A few fun pics and work update

Howdy.

Last weekend I had some visitors since Leanne's b-day party happened in S.F.  On account of that, Garrett stayed with me here at my place while they stayed in a hotel in the city.  Now, seeing as I now have a shiny new camera, I had to "test out" some new features and when better than when my little bro is in bed??!  :P

First, I'll give you glimpse of the tired crew that came to my pad soooo late... (past Scott's bed time)

When all the ladies left, Garrett and I talked for a bit (between the pounding of our noisy neighbors....  we weren't being loud, but the apartment has relatively thin walls).  The we slept, and the next morning, wonder of wonders, I was up and moving before little bro.  Now, I'm warning you, these are very rare pictures of a sleeping Garrett in the wild, so don't just go giving these out to anyone... :)

Much to my surprise, Garrett had been coated with a shiny new coat of paint during the night.  The bandits who did this didn't do a real good job though (see how they just shot him from the top?)

At first the little dog was a little scared to be in a photo shoot so early.  Here you can see his inner feeling amplified by my new camera.  Everyone is "yella" sometimes...

That shade of fear quickly evolved into a darker shade of emotion: embarrasement.  I told him that he should not be so embarrassed and pretend I'm not here.  So he went about the normal morning task of eating yogurt in bed.  Between you and me... I think he was still a little embarrassed... the camera doesn't lie.

Finally, after much persuasion and practice, he shed his fears and embarrassment to be the Garrett i know: the Garrett who is larger than life and whos lively color outshines the surroundings he's placed in.....   I don't know what to say about that expression though.  Quite frankly, it's a little disturbing, but gotta love the bro!

So that's it for the wacky morning pics, but I thought I would share kind of an interesting pic from work.  I have been "hunting" for the right model of the phenomenon happening in the dynamic system that I am modeling.  Late this week, I saw my first glimpse of that model in kind of a neat way.  This pic below is a rendering of a possible surface that represents the hysteresis (or "lagging behind") of my system compared to the input.  Kind of neat looking surface I thought.  Who knew I'd be constructing landscapes while I was here?!?!

This is kind of neat thing.. .to visualize something that you've only seen in your mind's eye and on academic papers....    I wont go into detail regarding what everything represents, 'cause that would probably be a little boring, but for those of you who have read some of the things I've written, the "left-to-right" dimension is "alpha", the "front-to-back" dimension is "beta", thus the triangular section of beta vs. alpha is the Preisach plane.  The height of the surface represents the gain of a particular hysteron in the plane.

Okie-dokie, I guess that's just about enough math stuff.  Thanks for taking the time to read my blog and catch up on what's happening in my life.  ;)

Laterz->Gav

New Camera!!! Hoo-rah!

What a lovely Friday this is!  Well, in order to motivate myself to blog a bit more often, I decided that I need a better tool for describing my life...  a shiny new camera!  For those of you who are curious about the specs, it is a canon SD3500 "point and shoot" type of camera (14MP, 5x optical zoom, IS, 720P movie mode).

I am very impressed with this little camera.  Sure, it isn't near as fast as my Rebel, but I can't fit the rebel in my pocket either!  :)  on top of that, this camera has a very cool feature: the back of the thing has no buttons... only a 3.5" touchscreen!  wow... i was gambling with this one to see if i'd like it.  So far, I'm very impressed.  I had assumed that the low light performance would be marginal, but as you'll see from these first shots, it doesn't do too badly at all (our whole house is low light 'cause we're too cheap to buy more lights).  This is a typical evening in our newly-chair-populated living room.  Cousin Scott is relaxing in one of the all-American lounge chairs. 

And here is our kitchen.  This shot is looking the other way in the house.  See?  we now have a table!  What a huge difference that makes!  My room is down at the end of the hall...  Scott's room is halfway down the hall, then up the stairs on the left.

So, if you go all the way down the hall and poke your head into my room, this is what you'll find.  Lot's of whiteboards and lots of books!  The window actually looks out on a rather nice scene, but since it is now dark, you really can't appreciate it in a picture tonight.

Finally, we have a great shot at the spaniard himself, Scott-E.  The man is getting ready to go to bed.  We were going to go to the movies tonight, but I flaked out.  This week has been crazy busy.

So I guess that's it for the pics.  I shot a funny video with Scott too, but I don't have a quick way to get that onto the blog right now since it's in HiDef.  As far as other updates go, I'm officially registered for graduation (Thank you Mom!!!)  and my grad clearance form should now pass muster as I added a one-unit course to fulfill the 30 units necessary for graduation...  I'm gonna work on a DSP algorithm to do object tracking, which should be a lot of fun.  Maybe I can post some of the cool tracking footage on here so you guys can get a glimpse of "the light."  And, just in case there was any doubt, when I say "the light" I mean the fun business of DSP and digitial signal analysis...  gotta luv 'em! :P

Ok.  Well I think we're back up to speed.  Oh, btw, my thesis is going well and I now have 8 weeks to turn it in.  It should be noted at this point that I have 0 pages written.  Time to start crankin' i think!  Take care.  Gavin out.

