MI Life and Times

so far away...

2006-10-28T03:29:28Z

I feel hopelessly disconnected right now. I wish there was something I could do, but words are all I can offer from here, and they seem to just be ignored... I want to help, but I'm just too far away...

kingofgrey @ 2005-11-09T22:57:00

2005-11-10T03:57:52Z

Sometimes I feel like everything I do and everything that happens to me is a disappointment. Nothing's ever quite good enough, and it seems like every time I think I'm going to get something I really want, it doesn't work out as I'd planned. I don't know why I even bother, sometimes.

Curses, foiled again...

2005-10-10T17:24:43Z

So I was just walking back from class, going over my proposal of why my team should go to the NYC regional (mostly revolving around sponsors, and local publicity) and I came back to check how many spots were still open. Guess what? They're all full. I had an awesome proposal, and now it all goes down the toilet. *sigh* I've been wanting to take a team there since the 2002 season (201 was considering it that year, but our plans were scrapped by the school board after 9/11, as were our plans to go to Toronto), but I guess I still have to wait another year.

Anyone have any good suggestions for regionals outside of the Midwest, in week 4 or 5? I'd really like to go somewhere other than West Michigan, and week 3 (Boilermaker, Midwest, Detroit) is probably out because it's the week right after Great Lakes, and we don't want to go to back-to-back events, if we can help it.

Also, Canada is probably out, since we have a high number of non-US citizens on the team. I personally don't see that as a huge problem, but Veronica does, and she's probably the one who would have to deal with those issues, not me, so I won't fight it. Anyways, if you have suggestions, please let me know what you think, and why. Thanks :)

guess what? I'm in WBB again... big surprise...

2005-09-27T22:54:27Z

Hooray for another year of women's basketball band.

Now, let's hope the team can scrape together at least 3 wins this year...

yes, I noticed I started this post with "so"

2005-09-26T18:01:12Z

So, I decided something. From now on, I'm going to try and make updates promptly, while stuff is still fresh in my head. They might not be as long, this way, but at least it should keep me out of the "I'll get around to writing about that when I have some time" mode, which, as you may have noticed, generally results in about one post every 2-3 months. Every day, I see, hear, or think of 4 or 5 things I could write about. Generally, I forget all of them, and post on none of them. Hopefully, this new approach will help remedy that. Or, it could just be another one of those things I start, do for a week, and then forget. We'll see.

Anyways, to start, I was just out in my hall, and three 25-30 year old guys were sliding pizza coupons uinder people's doors. Then, as they came up to the bathroom, they slipped them under the bathroom doors, too. Now, why, exactly, would you put pizza coupons in a men's room? I guess that explains why they were passing out pizza coupons in a college dorm instead of working a real job...

one of those days...

2005-09-12T02:55:41Z

Have you ever had one of those days, where you get to the end of the day, and are left wondering: where did it all go? Today was one of those. I don't think I got anything done, except for doing my laundry, and buying a parking pass. The rest of the day was spent sleeping in, playing video games, watching football (Lions beat the Packers!), and generally wasting time IMing and such on the internet.

On the other hand, it was kinda nice to take a day off and just do nothing, for the first time in almost 3 weeks. I guess, if I think about it, short of doing some homework that's due Thursday, I didn't really have anything else to do, anyways. So, I guess it all works out. I'm sure I'll have more than enough to do before I know it.

4 months later...

2005-09-09T18:55:54Z

So it's been 4 months since I last made a serious update in here. I'm not really sure why it's been so long, but, I guess that's how it goes. In some ways, a lot has happened, and in others, not very much has happened, since then. I guess I'll give an update on what has...

Work:
It was the last thing I wrote about before, so I guess it can be the first thing I write about, now. I spent about 3.5 months working at ABB again this summer. I made quite a bit of money, and learned a few interesting things. I started off doing some little things with the PowerPoint manager program I wrote last year, then I spent a couple weeks porting SolidWorks files into an ABB program called RobotStudio.

That was interesting, because I got to learn SolidWorks, which is a very cool program, I might add. I used to be big on AutoCAD, but I'm definitely a SolidWorks fan, now. That (and a few small things) took me about through the middle of June. Then, I proceeded to spend close to a month sitting around doing absolutely nothing, or procrastinating writing a manual for a welding robot setup. I knew absolutely nothing about the latter, so I wasted probably 3 weeks out of the 4 I spent on it, because I really just didn't want to do it, and was hoping I'd get something new to do.

