tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15189539070622350052024-03-18T20:45:50.611-05:00Detritus of EmpireWandering unsupervised in various real and imaginary places. Detritus reflects my interests in robotics, travel, history and the odder aspects of the world around me.Tacitushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17007086196578740689noreply@blogger.comBlogger2308125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1518953907062235005.post-5225399379044963862024-03-18T00:30:00.006-05:002024-03-18T20:45:17.835-05:00FIRST Robotics 2024 - Helios Reborn<p><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><b>In a number of ways the robotics team has "moved up in the world". Certainly in the obvious ones, larger crew, more sophisticated designs, greater ambitions. And also by becoming a "two event" team.</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><b>FIRST robotics tournaments are huge events. 50 plus teams from around the area and sometimes from far beyond it. A display of smarts and hard work that just makes you feel good about the state of young people and their education.....contrary evidence in the daily news be damned.</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><b>But if you are One and Done due to budgetary or other reasons, you are limited. In that short a time frame you might have an off season due to any number of factors. Did it snow hard in your community causing you to miss a bunch of work sessions? Did you have unfortunate luck in the random pairings of match partners and opponents? Did you let the kids go nuts and build something far too complex.......</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_Hwxk1_SJr3z6gvFc1HswdYTTH6uReTdQxADePGFsWQcbJbxPjQrI6Ph2BNrMjcrXBAT1uLB361wZv0Wk9zGsOdbtk0NO5QTbNA1_uSenqEZR_Wi5Zdq2CrglnJJNKtZG3juXaYt-KyuFPpaFF0qUHXd5C4-dC-Xqc9fiJQbFfDS32gtjyF5FyUAW3moQ/s542/ouch.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="542" data-original-width="480" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_Hwxk1_SJr3z6gvFc1HswdYTTH6uReTdQxADePGFsWQcbJbxPjQrI6Ph2BNrMjcrXBAT1uLB361wZv0Wk9zGsOdbtk0NO5QTbNA1_uSenqEZR_Wi5Zdq2CrglnJJNKtZG3juXaYt-KyuFPpaFF0qUHXd5C4-dC-Xqc9fiJQbFfDS32gtjyF5FyUAW3moQ/s320/ouch.jpg" width="283" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><br /><b>This happened at the end of our practice day at our first event. The team had to work until they kicked us out at 8pm just to get all it back together. And the cumulative damage in every other little joint, widget, wire connection and so forth was considerable. We just never had a chance to get caught up. I have not watched the video of our matches from this tournament and in fact may never do so. </b></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><b>It's hardly necessary in any case. After a quarter century of doing things with kids and robots I have an unusual, actually I suspect unique, ability. I can see three to four weeks into the future of any robotics campaign. Oh, not perfectly....its a bit like my vision and hearing generally....I'll miss a few details but can certainly make out the overall situation.</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><b>And so the great rebuild began.</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><b>This is a rather busy photo, and the bumpers are off. But you'll notice that the telescoping elevator is gone. As is the motor that drove it, the motor that drove a flexible "wrist", the springs, pulleys, rigging and brackets that made up the whole complicated mechanism.....adios.</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN3LIdE6qVLDDjG5geJh2uRcIejm8kfByp-EunezFQtFP7mHiqNDijb8zU6IQ8AAHQbG7E6DSJpaCP7bqlpR24haFjxnDjijjATCtk7PheVCiN84zBpBdMnPNSzM1Nl0FGpTlV5YGcP155gO5g6HGS1Lsp9gaONECEZjnVZPODJSsN2mjuQxe6gTqPnHbZ/s4080/20240316_153456.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3060" data-original-width="4080" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN3LIdE6qVLDDjG5geJh2uRcIejm8kfByp-EunezFQtFP7mHiqNDijb8zU6IQ8AAHQbG7E6DSJpaCP7bqlpR24haFjxnDjijjATCtk7PheVCiN84zBpBdMnPNSzM1Nl0FGpTlV5YGcP155gO5g6HGS1Lsp9gaONECEZjnVZPODJSsN2mjuQxe6gTqPnHbZ/w640-h480/20240316_153456.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><br /><b>Much cleaner, and we've probably reduced the potential failure points by 2/3rd. The intake/shooter is also a new design.</b></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGxfLcAevHKiNe9Ei_XuGYfTOZ5Jar5O-6j0UpgSdO5D3Q_2rleZr1uxCqqdEEYdZtZTLRSYlxRBQEze3qY1_hfYuZW46ef97yYcg6vx7uMrkAHfkbTBZnze_rmTZdo9qVC8SGP1Zq4gxtTsM1WvUJ_ylpawnbQY-NLRk8ypQ-tl0rvhU4pP9QOiNBE1KX/s4080/20240316_114055.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4080" data-original-width="3060" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGxfLcAevHKiNe9Ei_XuGYfTOZ5Jar5O-6j0UpgSdO5D3Q_2rleZr1uxCqqdEEYdZtZTLRSYlxRBQEze3qY1_hfYuZW46ef97yYcg6vx7uMrkAHfkbTBZnze_rmTZdo9qVC8SGP1Zq4gxtTsM1WvUJ_ylpawnbQY-NLRk8ypQ-tl0rvhU4pP9QOiNBE1KX/w300-h400/20240316_114055.jpg" width="300" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><br /><b>It has two rollers on one side and three on the other. This is to add a degree of "frisbee spin" to the game piece. I'll post some video presently, but the velocity and trajectory are impressive.</b></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><b>And so it goes. We still have a lot to do. Reducing the failure points is not the same as eliminating them entirely. But it is a solid piece of work.</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><b>Onward.</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxuVlPgnO6hbDiDWm17trhaT20QqrzkLPMUZ677vMnqztMBfp93FlyzEjwi7wTKT2uO5WHrM689fUgmWXbjMg' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></span></div><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><br /><b><br /></b></span><p></p>Tacitushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17007086196578740689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1518953907062235005.post-49904306436073519542024-03-15T00:30:00.001-05:002024-03-15T00:30:00.150-05:00I feel a little left out<p><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><b>I'm going to go out and tempt fate here*. With the CDC basically saying that Covid-19 is just another respiratory virus I now feel just a little cheated that I never got it. **</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><b>I know many people who did. Their recoveries had an element of nobility to them. They took on the greatest malady of our times and prevailed. Sometimes they got to get up on their soap box and gripe about some person they encountered who DID NOT WEAR A MASK!</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><b>I just went through life figuring if I got it I got it, and that beyond a certain point all these precautions and masks would prove to be exercises in futility. And so it has come to pass.</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><b>I think most people took this all in stride. The small percentage of the population that just went nuts over this were probably unreasonable about other things before Covid and will now move on to being unreasonable about other things.</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><b>It is a shame that the whole darn thing got politicized, and that the measures to counter the disease were - in retrospect - so draconian. I've been working with middle and high school students for 25 years and counting, and can tell you that the damage to academic achievement and to their world generally has been profound and malign.</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><b>Oh, something will get me eventually. That's probably the truest thing I or anyone else could ever write. But it is my intent to just carry on. I'm not going to do anything that is clearly stupid....no motorcycles in my future But while I won't live forever I certainly won't live in fear.</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvW35ImlGy9mkypEe3oUyYABZNOZKZh6hW0Q26H0X9EzA247c8XtTGp4C_6EzKvpXbXOhLPcuoAf9ioMuKzK9lIYzP6VV6BuqbUIbKcSKeLN11-vtPwY6v31tDCfO_jjvPPWmIh26BzDHwHg72CqHkPZeNBokCbMK74aYDkuAacR5SJlE_svIVAVK1Pywu/s1000/22-1012%20GettyImages-1368152495_1000x563px.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="563" data-original-width="1000" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvW35ImlGy9mkypEe3oUyYABZNOZKZh6hW0Q26H0X9EzA247c8XtTGp4C_6EzKvpXbXOhLPcuoAf9ioMuKzK9lIYzP6VV6BuqbUIbKcSKeLN11-vtPwY6v31tDCfO_jjvPPWmIh26BzDHwHg72CqHkPZeNBokCbMK74aYDkuAacR5SJlE_svIVAVK1Pywu/w400-h225/22-1012%20GettyImages-1368152495_1000x563px.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><b>________________________</b></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><b>*Fate being duly tempted I did get dismal-ill on the trip to Florida. Cough, runny nose, fatigue. Covid? Who knows, I just slept it off and treated it - per CDC now - as a poorly timed case of the crud. Fate....it's always Hubris then Nemesis, isn't it?</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><b>** Realistically I probably got Covid in early March of 2020, too early to have testing available. 36 hours of scratchy throat and fatigue. Nothing that rest and beer could not overcome.</b></span></p>Tacitushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17007086196578740689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1518953907062235005.post-33445846629513683392024-03-13T00:30:00.001-05:002024-03-13T00:30:00.136-05:00Spring Talks<p><b>I divide my year up into "seasons", and when robotics is done or winding down I usually schedule a number of talks for various groups. Gives me something to do while waiting for late Spring archaeology travels. </b></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtvwZKJLA5PHuocFRdYxAznIf1Qz6euWXw0ici-bmdQmNZoWtDU4qg7sqX95HNSZMUAusltjimVdnP12MCNzyBuDTm6Jm6iBWctus-QXOaOgiqFL_2p_oaLvCiNaTfORVkZNz_iThSlmoCzGzBQaRy-2BvOZe_3fZwxIBv3l37llZiat7Zj5XQfYqsX5FT/s1000/PDPA-ECONOMY-WOOD-PODIUM-FRONT.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtvwZKJLA5PHuocFRdYxAznIf1Qz6euWXw0ici-bmdQmNZoWtDU4qg7sqX95HNSZMUAusltjimVdnP12MCNzyBuDTm6Jm6iBWctus-QXOaOgiqFL_2p_oaLvCiNaTfORVkZNz_iThSlmoCzGzBQaRy-2BvOZe_3fZwxIBv3l37llZiat7Zj5XQfYqsX5FT/w400-h300/PDPA-ECONOMY-WOOD-PODIUM-FRONT.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><b>This year it is a mixture of old topics and re-visited ones, and for three different community education programs. If you're interested in such things, here's times, places and contact info.</b><p></p><p><b>The POW baseball one has been particularly interesting to dust off. I've not given that talk for a decade or so, and looking back on my original research I realized that it was about thirty years back that I stumbled on this odd tale.......</b></p><p><b>25 April. POW Baseball in World War Two. Chippewa Falls Community Education program. Details at: <a href="https://indd.adobe.com/view/7de5c11e-d5e6-46e6-a6c5-d0e058af6579"> Community Ed Course Catalog.</a></b></p><p><b>27 April. Historic Movie Theaters of Chippewa Falls. This one is at the new History Center. Contact them at: <a href="https://www.chippewaareahistorycenter.org/">History Center</a></b></p><p><b>And finally, 30 April I'm doing a program for the Chippewa Valley Learning in Retirement group. Unlike the previous two, which are reprises, this one is new. Patent Medicines of Western Wisconsin. Details at: <a href="https://cvlr.org/eau-claire-schedule/">CVLR Calendar</a> .</b></p><p><b>Always fun to do live talks. With three hour plus talks in five days I hope I can keep 'em straight!</b></p><p><b><br /></b></p><p><b><br /></b></p>Tacitushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17007086196578740689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1518953907062235005.post-13639904974381502892024-03-10T23:30:00.005-05:002024-03-11T18:14:53.312-05:00Beached Whale<p><b>So here's something I had not seen before. And likely never will again.</b></p><p><b>Near one of the areas we fish at a 70 foot long Sperm Whale had run aground on the rocks just off shore. Poor guy couldn't get free even with a rising tide.</b></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0gbo8sFQgr0502iy8MDI6y5rgf9BLnoPr7_J-7HtB2-nRgNineWOyfItDdd26aDrr8T6TCeqcm4YhHaRAqKVaADkec_4GMnVms-DgDAOH7Cn-mRfHg20obxtOTTsIOV0oHql8LPze7xwHJERx2ZETm0i4XVgAp5YmuPlVYjqMKk_1ADNQ4-w87gB-3QrA/s4080/20240310_165340.