks for the idea about storm-spotting -- but, being that I live only fifteen miles away from both NOAH and NCAR, I don't think that I'm needed...

nullum magnum ingenium sine mixtura dementiae fuit

Welcome, Giorgia.

Where have you been?

Actually, I was doing some research on the Battle of Midway, and one of my old Latin books fell and broke a toe. So, I've decided to speak only in Latin from now on. It's been a real hit at work! Seeing that my managers only speek greek, I think it's fitting.

As the boss is "non impediti ratione congitatonis", so shall I.

One thing made perfect sense that I still have to learn Greek and Latin to understand what you said after I become almost perfect in English.

Nadeem

Dear Bricktop:

I'm replying to your post because I wonder if you'd translate your phrase into German so that I could understand it, plus, I'm going to burden this reply with a different issue simply because I find myself unable to reply within this thread to another post to which I'd like to reply. Perhaps, seeing that you are a designated "guru," you may be the perfect person to quell my confusion. To wit:

I started this thread. I next posted that I was glad that there were "cat guardians" here. Del the Cat replied with a welcoming post which I've had to fight to find and read because others apparently did not notice the fact that Del was specifically responding to me and was NOT being off-topic.

Why can't I just read the entire thread in chronological order if I want to? Yesterday, when I started out here, I thought I saw a clickable button which allowed me to do that. Today it's gone. I thought I'd start with yesterday's last post (#23) and breeze through reading and replying. How wrong I was.

Go to the top right corner and you will see one button on something that can be called status bar

"Comments - nested"

Click on it and chose chronological

and you will get it.

We prefer this way so that we know who has replied to our barb and that way we can needle further if you understand what we mean. (Also Gremlins love to identify the most interesting targets" as Eu told we too have feelings, we like to be appreciated for all our efforts. And the best appreciation is the sweet sound of sledgemammer on glass or plastics.

Well, no, I can't translate into German. However, the Latin is quite easy to translate to English. Copy and paste to a google search, and the translation will be there for you.

Yes, it can be difficult to follow at first, but you get used to it. This has turned into a very large thread. Quite commendable for your first!

I've made good friends here. People that I have become quite fond of, and care about. I hope your experience will become as wonderful as mine.

Mikerho - you said

"(don't tell anyone else here that one of my pet peeves is bad grammar/spelling/punctuation. If only for your adherence to good English, I am glad you are here!)"

You beat me to it - first thing I noticed about Giorgia's OP was the use of language.

Pleasure to have you aboard, and no, you do not need to be an engineer.

Thanks Prof,

Glad to have you here as well.

"and no, you do not need to be an engineer."

I thought I said that.

Mike

He's repeating yourself. Now he's got you right where you want him.

No, I've got him right where he wants me. (heh, heh!).

Thats redundant again!

Ah, historically repeating repetitiveness, again and again...

Giorgia,

Welcome aboard. You sound pretty normal, and even if you weren't, you likely couldn't hold a candle to some of the kooks who crash this forum without the slightest hesitation.

I can assure you that many of the people posting are not engineers. Well, I certainly hope not! I think many are politician wannabes - they believe you can get something for nothing, as in "over-unity" devices, which is the engineering version of spending your way out of debt.

Anyway, welcome aboard from one bona fide, certified engineer!

Engineer? Who

I always thought the persons who drive Engine are called Drivers then who are Engineers ?

You, Sir, made my day. (LOL)

Regards;

Nadeem

No, not all of us are engineers. A few of us are aliens, a couple of cats, squirrels, einsteins, ID cards, etc.

I am not an engineer. I am a radio/tv technician by training (just a 2 year course) who got into instrumentation and process controls by accident.

I'm not a musician though I like listening to music (different kinds). I just discovered that I could sing though I wouldn't be joining American Idols, that's for sure.

And it's never too late to get hitched...I mean go back to school.

regards,

Vulcan

Don't forget that lovable Gremlin of ours.

