Dave's Signatures

[EricH]

Originally Posted by cdennisxlx2

25, 26, 23, 24
45, 46

any one wanna bet the next two will be 43 and 44

25, 26, 23, 24
45, 46, 43, 44

then the next series could be..

65, 66, 63, 64

maybe something with intervals of 20...
or something with 2 sets of 1 [since the first 2 and the last 2 the difference is 1] or even something with a pattern of 1, 3, 1 at intervals of 20.

I dunno, just kinda thinking out loud here....

You might be on to something... But you LOSE your bet. (If you want to make it, then it's a dozen Krispy Kremes. I win.)

[Rich Kressly]

Originally Posted by rtfgnow

I am waiting to see what Dave posts in here.

You probably won't see any. Not everything is a game hint. Think about what Greg said for a moment. How many teams receive NASA grants each year? And we're averaging six formal thank yous per year? Pitiful. Plain pitiful.

How is it that so many team representatives have the time to run up the post count to astronomical levels in a game hint thread, while so few seem to have the time to say thank you for a $6K gift that funds the ability to play the game? I know not everyone here is a NASA grant team, but c'mon - something's out of balance. I'd be happier if I saw less game speculation and a three digit number in Dave's signature.

By all means have fun with game hints, but let's be a grateful community that knows how to spend valuable time.

namaste

[Brandon Holley]

Originally Posted by Rich Kressly

By all means have fun with game hints, but let's be a grateful community that knows how to spend valuable time.

namaste

well said sir!



(+ rep)

[cdennisxlx2]

Originally Posted by EricH

You might be on to something... But you LOSE your bet. (If you want to make it, then it's a dozen Krispy Kremes. I win.)

lol, well if he decides to come to San Diego this year i know where the only one is and its only about 10 min from the arena. I could easily stock the volunteers lounge. *wink* *wink* Dave lol

[EricH]

Originally Posted by cdennisxlx2

lol, well if he decides to come to San Diego this year i know where the only one is and its only about 10 min from the arena. I could easily stock the volunteers lounge. *wink* *wink* Dave lol

Afraid I won't make SD this year--I've got an Aero Design competition in Encino that Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. (Hey, if you want to come on up and watch that on Sunday...) Try L.A. instead.

You do know why you'd lose--He's got to start with the word "Six", instead of "To" of "For". I don't see Dave doing that.

[TotalChaos]

In keeping with the "Ship, captain and crew" game (full explanation in my post (or the page it's on) in the "Game Hint #1" thread) I have a few interpretations:

2. To the six, you give me my fix.

This could mean something like: "When you get a 6, you get your ship".

Also, with this statement:

6. For the six: your integrity does transfix.

Six could refer back to the "ship", and integrity could mean it doesn't leak.

For this:

1. To the five, you keep me alive.

Five could refer to the captain, who keeps his crew alive.

And:

4. To the four, give it some more.

Could refer to the crew (A four) loading up the ship.


- Austin

[Rich Kressly]

Originally Posted by TotalChaos

In keeping with the "Ship, captain and crew" game (full explanation in my post (or the page it's on) in the "Game Hint #1" thread) I have a few interpretations:



This could mean something like: "When you get a 6, you get your ship".

Also, with this statement:



Six could refer back to the "ship", and integrity could mean it doesn't leak.

For this:



Five could refer to the captain, who keeps his crew alive.

And:



Could refer to the crew (A four) loading up the ship.


- Austin

*sigh*

[Cynette]

Originally Posted by Rich Kressly

*sigh*

Is reading a skill we have to teach FIRSTers as well?

[Libby K]

Y'all, I just have to say I feel pretty sorry for Dave. Everyone's always watching his every move to see if ANYTHING he says has any glimmer of a game hint.

That said, I'm not sure this idea holds much water.





.
(gotcha! see? I can do it too!)

[Cynette]

Originally Posted by Rich Kressly

Think about what Greg said for a moment. How many teams receive NASA grants each year? And we're averaging six formal thank yous per year? Pitiful. Plain pitiful.

I've been thinking about this all day. Is this true? Of the many many teams that receive NASA grants each year, do only six remember to say thank you? Yep, that's pitiful, plain pitiful.

[Rich Kressly]

Originally Posted by Cynette

I've been thinking about this all day. Is this true? Of the many many teams that receive NASA grants each year, do only six remember to say thank you? Yep, that's pitiful, plain pitiful.

Yes,to my knowledge it's true. I know it was true last year - six total. I also know that if this year's number is the same there's time to make that number much higher.

[Greg Needel]

Taken from Dave on Facebook

Last year, NASA issued 283 grants to teams to participate in the FIRST Robotics Competition program. By the end of the year exactly six formal "thank you"s had been received from those 283 teams. Six. Out of 283. There are some days where I see the behavior of the 277 silent teams as a depressing commentary on the lack of manners of two generations (FRC teams are made of both students and adult mentors - a failure to display good manners is just as much their responsibility as the students, if not more so).

But more often, I try to focus on the six messages that did arrive. Since last year those six letters have sat on the corner of my desk, and have never been filed away. When things at work get overwhelming and I start to question the value of being in the middle of yet another large government bureaucracy, I pick up one of those letters. When they are needed, those letters are my “Thursdays.” They remind me why NASA participates in a program like FIRST and the value that it delivers. But even more, reading one can revitalize an entire day. That the day may be dominated by activities unrelated to the letter doesn’t matter. Just the fundamental message from someone saying “thank you – we noticed what you have done, and it is appreciated” can change a day for the better. It is one of those little things that really can make a difference.