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3060" data-original-width="4080" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0gbo8sFQgr0502iy8MDI6y5rgf9BLnoPr7_J-7HtB2-nRgNineWOyfItDdd26aDrr8T6TCeqcm4YhHaRAqKVaADkec_4GMnVms-DgDAOH7Cn-mRfHg20obxtOTTsIOV0oHql8LPze7xwHJERx2ZETm0i4XVgAp5YmuPlVYjqMKk_1ADNQ4-w87gB-3QrA/w640-h480/20240310_165340.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><b>Obviously this sort of thing draws a crowd.....</b><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxJ_ayTNwLUnl-23UdaLGvexCEfc89STYFVoT4cfqL4Opuvrtd3utHOoZKsTjT9b6OHYetuEqm4214jf-CEYA' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><br /><b>It's a weird sensation. You want to do something to help. Maybe have everyone wade out there, grab a fin and roll the poor beastie out into deeper water. But of course, logically, an adult sperm whale of this size can weigh 45 tons, and there is nothing you can do to help them out of a situation like this.</b><p></p><p><b>We hung around a while. Once the novelty wore off it felt rather sad. On our way back up the beach a couple of sheriff's deputies in an ATV had gotten stuck in some loose sand. Our party of hardy Midwesterners having plenty of experience with vehicles and snow drifts was happy to put a shoulder into things and help get them unstuck. It made us feel a bit better after not being able to do anything at all for the whale.</b></p><p><b>---------------------------</b></p><p><b>Update. Sadly, but predictably, the whale did not survive. Evidently it was only 45 feet long. I don't think that beach will be a popular destination in the next few warm, sunny days.</b></p><p><b><br /></b></p>Tacitushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17007086196578740689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1518953907062235005.post-37650639187998476252024-03-07T23:30:00.003-06:002024-03-08T15:27:16.578-06:00Strange Fishing - Florida 2024<p><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><b>I've been fighting a nasty cold most of my time on vacation. This is of course, Not Fair. So fishing time has been curtailed. On the other hand, last year's Red Tide has gone away so the fishing has actually been more productive and varied. </b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><b>There are two little critters we caught in abundance. As in, with almost every cast. Mangrove Snappers and White Grunts look close enough that my quickly snapped photos may have missed the latter. Cute little guys the both of them. Basically the equivalent of salt water bluegills.</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1w2EQPuMoKWP2VqqBCkGP-DHk6zKFOdu3ApvCNCGJhCfqXoLyuvdiVPumrvcQcXS95OzQmqfG6tB7qlNXSjT2HjoTliRgcwEbzETk7fjeNYfC-QZGm7MunfE6ksfwJh2vnnKoLaHoN2DF2UiRndFDzk23UgLv-GeoT5JGs66G-MdpiuqVhKVqBlwWY1EZ/s4080/20240306_155354.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4080" data-original-width="3060" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1w2EQPuMoKWP2VqqBCkGP-DHk6zKFOdu3ApvCNCGJhCfqXoLyuvdiVPumrvcQcXS95OzQmqfG6tB7qlNXSjT2HjoTliRgcwEbzETk7fjeNYfC-QZGm7MunfE6ksfwJh2vnnKoLaHoN2DF2UiRndFDzk23UgLv-GeoT5JGs66G-MdpiuqVhKVqBlwWY1EZ/w300-h400/20240306_155354.jpg" width="300" /></a></span></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><b>Last year's go-to spot under a bridge was not productive this year. We'd see other people there pretty often so the secret must have gotten out. And when we did try it the fish had gotten very smart. We did encounter this fine fellow which made our day....</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNxF4PPFdky4CmMyfjRJKNDDX5gmauZhoIFc7IJir1urHjd4_0q48uPrnnxylK876E2Rz6kRF1ue60ci84YJsPRW9pN7ueEcSDG90B7Yr1Za82MRztLF81iZS9PXKdbreRZUsnu6HXXJcxJuVFzL22aL2CQDJeco7z0mAOm1epR3RjEnGRXu4iXKkPnY0p/s4080/20240307_154936.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3060" data-original-width="4080" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNxF4PPFdky4CmMyfjRJKNDDX5gmauZhoIFc7IJir1urHjd4_0q48uPrnnxylK876E2Rz6kRF1ue60ci84YJsPRW9pN7ueEcSDG90B7Yr1Za82MRztLF81iZS9PXKdbreRZUsnu6HXXJcxJuVFzL22aL2CQDJeco7z0mAOm1epR3RjEnGRXu4iXKkPnY0p/w640-h480/20240307_154936.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div><p></p><p><b style="font-family: trebuchet;">And we encountered other reptiles. On our way to another favored spot we walk by a place where endangered tortoises nest in a parking lot. Their overall intellect may have something to do with their endangered status, as this is about as bad a place to dig turtle nests as you could dream up. Anyway, we had to do a bit of traffic guard duty to help them lumber across the adjacent road. Good luck, my scarce and scaly friends....</b></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3Moy13GXVNYUsnmBWuvesRLAbRtsLi3BaOxaFFTIFSEdhpyLe9fCOFxpXbxq2T4-mJ-IGrZIVWR1uJPyKb3hOFQpX3UTDuS2xk8w1U4UXj3BiUN5eEMfbuLr2i8LTLY0tynheUxbNLyRLGdQqGZN05nm-zSEl1eM_MEV6aPg68Qra9Ryy6wPl4yEZI-dA/s3580/20240307_165426.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2443" data-original-width="3580" height="436" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3Moy13GXVNYUsnmBWuvesRLAbRtsLi3BaOxaFFTIFSEdhpyLe9fCOFxpXbxq2T4-mJ-IGrZIVWR1uJPyKb3hOFQpX3UTDuS2xk8w1U4UXj3BiUN5eEMfbuLr2i8LTLY0tynheUxbNLyRLGdQqGZN05nm-zSEl1eM_MEV6aPg68Qra9Ryy6wPl4yEZI-dA/w640-h436/20240307_165426.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><b style="font-family: trebuchet;"><p><b>A fair bit of fishing success was encountered on a nearby jetty, basically a channel where boats go in and out of harbor. Lots of people fish there and a wide variety of species are caught. My grandson got a spiny critter called a Leatherjacket. Several of us caught Pompano, a rather tasty snub nosed fish.</b></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtsPGkKMFuRK-Wi3ieqWTk0rdul3nvakzn4DLWIKoZPG4pRCwFV_l2pEdsnLdUKHuyJ-KEb8H1T6ZAPG-F9lNmtvrkJnKWtFoX_BVoxoReeg24GCyu9Kglic3RY1LBsT99gAfRe5Gps78g9vIkOz0DOygTzK31-VOQ540vP4dSbY3E5kS8vUBd9Ir5N5rd/s4080/20240307_174409.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3060" data-original-width="4080" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtsPGkKMFuRK-Wi3ieqWTk0rdul3nvakzn4DLWIKoZPG4pRCwFV_l2pEdsnLdUKHuyJ-KEb8H1T6ZAPG-F9lNmtvrkJnKWtFoX_BVoxoReeg24GCyu9Kglic3RY1LBsT99gAfRe5Gps78g9vIkOz0DOygTzK31-VOQ540vP4dSbY3E5kS8vUBd9Ir5N5rd/w640-h480/20240307_174409.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><b><p><b>But the best picture of the trip was my son doing his best imitation of a Ladyfish he had just landed. Weird googly eyed critter..... The fish that is.</b></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjRkwvDcejtGiMlUwwKabI6xYu5FD6X1qzuikab217UjpiXd2Bz3IQPtQtkj4V_Lh1R8ldCSc5WTnMHN8XXD0OT08asJbSt6ZgaKwp0ll6RXhCjbh0YF0ImIru7n3msPj-1EgKESw5KxGb_0SqLFucEAtZ15PJDHd6Avc5yt3Xie2OJyjDlo8Wr5kg614H/s891/20240307_184257.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="709" data-original-width="891" height="510" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjRkwvDcejtGiMlUwwKabI6xYu5FD6X1qzuikab217UjpiXd2Bz3IQPtQtkj4V_Lh1R8ldCSc5WTnMHN8XXD0OT08asJbSt6ZgaKwp0ll6RXhCjbh0YF0ImIru7n3msPj-1EgKESw5KxGb_0SqLFucEAtZ15PJDHd6Avc5yt3Xie2OJyjDlo8Wr5kg614H/w640-h510/20240307_184257.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><b><br /></b><p></p></b><p></p></b><p></p>Tacitushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17007086196578740689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1518953907062235005.post-15193941350295300462024-03-07T23:30:00.001-06:002024-03-07T23:30:00.136-06:00Random Wanderings in Florida<p><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><b>It feels a little weird to take an "escape winter" trip to Florida in early March, as we've barely had a winter to escape from! And it is a journey with no defined agenda. Relax. Try not to get sunburned. Do some things we've enjoyed before, maybe a few new ones. Don't expect a theme. Well, there will be another Strange Fishing theme but other than that it will just be whatever happens.</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><b>Staying in a beachy area I suspect we'll not see many examples of true <u><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Florida_Man">Florida Man</a></u>. I did spot this nifty service vehicle in the grocery store parking lot and thought the cartoonish version of "Boomer" looked a bit F.M.</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT-zm6W0spmX3kRPiZmcxABMsFvatmu_Toet3U3hCvpNtL1X-TCmZ7VFhLiwC-NIsfKEO17EqUP5Wec5YmJC_SQRTem1W1nBXxfAuWQtVHJ9ZCrrhoJwdgAh62XmmVkvOo-F3r32xbc-Doa8Mdawfd3Ha6UrsjltPHjXZ8D4Jk5OJg0P1rqfZKN-4dVY8z/s3692/floridaman1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2304" data-original-width="3692" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT-zm6W0spmX3kRPiZmcxABMsFvatmu_Toet3U3hCvpNtL1X-TCmZ7VFhLiwC-NIsfKEO17EqUP5Wec5YmJC_SQRTem1W1nBXxfAuWQtVHJ9ZCrrhoJwdgAh62XmmVkvOo-F3r32xbc-Doa8Mdawfd3Ha6UrsjltPHjXZ8D4Jk5OJg0P1rqfZKN-4dVY8z/w640-h400/floridaman1.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><br /><b>That is Boomer by the way. We had a nice chat. Like many in the local service industries he is a transplant. A Michigan Man specifically.</b></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><b>Same store, an outdoor kiosk with all manner of beach supplies.</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj07PCwykkHZ3XzBXkoFG6sCch-n8dK5kIlWKKkx4z3ZMHltzZa9RuBFJV5d4XKkJBJ0mYdQUObbnws1yGt3mDibWulK_jLDwtysdfWP2hnH05GrqnVxcww3oomSqqyOwoATicjYBBKgbXrMTDoNxpbUg6LmVeeVXLF3izSU-LoXZcMhA2TdYSFUP75RdC2/s1145/beachswag.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="776" data-original-width="1145" height="434" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj07PCwykkHZ3XzBXkoFG6sCch-n8dK5kIlWKKkx4z3ZMHltzZa9RuBFJV5d4XKkJBJ0mYdQUObbnws1yGt3mDibWulK_jLDwtysdfWP2hnH05GrqnVxcww3oomSqqyOwoATicjYBBKgbXrMTDoNxpbUg6LmVeeVXLF3izSU-LoXZcMhA2TdYSFUP75RdC2/w640-h434/beachswag.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><br /><b>Of course the alligator floaty raft catches the eye. At first glance it appeared to have a phenomenal number of safety precautions. But on closer inspection....</b></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtqQYq1gbglqyk8sVCMo7u4Kza54B70kp_1vP6bg63OJH0Hh41pp5DvnE0M4MfCMc5TWq_gPy9tT05FRMSrTfhbYUi6xqQQtBrADc_4w3eOMkqGj1tSCt7M3RCZIJSTYodoFfklE031SjxsGfH40qiYV25ZLlJhZ9zedMhTSsh-_P5L8LsS3lvZxvq-YRw/s950/ohmy.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="593" data-original-width="950" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtqQYq1gbglqyk8sVCMo7u4Kza54B70kp_1vP6bg63OJH0Hh41pp5DvnE0M4MfCMc5TWq_gPy9tT05FRMSrTfhbYUi6xqQQtBrADc_4w3eOMkqGj1tSCt7M3RCZIJSTYodoFfklE031SjxsGfH40qiYV25ZLlJhZ9zedMhTSsh-_P5L8LsS3lvZxvq-YRw/w640-h400/ohmy.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><br /><b>It is really just the same basic instructions in about 18 different languages. The image in upper left pretty much says it all. Well my goodness, I'd not have ended up floated dead in the water if you'd thought to include RISIKO FOR DRUKNING. What, it was there? Well I thought it was saying I should get drunk, which I of course did.....</b></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><b>I did make it to the beach after that. I kept my feet on dry land at all times. There are gangs there. Bird gangs.</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNknmJ96zpaz7rE0OdrGadpl7_Z279uzZIZrLAArEBp1Hs6WTMQIGpDioQJggvH6_L9cmY-ZdD5ya5mhLX22oTEdfYgESuQDK4CoyhIXlqFF6To2yBsqM1JoTzz6UCAT1pSpEG1I2n0bf1KXTH328J5NijgiDaka0l9ySuYYcDXXuNmsa5Y7MVqMfjrCp2/s1171/birdgangs.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="594" data-original-width="1171" height="324" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNknmJ96zpaz7rE0OdrGadpl7_Z279uzZIZrLAArEBp1Hs6WTMQIGpDioQJggvH6_L9cmY-ZdD5ya5mhLX22oTEdfYgESuQDK4CoyhIXlqFF6To2yBsqM1JoTzz6UCAT1pSpEG1I2n0bf1KXTH328J5NijgiDaka0l9ySuYYcDXXuNmsa5Y7MVqMfjrCp2/w640-h324/birdgangs.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><br /><b>Each species has its own "turf" and its own comfort level when humans draw near. The little birds skittered away. The Cool Birds, well, they know they are Cool..</b></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkFrF6j2edOqTtmLWaY4vr3R8Isqfw-9C8WgXmXxPh7EKgdvY9418bhNnrHeRUclXj0zNTyFoHDpcRekUjJcT8CUBlm4q20pADg6oFH6rIQcQbvpbtPKjLtF1jjSijZcu-W-ci00xYfie3RUsmNOJibuh5eA9nvkYEZydZf_G5tzGdfKDUKm3YNZVcqVAX/s1125/thecoolbirds.