The totally off-topic thread

[JohnM]

Unfortunately PhD students are seen as cheap labour to futher feather the nest of the Professor/Supervisor. Students do the work, supervisor gets the rewards/publications/grants. I try to sell my PhD in job applications as an advantage for the skill set it brings: the ability to work independently, time manangement etc etc.
I feel sorry for students from my first lab; the supervisor left the university, meaning they all needed a new supervisor (on paper only) in order to stay on. One who started a year or so after me still hasnt submitted due to a lack of support.
In some ways Id have been better off without the PhD; Im great in the lab, but have no desire to be a lab head, nor deal with endless grant applications, or the publish or perish mentality.

Yes, it can be brutal. A PhD can be a downright disadvantage when trying to get a 'practical' job - as you have seen with teaching and as I know occurs at the 'boots on the ground' end in agricultural and environmental consulting. PhD applicants in those fields very often (probably mostly) don't even get an interview.

A PhD that can't get a research-type job and takes something 'lower' also suffers the stigma of being perceived as much more of a failure than the average person because they have what the uninitiated perceive as the supposedly magic job-ticket 'Dr' title.

I think I like Rooflyer's approach: go and do a PhD part time as a mature-age student for the intellectual challenge - definitely not to use it as the basis for trying to get a job.

 

[Quickstatus]

Overwhelmed by car shopping. Still waiting for the $$ to arrive from the insurance company after the assessor deciding to write off the car last week.

Fortunately or unfortunately, I work very close to BMW, Mercedes, Jag, Land Rover, Lexus, Infiniti, Mini Cooper and Audi. Ford, Honda, Holder are all a bit further away.

I have no idea what to get! Well, maybe I do, but I'm not sure about the $$ involved in some models I've looked at. Too tempting, I think.

There is a lot of choice fortunately.

I never tell the car dealers what exact specification re car I want. They will ask you what you want exactly but I always tell them it depends on what you have in stock. (Unless you want to order one from the factory with all the bling). They are sneaky because they will want you to negotiate on a car that does not exist which is the car you really want and therefore prepared to pay a higher price.

I will only negotiate on cars already in stock whether at dealer or nationwide.
Therefore When I sign any contract, I will insert into the contract the VIN number of the car that was subject of the negotiation and a clause that the contract is null and void if the car is not delivered.

Dealers will want you to agree to buy a car and sign a contract but will often then try to substitute another car - often a slightly older build date for the same price,

Beware if the dealer says it's a 2015 model. I always ask for the build date which could be 2014. The build date influenced the price I'm prepared to pay and is inserted into the contract as well.

I've had a contract voided when the dealer said that car was sold to someone else. He tried to substitute it but I said I would like to keep to the specific terms of the contract, get my deposit back first, then I'll renegotiate for another car.

 

[anat0l]

Yes, it can be brutal. A PhD can be a downright disadvantage when trying to get a 'practical' job - as you have seen with teaching and as I know occurs at the 'boots on the ground' end in agricultural and environmental consulting. PhD applicants in those fields very often (probably mostly) don't even get an interview.

A PhD that can't get a research-type job and takes something 'lower' also suffers the stigma of being perceived as much more of a failure than the average person because they have what the uninitiated perceive as the supposedly magic job-ticket 'Dr' title.

I think I like Rooflyer's approach: go and do a PhD part time as a mature-age student for the intellectual challenge - definitely not to use it as the basis for trying to get a job.

That all doesn't sit too well with the increasing number of particularly Australian universities who are trying to increase the proportion of postgraduate students; in particular, PhDs. And their motivations are, ironically or not, supposedly supported by industries.

Kind of sucks all the way around. Essentially means that if you start a PhD you either have to hope you can follow it all the way through, or start your career all over again. I guess the only flipside is luckily "starting all over again" may not be too late for the majority, and there are some respectable options if it comes to it. Otherwise, many would rather take their own lives than live with the shame and stigma. I know I went through a brief bought of depression recently and yes I was contemplating the jump off the bridge scenario. There, I admitted it...

Most research jobs need a PhD or research Masters to be able to get in; it's not as if every PhD should be a shoo-in for any given research job for the reasons outlined. But I can understand what you are alluding to as the "failure" stigma.

 

[RAM]

Overwhelmed by car shopping. Still waiting for the $$ to arrive from the insurance company after the assessor deciding to write off the car last week.

Fortunately or unfortunately, I work very close to BMW, Mercedes, Jag, Land Rover, Lexus, Infiniti, Mini Cooper and Audi. Ford, Honda, Holder are all a bit further away.

I have no idea what to get! Well, maybe I do, but I'm not sure about the $$ involved in some models I've looked at. Too tempting, I think.

