Interview Attire

I've also heard, but cannot provide a cite for, claims that Edison actually pushed for executions to take place in AC-powered electric chairs, and referred to those so executed as being "Westinghoused". Actually, if about.com is a credible source, check this:

On Wed, 28 Sep 2005 01:14:14 GMT, with neither quill nor qualm, "Mike Young" quickly quoth:

That's quite likely true.

I'd think it would tranlate to a guy who took a cut on the lathe prior to miking the piece.

We all know it's "Measurement first, condiment second, IF needed."

On Tue, 27 Sep 2005 20:56:39 -0700, with neither quill nor qualm, "Roger Shoaf" quickly quoth:

Smart man, that Tom guy.

It says that they're totally uncorrupted. ;) They obviously have no knowledge about anything resembling common sense or anything which relates to the public they supposedly serve.

My neighbor mentioned some congresswoman who didn't know that many poor people in LA didn't own cars or drive! She didn't realize they couldn't afford cars, gas, insurance, repairs, etc.

So, perhaps some of the best employees in the world may have been passed by for putting Tabasco in their chili?

I would thank the putz for NOT hiring me. Sounds like he would be inflexible on other matters as well, and not a good person to work for.

Is he still in business?

Steve

This has been covered extensively on The History Channel - Edison tried to buy a Westinghouse AC Generator set to use it for the demonstrations of "How Dangerous AC Current Is" but for some unknown reason they wouldn't sell one to him. (Gee, wonder why?) Edison had to have a shill buyer purchase a used generator.

Joke was on Edison - Westinghouse had a better system, and they both knew it. DC can't be transmitted for long distances efficiently, and until the advent of modern solid state electronics you couldn't boost the voltage for transmission or drop it back to a convenient distribution voltage efficiently.

Even now, it's a PITA to work with HV DC - they have the 500KV DC "Pacific Intertie" transmission line that has one end in Sylmar, CA., but it's only real advantage is in that the AC power grids at each end don't have to be in lock-step phase with each other - they can each establish their own system frequency independently.

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Wow, I didn't think my comment would stir up so much commentary! My opinion of Edison used to be that he was a great inventor, until I read some books about him (that weren't published by the Edison Society - or whatever).

"Tesla - Man Before His Time" is a really good read, BTW.

Joe

The only reason to take an applicant to lunch is to see whether you can stand the guy/girl or not. It's a little like going on a date...It doesn't tell you whether it will work out in the long run but it can shure tell you when it won't. Of course this all assumes that the person interviewing actually has to work closely with the applicant. Someone who can't get through a lunch without boring you to death or saying something stupid and offensive may be the most skilled, but you probably won't be able to stand working closely with them.

As to the seasoning issue...that's just stupid hype. It tells you nothing except that they have learned they like their food with more pepper or salt. Would you expect someone to taste their coffee before adding the sugar they know they like in coffee?

Koz

"Koz" wrote

I prefer to base it on performance, experience, and ability. I have worked with many people I did not like. I worked in the Gulf of Mexico and overseas with people I did not like. And I had to sleep in the same room with them, eat with them, work with them, and be confined with them 24 hours a day. You learn to cope and deal with it. Good managers know how to get the most out of their people, and liking someone is way down the list on criteria.

Steve

"man out of time", I think. Yup, I just sent it to Iggy this morning. If his stack of "I should read this" is like mine, I'm looking forward to hearing his impressions in a year or three...

Dave

I am basically through my pile of books to read, however, I ordered about 6 TIG welding books via interlibrary loan. When I get them, they will have my undivided attention. I must finish reading them on time.

Just got an e-mail from an old University buddy, in which he mentioned he still has my textbook book on ion propulsion. That's a 26 year loan. I bet that's not the record here. ;-)

The really sick thing is that I was just looking for it a few weeks ago. ;-)

Best regards, Spehro Pefhany

Beats any of mine, but I did once return a book very late to a library with the excuse of "Sorry, the car it was in has been in storage" which was such a novel excuse to the person behind the counter, that she waived the late fee (which exceeded the value of the book, which hadn't been checked out for 10 years before I borrowed it).

I understand, completely.

And then you had to go and bring *that* up. Why *DO* people spend good money on good Arrabica and then dump sugar in it???? Sometimes it's my good money...

:)

No. He is dead now. He had a lot of unorthodox ideas about business. He was uneducated and therefore didn't know he was doing it all wrong. He was for forty years the top seller for many vendors. Winning trips and prizes. Most of which he gave to employees. We would walk through fire for him.

I found some dressy slacks and a button shirt and wore that to my interview this afternoon. I would have felt very funny dressing down and showing up for an interview.

Half way through the interview I was offered a position. 25K a year to start - which is not bad considering I am not schooled in this area and will be a trainee. I start there tomorrow.

Thanks

But you were schooled... by us. :) Congrats.

He was also known for outsmarting himself. He got mad that his engineers were pilfering from his cigar box on his desk so he had his tobacconist make up some real nasty stogies with bits of string etc.

Evidently the word got around pretty quick because the story goes that Edison ended up smoking most of them himself before he realized that the cigars he had been smoking were the nasty ones he had ordered.

I made it a point in high school to read all the biographies of all the great inventors. Here is a link to a free e-book that is real good. It is the biography of several movers and shakers in England's industrial revolution.

On Thu, 29 Sep 2005 21:56:04 -0700, with neither quill nor qualm, "Roger Shoaf" quickly quoth:

ROTFLMAO!

Ancient History ca. 1863, eh? Excellent! Thanks, Roger.

The online book thing is a great idea, making entire libraries available to the public everywhere. Now if it weren't so bloody hard to read an entire book onscreen... Praise goes to the gods for the ability to raise the size of screen text in browsers! ;)

It was not too long ago when I might have agreed with you on that, but the more I have aged, the closer these things get. I find it real interesting to read history now that I am out of school and I read it to understand rather than to answer the odd numbered questions at the back of the chapter.