Odyssey of the Mind Judges Needed in Houston

There is a need for some engineering expertise!

 

Each team participating in Odyssey of the Mind has to arrange for a judge to donate their time to judge.  If the team cannot arrange for a judge, it cannot compete! 

 

Harmony School of Excellence is fielding 6 teams this year but only has 1 volunteer judge so far.  The judges must commit to judging for two events here in town and to going to judges’ training – also here in town.  The dates are:

 

State Tournament

   March 28, 2009, Spring Forest MS

   and Meadow Wood Elem

 

Region Dates:

 

Houston Area Region –

    Judge Training: Feb 7^th, Paul Revere MS

    Tournament: Feb 28^th, 2009 Paul Revere MS

 

There are two events that involve engineering.  They are:

 

Problem I:  Earth Trek – Design and Build a vehicle that will visit 4 locations.

Problem IV:  Shock Wave – Design and build a structure out of balsa wood and glue that will balance and support as much weight as possible while absorbing shock waves. 

 

 

 

Is there any way you could help provide some judges?  It would be a shame for the kids to go through all of this work and not be able to complete in the event.  Harmony School of Excellence still needs 5 judges that will commit to the three dates listed above.  If you can be a judge, contact FOJ Kristina Hardwick, 832-367-5243, khardwick@earthling.net

 

There are probably other schools in the same predicament.  If more volunteers would like to help, they can contact the Texas Odyssey of the Mind organizers directly at:  http://www.txodyssey.org/contacts.php.

 

 

 

For more information about the competition, you can visit:  http://www.odysseyofthemind.com/materials/2009problems.php

 

Thanks for helping to stimulate the minds of up and coming engineers!

Love, Jeanne

 

Halliburton Opens Technology Center in Singapore

Halliburton inaugurated its new manufacturing and technology center in Singapore, marking the company’s second expansion in the Asia Pacific region this year. The center produces sophisticated electronic sensors used in the company’s signature logging-while-drilling (LWD) tools and openhole wireline logging services. The facility also serves as a repair and maintenance facility for drilling tools used throughout the region.

“Our commitment in Singapore demonstrates the strategic balancing of our business portfolio geographically,” said Dave Lesar, Halliburton chairman, president and CEO. “This investment in our research and international supply chains allows us to shorten our supply lines and gives us more flexibility to respond to emerging market conditions.”

The 20,252-sq-m facility is located in the Jurong industrial area in western Singapore and hosts production, technology research and development, logistics and operations activities.

At the dedication ceremony, Lim Hng Kiang, Singapore’s Minister of Trade and Industry, said: “We are an attractive and competitive manufacturing location, and we also possess world-class capabilities of a technology-driven workforce, which is well-versed in engineering disciplines and technical expertise such as the design, development and manufacture of cutting-edge products for the world.”

At peak activity, about 400 people will work in the new facility, including PhD-level physicists, scientists and engineers as well as procurement, financial and logistical support staff.

“We are dedicated to providing a more responsive global supply chain through regional networks, which deliver local products and services to meet our customer’s needs,” said Len Cooper, Sr. VP supply chain management, Halliburton. “We are proud to network Singapore into our expanding production facilities and support the local economy here.”

Nearly 80% of the components used in tool assemblies will be procured and/or manufactured in the Asia Pacific region. In this way, will Halliburton contribute to the region’s sustainable economic growth by adding valuable skills to local employees and creating greater trade opportunities for local businesses and suppliers.

When designing and building this state-of-the-art facility, Halliburton included a number of environmentally conscious features, including rockwool insulation, aluminum cladding and sun-shading, and ultraviolet/thermal treated windows. All furniture and workstations in the facility contain at least 50% recycled material.

Halliburton established operations in Singapore in 1973, continually growing to now offer a full range of technology and services across the company’s Completion and Production, and Drilling and Evaluation divisions.

www.halliburton.com

 

 

Starting my PetroComputing Blog

Hello, technophiles and FOJs (Friends of Jeanne)!

I have decided that I need to have a Blog just to keep all my buddies up to date on the latest information technologies being used in the upstream oil and gas industry.

I have also joined LinkedIn and Twitter, social networking services, and filled in my Profile with all the key words that describe me and my business and goals. That way, people I didn’t even know I needed to meet can find me and hook up with me.

My mom always told me, “It’s not what you know, it’s who you know — and who knows YOU!” 

I have always found that good networking follows these principles:

1) “Ask not what your network can do for you, but what you can do for your network.” (Apologies to JFK.)

2) “What goes around, comes around.” (Anonymous)

3) “Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.” (Luke 6:38)

4) “He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.” (2Cor 9:6)

Now petroleum engineers, as a general rule, have not mastered the art of in-person networking communications, so this online version may be just what the doctor ordered for them to connect with people in a somewhat less personal and more high-tech way. Geeky engineers just might find this sort of online networking more to their liking than after-work schmooze-fests. I, on the other hand, am in hog heaven when attending such events. Being married (for 24 years as of June 30, 2008) to a hermit, I look upon schmooze-fests as a big party, and working the room is a pleasure for me. For your basic engineer, however, lurking in the profiles to scout out the one or two people that would most pertain to the goals and objectives of the day might be preferable.

So I’m petroleum professionals you to visit the following sites to establish a free online presence and see what turns up in your e-mail Inbox. You can always leave the online party without a trace, and pick back up when you have more time to give others.

1) www.linkedin.com

2) www.twitter.com
3) www.wordpress.com 
 
There are several reasons I wanted to have a Blog:

1) All the cool and savvy IT and business folks have one.

2) It gives me a chance to share my adventures in the petroleum IT space and provide useful resources to all my buddies at once.

3) I’ve always wanted to have a journal, but didn’t like the handwriting part. Here I can type and edit, which works better for both me and the reader.

4) It gives me an unlimited, unedited space to write about whatever I want that particular day.

5) It will bring me new business and new friends I never would have met otherwise.

6) It will develop a web presence for me and establish the “Jeanne” brand.

7) It gives this ham and comedienne an open mike, as it were, to entertain my buddies and let others get to know me better on a personal level.

So, here’s a big, warm, Texas welcome. I hope you find this Blog interesting, funny, informative and useful — and very, very cool!

Visit often, give me frequent feedback with your comments, and tell your friends about PetroComputing.

Love, Jeanne