My peers (all races). I've outperformed them at work, and in the class room (Phi Beta Kappa, Magna *** Laude). I can learn anything. Give me a day of good training, and I can fly a freaking 747.

That's just how I feel. I normally never say it publicly- but, that's how I feel.

Who's b!tching? I thought we were debating. Let's keep this above board. I hear Jews whining all the time about what Hitler did to them (rightfully so.). Anti-Semitic this & that. What happened to them is no more horrific than what slaves had happen to them. Dead is dead. That's in the past too, but no one tells the Jews they should forget what happened to them.

Slavery may have ended 143 years ago, but blacks were not treated much better in the USA until after the Civil Rights movement of 1964-1965. Twenty years after the Holocaust.

Acknowledged. Yes, there are poor white people in the USA. A LOT of them. But, anytime you hear about poverty, welfare, food stamps, etc. What face do you generally see associated with it? Poverty knows no racial preference, but the media and what you see (ghetto, etc.) would have you believe it's only a "black" problem. No one takes pictures of the trailer parks...

My folks were poor too. My grandfather worked at a lumber yard, and my mother was the first black teacher in an all white school after desegregation. Both our folks had a lot of sh*t to deal with.

I don't trust the system.
No, it's not racist, it's called being skeptical.
What special treatment will I be getting more of?

I'd love to not pay taxes. But, as long as you pay them, I'll pay them.

I appreciate the diagnosis, Dr. Phil. You know me about as well as I know you. These guys out here know me, and they know I'm no bigot, nor do I have issues. However, when someone says something I don't agree with, I'll address it, if I feel so compelled- as do you.

Maybe we both have issues.

 

You make valid points Hersh, but I still see any advantage given to one group and not another as fundamentally wrong.

So admittedly, the Government is discriminating against companies (of certain sizes, who have government contracts) if they don't hire "enough" minorities. That makes me just as mad as it would make you if a company didn't give you their work because you're black. I just don't feel it's right and I don't think it helps erase the lines that once separated us.

They are a capable company in their own rights. But when you're inspecting a bridge for signs of fatigue and possible failure, would you rather have a licensed civil or structural engineer looking at it, or someone who can tell you "there's a crack" but not know how or why it got there?

We've used them to get contracts where the inspection is routine and really secondary concern, and the engineering/design is the primary focus. Sure our divers could do the work, but we wouldn't get the contract at all because a while male runs the company. My company is small, less than 500 world wide and we specialize in waterfront engineering. I'd compare it to having a foot injury and you have the choice of going to "doc-in-the-box" or Podiatrist for the same price. I know what this other company charges because when we do use them it's simply a pass-thru cost.

Maybe so


Just out of curiosity, what do you do for a living?

- NCSU

 

It's the only time you'll see a black man beat a white woman and get away with it, except for O.J..

 

Ack'd. Like I said, it's not a perfect solution, by any means.

I can understand that perception. However, this was in place long before I was born. (OK, maybe not long before...) I guess the government (President, Senators, and Representatives) never saw a need to change it. I guess it's there way of assuring that the companies they deal with are taking "affirmative action".

An engineer- without a doubt.
I've seen cracks in overpass pilars before, and reported it to the news station. They got the engineers to look at it.

Side Note: Little did I know that a guy who I became friends with, was a structural engineer working for D.A.R.T. He confirmed what the news, found. "No problem". Something to the effect of, it's not the concrete, but the "steel" it protects, that is actually supporting the weight. (I'm interested in all that kind of stuff (especially bridges), but know nothing about the actual engineering.

LOL


I'm an Account Manager. I am a liaison and interface for the customer on the front end, and on the internal side, I support their business by managing the design, engineering, provisioning, and implementation of their global data networks.

I'm essentially a Project Manager, without the title...

 

Don't count on the government to change laws once they're in place. People have written entire books listing all the stupid laws that are still 'technically' on the books...


Yup, concrete cracks all the time, and it's not that big of a problem. The problem arises when moisture gets in through those cracks and starts to corrode the rebar (the steel inside the concrete).

If you really are interested in this kinda stuff, take a few entry level Civil and Mechanical Engineering classes (I'm a mechanical by degree, but 95% of my work now is civil) if you have a college nearby that offers them. I know NC State has a "Life Long Education" program where you can pretty much take any class, but the credits won't count towards a degree, and they're the last group to register for classes, so not every class is always available.

On the ME side I'd say look at some statics and dynamics courses, on the CE side look for any entry level class.

Or just get a few books and peruse at your leisure. Having a good understanding of basic math (pretty much algebra is all you'd need) helps, but you should still be able to figure out the concepts, even if you can't solve the numerical problems.

