The Archer Pelican

More on Math | the quotable me

"I am better at 'touchy-feely' than I am in the third decimal place."

-- Me, in conversation with Beardman with regard to significant figures, 16 Oct 1991

Thirteen years later, my business work often involves touchy-feely conversations about round numbers with $-signs in front, and no decimal places.

Dave Z. on Math | quotables

"[When choosing how many significant figures to show in technical report] ...it's more a function of appropriateness and acceptability rather than precision... Accuracy -- on the other hand -- was gone long ago, followed closely by credibility."

former colleague Dave Z., 16 Oct 1991

Dave, aka "Beardman", was the longtime QA/QC officer at my first job. He was one of the finest people I ever knew -- good-hearted, smart, kind, and willing to stand up for what he believed in. When he died of a cardiac infection in his mid-40s, I published a collection of his quotes, which we distributed at his memorial service. It was a fine day for crying, especially among professional colleagues who aren't used to sharing their deeper feelings in the workplace.

Note: "Significant figures" relates to the precision with which numbers are reported. For example, if you wanted to give the average age of a bunch of kids at a party, you'd probably use a number like "8" or "a little older than 8" rather than saying "8.1789" if that was the number you got out of your calculator. There are plenty of rules on how many sig figs you should use in reporting a number, depending on the precision of the numbers that went into your calculation. Non-engineers (like English majors) have an intuitive sense of how many sig figs are appropriate. New engineers often forget that sig figs are important. Senior engineers have a good sense for sig figs. Really senior engineers who have transferred to "management" only look at sig figs if they have dollar signs in front of them.

It Happened So Long Ago...

...I had forgotten the anniversary for reminiscing.

Fifteen years and ten days ago I started my first post-college job as an environmental engineer at the Alliance Technologies Corporation, whose name had been created by a shipping clerk in a "name our new company" contest after the division had been sold from the Geophycial Company of America.

Things I remember from my first week there:

Day 1. I filled out a lot of paperwork, and went to buy work boots. My boss pointed at my necktie and said, "we'll see how long that lasts."

Day 2. I went to a Durham electro-plating company owned by a man named J.R. Outlaw. The lead electroplater had all sorts of scars from acid wounds, etc., and probably had a hundred opportunities per day to sue his employer. But he didn't worry about his health too much. He said, "Sometimes with overtime, I make $1600 in one week, but I spend it all on cocaine, and there ain't never none left in my pocket."

Day 3. Back at the electro-plating facility, the coke-head wanted to know if I would pimp out the young woman who was working with me on an engineering internship. He also introduced me to his two colleagues, one of whom "done a bunch of jail time and got it up the ass ("Didn'tcha, Pete?")".

Day 4. Figured out that the office manager was never going to get me a phone unless I put up a stink.

Day 5. Found out that I was working with a bunch of boozers who would send me to buy beer every Friday at 4 p.m.

That was a fun job. For a while, anyway. I stayed for five years in which I put on more than 20 pounds. I think it had something to do with the boozers.

Tell me about your first week of work?

Anonymous on An Evening | quotables

"Grace, last night I got drunk and ate a whole box of bon bons. And watched re-runs of Who's the Boss. Then I sent drunken IMs to Friendster people."

-- Anonymous pal, 22 July 2004

Patience is Not My Virtue

Patience (or maybe Fortitude) from the New York Public Library

In the last few weeks I have discovered:

1. An $18 fix was all it took to restore my Honda's AC which had been absent for the last year and a half.

2. $30 of labor and $15 in "rain diverter" metal flashing was all it took for our neighborhood fixit guy to end fifteen years of rain-curtain dousings that have drowned me (and created all sorts of moldy mess) on my front porch.

3. Letting $500 sit in my pocket for a day instead of going into my bank account cost my $35 in overdraft fees when I forgot about an automatic draft I had scheduled for yesterday.

At some point, I need to remember that patience starts with a "P" and if it starts with "P" for enough days in a row, that's Procrastination.

Reggie the Moving Man | quotables

"I've got a lot of experience moving furniture, and I'm very selective about who I work with.  I know how to pick things up and carry them in the way that makes most sense.  I don't want to work with someone who gets a smart new idea how to do things when we're halfway up the stairs."

-- Reggie B., who helped me move a new china cabinet and dining room table yesterday afternoon.  Reggie is currently living at the Urban Ministries of Durham shelter and is available for good labor work just about any time.  And he's good company for long rides (like Durham to Cary and back).  Call me if you want his phone number. 