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="572" data-original-width="1125" height="326" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkFrF6j2edOqTtmLWaY4vr3R8Isqfw-9C8WgXmXxPh7EKgdvY9418bhNnrHeRUclXj0zNTyFoHDpcRekUjJcT8CUBlm4q20pADg6oFH6rIQcQbvpbtPKjLtF1jjSijZcu-W-ci00xYfie3RUsmNOJibuh5eA9nvkYEZydZf_G5tzGdfKDUKm3YNZVcqVAX/w640-h326/thecoolbirds.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><br /><b>Hangin' out, tryin' to look Cool. More Florida stuff for a few days to come.</b></span><p></p>Tacitushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17007086196578740689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1518953907062235005.post-46632263279886496542024-03-06T00:30:00.001-06:002024-03-06T00:30:00.130-06:00Winslow and his Wonder Worker<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><b>With a handful of exceptions the patent medicine era of the 19th and early 20th century is one of robust, exuberant growth....and rapid decline. Medical science invented things that actually worked. The Pure Food and Drug Act of 1906 made it illegal to have secret ingredients and outlandish claims. So there is no shortage of tales involving Success and Decline. George Winslow is one of these.</b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><b>George F. Winslow was born in Boston in 1859. The family moved west to Rockford Illinois in 1861, where George eventually apprenticed in a drug store. He moved to Eau Claire Wisconsin in 1882, clerking for an early druggist named Kinnear. A few years later he set up his own store and by the mid 1880's had branched out, adding medicine manufacturing to his retail business. An early product - and one that would probably not pass muster with the Food Drug Act - was his Wonder Worker.</b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijMdb0ub3Z4yWXC63Ol698-tGFLtBYDc2Ebkm3se6I3TYDOfS2vDP9WJMcEccUICP78KSV3C7Yj_Utp10pk-dhwSxAN0QDRcMZXjCYUl3x8wM09TosVZnTuCaZf4mkFuAkVxjLmAgFqOM_8NLNl3KY7m1bi7FiOXZQXwmc5KRc2dFOWIvCaQBXdZ6X9ycI/s1143/ww.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="517" data-original-width="1143" height="290" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijMdb0ub3Z4yWXC63Ol698-tGFLtBYDc2Ebkm3se6I3TYDOfS2vDP9WJMcEccUICP78KSV3C7Yj_Utp10pk-dhwSxAN0QDRcMZXjCYUl3x8wM09TosVZnTuCaZf4mkFuAkVxjLmAgFqOM_8NLNl3KY7m1bi7FiOXZQXwmc5KRc2dFOWIvCaQBXdZ6X9ycI/w640-h290/ww.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>At this point in history the northern half of Wisconsin was still covered with timber, and every winter an army of lumberjacks would head north to live in camps and cut it down. Winslow saw opportunity there and tailored his business to this market. He called his product line "Camp Remedies". The came packed in special wooden chests to be shipped north, not only to Wisconsin but also Minnesota, Michigan and Washington Territory. He also published a "newspaper" called The Camp News. Sadly no surviving copy has come my way, but one would assume it had more testimonials than actual news.</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>A couple more Winslow products. This example is actually so clean that it is hard to photograph.</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM_WKInnDsj4Ww2rfKb5wDsOs3NUKpH0vIcCbDIHzIRWcIqBWmssV3UsRUn3xI_DNOfHuFkNyhduI3h4frxKK6IS6YRN5xIUc62qp0wVYB1vAxoiuOK5l7anMaCS_BnC4u-jJfvVgC_dVRA9V4ZVEIJaxDMxzXlI45hipzadi4jOboWo9zCk5WBNmErrDr/s884/20231211_124103.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="593" data-original-width="884" height="430" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM_WKInnDsj4Ww2rfKb5wDsOs3NUKpH0vIcCbDIHzIRWcIqBWmssV3UsRUn3xI_DNOfHuFkNyhduI3h4frxKK6IS6YRN5xIUc62qp0wVYB1vAxoiuOK5l7anMaCS_BnC4u-jJfvVgC_dVRA9V4ZVEIJaxDMxzXlI45hipzadi4jOboWo9zCk5WBNmErrDr/w640-h430/20231211_124103.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><b>And of course, medicines were made for Man or Beast. After 1906 the word Cure was specifically banned in any advertising for human medicines.</b><div><b><br /></b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi95kTNAa52C96JuEgk_fTSvJSOSPO2HLmhOOFGXlA51YjuR7AyoYEiI_7m83XkR1fxb5eMpKoR4vk82UCUGDI4DyaZ2IOAuTs2BSD68AxKWSnqgjTtPlUoD6CquDhqcFrlRuEFFla_g79N512mVoza_JOR6gsp2_DZTGQByUjPnTzh4QcfYEscGIUPqLIV/s1867/408208121_6624036241042080_8945735815795119081_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1867" data-original-width="640" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi95kTNAa52C96JuEgk_fTSvJSOSPO2HLmhOOFGXlA51YjuR7AyoYEiI_7m83XkR1fxb5eMpKoR4vk82UCUGDI4DyaZ2IOAuTs2BSD68AxKWSnqgjTtPlUoD6CquDhqcFrlRuEFFla_g79N512mVoza_JOR6gsp2_DZTGQByUjPnTzh4QcfYEscGIUPqLIV/w221-h640/408208121_6624036241042080_8945735815795119081_n.jpg" width="221" /></a></div><br /> <b>Life was pretty good for Winslow. He built this swell house, still standing, in Eau Claire. He added a side line - selling wallpaper - that sounds boring but as it turns out was a good hedge against his main line of merchandise not doing well. The newspaper suggests that he had a theatrical group of some sort in the early 90's although whether the Winslow Medicine Company did classic Medicine Shows out on the road or were a less interesting amateur theatrical society in not clear. It's frustrating when the newspaper just assumes you know such things already. He married the daughter of a lumber baron/mill owner.</b></div><div><b><br /></b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoZlvEER6NWXOpX1ueRrE2HAnIppr-wjiKjuZeoKYD7KtWSMfVbCy6BNHxgNVZq5FFVwcV4SwHy1r-BWn2WFt7LM-9d_2Jip1hBcixrwqtK3d9dHP5SyAPu87nX5eoRgLd7jp0iuTOHuQqNitksFduRi4A93FrwaO55ogzAZlnN6E3ucOOks7JBeqPwVcf/s600/ww.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="405" data-original-width="600" height="432" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoZlvEER6NWXOpX1ueRrE2HAnIppr-wjiKjuZeoKYD7KtWSMfVbCy6BNHxgNVZq5FFVwcV4SwHy1r-BWn2WFt7LM-9d_2Jip1hBcixrwqtK3d9dHP5SyAPu87nX5eoRgLd7jp0iuTOHuQqNitksFduRi4A93FrwaO55ogzAZlnN6E3ucOOks7JBeqPwVcf/w640-h432/ww.jpg" width="640" /></a></div></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>Sometimes things work out, sometimes they don't. As the 20th Century got going the patent medicine industry waned. Winslow was mostly selling wall paper. The heiress gave him the boot in 1911, alleging cruel and unusual treatment. She closed off most of the mansion and set up a bedroom on the main floor. Winslow's 1940 obituary mentions that he had resided at "The Elks Club" for many years. Most such places had a bar and I can imagine George down there every night boring his fellow Elks with tales of his promising life turned bad......</b></div>Tacitushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17007086196578740689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1518953907062235005.post-49520142563722847022024-03-04T00:30:00.001-06:002024-03-04T00:30:00.142-06:00FIRST Robotics 2024 - Breaking stuff by Lake Superior<p><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><b>Back from, but not entirely recovered from, our first robotics event up in Duluth. Sometimes when you go into action with an ambitious but untested machine you have pleasant surprises. Usually......not.</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFVrmMRWOStwwkx-ZYmAm0SnGaFbD9-OG-jmszIfYINkYgoBFa9OrycPxtRHoLhf-gUzmKyKIFq4UPQonleh3M06FKwRet5JGtZZ61xqo24X-mZgCxR4TpXXhxn87EyNIqJI99mHjy-Kxw4zoviGn4CSVSrq1_4KoiXyPFN48VTMUZKcvXytFrQx82Ru3e/s4080/20240229_164247.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3060" data-original-width="4080" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFVrmMRWOStwwkx-ZYmAm0SnGaFbD9-OG-jmszIfYINkYgoBFa9OrycPxtRHoLhf-gUzmKyKIFq4UPQonleh3M06FKwRet5JGtZZ61xqo24X-mZgCxR4TpXXhxn87EyNIqJI99mHjy-Kxw4zoviGn4CSVSrq1_4KoiXyPFN48VTMUZKcvXytFrQx82Ru3e/w640-h480/20240229_164247.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><br /><b>I have a lot of pictures like this....many hands reaching in to fix all manner of broken and loose things. I've been at this a while and can honestly say I've never seen so many things break. Some are small, subtle and yet important. Others are....</b></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM13C4xLDely3On4ECfIXGklqVwW7k7KLExybd_-FXeUgUOLR-3ld7XyuU-AdwWIY8WEC9MRQwVWmRcbZjufgb5sWZqNmh6gC0F_GyT_P4RhS_rmM2LcpgLS0ZdZ9stlw7P7_ZugXP1ImB00rCb8Zj4KIxm7tq1mtE5YPgJEUcJvs28eAGU-lJiQKYF6jL/s1200/Snapchat-1153477024.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="900" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM13C4xLDely3On4ECfIXGklqVwW7k7KLExybd_-FXeUgUOLR-3ld7XyuU-AdwWIY8WEC9MRQwVWmRcbZjufgb5sWZqNmh6gC0F_GyT_P4RhS_rmM2LcpgLS0ZdZ9stlw7P7_ZugXP1ImB00rCb8Zj4KIxm7tq1mtE5YPgJEUcJvs28eAGU-lJiQKYF6jL/w480-h640/Snapchat-1153477024.jpg" width="480" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><br /><b>Yes, dismembered parts laying on the competition floor.</b></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><b>Oh well, this is bound to catch up with you when you go to the earliest possible event and with a very, VERY ambitious design. Murphy's Law is very much in action with robots and the only thing for it is to finish early and start stomping bugs asap. And speaking of bugs, our pit neighbors the Iron Mosquitos had swell hats. I put one on to amuse my grand daughter.</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJy29e0oUTJmrTEfq2wm8pVULS9eox1PEVoKaRzFCfLRfEsAa3XLKPxpVFT0U8id-g8jpAhDYXLcGwIQBDssMXX_5J1zKL1Ek-1p4LXNUaG1yOGBivbKcCmMLqfJgI7UU_qAHzU7h-zehAop0L7oFgQK8j4BDZpxSaG0381vWOlHzXTO4A8RARLLn8iF8Y/s665/20240301_103721.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="665" data-original-width="586" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJy29e0oUTJmrTEfq2wm8pVULS9eox1PEVoKaRzFCfLRfEsAa3XLKPxpVFT0U8id-g8jpAhDYXLcGwIQBDssMXX_5J1zKL1Ek-1p4LXNUaG1yOGBivbKcCmMLqfJgI7UU_qAHzU7h-zehAop0L7oFgQK8j4BDZpxSaG0381vWOlHzXTO4A8RARLLn8iF8Y/w564-h640/20240301_103721.jpg" width="564" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><br /><b>There is always some team mascot at these events that I like so much I must have a photo op. This of course is just to amuse myself. The Mighty Morphin' Banana Slugs are great people and it was fun to share parts and help even if we did not share in their very well earned success this time around.</b></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy3VpxGjwXH1tXnF5x2S5ZMW_c-jg0teoNiXj3kAOYQT8rccf7mpoqvuyRLd6b87_KCA3t3yjm-u8zVZIKMd-RUlHylnedHib1uwOY_WTepwdxDDCrhtb3Fr-Jb18JbxYQTOB_ljHipf026P2xZYfM9tpzs5I6jXGrDlizfLMjSykRJcnjWQID1jrBRJFj/s4080/20240302_103842.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4080" data-original-width="3060" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy3VpxGjwXH1tXnF5x2S5ZMW_c-jg0teoNiXj3kAOYQT8rccf7mpoqvuyRLd6b87_KCA3t3yjm-u8zVZIKMd-RUlHylnedHib1uwOY_WTepwdxDDCrhtb3Fr-Jb18JbxYQTOB_ljHipf026P2xZYfM9tpzs5I6jXGrDlizfLMjSykRJcnjWQID1jrBRJFj/w480-h640/20240302_103842.jpg" width="480" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><br /><b>Well, we have a few weeks to re-think, re-charge and re-build. Perhaps at the next event we will have more wins than shattered battery holders!</b></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnyE4Mn6_QLZO-A97_4Mqw2-CCIGlIcws24uwLlJ2MnW6NUmeVdXoEzRTbWoR9KOVbD5-6uu6PTHMGjg7aAj1bxdPlruGP-99XGY37TNE7tJ_yX4dlwsxGVGCMnpQ0xwb29EslvB79GPe2Umt7QIj9Lb9rZDTsZeAMiCVy2w_9LsIaAwFG4eKcLzk_nFNi/s4080/20240302_120510.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4080" data-original-width="3060" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnyE4Mn6_QLZO-A97_4Mqw2-CCIGlIcws24uwLlJ2MnW6NUmeVdXoEzRTbWoR9KOVbD5-6uu6PTHMGjg7aAj1bxdPlruGP-99XGY37TNE7tJ_yX4dlwsxGVGCMnpQ0xwb29EslvB79GPe2Umt7QIj9Lb9rZDTsZeAMiCVy2w_9LsIaAwFG4eKcLzk_nFNi/w480-h640/20240302_120510.jpg" width="480" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><br /><b>This is a clever and enthusiastic team. And did I mention ambitious? So they'll likely pull it off. I'm just along for comic relief. For instance, I noticed that the four on board tracking cameras are, for control purposes, labeled alpha, beta, gamma and delta. If we could just put an actual <u><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gamma-ray_laser">gamma ray laser</a></u> in there we'd really have something. A disqualification on all sorts of points but almost as many engineering awards!