As will come as absolutely no surprise to anyone familiar with this blog or things I've written, or me; I tend to want to veer away from standard responses or things like typical tourist stops. Well, at least I used to.
I am spending a couple of days in St Louis, watching several dozen thousand future geniuses compete at the Edward Jones Dome in the FIRST Robotics competition. Walking down to Laclede's Landing to a brew pub for dinner yielded this (apologies for the crappy pic. I was hungry. And thirsty):
It reminds me of the frst time I visited St. Louis a fair many years ago, in the company of my horrible boss, going to an AIA convention. While he was away doing some seminars or something, I decided I would walk over to the Arch on a whim. God help me, I expected it to be cheesy.
Coming over a hill, the stainless arc fairly jumps out of the ground above you, looking more impossible with every step until you get close enough to lay your hands on the chilly stainless steel. Even then, you look up and are pretty much convinced it's a hologram or a crappy SciFi Channel special effect. That photo gives a fair representation of the unreality of the structure, even if the quality of the photo wouldn't convince Orly Taitz.
And then you can go in and see the videos showing the construction of it, which is still more unreal.
And then get into one of the little capsules and go ratcheting up into the observation platform, 6 or 7 hundred feet above.
All told, it is an absolutely overwhelming achievement, and more so when you contemplate that it was done before computers, or (as the scary little soup can elevator ride demonstrates) even solid state electronics.
It was built at a time when Americans believed, no, KNEW, that they could accomplish any damn thing they put their minds to. Dam the Colorado River, go to the Moon, fuck it, we ARE JUST THAT GOOD.
And now we debate going back to a time when we couldn't take care of our elderly or our children, because rich fucks refuse to pay their fair share.
As I mentioned at another blog recently, even just from the standpoint of construction and sustainable buildings, we already have the fucking tools to solve these problems.
We just don't have the politicians.
And tomorrow morning, I will go to watch amazing robots DESIGNED AND BUILT BY HIGH SCHOOL KIDS, in the shadow of that unbelievable man-made wonder shining in the morning sun. Why can't turdwaffles like Scott Walker and Paul Ryan and John Boehner, and, dog help us all, Obama, see the same damn thing?
Oh, and apparently, Snag has been here before me:
And, just for the halibut, here's summa them robots:
Did you have to bring your own iScrod docker-thingie, or does the No-Tell Motel provide them?
ReplyDeleteThat is a good shot of the arch. Never seen one that puts it into the surrounding environment like that. (And what happened to cameras w/ fast shutters? I have the same problem all the time, & I don't have the shakes all the time.)
I don't have quite as fancy a camera as thunderpantses, and I frequently mess up the settings on the one I do have. I had it set for taking pictures inside the HellDome, and took that one in dusk on the walk down the street.
ReplyDeleteEven the crappy fleabag I am staying in has wi-fi. Heh. Oh wait, I see what you mean. Good eye for an old guy, that's my own damn radio.
The Arch is in a pretty sizable park, so most people photograph it without background, even if you can see it from all over the fricking City. So maybe there's no situ. I saw it even before I got over Ole Miss.
will try for some better pictures tomorrow when light is better and I don't have alcohol shakes.
I don't have the shakes all the time.
ReplyDeleteWell, you've already gone all the way through withdrawal. Let the rest of us catch up.
...because rich fucks refuse to pay their fair share.
ReplyDeleteFunny, I just made a very similar comment!
P.S. SEKRIT!: Lots of my shots come out blurry, too, but I take boatloads and then only let people see the good ones.
I love that arch. Can you still go up in it?
ReplyDeleteAs for that duvet. DEAR! LORD! MY EYES!!! And I think I can even smell it!!!
And a Here! Here! to this:
It was built at a time when Americans believed, no, KNEW, that they could accomplish any damn thing they put their minds to. Dam the Colorado River, go to the Moon, fuck it, we ARE JUST THAT GOOD.
Now we don't even fix our roads.
Have fun, ZRM!!
zrm, if you were in KC, I would tell you about all sorts of cool non-tourist-y places to go, but despite the fact that I live 2 hours from St. Louis, I don't know much about it at all. The Loop is cool and has a huge record store...
ReplyDeleteThe arch really is quite amazing, though. I think it's easy to forget about because it's so simple and just *there*. And yeah, my palms are getting sweaty just thinking about those elevators.
Why did I think they had stopped allowing people to go up to the observation platform?? Maybe it was just after 9/11.
ReplyDeleteYeah, that's probably it, Jennifer.
ReplyDeleteSo is that a regional FIRST competition or teh finals? Good luck to your team in any case.
ReplyDeleteAlso, too, I was in St. Louis...jeez, over 15 years ago to do a software install. Never got over to the arch even though the data center I was in wasn't more than a few blocks away. The striking thing about St. Louis to me was the lack of people downtown. It was like a frickin' ghost town. Is it still that way?
Finally: Thinking about elevators
Some of those robots are so lifelike! They look exactly like paunchy, balding men!
ReplyDelete(I kid, of course. Anyone who would be involved in this kinda thing is obviously awesome.)
Ha ha!
ReplyDeleteOf course, vs is banned.
[HAL] I'm sorry, zombie, I'm afraid you can't do that. [/HAL]
ReplyDeleteaw4esome pic. and LOL at the duvet.
ReplyDelete...you ARE aware of how that went for HAL, aren't you vs?
ReplyDeleteHeh. Autocorrect keeps making your name bs.
I ain't afeart. I know you'll never ban me. I am like this blog's lovable, adorable mascot. You NEED me on this blog.
ReplyDeleteAdmittedly I am much to needy to ban anyone.
