tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-84601113723692006172024-03-04T22:14:12.455-08:00Ken's WorldWanderer in a strange land . . .Kenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00526709522608721937noreply@blogger.comBlogger298125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8460111372369200617.post-1734801527340008242022-11-09T20:34:00.000-08:002022-11-09T20:34:55.651-08:00Cold Commutes<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0B6IQ5pqK7vyQfIRXsNecAe8X8qbH6IDfTxe2eMjaiwhGQpb09H5P-lQuBg3jEVqzKgrd3y3_xgtIycupyuNXECPKzf3q0tedm_CKuIzjCc6EosNRRNavQCGnSfm76hiIZY1IpYrHA5eOebCXPNOIR_aQqlK_h7QSusIogNjUF6FgeBmDpWkOIvEf/s3264/20221109_163029.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2448" data-original-width="3264" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0B6IQ5pqK7vyQfIRXsNecAe8X8qbH6IDfTxe2eMjaiwhGQpb09H5P-lQuBg3jEVqzKgrd3y3_xgtIycupyuNXECPKzf3q0tedm_CKuIzjCc6EosNRRNavQCGnSfm76hiIZY1IpYrHA5eOebCXPNOIR_aQqlK_h7QSusIogNjUF6FgeBmDpWkOIvEf/w640-h480/20221109_163029.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p>The sky was clear and cold as I pedaled east. It had been nearly a week since the roads were dry, and the recent end of day light savings time had brought the faint dawn light back into my commute, if only for a short while. </p><p>Instead of turning east on the main highway after emerging from my rural back-country path, on a whim I continued straight toward the river, lured perhaps by a glimpse revealed by the dwindling fall foliage. There was a car parked in nearby, facing the river and with a sun shade in the windshield. Piled belongings in the back hinted at the possible presence of an unfortunate slumbering occupant. Cars are designed to keep you dry and warm, although the latter only when running. I imagine it was a long, chilly night.</p><p>The path meandered down toward the river and closer to the bridge. Several other cars were there, obviously not there for recreation, but their occupation status unclear. I made my way down the boat ramp to watch the cold, silent river, make its way past. I'm sure we must have paused here on one of my many canoe trips down the river during warmer seasons. This morning the river was all business.</p><p>Not wanting to backtrack too far, I made a brief scramble up an embankment to gain the familiar roadway just prior to the bridge launching out into air above the river. Riding to the crest, I paused to take in the view of the fall colors showing warmly in the morning light. I have been trying to apricate the views from bridges more, although it is usually difficult with close traffic and narrow paths.</p><p>Onward to work, where I can warm up from my morning passage. I will pause again on the west-bound bridge on the way home to enjoy the view from the other side in very similar light, the sun disappearing from its short journey across the sky.</p>Kenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00526709522608721937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8460111372369200617.post-88537650498001069562022-10-30T12:43:00.001-07:002022-10-30T12:43:58.811-07:00Cycling into Fall<p>I'd ridden almost a thousand miles over the summer on an e-bike, mostly commuting. With fall weather closing in, I took the opportunity to test my fitness level out on an extended ride. I have fond memories of riding out to the Buena Vista ferry with Neil, and had mapped out a loop that was within the capacity of my battery if I rode conservatively (and contributed some wattage).</p><blockquote class="embedly-card" data-card-controls="0" data-card-key="f1631a41cb254ca5b035dc5747a5bd75"><h4><a href="https://www.relive.cc/view/v4OG9R7wk5q?r=embed-site">Relive 'Buena Vista Loop'</a></h4></blockquote>
<script async="" charset="UTF-8" src="https://cdn.embedly.com/widgets/platform.js"></script><div><br /></div>Regretfully, I only took one picture along the way. It was a beautiful old barn set against the fall colors.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaDhpXCkNI_TfhzSjkMox_B68uNLQTx_itu8vzmNh6irtwg1oqStuLIrZLGJu2t7x2w9XPdKRu4yGSkJ-E7JcXy96GDWKIfOfHHIxJqZoI9GwZAVNUYNdTgbWY2XNzbObh1HofdwafMIjQUutDTiCBxQl_K5QdGjKQkV54_j8WoqN3X1aBBMg7IysQ/s999/1667081028976.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="999" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaDhpXCkNI_TfhzSjkMox_B68uNLQTx_itu8vzmNh6irtwg1oqStuLIrZLGJu2t7x2w9XPdKRu4yGSkJ-E7JcXy96GDWKIfOfHHIxJqZoI9GwZAVNUYNdTgbWY2XNzbObh1HofdwafMIjQUutDTiCBxQl_K5QdGjKQkV54_j8WoqN3X1aBBMg7IysQ/w640-h480/1667081028976.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div>There were lots of cute Halloween displays at the farm houses in the area. There was only one farm dog to keep an eye on, thankfully behind a fence. I did get quite a scare by a red-tailed squirrel making a surprise run at me before veering off. That bushy tail in the blur of peripheral vision makes it look like a much bigger animal! There was also a small bushy gerbil-size rodent along the road I stopped to check on. He did not look too healthy, but when I reached down to share a pretzel with him, he high-tailed it with remarkable vigor. I left the pretzel as a peace offering and hopefully he came back for it. </div><div><br /></div>
