Author Topic: Overheard at Work: The Anti-Antimustachian Edition  (Read 981372 times)

jinga nation

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Re: Overheard at Work: The Anti-Antimustachian Edition
« Reply #1650 on: November 13, 2023, 05:08:20 PM »
My wife says real engineers are 24/7. We can't turn it off. I know several others in that category.
If you wake up in the morning and think about engineering, then you are an engineer.
If you wake up in the middle of the night to think about engineering, then you are a REAL engineer.  ;-)  [Not me, my FIL.]

If you use the Collatz conjecture to put yourself to sleep at night, you win all the engineering on the Internet.

Nah, that's math geniuses/genii/genies.

I have frequent dreams of breaking shit, and then fixing shit. It's some random shit that isn't related to my job, but sometimes related to something I'm fixing at home or in my rentals.

I saw a military member driving a '93 Accord Coupe around work. One day, I happened to park next to him and checked out his ride. It was all stock. He asked me if I was looking for anything or needed help.
I told him I used to have a '92 Accord sedan, so seeing a rare stock car, with original paint, was very pleasing and nostalgic. I asked him how much work he did to keep it looking good and running great. He said that he got it a few years back from an old couple's estate, it was their garage queen.
He parks it in a garage every night, and works on it on weekends, replacing door seals and any rubber going bad. Otherwise the car runs great, just needs the usual preventive maintenance. It was under 100,000 miles. The young man said he didn't want to buy new cars and have payments. Plus he has a few rentals in other states where he's been deployed. And he reads JLCollinsNH and the FI subreddit. His plan is to retire fully after his 20 in service and live on rental and investment income.
A man with a plan.

LennStar

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Re: Overheard at Work: The Anti-Antimustachian Edition
« Reply #1651 on: November 13, 2023, 11:51:37 PM »
My wife says real engineers are 24/7. We can't turn it off. I know several others in that category.
If you wake up in the morning and think about engineering, then you are an engineer.
If you wake up in the middle of the night to think about engineering, then you are a REAL engineer.  ;-)  [Not me, my FIL.]

If you use the Collatz conjecture to put yourself to sleep at night, you win all the engineering on the Internet.
Does it count if my computer runs the BOINC project while I sleep?

Askel

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Re: Overheard at Work: The Anti-Antimustachian Edition
« Reply #1652 on: November 14, 2023, 07:15:04 AM »

Kris

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Re: Overheard at Work: The Anti-Antimustachian Edition
« Reply #1653 on: November 14, 2023, 08:38:25 AM »
My wife says real engineers are 24/7. We can't turn it off. I know several others in that category.

This is true of my husband as well. It can honestly be pretty irritating, lol.

Sibley

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Re: Overheard at Work: The Anti-Antimustachian Edition
« Reply #1654 on: November 14, 2023, 08:40:48 AM »
My wife says real engineers are 24/7. We can't turn it off. I know several others in that category.

This is true of my husband as well. It can honestly be pretty irritating, lol.

Not just engineering. And yes, I know I'm annoying to deal with at times, but there are very good reasons why I'm an auditor.

TheGrimSqueaker

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Re: Overheard at Work: The Anti-Antimustachian Edition
« Reply #1655 on: November 14, 2023, 01:10:42 PM »
My wife says real engineers are 24/7. We can't turn it off. I know several others in that category.
If you wake up in the morning and think about engineering, then you are an engineer.
If you wake up in the middle of the night to think about engineering, then you are a REAL engineer.  ;-)  [Not me, my FIL.]

If you use the Collatz conjecture to put yourself to sleep at night, you win all the engineering on the Internet.

Nah, that's math geniuses/genii/genies.

For an actual mathematician, I'm pretty sure it keeps them up at night rather than the opposite. To an engineer, it's an instant soporific because there's nothing to build, take apart, or blow up.

GreenToTheCore

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Re: Overheard at Work: The Anti-Antimustachian Edition
« Reply #1656 on: November 16, 2023, 10:24:42 PM »
My wife says real engineers are 24/7. We can't turn it off. I know several others in that category.
If you wake up in the morning and think about engineering, then you are an engineer.
If you wake up in the middle of the night to think about engineering, then you are a REAL engineer.  ;-)  [Not me, my FIL.]

