More purging - Robots are fun!

I'm trying to get rid of a bunch of stuff that I have accumulated. I'll probably be moving again in the next few months and don't feel like lugging around all this stuff that I don't use. A lot of it has more sentimental value than anything, but I've found out that some of the stuff is worth a little bit. I will be selling what I can, although I know that I won't get want I want out of any of them. But its just stuff. It doesn't really mean anything or define who I am. I seem to do this purge thing about every five years. It can be hard to do but I'm usually happier and feel more free after I do it.

Last night, in preparation to sell them, I took pictures of all the autonomous robots that I built or was in the process of building a few years ago. It really made me not want to get rid of them and all of the books, materials, etc I acquired. I had a lot of fun learning about electronics, robotics, and programming. And spent a lot of money on it. But I haven't done anything with them since I started working on buying a house. I should all of my robotics stuff to someone who will use it. I didn't notice how dusty they had gotten until I took the pictures. This is a tough one for me. I would like to get back into the hobby, and it would probably be time better spent than what I do with my spare time now, but I'm scared that I will just want/need to spend more money on it. Maybe if I just sell part of it and keep that money separate and available only for robotic stuff. It would be easier to keep projects cheap if I build more BEAM type projects like this one. This was my second project and still worked when I packed it in the box a year and a half ago. It was very simple and has relatively few parts, but was still fun to build.That is a small solar panel on the back of this autonomous robot which changes light into electricity, charging the capacitor (large purple cylinder). When the stored electricity reaches a certain level it is released, driving one or both of the small pager motors. There are two small black light sensors on the front which tell the motors when to switch on in order for it to stay near the strongest source of light. I think it needs some friends. And a good cleaning.

 

Movies I've been wasting time watching

Instead of doing anything really productive, I've been watching a lot of movies during the last few weeks. You would think I would have the time for more posts. Here is a list of the last dozen or so movies that I have watched and some brief thoughts on them, roughly in order from first to last. Remember - the ratings only reflect how I personally feel about the movie, not necessarily how anyone else might rate them or how good they actually are.

