2112

It's where your loyalties and "vibe" are. I live in Houston, so that qualifies me to say Houstonian, but just technically. But I knew I was going to live here as a teenager in South Texas, and I was going to do ANYTHING to get to Houston. So I was Houstonian by heart before I lived hear, and a Houstonian by right when I did.

Houston First.

we'll be fine, plenty of work to go around. most of the people who were working on the proposal have been brought back to Station. which is getting much more busy with Flights, and upgrades (to eventually accomodate CEV).

and no one (in Avionics at least) wants to go to Cali or Seattle, too expensive! and many of them came from there (huntington beach transitioned here in 2001).

so far we've had on person defect to LM, but he had worked there on Freedom back in the 90's.

Are you guys going to reopen LM9 and 10 (or whatever those white buildings are on NASA 1)? Were you leasing them when you had SEAT?

"Defect"?

Hehehehe. I love the whole Lockheed vs Boeing culture that has pretty much been around since the Rockwell days (Rockwell was the prime shuttle orbiter builder...later purchased by Boeing). Ive always been a Lockheed person, and we never had a prime manned spacecraft contract...only engineering support. So this is quite a different feel for many of us...I guess all you Boeing types are veterans at all this. Even though that rivalry is there...to me its all the same game...if all of us dont prove to the American public that we can get the job done...then all of us will loose, Boeing and Lockheed and all the others too. I'm optimistic even after 20 years of being at JSC with all the political crap and all that comes with it...I'm still one-hundred percent behind it still. As far as the 2 buildings...those are the old "Lockheed plaza one" and "plaza two" buildings....which later became LM2 and LM3. We are getting one of them back but only after the landlord renovates it....the place has been the same since 1986 (at least) and needs serious re-work. The second building is sparcely ocupied by the SAIC company (safety and quality assurance)...but I hear if the landlord wanted to - they can all be put on one floor....and Lockheed could get the remaing floors....but thats just a rumor. In the mean time...we all are being crammed 3 to 5 people in one room!...with those white home depot fold up tables...and nothing else!!! I have been scrounging around for post-it notes and a trashcan, and just today I found a nice dusty 1970's vintage file organizer complete with simulated wood formica. The telephones are ancient, they work, but they dont have speakers. This sucks because we are in contact with Denver several times a week...and like 2-to-3 hour teleconferences holding a phone up to your ear is a slight pain. Plus there is no mute button. I'm sure it sounds like a heavy breathing fest at the other end. At least we have adequate computers. Looking around and watching us, it's kinda funny considering the task at hand.

When I hired on 2 weeks ago...there were only 15 of us, we were the first batch of hires since the contract win announcement, no joke. And if you include the proposal people that were allready there....I think we made up no more than 35 or so. Twelve more got hired this week....and there is suppose to be a continuing ramp up. Of course there are the others in Denver..and they are ramping up also. It's kinda weird watching all this unfold around me...I kinda feel small when you think of the big picture. But maybe I'm not the only one that feels this way, maybe they just are not showing it. I always believed that confidence should be tempered with a little fear. I know this for sure, if at least part of you is not scared at the task that has been placed in front of us...then you probably dont belong there.

edit:

Just for the record...all of this is just my opinion and my opinion only.

Jeez...It's too bad I felt the need to add this little edit...what has this world come to?

Well....I'm on my second week on CEV/Orion...and it has been like drinking out of a fire hose. For a bit there, I started having second thoughts...mainly because I am now a "systems" level engineer...and I have spent the last 19 years or so as a circuit and firmware designer..down at the gorry detail...on the same contract for that long. Part of me misses all that, but I guess I have to look at it like its a new phase for me...the next 20 years! All in all....so far it's envigorating (spelling?)...so many things that are changing almost hourly. It's all good.

