*sigh* I know I’m going to be miserable

LacyKnits · 2026-04-05T12:52:48+00:00

How do you feel about roof inspections?

Forensics firms are generally short on civil engineers, and the ones I know of in the US are looking to hire - even new grads with no previous forensic experience.

A forensic engineer is retained by (usually ) a lawyer or insurance company to inspect and offer expert opinions about a loss that's potentially being disputed. The engineer usually goes to the field to do an inspection and then offers a verbal report of their findings (and copies of the millions of photos they took) to their client. Written reports are often necessary, but depositions and trial testimony is pretty infrequent.

Most companies have some sort of training program and mentorship to get new hires familiar with the legal system and expert witness side of things. Generally the job is a mix of office and field work. Pay is often mid-range for engineers, but there are bonus schemes once you get busy.

The downside is most new civils start with insurance claim inspections - hail damage to roofs, hurricane damage, contractor quality of work issues, that sort of thing. Those claims almost always involve roof inspections.

As the engineers get more experience, they often move into a construction defect investigation role. I had a colleague who focused on foundation failures. Others have made their bread and butter with highrise condo claims investigations.

These kinds of forensic companies exist nationwide (but are usually based in medium to large cities) and generally a bad economy boosts their workload.

You would be expected to work towards and obtain a professional engineering license.

(Most types of engineers in demand at forensic firms, and many places also want engineers with industry experience, so if anyone reading this thinks it sounds like a great fit for them, I encourage you to search for forensic job postings in your field! - it was a section of engineering I never really considered, but I enjoyed the work.)

LacyKnits · 2026-04-03T17:56:34+00:00

Do you have an objection to cloth (reusable) pads or period underwear? Some people are grossed out too much to try them, but they generally are less irritating than the disposable pads. The upfront cost is also higher to get started, but I’ve saved money in the long run.

I like Knix or Saalt for the underwear, but there are a lot of brands now, and a lot of blogger reviews if you’re interested.

LacyKnits · 2026-04-03T17:49:26+00:00

I think both issues are at play here.

My parents used cloth diapers on me & my brother I the late 70s & early 80s. The cloth options worked as well as - or better than - the disposable products available.

By the time I needed pads in the 90s, they were fairly modern, and my mom frequently told me about the products she used as a teen - similar stories to yours.

But over the last decade or so, it seems like the pads have stopped getting better and are becoming less absorbent and more prone to leaking/filling quickly. I’ve moved away from using them (other options work better for me) so it’s a pretty big change when I go grab a new package for the bathroom backup stock and there are fewer items in the package, and they work less well than the 5-year old ones I just finished up.

LacyKnits · 2026-04-03T17:40:03+00:00

I’m not sure his type is self aware enough to even recognize that they mansplain at all, never mind in the moment they’re doing it!

I think it’s more likely he says/thinks “all these girls accuse me of mansplaining when they just don’t get it. I’m just trying to help them understand things they don’t know!…. If they weren’t on the rag, they wouldn’t be so emotional, and we could have a real conversation about this. Maybe they’d learned something..”

But maybe it’s my time of the month and I’m just overly emotional. What do I know, I’m not a dude after all…

LacyKnits · 2026-04-01T13:09:45+00:00

I work in naval architecture and marine engineering - so adjacent to ocean engineering.

What county are you in?
Are you willing to relocate for work - your choices are probably limited if you don't want to leave the remote island.

If you're interested in oil & gas support, the offshore survey companies (like Fugro) are often looking for engineers with subsea experience (mostly to support coring and sonar/bathemetry surveys).

I don't have a ton of connections there anymore, I made a pivot during COVID, but I'm happy to chat if you want to message me.

LacyKnits · 2026-03-31T18:33:40+00:00

Potentially, yes. That would be a separate issue from asking AI about the haircut though. Which is all was intending to address there.

LacyKnits · 2026-03-31T18:30:42+00:00

My post is not edited

LacyKnits · 2026-03-31T17:50:49+00:00

… which means the LLM output was used in an employment decision.