Cool deal. What type of industry do you deal with most of the time? Most of our engineers serve as project managers as well. I am also a dive supervisor for the underwater inspections that we do.

- NCSU

Edited to add: Oh yeah, taking a physics class would be very beneficial as well. It's usually taught in two stages. The first class is usually deals with mechanics, the second deals mainly with electricity and light. Don't bother with the 2nd class, just take the one that teaches classical Newtonian physics (F=ma type stuff).

 

Yep... Who knew those skinny strands of steel coudl be so strong? (Rebar)

He and I were coming from a Mavericks game one night, and We were sitting at the red light approaching the massive overpasses of the Dallas North Tollway. Some of these things at various intersections span 8 lanes (3 in each direction, and two turn lanes *one in each direction)).

I noticed only maybe 1 - 2 feet on either side was supporting the span on what I call a "T" bar. That didn't look like enough support to me, but he told me the way overpasses are designed, they actually get stronger (to a point) as weight is added.

How can that be? (If you can tell me in a Cliff Notes version)

 

Valid points. Talk to a homeless vet. He probably can explain things a lot better than I ever could. - Og

 

I'm not really a bridge guy, our Richmond VA office specializes in bridges. I inspect mostly with piers, wharfs, bulkheads, stuff you'd find in and around ports, and underwater. (Actually I was hired to do railroad design, the inspection side of things I kinda just fell into.)

As to getting stronger with added weight, it must have something to do with adding compressive forces to the concrete. Concrete has superb compressive strength, but is very poor in tensile strength. Basically you can't pull on concrete, only squeeze it.

Those extra forces might help keep moisture from seeping through the concrete and corroding the rebar. That would be my guess. It could also have something to do with the added mass having better resistance to the forces the cars driving on it apply to the bridge.

Of course if you add too much force, the concrete will fail, then you've got big problems.

How long was the bridge? If it wasn't very long the abutments could be supporting most of the forces anyways.

- NCSU

 

8 lanes and a small median, so I'd say at least 90 - 100 feet across, end to end, with no middle support pillars.

 

A homeless vet might be able to explain their situation better than you but I don't know that they'd necessarily have much over you beyond that.

I'm not sure where the homeless vet angle comes in but let me give you my take. The fact that there are homeless vets is a sheer tragedy. There is no reason that people who have fought, and sacrificed so much for all of us here in this country should have to face the reality of being homeless here in their own country. This isn't something new though. This isn't a result of Bush or the "war in Iraq". It's an unfortunate consequence of our freedom.

We don't put a high enough value on our military men and women. We don't give them the respect they deserve. Our government should always fund initiatives to get the care that our soldiers need before funding pork proposals and entitlement programs. They're too selfish to do so and we're too ignorant to press them to make the right choices.

I hold our military men and women in the highest regaurd. I'm not so sure that Obama and his party do. I don't see them working so hard to get soldiers the care that they need BEFORE funding their "constituents" pet projects. They can criticize Bush and the republicans, perhaps at times with merit, but beyond that they have done nothing. I think that they're more interested in keeping the polls where they want them so that they can have a majority and fund more pork and pet projects. I don't see a party more honest an ethical than the republicans. I see a party that is all that they accuse the republicans of being. They just seem to think that they have a better excuse.

Yes, I too want to see the homeless vets taken care of with the respect that they have earned. I would also like to see that soldiers that are busting their asses TODAY for us and our country get the respect and credit they deserve. It almost seems like people have forgotten that they are still there. They are doing great things and we aren't even paying attention. We only pay attention when they are being killed. Why is that?

 

Wittom, I agree that the way many vets are treated is sickening. However, I don't think that just because you were in the military you should be given a free ride when you get out.

There will be homeless vets just like there will be homeless non-vets. Now the ones who have mental or physical issues stemming from their service, they should be taken care of. The ones who fell on tough times, they're like everyone else who've fallen on tough times.

Unfortunately I think you're right about the current democrats, hopefully we won't have to see where Obama might lead us.

- NCSU

 

I'm with you here. I'm not for giving anyone a free ride. I realize that soldiers are regular people like you and me, with a different kind of job. I realize that they aren't immune to the ills of our society.

If someone get's knocked down I don't believe it's the responsibility of the tax payers to pick them up. If it's fighting in a war for the tax payers that knocked them down, we need to step up.

I'd venture a guess that a majority of the homeless vets have "issues" related to their service. Those are the ones I think that we should be placing at the front of the line.

 

^

- NCSU

 

You should do a little research on the new GI Bill.
Who authored it....
Who sponsored it...
Which candidate is for it...
Which candidate is against it...
and who wants to veto it....

 

Fixed it...