So quiet here....?

[Islandflyer]

Thank you! I like doing research, even if it's hard sometimes. I guess it's not different from any other job!
Ed, I don't remember if you wrote about it, but what are you doing in life? What is your job?

Karine,

I'm in a somewhat obscure branch of the aircraft industry, but I've often found myself wishing I had pursued a more academic career. History was always a favorite, but, alas, historians have rarely been in much demand. So I went into the mechanical industry, which pays the bills, but is not greatly satisfying as a pursuit. So reading you and others here converse about your graduate studies gives me a sort of wistful feeling. For which Sarah's music is a good antidote.

I find it curious that music that is often labeled "depressing" seems to be so uplifting and inspiring. Why do you suppose that is? Therapy, escape from the rigors of daily life, perhaps?

I thought it was hilarious recently when I was watching the FTE Live DVD, when Sarah described how her mother had just finished a Masters program, her father was a scientist and her brothers had Masters degrees as well; so she was the "black sheep" of her family! A very funny lady, indeed.

[Karine]

Karine,

I'm in a somewhat obscure branch of the aircraft industry, but I've often found myself wishing I had pursued a more academic career. History was always a favorite, but, alas, historians have rarely been in much demand. So I went into the mechanical industry, which pays the bills, but is not greatly satisfying as a pursuit. So reading you and others here converse about your graduate studies gives me a sort of wistful feeling. For which Sarah's music is a good antidote.

I find it curious that music that is often labeled "depressing" seems to be so uplifting and inspiring. Why do you suppose that is? Therapy, escape from the rigors of daily life, perhaps?

I thought it was hilarious recently when I was watching the FTE Live DVD, when Sarah described how her mother had just finished a Masters program, her father was a scientist and her brothers had Masters degrees as well; so she was the "black sheep" of her family! A very funny lady, indeed.

That sounds interesting! I know some people who works in that field too. I was never good at technical studies, neither at scientific studies, so I guess literature is the only thing I'm good at!

I think that people say that Sarah's music is depressing because it has deep and strong lyrics. Even her happy songs have a twisted side (like Ice Cream). Think about Loving You Is Easy: it's a joyful song, but still, there is the memory of a past relationship (in the second verse).

[Islandflyer]

Karine,

I'm in a somewhat obscure branch of the aircraft industry, but I've often found myself wishing I had pursued a more academic career. History was always a favorite, but, alas, historians have rarely been in much demand. So I went into the mechanical industry, which pays the bills, but is not greatly satisfying as a pursuit. So reading you and others here converse about your graduate studies gives me a sort of wistful feeling. For which Sarah's music is a good antidote.

I find it curious that music that is often labeled "depressing" seems to be so uplifting and inspiring. Why do you suppose that is? Therapy, escape from the rigors of daily life, perhaps?

I thought it was hilarious recently when I was watching the FTE Live DVD, when Sarah described how her mother had just finished a Masters program, her father was a scientist and her brothers had Masters degrees as well; so she was the "black sheep" of her family! A very funny lady, indeed.

That sounds interesting! I know some people who works in that field too. I was never good at technical studies, neither at scientific studies, so I guess literature is the only thing I'm good at!

I think that people say that Sarah's music is depressing because it has deep and strong lyrics. Even her happy songs have a twisted side (like Ice Cream). Think about Loving You Is Easy: it's a joyful song, but still, there is the memory of a past relationship (in the second verse).

Well, Karine, I can see that you're good at artwork, as well! And yes, it does seem that most of her songs (older ones, at least) have an "edge" or mystery element, which makes them stick with you (me) in unpredictable ways, aside from the excellent music. Ice Cream is one of those "can't get out of my head" songs, for me.

So I just listened to the interview Ellen uploaded (from you, evidently). She said Bladerunner is a favorite movie. If you're not familiar with it, is a very dark vision of a future (towards which we are heading in a frightening manner) which is based on a famous story by Sci-Fi author Phillip K. Dick called "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?", from around 1955 or so. This title is much more descriptive than the Hollywood-style "Bladerunner".

I love it. It doesn't surprise me at all. The congruence with the mysterious nature of some of her most emotional songs fits right into the "headspace" of this type of genre fiction. Read it and see what you think. It's about the nature of being human, in short. Isn't that what Sarah's music is about? Sorry to ramble on, but that interview is fascinating.

I'm a huge sci-fi fan, as you might suppose. What do you read for fun?