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<div>I've been using an app call Komoot to plan and track trips. I can then use the generated data and photo(s) to create the video at the top. Technology has come quite a ways.</div><div><br /></div><div>The ride took a little more than 2.5 hours with rest stops at the ferry, the bridge, and Hill Top Cemetery. It clocked in at 38 miles and took 540 Wh (according to my Kill-a-Watt meter). This is ball-park to the stated 40 mile range and 500 Wh capacity of the battery. I don't think I could trust my luck much farther since pedaling a 50 pound bike without any help is quite a chore (ask me how I know).</div><div><br /></div><div>My legs were sore the following day, but a good sore. I am very curious how I would do on a regular bike at this point, and reckon a 20 mile pedal-only trip would be roughly equivalent. Might be time to dust off the now thirty year old Trek and find out.</div>Kenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00526709522608721937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8460111372369200617.post-46360664607386435442014-07-05T08:16:00.001-07:002014-07-05T08:17:11.455-07:00Free Dinosaur, to a Good HomeWe love this little guy, but our city does not allow male dinosaurs, and he has started making the most god-awful racket in the mornings. Nothing worse than the call of an adolescent male dinosaur to wake you from your peaceful slumber.<br />
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We've heard some people just cook and eat their male dinosaurs, and I image they taste just like chicken, but as you can tell from the photos, this guy is a bantam, so there is not much meat on him.<br />
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If you can give this guy a good home, let us know. We will deliver a reasonable distance.<br />
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<br />Kenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00526709522608721937noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8460111372369200617.post-63785568373060123632014-01-31T13:24:00.000-08:002014-02-04T09:31:51.840-08:00And Then There Were Twenty Seven<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />Kenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00526709522608721937noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8460111372369200617.post-32855568990428505092013-10-05T16:57:00.002-07:002013-10-05T16:57:49.895-07:00Preaching A Different Kind of Religon<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I skipped out on the morning session of Conference to give an Arduino seminar to <a href="http://pnr.nmra.org/">the local model railroading group</a>. Last time I went to one of these, it was all the way down in Roseburg! This time I just had to travel several blocks to our local Prince of Peace Church. Not too many people have combined microcontrollers and model railroading quite like I have, so it was up to me to convince them it was easy and fun!<br />
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Here are my slides:<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="true" frameborder="0" height="429" mozallowfullscreen="true" src="https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1f010IvRtEavk99EtUaaC-kEtOsFSFhF7NORPTUIK_aE/embed?start=false&loop=false&delayms=10000" webkitallowfullscreen="true" width="533"></iframe><br />
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During one of the Maker Fairs, I sketched this out to help illustrate the various functions the micro-controller does on the layout:<br />
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All together, it is a bit overwhelming, even for me, but taken a piece a time, it is quite doable. Instead of bringing the full layout, I used the <a href="https://www.sparkfun.com/products/retired/10173">Sparkfun Inventor Kit</a> and a small section of track to demonstrate the various ways I use Arduino.<br />
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I think it went well. I got lots of question during and after the seminar. It was obvious they were thinking about ways to apply this to their own layouts! I got home in time for the afternoon Conference session and D. Todd Chrisofferson's wonderful talk about women in the church.<br />
<br />Kenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00526709522608721937noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8460111372369200617.post-51716708734916952682013-09-02T18:35:00.000-07:002013-09-02T18:35:16.246-07:00A Day on the WillametteHad a great day on the Willamette. We went from Crystal Lake Park in Corvallis up to Hyak Park near Adair. It was about 10 river miles, and took about four hours.<br />
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We saw a lot of osprey, including a juvenile that took off from the nest. We also saw a large heron.<br />
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We had lunch at Half-Moon Bend. We had camped near here on a previous trip.</div>
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We had the river to our selves. It made for a great escape from civilization.</div>
