Arduino Elevator Update: Now Accepting Lego Passengers
Here's a video of K running the elevator. Co-starring a lego man and his faithful dog.
Some of the parts are described in this previous post, although parts have been moved around and added.
I added two buttons, helpfully labeled "Up" and "Down", to control the direction, and a 7-segment LED display to show the current "floor".
As you can see, the elevator's construction has roughly the same quality as my video-taking skills. But that's OK - putting together a more attractive elevator and control panel will be an enjoyable step after getting the code and wiring all correct.
Musical Performance Review: Michigan Marching Band’s Concert at Crisler
It's halftime all the time with the Michigan Marching Band
Today the family unit went to University of Michigan's campus to visit Crisler Arena (nickname: The House That A Lot of Money Just Renovated). We were there to see the annual Michigan Marching Band indoor concert. It’s largely a rehash of the previous football season’s halftime shows, without the enjoyment of watching football before and after.
An Auspicious Start
The band members looked a little confused at the beginning of the show. They overcame their confusion as the first song was played, and fell into their formation eventually. We learned later that the band didn’t know they were going to play a concert - they had been told they were leaving for the bowl game three weeks early, and to bring their instrument and uniform with them to Crisler to “catch the bus to the airport”. Kids these days will believe anything that anybody texts them.
Musical Selections
The band played a wide variety of songs, from timeless classics like the theme from “Rocky”, to more modern pieces, like the theme from “Rocky III”. They also played 45-second arrangements of songs such as “I Got Rhythm” and “Stars and Stripes Forever”.
It’s apparent that the marching band world is running out of ideas for halftime shows, because one of them was dedicated to the music of “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory”, and another was dedicated to the Mayan calendar’s ending in 2012. Next year’s halftime shows are said to include an homage to the Olympic women’s kayaking team, and long-dead U.S. Vice President John Nance Garner.
The band has a version of the fight song they like to play that has an interlude, bridges, turnarounds, fugues, and, I think, the “Happy Birthday” song. The crowds love it. It lasts approximately 22 minutes, during which time the M Faithful stand, occasionally thrusting their fists high into the air, yelling “Hail!” Typically, someone leads them in the fist-raising in case they forget when to do it. They also played the UM Alma Mater song, to which no one knows the words, least of all alumni. (Fun fact: The UM Alma Mater has a part where you raise your fist and sing, not yell, “Hail.” It's true. They're not a very creative bunch.)
Crisler’s Renovations and Concessions
Crisler Arena underwent some renovations recently, which expanded the concourses, added a new main entrance with escalators and a waterfall, and new bathrooms with waterless urinals and those jet engine hand dryers you stick your hands in. We’ve been enjoying those hand dryers at Chicago’s Museum of Science and Industry for years, and that enjoyment has finally come to Ann Arbor.
The Cracker Jack from the food stand was pretty good as was the popcorn. It’s not saying much to compliment the Cracker Jack, since it wasn’t made onsite, but the student gave me the correct change, so there’s that.
The waterfall in the new entry has a large maize “M” at the top, and water runs down the wall, and is, presumably, pumped back up to the top so it can fall again. Michigan fans are programmed from birth to take pictures of one another wherever a giant “M” is found, and the Waterfall “M” was no exception. Visitor after visitor told their children, friends, parents, ex-wives, pet monkeys, and complete strangers to “go stand in front of the M so I can get a picture!” and they all did.
The rest of the place looked really nice. My only real complaint about it was the cold air that blew on me the entire time I was there. If I wanted to sit in a chair in the middle of December with cold air blowing on me, I would go to work and sit at my desk.
You knew this picture was coming
Other Goings-On at the Concert
A few hundred high-school band members joined the UM band on some songs. They came from all over Michigan, with all their colorful uniforms, to stay at UM’s campus, learn some new music, and play with the band at Crisler for approximately 4 minutes.
After the band ended the first part of the concert with a twelve-minute tribute to the horse who played “Mr. Ed”, there was an intermission, during which several other groups, and band sub-groups, performed.
One of the groups was the Michigan Dance Team, who nominally lived up to their name by wearing “M” shirts and dancing. It was hard for them to dance with people continually walking onto the floor, telling their children to “stand in front of the M so I can get a picture!” but they did a good job. The Dance Team is certainly an attractive bunch, but they are not very professional - instead of bowing during the applause following their routine, they waved. I wasn’t sure if I was supposed to keep clapping or wave back. What’s the etiquette? (Fun fact: There is a dance team at MSU called “MSU Motion”, which I tried out for as a sophomore. I didn’t get in, and my gender discrimination suit was thrown out by the judge.)
The drum line from the band played, which was pretty good, and all the flags (Color Guard) from both the UM band and the high schools did a routine together, which was possibly the best part of the whole show. They really can swing those flags around.
In Summary
Was it worth it? Sure, I guess so. After we took the kids’ pictures in front of all the Ms we could find (including both Ms in "Men's Room"), we called it a day and drove home. It only took a few hours for the trombone ringing in my ears to quiet down enough to hear others speak, so I’ll be ready to see and hear the Lions-Packers game tonight. I hope they’ll have a band at halftime.
Happy Thanksgiving!
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I hope everyone has a chance to see family and friends this weekend. I'm looking forward to seeing the many people I only see once or twice a year.