[Andrew Schreiber]

Originally Posted by Libby K

Y'all, I just have to say I feel pretty sorry for Dave. Everyone's always watching his every move to see if ANYTHING he says has any glimmer of a game hint.

That said, I'm not sure this idea holds much water.

Good point, we all think that Mr Lavery is some sort of super genius who encodes game hints into everything he says. While I am sure he finds it flattering that we think his grasp on English is that good and he is that smart I would have to say that sometimes a wise word is just that. Sometimes we just can't see the forest for the trees.

Originally Posted by Rich Kressly

Yes,to my knowledge it's true. I know it was true last year - six total. I also know that if this year's number is the same there's time to make that number much higher.

This is among the most depressing, and sickening, things I have ever read. 283 * 6000 = 1.7 Million. 1.6 Million of that is essentially going to teams who obviously don't know the value of it. You guys, say thanks for what NASA gave you. Actually say thank you to what anyone gives you. You never know, it might just help keep them as a partner.

Jane, if you are lurking in this thread somewhere, I believe you should post what prompted that comment from Dave on CD as well.

Remember everyone, FIRST is NOT about winning, it is NOT about the robots. We are trying to change the culture for the better. Away from athletes who try to win at all costs, away from coaches cursing out referees because of a bad call. How can we change such large things if we don't even have time to write a thank you note?

[JaneYoung]

Originally Posted by Andrew Schreiber

Jane, if you are lurking in this thread somewhere, I believe you should post what prompted that comment from Dave on CD as well.

This is a long note that I wrote in FB last evening. It all started with 1 very simple compliment yesterday in a ChiefDelphi pm:

I wrote this note in my head while sitting in traffic and admiring the beautiful Christmas lights popping up everywhere, making the note both pleasing to head-write and frustrating to think about. What inspired this note was a simple pm exchange with a mentor in FIRST. I had made a very simple compliment not expecting any response to it. To my surprise, he did respond and said that it was already Thursday and this was the first nice thing that had been said to him all week.

This was after reading a thread that was posted in ChiefDelphi about the meaning of Dave Lavery's changing lines in his signature section. Although it had been stated that the changes had to do with thank-yous sent to NASA by grateful recipients, several posters seemingly skipped over that information and moved on to other things such as continuing to guess that the changes were hints/clues to the 2009 game.

So - between these two things, I started thinking about our society as it is today. This is one of my favorite topics to think about, read about, discuss, and shake my head at. The adjective that popped into my head was: lazy.'That's a funny adjective', I thought. Usually, I think in terms of callous, fractured, selfish, pig-headed - but not necessarily 'lazy' as the first adjective when I think about current society.

If we are to the point that even in our families, we are not taking the time to shine light and love on our spouse, our child, our niece, our parent, our aging grandparent with a gentle compliment or a kind remark - and it gets to Thursday - then shame on us. If in our workplace or school, we get to Thursday without catching a boss or an employee or a fellow worker, teacher, or student, being good or doing something right or brave or innovative or kind - then shame on us. If we make it to Thursday without telling the reflection in the mirror that we look nice or we tried really hard today or that color makes our eyes sparkle - then shame on us.

We've gotten lazy. And that's a shame. The generations before us worked too hard for us to be lazy. Our grandparents labored so that their children could do better. And their children labored so that their children could have better. And many of us have and we are frittering it away and our children don't or won't necessarily understand the power of kindness or compliments or thank-yous because maybe just maybe they can't google them. That is a tongue-in-cheek remark but I believe there is truth to it. If your butt gets numb because you haven't gotten up from your computer in a while, hello - go for a walk. Outside. To the mailbox - to send a note to someone telling them you are thinking of them. If your blackberry is in your palm, type something kind and send it.

My mom is very proud of the fact that she found some red roses to attach to her name when she sends me an e-mail. Those little red roses are something that I miss when a day or two goes by and I haven't heard from her. My entire life, she has written me letters and would give them to me sharing thoughts, love, support, comfort, wisdom. When she discovered that e-mail could connect the distance between us, she was delighted and quickly found a way to make it more personal and loving. Supportive. She is not lazy. She is thoughtful and takes that extra moment to create magic. She is 80.

So, these are my thoughts tonight: we're lazy and we waste opportunities to make a difference in matters of thoughtfulness, kindness, and attitude. We waste opportunities to put our best foot forward, to shine, and to help others shine when they look inside themselves.

Thursdays are going to be a special day for me, I think. I'll see them as a marker to gauge myself with a little check box. Hopefully, the box will have been checked off no later than Monday - telling me that I did indeed share a kind word or an encouraging one or one of support. That mentor gives something of himself every single day. I see it reflected in his generous contributions to ChiefDelphi yet he made it all the way to Thursday without one word of appreciation given to him.

Yup. When I tell my dog, Squirt, this - she is not going to understand it at all. She'll say, 'lazy humans', and wag her tail anyway.

--
That was the note. I hope that Dave and my mentor-friend do not mind this post.

[Greg Needel]

Dr. James Green
Director, Planetary Systems Division
Science Missions Directorate
NASA Headquarters
300 E Street, SW
Washington DC 20546