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-GKY48nPsHQU/UiU5shypn4I/AAAAAAAADpY/qoTtEeJyjzA/s1600/CIMG1033.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="478" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-GKY48nPsHQU/UiU5shypn4I/AAAAAAAADpY/qoTtEeJyjzA/s640/CIMG1033.jpg" width="640" /></a>Kenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00526709522608721937noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8460111372369200617.post-28006574829059776062013-08-22T13:14:00.000-07:002013-08-22T13:14:47.285-07:00Crazy MathI have been struggling through an <a href="https://www.coursera.org/course/matrix">online linear algebra</a> course for five weeks with some of my colleagues at work. My brain is not as sharp as it once was, and of course my memory never was. Still, I like learning and solving problems. I finally got the payoff when I was able to use:<br />
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to change this:<br />
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to this:<br />
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I couldn't explain how this works to save my life, but it is amazing to me that someone figured it out. Math can be cool.Kenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00526709522608721937noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8460111372369200617.post-83103238872069921252013-07-08T20:53:00.000-07:002013-07-08T20:53:29.559-07:00Reunion PicsHere are a few of my favorites:<br />
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<br />Kenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00526709522608721937noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8460111372369200617.post-52310472693444604802013-03-21T19:10:00.000-07:002013-03-22T08:21:02.269-07:00Pinewood Derby PhotosThis was my second year running the Ward's Pinewood Derby. We had several workshops prior to the event to help get the bodies shaped. The kid's designs were amazing.<br />
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We had 28 entries this year, twice that of last years event. Luckily I learned
my lesson about delegation and of course the leaders really stepped up.<br />
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The hit of the night was the photo-finish video replays. Some of the races were really close and they kept the crowd occupied while we got the next heat ready.</div>
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It was another great event. Hopefully we made some lasting memories!</div>
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Kenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00526709522608721937noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8460111372369200617.post-82744160920622567402013-03-20T20:04:00.000-07:002013-03-23T13:47:28.498-07:002D Printed Pinewood VanagonI'm not the first to make a <a href="http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=171755">Pinewood Vanagon</a>, but I doubt anyone has made a photo-realistic one like this:<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-k6ohERnTBiE/UUp3DuOdRdI/AAAAAAAADVo/mDnyB4Gw-LU/s1600/van_close.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="448" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-k6ohERnTBiE/UUp3DuOdRdI/AAAAAAAADVo/mDnyB4Gw-LU/s640/van_close.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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We had an "open" division for the dads (and Cubmasters). There were some crazy entries. Annie didn't want to build a car this year so she had to drive instead.</div>
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I don't think she had any idea of what I was up to when I was taking the original photos, but this is what I had in mind! The car on the right was made with a 3D printer!<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GDuPDBzmVTM/UUpx36GqN2I/AAAAAAAADVU/nBT4WaoKZhA/s1600/van_unfinished.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="450" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GDuPDBzmVTM/UUpx36GqN2I/AAAAAAAADVU/nBT4WaoKZhA/s640/van_unfinished.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
I think the height exceeds the limit (rules vary), but other than that, it is a legal pinewood car. The sides are balsa and it only weighed 4.5 oz. when completed. The original axle spacing was perfect. I didn't bother with adding weight, graphite or polishing axles (Annie's car was embarrassing fast <a href="http://bugled.blogspot.com/2012/03/pinewood-chaos.html">last year</a>, loosing only to the car that took Districts).<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN28ahUTIj5RCAqFT09YqsOI_7Z3XwPVYpCZ7iqv6LX4OSMaq_V8lcA2E8rNyjuDpS9bOPA9olb9ZfvRUfwop3Sdt-liIZNXFobKC10drckQCHwadPbLumCkVo7xYHGTonxfdOhNZLddA/s1600/van_original.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN28ahUTIj5RCAqFT09YqsOI_7Z3XwPVYpCZ7iqv6LX4OSMaq_V8lcA2E8rNyjuDpS9bOPA9olb9ZfvRUfwop3Sdt-liIZNXFobKC10drckQCHwadPbLumCkVo7xYHGTonxfdOhNZLddA/s640/van_original.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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Here is one of the original photos I started with.</div>
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How did it do? Let's just say I didn't loose every race. With vanagons, it is about style, not speed!<br />