</b></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVPAEhWt27opMEWI5bC592kNNV0EWPJ16Hl1xZQDSCrBFh5Hme-_IhVpvyl1jEsC6iTbP5Asb2_rL2lUu0eGSlTm0gy3HzBsZTmBuYs0pV-emyKzy_iGM2kDSd_zHH5C7emCkMytoF_6CPI5kVx7LXkPX8MWSvOWCWbrCaaG8Dm_DBu58UG6rsqovGq2xv/s4080/20240302_121047.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3060" data-original-width="4080" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVPAEhWt27opMEWI5bC592kNNV0EWPJ16Hl1xZQDSCrBFh5Hme-_IhVpvyl1jEsC6iTbP5Asb2_rL2lUu0eGSlTm0gy3HzBsZTmBuYs0pV-emyKzy_iGM2kDSd_zHH5C7emCkMytoF_6CPI5kVx7LXkPX8MWSvOWCWbrCaaG8Dm_DBu58UG6rsqovGq2xv/w640-h480/20240302_121047.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><br /><b><br /></b></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><b><br /></b></span></p>Tacitushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17007086196578740689noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1518953907062235005.post-82280767816220050522024-03-01T18:16:00.005-06:002024-03-01T18:16:54.309-06:00FIRST Robotics 2024 - Swatting bugs<p><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><b>Well, not a great day at the robotics competition. Basically every match something broke. Usually something new each time. Sometimes our repairs from the last time. And we have another day of this ahead of us. Sigh.</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><b>Highlight for me was my grand daughter visiting. She likes silly things and FIRST events have plenty of them. Silly hats for one thing. Here I am trying on a hat from the Iron Mosquitoes team. If only our bugs were as easily swatted.</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdZGV59zbc1h4YUGdzasYVtiPzzjxsAHyoSNlVZXSH5Dt0QLPHtcqdYtB08FF6h05HK-a_ybpckHb3n6OrNANw0qOgwmxmof1zXgJDT3QRlLqmEpjF0BSMSQr_IxEF78sjF8Ut-NFeEyLPkQkO3cL6lf__U2n9Z-8xO_2d6Z-vv2I7rZuvX3tbSq9pVCdd/s665/20240301_103721.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="665" data-original-width="586" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdZGV59zbc1h4YUGdzasYVtiPzzjxsAHyoSNlVZXSH5Dt0QLPHtcqdYtB08FF6h05HK-a_ybpckHb3n6OrNANw0qOgwmxmof1zXgJDT3QRlLqmEpjF0BSMSQr_IxEF78sjF8Ut-NFeEyLPkQkO3cL6lf__U2n9Z-8xO_2d6Z-vv2I7rZuvX3tbSq9pVCdd/w353-h400/20240301_103721.jpg" width="353" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><br /><b><br /></b></span><p></p>Tacitushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17007086196578740689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1518953907062235005.post-34058558354737878252024-03-01T03:53:00.001-06:002024-03-01T03:53:10.951-06:00FIRST Robotics 2024 - Tournament Time Again<p><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><b>Some things are the same. The bus ride.</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMNEi_1vrOrwLv31KwU4cSU8bl-1595TKZnrqhb5cSmusl1I9RS7g4gKzQjuubQHPCxU7RJnOKjQY0CwnhyphenhyphenFVsk0A6pT6_4l2KjiS6jRg65-TCRD1pSDrqtLxD-fok61vOfx2KDnJ7kHmBRZUIQaKSP5pkWEBfGwsWJ_KNgPbawo0K2TahI6NKeIU1z4DV/s4080/20240229_080953.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3060" data-original-width="4080" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMNEi_1vrOrwLv31KwU4cSU8bl-1595TKZnrqhb5cSmusl1I9RS7g4gKzQjuubQHPCxU7RJnOKjQY0CwnhyphenhyphenFVsk0A6pT6_4l2KjiS6jRg65-TCRD1pSDrqtLxD-fok61vOfx2KDnJ7kHmBRZUIQaKSP5pkWEBfGwsWJ_KNgPbawo0K2TahI6NKeIU1z4DV/w400-h300/20240229_080953.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><br /><b>The robot tuned up and ready.</b></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDskQpuq5Y1vli7qiwa_PcC3h6ixaQlCzpy-1jLiKN_Pm9lNwfZifeGP2veuNBdWwG02HSfjXRtXIMg-UJzC-TD4lrGWAcfMAyQTKtSZqAOTV9AvW3glFhWTMQRrYTDDRTcMZAW73wZZz0hWmkmfO_XAtY1gPRKdq1EZ8uSXGUwbfxAqqfnp1PEvQL_RPq/s4080/20240229_104720.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3060" data-original-width="4080" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDskQpuq5Y1vli7qiwa_PcC3h6ixaQlCzpy-1jLiKN_Pm9lNwfZifeGP2veuNBdWwG02HSfjXRtXIMg-UJzC-TD4lrGWAcfMAyQTKtSZqAOTV9AvW3glFhWTMQRrYTDDRTcMZAW73wZZz0hWmkmfO_XAtY1gPRKdq1EZ8uSXGUwbfxAqqfnp1PEvQL_RPq/w400-h300/20240229_104720.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><br /><b>The competition playing field.</b></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5JJ0E5KbSPt9oYPi1ucE7SnUzMCmnZt_xTHNmyuM_eMPxS15CFtsi02OCV3z6H2iuYGNEvonm7sKmd8qiLxfQ-3fqeOktRi4dhc5QR_073M9am4-58n9cr1HBChSJbwLtovL4SQ74-Jgpm2F_cPS1OaSsBzhUlapg1xvIDkG_6JnuFWdQdFLlQyr0_DWZ/s4080/20240229_143824.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3060" data-original-width="4080" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5JJ0E5KbSPt9oYPi1ucE7SnUzMCmnZt_xTHNmyuM_eMPxS15CFtsi02OCV3z6H2iuYGNEvonm7sKmd8qiLxfQ-3fqeOktRi4dhc5QR_073M9am4-58n9cr1HBChSJbwLtovL4SQ74-Jgpm2F_cPS1OaSsBzhUlapg1xvIDkG_6JnuFWdQdFLlQyr0_DWZ/w400-h300/20240229_143824.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><br /><b>But something is a little different. This year's design was far beyond anything we've tried before. It went into action with little testing and a lot of unknowns. And we broke stuff. Lots of stuff. Repairs underway. We'll be doing a lot of this....</b></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVPcqsW4jwe1n_TiOlxr4rURd8BB3yBqZ-1Km993qzHD4Tgml25O9XXuZJh19BSA4Z1WRwZ2oyxJvy5KUhnU9cxiWMuckaMNo5lwU5kejlzJlrArPqYKW7jlA_2fUXhIuFE-ElhULstRbtwnQNDR8BJ5C0Ypa7825geSLDnehh3zwn-BNMb4wsUe8cynlE/s4080/20240229_164247.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3060" data-original-width="4080" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVPcqsW4jwe1n_TiOlxr4rURd8BB3yBqZ-1Km993qzHD4Tgml25O9XXuZJh19BSA4Z1WRwZ2oyxJvy5KUhnU9cxiWMuckaMNo5lwU5kejlzJlrArPqYKW7jlA_2fUXhIuFE-ElhULstRbtwnQNDR8BJ5C0Ypa7825geSLDnehh3zwn-BNMb4wsUe8cynlE/w640-h480/20240229_164247.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><br /><b><br /></b></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><b><br /></b></span></p>Tacitushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17007086196578740689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1518953907062235005.post-71991424132257973592024-02-28T00:30:00.001-06:002024-02-28T00:30:00.137-06:00Posting will be Weird for a few days.......<p><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><b>The classic problem of being in two places at once. Tonight is STEAM showcase night at the high school....but the robot and the advance team will already be heading north for our tournament in Duluth. That starts tomorrow btw. Specifically, at about 5am when I need to roll out of bed, drink coffee, then get on a school bus to drive through the dark with a bunch of kids. </b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><b>Posting from Duluth will be on and off. We still have a lot of work to do. And that peculiar state I call Robot Tired hits me earlier than it used to.</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><b>Fingers crossed....</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFeiARI17Bumkqmz7sQItoR5lIlaGg5FknILU6RODmW61T57pRzEPaW6ztLmhHtg16ODlOE3t0jktGCT4io6S2IP0hw_5vYDfYWbYbV3jW4vJWsLTictzzlm5ijatkr1yhxlMplahgL7irx7YXlmvr_c_ecvVlSdNtLnvx02IYlQFSdzF0hea44keMk812/s1153/20231206_093344-EDIT%20(1).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="879" data-original-width="1153" height="488" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFeiARI17Bumkqmz7sQItoR5lIlaGg5FknILU6RODmW61T57pRzEPaW6ztLmhHtg16ODlOE3t0jktGCT4io6S2IP0hw_5vYDfYWbYbV3jW4vJWsLTictzzlm5ijatkr1yhxlMplahgL7irx7YXlmvr_c_ecvVlSdNtLnvx02IYlQFSdzF0hea44keMk812/w640-h488/20231206_093344-EDIT%20(1).jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><br /><b><br /></b></span><p></p>Tacitushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17007086196578740689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1518953907062235005.post-77074173039702930002024-02-26T00:30:00.013-06:002024-02-26T00:30:00.151-06:00FIRST Robotics 2024 - Helios<p><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><b>It has been an ambitious design and build, one that fought us every inch of the way, but eventually....</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><b>Here it is in final form, Helios.</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw3uRvxkoNDReHmhdVDEMGjcyGyNaX_Cu4sq4uKBhEvHjz7IOHCJ_9UNcOguRuWCcrm2ev7cTN5Pw_jUXiQYWzBaGqK0W4igfG0zsCXwlN2TnprOOXRgmQxHOPfD5XcFgnIzGZCiv0XjFYXMhyphenhyphenWoSKVt6Wl4BzP6Y7UPw70qLsZ6oP-EUNLZhKRwn1l1xH/s3089/20240224_114621.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2644" data-original-width="3089" height="548" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw3uRvxkoNDReHmhdVDEMGjcyGyNaX_Cu4sq4uKBhEvHjz7IOHCJ_9UNcOguRuWCcrm2ev7cTN5Pw_jUXiQYWzBaGqK0W4igfG0zsCXwlN2TnprOOXRgmQxHOPfD5XcFgnIzGZCiv0XjFYXMhyphenhyphenWoSKVt6Wl4BzP6Y7UPw70qLsZ6oP-EUNLZhKRwn1l1xH/w640-h548/20240224_114621.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><br /><b>Finishing late as we did, there are lots of bugs to work out. But it does the basic things.</b></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><b>Pickup game pieces:</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dyxPeoyrQVac46yYF8MqkK8CGDpkfH0wZzR3MPFJOswdJ7H6PkIATzJnbDKqkPgia3XzfE4cpKSYIBZYplVCQ' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><b>Shoot them into the high target:</b></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxaB2aD4pt9D3zfoYl9ajgOmtixjxPy6-_N2hMEg1z7v6-o-KEGSSLPmHFYOBW46FDNjMb6WHiYpOe3jbWmUg' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></span></div><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><br /><b>And a neat over the back shot into the low target:</b></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dwicbQ2tBo_q162LMyhDV0BVkTUUm6kq8pqtZGJIqaCcd5tIlCZzaO03gBc031FBTOqnIU3YTu4sIesIZuKlQ' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></span></div><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><br /><b>If you are curious about those hooks sticking up, they are for an "end game" climb up onto a swinging chain. We can do it, but it yanks the robot off the ground with such speed that it is more like a leap. The risk/benefit ratio has to be considered carefully here. It can't be good to stress the robot frame this way repeatedly....</b></span><div><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dwhVlkvfQyXnhxl4-gMBqqvhkWX-V3_daiRmN-EbZXBohTgyYjYGefLrNjAL-iZDwE5TNoiIl7CaUIWWdZs-g' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div></span><p><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><b>And as for stressing me.....yes, its been a tough build. The price of ambition can sometimes be high.....</b></span></p></div>Tacitushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17007086196578740689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1518953907062235005.post-69990135360518907062024-02-23T00:30:00.001-06:002024-02-23T00:30:00.135-06:00 Wallerville, Wisconsin<p><b>Driving into Chippewa Falls from the west is not an entirely scenic route. Oh, the Chippewa River is pretty. But you'll also go by the sewage treatment plant, a rails to trucks transfer station....and a humble community of smallish houses near the train tracks. Those with a bit of local history knowledge refer to it as "Irvine". But that's not its original name.</b></p><p><b>Welcome to Wallerville.</b></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6RxaX6v0LzDp5EfbhecLTVRQy85y4WOcOQPdqxMek5VXMAvAvYHIJ-tYUCWPd9vqfWfZiHMKqsqD-TRX5YaHHj2rdVSU8KbUzcQdAxrCj8LEwDqFfbSBYvzCNcBaZpG3n4KBhQzwdTKz2AaKcPFg7xoQYvJMDlITBSdoID2MmDjZGUaNlmGQJVFz2GhAD/s812/wallerville1920.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="773" data-original-width="812" height="381" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6RxaX6v0LzDp5EfbhecLTVRQy85y4WOcOQPdqxMek5VXMAvAvYHIJ-tYUCWPd9vqfWfZiHMKqsqD-TRX5YaHHj2rdVSU8KbUzcQdAxrCj8LEwDqFfbSBYvzCNcBaZpG3n4KBhQzwdTKz2AaKcPFg7xoQYvJMDlITBSdoID2MmDjZGUaNlmGQJVFz2GhAD/w400-h381/wallerville1920.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><b>It got its name from an early resident, the Reverend Thomas Waller who lived there. He came to town in the early 1870's, and after working for a lumber company and in "..the old Sheldon store.." served in a variety of area churches as a Presbyterian minister. Presumably he got his land on this site for cheap, as it was outside of the city proper and a bit close to the flood plain. It proved a good investment when the railroad set up a switching yard and other facilities on the site in the early to mid 1880's.