Home Improvements

As a makeshift job I am doing small repair jobs around the house. It is much easier to ask for money when I have something to show for and it is probably easier for my dad to give money when he sees the door he destroyed fixed.

While I was at school, I missed a comical incident when my dad got locked in his room. Something failed on the door nob and he could not get it open. So from the second story my dad pulled up a care kit of tools selected by my sister and mom. It is likely they gave him the prettiest tools rather than the most functional ones. That is honestly how they think. They recently bought a TV simply because it was white. They had no idea what functionality it had, they just know that it matched the kitchen. So needless to say the tools where probably rust-free and matching the blood red fury in my dad's face.

My dad ended up hacking away at the door with a flat head screwdriver and needle nose pliers until the handle and bolt came out. Great. Now the door is semi functional and completely ugly. This is where I step in.

I was able to to cut out the destroyed part and replace it with some scrap wood I had in the garage. I sanded it, primered, painted it, and rigged it with a new locking handle. Mom said "It looked so great!" and Dad said "It works!".

With Mother Form and Father Function happy, I can now pridefully ask for some money.

My next project will be installing a tile floor in their bathroom. Yeah...I'm that poor right now.

Old People and Technology

My grandparents have some pretty nice technology, but sometimes they just don't know what to do with it. They have a 60 inch flat screen and a nice Blu-Ray player with iPod dock, but they just watch Larry King Live with it.

My grandpa now has an iPhone. I am not kidding when I say this, but he likes the manual more than the actual phone. Weird, because via the iPhone one can pull up the same manual online...but for whatever reason he prefers the manual. I ask him how the iPhone is going and he says

Just great! I just got to the chapter on music downloading.

To his defense he is actually learning the technology and using it, not in a very practical sense, rather as proof of concept. Not bad for an 85 year old. He is downloading music, mainly opera (Madam Butterfly and Nessun Dorma). He sends text messages sporadically to the grandkids

I bet you didn't think I could text!

He still needs to learn about how awesome the internet is from a desktop before he can realize the beauty of accessing it on a phone. He would love to read every newspaper in print, but he does not know that it can be a reality. He loves old math texts but a niche search engine, even if it is offered by Google like GoogleScholar or GoogleBooks, is just beyond his reach.

I am starting to think that we need technology that speaks ordinary language to its users. One great example of this is the Harmony One remote control. It is a smart remote, not a regular programmable multi-remote, that performs actions like "Watch TV", "Watch Movie", or "Listen to Music". Anyone who has ever networked a home stereo know what controls do what and the functions and limitations of each peice of electronic equipment. To my mom or grandparents they just scream to the closest person

I just want to watch the 10 o'clock news!

rather than learning how everything works. This remote takes care of them. Press "Watch TV" and it:

1. Turns on the TV
2. Puts it on the correct input
3. Turns on the stereo
4. Puts the stereo on the correct setting(complete with best surround sound setting...but they don't know that)
5. Customizes the remote for the specific action

I think a quick training on signal inputs and outputs would solve everybody's problems. It involves a quick flow chart of where the video and audio signal come from(CD, DVD, CABLE, DVR, etc) Then break down what devices pass the signal. And finally show how a signal is outputted via speakers and TV screen.

Its that easy.

Fishing not Catching

I went out fishing last night on Summer Salt II and the night before on the south breakwater at Seal Beach. I always have fun getting ready, picking what kind of fish to go after, which gear to bring, what bait to use, etc. I run into the tackle shop to get bait and a quick pep talk from the guy at the counter,

"...You know a buddy of mine just caught a 20lb. halibut there with the exact setup your using."

Despite friends of the tackle guy catching fish, I did not catch any. Getting skunked 2 night in a row is not fun. I got some got nibbles and some molested bait, but no fish. Fishing is fun, but it can be frustrating.

I might go out to the grunion run next week and check out all the fish making babies on the sand.
If I am really feeling down on my luck, I may just grabs hands full of grunion and yell to the heavens "I CAN CATCH FISH!"

Change of Location

This is where I will be blogging from now on. I am leaving behind the Viterbi blog and I am moving on.

Here is my final post from the Viterbi Student Blogs:

I graduated from USC about a month ago and things are great. I am super close to getting a job. I have done lots of small trips and vacations. I hiked to the top of Half Dome in Yosemite and I just got back from hanging with family in Arkansas.

I have been asked many times by parents on behalf of their high school seniors if I would go to USC all over again or go to another school. My answer is honest and is "Yes, I would do it all again."

I have developed personally in so many aspects of my life: academics, leadership, communication, relationships, and goals. I am so proud of what I have accomplished on the Aero Design Team. I have learned so much about myself and others as a Viterbi Student Ambassador and a Freshman Academy Coach. I discovered my passion for teaching science and engineering through Iridescent Learning.

I am equally proud of my friends. They have been role models to me in so many ways. They are motivated to succeed and all manage to achieve their goals in their own unique ways. We all have different traits, strengths and weakness, that allowed for some really great memories. In class, at football games, at the dorms, in computer labs at 4am, in the ADT lab, on roadtrips, on retreats, on spring break, and in other countries, I have had truly amazing moments with so many great people. I would not be the person I am today without the support and guidance of my friends at USC.

I am now moving on the next phase in my life. I will be starting my career as an engineer. I will spend time doing the things I like to do: surfing, fishing, sailing, woodworking, making planes, and cooking (no real surprises here). I look forward to constantly learning new things and meeting new people. If the past is any indication of the future, things are looking pretty good.

Look forward to more posts here at thedanorr.blogspot.com

Dan