Nope, Not This One

This is not my beautiful car. But Scion has impressed me.

The Scion xB (above, unfortunately without a human nearby for size comparison) caught my eye in Consumer Reports: a small wagon with lots of room and a low price. But the engine is diddly and I was uncomfortable with the high dash. So I tried the Scion xA a reasonably attractive and very practical car for dirt cheap. But the engine was hard-pressed to accelerate up the modest 15-501 up-ramp (eastbound toward the pickle), so I said "nah".

But the Scion tC coupe? An entirely different story. One hundred fifty-nine hp at 5,700 rpm and geared for speed, that sucker would GO. Halfway through our test-drive, Ian the Scion sales manager pointed at an upcoming left-hand turn and said, "rip it through that curve." Damn that was fun. Ian pointed out that the tC was also loaded with standard features including ABS, big moonroof, big stereo, alloy wheels, etc., all for ~$16,500. An incredible value. And yet... somehow not for me.

So, bummer. I won't get to do business with the cool Scion guy. Cool because he didn't pressure the sale. Very cool because he didn't bother asking for a driver's license and didn't drive the car off the lot before letting me take the wheel ("for insurance purposes," said the guy at Crown Honda, who had all those hoops to jump). Really frickin' cool because he said "rip it" through the Cornwallis and Ridge Rd. intersection. I like this guy.

Why I Go To Ingold Tire | Durham

I use Ingold Tire for nearly all my basic car stuff: tires, inspections, clutch repair, distributor, etc.  Their owner and staff have consistently worked to give me the cheapest solution that will fix what ails my vehicle.  I also love how they always call me as soon as the work is done, and how they always finish the work earlier than the promised time. Today while I was waiting for the men's room to get unoccupied, I listened in on the conversation between Bill (Rod Ingold's 60-something manager), Charlie (one of the 60-something repair guys), and Rod.  Charlie was asking Bill if he could borrow some of Bill's carpentry tools.

Bill:  Will you promise you get 'em back to me in exactly the same shape you got 'em in:  undamaged, back in their boxes, and clean?
Charlie: Editor's note: this story is a touch off-color (kind of like my transmission fluid when I go too long between changes.  But if you email me, I'll send it to you!

Deputy Dawg

K-9 unit? WTF?!

Yesterday I was visiting a friend at NC A&T and that's where I saw this car. They must do things differently over in the Triad. Does anyone know if any Triangle university has a K-9 unit?

Old Guy Humor

Old guys who work together have a funny way of getting along.  This, from a recent conversation in the waiting room of an otherwise reputable auto shop that employs Messrs. Tom, Dick, and Harry:

Tom [to Dick]: Can I borrow some of your engine repair tools?

Dick: Will you promise you get 'em back to me in exactly the same shape you got 'em in: undamaged, back in their boxes, and clean?

Tom: No problem. That's just like I do with my condoms.

Harry: You roll them back up and everything?

Tom: Yep.

Me: God, this is what I get for eavesdropping while waiting for the men's room.

Harry: You sure you still want to go in there?

Me: Yes, but I'm gonna think twice before using that toilet paper. It may look clean, but...

Harry: It is all rolled up.

Careers at Carmax

Image stolen off the lot at Carmax.com

Today I visited the Raleigh Carmax, and they sure have a lot of cars there. Not to mention a childcare playroom.

The dealer I went to visit is a former client of mine who works part-time at Carmax while also working full-time as an EPA manager. Edgar (a nom de vroom, if you please) told me that engineers seem to have a thing for selling cars. Three of his colleagues are EPA engineers, and there are salesmen who work full-time at Nortel and SAS. According to Edgar, most of these folks earn $50 or $60k per year, working evenings and weekends. Dayum. That's some cheese.

Returning home, I drove out behind a Carmax car transporter which ground the rear right corner of its trailer (which was carrying eight or nine cars) while turning onto Glenwood Ave. from the downhill Carmax driveway. Kind of scary/cool to watch. Though not nearly as funny as the time I saw an eighteen-wheeler straddle-stuck while attempting to enter Wade Avenue from the Jaycee Park parking lot. Ha ha ha!!!! (It was funny right up until I did something similar with my Honda on a curb-stop in a restaurant parking lot. Dammit.)

