Inside The Mind Of A Critic

[Garland Bayley]

As a side note. My job title has the word engineer in it. However, I consider the work I do to be artistic, not engineered.

[JESII]

You have a negative connotation of the word "engineer"...that explains the lack of your usual clarity on this topic...

[Garland Bayley]

You have a negative connotation of the word "engineer"...that explains the lack of your usual clarity on this topic...

How could you conclude I have a negative connotation of the word engineer? Are you an engineer? I probably have a much more negative feeling about what you are professionally than I have about engineer. For me, achieving the title of engineer was a big step up from what we used to be known as.

[JESII]

A - I was completely joking, in an effort to end the discussion.

B - It occurred to me from your use of "engineered" in the post immediately prior. I wouldn't have said it other than as a needle to get you off point.

Seriously though, I meant no offense and am happy to agree to disagree on this.

[Garland Bayley]

I think since Tom made an extensive study of golf courses, he internalized the sense of proportion and harmony that he speaks of. It did not come from any engineering study that he may have made.

If I were to use the scientific foundations for the area that I work in, I would produce just what he said, "things that are often ugly to look at". In my work I make no conscious effort to apply science, but instead rely on the abilities that are inherent in my make up.

However, just as Tom says about mathematical underpinnings being there in his results, you can also find the mathematical underpinnings in my results too.

[Norbert P]

  Warning!!!

   An old joke . . .

  What do engineers use for contraception?



















  Their personalities.

   

 It's just a joke!

[Garland Bayley]

That's it Slag, I'm taking you off my speed dial list!

[Sean_A]

You have to score 28 or higher to join Golf Club Atlas.

Good thing I got in on the ground floor.

Wow - I scored 28 - a huge surprise.  I know I have issues, but nothing that I would consider serious or in anyway a hinderance to carrying on with life.  I wonder about the validity of this quickie.

Ciao

That's why I don't place a lot of stock in tests like this. Half the questions, I was thinking, none of the above. I hate "best fit" responses, reminds me of political polling.

George

I spent several years as a special ed teacher.  One of the reasons I got out was the due to the eagerness of educators and parents to label their kids with vague disorders such as emotionally impaired, dyslexic and learning disabled (ie - we don't know what is wrong only that it is wrong).  I often believed it was just a ploy to drug kids up to keep them quiet.  This isn't so bad if you were to actually experience what some of these kids do in school, but so many times this last form of treatment was used before real behavioral programs were put in place and believe it or not, not in conjuction with a well designed behavioral program.  It was a very disheartening way of doing business and I use the word "business" because that is exactly what it felt like.  In the end, I found I couldn't sign the legal documentation required for some of the kids.  I felt the decision-making was more about how the school functions rather than about the kid - which flies in the face of the concept of an Individualized Education Plan.  A teacher who doesn't play along doesn't last long in this business and there is always another young one on the bottom of the ladder who will follow instructions.  Anyway, believe me, my first questions are what is the validity (all forms of) and reliability of these dandy little tests and those are just starter questions.  Anyway again, Aspergers is one of those labels that is vague and difficult to distinguish from Autism, so I am very skeptical in thinking of it as a disability. 

Ciao

[Steve Lang]

We don't celebrate the work of Tom Doak for his ability to apply science. We celebrate it for his vision in seeing how the game should be played across a landscape.

Garland:

Yes, exactly.  But that vision of how the game should be played across a landscape is a form of engineering, not raw art.  I'm good at math, but I can't draw (or sculpt) a lick.

Engineering is not pure science, of course; the guys who treat it as pure science produce things that are often ugly to look at.  It is a blend of science and art.  But even the artistic part [a good sense of proportion and harmony] can be explained in mathematical terms if you want to.

I have to criticize Tom's engineering definition: " a blend of science and art".   It is science, art, and technology.. with the latter enabling the productivity and at times creativity to its implementation.

