Ben,

No worries at all...you didn't send the wrong message...I was just reassuruing you...my work's firewall does the SAME thing!

It was pretty cool to watch that bear's face totally unaware of the hunter in the stand until the dude opened his mouth!

Actually that doesn't surprise me...Most airlines will say the cost to track these things would require another "surcharge" or something!

Looks like we may be getting some winter weather tonight/tomorrow...let's see how that affects my flights tomorrow!

 

What do you do for your job that requires so much travel?

 

I'm an engineering manager and for the past many years I have been working assignments where I lead a team of internal folks working with one of our suppliers. I tend to be assigned to "troubled" or "challenging" suppliers!

Anyway my company makes weather sensors for NASA satellites. When you watch the weather channel and see "satellite" data...especially of the hurricanes...you can be certain that the images are coming from sensors we have provided to NASA.

We are currently in the development phases of the next generation of weather sensor for NASA and I've been "encouraging" our suppliers to hold cost and schedule while meeting our technical requirements.

The current massive travel this year out to LA has been for a key component (very challenging technically and very leading edge stuff) in our new sensor and it is a very high profile and high $$$ procurement for us and NASA is very watchful thus my on-site presence at my supplier.

Although some of the other miles racked up this year were to Korea (twice) and Southern France...we sold our older generation sensor to the Government of Korea thru a French company and the trip to Korea was to support on-site satellite level testing and the trip to France was to do a pre-launch optical cleaning and then the final trip to Korea was to support the post-launch satellite level check out testing. I am likely going to be headed back to Korea next year as we are working with their Government folks (NASA equivalent) on the possibility of them procuring one of the next generation sensors to replace the one they just launched when its life is up.

In the space business...things are measured in a roughly 5 year cycle from the time a customer places an order for one of these sensors to the time we deliver it to them and then they have to do satellite level testing before the launch campaign which also takes time...

So...in a nutshell...I'm the guy that the weathermen can blame when they mess up interpreting the data for weather forecasting! ... I mean we give them the best possible technical data to forecast the weather from and the constantly screw it up!!!

Some of the other products you are probably familiar with from my company is when you go out to Google Maps and do a satellite view of your house or campground...my company makes those HUGE space based telescopes. We are currently developing the James Webb Space Telescope which is the Hubble replacement! We also have been shipping payloads for the GPS constallation for 20+ years to the Air Force and we also have been producing the top military night vision goggles for years...just to name a few of the most visible ones that you are familiar with...although my weather sensors primarily focus on the infrared spectrum...sorry bad joke...

Sorry for the long winded answer...I hope that helps Steve!

Let me know if you have any questions.

Joe.

 

So what do you do????? .....LOL J/K

 

a very early, good morning all!!! even too early for my daily french vanilla......


That's a very interesting carreer Joe!! What is the name of your company, or would you have to kill us if you tell?LOL Sure appreciate that info......I think I'll have my 11 year old twins read that carreer profile. I've been trying to get them geared towards realizing how many options are out there to make a living...............and now, back to what I used to think was a very interesting carreer of working on boilers and chillers................

 

Hey good morning everyone...not quite as early as nebo...but then I've been wrestling with a turkey for a bit to get it ready for the oven!

Even though I can't partake today it is my father in laws side of the family Christmas today...but I still have to cook the bird!

I'll get it cooked and carved before I head to the airport.

A tad icy up this way this morning...no snow yet but I think a little bit is coming...we'll see how good those guys use the sensor we send them to forecast!

As far as the company I work for I'd rather not say on open forum...not that it is secret...it is just that there are security risks in my business...when we finally meet and we're B.S'ing around the campfire...no problem!

If your kids are looking for options in school...I've got a bachelors of science in electrical engineering and a masters of science in computer science...prior to my "management" activities I've been doing for the past 16 years they actually allowed me to design circuit cards and write windows based software...I really enjoyed the design end of things and many of the engineers and PhD's I lead today forget I am a technical guy and not just some program manager so they find it hard to pull the wool over my eyes!!! There are still a lot of career options out there and mine like all of yours have provided for our families...there really is no wrong choice as long as folks are willing to work hard and give their all...I do notice that a lot of the younger folks we have been recruiting are more into the "what's in it for me" mindset than those of us that are more "experienced" in life (notice I avoided the "OLD" word!)

So...I took the technical path in life...there are times I wish perhaps I had taken a medical path...but that has its own set of issues too...I have no regrets...I totally enjoy what I am doing and enjoy waking up to go to work...it is challenging sure most of the times dealing with schedules and budgets and new technology that isn't behaving as expected or promised by our suppliers...BUT as an engineer...I enjoy the challenge and my personality is geared towards interacting with people and assisiting with working thru the technical, cost and schedule challenges. Plus I am a trained Value Based Six Sigma Black Belt...which basically means I have learned a bunch of tools to assist with "problem solving" utilizing a particular methodology..."Black Belts" are an industy excepted and recognized skill set and I enjoy facilitating problem solving as well!

Hey...it is way too early for all this...sorry to bore everyone...

ENJOY this FINE Sunday!

Joe.

 

Really cool Joe!!! I'm familiar with the Six Sigma Black Belts. We have a program like that at my employer. I work in Columbus, care to guess who I work for?....and not a security risk here, that I know of.

Enjoy the day with family Joe. Wish everyone you meet today a Merry Christmas.

Merry Christmas!

 

.........................

 

Good morning Indiana.

 

Good morning Indiana!

 

afternoon fellas

 

Afternoon Wag, nice Big Red!

 

Thanks Steve!! Not big compared to most around here, but on our farm he's bigger than the 'lil red I drive daily.

 

Well...what a cruddy travel day today...I FINALLY made it to Detroit...missed my original connection and now I am on an 8pm as long as that one goes...we'll see I guess...

A lot of the schools are already delaying the start tomorrow morning if that tells you anything!

Time to catch up on the football scores in the Delta Club...

Hope everyone is having a good Sunday!

joe.

 

Good luck Joe, have a good flight!