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I'm getting a lot of interest in this, so if you want to try and build your own, the <a href="https://www.dropbox.com/sh/1kztktuwmbntblr/pEjht0wLsV">files and notes are here</a>. </div>
Kenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00526709522608721937noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8460111372369200617.post-50047824369103120002013-02-17T16:05:00.000-08:002013-02-17T16:05:04.365-08:00Toys of My Childhood<br />
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-F6RyGbKQNmA/USFuooY0KII/AAAAAAAADNs/6-6bUcAC0dM/s1600/priate+ship.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="252" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-F6RyGbKQNmA/USFuooY0KII/AAAAAAAADNs/6-6bUcAC0dM/s320/priate+ship.JPG" width="320" /></a>I am taking a "<a href="http://learn.media.mit.edu/syllabus.html">Learning Creative Learning</a>" class online from the MIT Media Lab (the brains behind Lego Mindstorms). One of the readings was an essay by Seymour Papert titled "Gears of My Childhood" where he talked about how his early love of automobiles and gears in particular shaped his learning ability.<br />
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In reflecting on the things that sparked my interests as a child, I think it is notable that I can't narrow it down to just one. I seemed to have access to countless creative toys. I remember building a "arctic research station" out of Legos and placing in a snowdrift overnight. I remember the 300 in 1 electronics kit from which I built a radio. Erector sets, Lincoln logs, tinker toys. Some of the things I remember were not toys. My dad's university office held a number of scientific instruments he would let us play with, including one for measuring sound levels in decibels.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-P8s7WqS_VEE/USFuo_zDg8I/AAAAAAAADNw/etTi1KahGsE/s1600/triangles.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-P8s7WqS_VEE/USFuo_zDg8I/AAAAAAAADNw/etTi1KahGsE/s320/triangles.JPG" width="257" /></a></div>
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If I had to narrow it down to one, it would be the computer. There were a lot of them, starting with the teletype terminal at dad's university where we could play Star Trek on a special account if the system wasn't too busy. And all the craft items we made out of punch cards and program tapes! I wrote about the early <a href="http://bugled.blogspot.com/2008/10/seven-bytes-about-me.html">computers in my life here</a>.<br />
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The latest toy to spark my interest is also a computer. The <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raspberry_Pi">Raspberry Pi</a> Linux computer is a marvel. It is faster and has more memory than the university's main frame did, yet I bought it for just $35. It can be used for about anything from commanding toy trains via the internet to learning computer system administration. The applications are endless, and the price puts in reach of everyone. I can't wait to see what the toys of my children's childhood bring about!<br />
Kenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00526709522608721937noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8460111372369200617.post-26850268318875971742012-12-19T19:13:00.000-08:002012-12-19T19:13:47.962-08:00Back on the RailsHolidays seem to be my train time. I did a train show in April and a merit badge clinic in September and that is about it. I have gotten excited about the new <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raspberry_Pi">Raspberry Pi </a>Linux computer, and plan on using it to control my layout instead of the two <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arduino">Arduino</a> microcontrollers I use now. There were are a lot of things that I hacked together to get the layout working, and I've long wanted a chance to do it over, simpler and cleaner.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgCwHsj0X1Q3A5kX4khyG0UFt3hc6DzP0iEHnpwkOmUUwgNBPFbr8otXP4xBBjrLQNR8MUU3JiXUMXtWiIWsqczSmypRz7w8b0Yxt74XWywOv2RFY9dBN4-qIL8FIP8qgqbBNE4MAAYJU/s1600/train_1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgCwHsj0X1Q3A5kX4khyG0UFt3hc6DzP0iEHnpwkOmUUwgNBPFbr8otXP4xBBjrLQNR8MUU3JiXUMXtWiIWsqczSmypRz7w8b0Yxt74XWywOv2RFY9dBN4-qIL8FIP8qgqbBNE4MAAYJU/s400/train_1.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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My first step is designing a new control board. This will basically have an Arduino brain (Atmega 328) and two L293D H-bridge controllers. That isn't much of a departure from how it currently works, except it collapses several separate modules on to one board and will be able to control the engine and turnouts itself, or interface with another computer (say a Raspberry Pi)!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKNWzDDsxHTVf1VKgF-WbN9aE9SswIaiyNu63gHCfbnPhaXZ6YBJXIE36dCHOIjGFsTYSjf4z0oMRrn9jEzzusmBtejoK1qOlwdn7hqQW0vG4w9UjQgEgxaOzXgJ1_LhjgQLKOgxhOj4I/s1600/train2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKNWzDDsxHTVf1VKgF-WbN9aE9SswIaiyNu63gHCfbnPhaXZ6YBJXIE36dCHOIjGFsTYSjf4z0oMRrn9jEzzusmBtejoK1qOlwdn7hqQW0vG4w9UjQgEgxaOzXgJ1_LhjgQLKOgxhOj4I/s400/train2.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
