Thirty Six Months

Today I celebrate my 3-year anniversary working at GM. I think its a big accomplishment. But there's another significance to this day. Today, I've finally fulfilled the experience requirements required to get my Professional Engineer's License from Professional Engineers Ontario! I've just got to make sure that I fill in that application next week (on my list of goals, I was supposed to do it this week, but I'm out of time... because I will be celebrating on Saturday... read on)

And how am I celebrating, you ask? I will be going to work at 6:30 on a Saturday, that's how! For the first time ever (when not travelling). After resisting for many years, I now have to do it to meet a deadline (someone else's deadline). I suppose I'm only complaining because I did already work 52 hours this week. But still, it was my decision to accept coming in on Saturday, and 52 isn't that much really. I guess I'm just over-dedicated sometimes. Maybe I let it happen because I actually enjoy work to some degree. Well, I don't mean I'd rather be at work. I simply enjoy getting the work done, and the sense of accomplishment when I'm making real progress. I also believe it will reduce my stress level next week. It may also be because I like my job, I enjoy the work, I think I'm good at it (and getting better everyday), and there's so much to learn. And therein lies the issue, but its a great issue to have I think. Having to work one Saturday is better than having a job that I hate.

Daniel

Turning Up The Heat

According to this article, the planet is hotter than its ever been in a long time. And its our fault, say our scientists. It seems they are always attributing the warming effect to all the greenhouse gas emissions. I bet that is most of the answer. But what about the fact that we're just burning a whole bunch of stuff! We're burning more than ever before. We're burning coal, oil and other things faster than the planet normally does. And we're doing it more and faster everyday... does this heat just dissipate? The planet is not a closed thermodynamic system, taking heat in from the sun, and radiating heat into space... but just as what once seemed like a small amount of carbon dioxide is now having an effect on the atmosphere, doesn't this widespread burning contribute at all to thermal (dis)equilibrium? I wonder if anyone has tried calculating the effect of growing combustion on the planet? Typically the burning releases greenhouse gases which makes the planet a better insulator, but what about the heat from burning itself? My instinct tells me its negligible, but we're are burning lots of stuff constantly and permanently. Now excuse me, while I turn up my thermostat... its cold in here.

Daniel

Smiters #1 - Batman vs. Spiderman

This is the first match in a series of tournament bouts pitting two powerful forces, which I'm terming "Smiters" (as in one who smites), against each other. Eventually when enough matches have been decided, I'll have the winners fight each other.

To vote, write a comment with "I Vote for _____" in it. You can also campaign for your favourite smiter, by commenting about the reasons they would win, or why their opponent is terrible. At the end of each match, the smiter with the most votes (or most convincing arguments if no votes have been made) will be declared. I'll even even the playing field by weighting in my vote equally with your vote!

Smite Challenge #1 - Batman vs. Spiderman

Batman's Advantages:
-Cool toys
-Batmobile, Batcave
-Lots of money to buy cool toys
-Highly honed physical abilities
-Willing to play dirty/has a dark side
-Secret Identity

Spiderman's Advantages:
-Web-fighting action
-Superhuman physical abilities
-Spidey sense
-Secret Identity
-Social conscience/integrity

I vote for Spiderman -- I think the fight would climax in a hand-to-hand combat situation where Spidey could basically fly around and web batman into a state of submission. True Batman could use his toys, but Spiderman has really fast reflexes.

Daniel