Then, all at once, I did. I spent the last month being ridiculously busy, writing a syntax checker program for RAPID, the language our robots run. I went from wasting almost every second of the day, to working almost every second. It was interesting, to say the least. But, I did get to learn C#, which is a pretty slick language, so that was cool. We didn't end up finishing the program, though, so, at least I have something interesting to do next summer?

IRI:
Somewhere in the middle, there, was IRI. We took a really small crew down there (4 students, 4 mentors), though I can't say I really minded. It was kinda nice to not have too many people, especially since I was the one who had to organize it all. We stayed in the same hotel as 469, which is always fun. As far as the actual competition went, we did pretty well. We had an up-and-down sort of weekend, seeded 12th, and didn't get picked. Not bad at all, considering we had a new driver and human player, neither of whom had practiced at all before the first practice match on Friday.

To just sorta reflect on IRI for a minute, I'm not sure how I'd rank this IRI compared to past years. On the one hand, I was excited to be back competing again. The last time I competed at IRI was in 2002, with the FEDS, which we won, albeit on a DQ. Plus, coaching is always fun, and there's something to be said about traveling and competing as a team. On the other hand, I missed not getting to see other FIRST people, and hang out with them. I think I maybe talked to 3 or 4 people, for 5-10 minutes each, and that was all. There were so many more that I never got to see, or just waved at them in passing. I also missed refereeing, and the feeling of being an important part of the IRI crew. So, I'm not sure which I like better: competing as a team, or going alone, refereeing, and socializing with everyone. If I had to rank this IRI trip against the others, I'd put it ahead of last year (which, with the exception of the Thursday dinner, wasn't very exciting), but behind the 2002 FEDS win, and refereeing in 2003 (which is still the best FIRST event I have ever attended, between refereeing and the stay at the OMNI)

Other Robotics Stuff:
Not too much else happened this summer. My team had tons of plans, but the only one that really came through was IRI. Our drivetrain plans were scrapped due to lack of shop space and school construction. The others (off-season competition, hosting a VEX tournament, and a few others) never came together beyond the idea phase. In addition, I had to drive to Ann Arbor for a lot of pretty worthless meetings.

On the positive side, we've got 4 new mentors who seem excited to help out... that should make it a lot easier on the rest of us. The holonomic drive, if nothing else, should be built this fall. I'm also the "Robot Operations Manager", which means I'm in charge of the build season this year. And, best of all... it's someone's last year as a mentor...

Band:
The last big thing I did over the summer was marching band. I moved in 2 weeks ago, yesterday, and proceeded to spend the next 10 days doing nothing but band. I missed the cut for block the first week, which really sucked, though I did get to be a shadow. It made it a really long week, however. I was so glad when the first game rolled around, because it meant band week was over, and Michigan football started! Despite a lousy performance by our defense, we won. And, I made block for this week's game against Notre Dame, so I'm really excited for tomorrow!

Anyways... that's about all the interesting things I could think of that I did this summer. I'm sure I missed a few small things (going to the zoo, Cedar Point, etc.) but I think I hit everything that I wanted to talk about. This concludes your (ir)regularly scheduled update.

I think I win.

2005-06-09T13:55:28Z

Your IQ Is 140

Your Logical Intelligence is Genius
Your Verbal Intelligence is Genius
Your Mathematical Intelligence is Genius
Your General Knowledge is Genius

A Quick and Dirty IQ Test

my math percentage is over 200...

2005-05-24T16:48:36Z

Your brain: 40% interpersonal, 60% visual, 80% verbal, and 220% mathematical!

Congratulations on being 400% smart! Actually, on my test, everyone is. The above score breaks down what kind of thinking you most enjoy doing. A score above 100% means you use that kind of thinking more than average, and a score below 100% means you use it less. It says nothing about how good you are at any one, just how interested you are in each, relatively. A substantial difference in scores between two people means, conclusively, that they are different kinds of thinkers.

Matching Summary: Each of us has different tastes. Still, I offer the following advice, which I think is obvious:

Don't date someone if your interpersonal percentages differ by more than 80%.
Don't be friends with someone if your verbal percentages differ by more than 100%.
Don't have sex with someone if their math percentage is over 200%.