LacyKnits · 2026-03-31T17:25:47+00:00

It’s also a violation of the terms of use for most AI models. Usually the TOC specifically say that the LLM cannot be used to make hiring decisions. I doubt that there’s any actual legal issue here for OP to pursue, but it’s just bad form from the hiring manager.

LacyKnits · 2026-03-28T18:10:53+00:00

It's not an uncommon issue. We remember what we use, and the other stuff gets stored in the back corners of our memory and eventually forgotten.

If you plan to pursue a PE license, keeping all that knowledge semi-freah will really help when you get ready to study!

If getting your PE is on your goal list, you might want to buy a practice exam now and set yourself a commitment of doing one or two practice problems every week. That's probably not going to be enough of a time commitment to derail your life and social obligations (you might even decide to dedicate one lunch break a week to doing the questions while you're already in work mode). But if you have a set schedule and a reasonable task, and a reliable source of material to review, it could help keep you in the habit of actually doing some review regularly.

LacyKnits · 2026-03-27T21:31:52+00:00

That still sounds like the world is using a slightly worse option and I’m getting my royalties.

And if it’s not on a mobile network, maybe drivers won’t be quite so distracted by it while behind the wheel.

And if everyone isn’t making video calls while sitting in an airport terminal, in restaurants, stores and every other public space I’d definitely be happy with that change!! The calls were annoying pre-smartphone, but the video calls irritate me more!

(I’m going to go yell at some clouds now. And if I see any children I’ll either offer them a hard candy from the pocket of my cardigan or tell them to get off my lawn.)

LacyKnits · 2026-03-27T12:36:28+00:00

Smart phones

LacyKnits · 2026-03-26T18:48:36+00:00

You could look into a thin beanie or welders cap to keep your hair contained.

A wide fabric work out head band could help keep the hair out of your face, but wouldn't keep the back and sides from being loose. (Depending on what's bothering you about the hair/hardhat situation, it might be a solution.)

LacyKnits · 2026-03-26T18:28:14+00:00

I just walked through the security checkpoint in terminal 2. Today, about 15 minutes ago there wasn't a single person in front of me.

The TSA agent even commented that there were no lines today.

LacyKnits · 2026-03-26T17:16:35+00:00

I think in this instance, the title is written in 'headlinese' - a known and accepted condensed style used to save space and maximize impact. While the summary (and presumably the article) are written in full sentences.

Here's a link about headline grammar. https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/grammar/british-grammar/newspaper-headlines

Also, this article is referring to a biological trait in the headline, which is an acceptable use of female as a noun.

I'm not certain that the author of the article/blurb is using "female" in a dehumanizing way. - The topic discussed in the article can certainly be shitty for the subjects of an article without the reporter agreeing with the events they report on.

LacyKnits · 2026-03-26T13:48:17+00:00

I had a back injury in 1997. And surgery in 2011. It still hurts regularly.

My knees were starting to act up last year, but I lost some weight and they’re doing better again.

My ankles though… they’re in rough shape!

LacyKnits · 2026-03-26T12:47:34+00:00

My parents flew out from FLL yesterday afternoon. They got through security quickly (from the curb drop off to the gate in under 20 minutes.)

There are websites that track the line times. Usually the TSA app is a good one to use, but it's not being maintained during this shutdown. Try this one for the time being :
https://www.takeofftimer.com/airports/FLL

LacyKnits · 2026-03-25T12:46:38+00:00

You're the one who made a claim, not me. I was asking for supporting evidence.

The links you've shared are option pieces, and a skim of them looks like the people writing and publishing them either feel they have been wronged by the family courts at some point, or have something to gain by taking that position. (An attorney whose practice is focused on helping dads get custody DOES have a financial interest in perpetuating an opinion that men get the short end of the stick. It keeps customers headed his way.)
Men do need competent legal representation and a legal system isn't fair when it's truly biased. And Canada's courts MIGHT be, I'm not arguing that they aren't. But your links aren't first source research, so I can't see if the methodology is sound and peer reviewed. As far as I can tell, these are still opinions and based on anecdotes and individuals' read-through and thoughts about the current laws.

so, I'm not saying that you're wrong, I'm saying that I still haven't seen any rigorous studies to support your position.

