"Murphy was an optimist!"
I welcome our robotic overlords! July 30, 2014 3:20 pm
Posted by Doug McCaughan in : Robotics, Technology, Transportation, TravelRemember when I said that within 5 years (10 at the worst) we would see driverless vehicles on the road and the decline of private transportation? The side affects will be narrower roads, no traffic lights, no signage, interstates without barriers and numbers of lanes determined by need, and best of all no more parking lots.
My estimate of 5 years was a little conservative. Try 5 months.
add a commentThe UK government has announced that driverless cars will be allowed on public roads from January next year.
Let the day begin July 29, 2014 9:38 pm
Posted by Doug McCaughan in : Daily LifeThe day job is done. Grocery shopping complete. Cooking done. Family fed. It’s 9:30 at night and time to begin my evening job…
add a commentBecause life is in the way July 29, 2014 7:42 pm
Posted by Doug McCaughan in : Daily Life, Family, Of Being DadMore dad fail.
add a commentTwo weeks! July 28, 2014 10:03 am
Posted by Doug McCaughan in : Daily Life, Family, Of Being DadI have approximately two weeks before I lose my children back to the system! Yes, the start of the school year is upon us. I have achieved virtually none of my summer goals for the children. Granted, it has been a fantastic summer! No regrets. I had simply hoped for more. Don’t blink. It makes time fly by.
add a commentSunday update July 27, 2014 1:52 pm
Posted by Doug McCaughan in : Daily LifeIt is a sunny, hot Sunday. The wind is blowing. Through the window, in the conditioned house, the outside looks very pleasant. But it is 101°F and rain approaches from the west. I wile away my day jumping between a recreational book (I Am Pilgrim: A Thriller
Sourcing my lab July 26, 2014 1:27 pm
Posted by Doug McCaughan in : Daily Life, Science, TechnologyFrom a book I purchased for $3.95 when I was about twelve years old.
Fill a small pitcher full of water and dissolve a small amount of ferric ammonium sulphate in the water. Then make up a small amount of sodium salicylate solution. …
Other recipes include permanganate of potash, sulphuric acid, solution of sodium hyposulphite, sodium carbonate, phenolthalein solution, tartaric acid solution and the list goes on.
Time to start sourcing chemicals for my lab.
My full shopping list can be found at http://www.scribd.com/doc/235165417/Lab-Shopping-List. Anyone want to help me source this?
add a commentZipline update July 26, 2014 12:53 pm
Posted by Doug McCaughan in : Daily Life
Attempted to make the zipline work. I’ve increased its length so we get more play and sag in the rope. The seat therefore bottoms out. Raising the rope and making it as taut as possible only resulted in a seat that is too high and becomes a projectile upon getting off. While the longer ride sounds fun, unless I replace the static line with a steel cable and a static line I suspect this is a bust. Wait! I could use prusiks and a come along on the static line. Hmmm. I wonder what the tolerances are?
add a commentState of me July 22, 2014 8:54 am
Posted by Doug McCaughan in : Daily LifeMy brain hurts.
add a commentAs the vacation ends July 20, 2014 9:07 pm
Posted by Doug McCaughan in : Daily LifeAs these last few hours of vacation come to a close, I have to take pause and assess the success and failures of the vacation. I succeeded in having an adventure with Evan and 23 other scouts as well as 12 other parents. I succeeded in not thinking about work. I succeeded in massive cleaning efforts. I failed to find Noah’s sash and merit badges for his Eagle Board of Review. I succeeded in fixing the motor on the telescope. Looking forward to seeing it track objects in the sky now. Succeeded in improving a client website but failed to complete it enough for deployment (which means billables). Succeeded in not thinking about my regular job. Failed to think about my regular job. Failed to win the lottery. Succeeded in relaxing a bunch!
add a commentNerd Cleaning July 20, 2014 8:32 pm
Posted by Doug McCaughan in : Daily LifeWhen we bought our 55 inch flat screen I used the box it came it to horde all my power cables, wall warts, network cables, pci cards, memory, etc. I’ve just gone through the box and separated out the components.
I am quite sure that power cords breed while we are sleeping. I have never owned so many power cables. Has anyone ever caught the mating process on film? I get it has a male and female end but locomotion? And where do the babies come from? Has anyone ever seen a baby powercord?!
Also, does anyone need a rubber maid contain full of ide cables?
Hayes 28.8 baud modem? Bueller? Bueller? Bueller? (The US Robotics Sportster 1200 is mine!)
I blinked July 20, 2014 7:46 pm
Posted by Doug McCaughan in : Daily LifeWhere did the day (and my vacation) go?
add a commentI opened the front door July 20, 2014 7:44 pm
Posted by Doug McCaughan in : Daily LifeDear Neighbor, You left your steamroom on outside. Sincerely, Sweaty
add a commentState of Me July 12, 2014 12:58 pm
Posted by Doug McCaughan in : Daily LifeI need to be programming.
I want to be cleaning the house.
I desire to lounge and watch television with my wife.
I am packing for 4 days of camping.
I will be shopping for additional gear.
I should be planning bunk assignments, creating a duty roster, making cheers and marching cadences, and figuring out rainy day games to occupy 24 nine year olds.
Productivity lost July 11, 2014 8:12 am
Posted by Doug McCaughan in : Daily LifeI woke up at 3:30 but couldn’t get my lazy ass out of bed. Woke again at 7:15.
add a commentStay away from the software industry July 10, 2014 3:28 pm
Posted by Doug McCaughan in : Technology, Touchy SubjectsNo sane person should ever voluntarily enter into the software industry. We have mental institutions that haven’t experience crazy on this level.
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