</b><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>If what you find in the local papers is a reasonable guide, 1887 was the year Wallerville took off. There are frequent mentions of new homes being built, a boarding house being in operation, a hotel and store being under consideration. This map from 1888 shows many of these structures in place, along with the tracks, telegraph office and round house of the Wisconsin Central.</b></div><div><div><br /></div><div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7xSRgN3P0_7C-HT0DOu9YFCdGtN5n5f6t7HLlPeVAX10iGPwCAjPeUsQugnW-wVf01-OEO0deBfWWtESARfXRWHWpqvcde5j8xIiecffoPunRd5oR-HXpZvxdjrNIETtClzyOVKAct2xoP2RvPfEudqwe22w785MAm1gEp-AkraqEdFJMN0_25tijezTJ/s1040/wallerv88.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="638" data-original-width="1040" height="392" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7xSRgN3P0_7C-HT0DOu9YFCdGtN5n5f6t7HLlPeVAX10iGPwCAjPeUsQugnW-wVf01-OEO0deBfWWtESARfXRWHWpqvcde5j8xIiecffoPunRd5oR-HXpZvxdjrNIETtClzyOVKAct2xoP2RvPfEudqwe22w785MAm1gEp-AkraqEdFJMN0_25tijezTJ/w640-h392/wallerv88.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><b>It's often the little touches that make history interesting. In 1887 there was a Rail Road Man's picnic in which the "Baby Contest" was won by a Wallerville family. In fact, there is either a strong hint or a bit of a joke that the baby girl was actually named Wallerville! Down by the river must have been a nice place to grow up in the latter part of the 19th century. There was a Wallerville School someplace in the community. The newspaper felt it newsworthy when a group of local lads brought in a fine specimen of snapping turtle from one of the periodic floods of the low lying suburb. </b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>But like all communities down by the tracks it had its seedy side. I read one spirited account of the pursuit of a peeping Tom, and note that in 1897 a special patrolman was added primarily to keep a closer eye on Wallerville. I also happen to know that to get to Wallerville you had to drive past the City Dump.</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>So when did it become Irvine? Well that depends on your perspective. The newspaper tended to use the older name into the early years of the new Century, while maps as late as 1920 still have it as Wallerville. This likely is because that was, and in fact still is, the legal name of the Addition. But by the summer of 1888 the Railroad had already changed the name of the station to Irvine, presumably in honor of William Irvine, local upstanding citizen and benefactor.</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>Wallerville grew rapidly but not for long. The streets seen in the 1888 map are all that there ever were, and it does not seem as if all of the lots were ever actually on. But it is still a residential neighborhood, albeit not a particularly swank one.</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>And what of Reverend Waller? He's hard to bring into focus. He was married and had several children. His employment seems spotty, he'd fill in at various congregations that had a vacancy but does not seem to have stayed long at any of them. He was to some extent involved in the business side of the community that bore his name. The early lots were purchased from him and he took on such jobs as the contract to install street lights. At one point he petitioned the City Council to make his properties tax free as they were part of his religious calling.</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>Around 1903 he left the area, doing "missionary work" in the West. While out there he fell ill with "paralysis of the brain due to hard work" and was hospitalized at the Wisconsin State Insane Asylum in Mendota. Sadly he did not improve and died there, age 63, in 1910.</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>Although his obituary says the usual nice things about the man he merits little to no mention in local histories. But he did leave one small, peculiar legacy in the quiet little community that once bore his name. Did you notice the street names? Ludgate, Regent, Fleet, Oxford. These should sound familiar. They are all famous streets - and in the case of Ludgate, a hill - in London England, where Reverend Thomas Waller was born in 1847.</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwmmLZEK7RivN8ggpwjzmlXdupwGn_j8D3i3CtZKtYZL-LARyyDJPpDkhrLzOAGOa0CXJdtnmBkgOLD8ppb5lo-K94zxWJFvE77NcQKVUaWEoq9wSzAbWv03ynI8o0RBhEK9nwkybQQV4nBEC7qeP6syi-3je9XDZI7kkLIVy3qudmclDKn9ADStr350Vb/s4080/20240219_094925.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3060" data-original-width="4080" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwmmLZEK7RivN8ggpwjzmlXdupwGn_j8D3i3CtZKtYZL-LARyyDJPpDkhrLzOAGOa0CXJdtnmBkgOLD8ppb5lo-K94zxWJFvE77NcQKVUaWEoq9wSzAbWv03ynI8o0RBhEK9nwkybQQV4nBEC7qeP6syi-3je9XDZI7kkLIVy3qudmclDKn9ADStr350Vb/w640-h480/20240219_094925.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><b><br /></b><p></p><p><b><br /></b></p></div></div></div>Tacitushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17007086196578740689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1518953907062235005.post-56449501354518181612024-02-21T00:30:00.001-06:002024-02-21T00:30:00.138-06:00Nimrods: Prophecy of the 6<p><b>I had the chance recently to attend another World Premier. "Nimrods: Prophecy of the 6" is the second and perhaps final entry in the NCU (Nimrod Cinematic Universe). If that phrase - never spoken or written before this moment - makes no sense to you then have a look at this: <u><a href="https://www.youtube.com/@nimrodski">NIMROD GIANT SKI.</a></u></b></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpF0CYRbLXoL-v2oTNDGY1czMHilxvtIhNkw2twaTUb8tFeBVEaRfC-xcoTLnGehVId_7aXyAs6Fjcx7gLpJjYssoOJIGodfMogPn3toyxS2XXo5V-ox8yQlgf5qlnergaC5Ir-lrFbDGZOKAaSCU2PbgORUna07eWxWwAtCHLyqlz3nibQjtE6T183ptq/s4080/20240216_190728.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3060" data-original-width="4080" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpF0CYRbLXoL-v2oTNDGY1czMHilxvtIhNkw2twaTUb8tFeBVEaRfC-xcoTLnGehVId_7aXyAs6Fjcx7gLpJjYssoOJIGodfMogPn3toyxS2XXo5V-ox8yQlgf5qlnergaC5Ir-lrFbDGZOKAaSCU2PbgORUna07eWxWwAtCHLyqlz3nibQjtE6T183ptq/w640-h480/20240216_190728.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /> <b>I can hardly be an objective Film Critic when the cast included two of my sons, one current and one future daughter in law, as well as both of our actual grandchildren and a full half dozen hypothetical ones. Yes, I know that does not make sense either.</b><p></p><p><b>If you are in the vicinity of Hayward Wisconsin this weekend - perhaps for the Birkebeiner Ski Race - there will be another showing at the Park Theater....</b></p><p><b>Like it says, February 23rd, 5:30 pm. </b></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4GXlnCv0L4vi5RECvmK92G4Tzja2_lVJBraUDC2IsH4LzEGA9gBlKXuXksCK_h1x2pgBe8Qp0fdeuxFcTlUAtP16fPD4uvCk3IoKi-sBcEQhNhsrQknLsKih7bnFd4Gwa99moFHAwKM7ifSXIqsN977w_-p-FLop3ivxFeaC6ml9eQf_bpEfdDYH8PjYN/s4080/20240216_192104.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3060" data-original-width="4080" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4GXlnCv0L4vi5RECvmK92G4Tzja2_lVJBraUDC2IsH4LzEGA9gBlKXuXksCK_h1x2pgBe8Qp0fdeuxFcTlUAtP16fPD4uvCk3IoKi-sBcEQhNhsrQknLsKih7bnFd4Gwa99moFHAwKM7ifSXIqsN977w_-p-FLop3ivxFeaC6ml9eQf_bpEfdDYH8PjYN/w640-h480/20240216_192104.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><b><br /></b><p></p><p><b><br /></b></p>Tacitushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17007086196578740689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1518953907062235005.post-66529992711314380112024-02-19T00:30:00.001-06:002024-02-19T00:30:00.183-06:00FIRST Robotics 2024 - Love and Robots<p><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><b>We had to fight a bit to get the weight back under 125. It was an all hands on deck, productive session and at the end of it everything back on the scale....</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7WkLDFKoYaq6elvh0_Tg_o0FLZ54HkQA5z9NAWdl2Fw4-taiAl11jbw3ALnOVmyCoVeDwhyqWUfWWbHlJcZVuSykEdnBpt1dK8mMFpJeiSGIf9yo9s2YVb2CUxKIL-s7tmAxHZ-aVdB_oNUCI_iDuCzmzRbwiTYoQgHMX7ZyL5_245_wOoXIByrHJocqq/s4080/20240212_180920.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3060" data-original-width="4080" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7WkLDFKoYaq6elvh0_Tg_o0FLZ54HkQA5z9NAWdl2Fw4-taiAl11jbw3ALnOVmyCoVeDwhyqWUfWWbHlJcZVuSykEdnBpt1dK8mMFpJeiSGIf9yo9s2YVb2CUxKIL-s7tmAxHZ-aVdB_oNUCI_iDuCzmzRbwiTYoQgHMX7ZyL5_245_wOoXIByrHJocqq/w400-h300/20240212_180920.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><br /><b>That allowed the next step, and a fun one it was. Final assembly. The drive base and the manipulator system got together just in time for Valentine's Day.</b></span><div><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv1cpUegEOngclniad_fFRuRcDxaYaqqK3auuAmmCHw_DgfXuFjkOo-TljANtES-GvY7HJqgnIVD7XfZpX2TKpNXRq7ej5BN6CiXcdlSHxC5AN_aqVAMhVX3J_M4pae7Z9ejg2iYEV-troAKLg_du9JWupifwnkmlbKRdBoGJMUGN4EBGdchz8pT_2fA_m/s2606/20240213_180212.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2105" data-original-width="2606" height="516" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv1cpUegEOngclniad_fFRuRcDxaYaqqK3auuAmmCHw_DgfXuFjkOo-TljANtES-GvY7HJqgnIVD7XfZpX2TKpNXRq7ej5BN6CiXcdlSHxC5AN_aqVAMhVX3J_M4pae7Z9ejg2iYEV-troAKLg_du9JWupifwnkmlbKRdBoGJMUGN4EBGdchz8pT_2fA_m/w640-h516/20240213_180212.jpg" width="640" /></a></div></span><div><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Both the CIAO/heart caption and the lurid tone of red were added by my phone for some reason. I'm concerned that it is both whimsical and evidently self aware...</b></div></div></span></div><div><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><b>Alas, the Relationship had some issues at this point. When the arm was rotated down there was about a quarter inch of interaction between systems. This required various cutting, trimming and moving about that cost us more Time. And Time is precious.....</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><b>OK, one more session got everything mechanical back where it should be. So here's the final form of the robot which has been dubbed Helios in keeping with the peculiar H-series.</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-1RH-t6DBG4fILohu_ipo0UG6N-QO1i0FthuwF68LJSSZCB_3pv6rwHwdAt40aJlvVarZkR9iR5hZW5Gz270YFzD60fCFYsQwg_9wlDLXl9Brbsfqb8RnKtuad5YLi5bnfwXgwDgNT5XSwsxB9PKVwTsfWfWt-OgW36fUliTUYZggVsa_OMl41Bt4Ur-s/s4080/20240215_181845.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3060" data-original-width="4080" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-1RH-t6DBG4fILohu_ipo0UG6N-QO1i0FthuwF68LJSSZCB_3pv6rwHwdAt40aJlvVarZkR9iR5hZW5Gz270YFzD60fCFYsQwg_9wlDLXl9Brbsfqb8RnKtuad5YLi5bnfwXgwDgNT5XSwsxB9PKVwTsfWfWt-OgW36fUliTUYZggVsa_OMl41Bt4Ur-s/w640-h480/20240215_181845.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><b>As you might recall, in competition robots wear either red or blue bumpers. We have a multi-colored set for practice purposes, keeping the competition bumpers pristine. It should also be noted that this is the robot in its compact mode, that's a three stage elevator on a pivot, waiting to be extended nearly four feet.</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><b>Will it work? Well, 16 motors each with its own speed controller. 7 chain and sprocket systems. Six major mechanisms, each of which has been proven to work in isolation....will they play nice together?</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><b>At the end of day Sunday it's still not known. The wiring on this thing is brutal. Our first robot in 2016 had 6 motors. Each with two wires, so....12. 13 with the mostly useless camera we had back then. This monster is mostly using three wire brushless motors, so I think the total of power wires alone is 48. Plus lots more sensors, cameras and encoders. I bet there will be close to 100 wires that have to all be done right before we compete.</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><b>In about ten days...</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaeD6ekUghYGSwUawlkmOqTurxzLkhA1QuGSsq9xE4oXP4cX8DNxV0aNdvZZoTa9Wy3dbIyLX1lW8aih9IZgfZq1TegeLd5i9nwkFY9Q_S2h1e7i2B-CCVlg_tX6mmMkzlDbz2-JBTp3MD6Z3lcI3vp73p4HCef61u7IsmyhmZWAVIB8uRIT4wjrl0lbmJ/s4080/20240218_161407.