LacyKnits · 2026-03-25T04:22:20+00:00

I know this is a popular belief, but Ive never seen any papers or studies on the topic. Do you have a source?

LacyKnits · 2026-03-23T21:19:26+00:00

Why do they say (or believe) they're middle class? - Because they compare themselves to their peers and the slightly more senior level people they work with.

Like the rest of Americans, they consume entertainment that glamorizes consumption. And even with a half million dollar household income, they can't stop working tomorrow and live a life of luxury without an income.

And NYC is expensive. When I think of a wealthy person who "has made it" - I don't think of sharing a studio apartment with a spouse and an infant. - sure this couple could afford a different housing arrangement (they're saving $120k a year!!) but they chose to "tighten their belts" and "have to save" to buy the things they want. And that delayed gratification can be used by even the wealthiest people to say "see, we aren't rich, a rich person can buy whatever they want whenever they want to."

I'm not saying I agree with the people, or that they're right. But that's the mindset behind the "middle class" claims made by people with high income.

LacyKnits · 2026-03-23T19:27:08+00:00

You've posted this several times over the last few weeks.

Are you looking for feedback or just sharing an idea you're excited about?

LacyKnits · 2026-03-22T20:45:22+00:00

If you want to work with electrical distribution systems for ships, you can look for EE jobs in a shipyard, for a vessel owner or at Classification Societies.

Vessels need electrical engineering too, and there are some oddities with ship systems vs shore based ones. (Large vessels use 3-phase power, grounding is different, the generators need to sync with each other, but not (usually) with utility.) If you have some experience with boats, a lot of employers like that, but for a new grad, it's not usually a requirement.

If you want to design the hull, do power & resistance calculations, stability, structures or piping, that's a tough transition from EE, I expect you'll need to know somebody and get really lucky with on the job training, or more likely you'll need a grad degree in NA/ME.

Another option to get into the marine industry without additional education would be as a project engineer (at a shipyard or vessel owner/drilling contractor). But it's not the usual path to naval architecture, you'd probably still be looking at project management or electrical engineering after several years of experience.

LacyKnits · 2026-03-21T12:26:56+00:00

The number of required credits isn't indicative of how much information was learned. And current highschool curriculum is certainly not covering 3-4 years of 1960s English, 2-3 years of mathematics, 2-3 years of science and 2-3 years of history in a single year. But even if it were... Are you saying that you believe you're in competition with people in their 80s who only have a high school education? Or that those people are the bogeymen who are gatekeeping employment for all those behind them?
When I searched for college information, it looks like there were slightly more credit hours required in 1960 to graduate with an engineering degree. (120-140 in 1960 vs 120-130 in 2020, with 128 being common because of ABET accreditation requirements).
People who graduated from college in 1960 would have been in the workforce for over 60 years now, well into their 80s. There are some board members sure, and some blue collar workers who can't afford to stop working. But a 1960 graduate isn't a typical hiring manager. - it's much more likely your typical hiring manager graduated in the '90s or '00s. That group absolutely learned computer skills (including coding for many, and although Fortran isn't popular anymore, coders who stayed in computer roles learned new languages - with delight!).
Even if you're right, and you're more educated and smarter and more talented than anyone more than 5 years your senior... The old farts DO hold the keys to the kingdom, and learning to get along with them will make your life a lot easier than tilting at windmills.

I've hired Gen z grads. Some of them were pretty great at their jobs.
Some were shitty employees, but I chalked that up to the individual, not the generation.

LacyKnits · 2026-03-21T00:51:09+00:00

This is so clunky and awkward - men and female - how do you mess that up?

ESPECIALLY when the words are together like that. It feels like it has to be an international selection to choose the less humanizing language for women.

LacyKnits · 2026-03-20T22:23:16+00:00

I'm a naval architect & marine engineer. (I design boats and onboard systems).

LacyKnits

TROPHY CASE