Tom and His Mom | quotables

Yesterday I went to a family forum at the Chapel Hill assisted living facility where my friend Hal has just moved.

As the director began his report, one of the residents gave her son a poke:

Mom: Tom, can you understand him?
Tom: Yes. Do you want me to move you closer so you can hear him?
Mom: No. I can hear him. I just can't understand him.

At any rate... the director has generally received high praise, so I didn't fear that the woman's comment was a severe indictment. But in other news, the director is moving to New York, and the assisted living facility has begun a new director search. If you happen to know someone excellent, please email me and I'll give you the contact information.

Randy on Ripley | quotables

"Maybe there's a reason we hadn't heard about this movie."

-- Randy R., fifteen minutes into Ripley's Game, the poorly-
written and Malkovich-starring sequel to The Talented Mr. Ripley which,
for the record, I also failed to enjoy.

Candy

Yesterday I bought a nice box of candy for the nurses at the Duke psychiatric ward where my friend Hal is staying.

On my way to deliver the candy, I realized that I was carrying a box labeled "Hershey's Deluxe Nut Assortment." Fortunately, the nurses have a sense of humor.

Healing Arts at Duke

Duke Hospital North Lobby -- from 2nd floor walkway (view slightly obstructed).

This woman was playing Amazing Grace yesterday afternoon on a piano placed by the Health Arts Network at Duke.

A sign on top of the piano invites anyone to play on this Kawai lent by the Steinway Music Company Loan to Hospitals Program. In a sign atop the piano, the performing arts coordinator, Joy Javits, writes:

"A note to all piano players:

Please enjoy this wonderful piano...

We ask only that the music you play for the people listening. They are families of patients and the care giving staff who might be resting. They are patients coming and being discharged and waiting for their tests to come back or visiting a doctor. Soothing and beautiful music is most appreciated..."

There's a log for pianists to sign in as they wish. Pianists and listeners have also written in a little comment book:

"Enjoyed the soothing sounds of the ivories.... It's just what we need as we are waiting for good news about our wonderful young son who is having a throat procedure today."

"Julie Chen, what a beautiful light touch you have on those runs! It was a wonderful way to relax a bit at a tense time in our lives."

Some of the hospital staff have also dropped by to play on breaks from their 12-hour shifts.

It's great to have this piano that lets people communicate and be in community with each other -- especially in a place that's so serious, and so full of strangers. I think I might play some this week... at night, when here aren't too many people, and those who are there might be willing to sing.

Hygiene Hal | quotables

Back in April, I wrote about my friend Hal who had been committed to the psych ward at UNC.

Since then, he's had his ups and downs, but two weeks ago while I was visiting him, he had a series of dizzy spells and we ended up sending him to Duke in the back of another ambulance. After they took care of his dizziness and a few other ailments, he checked into the Duke psych ward where they slowly started convincing him that he needed to move out of his house and into an assisted living facility. A few days before they ready to release him from the psych ward, he started experiencing extreme pain and got shipped to Duke North for gall bladder surgery. Man, his life is fun.

And yet, he still has his sense of humor, as do the nurses. Here is a dialogue from this morning, just before they took him to pre-op.

Hal: Would it be permissible for me to brush my teeth?
Nurse: Actually, we'd really appreciate it if you did.
Hal: Ha.
Nurse: Snarf.
Hal: When do the angels of doom come to take me away?
Nurse: You mean the orderlies to take you to pre-op?
Hal: Yes, the harpies.
Nurse: 7 a.m.
Hal: Damn.

The gall bladder part of the surgery went well, but other complications have been causing much pain, and he's doped up to all hell right now. Fortunately, his medical care seems both competent and caring (for the most part), and I am grateful. So is Hal.

City Beverage | brief review

City Beverage is a new restaurant/bar/coffeeshop in in the new red building at the bottom of Hope Valley Rd. across from Woodcroft Shopping Center.

Today I had lunch there with a client. The decor was fun. The menu was decent. The food was OK. They have free wi-fi. Next time, I'll go for drinks, which will probably be more fun.

Peter Parker on Food | quotables

"Pizza time!"

Peter Parker, in Spider-Man 2, The Amazing Spider-Man

Excellent visuals and action.
Crappy lines for Kirsten Dunst.
Ben & Jerry's can be snuck into a theatre.

