I hope you got some coins for that.

Nope

I taught some students how to spin a few years ago. I was lousy on the wheel so I made drop spindles and did OK. I need to learn how to can. We canned everything we could when I was a kid.

This is my all time favorite set up of an interferometer.

[ligo.caltech.edu]

@kensmile4u I studied optical engineering. It was one of my favorite projects.

Could you please tell me what you mean by plastering?

@kensmile4u Plastering walls dry lining - ceilings - putting damp proof courses in stone -built buildings, (Burnley Lancashire has them) you have to render one to one mix plus additives and do two coats above the place where the water rises to - repairing cornice mouldings - plasterers also tile, outside rendering ,pointing probably missed some tasks here as have flu and eat is all wobbly but I have a UCAAT union ticket and actually worked on a few churches in Liverpool. I was in an organisation called women in manual trades and don't know if you remember the woman who stroked at Lords because the cricket was getting boring she had massive bazookas because she carried water in rhodesia and she was in our group as a plumber I think

@jacpod Wow you really have a diverse set of skills. I never heard about the woman who stroked at Lords. Lol when you say bazookas do you mean breasts or arms?

@kensmile4u that 'stroked' was meant to be streaked she ran naked and had huge breasts it was a hot summer and she was bored.

@jacpod That is too funny. I hope her bazookas didn't hurt anyone during her escapade.LOL That was a great laugh! Thanks for that.

@kensmile4u Before she streaked there was a man who did it first, and there is an iconic picture somewhere of a policeman covering the mans privates with his pointy helmet

@jacpod hahaha. I wonder if the helmets were too small for the bazookas? Lol Two helmets covering breasts would have made another iconic picture!

Come on now sticks. We are fellow Musicians. From your username I'm guessing your a drummer. Are you telling me you wouldn't enjoy teaching some young kid who you liked and thought had potential to play some rudiments?

@kensmile4u I learned on my own. I don't have a point of reference to work from.

@Sticks48 I respect that. Some of the best drummers I've played with built their own system of playing.Once we figured out how to communicate all was good....

Haha I have my moments of brilliance in that area too!

You do have a diverse skill set. Which is your favorite Art medium to work in?

kensile4u.. My favorite is oils, but sadly have to deal with using acrylics due to ventilation and clean up.

Thanks to the internet, the world is getting smaller by the day. Subsequently opportunities provided by social media and other interactive platforms helps us pierce the veil of the unknown and the mysterious. Utilizing that opportunity continuously over time allows us to explore the deepest regions of a cooperative mind.

@kensmile4u That is the key... cooperative mind. And a scam artist already made it its playground too... lurking at every site, at every corner. Trying to stay ahead of the game. Liars found in the internet a home too. But I am a lot more than words can say. That should be the Mantra of Every Man. I am an Open Book and the best of me... is the chapter that was edited out. That is reserved for the Special People. With respect to all here... my favorite site.

That is quite a diverse set of teaching qualifications. Which one is your favorite?

ecology without a doubt, I don't enjoy business or computer teaching at all, they came about as I have worked in those industries a lot.

@Rugglesby Ecology has a rising importance among the sciences due to global warming. Your experience will be needed to mentor the future problem solvers.

@kensmile4u I like to think so, I have worked on some interesting projects thus far, assisted migration has been interesting, looking at where we can move animals especially endangered species when their habitat changes faster than they can evolve without disturbing other animals and systems. I like it because I am constantly learning.

@Rugglesby It must be very rewarding to know you are helping innocents on a large scale.

Have you always worked as a consultant?

@kensmile4u I'm not a consultant. I do software engineering for a consulting firm. The consultants get the business (and the bucks) and the engineers design, build, and support the products. I'm coming up on 16 years there, and still love it. Prior to that, I put myself through school while working as an operator in an AS/400 shop. Computers have been good to me.

@MollyBell I'm glad you are doing well. Computers have been good to me too. My youngest son is already taking dual enrollment software development classes in high school. We are currently down selecting from five universities in Florida for his pursuit of an MS in software development.

@kensmile4u Congrats to you and your son. If he's passionate about coding, he'll do very well.

haha my middle son is an extraordinary gamer. He even has the word halo in his email name. What else do you like to do?

What type of carpenter are you? See the pic of the Boat Dock I designed and built in my spare time. I enjoyed doing this project in my back yard. It took about a year to complete. But I am not a trim or finish carpenter. That's beyond me where precision, knowledge, and talent combine to produce works of art.

