The Burgh of Pitts

That's right, I went to Pittsburgh last week for the National Society of Black Engineers annual national conference.  The format was similar to last year with two days spent recruiting at the career fair there.  Here are the highlights:

1. It was a road trip in some ways.  We chartered a bus out there, so we had 12 hours of together time on the bus with Orv, our driver.  Orv was very structured, and he knew the really nice rest stops that were almost exactly four hours into the trip (both ways).
2. Watched the movies "Office Space" and "Anchorman" on the bus ride out there with my colleagues.  I had forgotten some of the funny things in the movie "Office Space", but I also had forgotten how much swearing was included.  "B-b-b-b-but I was t-t-t-told that I cou-cou-cou-could play it at a reasonable volume."  I had never seen "Anchorman" before.  It wasn't terrible, but I don't think I need to see it again.  I finally learned that's the source of the "I'm kind of a big deal" saying.
3. I used to give people the benefit of the doubt and assumed that most people paid attention during their engineering classes.  However, the more I go to these career fairs, the less I take for granted.  It disappoints me every time how many proclaimed electrical engineering students (and graduates) are not able to solve a basic electrical circuit that involves two resistors.
4. Seeing and catching up with an "old" friend (Suz) from my ND days.  We were only able to get together for a couple hours, but it was still nice.  Sorry, no pictures were taken.
5. Good eatin':  Breakfast buffet at the hotel (including bacon!), hibachi grill, Hard Rock Cafe, and a trendy bistro with a buffet.  Let's not discuss what was eaten for lunch.
6. Pittsburgh scenery - I really like all the metal bridges over the rivers there.  Did you know that Pittsburgh is where the Allegheny and Monongahela rivers meet to form the Ohio River?  I was expecting it to look very industrial-like, but it wasn't quite like expected, and the town has some very good character.  I recommend a visit to the town of "meds and eds".
7. I learned some things about African American culture.
• Dry skin that you don't take care of is called "ash".
• Black people are almost always guaranteed to have lotion handy.
• If you don't see at least a little bit of ash on a person's hands, don't completely trust them because it probably means they don't wash their hands after they go to the bathroom.
• Doing all those little braids can take hours to do, but then they can last for months if they're quality workmanship.
8. Having some good debates and discussion on the ride home about work, philosophy, management styles and how to be effective, etc.  I much prefer that type of thing rather than going out to party on the town.
9. Getting some good laughs from one of the guys who always has some insightful yet unique analogies.  For example, he likened management skills to being a farmer.  If you're not cultivating your people, they won't be yielding their full potential, and you won't be getting the full benefit that could be yours.
10. My co-workers' passion for helping others improve.  I appreciate how they would coach people who needed some assistance in life skills.  If someone came by or interviewed and it was obvious they needed some advice to be more successful, they would give it in a tactful manner.
11. Year-round, your professional sports team colors are the same:  Black and gold.  Penguins, Pirates, and Steelers.
12. Due to its challenging geography, Pittsburgh still has a lot of community feel despite some of its big city traffic.
13. Taking a ride to the top of the bluff looking out over Pittsburgh in the funicular railway (kind of like a cable car on a slope).  They call it the incline.

I think that's enough - I like to end on a lucky number.  Have you noticed how my "bullet points" have recently become more like "bullet paragraphs"?  I need to start working on my conciseness again.  Here's a couple pictures I took.  Unfortunately, I neglected to take any pictures of people.

Pittsburgh Skyline

Said "da-cane" - a cool old cable car thing that we took a ride in.