tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-789440268562059889.post2585520980219607770..comments2023-12-11T00:35:19.444-08:00Comments on Design. Build. Play.: On which I rant with my ladybrainFrauTechhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15312215415796165866noreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-789440268562059889.post-44574771892115468222011-02-26T11:12:09.055-08:002011-02-26T11:12:09.055-08:00Ah, le sigh. I do not regret getting my degree in...Ah, le sigh. I do not regret getting my degree in aerospace engineering, even though I have been a <a href="http://sciencebasedparenting.com/2010/09/24/i-am-the-older-but-not-necesarily-wiser-one/" rel="nofollow">stay at home mother dealing the health and disability issues with oldest child</a>. <br /><br />I found it quite handy in dealing with the absolutely crazy stuff I have had thrown at me over the past two decades, first by well meanings fools in real life (including the librarian where I went to research my son's condition), to even greater hoards when the Internet came along.<br /><br />My experience of often being the only or one of very few women in my classes, or dealing with old stodgy set in their ways engineers at work has come in quite handy in the last two decades. It gave me the backbone to deal the clueless crap that has been tossed at me. So instead of having to deal with idiotic sexist jokes, I now get to be told I am a danger to children because I don't think vaccines causes my kid's seizures or that I am an evil Big Pharma Shill for not supporting homeopathy or colloidal silver. <br /><br />It short, it has helped me deal with the crap in all forms.<br /><br />My younger son is majoring in engineering, and will hopefully be admitted to the mechanical engineering department next fall. I am also a non-matriculated graduate student there, and I will take an occasional class (my son's reaction was a mock: "Oh, man! I going to go to school with my mom!"). I find it fun, but sometimes the whole taking care of the family falls to the wayside, and my husband is less encouraging when he sees how much energy it takes. I may actually go back to work when hubby retires, or when kid obligation that include a disabled adult son are less.<br /><br />At the present my daughter is not planning on majoring in engineering, even though she is in honors math. She has more of an interest in foreign language, living abroad and international business (though engineering would help there, I am not going to push it).Chrishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14428361191787397415noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-789440268562059889.post-43168531812233139792011-02-25T12:28:04.764-08:002011-02-25T12:28:04.764-08:00I'm so with you on this. I almost unfriended t...I'm so with you on this. I almost unfriended two people this week, including one who was proselytizing to me about Christina Hoff Sommers because she wrote an article supporting the PNAS article claiming that there is no evidence for sexism in academia. <br /><br />Sigh. <br /><br />Sending e-hugs to you all. Thanks for carrying on the ranting. Most days lately I wouldn't even know where to begin, I just feel like I'm repeating myself to no effect, whereas having more witnesses actually strengthens the argument. The more anecdata the better, I say. At some point, our collective writings about these phenomena become bonified personal accounts! Keep up the good work.Ms.PhDhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06542602867472447035noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-789440268562059889.post-22053386071313646482011-02-24T19:46:58.110-08:002011-02-24T19:46:58.110-08:00oh, the second to last got me at my last (latest?)...oh, the second to last got me at my last (latest?) talk. I wore a skirt for the first time in my place, "oh, what womanly you can look. all grown up ladylike" .... ehh... well... mention anything about my awesome data? no? And for the record, it was a knee lenght skirt so nohing inappropriate. Needless to say, I wonder about wearing a skirt again. duh.<br /><br />Sorry to read FT. I wish you all the best in the job application game. I'm heading that way too - and yeah, not sure if I should write "have no spouse nor children"^ on the top of my application just since I know that it will be one of those "issues". As a woman still being in my childbearing age..... <br /><br />^of course I won't but it's as much as "of course they will not ask/snoop" ... right? considering what you wrote about the promotion/hireing too... GAH.challhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10421219663804628119noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-789440268562059889.post-46558143011503804002011-02-24T08:10:11.069-08:002011-02-24T08:10:11.069-08:00Thanks everyone, nice to know I am not alone!
