how I have been "damaged" by FIRST

[Golto]

I have been involved with FIRST for 4 years with 2064 and 558, and before that watched my cousin work his way up on team 237. Over the years, I feel that FIRST has effectively ruined some things for me. I'll elaborate, with the years. Keep in mind, I was 9-12 for the FIRST few years listed here.:

2001

• I now have to balance on any see-saw I find...anywhere
• I wondered for years why *our* schools didn't have those nifty ball bins!

2003

• I never want to have anything shipped...ever again, those poor crates!
• I learned to appreciate regular lighting, and to this day still refuse to use camera flash if I can!
• The idea that a DDR pad sent robots crashing around ruined that game for me!

2004

• I just gave up on chin-ups in Gym.
• Dodgeball got a lot scarier for me...dumping all those balls!

2007 (My rookie year!)

• I finally found a use for Binary math! And I *USED* it
• Tic-Tac-Toe just wasn't as fun
• I used the scoring system to breac tic-tac-toe ties
• I wanted a lift kit on my car to get up on any ramps I could find
• I painted a white ring on my pool tubes so nobody took them

2008

• I hated universal remotes
• I had an easier time finding the remote on my robot than on my couch
• I felt that NASCAR would be more entertaining with giant blue balls falling from the sky.
• I grew a new appreciation for the Dung Beetle (see 558's 2008 bot for details)

2009

• I fear my bathtub...it's the same material as regolith!
• I have a new reason not to wear white after Labor Day
• I learned why purple Neon goes UNDER the car and not on top of it
• I want, no, need proximity sensors on my trailer. I hate unwanted cargo.
• Have you ever seen a robot skid towards you, and can't do anything about it? I hate the outpost.
• I only wear black or gray shirts to robotics, my vision code tends to chase shirts!
• All balls should be solid, period
• Willie Wonka now creeps me out (our theme that year)

2010

• I feel that if there were more balls on the field, people may actually watch soccer
• My robot now knows how a flipped turtle feels.
• I have a new appreciation for segways
• I need to ball-proof my workspace at home, too
• every time I walk up to an autmatic sink, I expect a light to turn on. If I can do it, why can't they?
• I'm looking into mechanum drive for my car, would make parking a LOT easier!
• I need to adopt a small child for fundraising purposes, they're quite effective!

Does anyone have anything else? I want to compile a list. It's always kinda fun looking back on things like this!