FYI: The people breakdown more or less on the Lockheed side (not including subcontractors) is about 800 are in Denver, and about 700 here in Houston. There are others in various states...close to the other space centers....but a big chunk is Denver and Houston. That's an expected number once all staffing peaks and the project is in full throttle. The goal is a first manned launch of Orion to the Space Station in about 2014, and the return of humans to the moon at around 2020. The idea is that - this time - there will be permanent human presence on the moon with the buildup of lunar outposts and such. I dont plan to retire until after 65...so I "should" be around to be a part of that and witness it!!!

i was working on that proposal for the last year, except on the wrong side...

still got ISS/Shuttle work though, so most of us are ok for now.

Uhhg!!! Boeing in the House!

j/k

Seriously, I hope there are not any people affected by Boeing not winning the contract. I heard rumors that USA (United Space Alliance) will accomadate any Boeing people left over from the proposal phase. Of course, I'm sure there are Boeing people who would relocate to Seattle or California in a heart beat too.

FYI: Those renderings are from the original proposal...NASA re-requested for an apollo style capsule, as the updated plan was for the capability for a water splash down landing or a land based landing via parachute, and to do away with the necessity of a runway style landing. The new renderings look more like an updated apollo module.

What he said.

...Just an update to this old thread....the last post was over a year and a half ago....anyways....

I'm going back to Lockheed!!!!! This thursday is my last day with Jacobs Sverdrup....I start Monday the 25th on the Orion CEV project..

I had been in contact for with Locheed for about 2 months....with contingent offer in hand....and was just waiting to see who would win the big contract. There are a bunch of us jumping ship from Jacobs...to go back home to Lockheed.....I guess in retrospect...it all worked out!

Hey, just reading back on this thread...it was nice to have all you HAIF friends to offer a kind word when all the crap happened a year and a half ago.....thanks again.....

The reasons why JSC is in Houston are documented pretty well, and as one might expect, it was a combination of multiple reasons that resulted in its location here. Politics of course was one. Proximity to the coast is another: there were many unknowns as to how much of the heavy cargo would need to be shipped between the space center and the launch facilities....so Galveston Bay was a contendor, which thus made Houston a contendor. An important test facility which was planned - and built - was the large vacuum chamber (known as "chamber A") where an entire Apollo command module would be placed in for environmental testing, and this required that the transportation to and from the would-be chamber have the option of using barges to move the large cargo between that chamber, the launch site in Florida, and possibly the command module manufacturer....again, this gave Houston, with its bay, an edge. In addition, another criteria was the abundance of institutions of higher education with thier pool of science and engineering students....Rice, University of Houston, and Lamar were cited back during the initial site location studies (see "Suddenly, Tommorow Came: A History of the Johnson Space Center"). Of course, if you hear the folks over at KSC talk, they think that all of the space business includding mission control should be at the launch pad, and they site only politics as to why Houston was chosen - they ignore the more complicated set of historical reasons. The truth is that once the spacecraft leaves Earth, Mission Control could be located practically anywhere.

Incidentally, JSC does a hell of alot more than just Astronaut training and Mission Control - it employs about 15,000 people, mainly in science, engineering, and technology. Spacecraft Systems design, engineering, and integration has always been centered at JSC. The planning of the missions and the ground based execution of it, are done at JSC. Everything from Avionics, Tracking and Communications, Environmental, Astronaut Food technology, thermal, shake and bake....and other areas...are performed at JSC. The pure science as related to manned spaceflight, is also done at JSC. Yes, there are subsystems and sub components that come from all parts of the USA and the international partners. But the center of manned space flight, and a significant chunck of the supporting science and engineering, is centered in Houston's Johnson Space Center.

Congradulations!!

As far as being outside the loop, I think an important consideration is proximity to a Metro Park n Ride. That was an important factor when we moved recently (within Houston). It sure is nice knowing that if we ever had to make the daily commute to downtown or uptown, we only have a short 7 minute drive to the Park n Ride. Metro Commuter routes have HOV access and the trip si about 30 minutes....versus over an hour if I drove. Anyways, just something to consider.