If you use the Collatz conjecture to put yourself to sleep at night, you win all the engineering on the Internet.

Nah, that's math geniuses/genii/genies.

For an actual mathematician, I'm pretty sure it keeps them up at night rather than the opposite. To an engineer, it's an instant soporific because there's nothing to build, take apart, or blow up.

And this is why y'all are my people, you get me. I've always felt like I don't quiiite fit completely with my engineering crowd.
First degree Mathematics, second Mechanical Eng.

jinga nation

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Re: Overheard at Work: The Anti-Antimustachian Edition
« Reply #1657 on: December 06, 2023, 09:41:11 AM »
Witnessed four uniformed Sergeants telling another one not to buy a new EV SUV, financed, when he has a reliable Japanese SUV that's paid off and less than 5 years old. The senior-most gave me a look, I just smiled and nodded in approval. He smiled back then rolled his eyes and shook his head.

I'm proud they're looking out for each other. They're a really good hardworking tech crew who're constantly talking about reducing lunch spend, money saving tips, maximizing TSP contributions, and debt payoff and and investing strategies.

ChpBstrd

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Re: Overheard at Work: The Anti-Antimustachian Edition
« Reply #1658 on: December 06, 2023, 10:10:02 AM »
Witnessed four uniformed Sergeants telling another one not to buy a new EV SUV, financed, when he has a reliable Japanese SUV that's paid off and less than 5 years old. The senior-most gave me a look, I just smiled and nodded in approval. He smiled back then rolled his eyes and shook his head.

I'm proud they're looking out for each other. They're a really good hardworking tech crew who're constantly talking about reducing lunch spend, money saving tips, maximizing TSP contributions, and debt payoff and and investing strategies.
Spendy coworkers could get you killed in the military. Financial distress is one of the key factors the DOJ has identified as leading people to spy against their own country.

SwordGuy

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Re: Overheard at Work: The Anti-Antimustachian Edition
« Reply #1659 on: December 06, 2023, 10:51:06 AM »
Witnessed four uniformed Sergeants telling another one not to buy a new EV SUV, financed, when he has a reliable Japanese SUV that's paid off and less than 5 years old. The senior-most gave me a look, I just smiled and nodded in approval. He smiled back then rolled his eyes and shook his head.

I'm proud they're looking out for each other. They're a really good hardworking tech crew who're constantly talking about reducing lunch spend, money saving tips, maximizing TSP contributions, and debt payoff and and investing strategies.
Spendy coworkers could get you killed in the military. Financial distress is one of the key factors the DOJ has identified as leading people to spy against their own country.
Absolutely true!   

jinga nation

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Re: Overheard at Work: The Anti-Antimustachian Edition
« Reply #1660 on: December 06, 2023, 06:11:02 PM »
Witnessed four uniformed Sergeants telling another one not to buy a new EV SUV, financed, when he has a reliable Japanese SUV that's paid off and less than 5 years old. The senior-most gave me a look, I just smiled and nodded in approval. He smiled back then rolled his eyes and shook his head.

I'm proud they're looking out for each other. They're a really good hardworking tech crew who're constantly talking about reducing lunch spend, money saving tips, maximizing TSP contributions, and debt payoff and and investing strategies.
Spendy coworkers could get you killed in the military. Financial distress is one of the key factors the DOJ has identified as leading people to spy against their own country.
Absolutely true!
Yup! One of the key indicators. I think you meant DoD, not DoJ.

Fomerly known as something

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Re: Overheard at Work: The Anti-Antimustachian Edition
« Reply #1661 on: December 06, 2023, 10:25:44 PM »
Witnessed four uniformed Sergeants telling another one not to buy a new EV SUV, financed, when he has a reliable Japanese SUV that's paid off and less than 5 years old. The senior-most gave me a look, I just smiled and nodded in approval. He smiled back then rolled his eyes and shook his head.

I'm proud they're looking out for each other. They're a really good hardworking tech crew who're constantly talking about reducing lunch spend, money saving tips, maximizing TSP contributions, and debt payoff and and investing strategies.
Spendy coworkers could get you killed in the military. Financial distress is one of the key factors the DOJ has identified as leading people to spy against their own country.
Absolutely true!
Yup! One of the key indicators. I think you meant DoD, not DoJ.

