Sore throat

No Ishercon for me. I've had a sore throat since Sunday, it's not getting either better or worse. Since I don't know what it is, I'm going to stay away from the party.

I'm pretty bummed, because I've been invited for several years now and this was to be my first time to go. And I had a number of things that I was looking forward to talking to several people about.

Next year, I hope. Have fun without me!

Machining/lightsaber porn

Step by step machining / building:
Enjoy

Eagle CAD frustration

I need to lay out the blinkie circuit board, and was trying to get the parts defined in Eagle CAD, but for some reason the parts I create won't connect in the schematic view. I lay them out with the pin tool as I see in the YouTube videos, but when I connect wires to them in the schematic view, they never actually connect - no air traces in the PCB view, and the eyeball tool doesn't show them connected.

If anyone has any brainwaves on this, please let me know. I'm probably just going to try copying an existing part and modifying it.

I hope to be doing some posts in the next week or so on ghetto PCB etching with stuff you can find around the house.

2011 resolutions

I know this is a lot, but I feel like I need it all.

• Pay off debt early in the year and be done with consumer debt forever. Never buy anything on extended credit again. Also pay my taxes.
  
• Get back on the bike as soon as the above is done, see "maintain my health" below.
  
• Have $10,000 in the bank on a permanent basis by the end of the year, with an eventual goal of $20,000
  
• Try to go someplace nice and different, even if it's not far or exotic, while keeping to the "not on credit" rule.
  
• Lay off the audiobooks and listen to some music. Sing.
  
• Retain my health, lose at least 10 pounds
  
• Get entirely off of soda. I drink 800 to 1000 calories of the crap a day, this alone may lose the weight I want to lose.
  
• Tone up some. Reincorporate cardio workouts (the bike will do) as well as weights. It won't even cost anything, work has a nice workout room with machines and weights.
  
• Be civil and friendly to everyone, regardless of whether it's reciprocated or not. Do not be either an originator or a reflector of ill will.
  
• Do not be afraid to communicate even if it's not appreciated.
  
• Remember that I'm a worthwhile person who many people actually like and even respect