The Folks of July

Mom and Pop, 4 July 2004, Hillsborough NC

Hillsborough was laid out in 1754, two years after the founding of Orange County. In 1778, Hillborough hosted the North Carolina constitutional convention. Since then, other things have happened. Not all so sharp, like the chairman of the Orange County Board of Education getting busted for plagiarizing a Donna Shalala speech for his own graduation address. Speaking of which, I should mention that my historical data was plucked from the City of Hillsborough website.

Five Oaks Townhome update: new FSBO

UPDATE: This FSBO (originally only through 5 July) is now on hold. But keep reading!

Another FSBO unit is available for ~$130k. I'll be happy to show you that one, instead. Details below:

Five Oaks Townhome – FSBO ~$130k (pending appraisal)

2 bedroom, 2-1/2 bath
Large kitchen with much counterspace and cabinetry.
LR, DR, and 1st floor office (or extra bedroom).
Two big decks,
1,500+ sf.
end unit
wooded setting
at 4100 Five Oaks Drive, off Old ChapelHill/Durham Rd.

Excellent shape, both structurally and cosmetically, except for the funky wallpaper in one bathroom.

Please contact me by telephone (919/491-4530) any time if you’d like to see the place.

Just Call Me Calvin

image yoinked from ucomics.com where you can read
many other fun comics, including my fave In the Bleachers

The two women at Great Clips who always gave me a decent haircut for cheap have moved away. Tonight I got a new guy whose listening skills are apparently "interpretive."

I'd show you a pic of the new hair, but the Calvin and Hobbes cartoon is more clearly illustrative, and it allows me to mention an interesting feature that I just discovered in Photoshop Elements 2.0. Apparently, when you click "create new image", Elements checks whether you have an image file in the clipboard; and if you do, Elements automatically creates a blank canvas that's exactly the same size. Way cool.

Daryl Hall on Stage | quotables / reviews

"In case you don't know, we're recording tonight."

"How come you didn't like me when I was a teenager?"

Daryl Hall, during the ~1977 recording of Livetime.

Christa went to this evening's performance of Hall & Oates (along with Michael MacDonald and Average White Band) at the Alltel Pavilion.

I missed it. But what I'm glad I didn't miss was my 1984 "rediscovery" of the Livetime album, which I'd had since ~'77 but didn't appreciate until I got a music-snob roommate my senior year in high school, and I dug it out to see if I could make a contribution to our record collection.

According to Hall & Oates lore, the two met in a freight elevator while fleeing a gang fight at a Philadelphia battle of the bands competition. In the thirty-plus years that have followed, H&O's musical path has been as varied as Spinal Tap's. I've loved their folk stuff (Past Times Behind), their bubble folk ("When The Morning Comes" [click for a sample which includes what sounds like a synthesized harmonica]) their dance pop (Big Bam Boom), and even some of their attempts at a revival ("Missed Opportunities" and "Everything Your Heart Desires" but not "Starting All Over Again"). But what I really like was their mid- and late-70s soul/pop like "Do What You Want. Be Who You Are." [click for a sample with lots of bass]

For some of the best examples of this era, their best album by far is Livetime. Side A kicks off with a short, tight "Rich Girl", which gets an opening scream from the audience when Daryl Hall informs the crowd "In case you don't know, we're recording tonight." John Oates follows with the lead on "The Emptyness" and the incredible "I'm Just a Kid (Don't Make Me Feel Like a Man)" It's been a long time since male artists sang songs about fearing how they'll fall short of a woman's expectations ("Ain't Even Done with the Night", anyone?), much less a song that includes parentheses in the title. But "I'm Just a Kid...", with its acoustic guitar, Daryl Hall singing harmony, and a really awesome bridge deserves a place in the soul/pop crossover pantheon.

Side B starts with an 8 minute recording of "Sara Smile" which ends with Daryl Hall asking the shrieking crowd of girl/womanhood, "How come you never liked me when I was a teenager?"

When I was a teenager, I spent hundreds of hours in my high school and college darkrooms, listening to Hall & Oates on my boom box. Now that I think of it, the music time was nearly sufficient reason for picking photography as a hobby.

While looking for an album cover to illustrate this blog, I found the FYE Site with Samples from Livetime. Hell yeah! Please listen. And if, after listening, you think I'm just a sentimental schmuck stuck on music that's older than some of the readers of this blog -- so be it, man. So be it.

It ain't a sign of weakness... to give yourself away. Because the strong give up and move on; while the weak, the weak give up and stay.