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4080" data-original-width="3060" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaeD6ekUghYGSwUawlkmOqTurxzLkhA1QuGSsq9xE4oXP4cX8DNxV0aNdvZZoTa9Wy3dbIyLX1lW8aih9IZgfZq1TegeLd5i9nwkFY9Q_S2h1e7i2B-CCVlg_tX6mmMkzlDbz2-JBTp3MD6Z3lcI3vp73p4HCef61u7IsmyhmZWAVIB8uRIT4wjrl0lbmJ/w480-h640/20240218_161407.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><b><br /></b></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><b><br /></b></span></p></div></div>Tacitushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17007086196578740689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1518953907062235005.post-77344296961889301472024-02-16T00:30:00.013-06:002024-02-16T00:30:00.138-06:00The Implausible Life of Frank Powell<p><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><b>In my survey of patent medicine companies in my part of the world I've had to leave this one to near the end. </b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><b>In many ways the industry was an over the top parody of American capitalism in the great age of expansion that came post Civil War. Mass advertising, expansive promises....the whole Snake Oil Industry was predicated not so much on fooling the rubes as in getting them to admire the sheer audacity of it all. And in that world David Frank Powell, aka White Beaver, was almost a parody of a parody. He was way over the top even for his day.</b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrAQB9nSizV7FjpYMG4uzFumjAo6fZ4KRr7MGXQABxSt8g6LKSDod2TV1QrfAFX-CaT6HUqSvc9KZxaodWg_3RPMgcvDQNSASnmHggHF1eoWZAqtGIXyg1S_SDO41u77noAU-i8NOtYCwfVFWbMrlrGrtWgDN5Y6Geeb0ZOwH8psBwqcBZ_IENhogkfoxF/s752/wb.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="752" data-original-width="507" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrAQB9nSizV7FjpYMG4uzFumjAo6fZ4KRr7MGXQABxSt8g6LKSDod2TV1QrfAFX-CaT6HUqSvc9KZxaodWg_3RPMgcvDQNSASnmHggHF1eoWZAqtGIXyg1S_SDO41u77noAU-i8NOtYCwfVFWbMrlrGrtWgDN5Y6Geeb0ZOwH8psBwqcBZ_IENhogkfoxF/w432-h640/wb.jpg" width="432" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><b>The bare facts of his life are this. Born in 1847 in Kentucky. He moved around a bit in his early days, first to New York State, then to Chicago and Omaha where he clerked in drug stores. During his time in Nebraska he spent some time on a ranch that his mother now owned. It was there, in Lone Tree Nebraska, that he met Buffalo Bill Cody, Wild Bill Hickok and other colorful characters. He spent a little time as a civilian scout for the U.S. Army, later to claim all manner of fanciful adventures in this service.</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>In 1868 he sat for a competitive examination to attend medical school at the University of Louisville. He won, despite having had no formal education to speak of. He spent a couple of years there, working as a janitor to pay his expenses. He graduated as Valedictorian and was offered a faculty post despite having been involved in a duel with one of his instructors. He declined and took up a post as an Army Surgeon; not on the western frontier but at Fort McPherson in Atlanta, Georgia.</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>After a few years practicing in Lanesboro, Minnesota he moved to La Crosse, Wisconsin in 1881. He was elected Mayor four times between 1885 and 1897. He started a patent medicine company that traded on his dubious claim to have been spared death at the hands of hostile Indians after saving the life of a chief's daughter with his medical skills. The supposed name White Beaver was either bestowed on him at that time or perhaps sometime in the mid 1870's for, one presumes, monetary considerations.</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>He wrote dime novels. Songs were sung of his deeds.</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcVQ4QcJmoJbDCP1NfVaorULJN7RS7spQBiTLYQJy3hGqAfy1CHSKtJ5ZLjKPzXKEqIu9ao2AoLGJUcjrPys9cvcp2WWZIkZsgGiLABqYyPeGozqf_1DWayNQkQOdjF5G7BoByOfRzEPn2v25s2B8MeDtdsP5CDXMqCmiDMTM4TU7BG0BgXliHG-2_bSNM/s1545/powell.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1545" data-original-width="1064" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcVQ4QcJmoJbDCP1NfVaorULJN7RS7spQBiTLYQJy3hGqAfy1CHSKtJ5ZLjKPzXKEqIu9ao2AoLGJUcjrPys9cvcp2WWZIkZsgGiLABqYyPeGozqf_1DWayNQkQOdjF5G7BoByOfRzEPn2v25s2B8MeDtdsP5CDXMqCmiDMTM4TU7BG0BgXliHG-2_bSNM/w440-h640/powell.png" width="440" /></a></div><br /><b><br /></b></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL403Okz0FhMOjdH5uhYQoMOpclE_Ig1KzD0LO9RBuZLWL6J-76nTvTXLzvQehljFC5XfzJMzzqcilHPQVCLwRH9RQfROm-ZggQEWgfzDq3vMdwSTBVuG-PvIXSzxmrbNzRZl-wBHwUzBBvNcNuKbcPcAoMHvSIbt3x3B2HbbL8SpPNdH37RwcizzFaSdj/s950/200502401.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="948" data-original-width="950" height="399" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL403Okz0FhMOjdH5uhYQoMOpclE_Ig1KzD0LO9RBuZLWL6J-76nTvTXLzvQehljFC5XfzJMzzqcilHPQVCLwRH9RQfROm-ZggQEWgfzDq3vMdwSTBVuG-PvIXSzxmrbNzRZl-wBHwUzBBvNcNuKbcPcAoMHvSIbt3x3B2HbbL8SpPNdH37RwcizzFaSdj/w400-h399/200502401.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><b>Powell remained friends with "Buffalo Bill" Cody and seems - remember that very little about this man is ever certain - to have toured with the Wild West Shows. Their friendship involved both heavy drinking and dubious real estate deals.</b><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>In 1906 Powell was on a train near El Paso, Texas. He died of a heart attack, but instead of being buried in his adopted home town of La Crosse, arrangements were made to have his ashes scattered near Cody, Wyoming. As the name suggests this was another of Buffalo Bill's real estate ventures.</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>His ashes were supposed to be scattered at a particularly scenic location called Red Butte, but as the story goes his friends got a bit carried away with their drinking to his memory, and when the mule carrying the mortal dust of David Frank Powell finally reached the planned site it was noted that a hole in the container and the bumpy ride had caused the remains to be scattered hither and thither, blown away in the winds of the now closed but still romantic Frontier.</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>The original marker, a simple cairn of stones, has been upgraded a bit in more recent times.</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4Ct1u2GNP6DPu9WNCvGBmKfE2V8EbEwubgO7JRRdXUCq6UmPsVvNGwkgeczkg1W3D1cPvtsHpwAq_8ZsIr9eOnUtEPQyro2m6PdxauDZNIROyukCr0MdmiqYpjErtvqdYT4X9lZS7IpEOzTGymZBwv8K4eTeiudC1ElPwfTQ02dgExwAjJcl2s3NrvhAF/s500/5fd7be6dbdf30.image.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="314" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4Ct1u2GNP6DPu9WNCvGBmKfE2V8EbEwubgO7JRRdXUCq6UmPsVvNGwkgeczkg1W3D1cPvtsHpwAq_8ZsIr9eOnUtEPQyro2m6PdxauDZNIROyukCr0MdmiqYpjErtvqdYT4X9lZS7IpEOzTGymZBwv8K4eTeiudC1ElPwfTQ02dgExwAjJcl2s3NrvhAF/w402-h640/5fd7be6dbdf30.image.jpg" width="402" /></a></div><br /><b><br /></b><p></p><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b><br /></b></div></div>Tacitushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17007086196578740689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1518953907062235005.post-49818158755620414352024-02-14T00:30:00.004-06:002024-02-14T00:30:00.240-06:00Patent Medicines of Black River Falls, Wisconsin<p> <span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><b>The story of patent medicine manufacturing in Black River Falls Wisconsin is probably synonymous with the story of J.W. Cole. But there is a frustrating lack of detailed information within easy reach, and as such I'm left with loose ends.</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><b>Bottles like the one below are fairly common. 1900 give or take a bit, and with side panels embossed J.W.Cole and Co on the top and Black River Falls, Wis on the bottom. </b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnFBcRbsauhX4A5fWjHt2WrcPqq6viwjhudthhSpbg90Dq2TN9HDIC5Mkk6JM3l81IBjSWrTphWbC6kPP4Bfiq4aG3R6tFpWWw7Udh7ulUFmlHmenxLPJsg-fQvd1VbVLbeXpHC714jGl4v88rdK5lc-A3cgtZupj1wJY3ioidBnExXC6lr6ittlJpWPVb/s843/ccc.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="408" data-original-width="843" height="310" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnFBcRbsauhX4A5fWjHt2WrcPqq6viwjhudthhSpbg90Dq2TN9HDIC5Mkk6JM3l81IBjSWrTphWbC6kPP4Bfiq4aG3R6tFpWWw7Udh7ulUFmlHmenxLPJsg-fQvd1VbVLbeXpHC714jGl4v88rdK5lc-A3cgtZupj1wJY3ioidBnExXC6lr6ittlJpWPVb/w640-h310/ccc.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><b>The firm of J.W. Cole and Company got started in 1865 as a drug store, later branching out into manufacturing. J.W. (I think his actual name was Jerome) was a native of New York State; born in 1843.</b><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>The company seems to have really taken off in the late 1870's, with their flagship product being a concoction for external use. Carbolisalve...</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrfuwxV2ZDLimC_vYXrN19Q_Z5_QggQSVBcM1nKBGYxPVxRoiXkumkCZ1ZTUXsfVr-aUZMBl2xni0q8zg4WD4LwhHuUPZcFvMbpC-5Y6CyzGG2nK5ZtqkQC-7wgFQfoSM3-VTbplqRzopqEGNXreakH11uG9mXXLxwV5yOCGJkDgHDUmDjTlc-u7yeBG5_/s8788/Montreal_River_Miner_and_Iron_County_Republican_Fri__Dec_22__1905_.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="8788" data-original-width="3629" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrfuwxV2ZDLimC_vYXrN19Q_Z5_QggQSVBcM1nKBGYxPVxRoiXkumkCZ1ZTUXsfVr-aUZMBl2xni0q8zg4WD4LwhHuUPZcFvMbpC-5Y6CyzGG2nK5ZtqkQC-7wgFQfoSM3-VTbplqRzopqEGNXreakH11uG9mXXLxwV5yOCGJkDgHDUmDjTlc-u7yeBG5_/w264-h640/Montreal_River_Miner_and_Iron_County_Republican_Fri__Dec_22__1905_.jpg" width="264" /></a></div><br /><b>I think Cole may be an anglicized version of a German name. Kohl perhaps. The company did go in for medicines with a German theme. Here's a rare one, Blud Bilder, or Blood Builder. It's really a horrid translation as Bilder in German actually means "picture", and blood should be Blut.</b></div><div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAkQzqXNG-7mc6dNCvnDelz91Txm6Icu1YLN3TIwh-NYVdrgMgIH4RS6uOmdUsTSvEX_E6kTEsUYQJvz0M_PU2v-SPltysUcx5WwuLrVMtZm-IB4iMw-hnqDU7bIWSrrMjPNV0uRJBg2o1NCPHWvAmLMT6D6kUP42oFAjZEgnR-rlMORs5CZCQxigBjzcE/s4032/coleblut.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAkQzqXNG-7mc6dNCvnDelz91Txm6Icu1YLN3TIwh-NYVdrgMgIH4RS6uOmdUsTSvEX_E6kTEsUYQJvz0M_PU2v-SPltysUcx5WwuLrVMtZm-IB4iMw-hnqDU7bIWSrrMjPNV0uRJBg2o1NCPHWvAmLMT6D6kUP42oFAjZEgnR-rlMORs5CZCQxigBjzcE/w480-h640/coleblut.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><p><b>After starting in a smaller space J.W. Cole moved into a substantial building in the 1870's. A close up view shows he was not averse to selling other people's medicines, as the Kick-a-Poo line that was manufactured by an outfit called Healy and Bigelow out of Boston.</b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUHRS4cFahFULJymfx9VBYmdgEad2kEHH3VhRewjZxyXdvcsxsCOqeGEm0qxCTTXvH7dB_nEZHYJ05-ICzWoRRGLLHbJD1ckmzF3dwsxseT57V33onEYaVhqrX7OrfnEv4hWR3jWGDRrgCarq7dkU5xDN8zxVMrHV-2G3-M9aSLEaGq8ZO9-QiQ6edCDRV/s600/cole.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="476" data-original-width="600" height="508" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUHRS4cFahFULJymfx9VBYmdgEad2kEHH3VhRewjZxyXdvcsxsCOqeGEm0qxCTTXvH7dB_nEZHYJ05-ICzWoRRGLLHbJD1ckmzF3dwsxseT57V33onEYaVhqrX7OrfnEv4hWR3jWGDRrgCarq7dkU5xDN8zxVMrHV-2G3-M9aSLEaGq8ZO9-QiQ6edCDRV/w640-h508/cole.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><b>The names on the drug store are interesting. It looks as if Cole was out of the retail business by the time this picture was taken, probably in the 1890's. Mr. Chickering was a druggist who had previously worked in Eau Claire. Farnham Chickering Jr. died in Minnesota in 1902 while on the road traveling for J.W. Cole and Co.