John M Knight's Fort Knight Dispatch

The Clown Prince of Crime

noreply@blogger.com (John Knight) — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 01:58:00 +0000

Two Hours until the "Dark Knight". Looks like the Joker's ready...

UPDATE: July 18: The movie was awesome. Intense. Thought provoking. True to the source material. Wow.

New Blog! Guess what it's about? Fridges!

noreply@blogger.com (John Knight) — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 13:45:00 +0000

Well, I started blogging for Whirlpool today.
http://partyfridge.blogspot.com/

I got permission to talk about the wonderful and unique world of party fridges.
We're not just talking kegerators here people, we're talking about every beer launching, keg cooling, DVD playing fridge that's out there!

You made a time machine out of a?

noreply@blogger.com (John Knight) — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 04:08:00 +0000

I didn't make a time machine out of a Delorean. I did make a desk out of refrigerator parts though!
Below is a picture of my new lightweight and much smaller desk. The legs and keyboard tray are from a close out desk from Staples. The desktop and the rear panel are stainless steel fridge door panels that I salvaged from the scrap heap at work.
I have a few modifications to make to it, including a cable management system as well as some form of task lighting. Stay tuned.

noreply@blogger.com (John Knight) — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 03:59:00 +0000

Thomas had his last day of grade school a week ago.
I just upload this picture and thought I'd share what was a big day for me.. I mean Thomas.
I waxed on philosophically the day before.. but on this morning, it was all about Thomas.
He was calm, cool and of course, didn't really want his picture taken.
Thomas is off to Junior High this Fall. Congratulations Thomas!

Stay Tuned!

noreply@blogger.com (John Knight) — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 01:10:00 +0000

New work related news... A little blurb is all that will come out. Something next week I hope. Always follow your dreams.

Legoish Furniture

noreply@blogger.com (John Knight) — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 00:59:00 +0000

LunaBlocks: Build Your Own Lego Furniture

While I may have a fondness for certain ABS building blocks from Denmark, I have no intention of purchasing these Land Of The Giants style home furnishing.
Instead, Thomas and I are waiting for Santa to bring them to us for Christmas.
If only they had the parts to build this or this.

Multitouch Table, Mark I

noreply@blogger.com (John Knight) — Wed, 14 May 2008 04:29:00 +0000

I'm not even going to post a picture of my first multitouch table.
As proud as I am of my duct tape skillz... this one is strictly for my eyes only.
I'm using Seth Sandler's tutorial and the MultitouchLib for the table. The latest HELP docs.. really did help.. just had to dig to find the right one.. and VOILA! Surface with string and masking tape and a tv tray (not kidding folks). Now.. what I haven't mentioned before is my infatuation with Johnny Lee's Wiimote hacks that I've been using/playing around with for the past month. The Whiteboard App is awesome and I'm working on getting the multitouch grid working.. problems with my Bluetooth stack it seems.. oh well..

My plan is to go the route of Johnny Lee and Microsoft and use IR. For my application, I don't want to project from below the surface, I want to track what's on the surface. A more difficult challenge given the tools and technology I'm limiting myself to... well that's what makes it fun and frustrating!

Stay tuned. When I have something that won't frighten the children and small domesticated pets.. I'll post here.

Blossom Time Again

noreply@blogger.com (John Knight) — Mon, 05 May 2008 15:32:00 +0000

Thomas and I enjoyed a behind the scenes look at our local Blossom Time Festival Parade.
One question for all you out there... what do you call a grouping of St. Benards? A mob? An Army? A Herd?

Michigan's Astronaut, Jack Lousma

noreply@blogger.com (John Knight) — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 11:35:00 +0000

I took Thomas to the AirZoo in Kalamazoo on Saturday. One of our regular haunts, we were pleasantly surprised to discover that Astronaut Jack Lousma would be speaking at the Airzoo. Mr. Lousma spoke for almost an hour on his experience as an Astronaut and how it affect him spiritually. It was the second time Thomas and I had heard Mr. Lousma speak, the first time being a year ago at Kennedy Space Center. Mr. Lousma, as always, was gracious and allowed audience members to have pictures taken and sign autographs. Mr. Lousma's experience is vast and not only as one of Apollo astronauts (later assigned to the 3rd Skylab mission) but also was the commander of the third space shuttle mission. When Apollo 13's commander, Jim Lovell, said, "Houston, we have a problem", it was Jacl Lousma who was Houston, aka CapCom, the solitary voice that the astronauts communicated to NASA through.

Manhattan at Night

noreply@blogger.com (John Knight) — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 11:23:00 +0000

Flying back from Italy on Friday/Saturday, I snapped this photo of New York's West-Side. Given the fact that a one hour layerover turned into a six hour ordeal, I happy I had enough sense to make the best of the situation and take a few night shots as we flew back to the Midwest. Lemonade from lemons...