Is table tennis popular in the UK? I recently played against my friends mother who was visiting from the UK. I think i'm a pretty good player but she schooled me on the table. I was properly humbled. I think I could use a little advise on item number two as well. Lol

@kensmile4u It is not that popular a sport over here, but someone has to play it. I play quite regularly and coach a bit as well.

I have much respect for your work in end of life care. I could not do that job. It takes a very special person. Thanks for being you!

@kensmile4u thanks. methinks life's lessons forge an end of life health worker. It's not a profession one chooses.

I look forward to it.

@kensmile4u I will send you an invite

Entomology?

@kensmile4u Yes, I am a self-taught entomologist specialising in parasite flies, but I work at the Natural History Museum doing loads of other stuff.

@ChrisR Sounds like a fun job! I participated in a field study where The University of Florida released a colony of flies along my lakeshore. The flies lay their eggs in the heads of fire ants. The purpose of the study was to develop a biological control for the spread of the dreaded fire ant. The results were great. Those flies eradicated all of the fire ants. But an unintended result was the proliferation of other indigenous ant species. It's fascinating how nature responds to intervention.

@ChrisR What other stuff do you do at the museum?

@kensmile4u Sounds like ant-decapitating phorids to me - probably a Brian Brown project Every time we mess with nature there are always unintended results ... I always cringe when people say they've found the next cure for a problem, and usually laugh out loud when they predict that they have an invasive species "under control" or they'll "eradicate" it. LOL

I work in the UK Biodiversity department in the NHM, London (the Angela Marmont Centre for UK Biodiversity) and I was initially employed to maintain and develop the giant database of all the names of all UK wildlife, which underpins biological recording/reporting systems here. It basically provides a standard naming and taxonomic concept model which allows names and the data associated with them to be interpreted correctly. Since then I have also been put in charge of the Identification & Advisory Service team and I am responsible for the facilities people use when they visit the department and I liaise with the curators to provide and look after the UK synoptic reference/handling collections. On top of that I get involved with training and mentoring amateur naturalists and doing events or fieldwork in the UK.

@ChrisR It looks like you have a really interesting and fun job. I wish you continued success.

Your answer made me instantly hungry. What is your favorite dish to cook?

@kensmile4u ..depends on my mood and what I'm craving..but if it's edible I'll cook it!

@kensmile4u
One of my favorite winter dishes is a boneless cheese stuffed leg of lamb with roasted root veggies..

@Charlene That sounds beyond delicious! Do you take shipped orders? Lol

@kensmile4u. It'd be cheaper to come here and have me cook it..lol

What is your specialty in medicine?

@kensmile4u I did residencies in Family Practice and Psychiatry

@btroje Which do you like better?

@kensmile4u I like all of it

Thanks for the compliment on the Strat. She is a vintage reissue of the 59 model. I searched a long time to find it. A real joy to play and great tone! That guitar has helped me collect a lot of coin!

Your personal philosophy sounds a little like Jungian individuation. I've read some of his books but i find his works to be a little wordy and impenetrable. You might find it resonates well with you.

Lastly I agree with you... SCIENCE RULES!

@kensmile4u I majored in Psychology but like you hated Carl Jung. Way too long and not specific in theory, I follow and read all on theoretical physics and that is where my spiritual side comes from, The human mind is a terrible thing to waste without more food for thought.

Which of the 6 topics is your favorite to teach?

Thats tough but probably a tie between history and mythology

Thats great for you to spend such quality time time with your grandson. Hopefully he willI continue through college with it while you mentor him. I enjoy doing consulting work as well.

i'm trying to learn Spanish using a software program called duolingo. My progress has been intermittent. Are you a traveler?

@kensmile4u No, no as much as I used to be. The best way to learn a language is to listen to native speakers. I always had two native Spanish speakers in each of the groups in my classrooms.

@DUCHESSA Thanks for the tip. I have some friends who speak Spanish as a first language.

@kensmile4u The news in Spanish are also helpful....because the first learning -any language- is through the ears.

@DUCHESSA That's a great idea. Thanks so much for the recommendations.

Do you sing in a band?

@kensmile4u Not for many moons! If you search 'aftermathau' and 'anchorhead Darth metal' in YouTube, evidence still remains of my misspent youth.

@JeffMoffat I checked it out on you tube. It's a novel approach to death metal. The production and musicianship was really good. I have friends in a microtonal death metal band called Last Sacrament.

Glad you said that. It really takes the pressure off of me. Lol... My goal with this question is to help us get to know each other and learn about the strengths of this diverse community. So what are your strengths?