DOJ, DoD is not the boy department which deals with spooky stuff.

Alfred J Quack

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Re: Overheard at Work: The Anti-Antimustachian Edition
« Reply #1662 on: December 07, 2023, 01:05:18 PM »
I have reminded two friends over the years that they can be engineers while at home. One was acting clueless about how their HVAC system worked. The other was struggling with a car troubleshooting situation. These were both quite sharp mechanical engineers,  but seemed like they turned it off at home. Shrug

Some people are good X engineers. Some people are engineers to the very core. MIL has stories of DH doing engineering things at four, including drafting the designs for his Lego builds.

I have been called an honorary engineer and I can generally keep up with him on personal projects, but when it comes to what he does professionally, every one of his managers and most of his colleagues that I have met have used superlatives.

My son is designing things in Minecraft like an auto-sorter. I can see which direction he's going at :D

On topic, I have a co-worker that was a team lead at one of his previous jobs. The IT department which he was the lead of was likely going to be outsourced and my colleague had a talk with the CEO and asked them to give him a severance proposal because he wasn't going to do that job since he didn't believe in the validity of the decision.
Now he's 90k richer, working at my employer and we're very happy with his professional baggage and work ethics.

By the River

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Re: Overheard at Work: The Anti-Antimustachian Edition
« Reply #1663 on: January 11, 2024, 09:13:45 AM »
Occasionally, I talk to a coworker in another department.  She has been here part-time (3 ten hour days per week) for probably 5-6 years.  Back during benefit enrollment in November, I asked if she was taking one of our new options and she replied that she used her husband's insurance because she wasn't eligible for anything as a part-timer.  I mentioned that she needed to check on that as 30 hours/week is enough for our company. 

She checked with HR and started a 401K deduction and now gets the company match plus took one of our other benefits that was lower priced.  Yesterday, she came into my office asking about investments and savings. I sent her some information from the money guy show and the link to rich, broke or dead plus a couple of other sites.   

I hate that she missed out on a few years of company match due to not understanding levels of part-time work.   

NorthernIkigai

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Re: Overheard at Work: The Anti-Antimustachian Edition
« Reply #1664 on: January 11, 2024, 11:10:41 AM »
My glass must be half full today, because I love the fact that you helped her, and that she took your advice and seems to be grabbing it by both horns!

farmecologist

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Re: Overheard at Work: The Anti-Antimustachian Edition
« Reply #1665 on: January 11, 2024, 02:43:35 PM »
My wife says real engineers are 24/7. We can't turn it off. I know several others in that category.

This is true of my husband as well. It can honestly be pretty irritating, lol.

I must not be a "real engineer" then...haha.   I have absolutely no problem turning it off.   Maybe because I'm pretty jaded after a long career in a megacorp!




kina

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Re: Overheard at Work: The Anti-Antimustachian Edition
« Reply #1666 on: January 14, 2024, 01:26:37 PM »
It is vastly entertaining at family gatherings (highly peppered with engineers) to mention that 'x' is not working properly (like a recliner not un-reclining) and watch all the engineers gather around 'x' to fix it.

ChpBstrd

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Re: Overheard at Work: The Anti-Antimustachian Edition
« Reply #1667 on: January 14, 2024, 04:51:36 PM »
It is vastly entertaining at family gatherings (highly peppered with engineers) to mention that 'x' is not working properly (like a recliner not un-reclining) and watch all the engineers gather around 'x' to fix it.
Then the mechanic slips in to fix it while they start drawing.

RetiredAt63

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Re: Overheard at Work: The Anti-Antimustachian Edition
« Reply #1668 on: January 14, 2024, 05:40:54 PM »
It is vastly entertaining at family gatherings (highly peppered with engineers) to mention that 'x' is not working properly (like a recliner not un-reclining) and watch all the engineers gather around 'x' to fix it.
Then the mechanic slips in to fix it while they start drawing.