***** Late Breaking Update  ******

I did find a quick way to get the video up here... the built in windows video editor... and now without further ado, I give you scottE!!  

-----

okay, well that ended up being a dud.  for some reason the upload video button has disappeared from my little WYSIWYG toolbar here in the editor.  what a bummer.  I'm sure I'll figure it out later.  Have a good night, peeps.  --Gav

Southbay state of the union

Howdy y'all.  I think my blog is the only place that I have a twang and a southern drawl, but I'm reachin' for country when I'm living in the city!  I promised a few weeks ago to post some pictures of the new place, and I would like to say that I've made progress toward that, but alas I have not.  My phone (which doesn't take particularly good pictures anyway) is not working quite right, so I am without device here in silicon valley.  The ironies never end, do they.

I suppose on the bright side, if I were to post pictures, you would just be looking at bare walls, sparse living room, and a generally spartan, bachelor existence anyhow.  But all that is about to change (queue the mysterious music for dramatic foreshadowing).  I am in the processing of reinventing Gavin.  This old dog is gonna learn some new tricks, and break some old habits in the process.

For example, those of you that know me pretty well, know that I was a huge proponent of mac'n'cheese in my former bachelor ways...  but not anymore.  I BOUGHT LETTUCE.  Why is lettuce so important you ask?  Because lettuce symbolizes the type of food that you buy at the store that really only works with moderately healthy to very healthy meals.  Lettuce is something that is very perishable, which means I'm not just planning to eat it, I'm planning to eat it soon (no, I haven't eaten it yet, but I would have had it with my sandwich on Sunday had it been in my posession).  So, in summary there, I've have taken the lettuce step.  I big step for Gavin-kind.

I am seriously considering buying a slick little point-and-shoot camera to capture some of the fun things goin on around here.  I wish I would have had it earlier tonight: Scott and i took a little drive down Washington st. to a basketball court there.  We shot around and played horse, it was fun.  (I won, muwahahahahah).  But it was cool of him to let me play coach a little bit and help him with his shooting form.  Once a coach, always a coach I guess.  I was actually very impressed with the court: it has really good lighting, not bad backboards and rims for a playgound-style court, and the court is nicely surfaced/leveled for playing.  It's not half-bad!  :P

In my workplace, I've been trying to finish a security/background check set of paperwork.  What a pain that is.  I think i finally finished everything today.  Those things scare me, when the have plastered reminders all over the forms how they can sue you for $10k or send you to prison for 5 years if you get something wrong.  I did my best, hopefully I don't have to go to prison...  In some ways it's kinda fun: I had to call up a lot of the people I used to work with/for.  It's kinda cool to hear how they're doing, I was glad to hear that one place in particular was happy with a database i setup for them 8 years ago or so.  Cool peeps.

On the workout front, I got myself in gear and got a membership to Gold's Gym.  It's very inexpensive here (like $15/mo) and the facilities are pretty good.  I'm trying to go early in the morning, so that helps me go to bed earlier too.  Wow, it's already 10:50pm... I gotta get there at 6am...  I'm gonna "do the math" in my head here and say that I should probably stop writing and get some sleep.

I hope that all of my loyal readership are doing well (wow -> that sounds so impersonal, eh?)  I mean the people that care about me enough to read my text-only blog about my adventures here.  I love you guys.  But all good things must come to an end (I don't really know why there), so I'll keep my date with mr sandman.  He keeps wanting to go steady, I keep telling him that I have to get up...  our relationship is a work-in-progress.  Oh yeah!  really quick!  I don't know if I've mentioned this here or not (i think not).  I was talking to Scott and he asked me if I was a night owl (since it does seem to be my tendency to go to bed late and it does not seem to be my tendency to wake up early when I don't have to)...  I told him that it's not that I'm a night owl, I like the morning and the evening, it's just that I am transition challenged!  Think about it!!  I think that may be the difference between "night owls" and "early birds", the early people have less inertia to transition to the new state while the late people always lag behind and it takes time for them to transition into the new state.  (yeah, I'm gonna publish this theory in my thesis for sure).

Well, without further ado, I bid you all good night!  Gavin is leaving this waking world, in favor of it's nocturnal reflection...

Back at NASA! --> Round two. Fight!