Full Moon Over Michigan

noreply@blogger.com (John Knight) — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 11:21:00 +0000

One of the joys of my new camera (a Nikon D60) is it's ability for astrophotography. Using the old, take a picture through a telescope by hand method, I was able to take this unfiltered picture of the moon (1/100 sec exposure). I, of course, am unable to manually compensate for sidieral motion (the motion of the stars caused by Earth's rotation), therefore I must buy a motorised tracking telescope mount eventually. I can do 30 second exposures which will allow a lot more light to show but tale-tale streaks, caused by Earth's rotation, show up instead of pinpoints of light.

When in Milan...

noreply@blogger.com (John Knight) — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 05:20:00 +0000

Through work, I find myself in Italy this week. To the surprise of many friends and collegues, it is my first trip to Europe. The work has kept me more then busy, but due to the local and planning of my coworkers based here, I have been able to enjoy some of my favorite food, straight from the source, as it were. For those that know me (even a little), being in Italy should be like being one step close to Heaven, which is seems to be. Hopefully, in a few future posts, I'll include some more details to my adventures abroad but for now, work, sleep deprevation, and limited access to the Internet will hinder me.

noreply@blogger.com (John Knight) — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 02:41:00 +0000

Chienne
(1992-2008)

Yes, there really is a Santa Claus...

noreply@blogger.com (John Knight) — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 14:45:00 +0000

Growing up there were many toys I imagined and hoped would be created (and then delivered some Christmas morning). None of these were were produced or, if they were lived up to my imagination. In the back of comic books there were ads for mythical toys that in reality never really measured up to the glamourous slick ads I spent hours staring at.. dreaming..
Now one of these toys has been produced by the beloved Nerf brand.
Behold, the Nerf Vulcan EBF-25.
Dreams turned reality.
Thank you Nerf.
Also, add in one Mindstorms kit, Dremel, paint...
...and...

N-STRIKE VULCAN EBF-25 (Ages 6 years & up/Approximate Retail Price:
$39.99/Available: Fall 2008)
The top-of-the-line blaster for mission
supremacy, the NERF N-STRIKE VULCAN EBF-25 blaster is a 25-dart belt-fed fully
automatic blaster that will intimidate any opponent. This impressive blaster
comes complete with a fold-up tripod to steady your aim, 25 sonic micro darts
that whistle through the air when launched and a 25-dart belt. The NERF N-STRIKE
VULCAN EBF-25 blaster features the Tactical Rail System allowing players to
customize their blaster for each mission - for example, players can use the
green 'night vision' Tactical Light accessory (sold separately) for nighttime
missions. Six "D" batteries are required but not included.

There's a good reason I wear my hat.

noreply@blogger.com (John Knight) — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 18:57:00 +0000

When I was a freshman in college and going to be an archaelogist, one of my professors answered a question that has been asked time and time again to men and women in his profession; "why do archaelogists, palentologists and others who dig in the dirt looking for answers wear hats... is it to be like Indiana Jones?" My professor, who did happen to sport an all weather, crushable had that did look remarkably similar to the famous fadora worn by the famous Dr. Jones, responded with a simple answer; "No". He said he wore the hat because when you are out digging in the dirt the sun gets hot and it can rain. He said he didn't care much for a sunburned head nor a sopping wet brow. Hats he said, were invented for good reasons and people sometimes wore them for vary practicle ones. When working outside I often wear a hat for these very reasons. Felt or wool hats offer nice warmth for the 'ol noggin and age well (for the most part). I have, for over 20 years (off and on), worn various hats, primarily fedoras with the occasional good old baseball cap for good measure, covering my hair from time to time. Aside from all the practical reasons I wear hats, there is one simple additional reason I tend to wear a brown fedora.
It's not like I drive an expensive car (think Bond) or wear Superman Underoos.. not that there's anything wrong with any of those things... but I admit that as a symbol of adventure, exploration and.. well a bit of style than we seem to have lost to the past... a ,wool, brown fedora ala Dr. Jones seem to... well fit just right.

http://movies.yahoo.com/feature/indianajones.html;_ylt=AsY7qv8MSH6wl3g1GC6bw55fVXcA

PSST.

noreply@blogger.com (John Knight) — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 01:11:00 +0000

Some time last year I was speaking with a friend about the frustrations of having a job that I loved. but couldn't talk much about. Now there are many many people who work in the government or the military who have a similar dilema. Their explanations for not being able to talk sound a lot cooler or more important than mine.
Bob,"What have you been up to Colonel Smith?"
"It's classified!", replied the good Colonel.
"Oh!", said Bob.
End Of Story.
My version...
Bob, "What have you been up to John?"
"It's...stuff and work I can't talk about yet. You know.. a corporate secret?"