[Quincy]

Thank you! I like doing research, even if it's hard sometimes. I guess it's not different from any other job!
Ed, I don't remember if you wrote about it, but what are you doing in life? What is your job?

Karine,

I'm in a somewhat obscure branch of the aircraft industry, but I've often found myself wishing I had pursued a more academic career. History was always a favorite, but, alas, historians have rarely been in much demand. So I went into the mechanical industry, which pays the bills, but is not greatly satisfying as a pursuit. So reading you and others here converse about your graduate studies gives me a sort of wistful feeling. For which Sarah's music is a good antidote.

I find it curious that music that is often labeled "depressing" seems to be so uplifting and inspiring. Why do you suppose that is? Therapy, escape from the rigors of daily life, perhaps?

I thought it was hilarious recently when I was watching the FTE Live DVD, when Sarah described how her mother had just finished a Masters program, her father was a scientist and her brothers had Masters degrees as well; so she was the "black sheep" of her family! A very funny lady, indeed.

When you claim it's "not greatly satisfying as a pursuit", that's dependent on your attitude. I am an engineer, I often claim that "Sometimes, I'm a bloody good engineer" but yes it can be tedious, mundane, frustrating and downright boring. However, I can look back with pride at some of the achievements I've made as an engineer. I've had involvement in the tooling for the Airbus wings, (including the A380), the Eurofighter and the US joint strike fighter. I've had considerable input on several surgical prosthesis (hips, knee and shoulders). I've had a patent registered on a manufacturing process. I can bore you much longer, but I won't...'cos. I'm good like that!! On more than one occasion I've taken as step back with a huge smile and thought "Yes, I've done that!!". It is satisfying being an engineer, it's not glamorous I'll admit, but only you can get something out of a job, but you'll have to find it yourself. Don't knock what your doing as an engineer. It creates wealth and advancement for us all. It creates a better future for future generations.

OK, that's me off the soap box for a while!!

Out of curiosity, what's the "obscure" nature of your gainful employment?

Q

[Karine]

Well, Karine, I can see that you're good at artwork, as well! And yes, it does seem that most of her songs (older ones, at least) have an "edge" or mystery element, which makes them stick with you (me) in unpredictable ways, aside from the excellent music. Ice Cream is one of those "can't get out of my head" songs, for me.

So I just listened to the interview Ellen uploaded (from you, evidently). She said Bladerunner is a favorite movie. If you're not familiar with it, is a very dark vision of a future (towards which we are heading in a frightening manner) which is based on a famous story by Sci-Fi author Phillip K. Dick called "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?", from around 1955 or so. This title is much more descriptive than the Hollywood-style "Bladerunner".

I love it. It doesn't surprise me at all. The congruence with the mysterious nature of some of her most emotional songs fits right into the "headspace" of this type of genre fiction. Read it and see what you think. It's about the nature of being human, in short. Isn't that what Sarah's music is about? Sorry to ramble on, but that interview is fascinating.

I'm a huge sci-fi fan, as you might suppose. What do you read for fun?

I was not familiar with that movie, thanks!
I read mostly novels, sometimes poetry, novella (short stories?) and I enjoy a few comics. My tastes are a pretty eclectic: I enjoy contemporary crime fiction as much as 18th century fairy tales. I prefer books written or translated in French, because it's easier for me to understand.
One of the best books I've ever read is "Les Liaisons dangereuses", written in 1782. You probably know about it if you saw the 1988 movie with John Malkovich, Glenn Close and Michelle Pfeifer. This is so well written and the story is great!
"One Hundred Years of Solitude", by the Colombian writer Gabriel Garcia Marquez, is a tough one but it's worth it! I was 15 years old when I read if for the first time and I had to take some notes on the genealogy of the characters, because many of them have similar names. It's easy to get confused between José Aracadio Buendia, José Arcadio, Arcadio, Aureliano Buendia and Aureliano José!
When I enjoy a book, I really get "into it": I cried when I read that George shoots Lennie, at the end of John Steinbeck' "Of Mice and Men"!
I could go on and on for days, because there are so many great writers and books.
About comics, I like the science fiction series of "Yoko Tsuno" (she's an Japanese electrical engineer who solves crimes and travel in time) and the French-Canadian comics called "Les Nombrils" ("The Bellybuttons"), about three young teenage girls (it's quite popular in Canada and in Europe). It's funny and the girls can be really stupid!

