- Finished detailed "concept drawings" for the revised enclosure. These show how everything is put together and are to scale, but lack annotated dimensions and don't show the placement of every last screw hole (which will be needed for the final drawings).
I'm currently waiting on a feasibility check from the person who will be manufacturing it before proceeding further. That should happen within a week or so.
- Finally got all of the TN-1 visa paperwork in hand, and confirmed what I'm supposed to do with it. The biggest annoyance so far is that I'll have to bring several difficult-to-replace original documents with me in case customs asks for them. I'm told that they _do_ ask for them.
- Got all of the parts for the Big System's computer hardware. This involved ordering a couple of replacements for pieces that weren't quite right (one cable and one mounting shelf, so nothing horribly expensive). I've done functionality checks on everything except for the scientific equipment, with results more or less in-line with what I expected. Final tests on the tape drive will wrap up by Tuesday.
- Was told that I should attend a US conference happening in the first half of next month. This is doable, but will take prep work. The trip itself is booked, but I need to get new business cards, maybe another tie and a couple more dress shirts, and I have to prep my notebook for travel (paring it down to work-related-only configuration, or maybe even less than that); likewise with my USB sticks. I use my phone as a phone, not a PDA, so it won't have anything sensitive on it.
- Saw the MLP film. It was flawed, but still decent. I'm not likely to watch it again, but I'm not sorry that I did watch it.
Various peeves:
- Twilight forgets that she can make forcefields. This would have come in handy during the initial attack.
- Twilight forgets that she can teleport (and bring others with her, if she has warm-up time).
- Twilight forgets that she can use TK on large-to-huge objects, and on groups of ponies. Worse, this is inconsistent - she TKs the group at least once, after failing to do so in a previous scene where it would really have been helpful.
- The other three princesses are useless during the attack. I realize the show's used that plot device before, but it's still really strange when it happens, given that Celestia and Luna are established in-show as being both skillful and powerful.
- Twilight convinces the pirate crew to join them, despite the pirate crew describing exactly how the hammer comes down when anyone walks out of line. The hammer immediately comes down. Takeaway message: don't listen to the plucky resistance leader when they ask you for help.
- Twilight has a horribly out-of-character moment when she decides to steal a macguffin from a friendly host. She's called out on it afterwards, and acknowledges that it was a terrible idea with terrible consequences, but it's mystifying that she'd even do it in the first place - it goes against all of her ideals, and presumably everything she's been taught both before and after she became a representative for her nation.
- Discord never turns up. You'd think that once the sun and moon started jumping around, he'd say "hey, that's my trick!", and show up to at least engage in witty banter. Plot-wise, even if we presume the Big Bad can hold him at bay, the Big Bad's minions can't. All of the airships' gas cells turning into shaving cream would really have ruined their day at several points in the film. I realize this is exactly why Discord was left out of the film - but without an explanation, that absence really sticks out.
I have a number of other quibbles, but the ones above are the big ones. That said, for fans of the show, it's still worth seeing.
- Plan for tomorrow is a brief grocery errand, followed by Minecraft. Plan for the upcoming week is email tag for a couple of work-related projects, a little bit more paperwork/documentation, the last of the hardware tests, and resuming software development. A laser maintenance flyby is also schedule. Plan for the following weekend is relaxation and Halloween prep. Game day isn't happening until the 4th, and even that is tentative.
Now, Minecraft, relaxing, and bed.