Perhaps my biggest leap in simplicity is in the turnout control. In my prior amateur stumbling, I ended up using a transistor to control a relay to control <a href="http://www3.sympatico.ca/kstapleton3/Index.html">Ken Stapleton's switching circuit</a> (times two!). I burned up two Atlas under-table switches figuring out that <a href="http://www.rubegoldberg.com/">Rube Golberg</a> setup. I guess that happens when a 5 volt guy starts trying to control 12 volt systems. I've determined you could do the same job with several two-dollar, high-power MOSFET transistors, or (drum-roll please) a L293D H-bridge. There are two of these on the <a href="http://www.ladyada.net/make/mshield/">Adafruit motor control shield</a> I'm currently using, capable of powering two DC motors each, of which I'm currently using exactly one half of one. A single H-bridge, with some diodes, can control both turn outs! It works, and I've only burned up one resistor and two cheap transistors. <br />
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The prototyping and testing is done, and the board is laid out and sent off for manufacture. See if you can tell the difference between my board and Lady Ada's motor shield. That is Open Source Hardware for you. She provides all the design files and I just stripped it down and built if up the way I wanted, complete with a Wii nunchuck adapter! I just have to wait six weeks for it to come back from China to see if it works as advertised. If it works, I'll post my designs on line for others to use as well. So it goes.<br />
<br />Kenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00526709522608721937noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8460111372369200617.post-85667800443740670002012-12-11T17:24:00.000-08:002012-12-11T17:24:02.176-08:00Recreational Statistics<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5bbmoiPcWoY/UMfaVhZQoMI/AAAAAAAADCw/xgvbwOt-MCY/s1600/Hershey%27s_Kisses_and_Cherry_Cordial_Creme_Kisses.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5bbmoiPcWoY/UMfaVhZQoMI/AAAAAAAADCw/xgvbwOt-MCY/s200/Hershey%27s_Kisses_and_Cherry_Cordial_Creme_Kisses.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
At our Ward's Christmas party this year, they had a large jar of Hersey's candy kisses and we were asked to guess the total number. The closest guess to the actual number got to take them home. I remember reading a story about how in such situations, that the average of all the guesses would be closer to actual than the winning guess, a sort of accuracy through consensus thing. Here was my chance to test that out, so I volunteered to check the answers.<br />
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We had 72 guesses cast, and as we went through them, I could see the average would be low because some of the smaller kids had unrealistic guesses like 8 or 20. One kid wrote "there are 0 kisses in the jar, but some candy kisses". Funny, and true, but no chocolate for him. The winning guess was 454, which was about 8% higher than the 417 actual pieces. Robin had the next closest guess and was quite disappointed.<br />
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Days later, I plugged all the guesses into my magic bit box to see what the statistics said. The average, or mean, as I predicted was very low at 208. That indicated an abnormal distribution, which a histogram quickly confirmed. Somewhere in my reading, I came <a href="http://www.diffen.com/difference/Mean_vs_Median">across a tidbit</a> that said the median would be a better statistic to use for a skewed distribution. Sure enough, the median is 407, or about 3% off actual, and much closer than the winning guess. So I guess with a little quibbling about the use of mean or median, the story was right.<br />
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I tracked down the story, and it is from a book called <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Wisdom_of_Crowds">"The Wisdom of Crowds"</a>, and involves guessing the weight of an ox at the county fair. I'd rather have chocolate.<br />
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Fun Facts: <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hershey%27s_Kisses">Hershey's Kisses</a> were introduced in 1907, but the term "KISSES" wasn't trademarked until 2001. Hershey makes more than 60 million kisses a day. Candy kisses that is.<br />
<br />Kenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00526709522608721937noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8460111372369200617.post-72820353110502051052012-12-02T17:03:00.000-08:002012-12-02T17:03:02.292-08:00A Dress for the AgesRachel made a dress for a ball she was going to with a friend. She picked out the pattern and the fabric and had it finished in about a week.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-sxVIXq-6LyQ/ULv2k-vk8VI/AAAAAAAADBY/hQVlbM6fkcI/s1600/Rachel_dress_1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-sxVIXq-6LyQ/ULv2k-vk8VI/AAAAAAAADBY/hQVlbM6fkcI/s640/Rachel_dress_1.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