Do some research into State Gov car auctions.

This is where most car yards buy their 'profitable' 2nd hand cars.

All State Gov cars have every service etc, virtually no lemons as not in dealers' interests to get the shove from the selling new car to State Gov & servicing gravy train.

Been buying ours for last decade this way.

In NSW from one auction house - 160-200 cars every week ex-State Gov. Look at the books at auction house, go to an auction TO WATCH ONLY. Watch what happens once the private buyers have been filled up. Watch the prices fall 10-40%.

One dealer when pressed explained it this way - we pay what we can then mark-up 30-50% after adding in costs of transport and detailing.

You'll see dealers buying up to 20 cars some weeks.

Check which Govt dept (from the books) had the car. SES/Police/Fire may not be worth risking (although engines may be in good nick the suspension can be of concern).

We've normally bought 1to 2 yr old cars (1 yr old Commodore Wagon, no damage at all - 46% off new price and 2 years warranty to sort out any issues). Two and a bit years later saw identical vehicle (same month build/colour) but 45K more kms for sale at car yard for what I paid for mine (and out of manufacturer's warranty then).

Gives you an idea of the mark-ups.

IMHO - never buy an out-of-warranty car.

Best purchase 2 yr old Citroen at 70% off. Ended up costing grand total of <$2,500/yr for the 4 years we had it. That includes servicing and difference in purchase/sale price.

 

[docjames]

Do some research into State Gov car auctions.

.

Which auction house(s) do you "recommend"??

 

[medhead]

Which auction house(s) do you "recommend"??

I think most government car auctions are contracted to Pickles now. It was good when the QLD public trustee ran the government car auction. They let you start the cars during inspection days. All of the ex-police vehicles had a clunk when move the transmission between drive and reverse. Another sign they've had a hard life. Taxi operators also like the ex-government vehicles.

 

[medhead]

Anyone aware of information designed for children to warn about the dangers/methods of online predators?

 

[marki]

Anyone aware of information designed for children to warn about the dangers/methods of online predators?

Please keep me informed this might be useful !

 

[penegal]

Off Grid - battery storage on ABC 'Catalyst' now (SE Coast) ... finding it fascinating ...

I will have to iView it later

 

[penegal]

Exactly why Im no longer required :-| My area of expertise is molecular ecology...governments arent too keen on funding conservation projects.

Climate Change was a fad of the moment.

The Labor party rolled the dice on Copenhagen and lost - Now we can pollute the world and nobody minds. A good outcome for all.


(For those without a sense of humour, this post may be a joke).

Yeah well, mine was sustainability in mining and engineering. Mining industry is in the toilet and among the first people to be fired when the job crunch came down was anyone to do with environment.

Um, that's not really true.

We don't live in Angola. Sustainability and environmental impact is a huge concern taken very seriously by Australian mining companies. As someone "in the industry" I am surprised you would say this.

 

[penegal]

Which auction house(s) do you "recommend"??

Manheim Fowles and Pickles down here. Lots of ex-fleet cars.

 

[RAM]

Which auction house(s) do you "recommend"??

Each State Gov uses different auction houses but the product you're buying is the same.

A quick google search soon reveals which auction houses are involved.

As the op was in Qld:

[h=3]Government and Fleet Vehicles - Pickles Auctions[/h]www.pickles.com.au/en_US/cars/auction/-/auctiondetails/.../450000000


... as Brisbane's leading government, local government and fleet vehicle auction. Held every Monday on behalf of QLD Rail, Blue Care, Energex, Ergon Energy, ...



[h=3]Government Auctions - Buying at Auction[/h]www.governmentauctions.com.au/buying.aspx?State=QLD




Buying a quality government owned vehicle has never been easier! ... catalogue for the upcoming Government Vehicle Auction at your local Auction Complex. ... You will need to take the following with the vehicle to a Queensland Transport ...

 

[blackcat20]

Climate Change was a fad of the moment.

The Labor party rolled the dice on Copenhagen and lost - Now we can pollute the world and nobody minds. A good outcome for all.

My former supervisor was called in as an expert for a panel on a very endangered species in VIC; they took down all advice, then turned around and ignored the lot, and did nothing. All show and no action, and they wonder why species are vanishing as such an astonishing rate.

 

[medhead]

r those without a sense of humour, this post may be a joke).
Um, that's not really true.

We don't live in Angola. Sustainability and environmental impact is a huge concern taken very seriously by Australian mining companies. As someone "in the industry" I am surprised you would say this.

Glad you wrote not really true. The range of environmental programs could be reduced to the absolute minimum - i.e. mandated monitoring only. Which would mean cutting environment related jobs.