Or the person with the analytical mind.  I fixed something once by seeing how something worked, except it didn't.  Tightened one screw and it worked.  The person who used it all the time had no idea of what to do.   ;-)

markbike528CBX

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Re: Overheard at Work: The Anti-Antimustachian Edition
« Reply #1669 on: January 15, 2024, 01:50:28 AM »
It is vastly entertaining at family gatherings (highly peppered with engineers) to mention that 'x' is not working properly (like a recliner not un-reclining) and watch all the engineers gather around 'x' to fix it.
Then the mechanic slips in to fix it while they start drawing.

Or the person with the analytical mind.  I fixed something once by seeing how something worked, except it didn't.  Tightened one screw and it worked.  The person who used it all the time had no idea of what to do.   ;-)
Friends of one of my housemates were working on a car that wouldn’t start.
The had the steering wheel column covers off, as the key wouldn’t turn the ON switch.
I asked if they had tried WD-40.  Got quizzical and dismissive looks, as these were engineering students who had been struggling with their car for over an hour.
WD-40 straw in the key slot, one good squirt and told them to try that.
Got quizzical and dismissive looks, as these were engineering students who had been struggling with their car for over an hour.
Key in, turn and instant startup.
“Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic”. — Clarke
edit after verifying Clarke quote
« Last Edit: January 15, 2024, 01:54:18 AM by markbike528CBX »

Alfred J Quack

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Re: Overheard at Work: The Anti-Antimustachian Edition
« Reply #1670 on: February 24, 2024, 07:58:06 AM »
It is vastly entertaining at family gatherings (highly peppered with engineers) to mention that 'x' is not working properly (like a recliner not un-reclining) and watch all the engineers gather around 'x' to fix it.
Then the mechanic slips in to fix it while they start drawing.
Sounds like a "how many engineers does it take to..." in there somewhere.

Dicey

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Re: Overheard at Work: The Anti-Antimustachian Edition
« Reply #1671 on: February 24, 2024, 09:48:11 AM »
It is vastly entertaining at family gatherings (highly peppered with engineers) to mention that 'x' is not working properly (like a recliner not un-reclining) and watch all the engineers gather around 'x' to fix it.
Then the mechanic slips in to fix it while they start drawing.
Lol, in my husband's business, the saying goes the engineers design it, then the trades figure out a way to make it function.

dragoncar

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Re: Overheard at Work: The Anti-Antimustachian Edition
« Reply #1672 on: March 12, 2024, 10:51:49 PM »
It is vastly entertaining at family gatherings (highly peppered with engineers) to mention that 'x' is not working properly (like a recliner not un-reclining) and watch all the engineers gather around 'x' to fix it.
Then the mechanic slips in to fix it while they start drawing.
Lol, in my husband's business, the saying goes the engineers design it, then the trades figure out a way to make it function.

LOL that's so funny.  I guess they should fire the engineers then as they are useless!  Hey, I'm a business consultant now

Dicey

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Re: Overheard at Work: The Anti-Antimustachian Edition
« Reply #1673 on: March 13, 2024, 12:13:02 AM »
It is vastly entertaining at family gatherings (highly peppered with engineers) to mention that 'x' is not working properly (like a recliner not un-reclining) and watch all the engineers gather around 'x' to fix it.
Then the mechanic slips in to fix it while they start drawing.
Lol, in my husband's business, the saying goes the engineers design it, then the trades figure out a way to make it function.

LOL that's so funny.  I guess they should fire the engineers then as they are useless!  Hey, I'm a business consultant now
Hey, @dragoncar, how are you doing?

dragoncar

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Re: Overheard at Work: The Anti-Antimustachian Edition
« Reply #1674 on: March 13, 2024, 10:22:34 AM »
It is vastly entertaining at family gatherings (highly peppered with engineers) to mention that 'x' is not working properly (like a recliner not un-reclining) and watch all the engineers gather around 'x' to fix it.
Then the mechanic slips in to fix it while they start drawing.
Lol, in my husband's business, the saying goes the engineers design it, then the trades figure out a way to make it function.

LOL that's so funny.  I guess they should fire the engineers then as they are useless!  Hey, I'm a business consultant now
Hey, @dragoncar, how are you doing?

Haha I’m doing well how are you?  I’m never going to make it to 10k posts but maybe we can catch up a bit in various threads.  I’ll see you over in DPOYM