My test tracked 4 variables How you compared to other people your age and gender:

You scored higher than 43% on interpersonal

You scored higher than 44% on visual

You scored higher than 66% on verbal

You scored higher than 94% on mathematical

Link: The 4-Variable IQ Test written by chriscoyne on Ok Cupid

work work work

2005-05-10T01:39:06Z

So, today was my first day back working at ABB for the summer. It was pretty uneventful, but there should be a lot more to do this summer than there was the last. Regardless, you can't beat this deal: $12/hour to play with robots and computers. What's not to like?

kingofgrey @ 2005-05-09T21:36:00

2005-05-10T01:36:58Z

The Keys to Your Heart

You are attracted to those who have a split personality - cold as ice on the outside but hot as fire in the heart.

In love, you feel the most alive when your lover is creative and never lets you feel bored.

You'd like to your lover to think you are optimistic and happy.

You would be forced to break up with someone who was emotional, moody, and difficult to please.

Your ideal relationship is lasting. You want a relationship that looks to the future... one you can grow with.

Your risk of cheating is zero. You care about society and morality. You would never break a commitment.

You think of marriage as something precious. You'll treasure marriage and treat it as sacred.

In this moment, you think of love as commitment. Love only works when both people are totally devoted.

What Are The Keys To Your Heart?

Total comments: 403 (0 screened)

1	Anonymous	88
2	kingofgrey	71
3	ellen469	65
4	clifford201	44
5	fotoplasma	30
6	robogoddess	24
7	corym	19
8	dangerdeej	14
9	jackal1084	13
10	pubarso	10
11	lockedinside	10
12	sciencewhiz	5
13	miketwalker86	4
14	osakanaru	2
15	cheshireaffair	1
16	doanie	1
17	jwetzel	1
18	theskyisgreen	1

These statistics were generated using LJ Stats. E-mail mpnolan[at]gmail[dot]com if you find a bug. Original idea from scrapdog's LJ Comment Stats Wizard.

kingofgrey @ 2005-05-01T21:45:00

2005-05-02T01:45:51Z

Type “a” in your address bar and see what the first site is
that comes up. List the URL. Continue A-Z.

a - http://www.addictinggames.com/

b - http://www.baseball-reference.com/

c - http://www.chevrolet.com/

d - http://www.dailybruin.ucla.edu/news/articles.asp?ID=32231

e - http://www.ebay.com

f - http://www.factorfantasy.com/thedavegallery/

g - http://games.espn.go.com/cgi/ffl/edge/story?id=2044219

h - http://www.housing.umich.edu/services/dining/maize.php

i - http://www.iagangsta.tk/

j - http://jljfdesign.net/forum/index.php

k - http://knehcsa.vze.com/

l - http://www.latimes.com/features/puzzles/crosswords/

m - http://www.mail.umich.edu/

n - http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/Fpyr/pmap.htm

o - none

p - http://www.pollstar.com

q - none

r - http://www.redoctane.com/

s - http://www.scifi.com/battlestar/

t - http://www.tcfbank.com/

u - http://www.umich.edu/flash.html

v - http://www.vexrobotics.com/

w - http://www.weather.com/

x - http://www.xanga.com/

y - http://www.yahoo.com/

z - http://www.zyvex.com/nanotech/babbage.html

Only one more

2005-04-18T20:19:58Z

I'm down to one more class, and no more assignments this semester! So, I just have econ lecture tomorrow, and

THEN I GO TO ATLANTA!

then I get to take exams, but shhhhh....

happy 1 year

2005-04-07T16:55:35Z

I can't even tell you how much this means to me... It's been an amazing year... thank you :)

kingofgrey @ 2005-03-29T08:35:00

2005-03-29T13:35:17Z

The 'Tempting Fate' meme:

1. Make an LJ-cut post with "DO NOT READ" as
the text.
2. Do not select a 'mood' for this post.
3. If anyone clicks the
cut, they are to comment and admit to doing so.
4. Anyone who reads this also
has to do the same in THEIR journal, thus continuing the neverending madness

kingofgrey @ 2005-03-17T21:44:00

2005-03-18T02:44:54Z

You're diminuendo!