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We just had our piano tuned, and it was worth it to take a picture of the insides. What a feat of engineering. When you look at it, though, you have to wonder if there isn't an easier way to do it.
It doesn't matter though - it's beautiful.
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From last week - a 5:45 am picture of the moon. I'm surprised the picture came out at all, I gave it a low probability.
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The Science Fair is over for this year. It's my favorite event of the year, and it gives me hope that the next generation is going to be smart enough to keep the world working and the earth spinning.
Some of these kids are smarter than I am.
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Happy Thanksgiving!
Elevator Circuit using Arduino
This is a diagram of the elevator circuit. So far, it's not working, but I am trying to find some help online to see what I can do to solve the problem.
Happy Halloween!
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Pumpkins! From left to right: Tigers old English "D" by D, U of M helmet by M, Tigers script by J, and a slightly different Tigers "D" by K.
M nerds the night away in a strangely familiar costume.
K is a stick figure - the white tape glows in the dark.
Pumpkins! From left to right: Tigers old English "D" by D, U of M helmet by M, Tigers script by J, and a slightly different Tigers "D" by K.
M nerds the night away in a strangely familiar costume.
K is a stick figure - the white tape glows in the dark.
Drawin' Stuff
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I'm taking a "Learn How to Draw" class at the high school. The instructor is the art teacher at the school, and we're working in her room. The steps we're taking to learn to draw are the same steps the high-schoolers take. I started a few weeks ago, and already I'm getting better. Here are a few of my projects:
On the small piece of paper is a copy of a drawing of Igor Stravinsky, done by Pablo Picasso. We were told to "enlarge" it onto the big piece of paper. But - we had to draw it upside down. Here is my version, right side up. I did pretty well, until I got to the hands, and then all heck broke loose.
Our first exercises in the class were to draw our own hands. This, according to the teacher, is a very hard thing to do. She claims that if you can draw an outline of your own hand, you can pretty much draw anything. (We'll see!) The top drawing of the three hand poses was our final project for the first class, and before that I had drawn three hand poses on another piece of paper as practice. Since the hands are recognizable as such, I consider that a victory.
Below the hands, you can see part of a larger project where we have 16 rectangles in which we are supposed to draw items starting with the letter A, B, C, and so on. On the shelves in the room was a broken violin, and I picked it up and put it back a few times before I got up the nerve to try to draw it as my "I" picture (I is for Instrument.) It didn't look very good to me, but then I stood up from the table and saw it from a distance, and it started to look better.
I have several more classes to go, and I'm looking forward to them.
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Gratuitous cat picture
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I'm taking a "Learn How to Draw" class at the high school. The instructor is the art teacher at the school, and we're working in her room. The steps we're taking to learn to draw are the same steps the high-schoolers take. I started a few weeks ago, and already I'm getting better. Here are a few of my projects:
On the small piece of paper is a copy of a drawing of Igor Stravinsky, done by Pablo Picasso. We were told to "enlarge" it onto the big piece of paper. But - we had to draw it upside down. Here is my version, right side up. I did pretty well, until I got to the hands, and then all heck broke loose.
Our first exercises in the class were to draw our own hands. This, according to the teacher, is a very hard thing to do. She claims that if you can draw an outline of your own hand, you can pretty much draw anything. (We'll see!) The top drawing of the three hand poses was our final project for the first class, and before that I had drawn three hand poses on another piece of paper as practice. Since the hands are recognizable as such, I consider that a victory.
Below the hands, you can see part of a larger project where we have 16 rectangles in which we are supposed to draw items starting with the letter A, B, C, and so on. On the shelves in the room was a broken violin, and I picked it up and put it back a few times before I got up the nerve to try to draw it as my "I" picture (I is for Instrument.) It didn't look very good to me, but then I stood up from the table and saw it from a distance, and it started to look better.
I have several more classes to go, and I'm looking forward to them.
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Gratuitous cat picture
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Enough Blood to Fill a Ten-Gallon Hat
K on the first day of school with some of his friends (who shall remain anonymous). Notice anything new or different about him?
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There Will Be Ten Gallons of Blood
Today, at a blood drive sponsored by my employer, I donated my 80th pint of blood. A little math shows that equals ten gallons. No wonder the vein in my left arm complains so much when they stick the needle into it.
They didn't have a little "10" pin to give me, though. I might have to go looking on eBay for one, because what's the point of giving ten gallons of blood, one pint at a time, over 20 years or so, if you don't get a pin? There isn't any other good reason that I can think of.
Miscellaneous Related Sentences
K is off to a good start with soccer: he's scored one goal each in his first two games.
M spent three days and two nights with his fellow seventh-graders at Howell Nature Center. I stayed overnight one night with a roomful of boys (including M) as a chaperone, and my conclusion from that is: one night is enough.
The elevator project is pretty close to being done. I have the four buttons ready to go, all I have to do is finish the code to handle them and operate the motor properly. It won't be hard, I just have to sit down and do it.
The two new cats have settled into their new home and are perfecting their daily routine of sleep, eat, ignore the humans, sleep, eat, ignore the humans, and so on. Meanwhile, I go to work to earn money for their food and clean their litter boxes.
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I hope everyone is enjoying the cooler weather after the hot summer. I know I am. I went out running this morning at 5:30 and the cool air felt great. I was a bit of a slug all summer because I didn't want to run in the heat, so now I have to make up for lost time.
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