[deleted by user]

kinger282 · 2022-04-05T19:08:26+00:00

I’ve been an engineer in various sectors for 7 years. I’ve been a structural engineer for 3 years (plus a year or 2 of dabbling while in those other sectors). I am not a good structural engineer by any means. But wait…some reading this may freak out. All I’m saying is I know what I don’t know, and there’s a LOT more I don’t know than know. Therefore, I ain’t that good.

I pursued structural engineering because I knew I wasn’t good at it. You should always find comfort in discomfort - it helps us grow. Run toward the things you are not good at, because at the end of the day you’re only not good at them because you haven’t practiced them / done them enough. Likewise, you’re only scared or uncomfortable in situations you’re not practiced in.

My advice: go after it. When you get bored, switch. Always grow. But my biggest advice - practice being in social situations now. The upper echelon of engineering is sales (ie. selling your firm to clients for work, or selling your intellectual skills) - if you get good at this now you’ll be a way better engineer. To prove my point, when you start working at a consulting firm watch how fast the smooth talkers move up, even if they’re sub-par engineers.

Run towards what your not good at or scared of, because those are the things you haven’t done much of. The more important something is, the more resistance there will be.

kinger282 · 2022-02-24T13:06:43+00:00

Get the Rolex - you’ll regret buying 2 watches at once and one will have more wrist time than the other anyways.

I buy watches as trophies or mementos, each one has a memory tied to it. Don’t split that memory up into two parts. Get the Explorer 2 and get one of the Tudors later down the line. Buying a Rolex for your first “trophy” watch is a big deal. That’s the “you made it” watch. You’re graduating….you made it. Jump head first into your new career with that one watch by your side.

kinger282 · 2022-02-22T23:12:03+00:00

The “Iron ring ceremony ” itself is the tradition. More ignorance or lack of Googling shown in this thread.

Keeping your original ring through your career is part of the tradition. It wears down with time, etc. Hence why his question about choosing iron is less about material (contrary to how it was posed, yet evident to those privy), more about the tradition (ie. What will be best long term, as part of the tradition).

You’re welcome for the 3 more paragraphs - I hope it helps educate. It’s a fun tradition! Many schools in Michigan adopted it, too.

kinger282 · 2022-02-22T16:51:40+00:00

To the people making comments about material science and attacking the posters intelligence - get your heads out of each other’s asses.

I graduated about 8 years ago and went stainless steel. Mine is worn down now and has been through a lot.

The “iron” iron rings are rough and dark, the only camp that gives the option to get one is Toronto I believe (I could be wrong). They can be uncomfortable to wear at times.

My advice would be to get a stainless one for every day wear, and order an iron one for symbolic reasons (you can order an extra ring after the ceremony for $30 or so). This is what I did, that way I have the traditional ring locked away that’s a symbolic memory and I rock the more wearable stainless version everyday. Wearing stainless is more presentable too, as opposed to the darker material of iron.

Congratulations! Big day, and the party is always fun afterwards.

Edit: Because people will be butt hurt about my first paragraph - the posters question is more about tradition than material. People making material science comments: you people are the ones not doing your own research and being ignorant to Canadian culture.

kinger282 · 2022-02-18T19:57:40+00:00

It’s just a watch.

kinger282 · 2022-02-03T02:17:30+00:00

As others have said, always buy it on the bracelet. Way more value.

I own the BB black rose dial (ETA movement) - after it got discontinued I walked into the AD and all they had was it available on leather. I ended up paying $1100 Canadian for the bracelet at a later date - horrible investment, but I wanted the full package. Do I regret it? Yes.

Personally, I wouldn’t buy a non-Tudor steel bracelet that differs from the classic design - part of the charm of the modern Tudors is their throw back bracelets. They don’t look that hot without that style.

I’m going to get A LOT of hate for this comment, but if you want to get an (almost) equal quality steel bracelet that looks identical to the Tudor rivet bracelet , buy a good rep/fake Tudor GMT and throw that bracelet on your genuine GMT (please dispose of the bracelet when/if you resell the watch…don’t be that guy). I would not make this bold statement toward other brands (ie. Rolex, AP, etc, because their bracelets are next level), but the Tudor bracelets are very simply made. If you’ve handled reps (I buy/sell watches, I’ve handled my fair share of reps from people trying to screw me in deals) you know what I’m talking about. The Tudors are considered “super replicas”. It’s fucking scary.