Chr...Thanks everyone, nice to know I am not alone!<br /><br />Chris- I think you are right in that sometimes it is those people who like to say stuff to get under people's skin so I think they almost do it purposefully because I am there.<br /><br />jc- I know, right? Like wth are they if it's such a burden?<br /><br />GMP- xactly!<br /><br />Kate- I know that argument doesn't really hold water anymore when I'm guessing most engineers near the average point.FrauTechhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15312215415796165866noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-789440268562059889.post-56210105162646641582011-02-24T07:24:40.057-08:002011-02-24T07:24:40.057-08:00Oh, hell. I'm just so sick of this argument. R...Oh, hell. I'm just so sick of this argument. Really, they really think females are advocating for preferential hiring? They really think if they don't see discrimination, it's not there? They really think that you must score within the top 1% of the SAT to be a successful engineer? That the only required skill is spatial 3D rotation in the head? They really think the tiny tiny differences shown in the intelligence tests account for the 90/10 ratios I normally see? 90/10 if you're lucky. In my society's annual meeting, it's more like 98/2. <br /><br />Good Luck with your job hunt, FrauTech. Chin up, all that jazz. Don't let the idiots get you down.Katenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-789440268562059889.post-80039513935423796902011-02-24T01:37:19.361-08:002011-02-24T01:37:19.361-08:00http://misunderstoodfinance.blogspot.com/2011/02/w...http://misunderstoodfinance.blogspot.com/2011/02/why-college-is-expensive.html?showComment=1298540153318#c2464378629118912425Business-Industryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07980207406460850874noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-789440268562059889.post-82320261950410022022011-02-23T23:59:03.836-08:002011-02-23T23:59:03.836-08:00I second Chris's sentiment.I second Chris's sentiment.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00954417680857046868noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-789440268562059889.post-52039829242265102442011-02-23T19:25:16.581-08:002011-02-23T19:25:16.581-08:00OMFG... These made me cry a little inside. My &quo...OMFG... These made me cry a little inside. My "favorite" is <br /><i>Stop disagreeing with me on this (engineering related discussion) I get enough backtalk at home.</i> <br />You are obviously not an engineer, just another female pest whose blabber he has to endure. And he doesn't even get the benefits of hot meals and sex in return for having to put up with you! Poor guy.GMPhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17872461021953583473noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-789440268562059889.post-21925589391083782752011-02-23T17:47:15.433-08:002011-02-23T17:47:15.433-08:00I was told recently that "women get recruited...I was told recently that "women get recruited for science positions" and let me remind you, that I AM THE ONLY WOMAN WITH A PHD IN THIS SHITHOLE. I threw my hands in the air and said "THEN WHERE ARE THEY? I COUNT WHITE DUDE, WHITE DUDE, WHITE DUDE, WHITE DUDE, and WHITE DUDE! I'M A SCIENTIST, I CAN ACTUALLY ADD. THERE'S FIVE WHITE DUDES. WHERE ARE THESE MAGICAL MYSTICAL RECRUITED NON-WHITE-MALE BEINGS?" *crickets* *blank stare* *feet staring* I walked out. I can't process any more shit spew from delusional asshats. Hence, the reason why THIS woman is packing up her office. Dudes = 5, Women = 0.<br /><br />I also recently heard "well, we just hired A Woman" at a conference during a conversation about diversity. It was said very grudgingly by someone I used to respect. DING DING DING, give the asshat a medal for tolerating the hiring of A Woman! He won't be happy if it happens again! That Woman must have gotten past his gate-keeping sensors! <br /><br />My boss told me that family issues are not taken into account for hiring, in the context that pregnant women would not be discriminated against (because that discrimination shit only happens on another planet far far away in a distant galaxy). I shit you not, days later, he went on about hiring ANOTHER FUCKING WHITE DUDE because the dude "has a family, his wife loves her job, and he has a house in town" and I wanted to nuke something. NO, FAMILY ISSUES DO *NOT* IMPACT HIRING AT. ALL.!!! WHEN IT'S A DUDE!!!!!! Another nail in the coffin. My head is still reeling over this one. He hired him. <br />jcAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-789440268562059889.post-40415095432899843362011-02-23T17:42:54.554-08:002011-02-23T17:42:54.554-08:00Gah! I hate reading these comments from these stup...Gah! I hate reading these comments from these stupid people!<br /><br />All I can continue to think is that women in engineering are the perfect storm for the stereotypical engineer guy. Here's all I can come up with for why in the world someone would think this way.<br /><br />1. "THERE'S A GIRL IN THE ROOM!"<br />2. "I MUST PROVE I'M SMART. I KNOW, I'LL PUT HER DOWN."<br /><br />That's all I've got. I can't imagine it comes down to anything more than severe insecurity and frustration. I want to believe these people aren't misogynistic, but it's hard to tell. Would be an interesting experiment to get them all in a room and see if they have the same opinions or if they are just emboldened by the internet.<br /><br />Again, in reaction to these people, I must emphasize: GAH. We're not all like this.Chris Gammellhttp://chrisgammell.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-789440268562059889.post-69157689107961178072011-02-23T17:06:03.681-08:002011-02-23T17:06:03.681-08:00I was once told I would be good at soldering becau...I was once told I would be good at soldering because "women have better fine motor skills than men". There were eight people in the room...most of whom apologized for the jerk's behavior afterward (which was nice).Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com