July 29, 2005
FOUR FOR FRIDAY
Q1: How does your current boss compare to others you've had?
Q2: On this day in 1958, the U.S. Congress passed legislation that formally established the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). At the time, NASA's inauguration was a sign to the rest of the world that the United States was fully committed to winning the space race against the Soviets. Do you think NASA has outlived its usefulness? If so, do you think our space-related interests would be better served in the hands of private, profit-driven enterprises?
Q3: If you could be a contestant on any past or present television game show, which show would you choose to be on? (If you need a little help identifying all of the possibilities, click here for a list of shows.)
Q4: The first half of the new millennium's inaugural decade is now over. What stands out in your mind as the biggest societal shift since the turn of the century?
Posted by Mikal at July 29, 2005 12:02 AM
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1. Hmmm...well, technically I'm my own boss now that I'm in sales. However, if I were to compare my actual boss to others I've had, then I would say that he is far less demanding, more laissez faire, certainly less dictatorial than some I've had. They are all so different, though. I really think that the circumstances that surround each of the positions has also shaped my perception of each boss.
2. Yeah..they are soooo done. The space race needs to get into private hands. Let's get some good 'ol competition to drive innovation. Then, we could free up a few billion dollars to feed and educate our hungry and stupid masses.
3. I'd want to be on one of those kids game shows that used to play on Nickelodean. They got to run through all sorts of fun things, but also had to answer trivia. It was the best of both worlds.
4. I feel like the evangelicals are taking over our country. They represent exteme ideas, yet they're brand, God, is catching on like crazy. It's that whole Us vs. Them, Good vs. Evil, and trying to blend that into a Christian's vs. Muslim's battle. The conservative Christian movement has just boggled my mind with the hate that they spew about gays, women, and people of differing faiths is astonishing. They cry out "Judge not, lest ye be judged." Yet, they rant their judgemental, self-righteous rants with every chance they get. It's led this country into the age of un-reason. Reason and logic are now the enemy, and faith is the savior that will protect Us from Them. It's nonsense.
All by bosses were pretty good and stayed out of my hair. I have always gotten the jobs out on time and under budget, so they were happy with me running my department and gave me free run of the department.
I only had one boss who drove me nuts before I became a supervisor. He used to give a project and tell be to do it any way I wanted to handle the job. Then when I bring him in the preliminaries, he would say that he wanted it done a certain way and I would have to go back and do it again. It wasnít just me, it was all the other engineers in the department.
I was always a strong supporter of the space program. I think that all the economic growth in the sixties and seventies was partially due to the space program. The advances in microelectronics, biometrics and materials were a direct result of the space program.
No way would I be in favor of privatizing, look what privatizing did for government here in Connecticut. It increased the cost of the auto emissions program testing program, the Governor got caught taking bribes to steer contracts to his friends and I do not think any of the programs here in Connecticut actually saved and money.
I think that we should aim for Moon and Mars, we humans need a new frontier to explore to grow.
I would be a contestant on the ìWhat In the Worldî
I agree with MixMasterMat that the conservative Christian is the biggest societal change of this century so far.
My second choice is Bush.
1. I've been bless with a great boss and company to work for.
2. I think that private corporations can do a better job at space exploration than the government. The private sector is driven by profit, and that is where innovation comes from. The government is driven by liberal thought, and that grinds to a halt the innovation that is possible.
3. "To Tell The Truth" : I would love to have done something so unique to that it captures the romance and interest of the general public.
4. Religious terrorism, especially Middle East terrorism. Although that's been going on for a long time, since it's been brought to the forefront of America's popular consciousness, it's altered just about everything we do and think about.
1. No comparison.
2. I don't know much about NASA, but I think if too many people start shooting things off into space, there could be problems. Maybe NASA needs to re-evaluate their programs.
3. Jeopardy.
4. Fear. I agree with the responses above. Terrorism has led to fear, which leads to conservatism. The Christian right is going nuts.