And all this time we all thought you are the Science Officer of the USS Enterprise, NCC-1701.

Nah, I was once the navigation officer on the USS Intrepid until I erred on the location of a certain planet. I accidentally parked the ship next to a star.

My punishment? I was to endure the raised eyebrows of the entire Vulcan crew for the rest of the 5 year voyage. I finally had to leave when the horrific...er holographic...doctor complained to the captain that there was an increase in facial muscle fatigue from the crew.

So, they sent me to 21st century Earth to train as a radio/tv technician thinking that they'd never see me again. Then someone discovered that I had an aptitude for instrumentation that was out of this world. So, here I am, working my butt off to save enough money to build me a starship and get back to Vulcan.

That's my story..._{I now retire to my room to meditate on the fairy tale that I just gave.}

regards,

Vulcan

And there are some of us oldies that put in a line or two now and then. Welcome.

Regards JD.

Actually, I believe all are welcome that want to ask good questions, answer what they can and just learn. At least, that is my attitude.

I have read that musicians do well at math, because of the way that their brains are wired. Just a thought.

Welcome!

welcome Giorgia, from another nongeneer also newish, here for learning and laughs.

BET YOU DIDN'T EXPECT THIS KIND OF RESPONSE TO YOUR FIRST POST.

Quote

Sometimes I feel we scare away lot of prospectives. But I don't feel this one is getting easily scared off. Wait till I come actually in the picture...

Who's this "we" you're talking about?

As you may have noticed on-topic messages(default) are expanded while offtopic messages are not, you can always choose to ignore the off-topic messages because they are well off-topic.

BTW- don't feel disheartened by the levity of this thread, some times we enjoy to keep the pressure off.

Post a serious thread and then you will see the real fight (and some times name calling too )

BET YOU DIDN'T EXPECT THIS KIND OF RESPONSE TO YOUR FIRST POST.

You're absolutely correct!

I got so discouraged two days ago with the multiple multitude of off-topic responses, that I almost made the decision to give up and to away.

However, several very, very nice people took the time to send me commiserating PM's, so, with time, I'll probably get around to reading all of these -- maybe a couple of dozen a day...?

Meanwhile, I have a general question: if someone routinely posts "off-topic" and, by so doing, overwhelms a newbie's post, does that person ever have the opportunity to delete the off-topic branchlet and thus un-clutter the thread? Just wondering.

(Given my time constraints, I'll probably find whatever answer you give in a week!)

Please don't take this to heart. It happens sometimes that "we" as a group seem to find a thread that just brings out the inner child we all keep under wraps most of the time. We get comfortable with it and just let our hair down.It is in no way a reflection on you or your question. We are letting you see that we are real people.

As far as removing OT posts, I don't think that we have the ability to remove our own. But perhaps the administrators can.

See we even let Philisophers Play too

Welcome to the biggest bunch of "Four Year Olds" you will ever have the pleaseure to meet.

Have you ever heard of the "Bath Breaking Technique" thread?

As these threads wind in and out of off-topicedness (whoa!), interesting thoughts and ideas erupt and fade that probably wouldn't have been developed into a new thread at all. This just helps to exercise the mind to think/follow in many directions at the same time. Sort of like a soap opera.

When you read a few, mark then read and they will not reappear so you know which ones came to you. You can also resign if you like when you open up the message.

Some one told you welcome to lunatic asylum and that is what he meant. The thread bifurcate and then again and then again and then it goes to unchartered territories.

You have many choices to jump from one to another and you will be welcomed any which thread you go to. All these folks are really nutcases and some are geniuses and I have been educated by these lunatics and got my answers that I was wanted to know but was afraid to ask. They are realy very helpful. One has to be acreful to ask the precise querstiona nd they will give very serious and correct answers. I know that I was there many times and got away with successful and useful suggestions.

Good Luck.