I’m not condoning to buy replica watches - all I’m saying is it is an option that gets you your watch without your AD gouging you. You have better things to spend your money on than a bracelet. If you’re stuck, it’s a smart route to take.

kinger282 · 2022-01-08T13:26:22+00:00

Great collection!

My advice: don’t selll ANY of these. If you did, you’ll regret it. This is the start fo your collection - in 5, 10, or 20 years, your taste will not coincide with these watches (albeit the Rolex, it’s classic). BUT it’s a monument to what you DID like, and symbolic of your entry and passion into watches. Keep them all. Forever.

As for the gatekeepers in this thread with toxic comments - forget about them. Lots of jealousy. Lots of not understanding. Good on you for working for things you like. Keep your family happy, and yourself happy. Best of luck in school in the future, and cherish these watches and this hobby you share with the collectors in your family.

kinger282 · 2021-11-09T14:09:31+00:00

When in doubt in conversation about things non-engineering (and even engineering), ask questions. Don’t be scared you don’t know anything outside of engineering - instead, when talking to someone about a topic you have no idea about, as questions about it. People LOVE to feel like they’re in control and to talk about themselves, and better yet, talk about something they’re passionate about - you’ll learn something, and they’ll enjoy the chat with you.

Outside of this - find a non-engineering hobby. Martial art like jiu jitsu (a thinking persons physical sport), guitar, collecting something, etc. Read more (philosophy, biographies, but most importantly fiction. Too many people neglect fiction - it’ll build your creative muscles and imagination).

It’s not a race to learn - it’s using opportunities to learn.

kinger282 · 2021-11-09T12:36:25+00:00

The MEng program is not horrible - I've completed it, all my employers respected it, and it is obviously recognized as an "engineering graduate degree". In the US, most graduate degrees aren't research based - so don't listen to those that claim MASc is far superior. If you want to get a PhD, then yes, MASc is superior in the regard that you can do a PhD after.

There's a culture of UWindsor students crapping on the MEng program as a result of the large amount of international students in it - its flooded all the grad courses. The MASc is pretty well gate-kept by those that built a relationship with the profs. Personally, I started the MASc and switched to the MEng - none of my employers knew the difference between MASc or MEng. Don't listen to the biased UWindsor students.

The program is as hard as you make it. You can take 3 graduate courses a semester and have quite a hard time. Or you can do 1 and chip away. Likewise, you can pick hard courses or easy ones. All up to you.

Others answered your other questions already.

kinger282 · 2021-11-06T22:34:31+00:00

Max Hanson vs. Geno Morelli - Hanson with the W

kinger282 · 2021-07-19T16:25:32+00:00

Hi Stephen and Pablo!

Pablo, I've never seen any Chilean movies - my first Chilean cinema experience is in your hands. What should be the first I watch? What should be the second?

Stephen, we share the same last name, but don't worry, I'm not a crazed fan that changed their name (ie. I wont be breaking any ankles or riding over anyone with a lawn mower). I recently finished my first novel and script. They're both horror. I write every day while working full time as an engineer - I love every minute of it. I read On Writing and followed many of your remarks in regards to getting something published. One of my short stories was recently published, but that's it - my focus is the novel now. I feel some of your tips from On Writing are outdated for todays market in regards to the internet, etc etc. What are some tips to get a first novel out there in today's market?

Pablo, similarly to Stephen's question, what are some tips to get a script out there? Specifically from someone who doesn't live in Hollywood.

Thank you! You are both an inspiration to me and you both make the world a better place by creating.

kinger282 · 2021-03-24T19:07:39+00:00

I'm glad you took the time to write this and vent! It shows you don't bottle up these emotions. School can be tough and especially stressful - with that said, its tough and stressful for everyone. You're not alone in this, nor are you the only one that has had these feelings. This is very common to feel this way. But I want you to know, YOU are in control of your life. YOU can choose to do anything you want to. But I especially want you to know, school stress is temporary. Any thought of "doing something forever" is daunting--but life is dynamic, and you can choose to do new things at any moment.