If you haven't heard of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steampunk">steampunk</a>, think Jules Verne, or more modernly, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leviathan_%28Westerfeld_novel%29">Levianthan</a> by Scott Westerfeld. It is Victorian techno sci-fi.<br />
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We talked her in to wearing it to church and she got a lot of compliments.<br />
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Just amazing. Can't wait to see what she tries next!<br />
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<br />Kenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00526709522608721937noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8460111372369200617.post-51516060141565055652012-10-21T09:37:00.000-07:002012-10-21T09:37:44.584-07:00Conference Talk Title GameDuring Conference, after a speaker finished, I started asking the girls what they thought the title of the talk would be just to see if they were listening. They were. It helped me pay better attention as well.<br />
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Here is what we came up with for the Sunday a.m. session:<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1_GPv7sXvbU/UIQj0xQjJ1I/AAAAAAAAC9w/EYNP6dct--U/s1600/talk_titles.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1_GPv7sXvbU/UIQj0xQjJ1I/AAAAAAAAC9w/EYNP6dct--U/s640/talk_titles.png" width="550" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0Sarfa1w5d0/UIQgj0rzbtI/AAAAAAAAC8Q/4R3SO87_8Kk/s1600/linda-k-burton-10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0Sarfa1w5d0/UIQgj0rzbtI/AAAAAAAAC8Q/4R3SO87_8Kk/s1600/linda-k-burton-10.jpg" /></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span>If there was a true winner to this game, I would have to say it was Sis. Burton for having the clearest message in her talk! Kenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00526709522608721937noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8460111372369200617.post-35492027945206825202012-10-07T09:00:00.000-07:002012-10-07T09:00:02.947-07:00New FlooringWith June and Smitty back in Florida, it is time for us to find some new tenants.<br />
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The big upkeep item is redoing the kitchen floor. Lots of work, but going quickly with good helpers.<br />
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<br />Kenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00526709522608721937noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8460111372369200617.post-75344156766355494862012-10-06T18:59:00.001-07:002012-10-06T18:59:58.141-07:00One day, four teeth?How many teeth have you lost in one day (without a dentist visit)? The other day Annie kept coming up to me and telling me she had lost another tooth.<br />
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She quit after four. That has to be some kind of record. Hope the tooth fairy brought some extra cash.<br />
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<br />Kenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00526709522608721937noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8460111372369200617.post-32439326781425284702012-09-21T20:28:00.000-07:002012-09-23T10:17:10.921-07:00Cascadia Cave TourWe found another Oregon historical gem that ranks up there with <a href="http://bugled.blogspot.com/2010/05/sawmill-revisited.html">Hull-Oakes</a> and <a href="http://bugled.blogspot.com/2010/09/visit-to-thompsons-mills.html">Thompson Mill</a>. It is the Cascadia Caves near Sweet Home.<br />
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Unfortunately, the cave is on private land (for now), and requires a Forest Service approved tour. Fortunately, the tour included a very animated archaeologist/story-teller named Tony Farque. <br />
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Human use of the cave dates back 8000 years, and includes a myriad of cave art. The location is situated at the cross-roads of the North-South and East-West migration trails of the Indians and was an important Salmon harvesting location. Tony made the art come alive with stories and interpretations and spoke engagingly for an hour and a half while we ate lunch.<br />
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He showed us some replica artifacts that would have been used by the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kalapuya_people">Kalapuya</a>.<br />
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The Kalapua were egalitarian and had female shaman and leaders. I can't wait to see what these ladies aspire to.<br />
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I can't recommend this tour enough. It left me with a deep respect for a people who had an obviously deep connection with nature. Unfortunately, the next tour won't be till next June! The Forest Service only has two tours a year. Find out more at <a href="http://www.recreation.gov/tourDetails.do?contractCode=NRSO&parkId=72411&tourId=319074&cat=1">http://www.recreation.gov/tourDetails.do</a><br />
