HETTY

Tag: Autobiography

  • Who Likes Robots?

    Ok, this is a different blog post than some of the others on my HETTY blog, in that it’s robot themed.

    I have had a strong interest in robotics since I’ve been a kid, and I never outgrew it. However, I never formally studied Robotic engineering, only studied for a measly associates degree in Computer Information Systems. What robots I have made are from buying kits and sets, reading books about robots or watching videos on social media. I also have limited programming ability, but I tried to work around that. So either limited preset instructions, or using a remote control..

    I finished about 8 designs that can be qualified as true robots, in that they can be programmed, and they have sensors. Sometimes it’s only one or two sensors, but that’s enough for most purposes. Other designs are really just robot like machines with interesting engineering or science behind them, but cant be programmed or controlled. Just an on and off switch, or a light activated solar cell.

    Most of these designs are mostly plastic, and on the cheaper side. The most expensive set I did buy was 500$, the LEGO Mindstorms EV1 set. Considering that there’s more deluxe robots with multiple motors and processors with costs that are at least 10,000$, I think robots in the 30$ to 500$ range is a bargain.

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    So here’s photos of my designs. Very limited utility, limited battery life, and not very durable. But all of the robots or machines on this blog post could move, and some can be programmed or controlled. Videos of the design demos can be found on social media apps like Facebook, TikTok, and YouTube.

    This last one is perhaps the best designed one I made, in that it’s has a more simple design, and yet it could move on different types of terrain. A whegged robot that moved 6 actuators on only 2 motors.

    So should I keep up with my hobby, or are these designs not that impressive?

  • College instead of Military

    What could you do differently?

    This is the choice I had as a senior in high school back in 1991, about to graduate and make my own way in the world. My dad died when I was 11, so my mother worked a lot trying to support my 2 brothers and I. Since it was a struggle to support the family on a single income, my mother gave me the choice of either joining the military, where I could learn a job skill or several through apprenticeships, or stay with my mom and brothers, and go to college for a formal education while she paid for my tuition and books. Maybe I could work a job to help with the fees.

    I had my reasons to join the military after high school graduation, one of them being that I didn’t want to burden my mother with the extra expenses of school. Learning a job skill, seeing the world, maybe toughening up some since I was a gawky nerd while in public school. I was very green, naive, and sheltered. But I would qualify for the Montgomery GI Bill, if I joined the military. I could go to college later, if I chose so. (I did, 10 years later.)

    Was the Air Force a good experience? Yes, and no. I met some good people, did go to different parts of the US and some other countries, learned how to be a professional military cook and basic service specialist, learned some military culture and lingo, and didn’t screw up so much that I was able to get an honorable discharge after 2 terms of service. It was sometimes stressful, sometimes loud enough that I developed tinnitus from the noise of war machinery, and I had to cope with the politics (workplace and geopolitical). I also developed habits like smoking and the occasional binge drinking, and I became more jaded and vigilant. I wasn’t burned out yet, but I lost a spark I had at 18.

    I started to go college when I was 27, sometimes older than the other students. While I did study and did well enough in some courses, there was some other courses I couldn’t keep up with, or in some cases was completely lost. Astrophysics 2 showed that I’m terrible in advanced math, and intermediate algebra seems to be my limit.

    I got so burnt out from reading college textbooks that I don’t have the attention span for reading books anymore. I’ll read online summaries or specific quotes or facts about a topic instead. I ended up dropping out of getting a bachelors degree partly cuz my grades weren’t good enough (with autistic spikes), and I couldn’t afford to finish college.

    So why would I chose college over the military after highschool? Money, time, and energy. I was more energetic, healthy, and idealistic at 17-18 years old than I was at 27-28, college was cheaper (yet still costly), and I would spend more time with my family. I would probably have a better formal education than I do now, maybe working as an engineer or professional writer. I also probably wouldn’t have developed the wanderlust I have for travel if I just stayed in my hometown, instead of the 7 countries I was able to visit while in the military.

    I’m not sure if it was a better choice, but maybe I would have chosen a different fork in the road knowing what I know now.

  • Please Donate

    Please Donate

    I have listed the money transfer apps that I used before, but it appears that WordPress/JetPack greyed out my transfer app IDs. Here they are again, hopefully not greyed out on this page:

    CASHAPP-$KyleAnderson1973
    PAYPAL-@kyleanderson124
    VENMO-@Kyle-Anderson-508

    I “made” the HETTY blog website because I originally had the idea of writing a cookbook that focused on affordable meal recipes. I was gonna write it in a funny style, cuz I can be funny at times. Humor is one of my coping mechanisms. (It’s true!)

    However, there’s so many cookbooks out there, and I know how hard it can be to find a publisher who will take a chance on a fledging writer. I know there’s also a lot of competition between websites, but websites have lower overhead. I decided to also expand the scope of helping to relief poverty, cuz eating cheaper foods only helps so much. I write about housing, clothing, shelter, money saving life hacks, and affordable hobbies also.

    I’m relatively better off than some people in this world, because I live off a disability and veterans pension. That may change, because of the world-wide shift in politics and worldview. COVID changed everything, for better or worse. So there’s the possibility that I may have to work again. And based on my skillset, my labor value is more limited than others.

    In my working life, I mostly got paid for working food service and retail, although I did study Journalism, Technical Writing, Basic Human Services, and Computer Information Systems over the years. I’m handicapped by social anxiety, depression, and lack of personal transportation.

    I have a history of donating, volunteering, and helping people out with money over the years, despite my limited means. I would hope that others can be at least as generous and helpful as I have over the years. Donating a dollar or a quarter can make a difference over time.

    I don’t expect to get rich from making content for this blog (Although that sure would be sweet!), but I’m hoping to generate an income so I can help myself and others. I plan on writing about different topics over time, such as about future technology. Fusion technology, for example, promises great benefits to humanity. If that technology can ever be improved, other technology can possibly offshoot from it, like a true “Cornucopia machine” or even teleportation of larger objects.

    Anyways, enough of my spiel. Any donations to my money transfer apps would be appreciated. I hope that others find this information found in this blog website helpful. Thank you.