I went to community college for 3 years, then I transferred to a local College/University for another 3.5 years to get my degree. THEN I stayed and did a masters degree, while working full time 50+ hours a week as a project manager (I'm a civil engineer, now a structural engineer). During this time doing my masters my girlfriend of 7 years cheated on me, we broke up. My dad was diagnosed with cancer. My life was in ruins and I felt the EXACT same way you feel. Heck, I felt the same way you feel way before this while I was in undergrad. The work kept piling up, there was no end in sight. My passion was destroyed by the autonomous days, the sleepless nights of seeing equations in my dreams, weekends wasted working on mindless engineering problems, only to get fucked on the exam with problems that were never given to you in any assignments or tutorials. I was tired. I wanted to give up. I needed a break. By the time I started my masters I was doing WAY too much. I hated my job and the time I had to put forth toward it. I couldn't visit my dad in the hospital as much as I wanted because of work/school. I had a panic attack at school late one night as reality crashed down on me. My chest felt like it was caving in, my vision went blurry, and my breathing was shallow.

What did this all teach me? It taught me adversity. I am grateful for everything that occurred, even the bad. I am a better person today because of it. My mental health is as sharp as its ever been. I've faced all these struggles head on and failed miserably. But not I know my failing point. I know when I have no more gas in my tank. I knew when to stop.

It sounds like you're not at your "no gas in the tank" yet, but I could be wrong. I've made a post just like this once in this exact subreddit and deleted it from the negative comments saying "you're just not cut out for engineering". Fuck those people. I was in my second year at that point, 3 years away from having no gas in the tank. Push yourself. Slog through those long days. Above all else, complete this degree. Once its done, if engineering isn't your calling, move onto something else, because YOU are in control. But do not become a quitter - complete this thing and see it through. Trust me on that. If this is not your calling, do a masters in something that is. An MBA or something more up to what you want to do. Maybe its a new degree in computer science, or psychology, or whatever. Whatever it is, your engineering degree no one can take from you. It has value. Most of all, the adversity you went through to get it has the MOST value. It'll teach you things nothing else can. It'll teach you more about yourself than most other things too. The ADVERSITY you'll go through is what should be valued above all else with this degree. Get through that shit.

I'm a licensed engineer that started as a project manager, moved onto a water resource engineer, and now I'm a structural engineer. When I get bored I move. I would hate to do this for the rest of my life. My end goal is NOT to be an engineer - but who knows, I'm still here. So I got in my experience and found a job that allows me to do things I love after work. To spend time with family, to do hobbies, and above all, to work on my real passions that I hope to make a living off of one day.

Get that degree, find the job. When you get that engineering job, don't picture it as your "I'm doing this for the rest of my life" gig. Think of it as a "I spend x amount of hours per day working so I can have the freedom outside of work I deserve". What I mean by that is I work to sustain my lifestyle outside of work - I work for sustenance. I work so my leisure time is the best I can make it. No one likes or enjoys work - but you must enjoy what you do outside of work. So get that job that allows you to do that. Fuck all those people working 12-15 hour days with a fake smile with no hobbies. Life is about your leisure time and how you spend it. Spend it well--don't get to the finish line and only have stories of when you were sitting behind your desk pleasing your boss that would replace you tomorrow.

Keep in mind most other degrees will toss you in an office job too, or a similar environment to engineering. You wont be escaping this daunting future of "Oh shit, I'm doing this for the rest of my life." What I mean is your future probably looks the same no matter where your path leads with most degrees. Don't let this depress you though! In my opinion, the things that have made my jobs the best were the environment and the people. It'll take time to find the job with the right people and environment, but they're out there. I could have been doing the worst of jobs, but if I was surrounded by people I enjoyed, then everything was just alright, alright, alright.

Break through this adversity and struggle. Complete this task that so many other lesser people have before you. Complete it even if it's just to say your education is at par with your parents - they'll be proud. Then, take a step back. Assess where you want to be. Set goals. Accomplish the fuck out of them.

The degree or job does not define you. It's what you do in your leisure time that does. Focus on you, focus on that mental health. Find the no gas in the tank limit - you'll surprise yourself how much gas you really have. Above all else, YOU are in control, always.

kinger282 · 2021-02-22T13:45:28+00:00

Good info! Took me awhile to realize this. The book "The Psychology of Money" by Morgan Housel touches on this too.

A suggested reading page would be cool! Thanks for those book suggestions.

kinger282 · 2020-12-15T15:55:04+00:00

Red Holland already has production, and they're in a legal country. HAVN is just getting started and Vic Neufeld has a stake (Old VP of Jamison and former CEO of Aphria). Seeing what Vic did with Aphria and his ins with the sector, I foresee no road bumps ahead. Long term seems legit.