</b></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit85LtJd49PCZm0WL7Jbe7BiWTCwNRXvXZO-ehn7q07qLk_xkyIUwDhLwh9pgmQto1g7kEsB0Ze_gy5BK_HpGkixPbAgPvf5PaDI1IZBPY_YjnEN1gxpdqvLsZqpE-0ihaFR_aGCZJ1BJGjoRdJatArpYT0sCaLlU7HdvFMeYrp_IVcAZr17SxrSyAk7wY/s600/cole2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="600" height="506" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit85LtJd49PCZm0WL7Jbe7BiWTCwNRXvXZO-ehn7q07qLk_xkyIUwDhLwh9pgmQto1g7kEsB0Ze_gy5BK_HpGkixPbAgPvf5PaDI1IZBPY_YjnEN1gxpdqvLsZqpE-0ihaFR_aGCZJ1BJGjoRdJatArpYT0sCaLlU7HdvFMeYrp_IVcAZr17SxrSyAk7wY/w640-h506/cole2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><b>This last bottle lists the town of origin but not the company that made it. Was this another German themed J.W. Cole product? Or was there another small time medicine manufacturer in the little town of Black River Falls?</b></div><div><b><br /></b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjARDTZev1Qj52yXHOFUfIBz4NP5Is3PmhnJSHsRD7uMJDNTqHFEh4KPIpD30uyc2471XNqzHWm1KwcbN18y7KNzcTKHPmfbzUQfnUI67vCG7ACz1N4CCGIiwq2WIWKvcmah40eUUUwLPFvbn4HBEjWfBAJ8A_2fufwGEGbZVoMItiWfZ3X8UfOljOmIcjx/s1171/kolb.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="606" data-original-width="1171" height="332" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjARDTZev1Qj52yXHOFUfIBz4NP5Is3PmhnJSHsRD7uMJDNTqHFEh4KPIpD30uyc2471XNqzHWm1KwcbN18y7KNzcTKHPmfbzUQfnUI67vCG7ACz1N4CCGIiwq2WIWKvcmah40eUUUwLPFvbn4HBEjWfBAJ8A_2fufwGEGbZVoMItiWfZ3X8UfOljOmIcjx/w640-h332/kolb.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p></p></div><div><b>Addendum. Olie seems to actually be either Dutch or Danish for OIL. In German Oil would be OL with umlauts over the O. Maybe you can't get umlauts in bottle molds. Or maybe just another dodgy translation. </b></div>Tacitushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17007086196578740689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1518953907062235005.post-1271678185796814792024-02-12T00:30:00.003-06:002024-02-12T00:30:00.135-06:00FIRST Robotics 2024 - Some Things that Work<p><b>Yes, its that point in the season where time loses all meaning. Different versions of prototypes come and go quickly. Things are built, tested, broken, rebuilt, retested. Of course the clock continues to tick (will this generation even make the association any longer?) and little things like time at the end of build season to actually test drive slip away. Sigh. </b></p><p><b>The software people have done outstanding work on the ability of the robot to identify specific points on the field where it can set up for game piece launching. This clip is a test bed functioning entirely in autonomous mode. Creepy.</b></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dw7LjciSUrDpx7KvvU1Ht28SM4EHZaTivsZ10pnqDc0h71Tx0mEKgAlylLfcJfvl6ZVBOSvjHanFPUBo_9CFA' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><br /><b>And...here's something else that works. The scale. We have a 125 pound weight limit. Building the drive base, elevator and manipulator systems separately has given three working groups better access, but it has made it hard to keep an eye on the total weight. Robots always gain weight. Each bolt, each link of chain. Maybe breathing on it too much. The scale is under the drive base but the readout is on the table. It is showing us numbers that are not happy. Work to do.</b><div><b><br /></b></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjX3MuSogjTompSqgP_wxgJVv94ZJPTxQy7TBcyXRhOSzscgvbJfdfSw2YnoBuDQ3eBv3L2P2Y9RJs_sVMUgZwn4hRC9ASl0U7jvjuuu1u734Cx_pCPFGxd7XzsVg6lF9vDM4GvvlBXUX4sWQd5gT-dFo-tUMZllKLsLDHwo31KI0Ly0wZdOv2QBkXO5z7/s3626/20240207_163701.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3626" data-original-width="2672" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjX3MuSogjTompSqgP_wxgJVv94ZJPTxQy7TBcyXRhOSzscgvbJfdfSw2YnoBuDQ3eBv3L2P2Y9RJs_sVMUgZwn4hRC9ASl0U7jvjuuu1u734Cx_pCPFGxd7XzsVg6lF9vDM4GvvlBXUX4sWQd5gT-dFo-tUMZllKLsLDHwo31KI0Ly0wZdOv2QBkXO5z7/w472-h640/20240207_163701.jpg" width="472" /></a></div><br /><b>We had a good session on Thursday and got the weight at least temporarily under control. Various systems work individually. The shooter is quite fun...</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dy1zPT197dMI6PtFsRyCNJ2mTOaS1mn5_LT0uM6Fs3j2pYQPYa2oHjGCYHMfgl_3KXLFA1QmNBgLPjmEDzHsg' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><br /><b>This was the first time we'd tried a series of shots and for consistency we took aim at a poster on the wall with Planet Earth on it. It's fun to be the Alien Overlords......</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>Here's something fun. The robot has to do a sort of "chin up" on a hanging wire. The gear and sprocket system seems up to the task but when power is cut at the end of the match you have to keep hanging for five or ten seconds to get the points. No additional weight solution? Garden gate latches! Dumb but effective.</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6Ysuh3Yhw_d771XDmSbneg_r0jFsprXbI6cOaai1TEd5rtWZmUFOJb5vcXpPiV7Ji709A_O39j8KFYtLz_6Nt9PM4XWLebxIsxLsScIMmEttE6wdSSnMBK24k-SmJ8mZIlfRnWtwj5uKJvMuXzB32y1DQ03ESaUOpW4gmbtWWH4I2vv3Huj37WvSUa-if/s4080/20240210_122056.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4080" data-original-width="3060" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6Ysuh3Yhw_d771XDmSbneg_r0jFsprXbI6cOaai1TEd5rtWZmUFOJb5vcXpPiV7Ji709A_O39j8KFYtLz_6Nt9PM4XWLebxIsxLsScIMmEttE6wdSSnMBK24k-SmJ8mZIlfRnWtwj5uKJvMuXzB32y1DQ03ESaUOpW4gmbtWWH4I2vv3Huj37WvSUa-if/w480-h640/20240210_122056.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><b>We started the crucial Saturday session with three robots. The software test bed robot is now being dismantled and its electronics shifted over to the competition machine.</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl3LVcokk_f4WoD7lKvLKe54dFgYx8p6LDz_T_S7JzgWoS7EL9T0ffIlLjiHf0Lo3egemN9z2AET6SEFybk9qBGXVYBYamejQ5aeRTLXcfUw9MsTQJ-R_QZR4IeOMYlDxXE7KOJF2vV8H5j1k8r5ELT9yMo8nSvsS8CParbiiJcTvaaHrjuBQssUL4hWm6/s4080/20240210_131512.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3060" data-original-width="4080" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl3LVcokk_f4WoD7lKvLKe54dFgYx8p6LDz_T_S7JzgWoS7EL9T0ffIlLjiHf0Lo3egemN9z2AET6SEFybk9qBGXVYBYamejQ5aeRTLXcfUw9MsTQJ-R_QZR4IeOMYlDxXE7KOJF2vV8H5j1k8r5ELT9yMo8nSvsS8CParbiiJcTvaaHrjuBQssUL4hWm6/w640-h480/20240210_131512.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><b>We'll keep the picked apart frame down in Area 51. It's the right configuration for future test beds.</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>Finally a bit of whimsy. A special cushioned chair for the pit crew. Built on top of one of our tool caddies and made of old bumper fabric. </b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivjGfA8yZvjgikhQIXjOMfNvryok8zJOzE6yZ3OyB5TOVKeVHrJqiuTFPgRNVF4Fu42e-ThN-oGz5IlItHLhNHKrWIpr5C73Amkj6H_H8eWwbExTeb7QbVoJA_3DVQiPHgiyZINDg3Oljlr45o_L1PTiXy9QB2rYDfLXUNMQ-Lix48lQkVLU50TK459d0j/s4080/20240210_152946.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3060" data-original-width="4080" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivjGfA8yZvjgikhQIXjOMfNvryok8zJOzE6yZ3OyB5TOVKeVHrJqiuTFPgRNVF4Fu42e-ThN-oGz5IlItHLhNHKrWIpr5C73Amkj6H_H8eWwbExTeb7QbVoJA_3DVQiPHgiyZINDg3Oljlr45o_L1PTiXy9QB2rYDfLXUNMQ-Lix48lQkVLU50TK459d0j/w640-h480/20240210_152946.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><b><br /></b></div><div><b>There's still limited time. We are still right on the edge for weight control. Many things can go wrong and some of them certainly will. But we are ready to put the two halves of the robot together. Then it is in the hands of software.<br /></b><p></p><p><b><br /></b></p><p><b><br /></b></p></div>Tacitushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17007086196578740689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1518953907062235005.post-60040150339053835202024-02-09T00:30:00.002-06:002024-02-09T00:30:00.143-06:00How Archaeologists Fill Bird Feeders<p><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><b>You'll either understand this at a glance or never understand it.</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiId7gjtNgmkOUKkX9oxwvTfpC3Sn6YI_LF6-EZ8SMkceMCd2ytQV4VE2co4AcvVB2mmrObGlIg1CF4pQWlHWAhZllOg6T5zr8fOeZfXb1iBfnmmZ2BVfSzRSBKOtSmVj0GvgDHOvWnTjVLZ8EnN3TYEU_rI5IHpjUYQ3DowXvM-gU1w5cCwyCa2NbpfE1F/s3849/20240205_083331.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2886" data-original-width="3849" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiId7gjtNgmkOUKkX9oxwvTfpC3Sn6YI_LF6-EZ8SMkceMCd2ytQV4VE2co4AcvVB2mmrObGlIg1CF4pQWlHWAhZllOg6T5zr8fOeZfXb1iBfnmmZ2BVfSzRSBKOtSmVj0GvgDHOvWnTjVLZ8EnN3TYEU_rI5IHpjUYQ3DowXvM-gU1w5cCwyCa2NbpfE1F/w640-h480/20240205_083331.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><br /><b>Just as ancient Rome had free bread for the fickle, noisy proles, so also do I provide for a collection of feathered idlers and the furry scavengers who follow in their wake. </b></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><b><br /></b></span></p>Tacitushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17007086196578740689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1518953907062235005.post-85237115654629965572024-02-07T00:30:00.008-06:002024-02-07T00:30:00.146-06:00Of Ledgers and Legerdemain.....<p><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><b>Interestingly, most accountants of my acquaintance have a fine sense of humor. So for them the etymologic journey of Ledgers and Legerdemain would seem funny. But I'm sure none of them allow any funny stuff into the columns of their accounts.</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><b>When you think of a ledger, at least in the days before computers, you probably have an image of a big, heavy, dusty book sitting on a special table. And right you would be. The word comes from "<i>leggen" </i>one of those typical Old English/Germanic/Dutch/Friesian words that cluttered up the Middle Ages. It means essentially "to lie". Oh, not in a dishonest way, just something that sits in one place. Like a big ol' book. It is preserved in modern German in the verb "liegen", or the adjective "gelegen", meaning roughly, "It sits over there".</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIOpNoXFVNX4h-FzXmz0AbJoSlgxCLSujHyr7ZzbkK0a8mTebAxfnlXn2fCTRxtK20TM6lvhKnzCzl_6IyoqF1aMs1RxzZb_TPbDyD4h-KmB6zielZO-Nxgn0G2wRLKxUvfhZ6X8a2apAqvyp07GuB1kTVTWufCP81bkKN5_FgovhMj8hVJWd94Pmq8imN/s300/e1eb513dbfa64f3be98c9efc28a2fc3b.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="212" data-original-width="300" height="452" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIOpNoXFVNX4h-FzXmz0AbJoSlgxCLSujHyr7ZzbkK0a8mTebAxfnlXn2fCTRxtK20TM6lvhKnzCzl_6IyoqF1aMs1RxzZb_TPbDyD4h-KmB6zielZO-Nxgn0G2wRLKxUvfhZ6X8a2apAqvyp07GuB1kTVTWufCP81bkKN5_FgovhMj8hVJWd94Pmq8imN/w640-h452/e1eb513dbfa64f3be98c9efc28a2fc3b.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><br /></span></div><b style="font-family: trebuchet;">And the more fun sounding Legerdemain? French of course, early 15th century. It refers to the actions of a magician or con man. Specifically the phrase </b><i style="font-family: trebuchet; font-weight: bold;">"leger de main" </i><b style="font-family: trebuchet;">meaning quick of hand. French usually reached back into Latin more than the Germanic tongues, and in this case the word </b><i style="font-family: trebuchet; font-weight: bold;">leger </i><b style="font-family: trebuchet;">comes from the Latin </b><i style="font-family: trebuchet; font-weight: bold;">levitas, </i><b style="font-family: trebuchet;">meaning light. As in levity and levitate!</b><p></p><p><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><b>So there you have it. Two words that sound similar but one means a heavy book and the other light fingers!</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><b><br /></b></span></p>Tacitushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17007086196578740689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1518953907062235005.post-20983677479813337242024-02-05T00:30:00.001-06:002024-02-05T00:30:00.131-06:00FIRST Robotics 2024 - Looks a little Complicated.....<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8zxA93MtEXzhAm_28-mCXFI9EYMPkC0m0wptPy7zG8ZGt25FrNukqvLyAQLquKR2VhXyr77zOH7lUoavJcglCvDcKd_WxZk1fdcsTgeOuZAFI92x5NlQD1ahk8-CHUS-M0_IgNOZN69Wdh9yjO3SZyl6WKKUDYDJpO7pIzGYD2PY_oPZ721dXdw9w4mUo/s4080/20240203_154623.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3060" data-original-width="4080" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8zxA93MtEXzhAm_28-mCXFI9EYMPkC0m0wptPy7zG8ZGt25FrNukqvLyAQLquKR2VhXyr77zOH7lUoavJcglCvDcKd_WxZk1fdcsTgeOuZAFI92x5NlQD1ahk8-CHUS-M0_IgNOZN69Wdh9yjO3SZyl6WKKUDYDJpO7pIzGYD2PY_oPZ721dXdw9w4mUo/w640-h480/20240203_154623.