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I've put more photo on <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/114502956400570948862/CascadiaCaveTour?authuser=0&authkey=Gv1sRgCLW08_H2l8DHcA&feat=directlink">Picasa</a>. Kenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00526709522608721937noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8460111372369200617.post-83795347479146107422012-09-19T18:41:00.000-07:002012-09-20T07:19:12.769-07:00A Web Comic the Size of a House?One of my favorite web comics is XKCD. It is usually over my head, and sometime vulgar, but occasionally it is just plain brilliant. This weeks comic had a bottom panel that you could click and drag to move around. It contained some hidden cultural gems sprinkled here and there. Try it out here <a href="http://xkcd.com/1110/">http://xkcd.com/1110/</a> before I tell you more about it. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk6mxBsDcoP3RW0xsHBSyzjEWJqKJlVcKJsK-Nz7UFI27ZjlbSa6pZhRs0nUpUQTTotIM6px6TKPvpkglmrYJnlFt_jwW2muhWgy7xcebWLWCf2iATEfCqRTcJyd2HCFOtrKpmXef-3jI/s1600/9n2e.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk6mxBsDcoP3RW0xsHBSyzjEWJqKJlVcKJsK-Nz7UFI27ZjlbSa6pZhRs0nUpUQTTotIM6px6TKPvpkglmrYJnlFt_jwW2muhWgy7xcebWLWCf2iATEfCqRTcJyd2HCFOtrKpmXef-3jI/s640/9n2e.png" width="550" /></a></div>
I was a bit late to work as I was clicking and dragging. It became clear the underlying image was far larger than could be explored in a short sitting.<br />
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Not wanting to miss any gems, I dug in to the html, found the javscript serving the images, and wrote a Python script to probe the server for the needed image files. What emerged, if printed at 300 dpi, was the equivalent of 16 feet by 40 feet, or enough to cover the side of a house! <br />
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This is just a thumbnail of about a third of it. The Apollo rocket is top center. At the very far right was an interesting homage to<a href="http://www.xkcd.com/1/"> his very first comic</a>!<br />
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The other thing that struck me was how similar the layout was to the illustrations of a book I had read recently about a two dimensional world called <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Planiverse"><i>Planiverse</i></a> by A.K. Dewdney. Here is the main character's home:<br />
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The novel had a similar concept as <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flatland"><i>Flatland</i></a> by Edwin Abbot. Both deal with what life would be like living in two dimensions. Just what you need for being prepared to be trapped in an XKCD cartoon for a day!</div>
Kenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00526709522608721937noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8460111372369200617.post-46675515406130201052012-09-05T21:12:00.001-07:002012-09-06T07:52:56.829-07:00How far can you get in a car without oil?<br />
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Some one mysteriously deposited about five quarts of oil and some metal and body pieces on our front yard sometime in the very early morning. It appears they didn't see that the road came to a "tee" and ran about a car length over the curb.</div>
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Among the pieces was one with a part number. A quick look on the web told us we were looking for a late model Jetta VW.</div>
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Amazing, they had decided to back out and drive off. It was easy to follow the diminishing oil trail to see that they were determined to make it back to Corvallis, heading south on 99W.</div>
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Given the complete loss of oil, it was easy to figure they didn't make it far. With only three tow companies in Corvallis, it only took two phone calls to find out who had towed what where. The offending vehicle was parked in front of a auto shop in South Corvallis,</div>
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I drove down to the shop to verify the missing body pieces matched. The missing grill pieces were a dead give-away. Underneath, not only was a majority of the oil pan gone, a large portion of an engine mount was dragging on the ground. That must have made enough racket to drown out the dying screeches of an oil-starved engine.<br />
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The tow operator told me he picked up the mess near Arboretum Road, just about a mile from our house. That, is apparently has far as you can go without oil.<br />
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The only questions remaining? Was the person drunk, and if so, will a $4k repair bill sober them up? Fortunately, this time the only injuries were to some German engineering, but I fear this driver is in for further bumpy roads.<br />
<br />Kenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00526709522608721937noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8460111372369200617.post-51285965491149584442012-09-01T20:09:00.000-07:002012-09-01T20:09:00.212-07:00Alpine for Labor DayWith both vans road-worthy after extensive mechanical repairs, it was time for a little fun, so we took the Westy down to Alpine for a night.<br />