 

[penegal]

Glad you wrote not really true. The range of environmental programs could be reduced to the absolute minimum - i.e. mandated monitoring only. Which would mean cutting environment related jobs.

Don't underestimate how much the "big" mining companies care about HSEC. In most cases it is placed as a higher priority than profit and shareholder returns.

Of course the corporation-bashing newspapers never want to report this, so all mining companies are inherently evil, despite all the people of the world benefiting from the commodities they "produce", and economic benefit the create.

 

[JohnK]

How much time do we waste and does it matter?

Just missed the train and now waiting for next train. Could have been at work so I can go home earlier and try to relax.

 

[anat0l]

Don't underestimate how much the "big" mining companies care about HSEC. In most cases it is placed as a higher priority than profit and shareholder returns.

Of course the corporation-bashing newspapers never want to report this, so all mining companies are inherently evil, despite all the people of the world benefiting from the commodities they "produce", and economic benefit the create.

The S part I can believe and a lot has been spearheaded by the industry. This was significantly an economic issue as well; companies could not literally afford to keep on being complacent on safety. Going beyond legislation and even self-legislating is quite noticeable in the safety arena.

The H part is somewhat tied to the previous and also sits relatively well, though it has still some shortfalls when it comes to the that of the communities that operations affect. Some of those issues are tied up in legacies which didn't really reveal the extent until now (when most of those who were responsible for those "unhealthy" or what not practices - including government ministers who endorsed such practices - have either moved on, retired or died).

The E part, for most, is still mired in the space of just meeting regulation or regulatory requirements. That is not to say that some companies / operations go further than that to create value, but it is not commonplace. This also goes for what mining companies do when it comes to closure planning. There is just meeting requirements and then there is creating value.

Having been able to get an inside view of many mining operations and their approaches to the environment, I know that there is still a long way to go before it is acceptable to think that mining companies are taking their environmental obligations beyond that which is just required of them. Either that, or there is still a large disconnect between the management and operations levels of companies where stances expressed and actual ground actions are not in sync.

 

[medhead]

Don't underestimate how much the "big" mining companies care about HSEC. In most cases it is placed as a higher priority than profit and shareholder returns.

Of course the corporation-bashing newspapers never want to report this, so all mining companies are inherently evil, despite all the people of the world benefiting from the commodities they "produce", and economic benefit the create.

I'm definitely not underestimating their interest. I've seen it first hand. But there are non-core environment programs that can and have been cut. I have a bit of a list, but best not put those in public.

The E part, for most, is still mired in the space of just meeting regulation or regulatory requirements. That is not to say that some companies / operations go further than that to create value, but it is not commonplace. This also goes for what mining companies do when it comes to closure planning. There is just meeting requirements and then there is creating value.

Having been able to get an inside view of many mining operations and their approaches to the environment, I know that there is still a long way to go before it is acceptable to think that mining companies are taking their environmental obligations beyond that which is just required of them. Either that, or there is still a large disconnect between the management and operations levels of companies where stances expressed and actual ground actions are not in sync.

I'm kind of getting at this point. Plenty of generally good programs will happen when times are good. With a down turn the focus might turn back to achieving regulatory requirements only.

 

[anat0l]

I'm kind of getting at this point. Plenty of generally good programs will happen when times are good. With a down turn the focus might turn back to achieving regulatory requirements only.

That's definitely something. But also since a lot of the environmental value can be instilled or is required to be thought about at the planning stage (rather than during operations), when capital projects get shut then the environmental budget essentially takes a large cut, too. With it go many of the environmental staff, from bug counters to environmental engineers.

When you have a government which acts like the example given by blackcat20, that's a classic blind leading blind situation. If companies are truly concerned about their environmental impact and stewardship, one would take a more serious view than a government in that situation. In some respects, it does happen, and not just in jurisdictions where the government has almost no environmental scruples.

 

[medhead]

That's definitely something. But also since a lot of the environmental value can be instilled or is required to be thought about at the planning stage (rather than during operations), when capital projects get shut then the environmental budget essentially takes a large cut, too. With it go many of the environmental staff, from bug counters to environmental engineers.

When you have a government which acts like the example given by blackcat20, that's a classic blind leading blind situation. If companies are truly concerned about their environmental impact and stewardship, one would take a more serious view than a government in that situation. In some respects, it does happen, and not just in jurisdictions where the government has almost no environmental scruples.

I'm not sure about the scruples aspect. IME companies have a whole range of very dedicated people who honestly try to achieve the best possible outcome. That tailings dam in Brazil, notwithstanding.

Agreed about planning, as you say if there are no capital projects then there is no work...