Regards;

Nadeem

Welcome!

Odd thing you mention about classical music and creative problem-solving. I like and enjoy both.

P. S. I'm past my throw-away date

Welcome to CR4.

No, you don't have to be an Engineer. But you do need a thick skin, curiosity, and a good sense of humor. It helps if the last (humor) is warped!

GIORGIA WHERE ARE YOU?

HEY GUYS, ANYBODY ELSE NOTICE SHE HASN'T BEEN BACK IN A WHILE?

sb, did you do this? Go fix her keyboard.

"GIORGIA WHERE ARE YOU?"

Gosh, I hope she didn't eat those green potatoes!

She must have seen one of the posts/blogs created and posted by the more orthodox members of the society who are more of an exception than an rule.

_{Now see has seen what a loonybin this is and boy she must be scared as hell and thanking her stars and parents that she has not been forced into the mechanics.}

Let us all sing "georgia respond or here we come"

easy for me and also nss (but they have the habit of abducting them, so primitive)

I didn't do anything with her computer, I swear, well modem is not part of it is it ? nor the telephone connection, this I am sure.

I stay here for fun, Im an ordinary staff. I know only a little knowdges of engineering.

but I found many questions were very shallow and funny. lots of workers can answer. so stay and try to find where engineers from developped countries are.

staying with workers is also interest.

workers can also solve things that an engineer cannt solve

our chinese society always says worker class is great. but its pity, it was told that there would be no worker class now in china.

Don't believe one word of this innocuous-sounding tripe, Giorgia. Cnpower is an incorrigible subversive and thinks he can hide behind that "here just for the fun" deferential smokescreen. It's a load of crap I tell you!

(psst: that's why we like him! )

Who is Giogia? Did I cheat her/him?

it sounds that I look like a terrible terrorist and even more awful than them? haha,

any one here can warn your america embassy, do bare in mind, dont sign a visa to this cnpower, otherwise, the worst will be in usa, becuase he has a strong megic and can bring about a flood into usa or incridible terrible events...look at this pic. they are more stronger fighter.

Dare any one want to try to fight with this one?

--

of cause,

most of you like me, because I can give you something interest for nothing.

some of them can learn without any charge, but even not leave a GA marking. haha.

now, I declaim, who wnat to lean chinese Gongfu? haha, I can teach them a little. neednt tuition. haha.

this betrayed my true face.haha, but still just for the fun.

this must be to have a music, classic music will be more activated.

A non-engineer! bring out the tar and feathers

Those who seek knowledge are always welcome.

welcome Forum.addNewMember(Giorgia) As Potatofan

Giorgia---Interesting name and , most importantly, you have asked a question that has aroused the interest of some of most wonderful, idiotic minds known to ----well----well---anyone, anywhere--- a most prophetic person once noted that--" the highest purpose in the universe is the creation of an effect"---well, young lady, on this forum , you have certainly done that!! I am a carpenter, shipbuilder, and also dabble in other listless trades, married happily to wonderful school teacher who is an amazing flautist, pianist, and guitarist---people like yourself and my wife , and others on this thread that aspire to "higher frequencies" of aesthetics really help this old world to go around---Please find a comfortable seat in what ever part of this forum is comfortable, put your feet up, and give us a bit of what you know and have observed-- Thank for being here--C-MAC

You'd better stick around and do the same, Mister. Great post!

Thanks, Euporium---I try to get in when I can, then I get sucked into the most amazing forums, but, not being an engineer, per se, on paper, often become a voyeur, looking down from the rafters at the amazing things that people on these forums do and understand---I have to figure it out in the field, with "old Kentucky windage"---that is why there is no hair left on this head, except on the sides...C-MAC

I know how you feel, I shaved the bits off the sides because my wonderful daughter kept pointing out the ones that had turned white, or just simply pulled it out,

Now i look like Curley which is sort of fitting... I wonder who would be considered Larry and Moe?