Howdy there!  Well, I'm back in Mountain View, CA at NASA/Ames center working on finishing my thesis.  Hopefully it will be a quality piece of work.  I am signed up through May, but the lease on my apartment goes through the middle of July... after that, I don't know quite where I'll be.

So, what do you say?  Am I now the city slicker?  I don't think of myself that way, but in the last few days I've been pondering what that means...  there is something to be said for having all kinds of consumer items at your fingertips!  Then again, at the moment it seems like people are stacked in here so tight they may not be able to enjoy the "perks". 

I had really hoped to post some pictures of my first few days in Mountain View, so without further ado...

here is a great shot of the Best Western that housed me for the first two nights.  very exciting. (!)

And next we have the super comfy, Comfort Inn.  This is where I'll be staying for the next 2 days.  (!?)

Now, you might be thinking to yourself, "Gavin, why are you such a complainer?!"  "But wait," I interject, "there's more!"  As it turns out, I cannot charge my phone because of a mixup with the adapters I brought.  I have been trying to buy a new one for the last two days, and as yet have been unsuccessful.  But today was close, I came only 5 minutes after VZW closed.  (!)

Firstly, you might think I'm whining right now.  But no, I am relating the simple frustrations of a few days in the city.  My first day at work went really well (actually, one might not have known I was gone, my desk was just like I left it) and it felt like routine before I even got to my office.  I don't know if that is a good thing or not, but that is what it is.  Dad, you will be happy to know that I wore that ENE hoody today, and got several comments on it...  (they were positive)  ;)

My apartment will be ready to go in a few days, so I really can't complain too much, and I am blessed to have found a great place.  The rent is higher than Chico, but it's not bad for Mountain View.  I'll post some pics of the new place when I get over there on Wednesday.  In the meantime, know that I am well, tired, pondering and inconsolable.  (Smiling most of the time, but I miss my family)... Hey Garrett, is this what Hawaii felt like?

Missing all you guys...  =)  Any ideas for what I ought to do this weekend?  Maybe sleep would be good, but how can you sleep on the weekends?!?!?!?!  No, we must party!  (okay, at least go have some fun).

-City Slicker out

sickness, thoughts, classes

Howdy there.

Well, to cut to the chase, I am now sick with bronchitis. That is a bummer. On the upshot, it does give me a lot of time to think, which is unussual these days. So how can I update you on my current status? My room is now surrounding my bed, (about 20" on all sides) now that I've gotten all the electronics/computers from NASA to continue my thesis research, my laptop has no more (storage) room, so I'm considering re-formatting and starting over (Windows 7, hopefully), and my schedule goes from booked to rediculous. All in all, I think I'm doing well. I just need to keep my head up for about 4 more weeks to get through.

Every semester, I am struck by the psychology of classwork and finishing projects. Every semester I am very excited to sign up for x number of new classes (cool class names a must) and always arrive the first day with eager anticipation of what I will learn and be able to do when I finish. Then, about 1/3 of the way though, I get distracted by something that get's me a little behind or off track. at about 2/3 to 3/4 I become very aware of this and buckle down again, and by the end I keep my grades up (hopefully). Every semester this pattern shows itself, but to varying degrees of distraction and recourse. Thankfully, I seem to be getting better at it (distracted less, recourse more), but the pattern is still there. Very strange.

I guess I could tell you about some of the cool things I'm learning in class these days... c'mon, I know you're wondering! ;) Very well, I shall tell you then. In my electro-mechanical conversion class, I've been learning about electric motors... we've finished synchronous AC machines and DC machines, and now we're working on Induction machines... very cool stuff. Did you know that an induction motor first induces the current flowing in the rotor (the inside, turning part) and then provides the magnetic field that interacts with that current to produce a torque? The coolest part is, the magnetic field that induces the current is the very same one that the current interacts with to produce the torque! outstanding!

In my High Frequency Design Techniques class, we have been learning about clock distribution on (of course) high frequency designs... clock signals are the on and off signals that all of the other chips need to see to know when to process and when to stop, kinda like the drummer guy on the row ships, so that everyone stays synchronized. Anyway, when you try to distribute this signal at very high frequencies, the time it takes the signal to get to it's destination can be quite varied, because the speed of light is finite. think about it like if you wanted 5 cities to shoot fireworks at the same time, but you had to send out runners to tell them when to go and they would shoot the fireworks just when the runner arrived. Now make the cities various distances apart... if you had to arrange the "drop off" schedule for those runners so they arrived at almost exactly the same time, you now know the challange of clock distribution... ;) yay!