• V for Vendetta - I watched this one before the end of the last school term. There had been numerous mentions of it in my English class because of the dystopian world that it portrays. This was a decent movie but I wasn't enamored by it like some of my classmates seemed to be. I've probably gotten too old to feel very passionate about a movie like this. It has Natalie Portman in it, who I usually like, but I wasn't all that impressed by her in this role. Don't get me wrong. This isn't a bad movie and it can prompt important thoughts and discussion. It just didn't present anything new to me personally and it seemed a little too fairy tale like. I did like seeing the use of the Guy Fawkes mask that the meta-group Anonymous started using after this movie. Apparently the original graphic novel series was much better and a lot more complex. I have not yet read any of them although I would like to now. 8/10
• Meerkat Manor -  This is not a film. This is a series that was on Animal Planet from 2005 to 2008. It is a combination of a documentary with dramatic narration about a family of meerkats in the Kalahari Desert. The show came out of a long term study done by Cambridge University. It is a really interesting show and the individual meerkats have definite personalities and distinct relationships with the other members. An interesting look into the lives of a mammal I knew nothing about. I watch 4 or 5 episodes a week and still have two more from the first season to go. 8.5/10
•  Bringing Up Baby - I kept seeing this movie in "best of" lists and have been wanting to watch it. I told some friends about it and we finally watched it together. I wasn't sure what to expect and that's what I got. This film is considered a "screwball comedy". I guess that's as good a general description as any. It was directed by Howard Hawks and starred Cary Grant and Katherine Hepburn. I like a lot of the work of all three of these. Katherine Hepburn was unbelievable. I wouldn't want to be anywhere near this crazy woman. This was a quirky and kind of strange movie that I liked a lot because it was so quirky and strange, especially for a 1938 comedy. 8/10
• The Watchmen - I had never read the popular graphic novel series that this movie was based on so I had no preconceptions about it. I thought it was a fun twist on the superhero genre and am always a sucker for alternate history stories. Because I wasn't familiar with the story, the end had a twist that I hadn't expected. I like the dark atmosphere, similar to Batman, Bladerunner, or Brazil. I would watch it again. And now I want to read the graphic novels. 8.5/10
• Huckleberry Finn -  This Mark Twain classic has even more film versions than Tom Sawyer. This one was made in1939, was filmed in black and white, and starred Mickey Rooney as Huck Finn. Much tamer than the book, but still a fun adaptation. 8.5/10
• The Adventures of Tom Sawyer - In Technicolor! This Twain story is timeless. This 1938 adaptation (and the book) will never get old. 9/10
• Inception - There has been a lot of hype around this movie and it is being rated very high on "best of" lists. I was skeptical, but wanted to see it because it sounded intriguing. There were some interesting ideas about dreams presented, but it found some of the story a little hard to swallow. A suspension of disbelief is definitely required to watch this film. I don't dislike Leonardo DiCaprio (I liked him in Romeo and Juliet), but I was unimpressed with this wooden acting. The climax of the movie was exciting but seemed inevitable and predictable. There was a subplot twist that left you guessing at the end that helped the end of the movie to be more satisfying. This movie was fun to watch, but didn't live up to the hype for me. 8.5/10
• Treasure Island - Another classic story that still holds up well for me. There have been dozens of remakes of this on film and TV, including one with the Muppets). I chose the1950 Disney version (their first live action film), although it is a toss-up for me on whether I like this one the best or the 1934 version with Jackie Cooper. How can you not like a classic pirate story like this? 9/10
• Greenlit - A recent independent documentary. Very short at less than an hour. An interesting and important subject which will probably not be promoted much by Hollywood. That's because it's about all of the waste and pollution that making movies cause. The movie being made that it examines is trying to be "green" but can't even adapt to simple measures like recycling, sorting garbage, or using reusable water bottles. A sad commentary on the hypocrisies of many Hollywood actors. 7.9/10
• Primer -I think that I really like this film. But I need to watch it again at least one more time before I completely understand what is going on. It can be a little difficult to follow. It is about the accidental discovery of time travel. The movie was made in 2004 for only $7000 by a mathematician/engineer and made just under $425K. On it's opening weekend it made $28K at four theaters. At one point 31 different theaters were showing it. This means no one saw it. A conservative estimate is 71,000 people.  Don't let that discourage you. Let the dense technical language and dialogue and the heavy use of actual physics do that. If you can get past all of that deliberate confusion and can follow along with what's going on, it is a really good story. An interesting new take on time travel movies. 9/10
• The World According to Monsanto - Another one of those documentaries on a subject that everyone should be a lot more informed about than they are. It can be angering, frustrating, and depressing to watch films like this. And they aren't exactly exciting or fun to watch. But if you care about knowing the truth instead of just keeping your head in the sand and believing the lies and propaganda of powerful corporations you should watch this and similar ones. Stay away from conspiracy movies and any show that has anyone in it that has been on the Art Bell show. Exercise your critical thinking skills. 8/10
• Machete -Yeah! Super fun movie. Lots of fake over-the-top acting, violence, and special effects. Yet it all manages to work perfectly. Great casting too. Republicans and Tea Partiers have described this movie as a how-to for illegal Mexicans instructing them on how to take over the US. That's almost as funny as this movie. Many people will hate this movie because it shows just how stupid they are. Many others will love it because it shows how stupid those other people are. And its funny. 9/10
• Swiss Family Robinson - This is the 1960 Disney version. I really liked this movie a lot when I was a little kid. Unfortunately, it doesn't hold up very well for me as an adult and I had a hard time getting through it. Too idealistic or something. For example, it was cute when the youngest son kept getting pet animals from the deserted tropical island, but they were all way to tame to begin with. And what a place! Ostriches, elephants, tigers, hyenas, zebras, monkeys, etc. Where were they? The fight between the dogs and the tiger was...interesting. I wonder if they could get away with that now. I think I would still love this movie if I was 10. I would like to watch 1940 RKO version to compare the two. 7.5/10
•  Scrooged - A Christmas Story came in a close second but Erik, Mary Kate, and I ended up watching this one Christmas afternoon. Carol Kane's performance of the Ghost of Christmas Present was by far the best part of the movie. A classic story but not Bill Murray's best performance. 7.5/10
• Rushmore - After watching Scrooged we were talking about other Bill Murray movies and decided to watch this one. I guess this film got some good reviews. It was a somewhat interesting story and a little different, but I didn't really care that much for it. 6.5/10

My car needs some TLC

I've been having some issues with the cooling system on my car for several years. In the last few years I have replaced the radiator, the upper and lower hoses, the cooling fan, the temp. sensor for the fan, and the thermostat. It still uses coolant, but doesn't overheat or act up much because I check the coolant level regularly. I recently came to the conclusion that I had been purposely ignoring for a very long time. I probably need a new head gasket and some machine work done to the head. I found a repair place that seems to be very highly regarded with good reviews and went there today to get an estimate. The place looked kind of sketchy and a little chaotic when I got there, but I went in and talked to the owner. I think I may have come to the right place. He seemed very knowledgeable and helpful. He gave me a rough estimate of the charges and I was really surprised. If the head gasket is the problem and there are no other issues, he will charge about $500 to replace the gasket, get the head machined, and replace the timing belt. I was surprised and was expecting a lot more than that. I thought it might be time to sell the Harley so I could fix the Honda. How ironic would that be? Although I still might sell it. I think I'm getting closer to that point. Anyway, I made an appointment for next Monday and if all goes well, it will be ready by Thursday. If not, I could be car-less over Christmas weekend. I'm not all that worried about it though. No school, no work, there is the bus and MAX if I need it. Hopefully, after this is done, my car should be ready to go for a long time to come. It has nearly 200,000 miles on it now and should have a lot more left in it with a new head gasket and timing belt. Expenses like this suck, but since I was expecting it to cost a LOT more I'm not letting it bother me.