Just doens't have the same ring to it.

I'm not complaining, really. It's just one of those things where I would love to share more of what cool things my company is working on... but can't, at least not right now. It took a long time before I could say anything about Whirlpool's centralpark project. I had been involved very early on and had to wait (for good reason) a very long time before I could share just that simple little fact.
The work I do today is the same. Oh.. I could tell you about project "#######" and how we're "########", then I'd get fired and a lot of good work would be for nothing. No, sometimes keeping secrets is a good thing; a necessary thing. I am working on a few things at work that I am really close to being able to talk about and when I can talk about them (following all the rules and appropriate guidelines) I will just be... a little happier for it. Ok. A lot happier for it.

Have a project or product you waited a long time to be able to talk about? Share!

Merry Christmas!

noreply@blogger.com (John Knight) — Tue, 25 Dec 2007 16:31:00 +0000

Once again the homemade Christmas cards await addressing and stamps... once again the Internets come to the rescue! I'd like to wish you and yours a very merry Christmas and happy New Year!

Thomas got an early Chrismas present in the form of a broken arm. He's doing fine sporting a very Christmasy green cast.. or is that nod to Spartan armor there Master Chief? You'll have to ask Thomas.

2008 looks like it will shape up to be a very memorable year. More information in the "New Year's Post". Stay Tuned! Hint: Dean Martin did a great version of "I'm Going To Houston".

Special Note to XBOX LIVE Users & Friends:
Sorry about Live being down. We'll endure.
Also Psyk will be welcoming a few new addtions. Matt (Live name TBD) will be joing us soon with COD4 and H3 and maybe Forza JOT!

And yes.. I got everything I wanted for Christmas; time with family and friends.
Merry Christmas!

Photo by friend Reverend0. Alpha Cog and me Matches in Seattle. Alpha's demonstrating his m4d "Air"Guitar Hero III skilz.

Happy All Saints Day!

noreply@blogger.com (John Knight) — Thu, 01 Nov 2007 11:07:00 +0000

Ok.. so I missed my annual Halloween post... well here's a belated Happy Haunts, Great Ghouls and Super Scares to one and all. Halloween pic and video are forth coming.

Needless to say, Thomas and I had a good time harvesting candy from the fine folks of Saint Joseph. Thomas was Blackout, the Transformer and I was Indiana Jones. Thomas' costume was much more complicated, compared to mine, which was me wearing what I normally wear plus a little canvas explorers bag. Thomas' costume can only be appriciated through the video...so stay tuned.

Thirty-Six Cents

noreply@blogger.com (John Knight) — Mon, 30 Jul 2007 03:30:00 +0000

Thank you to all those who wished me well this weekend.
I spent the entire weekend with my son enjoying those things that make us
similar and enjoying the ones that sometimes strikingly remind me of the differences.
Without a doubt, this birthday and its place within my life at this particular moment has had me on a reflective streak. I make no apologies for the poem I'm included below. The others, the poems I wrote when I was 15.. those I apologized for a long time ago.

Thirty Six Cents, a poem.

Some years go by like the many grains of sand,
pouring silently, unnoticed, countless
into my out stretched hand.

Others have been crushed under my feet like
so many dried and wind blow leaves
strewn across my path, unobserved except for their
sometimes haunting and echoing crunch.
A few caught on the wet Autumn grass left to rot,
some caught on the wind and lifted into the smoke filled night sky.

Others are like long and slow expanding ripples,
expanding outward from central yet unseen event just out of my periphery,
in the center of some once quiet and still lake.
I watch them and measure their pace, slow but steady,
to the somehow less distant shore.

Sometimes the years of my youth seems to have been like so many coins,
collected and somehow never spent; cherished and pocketed,
each ones face and mint marks long studied
their exact denominations and grand total, thirty-six cents;
committed to memory, their ridged edges smoothed with wear and age.
Once kept as youthful treasure only to be rediscovered;
their priceless quality realized, their long forgotten faces now remembered.

And this year, like few others before it,
few kept in quiet solitude,
partly in reflection, some in restless growth.
Time spent listening to the wind and watching
each bit of sand fall through my fingers.
Watching where I stepped and on which path I strode on,
not letting the smoke obscure my way.
Measuring the ripples on the water
-- appreciating their beautiful and orchestrated symmetry.
Counting my treasures and spending them like my days,
with generosity and gratitude.
Remembering the old faces, the mint marks, the places
and the dreams of my youth I have held fast to.