I'm new to this board and have lived in both Dallas and Houston. I lived in dallas much longer but love both places. To me it seems that Houstonians are hostile towards Dallas..I've seen it much more here than in Dallas. I don't get it and I guess I never will.

Thanks for asking. There is a propensity for Houstonians to be more down-to-earth, with the exception of the NASA thing (no pun intended). On the other hand, Dallasites tend to be more concerned about sustaining that upper-class status thingy, throwing around words like "cosmopolitan" and "fashion" and "New York". In contrast, Houston is an industrial city with grit, warts and all, and is essentially confortable with that. While Dallas constantly strives to create an air of sophistication, by proclaiming itself as such, and doing funny things like pretending it's bigger via imaginary annexations of surrounding cities. Heck, it even pretends to have a Port, which is also funny because the ocean is, oh I dont know, 240 miles away? I think they do that because it sounds cool to say they are a "port city", 'cause then they can start using more words, like "port authority", which is a word that sounds New Yorkish, which again, sounds cool....and Dallas wants to be cool. (Anyways). So it comes quite naturally then, that the more down-to-earth no-bullshit culture would have a hard time stomaching anything that slightly reeks of pompousness and percieved sophistication, which then manifests as the hostility that you alluded to in your post. It's been going on for dacades.

[sound of gallups as 2112 rides away on his camel]

i went to Shock once in 2000. i remember it having a really cool dance floor on the bottom floor that got super crowded. afterwards we went to gotham city nights haha. those were the first real clubs i had ever been to (i was 17 with a fake id) so i have fond memories of the places.

clubs in houston suck now. i live in austin now and everytime i come to visit my friends never know where to go. I've been meaning to check out a93(?) in midtown, but suggestions for either GOOD house music or a chill bar with good atmosphere would be appreciated.

Austin is great if you are between the ages of 18 and 24. But there is minimal selection there for anything Jazz, and Latin Jazz is non-existent.

In case we cant find an 80's club, we are also looking for a Salsa/Merengue/Tejano club too, for this Friday. Halabaloo's and Bea's in South Houston are Tejano, but not much Merengue, and they are pretty dead on Fridays. We have been to soleros, but it too is not to lively on Fridays.

Any suggestions?

Mercury Room is pretty much dead now. Anyone have any suggestions on a place with that typeof music, that is not dead and pretty live? Anyone remember "City Streets" on Richmond, close to the 610 loop. Some place like that is what I am looking for for this Friday night. Any suggestions?

I like the intermodal terminal idea. It seems logical to have long haul transit such as the planned commuter trains, Amtrak, and the others, combined with local busses and local light rail. It ties many transit options together in one, hopefully impressive site. The bus termianal that I think is a good model is NYC's Port Authorityh Bus Terminal (PABT). That place is pretty impressive, and they cleaneup up the vagrant situation years ago by doing little things, like not having bences. Yea, it was kinda pain waiting around in there with no place to sit. But this shouldnt be a hang out place anyways. There were also lots of shops and restaurants in there. Anyways, the place was pretty iimpressive. And then, add the commuter station functions like Penn and Grand Central, and combine the whole thing together. Makes sense to me.

Next weekend: hot air balloons ... about 500 of 'em. I have a friend who lives on Clear Lake and can't wait to have omelets and champagne and OJ.

I dont get it. What is the connection between baloons, CL, Eggs, and Champagne. Sadly, I think I am probably the only one who doesnt get it. I feel stupid.

Just out of curiosity, is this right on Dunstan, or behind it? If so, is this one of the places slated for demolision to make room for that big development (there's a thread on here somewhere about that.)

I vote that all girls wear thongs as a sorta "theme" for the HAIF meet. You dont have to show them to me, just as long as I know that they are there: it's all about leaving some for the imagination.

oh, did I say that out loud?

I love Naomi's on Park Place near 45. And also Taqueria Del Sol on the Park Place/Broadway circle.

