Middle-wing?

Why does every issue presented in the news have to be a polarizing issue? Republican or Democrat? They might as well conclude stories with a table, one column red, one blue, filled with sentences describing how you feel depending on your party. Sometimes I feel the most renegade, looked-down-upon affiliation is no affiliation at all. Picking this non-party is a tough call in a society where "picking a side and sticking to it" is viewed in such a positive light.

I am not sure why I have been thinking about this so much lately. I have seen blogs hammer this out many times in the past. I guess it just struck me the other day that I can scorn or respect a senator with an R by his/her name just as easily as one with a D.

Barring some drastic change, it is high fantasy to think that we will have elections in the near future where there are more than two parties who are legitimate contenders. I am not a fan of wasting a vote, so the only way I can see to get diversity and move a step closer to an objective government is to not have my mind made up by a party. Is this blasphemous for a red-blooded, rural raised American to not vote a party line? I don't think so, and freedom lets me decide.

You don't hear people referring to the crazy centrist movement, and you never will. Why is that? Because sitting on or around the fulcrum yields little motion, and motion makes news. So I will continue the unglamorous life of someone who makes up their mind based on facts rather than the formulaic, gut-stirring jargon puked by pundits far left and right.

Sorry if this offends some, but it really shouldn't. If you are reading this you are likely someone I particularly like, and your politics would never factor into your meaning to me. I value the people in my life and am amazed at their intelligent diversity. It takes all of us bringing our informed minds to the table to create effective legislation and a government for the people. I am just thinking and typing, something I thoroughly enjoy.

Safety

Last week I went through training for MSHA (Mine Safety and Health Administration). The course I went through was well taught and very thorough. It got me thinking about safety…

I am sure a lot of you reading this have gone through some sort of safety training, or even first aid training. I am usually struck with how important safety feels while participating in these classes. You don't want anyone to get hurt and the dangers of the job feel very real. The challenge is getting people to carry this feeling with them when they leave.

Safety is very important for engineers in a number of ways. Most engineers in heavy industry spend a lot of time in the field. Safety is perfected with practice. Going into the field with limited repetition and visiting many different sites/machines makes safety more complex. Add to this the fact that engineers are often testing automated machinery in a bypass/manual mode for commissioning and you have a perfect storm for an accident.

Also, operators are experts on their equipment. As an equipment designer I have often thought that, even if I spend a year on a design, give an operator three months and his working knowledge will dwarf mine. My point is: don't assume you're an expert on your own design… assumptions foreshadow accidents.

On a personal level, engineers are responsible for designing safety into their equipment. It is truly the first line of defense from an accident. Thankfully, the US has made a lot of progress in requiring machine guarding [sometimes struggling to find the practical limit]. We must continue to improve our designs to keep everyone safe. Bottom line is: it effects the bottom line. Stay safe!