Is Becoming and Engineer Really Worth It?

I'm so tempted to track down your home address via your IP address and come over there and punch you. Of course it's worth it. What else are you going to do?

Happy Halloween!

Not to be outdone by my horrible cube-neighbor, Carl (Niels Bohr...again), I decided to descend into the darkness and become that which I fear the most...

Let the Challenge Begin!!!

Sign up to help me win the Green Smackdown. Do something, anything, to help me beat Marketing.

Follow me on Twitter. Let me know what you're doing this week to cut back on carbon. I'll be posting pictures and video throughout the week.

I'll be posting updates on this blog, as well as linking to them from the An Engineering Mind Facebook page.

Help Me Win the Green Smackdown Challenge!!!

My weekly videos have gotten me some level or recognition at National Instruments, even amongst the usually introverted engineering crowd. With that in mind our corporate "Green Team" asked me to spend a week reducing my carbon footprint and documenting my progress. Don't get me wrong, I'm no green zealot, but I do believe in leaving things better than I found them (kind of like adding comments to other people's code). I also am a huge fan of doing more with less (read: cheap) and being efficient. This challenge sounded like a perfect fit: the Green Team gets some good internal PR and my videos get a bit more business/corporate culture credibility.

Well Marketing found out about it, and of course their little brains started firing on all cylinder (singular tense intended) and they decided to put up one of their own to challenge me. The Green Team pooped in their biodegradable diapers at the chance to have even more internal attention brought to their cause, and Marketing thought they'd be clever and propose a recruitment element as part of the score, assuming that a lowly engineer would never be able to get as many people to join in (and of course, they were right: we're pretty anti-joining anything).

So I need your help. If you are an engineer or scientist, or even if you know one, join my team and help me put Marketing back in their place (wherever that is). Take this survey and pledge to cut some kind of carbon emissions next week:

Green Smackdown Pledge Form


Using the power of social media, keep me posted on your progress in any of the following ways:

1. Join my Facebook Group
2. Tweet at me (@engineeringmind) or search #greensmackdown
3. Comment on this blog
4. Email me at AnEngineeringMind@gmail.com
5. Check out my YouTube videos

I'll be using Twitter, Facebook and this blog to post daily updates on my progress and adventures along the way. Here's to helping the earth and humbling the people that annoy us the most.

Are We Falling Into a Trap?

Why is management making the workplace more and more comfortable? Is it because they're trying to be nice, or are they slowly trying to enslave us? Consider this your Admiral Akbar moment. I only hope it isn't too late....

Is Engineering an Art or a Science?

Kind of a no-brainer. Art is for people who think beauty and design are more important than function and awesomeness. Last time I checked this world is built on steel, brawn and science.

Did You Really Need a Survey?

The Center for Disease Control commissioned a survey to find information about computer game players. The result:



I'm furious. I paid taxes that funded this survey? They could have just called me.

Learn more about the survey here.

Be the Smart Kid

Kids: I know summer is a great time to heal the emotional scars that the Robert Johnsons of your generation left on you whilst beating you up and shoving you in lockers (believe, I've been there...lots), but suck it up. Don't let these months off erode the firm crust of knowledge you received from the sedimentary waters of education last year.

Did you know that American children spend only 32 hours per week in school? The Swedes nearly double that. The Swedes! Do you want to be dumber than the Swedes? Well you're gonna be if you don't do something about it.

Get to work, join the FIRST revolution:

The GeekDad Interview

So GeekDad, a super awesome blog from Wired, found my vids and wanted to interview me. Here are my responses:

Happy Mother's Day

I love you mom!

Engineers Are Impervious to Swine Flu

Engineers: 1
Swine Flu: 0

Marketers Are Just Jealous

It's not their fault they aren't as smart as us, but you have to hand it to them for trying...

DO Try This at Home.

While I worship them as demi-gods, I'm just as smart as any of those Mythbuster guys. Sure they have a near-limitless budget and years of experience in the field of abusing poor crash-test dummies, but where to they get off telling me to "not try this at home?" Where's the fun? Where's the spirit of innovation?

Engineering is a beautiful thing. We get to build stuff and sometimes (hopefully on purpose) destroy stuff.

Go on, channel your inner-MacGyver.

Working with Legal

This isn't going to show up on the new website until next week, but in case you're subscribed to this blog, here you go:

Here is the new site!

So, I was told it takes up to 24-48 hours to change the site to the new server and it is still updating the redirect. BUT, I wanted to deliver what was promised. Check out the new site here:

www.anengineeringmind.automatedtestblog.com/

Soon, you will be able to just type anengineeringmind and it will redirect you. ENJOY!!!

Today is the DAY!!!

After the long anticipated wait, I am glad to announce the new site is ready and will be up this afternoon along with A NEW VIDEO!!!

it's still going to be anengineeringmind.com. Once on the new page, you will see a new subscription button to subscribe to the videos as they come each week. And for the record, we are back on board for the weekly videos. Thanks for the patience.

We're Back Baby!!!

Some of my co-workers are at the Embedded Systems Conference this week in San Jose and they're presenting a session on how smart kids are these days. I mused on the subject and realized that educating children to eventually take my job is not the best idea.




Seriously kids, go watch TV.

ps. I should be getting the new site soon, promise.

About the new site...

So...remember how I was all "look for a new site March 1st" even though everyone, including Carl, said I shouldn't promise anything? You know, the whole "under-promise, over-deliver" thing? Well, crap got serious in the last month and a half or so, and putting up a new website full of funny new videos kinda got de-prioritized on my to-do list.

What got elevated? Looking like a credible software engineer. Working on LabVIEW a little more and my penny-sorting machine a little less.

No, An Engineering Mind isn't going the way of pre-recession era banks. No, I haven't stopped thinking about funny video topics. Yes, I realize that not making any videos for several months is a great way to lose all your attention. SO GET OFF MY BACK!

I'm writing new videos. Better videos. Videos that are so funny you'll poop your pants. That's right, poop. You'll be so embarrassed that you pooped yourself at work while watching my videos. So just hold on a little longer, I'll find time to get the site up, and everything will go back to normal. Promise.

Just make sure to have a change of clothes on hand.

Coming Soon...

I just wanted to let everyone know that follows this blog that the new website will be launching march 1st. Yes, that is right, an ACTUAL site. I did have to employ Carl's help slightly, so if there is any part you don't like, you can email me! So, if you are new to this blog, or have been with me since the beginning, please check back March 1st to see the page! Thanks
Todd

Red Tape

We are all familiar with "Red Tape", which is just a strict documentation people must follow as part of their jobs that...gets...in...the...way...doing their jobs. Yes it is necessary, but here is how I really feel.



To find out more about how national instruments can help with your red tape, visit
ni.com/requirements