Yip. Del Sol Rocks. They also have an awesome "caldo de rez"

There is a local "chain" called cherry top, there is one on edgebrook, but the one I like is on College/Airport just 5 minutes away. They even have "carne guisada" in the morning. Beans on the tacos if you want, and of course, barbacoa.

Taqueria La Jaliesiense on Edgebrook has a pretty good breakfast plate for $1.99...including the beans, eggs with whatever you want, and 2 home-made flour tortillas...not bad for 2 bucks. They also have "migas", a tex-mex tradition. Just down the road is the infomous Arandas, and theyre breakfast is pretty good too. I think it too is about 2 bucks. Heck, you spend more money in gas just getting there.

Taqueria Alacran. Across from the Hazmat fire station on Harrisburg, close to the Navigation/Broadway split. Home made - on the spot - CORN tortillas (a rareity). I drive from Clear Lake all the way there on weekend mornings...just for those there breakfast tacos.

Just came back from SA. As always, thier downtown and riverwalk are things that make me a little jealous. SA has always been on our favorite of cities list. Having said that, you cant help but notice that much of the rest of the city seems pretty poor. I know, you can find that in Houston too. But talking to some natives there, it became clear that the salaries there were on average below Houston's. We were dicussing engineer salaries, and maybe that is skewed in that SA doesnt have near the engineering presence that Houston has. But that in itself sort of suggests that SA is lacking in the higher salary department than Houston as a general rule. I'm sure someone here will look up some data to either back that up or not. So the gut feel at least for me is that SA would need to capture some of that higher salary industry before the citiy could realistically compete with Dallas. And I am not sure that is going to happen in our life time. I would think that with Austin being so close, and with it allready having so much mementum in the high-tech industry, that would starve any attempts by San Antonio to lure additional high-tech into the SA area. I'm talking R&D, research...not production plants. What are the odds of San Anotonio winning a competition with Austin for some new high-tech industry?

I second Sam's Boat on Richmond.

Your in Houston? (Thought you were in Dallas.)

You can alreday get your tea-sip MBA at Hotel Za-Za. And UH did not file a protest on that move.

UH did lead the effort block the Aggy take over of STCL.

Poor Aggy is just dying to use state funds for a law school.

tea-sip MBA.....TEA-SIP MBA!!!! (ROFL)

Incidentally, I recently received a nasty phone call from UHCL saying that I had an outstanding account balance. I replied: "...why THANK you."

There's a cute little taco truck on Harrisburg just east of Lockwood, right next to the "El Pozo" car wash and "washateria" (I always liked that word). They were able to get thier licence re-issued again, and the food is quite good. And it is also very convenient because there is a Metro bus stop right next door, with direct connections to many of the Canal and Navigation Blvd. destinations. Granted, you sometimes have to be careful with these types of places I'm sure. But this one "seems" to be ok. Interested?

Anyone?

What is the deal with Mercury Room? We went this past weekend...and boy did it SUCK. There was hardly no one downstairs...on a Saturday night ...at 1:00am. Not too long ago, the place used to have a lot of people down there. The band was good, but at most there were 12 down there, including the 4 of us!!

The gondolas and waterways sound pretty cool. As long as the thing has a somewhat diverse theme...it might very well be cool. I still dont like the idea of a garage wrapping itself around it. Whey cant it be somewat removed and independent, instead of attached to it?

...and you have a couple of other similar resorts also being built along the shore of Lake Grapevine. I would have thought this type of resort would show up in Galveston.

The dome is situated in proximity to brays bayou. Thus, it can be touted as a waterfront resort during tropical storms and floods.

No big deal. I have no idea what you are attracted to but the only place I see athletic in shape women is at Memorial park. In Miami there is a flood of beautiful women. Even though most of them are crazy and unapproachable.

Hang out in Downtown on a Friday or Saturday night, and tell me the place isnt crawling with drop dead georgous women, everywhere. They are not just in downtown, they are all over the city. How can you say Memorial Park is the only place with them? Sheesh, that would mean you have thouroghly been throughtout the city, completely, multiple times, to make that kind of conclusion.