Friday, August 31, 2007

Old Threshers


Old Threshers Reunion is this weekend. I've posted about it before, but there's really no substitute for going to Iowa to see it.

Thursday, August 23, 2007

Travelling

This is my third week in a row of being on the road, but at least I'll be taking some vacation time soon. Check back in a few more days for some posts.

Wednesday, August 08, 2007

Quote of the unspecified temporal interval

The great liability of the engineer compared to men of other professions is that his works are out in the open where all can see them. His acts, step by step, are in hard substance. He cannot bury his mistakes in the grave like the doctors. He cannot argue them into thin air or blame the judge like the lawyers. He cannot, like the architects, cover his failures with trees and vines. He cannot, like the politicians, screen his sort-comings by blaming his opponents and hope the people will forget. The engineer simply cannot deny he did it. If his works do not work, he is damned.

- Herbert Hoover, Opening Quote of Chapter 5, Introduction to Aeronautics: A Design Perspective by Steven Brandt et Al.

This quote came up recently in a discussion with a coworker. It seems even more important than usual given last week's news from Minnesota.