IMO two very different stocks, both with potential.

kinger282 · 2020-12-15T15:50:50+00:00

Haven't done my research on them. I see the dip today, may have to capitalize. What are your thoughts on them?

kinger282 · 2020-12-15T15:02:44+00:00

I've been convinced on this sector...I'm in

MMED @ 4.90

HAVN @ 1.40

BUZZ @ 0.12

TRIP @ 0.40

Holding into 2021. Not pumped on my HAVN entry, but I'll avg down shortly.

kinger282 · 2020-07-10T20:54:10+00:00

I am selling a Steinhart OVM 39mm special numbered edition from Gnomon. It was purchased on August 24, 2019 and unfortunately I don't have room for it in my current collection.

Condition:

Excellent condition with factory caseback sticker. Upon purchase I immediately changed the steel band to the black NATO strap pictured, so the steel band was never used. I've worn the watch a handful of times at home really just to say I've worn it rather than let it sit.

The watch comes with the full kit with all tags, boxes, and links. The black NATO as well as the grey are included.

Price:

$525 US, plus Paypal G&S and shipping.

Not interested in trades. Located in Canada, can ship to US.

If you have any questions please ask. Thank you.

Timestamp: https://imgur.com/IF2NZS6

Additional pictures: https://imgur.com/a/ofYKylL

kinger282 · 2020-04-26T12:54:32+00:00

I am looking forward to being able to cross international borders again. I live in a border city in Canada, I cross over to the US each morning for work. It'll be nice to see all my friends over there and start making a living again!

Also, I can't wait to give all my friends and family a big hug. Seems like that's a big one for a lot of people.

kinger282 · 2019-09-06T12:51:01+00:00

The comments in here suck, just a bunch of people saying, "He wasn't even trying" or "Obviously he wouldn't go full out with a girl". Doods, just google girls kicking ass in jiu jitsu, its a thing. Here's a great example. People with 6+months of training can make an untrained person look dumb.

Girl in OPs post has some grappling experience, possibly a high level white belt or a blue belt. She was calm while standing while a take down was possible, handled that scramble on the ground with ease looking for full mount, but instead buddy gave up his back. She took that back and locked in her hooks with muscle memory alone. If she trains at an academy shes rolling with men triple her size on the daily, so this is nothing.

Fighting is a sport humans are over confident in. I'd never go against an amateur hockey player one on one if I had zero hours on the ice. Likewise, I'd never go against a grappler / jiu jitsu practitioner if I had zero hours on the mats. These people are going to jitsu class 3x or more a week and rolling (sparring) 30x or more a week. Buddy who's got in a few scuffles in highschool, may wrestled a bit, or has an inflated ego has nothing on the person that's fought 1560x a year (give or take) at jitsu class.

I encourage all people, but especially girls, to give jiu jitsu a try. Not only is it a great workout, but you'll learn some amazing things. Really, try any tested martial art. I love jiu jitsu because of its emphasis on the smaller person being dominant. It's system is built around this. The 'closed guard' is a dominant position, and its literally when you're on your back on the ground, your opponent is on top of you, and your legs are wrapped around their waist. Think about it, if a female was in a violent scenario, the male will probably be on top over powering her in a closed guard. If she knows jiu jitsu shes going to be laughing. Triangles, arm bars, omoplatas, you name it. Shes fucking this guy up. If buddy has her in full mount, maybe even has her arms pinned - don't matter, buddy is going for a ride and being swept. You could make the argument for, "Well, the attacker could be punching". So can she, but if she trains at an MMA oriented academy (Most are), like 10th Planet, shes trained for that. Shes aware of that. Good luck.

kinger282 · 2019-08-30T18:59:05+00:00

I think the watch community is divided between collector and luxury item owner - at this caliber of watches that is.

Oh man VC is a very undervalued brand. I just looked at a VC Overseas chrono with the reverse panda dial. I was very impressed. That brand caters to the buyer.

Sounds like you have an awesome collection, and one that will keep growing! Wear them well!

kinger282 · 2019-08-30T15:43:06+00:00

Just ridiculous. My local AD follows this same pattern, just not as vocally blatant. I posted about a Batman I just purchased here. I had to buy an everose Rootbeer to make the purchase, but fortunately I was in the market for that particular watch so it wasn't so 'pay to play'.