1. I have 2 bosses really, and they are the best I have had in my 11 years of working. We are all human so there are bound to be frustrations but if I really sit down and think about it, they push me to do my best work, are flexible and understanding when I have things outside of work that need to be dealt with, give me pats on the back when I deserve them, constructive criticism when I need it, and and are supportive. And no they don't read this blog :)
2. Space Shuttle technology is outdated and unsafe, and it's unclear what NASA's overall mission is anymore. This most recent mission to spend days examining a shuttle for damage then testing questionable at best in-space repair measures is a band-aid situation - reactive instead of proactive. The money would be better spent on the next generation spacecraft or research. The former Soviet Union has an old yet perfectly safe and acceptable means for getting people to and from the Space Station and given global cutbacks on funding for the Space Station, it's clear that expanding it beyond what it is is no longer an option so the Shuttles are less necessary for getting new pieces and parts up there. The flip side to this is there are hundreds of unmanned craft and satellite missions that NASA deploys and monitors that provide extremely valuable scientific information like the Deep Impact study, Mars Orbiters, and the beloved Hubble Telescope. Perhaps the solution is NASA should retire the Space Shuttles now and be restructured as research entity and let manned space travel be handled by private organizations.
3. Jeopardy!
4. I agree with MixMasterMatt - the biggest shift that sticks out for me is the abuse and twisting of religion in the name of furthering hate-ridden social and political agendas in the US. The statement "it's the age of Un-Reason" hits the nail on the head.
1) She's fine. I've been very lucky in terms of who I have reported to over the years. I would describe my current supervisor as laid-back, but firm. I like that. I also like that I always know where I stand.
2) I hadn't given it much thought, to be honest, until reading your question and don't feel I could give a good answer without reading and talking to more people about it. I do feel like we are going to need access to space in the future for various reasons, and I'm torn regarding who is really the "best" steward of space. I don't have any more faith in big business than I do in government. It seems kind of lose-lose to me.
3) Wheel of Fortune, because it's probably the only one I'd have a chance of winning! Go Scrabble players!
4) Well, my answer here relates to the prior posters but isn't quite the same: I'd say the biggest shift I've noticed is the increased polarity of society, and the triumph of extremism on all sides of the political aisle. (I consider myself to be a moderate member of the "Christain Left": I don't think when Jesus said "Love your Enemies" he meant kill them; I do think God created the earth (and all people) as gift and we are meant to steward the earth and it's inhabitants appropriately; I believe that God made the World and the World was good -- including gay people, immigrants, etc. I believe that we have a responsibility to behave with compassion and intelligence to diversity. I also believe in the end, each person is responsible for his or her own actions, and each person is accountable for his or her own actions. If, for example, the fundamentalists are right and being gay is really wrong -- which is not what I'm saying here -- I believe that allowing them to marry is compassionate and intelligent and they will be held accountable by GOD, NOT me! It's not my job to dish out judgement. It's my job to act as a servant to my fellow humans. Anyway.
With the blurred line between information and entertainment, and the blurred line between what is news and what is marketing, and the 24-hr news cycle, I think that the general masses have become lazy at discerning the REAL truth. The media conglomerates are all owned by private interests with too much political ties. There is no such thing as objectivity anymore, so we all get caught up in right/left and marketing.
Q1) My current boss is an angel compared to my old boss. I got my old boss fired for saying bad things about me behind my back 6 months after I left that job.
Q2) I think some NASA funding should be given as grants to firms who prove they can do it better, faster, and more creatively. NASA has lost its edge in so many ways.
Q3) Match Game.
Q4) There hasn't been a huge social shift in the past 4 years. In the past 10 years, yes. It's hard to see around the 24hr news cycle, but things are fairly consistent if you go back and look at things more closely. (That's the history major in my coming out.)
My answers are on my site - funny, I didn't read these before I posted but my answer to #4 seems very similar to everyone else's. Great questions!!
You're going to have to visit my website because your comment program won't let me post what I have to say... it isn't that bad.
1. Most of my bosses have been quite laid back.
2. At this point, I think space innovation should be in the hands of private enterprises. Sure, back in the day NASA had its uses, but now most of the space program seems mired in a lot of problems--not all dealing with safety.
3. Jeopardy! - because some people will still think you're smart even if you end up in last place.
4. Terrorism. Yeah, terrorism has been around ever since man has existed but now more than ever people have made it the focal point in their lives, letting it color their subsequent actions and perceptions.
1. Very good. At the top of the list.
2. I think there is a need for science research. I don't know if the private community could raise enough money for such a venture. The knowledge gained should be shared with everybody. If a private organization gathered the info, then they would try to sell it. Probably not a good thing.
3. Wheel of Fortune.
4. Security threats to our country. Terrorism attacks and malicious computer programs threaten our safety and identity. Will probably be the same concern five years from now.
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