Technology + chaotic = Technotica

Interesting question - I get it quite a bit now that projects with Open Engineering have subsided a bit and since I stopped working at my last job. I am still working on some projects internal to OE and for another client. Hopefully Matt and I can update the Open Engineering website sometime to reflect some of the cool projects or ideas we've had in the past.

I was making some updates to my portfolio today, and I realized that I have hardly any information on what I like to do. Sure I list them, but that doesn't really explain what I'm about. To be honest I feel a little scattered on what I like to do. It seems that there are so many cool things in the world, especially on the technology and engineering side. Why should I have to pick and choose which ones to be involved with?

Of course the flip side of that is that it would make me go insane if I tried to research and experiment with all the nifty cool projects and ideas that I have from day to day. Living with Matt doesn't help either - he's much worse (better?) at coming up with interesting ideas and theories. And no I'm not slamming Matt. We have some really bizarre conversations about hacking Roombas and how to incorporate a treadmill with World of Warcraft...among other things. I wonder when people talk about having a special 'bond' with their spouse if that qualifies as the same as the bond Matt and I have regarding 'hey wouldn't it be cool if...' conversations. Especially when the 'hey wouldn't it be cool..." thing ends up with something that blows up or involves fire. Ok the fire thing is probably just me. :D

So to fix my conundrum...I'm making a master list of projects/learning experiences that I want to do. Hehe some of these will probably be neverending projects or interests...but I'm willing to give it a try. Ok here we go.

Amateur Radio stuff:
Oh my, ham radio is composed of so many different opportunities for experimentation. I think that's what I like about it the most, that we as hams can basically do whatever we want for our own inventive purposes. Since taking all those fun, yet beat-your-head-against-the-wall-because-they-are-freaking-hard classes in RF, antennas, and microwave circuits I really want to do some more hands on stuff. That's where ham radio comes into play.

In EE 414 (microwave circuits class) my team and I built a fully fuctional 1.2 GHz amplifier, oscillator, and filter. That class went so fast I feel that I didn't learn as much as I wanted to. I can say the same thing for the antennas class I took, EE 417 for the curious. There were so many great articles in this month's QST about microwave stuff. All the way from theory to actual circuit/antenna construction. So now that we have a real house and a real ham shack I want to set up a microwave station. Doing EME (Earth-moon) or satellite communications sounds really cool. I would really like to try my hand at doing more microwave circuit design work.

Also doing some work on digital communications, espcially in the 802.11b bands (2.4 GHz) sounds cool to me too...

OMG this is too long...I'll add more later. Besides we need to install the D700 in the HABET recovery van now.

Posted by technotica at 4:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

I occasionally read the forums for our realm (Alleria) on World of Warcraft. As with any forum, it has its fair share of general whining, bitching, moaning, complaining, and flaming of other people/characters and life in general. I found something today that made me laugh today - and I needed the laugh.

Those of you that are familiar with Warcraft will probably find this more amusing than those that have been spared the addiction. Original linky

Dear: (Annoying poster du jour)

[ ] Moron
[ ] Loser
[X] Ganker
[ ] 12 Year Old
[ ] Twink
[ ] Troll
[ ] Nerfherder
[ ] l337 d00d
[ ] Whiner
[X] Fruit of the Stupid Tree
[ ] Other

You are being flamed because:
[ ] You forgot to search. This is in the common suggestions thread and still posted too many times a day to anything else with you.
[ ] You posted a "Nerf Pallies!" thread.
[ ] You posted a "Buff Pallies!" thread.
[ ] You posted a "Nerf Shaman!" thread.
[ ] You posted a "Buff Shaman!" thread.
[ ] You posted a "Class is Overpowered" thread.
[ ] You need to lean to play your class.
[X] You need to learn to play the game.
[ ] You have no concept of class balance.
[ ] You're just an idiot.
[ ] You posted a Omg-i-got-ganked thread.
[X] Your model brain is defective, leave until you have one that works.
[ ] You have an unhealthy fixation on horses.
[ ] You lost a fight to my class and came here to cry about it.
[ ] Someone told you my class was easy to beat, you found out otherwise, and now you're complaining.
[ ] You posted a total lack of understanding about my class .
[ ] You posted a total lack of understanding about your class.
[ ] You don't know which forum to post in.
[XXX] You made a ridiculous claim.
[ ] I don't like your tone of voice.
[ ] You fell from "the tree."
[X] You posted false information.
[ ] You just plain suck.
[ ] YOU POSTED A MESSAGE ALL WRITTEN IN CAPS.
[ ] You are not civilized enough to post in these forums.
[ ] Yuo mispeled evry sengle wurd.
[ ] Youhavenotlearnedthepointofpuncuationsuchasspacingcommasandperiods.
[ ] You are too stupid to argue with.
[ ] You are extraordinarily bad at [detecting ()/posting ()] sarcasm.

In punishment, you must:
[ ] Play a paladin to level 60.
[ ] /delete yourself
[ ] Suffer at least three nerfs.
[ ] Play a FULL demon spec Warlock to 60.
[ ] Drink out of a spitoon.
[ ] Fetch me a shrubbery.
[ ] Help defeat MCP.
[ ] Go aggro the murloc.
[ ] Apologize to everybody on this forum.
[ ] Get to 60
[X] All of the above.

In closing, I'd like to say:
[ ] Stop stinking up the gene pool.
[ ] Get a life.
[ ] Never post again.
[ ] I've found more intelligent things floating in the toilet.
[ ] STFU.
[ ] Learn to post
[X] All of the above
[ ] No one Cares

Posted by technotica at 8:09 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)