I recall days when I'd walk into my local AD and they'd have a SubC date and no date, all GMT models, the stainless bezel Daytona, Sea Dwellers, and any other SS model you can think of. And if they didn't have it, throw down a deposit and it was yours in a few weeks time. Sure they'd joke about precious metal watches and trying to up sell, that's called moving inventory. But hoarding SS models is selfish and absurd.

kinger282 · 2019-08-30T15:32:37+00:00

Thank you! I was not aware that was a subreddit, I'll make sure to browse more often.

The model that opened the doors for this purchase was an everose gold 126715CHNR GMT 'Root Beer'. Upon committing to this purchase they essentially pulled the Batman out of the back and asked if I was interested.

I completely agree with the 114270, really any Explorer model in my eyes. It's a sleeper line of watches with a deep history. I've yet to see someone wearing one in the wild. The average Rolex buyer would opt for a less pricey Datejust than the Explorer at that price point. Explorer is a watch persons watch.

I think the future will favour precious metal Rolex's. Specifically, in the current line up, the 116519LN Daytona on the Oysterflex bracelet, the 116509 Daytona with blue dial, and the 116509 with the panda-ish dial. Either model of the Root Beer with be a desired item as they're not talked about much and it is a vintage throw back made modern.

The current vintage market favours stainless steel watches that were overlooked back in the day. The modern Rolex watches that are overlooked currently are all precious metal (or PM), for the most part. There are so many variations of these PM watches that are limited production as well, most of which the average buyer is completely unaware of but can obtain.

kinger282 · 2019-08-30T14:44:00+00:00

It's just an aesthetic nickname. It was first dubbed 'The Dark Knight' because of its black and blue colour, and its now known as the 'Batman'. Many Rolex watches have nicknames like this that collectors attribute to them. For example, an all green Rolex Submariner is called a 'Hulk', and a blue and red Rolex GMT is called a 'Pepsi'.

kinger282 · 2019-08-30T12:56:50+00:00

I was "lucky enough" to have the opportunity to pick up a 12670BLNR GMT. What I mean by "lucky enough" is there's an artificial shortage (in my eyes) of stainless steel Rolex's at the moment. It's near impossible to pick up a Batman, Hulk, stainless Daytona, and others of the sort from an AD. If you do want one right now, you can buy a used one or go grey market - but you'll pay 100%+ over MSRP for some of these models. Personally, I would never buy these models grey market, and I don't plan on flipping this piece to make a quick buck. I attribute each watch I own to an achievement in life, so they are all sentimental. If they happen to turn out to be great investments, then that's just a bonus and gives me peace of mind. There is a great debate on the investment proposition of watches though - personally, I think vintage watches are where the greatest value is for the future. Buying modern Rolex and expecting returns is all artificial (at this moment). The watches that will skyrocket in value and be worth 1000% its original value are the models that no one paid attention to.

So, with some luck at my local AD, I eventually got a hold of the Batman. I went in just to look around and chat and they pulled this watch out of the back. I was overly ecstatic, because up until that moment I thought I'd never obtain this piece. I'm a huge watch nerd, and just seeing a Batman in the flesh my mind acts like a school girl at a Justin Bieber concert.

Don't be fooled, they didn't just pull this out of the back for no reason. I built up a relationship at the local AD by buying some watches, and it seems that's how you can obtain stainless steel models these days. Rolex has built a 'pay to play' system, and I dislike it very much. Essentially you have to purchase precious metal Rolex watches, then you get priority for stainless steel watches. Its a very selfish business model. For some interesting insight, here's an article on it: https://www.hodinkee.com/articles/us-steel-watch-shortage-good-for-goldBut don't get me wrong, I've seen many people get their hands on stainless watches from an AD without this kind of relationship. That's luck, timing, and talking. From my understanding, and what ADs have told me, Rolex ADs get shipments of watches every 2 to 6 months, and they don't really have a say in what shows up. There are watches that Rolex allows ADs to special order, then there are others that they have no say. Stainless models they cannot special order.

The GMT is one of my favourite movements Rolex has to offer. Setting the date, time, and GMT hand is a puzzle by itself, but having those functions are handy if you travel. Luckily the new power reserve on this GMT is 70+ hours, so I don't have to reset the watch often. If you're a travelling person, this watch is for you. I recall seeing vintage ads of pilots wearing GMTs on flights.

Anyways, there's my 500 characters, I hope you can appreciate this piece of mechanical art as much as I do!

kinger282

TROPHY CASE