“Wedlock”, the movie. The old exploding collar thing in a co-ed prison with total babes all over. Robyn-bodies. The entire plot was borrowed in segments but that made it unpredictable enough to keep me awake. Surprisingly good acting and when she rescued him from the vat she managed not to say, “You smell like a brewery.” Time for some robotics, and to be precise, that time is 3:44 AM. My heart attacks all occurred near this time of the morning. Years later, if I’m awake near that hour, I can’t sleep, you understand. Call it selective insomnia. I never waste such time so I read up on bit arithmetic. Boiled down, it is the way computers move 1s and 0s around to emulate mathematical operations. How does that relate to robots?
The connection is sensors and data transfer. Many sensors are capable of a higher “resolution” than your gear. The Arduino uses 8-bits (0 to 255) at a time but the ultra sound sensor can “read” 10-bit numbers (0 to 1023) and temperature sensors are often 19-bit (0 to 524,287). Data is transferred either parallel, usually 8 bits at a time down the ribbon cables in your computer, or serially in strings along a wire like a USB. To get the devices to communicate, you need bit arithmetic. Couple that with the C+ language of the controller, and yes, it is a mess and a half.
For those interested, on the surface it is an easy task. If I receive a 10-bit number and want to convert it to 8-bit, I divide by 4. That is, 1026/4 = 256 (integers only). Thereby, my sensor reading is converted to a smaller range. Things get hairy the other way around, when larger numbers have to be built up from smaller chunks. You’d think that would put me to sleep, but no.
Aside to those who write and ask what an Arduino is. Sorry, this blog is more to describe new things and spark interest. Try this link to my ePinion rating of an Arduino to see what I mean. I can write specifications, but here is not the place. I’ll usually only blog such material if there is some other reason for going into detail, such as entertainment value. Mind you, I’m not above blogging things that I know will be of no interest to certain types of individuals. Think of that activity as my private blog-specific IQ filter
Later. Nope, most of the schools are the same. They won’t tell you a thing until they have positive ID and enough information to check your credit and background behind your back. They act like a gang of hoodlums and employ high pressure sales tactics that would probably be illegal elsewhere. I could rip them off to teach them a lesson. How could I do that?
Easy. I could sign up for some first year courses, like accounting or physics, as an adult student. Unlike the few people who call me stupid, I have plenty of experience getting marks of 100% on college-level exams. I would handily scoop the scholarships and basically get another free degree. All perfectly legal and there would not be a thing they could do about it even if they clued in. I’d be depriving some other student of a career, but hey, I know what that’s like. I’ve read the spelling mistakes on the resumes of the best Florida has to offer and I was smarter than that in elementrary.
My plan is to visit their used book store and pick up some textbooks for the courses I want. My curve says if I don’t grasp the literature, the course isn’t for me. But if I do, I’ve been known to commit 900 page manuals to memory, editing the mistakes along the way.
In fact, I have a characteristic way of doing just that, and here is an example. There’s very few chances in millions you will ever read a book with my handwriting in the margin, but if you do, the format shown here is almost like my signature. Chances are it will be a text book. I know I’ve read these books by the hundreds and maybe the thousands. Here is an example from “Fifty Year Wound”. Note the error underlined in red (but it could be any color including pencil) and the date written in the margin. I rarely supply the correction on the premise that anyone reading such a book would have the lerts to know what’s going on and appreciate the helping hand. If you see this type of markings ever, there is a very good chance it was me.
ADDENDUM
My year-end review says Florida isn’t my destiny. Everything worthwhile around here is in short supply. It is 5-1/2 years since my first solo gig (May 2007) and I’ve not been able to join or create a duo. I sincerely put a lot of effort into trying as well as $4,400 in equipment. Living expenses are twice what they were when I moved to this state with no increase in value or enjoyment.
My practice retirement was a success. The two-year plan turned into six years so far. Things would have taken different turns if I’d dealt with honest and trustworthy people, but in the end they barely slowed me down. I’ve got several options still open and a few sources I haven’t tapped. I’ve also got a few scores to settle so those who tried to pull fast ones on me should not rest easy yet.
I have no firm plans to move. I’ll be prudent and accumulate reserves. It was my reserves that lasted me the full six years, not the system or any charity, that’s for sure. I don’t plan any trips until late May next year. I haven’t done the books or budgets yet for 2013 but it will be a good year.
As forecasted, the combination of motorcycle, scooter, and ebike has proven a winner. I willingly pay to have reliable transport and I where I notice the price of gas, you’ll not hear me complain. The only time in my adult life I was a one-vehicle family was 1994 to 2003 when I had my Coupe de Ville. I loved that car, but never again. Nice cars eat a big hole in your wallet and I didn’t much care for the women it attracted. Not so for the sidecar. I’ve met around thirty women since and they tend to be the adventuresome sort.
It is my judgment not to buy a house until I can practically steal one. Houses tie you down and are no longer any store of value. I have lived in mobile homes for six years but it really hasn’t been bad at all. In fact, my existence was remarkably stable considering the turmoil of the times. I’d say the quality of life was much higher than if I’d tried to rent during the same period.
These are my preliminary concerns for 2013. It is looming as a year of consolidation. My concerns about inflation remain, I think economic recovery is a farce, and there are still some major implosions due. I’ll revisit that theme no doubt. My prediction is that next year will see the first bankruptcy of a nation like Spain or Greece, in fact, I believe they would already be insolvent except for German bailouts. There’s a pipe about to burst somewhere.
More as I complete the planning. This takes time, effort, and experience. That explains why many people don’t bother with a plan. I heard such folks lost their houses by the millions, but I still have a difficult time believing there could be that many stupid people in the land. Taking “sub-prime” from an adjective to a way of life.