[JESII]

Steve,

I don't think anyone would disagree with that, other than to ask...isn't technology itself just a result of science?

[Steve Lang]

Jim,

Easy to think that way, sure, however its the system or the integrated approach used to get something done that counts, with open inputs, not just science..

Origin: Greek tekhnologiā, systematic treatment of an art or craft : tekhnē, skill; see teks- in Indo-European roots + -logiā, -logy

[Bob_Huntley]

 I rather enjoyed reading this as G.B. Shaw rides roughshod in his musical criiticisms:

http://uh.edu/engines/epi532.htm

[JESII]

Steve,

I'll accept that.

[Steve Lang]

I just took that goofy test and got a 15.  That's probably the average for people with hints of both Auspergers and the Irish gift/curse of Blarney....

Shivas you should be happy, BTW i got a 17 and i think it just reinforces why we could bs for 5-10 minutes at kingsley, have some laughs and disengage without issue.. or a second thought and go play..
 

[Garland Bayley]

I just took that goofy test and got a 15.  That's probably the average for people with hints of both Auspergers and the Irish gift/curse of Blarney....

Flunked eh? Off the website with you DS!
Klien stays, Schmidt goes.

[Pete Lavallee]

Although saying I got a 17 might not make Steve and Shivas feel good, it sure makes me feel alot better!

[John Kirk]

...has now identified Brian Sheehy and Ben Sims as exciting new friend possibilities, sending Garland Bayley into a deep funk.

Thanks to Bob Huntley for the amusing and insightful discussion of G.B. Shaw the critic.

[Steve Lang]

Although saying I got a 17 might not make Steve and Shivas feel good, it sure makes me feel alot better!

Hey Pete,

Au contraire mon ami.  You know I'd rather pop the cap on one of your garage home brews and toast our golf experiences and the venues.. than argue over and rank their design nuances.. where will the next match be?



Life is good..

p.s. been to Barona lately?

[Travis Dewire]

My closest friend has been diagnosed with A.S, and he is the hands down the smartest, and most beautiful person that I know. His new found understanding of how his brain operates and how it stores and receives information has been "life changing" for him.

Thanks you so much for sharing John.

[Mike Hendren]

Although saying I got a 17 might not make Steve and Shivas feel good, it sure makes me feel alot better!

With my 16 I'd be happy to join that foursome.

Bogey

[Garland Bayley]

...has now identified Brian Sheehy and Ben Sims as exciting new friend possibilities, sending Garland Bayley into a deep funk.

Thanks to Bob Huntley for the amusing and insightful discussion of G.B. Shaw the critic.

No wonder Ben won't answer my PMs. Maybe I'll have to PM Brian to see if he at least knows what a Dell hole is.

[Travis Dewire]

28 here!!!!!

[Ben Sims]

...has now identified Brian Sheehy and Ben Sims as exciting new friend possibilities, sending Garland Bayley into a deep funk.

Thanks to Bob Huntley for the amusing and insightful discussion of G.B. Shaw the critic.

No wonder Ben won't answer my PMs. Maybe I'll have to PM Brian to see if he at least knows what a Dell hole is.

Sorry.  I'll probably bring down the 33 club.  Ask Wyatt or Colton, they'll tell the truth. 

[John Kirk]

I retook the test and scored 31 this time, versus 30 the first time.  So, the test is pretty consistent from month to month.

To the foursome of Hendren, Lang, Lavallee and Shivas, may I just walk along and observe?

[John Kirk]

...has now identified Brian Sheehy and Ben Sims as exciting new friend possibilities, sending Garland Bayley into a deep funk.

Excellent news! Of course when we meet we will now feel under immense pressure to live up to the "32 and above" characterisation, immediately dispensing with small talk, sticking to one narrow field of conversation (golf related stats) and generally behaving in a weird fashion

I will try to act as if golf related stats fascinate me.  Do you think "Basin Street Blues" by Louis Armstrong is a three or four star song?