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Recent News... Just for Pope Gregory... |
2003-05-22 - 4:33 p.m. Entropic When you're little, your parents pack loads of things designed to entertain you. Crackers, toys, teddy bears, blankets, books - an entire activity bag full of shiny things designed for instant gratification. Then, you grow up. You get to pick your own bag. And, for some illogical reason, we call it a briefcase and fill it with things that create stress rather than joy. I think I missed a lesson here. The moment of exhalation after our big project review is quite gone and I�m well on the way to becoming a victim of information overload. Today�s shiny things: *More complex spectral analysis of dynamics with great questioning of how the test setup skews the data compared to performance in zero gravity. *Digital databus interface drama with a passionate shout out to databus controller and backplane design philosophy *Prosaic concerns of cost and schedule *Harness and connector confusion *Isolation scheme of the propellant plumbing system, with a tangent on isopropyl alcohol unfortunate interaction with tank diaphragms producing particulate matter beyond what the flight system can filter. *How layered software architecture dovetails with automatically generated flight code. *Sensor field of views of the course of a year, which could be subtitled what happens to a star tracker when a sunlit Earth wanders through its view. *How to make a �Black Eyed Susan�, which is apparently the traditional drink for the Belmont Stakes and honors the Maryland State flower. (Yeah, I know I�m a week behind.) *A fall down funny problem report on �Verify your test equipment cable design matches the flight design before you plug anything in� which cross-referenced �How sneak electrical paths can energize and fry your spacecraft hardware� and �Damaged hardware due to insufficient quality involvement.� [Wow. Be honest, that was pathetically geeky humor, wasn�t it?] [I should probably change the subject while I�m only so far behind.] Sapphire Joust approaches and, to be totally honest, I have little enthusiasm for the prospect beyond seeing my friends. (Sorry BdeB.) Work is cool � but intense and tiring. Entirely too many things have occupied my free time lately. I could just cry for the opportunity to divide my weekend between my sewing room, my bike, and a bunch of movies. I�d like to cook myself a decent meal and enjoy a good bottle of wine. Mostly, I�d to breathe stillness rather than living in perpetual motion. Just like your parents taught you, nothing in life is free, especially energy. Entropy will get your every time. � � � |