This week was an interesting week. I lost a long time friend and companion, my cat Samantha. She had liver failure, and though we had her in the hospital for a week doing everything we could, her illness was terminal and any further treatments would be painful, and wouldn't change the fact that she was going to die so we put her to sleep. That was really really very hard. She had been my cat for 14 years, and she only really warmed up to me growing up. I miss her.
I've been keeping busy in the lab. We have got a good system now for accomplishing the research and organizing the work so I am very happy about that. I and another graduate student will be writing a feature article for what is basically a trade magazine, but it is important because it is in regards to the industries competitiveness with foreign competitors. We are actually writing two featured articles, one on the performance of the U.S. Foundry industry between the years of 1999-2003 and another focused on foreign competition and purchasing practices. It's funny because this is not really our area of expertise (business, economics, law etc.) we are materials engineers, but the analysis we did on the data collected by the USITC for a report they did on that topic is having a great impact already. I'm very pleased.
Tell me if you think this is as asinine as I think it is. A graduate student (sadly from my department) just finished his PhD and was hired by a local company for the soul purpose of solving this problem they are having with a Chemical vapor deposition processs. He has only been working for a month there, and he told his boss, "I don't know how to fix this problem, we are going to have to contact my professor." .............. What the fuck does he think he is doing? That is not a good way to keep a job, but it is embarassing! Even if he didn't know, he should work his butt off to figure out the problem, and he should never ever say I don't know what to do. If anything he should say "You know what, this is never going to work, we should try this or this." They aren't too self reliant in that lab, it is sad.
Anyways, classes start on Tuesday. I'm not really that excited for it, but in a way I am, because I got a lot done over the summer, and I don't have the immediate pressure of my thesis on my back anymore. Now that I've completed my masters degree, I can start in nice and fresh with that behind me on my PhD. Rest assured, I would cut off my thumbs before telling a company that has hired me and given me a huge salary and benefits, that I can't do what they've hired me to do. Have they no pride?
I've been keeping busy in the lab. We have got a good system now for accomplishing the research and organizing the work so I am very happy about that. I and another graduate student will be writing a feature article for what is basically a trade magazine, but it is important because it is in regards to the industries competitiveness with foreign competitors. We are actually writing two featured articles, one on the performance of the U.S. Foundry industry between the years of 1999-2003 and another focused on foreign competition and purchasing practices. It's funny because this is not really our area of expertise (business, economics, law etc.) we are materials engineers, but the analysis we did on the data collected by the USITC for a report they did on that topic is having a great impact already. I'm very pleased.
Tell me if you think this is as asinine as I think it is. A graduate student (sadly from my department) just finished his PhD and was hired by a local company for the soul purpose of solving this problem they are having with a Chemical vapor deposition processs. He has only been working for a month there, and he told his boss, "I don't know how to fix this problem, we are going to have to contact my professor." .............. What the fuck does he think he is doing? That is not a good way to keep a job, but it is embarassing! Even if he didn't know, he should work his butt off to figure out the problem, and he should never ever say I don't know what to do. If anything he should say "You know what, this is never going to work, we should try this or this." They aren't too self reliant in that lab, it is sad.
Anyways, classes start on Tuesday. I'm not really that excited for it, but in a way I am, because I got a lot done over the summer, and I don't have the immediate pressure of my thesis on my back anymore. Now that I've completed my masters degree, I can start in nice and fresh with that behind me on my PhD. Rest assured, I would cut off my thumbs before telling a company that has hired me and given me a huge salary and benefits, that I can't do what they've hired me to do. Have they no pride?
She said:
Just to squash anything now, in light of current events, I'm not going anywhere. I just want the group to be as useful as possible.