[Islandflyer]

You have quite eclectic reading interests, Karine. That Japanese story you mentioned reminds me of a Japanese time travel movie I saw some time back, called "Time Traveler", about a teenage girl who finds a way to time travel. It's actually a romance, and was quite enjoyable. It's based on a comic called "The Girl Who Leapt Through Time". I've heard of the movie you mentioned with Glenn Close and John Malkovich, but haven't seen it. It sounds good, but I'll have to go for the English version of the book!

A friend induced me to read some Silvia Plath, which is just amazingly intense, and I became interested in the American "Southern Gothic" Carson McCullers a couple of years ago because of her similar in-depth explorations of the inner heart of her characters, and their tumultuous emotional lives.

On the lighter side, I enjoy good mysteries, detective stories and so on, along with a good adventure read. An escapist aficionado, I admit to being.

Must be that boring work that you mentioned, Quincy. Of all places, this is probably the last one I would expect to meet someone in a similar field! Yes, the "obscure" branch is the one you have worked in, which, on this side of the pond, is usually a poor stepchild to the more glamorous parts of aerospace engineering. It can be lots of fun to bounce electrons around and come up with cool solutions to problems, but that seems to be the rarity now that we are managed by bean counters here on the "B" side of things. Having said that, we occasionally get a treat, like having Steve Miller play a show in the factory to celebrate the completion of the 747-8 program, and get paid to listen to it! "Leaving on a jet plane" was perfectly appropriate this time. I've worked in various disciplines on this and a number of other airplane programs over the years, all around the U.S. And you're right, we get to see the things we work on fly away and (hopefully) bring people together.
E.

[Karine]

Do you really have music concerts at your job?
When we have free food, only once in a while, we all go crazy!

I love detective stories too! Sadly, I don't have time these days to read for fun. I have so much work to do that when I come home, I to tired to read anything. I eat, watch tv and go to bed!!
If you enjoy crime fictions, maybe you should check the books written by the winners of the Edgar Allan Poe awards (and by the nominees too, they're surely great).

[Islandflyer]

Do you really have music concerts at your job?
When we have free food, only once in a while, we all go crazy!

I love detective stories too! Sadly, I don't have time these days to read for fun. I have so much work to do that when I come home, I to tired to read anything. I eat, watch tv and go to bed!!
If you enjoy crime fictions, maybe you should check the books written by the winners of the Edgar Allan Poe awards (and by the nominees too, they're surely great).

No, not usually, Karine. This was a special occasion, and was so unusual I wondered later if maybe I dreamed it. So I found the picture to prove it. They do have free food and pass out trinkets and tee-shirts from time to time, though.

I downloaded the whole Poe collection on my Kindle, and have been reading it sporadically. I love the Victorian Gothic aspect of his work, and of that era in general. I have to get serious about Charles Dickens now, who I have had on the back burner for the last year or so. But like you say, it's work, eat and sleep mostly for us cubicle warriors. Do you have Dilbert comics there?

http://www.dilbert.com/strips/

They're staples in every American office, and probably Canadian as well. I suspect academia is not much different. Is it? I mean, management jokes are the bane of every job at some level.

[Karine]

No, not usually, Karine. This was a special occasion, and was so unusual I wondered later if maybe I dreamed it. So I found the picture to prove it. They do have free food and pass out trinkets and tee-shirts from time to time, though.

I downloaded the whole Poe collection on my Kindle, and have been reading it sporadically. I love the Victorian Gothic aspect of his work, and of that era in general. I have to get serious about Charles Dickens now, who I have had on the back burner for the last year or so. But like you say, it's work, eat and sleep mostly for us cubicle warriors. Do you have Dilbert comics there?

http://www.dilbert.com/strips/

They're staples in every American office, and probably Canadian as well. I suspect academia is not much different. Is it? I mean, management jokes are the bane of every job at some level.

I don't remember reading neither Poe nor Dickens (and I'm not sure this sentence is grammatically correct! ), but they are surely on my to-read list!
I checked Dilbert comics: funny! I like the few last about stealing data from the governement!

[Karine]

So, I moved again from Bordeaux to Paris this Tuesday. I still have some work to do at the national library, for probably 6-7 months. Then, if everything goes right, I will definitely leave Paris, go back to Bordeaux and prepare my thesis defense. I have to admit that I miss home a lot these days: I am always hungry for food that I can't find in France, I want to watch TV shows that are not broadcast here... but most of all, I want to see my family!
Anyway, I know it's only a matter of time before my PhD is finish (yeah!!), so I don't give up! I can't wait to do something else, like having a real job and getting paid for it!!