ReplyDeleteNope. I AM SPECIAL. ;)
ReplyDelete(Now who's needy?)
"short bus" vs is SPECIAL.
ReplyDeleteYa know, I feel like I should take umbrage, but that just made me laugh. You're lucky I'm the good-natured forgiving type.
ReplyDeleteDon't take my umbrage! I only have two left and the weekend is coming up.
ReplyDeleteWell, have an umbrage for me. I've still got a few weeks before I can indulge in umbrage.
ReplyDeleteThe robots should climb to the top of the arch and fight.
ReplyDeleteAnd Michael Bay should direct!
ReplyDeleteFuck Michael Bay. the awards ceremony tonight was hosted by some dude from Cougartown....and the Black Eyed Peas.
ReplyDeleteYoung Zom's team won the Chairman's award from one of the regionals, so we got our tix stamped for the floor.
It was LOUD. Also, they were better than at the Super Bowl. Also, Fergie is pretty hawt....but not as hawt as will.i.am.
For those with interest, ABC will be airing a special/concert that was taped tonight, air date sometime in August. It is to be called i.am.first.
also, to answer Whale Chowder's question, this is the championships. It. is. awesome.
ReplyDeleteI want to bring the team I mentor down here as a competitor next year.
I want to bring the team I mentor down here as a competitor next year.
ReplyDeleteDO EET. Whip those high schoolers into shape!
Gratz to the young Zomb as well.
Whip those high schoolers into shape!
ReplyDeletebelieve me, those proto-geeks have NO IDEA what kind of zombie hell I am now prepared to unleash to make them be JUST THAT EXCELLENT.
Also, Whale Chowder is now the Official Blog Mascot here,because he knows from FIRST.
The striking thing about St. Louis to me was the lack of people downtown. It was like a frickin' ghost town. Is it still that way?
ReplyDeleteNascent urban planning post under way. Forthcoming.
Riding the capsule to the top of the arch seemed like sitting in a really big clothes drier.
ReplyDeletemmm chowder
ReplyDeleteNo high level languages. Make them write their code in assembly. When in robots, BE robots...
ReplyDeleteFIRST teams are mandated to either use Labview or C/C++, mikey.
ReplyDeleteFortunately C++ is not a high-level language.
ReplyDeleteSounds like Smut and mikey are volunteering to mentor the programming team. Good for you gents! I will let you know when we get started.
ReplyDeleteWhat made you think I'd been to that hotel before. Did you have a black light with you?
ReplyDeleteAnd congrats to the boy!
Nascent urban planning post under way. Forthcoming.
ReplyDeleteWell make with the post already. Shee!
When in robots, BE robots...
Um, I'm getting a mental image of either a mech or a sexbot. Maybe mikey isn't an appropriate choice to mentor impressionable kids.
Or maybe I'm not.
WC, I had you pegged for the graphics/marketing team.
ReplyDeleteeverybody straighten up now and behave. Apparently Von is hanging around, but Blooger won't let her comment.
ReplyDeleteI will burn this stupid blog down IF IT DOESN'T BEHAVE!!
WC, I had you pegged
ReplyDeleteI had no idea you swung that way.
Also, too. You've never seen me draw, that's obvious. However, I'll get right on* the sexbot/mech hybrid graphic for next year.
*yeah, that's right. Talk to mikey.
Maybe mikey isn't an appropriate choice to mentor impressionable kids.
ReplyDeletecan you imagine a better introduction to dealing with the working world?
Hokay, lissen up, this is gonna go fast and the pop quiz is life, you little bastards. Fail that one six or elven times and see how much fun you're having on the monkey bars.
ReplyDeleteFirst of all. The workplace is FULL of deadweight asshole. They are of NO value and are to be ignored when possible and thwarted when necessary. They will have titles like Accounting, Administration, Human Resources and Vice President. They contribute nothing but sand for the gears, so stay away from them and try to make sure they're afraid you might do something crazy.
There are two and a half groups at work that result in money, and if you're not in it for the money, it's just annoying and stupid and you should hang out at the beach. You won't eat well or get laid a lot, but on balance it's less annoying than working, so decide what you want NOW! The first group is sales, they bring in the money that shows up on your check. Anything you can do to help them is good. The second group is production/manufacturing (this varies from industry to industry and job to job, but you can tell who they are. They are the overworked, underpaid suckers with heavy accents who do all the actual, you know, WORK. The half group is variously called engineering, development or even R&D. They don't contribute anything to TODAY, but you're gonna need products to ship next year and some kind of edge on the competition so support them as much as you can. If they get in your way, though, cut 'em off at the knees.
Now here's the thing. It's ALL about this quarter's revenues and next quarter's forecast. So grow a pair, close some deals, send out some BIGASS invoices and promise 'em the moon for Q3. Then take your weak-ass product and your sorry value proposition out there into the marketplace and generate some fucking revenue, or go home and write emo songs...
You won't eat well or get laid a lot, but on balance it's less annoying than working, so decide what you want NOW!
ReplyDeleteIt'd be difficult to be further from the beach than I am right now. Yet, I'm not being paid.
damnit!
~
Jeebus. Mikey nails it.
ReplyDeletethis blog does not like my comments.
ReplyDeletehow much fun you're having on the monkey bars.
ReplyDeleteIt turns out to be a bad idea to order a Monkey's Brain at a monkey bar.
It is arguably a bad idea to order a Monkey's Brain at any bar, but usually there are fewer owies afterwards.
Well make with the post already. Shee!
ReplyDeleteshush. still working it out. also trying to remain professionally functional.