From jsn@concentric.net Wed Jul 12 19:05:05 2000
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.written.robert-jordan
Subject: Re: TAN: The word is *FUCK* (was: Mea Culpa)
From: jsn@concentric.net (John S. Novak, III)
Date: 13 Jul 2000 00:05:05 GMT

On Wed, 12 Jul 2000 10:09:31 -0400, Chris Kollmann <cskollmann@erols.com> wrote:

>A good thing, since it means you'll never be a clueless medical 
>research fellow, which means I won't have to hate you.  We've just 
>gotten some new ones in the department, and they are trying my 
>patience.  I don't care that you've made it through med school and I 
>don't care that you found a quicker path to research, the fact of the 
>matter is that your research experience is practically nil.  You are 
>not a better experimentalist because of the MD after your name, you do 
>not know how to use that equipment properly, and I even have serious 
>doubts about your ability to read the literature critically. 

Ah, yes, I get that from ostensibly more experienced engineers, once
in a while. 

My favorite was the older guy who wandered in, looking for something
that could take a very sensiive measurement on phase noise-- a
notoriously bitchy measurement.  We have a device made just for that,
called an HP 5500 (or, for short, Great Beast That Is Named Satan.)
He saw it, wandered over to it, rolled up his sleeve, and was heard to
say, "Gee, I don't know how to use this at all!" and began putting
finger marks on it.

Right up to the point where I threw his sorry ass out of my lab.

Hundred fifty thousand dollars of science project and he wants to cut
his teeth on it, without the three day training course.  I don't think
so.

("...And if it's broken the next time I use it, I'll have the access
records to the lab pulled, and you'd better hope your badge number
isn't on it.")

--
John S. Novak, III		jsn@concentric.net
The Humblest Man on the Net