Classes for Winter term

I registered for my classes a couple of weeks ago. I like to do it as soon as I can so I can get the classes that I want. Here's how it looks:

• CAS 140 - Beginning Access (3 credits) This is an online class that teaches database management using Microsoft Access. I'm probably going to drop this class. It is something that I want to take, but only registered for it because I wasn't completely sure which classes I actually am going to take so it is there as a back-up.
• MTH 243 - Statistics I (4 credits) More graphs, probability, distribution, and more statisticy stuff like that. This is the first of a series of two stats classes that I need to take. This class should be tons easier than calculus. I will be commuting twice a week to the Sylvania campus for this class and the philosophy class. I'm not really looking forward to that, but the worst traffic should be going the other way. 
• PHY 195 - Critical Thinking: Science & the Occult (4 credits) This class should be interesting. The instructor and class was recommended to me by my friend, Chuck. The PCC catalog says this class "introduces scientific method, assessment criteria for scientific observations and explanations and the difference between genuine and bogus science." The instructor wrote the textbook, which is apparently quite popular, and his class is apparently very entertaining and valuable. This class will fulfill my last Arts & Letters requirement for my AS transfer degree.
• PS 205 - Global Politics: Conflict and Cooperation (4 credits) This political science instructor and class was also recommended to me by Chuck. I've become a lot more interested in politics and world affairs in the last few years, so this class sounds interesting to me. The instructor was a Fulbright Scholar and is also said to be very entertaining and knowledgeable. This class will fulfill my last Social Sciences requirement for my AS transfer degree.

 My schedule will be Tues & Thurs at the Sylvania campus from 9am-12:50pm and Fridays at the Cascade campus (the one I have taken the majority of my classes at) from 12 to 3:50pm. This is going to change my work schedule also. I may try to get a different job when after they are posted later this week. I usually enjoy working at the school, but it's not the greatest fit for me. We'll see.

After this term is finished, I will only have one term left at PCC. I'll probably take the second stats class, hopefully the final enviromental science class I've been wanting to take, and unless a class that looks really interesting is available I will probably go for an easy, like Art 101 or something like that. No need to ruin that artificially high GPA I have going (now at 3.90).

I will need to start gathering information about starting there soon. I should try to get down to the financial aid and advising offices at PCC this week. And I will be on the lookout for the advisers from PSU who occasionally from come to campus.

More textbooks

I just sold my calculus textbooks, lab manual, and software. I'm happy that I got $170 for all of them, despite spending nearly $300 for them. I don't think it will be too difficult to sell my Excel text either. I will probably still lose a little bit on it, but not nearly as much as on the calculus books.

I'm trying to buy a used stats textbook on Craigslist, but the guy who posted the ad hasn't returned my phone call yet. He wants $60 for the book and CD-ROM that goes with it. Much better than $148, which is the price of a new one. I still need to solutions manual (I'm hoping the PCC bookstore has used copies for $30) and lab manual, which is $11. The books for my other classes could be as much as another $160.

Apathetic

I'm so glad this term is over. About half way through I lost most of my interest and motivation in my classes. My final paper for ENG261 was a joke. Grades haven't been posted for this class yet. I wish I cared. I liked the material and the deeper meanings, etc., but I didn't really like this class that much. I did fine and got 10/10 on all but one assignment. But by the time we had started on the final paper I didn't care at all about it. I'll probably still get a "B" in this class.

My Excel class was pretty easy despite missing numerous classes. I'll never take another weekend class again if I can help it. I haven't seen grades yet. The instructor tended to be late a lot and wasn't very organized. Probably an "A" or a "B". Meh...

My online PE class went well. I got an "A". I probably got a lot more out of this class than any of the others this term. It was a lot of work for a one credit class. Now if I can just keep up on the exercising. Stay away rain!

Calculus....calculus. I did not enjoy this class at all. I'm not sure what I got on my final exam. I feel like I did pretty horrible on it. If I'm lucky I got 70%. Unlike earlier tests, I barely studied at all for the final. I couldn't make myself care about the class. The instructor was leaving for South America yesterday evening, so he posted grades yesterday morning. I got an "A" overall for this class. I'm not sure I like that. The instructor for my first economics class talked about grade inflation at colleges in the US in general and at PCC specifically. She said that the econ department had lower average grades than any other department because they refused to inflate grades to make themselves look better. I don't know if that is true or it's just because economics is hard for a lot of people and many don't have an interest in it other than to satisfy a requirement. I have definitely come to agree with her in general about grade inflation. Mine is a classic case. I don't feel that I deserved an "A". I didn't do "A" work. My grades weren't there. My best exam was only 88%. I should have been lucky to get a "B" in this class. A lot of the grade was based on homework and lab assignments being done, even if none of the work was right or complete. He said at the start of the term that he would bump your grade up on level if you showed improvement on each test. I did that (76, 80, 88), if you don't count the final exam. I've seen this stuff in other classes too. It kind of cheapens the high GPA.

UPDATE
All of my grades are in now. I got straight "A"s. Lame.