Road Trip for the Fouth

noreply@blogger.com (John Knight) — Thu, 28 Jun 2007 12:50:00 +0000

I'll be heading back to the land of my People... Kentucky.. for the fourth... follow Thomas' and my travels here.... LIVE!!... sort of..

Memorial Day, a little late...

noreply@blogger.com (John Knight) — Fri, 01 Jun 2007 20:20:00 +0000

I meant to post this on Memorial Day but as we're fast approaching the D-Day anniversary... this is fitting as well. A few months ago my son Thomas created a movie for a school assignment. He read a book that chronicled the wartime service of a fictional WWII soldier. Thomas then chose to create a video that would both demonstrate things learned from the book and from other sources he sought out after reading it. Now, before I get a lot of comments about how much I did or did not help, let me spell this out... All the creative work, script, titles, was ALL THOMAS. I did act as as technical adviser and when Thomas didn't know how to achieve a certain effect, I would show him how. My hands were on the keyboard and mouse only when we were doing the sound reloops and final sound editing. Let me explain a little further.... Thomas' vision exceeded his bedtime. He had chosen some very cool ideas at the last, including the final dedication of the film. I thought they were important enough to allow him to put it in. I ended up placing and cleaning up the voice over. I also encoded the final movie sequence as doing all this put me past my bedtime. As a good parent, I was sure to make this clear to the teacher as well with the final DVD that went to school. I wanted Thomas to get credit for the work he did which I think speaks for itself. I'm not going to gush on him as if he's a future Spielberg but I think the whole project shows not only did he have a vision but also learned a lot about WWII, and just a little about movie making. In the research phase, Thomas ended up reading several other books on WWII and a few movies that I hand edited for his watching (ie hand-over-eyes) including Saving Private Ryan, Band Of Brothers and the Great Escape and many old news reels. Ok.. the Great Escape was more for me than him! ;)

During the production it was noted by Thomas that he needed his own production company and of course, logo; hence, Future Productions was born. The "parent" company Fort-Knight productions is noted as well and look for yours truly in a cameo as the yelling Airborne Captain.

Enjoy.

Here's the movie.

Lamborghini Coffee Maker

noreply@blogger.com (John Knight) — Fri, 11 May 2007 17:47:00 +0000

Ok. It's not a KitchenAid. That aside, this is a very cool looking coffee maker.

I've ridden in a Diablo and while cool, very not me.
This however is more me...
http://www.appliancist.com/coffee_makers/tonino-lamborghini-coffee-machine.html

Aloha Nationals

noreply@blogger.com (John Knight) — Sun, 06 May 2007 02:57:00 +0000

Lakeshore BotBall Team Takes Home First Place in Midwest Regionals

First Place in Documentation
First Place in Double-Elimination Competition
Third Place in Seed Round
First Place OVERALL for Midwest Region!!!!!!

Lakeshore Highschool's Botball team brought home hardware! In an incredible day of robotic competition, the team that my company has sponsored for the past seven years has surpassed our wildest dreams and come home with THREE first place awards! An incredible team effort, with late night build and code sessions has produced a solid team and a couple of very special bots; Bert and Ernie.
By participating in today's event, they qualified for finals to be held in Hawaii this July. However, because they came in first, overall, the team has won an award to aid part of the team in travel expenses in going to the Nationals! Aloha Lakeshore!
A former Whirlpoolee, Aaron Dykstra and current coworker Jason Clemons invited me into this exciting world of robots and Lego. Jason, who mentored the team along side me, celebrated his seventh year of helping the sophomore of Lakeshore's Science and Math Academy compete.
Both Jason and I, along with their teacher John Woodard, are very proud of the team.
I'm proud of them, not for the trophies, but for the wonderful strides and leaps they made during the past few weeks, days and even hours as students. Good job, one and all!
[photo's to follow]

Brilliant!

noreply@blogger.com (John Knight) — Thu, 22 Mar 2007 03:29:00 +0000

I met the Guinness Guy at Fiddler's Hearth on St. Patty's Day! Thomas and I enjoyed some Irish fair, live music and dance. Much fun was had by all.

Two more things off the list...

noreply@blogger.com (John Knight) — Thu, 22 Mar 2007 03:10:00 +0000

I've been able to scratch two more things off the old "Thing's I'm going to do before I die list..."

In order, they are:

1) Write a Screenplay (done, albeit for a short film)

2) Paint a real painting on canvas with paints and stuff...(acrylic in this case).

I intend to shoot the film this Spring and so no need to post the screenplay :) The painting was just for me. It was done on medium 4'x3' canvas. Yeh, it's Mars and a spaceship.. what did you think I'd paint? A bowl of fruit? And yes the Martian geological and weather features are accurate.