In my chaotic dynamics class, we have been learning about bifurcation. bifurcation is how a system changes its characteristics qualitatively when parameters in the system pass certain points. my prof had a good example: if a class is composed of one student, he could teach that student in his office. more than a few students would force him to teach the class in a classroom. if the class grew beyond 30 or so, he would have to find a lecture hall, if the class grew beyond 400 or so, he might have to record the lectures or broadcast them live... see how the class changes at certain points because of the number of students (28 to 29 was the same, but 30 to 31 changed dramatically in a qualitative sense)... this is leading up to why mathematical catastrophes happen and some other cool things (like hysteresis and chaos). Needless to say, I'm enjoying myself there. Below is an animation of a vector field undergoing bifurcation (Hopf).

My networking class is okay, but not very exciting. it is nice to see how the internet operates and what is happening "under the covers" but to be honest, it is a bit boring.

Lastly, I have an electromagnetic compatibility course which is all about design devices to "play nice" with each other. That is, the electric fields and magnetic fields they produce should be regulated and contained. Otherwise, wierd things can happen... for example, did you know that in an industrial setting, where many high power electric motors are operating, there may be cases where the motors are actually inducing high currents in the steel beam structures of the building because their magnetic fields are "reaching out" and pulling/pushing the currents back and forth? interesting, huh? in the same way, electronic devices can affect other electronic devices by inducing current that are unintended and making those devices fail to work... wouldn't that stink if the brand new playstation 3 you got caused the new 65" LED TV to stop working because they were electromagnetically incompatible? ;) exactly. so that is a very challenging class, and I definitely see the challenge there.

Okay, well thanks for reading this far. If you're not bored yet, maybe you should get into elec/computer engineering! fun stuff dude! I think I should probably stop here, but thanks for listening. Until next time gadget...

On why the world is flat

Hello there, noble patrons!

How do I know you're noble? 'cause you are reading this blog, of course! ;) Actually, I am interested to know who reads this thing... I hope everyone feels free to leave a comment -> free of charge! "Talk to me goose..."

Why is the world flat, you ask? I answer: because that is the only way I can wrap my head around it. Think about it, if the world were round, then we'd have people in far off distant lands that are standing at 90 degrees and even 180 degrees oriented to us! That's crazy talk! I think a more logical explanation is that we are live on a nice flat plane that allows us to teleport to different regions directly depending on which edge of the map we happen to be... of course, then we'd have to believe in teleporting, but then that seems easier to swallow then this round world nonsense anyway...

Okay, enough of that. I am doing well these days and really trying to stay alive and finish my classwork. I was very happy to recieve my first paycheck for working on my thesis, so that was really great. It's wonderful to be paid for working on fun projects! Speaking of which, I have so much to do in that arena, it's crazy. Not round world crazy, but still. Very strange to be thinking that this is the last round of classes that I can take. I think they'll kick me out if I try to come back again! :P

I hope y'all are having a great day/night/whenever you read this, cause I am very encouraged. I am encouraged for strange reasons; today when i went on my little run, I ran into a couple that was walking along the road. The girl asked if I was jogging (I was currently waiting at the light), and when I answered in the affirmative, she said that it looked like I was doing a good job (I was sweating). That in and of itself it not a very significant comment, but the idea goes a long way on its own power! ;) It made me happy! The human psyche is amazing.

Well that's all for now, sportsfans. Tune in soon for the next episode.

A poetic muse

2:08am – the muse.

Of misery and happiness, on encouragement and grief
Through mischief and adventure, when light itself grows a shadow
This is how I am.

Sadness follows the happy as rainclouds follow bright balloons
That when the laughter has subsided the cold shower can begin.
Of this flood? Think it only a bath.

Profess your ying and yang, tell me the balance is to be kept.
Light were not but for the darkness in contrast, says you.
Confused, says I.

The world in its intricacies and delicacies, it variation and pattern;
Would be a mirror to the structure that is beneath?
Yet, I speak without knowledge.

But spoke it right he, that simple is truer often;
The page with less written oft affords the clearer view.
See I this, over and over.

How to argue with him that sees true unreal but believes false reality?
His tongue is sharp, what blood his mouth contains!
He is content with his thought, without his life.

Blessing after blessing is granted, though no deserved deed.
A plan thwarted with goodness is failed though it succeed.
Rhyming wasn’t the plan.

Does the plan mean ill? Its end to darken? To who is it owned?
Yet there beauty is found, and smiles that shatter scolding.
Her eyes that pierce.

Why that I strain to miss yet aim to succeed? Can I unravel?
Constant effort to dodge paired with significant work to conquer…
Strange bedfellows all.

Finally know that conclusion dances laughing round my head,
Teasing my senses and staying near reach.
Only to be told.

*********************
by way of explanation, don't take anything too literally or figuratively. I enjoy writing about thoughts in my mind, but this is only a stream of consciousness... nothing actually fully digested. take it for what it is, a window into my mind.... ;)