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /> <span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><b>Ah....its a pretty ambitious design this year. Stay tuned, this one's going down to the wire....</b></span><p></p>Tacitushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17007086196578740689noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1518953907062235005.post-2634195332452370652024-02-02T00:30:00.002-06:002024-02-02T08:03:38.113-06:00One of my Less Good Ideas<p><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><b>When working with the robotics team I throw out lots of ideas. Some are good, a few are great. Others....well, nobody is perfect and I figure I'm further away than most. </b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><b>For tournament matches it is three robots versus three. The "sides" are identified by color, so you need to make sets of protective, padded bumpers in red and blue and be able to change them quickly. Well this year we have an "over the bumper" intake system, and are anticipating a rather vigorous game with respect to defense. This could result in a bit of scuffing up of our swell red and blue competition bumpers. So I thought it would be nice to have a set just for practice use. Testing before events and use during the pre-tournament practice matches the day before the competition. So far, so good.</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><b>Well we had a bunch of the orange fabric that was used in the Robot School "pumpkin bot". I said just use that. It was neatly done, with everyone adding their signature and well wishes.</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8RPjnZFbasyGhMDi-9ZqQ_vP1HiqMimP0kUpNFFQbP01Fx50RVaW4zownh_Z_EE7eI4YYhxhTSX7WjsN9KzPcVbQ-mOKneImMZ7EKgRUjP2DenddmLoAXZuQYHW2sFTQTgnL2GTpgpSerCvSfpT3ngI7BvvQwfMWE_w9Yij9P46abduiPrgUYyHp2mBoy/s3188/20240130_161413.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3188" data-original-width="3052" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8RPjnZFbasyGhMDi-9ZqQ_vP1HiqMimP0kUpNFFQbP01Fx50RVaW4zownh_Z_EE7eI4YYhxhTSX7WjsN9KzPcVbQ-mOKneImMZ7EKgRUjP2DenddmLoAXZuQYHW2sFTQTgnL2GTpgpSerCvSfpT3ngI7BvvQwfMWE_w9Yij9P46abduiPrgUYyHp2mBoy/w383-h400/20240130_161413.jpg" width="383" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><br /><b>Unfortunately this is the exact color of this year's game piece, and with lots of teams using sophisticated vision tracking, going out on the practice floor with these bumpers would probably mean the autonomous phase of the match would feature up to five robots - friend and foe alike - zeroing in on us and trying to pick us up and launch us. Sigh. I had to admit my error and ask the long suffering team member to pull this off and replace it with a patchwork of red and blue.</b></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><b>She got to wear the 5826 sash while doing so. That was a better idea of mine, recycling old bumpers into things. We have a sash, a cape and this year might build a small sofa for the pit crew to sit on. Now, if we can just get the robot finished and reliable they might even have a chance to sit down!</b></span></p>Tacitushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17007086196578740689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1518953907062235005.post-2857984249759841172024-01-31T00:30:00.001-06:002024-01-31T00:30:00.167-06:00Dander<p><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><b>A Question of the Day. Is it ever good to "get one's dander up"? Yes. No. Maybe. Much is uncertain.</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><b>The phrase sounds, and is, American circa 1830's. It might be a spin on a word from the West Indies that delightfully involves making rum. <i>"Dander, or Dunder" </i>meaning the fermentation of sugar. Inexpertly one assumes since it derives from the Spanish "<i>redundar</i>" which means "<i>to overflow</i>". </b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqYeH7lxIOga1wSItgfrzmJhAuJffUK8MfKJ2cByhUJVYja3k_zZP0cBH2Zv25Rrs3Q2k7gLrt4Mw37GCBOAInvvbYfmpMXDqmsPzZwQHokTwk3ZNDCtj-ROsUf87q9mdklzvEchqkmFCcWB04sXVS-dg66E4mCLoWzm66Z8iMwlb6a4s7iVMr2LJbhHzF/s960/57154882_2371142099788729_8693258706139217920_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqYeH7lxIOga1wSItgfrzmJhAuJffUK8MfKJ2cByhUJVYja3k_zZP0cBH2Zv25Rrs3Q2k7gLrt4Mw37GCBOAInvvbYfmpMXDqmsPzZwQHokTwk3ZNDCtj-ROsUf87q9mdklzvEchqkmFCcWB04sXVS-dg66E4mCLoWzm66Z8iMwlb6a4s7iVMr2LJbhHzF/s320/57154882_2371142099788729_8693258706139217920_n.jpg" width="240" /></a></span></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><b>Perhaps by now you've acquired my tendency to look at words and note similarities to other words. Yes, <i>redundar </i>arrives straight from the Latin "<i>redundare</i>". It's basic meaning is to be in excess, or superfluous.*</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><b>To be redundant in America is a little depressing but you are at least still drawing a paycheck. In the UK "to be made redundant" means you've become obsolete and have been let go.</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><b>Near as I can figure Dander and Dandruff are not related at all. The latter word is also of uncertain origins and one assumes Dandruff in any event goes down not up. </b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><b>And what about Dunderhead? Dunder supposedly derives from Thunder via assorted Dutch influences. It also rather suggests the influence of "Dunce". As it happens the Spanish were not the only ones with interests in the West Indies. If you manage your fermentation very badly - as a Dunce would - it might not just overflow but thunderously explode!</b></span></p><p><b style="font-family: trebuchet;">________________________</b></p><p><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><b>*Darn it, more words linking to other words. Superfluous meaning of course, quite literally, to be over flowing.....</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><b><br /></b></span></p>Tacitushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17007086196578740689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1518953907062235005.post-55938089688606038542024-01-29T00:30:00.007-06:002024-01-29T00:30:00.134-06:00FIRST Robotics 2024 - Week Three<p><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><b>We are at roughly the mid point of Build Season....and its an odd progress report. Some things were done very quickly and very well. Others that were assumed to be in hand or easy-peasy have proven otherwise. One key system is pretty much non functional. Sigh.</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><b>Drive base is good. The electronics will be going on "under the deck" shortly. We have nice bumpers. The clearance is such that the game pieces will not get stuck under there.</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5hXWkS0tUbxvmXQNdhe1HdD1SCADn5KT-epq7p_5XekVCcRFazgmfqDX_8rhvSNOsdVFONxVRtw31NuCj8ahslnEjZ-InE7kx34n4q-5j-CFXelqCRv2VQaxSu5USpVEdSnGMNfnnVABPucVkWav5q-ylURpC0bDz5i2nQMg8yewSKbLgthihHl98scjJ/s939/20240127_154019.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="666" data-original-width="939" height="284" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5hXWkS0tUbxvmXQNdhe1HdD1SCADn5KT-epq7p_5XekVCcRFazgmfqDX_8rhvSNOsdVFONxVRtw31NuCj8ahslnEjZ-InE7kx34n4q-5j-CFXelqCRv2VQaxSu5USpVEdSnGMNfnnVABPucVkWav5q-ylURpC0bDz5i2nQMg8yewSKbLgthihHl98scjJ/w400-h284/20240127_154019.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><br /><b>We have an elevator. It works but is still a little twitchy. It is living on an old robot frame at the moment. It's nice to have old stuff with the same mounting hole pattern. Software can tinker with it as the main robot is being worked on elsewhere and otherwise. Lots of metal shavings being generated. That is one measure of progress.</b></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7rWn0N-NBQIhNRV1JtaEj0JW7PLbPckyOr27xiF8asVrV5xD6Y9RQmpK69ggXHE-bb0FTRq7dS1rDGSmCMrH-3NVmyna5X42E6E78jq3_GAq4OoyMKXmApzkWtcqAmLYpC5AkWRXjRgyDRFsGEBRqB2U7bAv7d3hnynNIqLMRwXUZkMcEajQK8ItVipYu/s1125/20240127_111948.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="841" data-original-width="1125" height="299" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7rWn0N-NBQIhNRV1JtaEj0JW7PLbPckyOr27xiF8asVrV5xD6Y9RQmpK69ggXHE-bb0FTRq7dS1rDGSmCMrH-3NVmyna5X42E6E78jq3_GAq4OoyMKXmApzkWtcqAmLYpC5AkWRXjRgyDRFsGEBRqB2U7bAv7d3hnynNIqLMRwXUZkMcEajQK8ItVipYu/w400-h299/20240127_111948.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></div><p><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><b>The "end game" this year involves essentially doing a chin up on a saggy chain, then reaching the elevator up to drop a game piece in a high up slot. Climber looks as if it will work. Still need to attach a winch to the arms. Nice level hang. We have a bit of latitude as to the location of the remaining parts, so should be able to keep it that way.</b></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfexuCctDgRR25E5QYkxfA_R12Ci3_fJxbA2KKiRx3UiAD1cXeV6BI830H_5byqQGqhAzdpy9-7tbIEGcXdqeiAO0oYXTH3R8cAeCtz-7DUHtmfbStLN4zgTh_GSp5ubpqKW4H1BdJUdorjyHv7ImfTVzPPXbmOUlgzqqwweDcUz-pVMRKbUYLIFEgWD8L/s1171/20240127_134206.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="879" data-original-width="1171" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfexuCctDgRR25E5QYkxfA_R12Ci3_fJxbA2KKiRx3UiAD1cXeV6BI830H_5byqQGqhAzdpy9-7tbIEGcXdqeiAO0oYXTH3R8cAeCtz-7DUHtmfbStLN4zgTh_GSp5ubpqKW4H1BdJUdorjyHv7ImfTVzPPXbmOUlgzqqwweDcUz-pVMRKbUYLIFEgWD8L/w640-h480/20240127_134206.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></span></div><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><br /><b>Ah, but the device that actually picks the rings up and shoots them? That's not going so well. We are expecting to prototype two new designs on Monday.</b></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><b>Stay tuned.</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><b><br /></b></span></p><br /><b><br /></b></span><p></p>Tacitushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17007086196578740689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1518953907062235005.post-29908150036409790152024-01-26T00:30:00.001-06:002024-01-26T00:30:00.138-06:00A Happy Birbay<p><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><b>At some point having birthdays loses its novelty. I barely notice 'em unless they end in a zero. So my recent one was uneventful. The highlight was artwork from the grand kids. Hmmm....variations on a common theme here....</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgykeddSg9LPDke2TVTYprAE7_4bnG25TWF-rB0Od8y9cj2Vg12Lju57ZAkY-HiM9YxXkH8wTJbW7SmnIbS7fwwmQt4bz66I3Og4delQOCYeYcgrYRCnVN_a3ViAmksjWdIeRQCRAC_L2MpGKe7Y3e266ybpxrAkAsr8AdmEoYldVoP9CEK5D5J6vn77mYr/s1171/birb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="879" data-original-width="1171" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgykeddSg9LPDke2TVTYprAE7_4bnG25TWF-rB0Od8y9cj2Vg12Lju57ZAkY-HiM9YxXkH8wTJbW7SmnIbS7fwwmQt4bz66I3Og4delQOCYeYcgrYRCnVN_a3ViAmksjWdIeRQCRAC_L2MpGKe7Y3e266ybpxrAkAsr8AdmEoYldVoP9CEK5D5J6vn77mYr/w640-h480/birb.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><br /><b>I guess this one is a reference to my age. An old buck with 67 points on his antlers would not be able to lift his head off the ground. I'm at least doing a little better than that crawling out of bed in the morning!</b></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoRaMjKKi7sdekbRJc9hMOOtNRokZMS5tOgG4cWt_ARB-W83PNh6gcTLSn5iGUT7HMNa3jiRvqsB-PJLtqfsyzmSSDhsoiBzfDCSYvmzkSUTGiktS5ZQhJCfEa5kx05ZdYrXHxJp4S4DJIhr4uvg-_id-Dyp_yFj2YF9SvidtTo5HLx-xaW4WvF-ZengBD/s1171/buck.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="879" data-original-width="1171" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoRaMjKKi7sdekbRJc9hMOOtNRokZMS5tOgG4cWt_ARB-W83PNh6gcTLSn5iGUT7HMNa3jiRvqsB-PJLtqfsyzmSSDhsoiBzfDCSYvmzkSUTGiktS5ZQhJCfEa5kx05ZdYrXHxJp4S4DJIhr4uvg-_id-Dyp_yFj2YF9SvidtTo5HLx-xaW4WvF-ZengBD/w640-h480/buck.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><br /><b>Delightful imps, the rather saucy nature of their greetings notwithstanding.</b></span><p></p>Tacitushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17007086196578740689noreply@blogger.com0