What musical term describes you?
brought to you by Quizilla

kingofgrey @ 2005-02-25T00:05:00

2005-02-25T05:05:45Z

Your Brain is 46.67% Female, 53.33% Male

Your brain is a healthy mix of male and female

You are both sensitive and savvy

Rational and reasonable, you tend to keep level headed

But you also tend to wear your heart on your sleeve

What Gender Is Your Brain?

You Belong in the UK

Blimey!

A little proper, a little saucy.

You're so witty and charming...

No one notices your curry breath

What English Speaking Country Do You Belong In?

kingofgrey @ 2005-02-24T23:04:00

2005-02-25T04:04:15Z

I switched to ME to avoid having to do things like programming. And what do they give me in ME 240? A computer assignment that is essentially programming in MATLAB. I hate this, it doesn't work, and it's due tomorrow. There goes about 2.5% of my grade in that class...

kingofgrey @ 2005-02-14T23:49:00

2005-02-15T04:49:45Z

Well, all I have to say is: it's nice to finally have a good Valentine's Day, for once...

<3

Rat words

2005-01-19T05:33:38Z

If anyone knows of any words that contain the word "rat" in them, please comment. I'm trying to make a list for a FIRST thing (my team is the Rat Pack), and I need more ideas. Here's what I have so far, so you don't just duplicate my work, and for possible inspiration:

A
Aerate

B
Brat

C
Crate

D
Drat
Dehydrated

E
Exhilarating, Exhilaration

F
Frustrated

G
Grate

H
Hydrated

I
Irate

J

K
Krate

L

M

N
Nitrate

O
Orator

P
Pirate
Prorate

Q

R
Rate
Ratchet

S
Strategy
Stratego
Scratch

T

U

V

W

X

Y

Z

I wish...

2005-01-18T14:14:32Z

Now, if only I could actually be the age I act....

You Are 21 Years Old

21

Under 12: You are a kid at heart. You still have an optimistic life view - and you look at the world with awe.

13-19: You are a teenager at heart. You question authority and are still trying to find your place in this world.

20-29: You are a twentysomething at heart. You feel excited about what's to come... love, work, and new experiences.

30-39: You are a thirtysomething at heart. You've had a taste of success and true love, but you want more!

40+: You are a mature adult. You've been through most of the ups and downs of life already. Now you get to sit back and relax.

What Age Do You Act?

It's been a while...

2004-12-30T22:23:09Z

So, I haven't had a real update of any sort in over a month. I guess I just haven't had much to say. Let's see, since last month, I royally screwed up my audition for the Rose Bowl, and didn't make the trip. I went to Canada with Ellen. I joined a new FIRST team (830, in Ann Arbor). I finished my big ME 250 project, after spending about an entire day straight with a dremel and sandpaper. I finished first semester, did pretty well in all my classes. I came home. Ellen left for vacation in Belieze, then I sat around doing nothing for awhile. I guess I'm just ready for something to happen... anything.

In other news, kickoff is in a week and two days. As I said, I joined a new team, so this will be my first season away from 201. I'd feel sad about that, but it's not my team anymore. Last year proved that much to me. They've become a totally different team, and I don't like it one bit. So, I switched. It'll be closer, more convenient, and maybe, just maybe, someone will actually let me DO something this year.

Actually, I think I need to worry about having too much to do... they appointed me mentor for the drivetrain group. A good place, except, I'm not a drivetrain designer. At all. So, I'm not getting my hopes up too much. With luck, we'll at least have something that can drive decently. It's more than my robot last year did, at least...

Anyways, I think I've rambled on enough about this. Maybe I'll have something to say in less than a month this time? Don't get your hopes up, though.

kingofgrey @ 2004-12-30T17:13:00

2004-12-30T22:13:39Z

You Are the Reformer

1

You're a responsible person - with a clear sense of right and wrong.

High standards are important to you, and you do everything to meet them.

You are your own worst critic, feeling ashamed if you're not perfect.

You have the highest integrity, and people expect you to be fair.

What number are you?

song thingy

2004-12-30T22:09:14Z

100 Years by Five for Fighting

"Every day's a new day...
15 there's still time for you
Time to buy and time to choose
Hey 15, there's never a wish better than this
When you only got 100 years to live"

2004 was about thinking and reflecting - but isn't every year?

What 2004 Hit Song Are You?

kingofgrey @ 2004-12-05T18:42:00

2004-12-05T23:42:26Z

I'm worth $2,524,951.17! How much are you worth?