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Unfortunately, being Labor Day weekend, we did not have the place to ourselves. There were two ward campouts and a family reunion going on. We ended up sharing a campsite with another family with two noisy young boys. Not quite our typical outing, but fun none the less.<br />
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We stopped at Alsea Falls on the way home. We also hit the third annual Blackberry Festival in Alsea which was more like a small farmers market, buy hey, we like blackberries!<br />
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<br />Kenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00526709522608721937noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8460111372369200617.post-75745734380224593872012-08-22T22:10:00.001-07:002012-08-22T22:10:18.402-07:00Cheating with FriendsI've been tempted for a while to write a program to help with Words With Friends. Turns out somebody <a href="http://blogmybrain.com/words-with-friends-cheat/">already has</a>, so I challenged a friend to a "cheat on cheat" game. Carl and I ended up with a 900+ point game!<br />
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I averaged 34 points per word. Even with computer brains crunching the combinations, over a third of the words (10 / 29) were just three letters! I think where the computer excelled was finding the multiple word combinations, something I never spend much time attempting. You can see the dense pattern running up the upper left-hand corner.<br />
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While it was exciting to see the big points coming in (i.e. VOMICAE = 75 pts!), there weren't any of those epiphany moments when you know you found the killer word, by your self. And the game went too quick. I think we clicked it off in under an hour.<br />
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Now I just have to look up what "<a href="http://www.thefreedictionary.com/vomicae">vomicae</a>" means. Wait. Oh gross. Nevermind.Kenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00526709522608721937noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8460111372369200617.post-46011145240780072162012-08-01T18:55:00.000-07:002012-08-01T18:55:23.720-07:00More Newberry Pictures<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />Kenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00526709522608721937noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8460111372369200617.post-48108333872254167952012-07-31T17:32:00.001-07:002012-07-31T17:32:57.967-07:00Camping, Goodwin StyleAfter our stint in Brownsville with the cubscouts, Annie and I headed over to the Cascades to join Stephanie and the Goodwins on their annual week-long campout.<br />
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I had never been to the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Newberry_Volcano">Newberry Caldera</a>, which is south of Bend. The Goodwins were camped at Paulina Lake.<br />
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We took a ranger-led tour of an obsidian flow. It is amazing that a technology like flint-napping is still used for specialized surgical blades.<br />
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We visited Paulina Falls which marks the edge of the caldera.</div>
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Can't have fun without being dirty!</div>
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Dave showed Annie how to fish. We could see some 6-inchers near the dock, but they would do more than nibble at the bait.</div>Kenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00526709522608721937noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8460111372369200617.post-40305930592515785722012-07-30T21:17:00.000-07:002012-07-31T10:28:40.015-07:00Brownsville Cubscout CampoutOur cubscouts have an annual family campout in the <a href="http://www.ci.brownsville.or.us/park.html">Brownsville Pioneer Park</a>. It is a rather informal campground near the Calapoolia River with port-a-potties and no water.<br />
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Despite the limited facilities, it was a fun event. Reed Lacy set up a zip line, which was a hit. We did skits around the fire. I told the<a href="http://bugled.blogspot.com/2008/07/scoop-shuval.html"> Scoop Shuvel story</a>. After dark, I set up my telescope and talked astronomy until there was no one left. We saw Saturn and it's moon Titan, as well as Mars and the Moon.</div>
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Breakfast was the eggs in a bag affair, which turned out well. Annie and I and one other family stayed to visit the small farmer's market and visit the <a href="http://www.co.linn.or.us/parks/museums/historymuseum.html">Linn County Historical Museum</a>.</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-V0kOt4oyHQg/UBdSYzrIjnI/AAAAAAAACpo/IKV8qCYCUnc/s1600/eIMG_2525.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-V0kOt4oyHQg/UBdSYzrIjnI/AAAAAAAACpo/IKV8qCYCUnc/s400/eIMG_2525.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>Kenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00526709522608721937noreply@blogger.com3