Supersized Machine Shop

Today we visited Voith Siemens, and their enormous machine shop.  Voith Siemens is one a few manufacturers of turbines which are used in hydroelectric dams, some of these turbines are up to 40 ft in diameter and weigh in at around 200 tons.  After being around machine shops trying to get parts made for various projects during [...]

Read Full Post »

The beauty of a park bench

Today our group visited NPR which was a bit out of my scope as an agricultural engineer.  After NPR we had some time to explore the mall area on our own.  Being fairly exhausted from the 6am start I found a shaded park bench and popped a squat.  I was sitting near a memorial to [...]

Read Full Post »

Slavery or States Rights?

Many believe that the the Civil War was centered around whether or not to allow slavery, but I believe that the main issue of states rights, and proper representation.  I was disappointed in the Gettysburg museum in Gettysburg PA, the museum never addressed the fundamental issues and events that led to the civil war instead just saying [...]

Read Full Post »

President and Farmer

George Washington was quite a man, not only a general and president, but a farmer, investor, inventor, and industrialist.  He owned 8000 acres on the Potomac river where he grew row crops, raised livestock, and distilled whiskey.  It was this vertical integration and forward thinking that made Washington the wealthiest man in North America at [...]

Read Full Post »

Where I Don’t Want to Live

I visited Philadelphia on Friday and quickly determined that had no desire to live there.  I enjoyed seeing Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell (line was longer then it was worth).  I felt as though the historical significance of the area was somewhat overdone, it seemed everywhere I looked there was marker saying something like [...]

Read Full Post »

A Government Office Without Bureaucrats

So far I have been in Washington DC for almost a week and I see inefficiency and waste everywhere.  A perfect example is the 106 of federally funded programs to help encourage high school students to pursue STEM career fields.  After meeting with Senator Coburn’s office it is clear that government is program heavy.  Senator [...]

Read Full Post »

Holocaust Museum Brings a Smile

Hitler and the Arian Nazi’s of Germany attempted to prove their racial superiority by “cleansing” Europe of Jews during the early 1940′s.  Not only did Nazi Germany slaughter millions of Jews without the knowledge of the German public, but they indoctrinated German children to hate non-Arian races.  The Holocaust was one of the darkest times in [...]

Read Full Post »

A Fun Night on the Town

After a busy day of touring the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms as well as NASA Goddard it was time for a fun night with good company.  With tickets to Shear Madness at the Kennedy center in hand and a reservation at Rotti Banshe, six students from the southwest set out for a good [...]

Read Full Post »

Politics As Usual

On June 1st 1945 President Harry S. Truman delivered a speech to Congress which summarized Allied success in Europe, he then brought forward a plan to occupy Japan.  Throughout the speech the President is honest with Congress and the American people.  He states that during the battle for Okinawa that the Army lost 3603 men, [...]

Read Full Post »

A Long Day…

In the rush of finding a seat on my 830 Southwest Airlines  flight I claimed what I thought was a perfect aisle seat on an empty row.   It was only after takeoff that I realized my seat not only did not recline but was angled somewhat forward as it was infront of the emergency exit.  Slightly [...]

Read Full Post »