Radio Shack sells Arduinos, KILL SOPA/PIPA and other news at the moment.

[MrHacks]

In case nobody has told you this, some Radio Shack stores are now selling Arduino boards.

I figure now is a better time if any to pick up learning Arduino, along with other things like learn Mandarin Chinese, create a gridbeam project, preparing for the 2012 elections, and watch the Sweedish version of the Millenium Trillogy films.

I just haven't been motivated to do a whole lot of programming this month.  I don't even thing I touched my website at all this month except to pay the webhosting bill.

If you haven't signed a petition or participated in any of the Anti-SOPA/PIPA legislation, please do so!  Despite the unconstitutionality of the SOPA (Stop Online Piracy Act) and PIPA (Protect IP Act), the folks at the Motion Picture Association of American (MPAA), Recording Industry of America (RIAA), the Pharmaceutical Industry, and the dastardly United States Chamber of Commerce (who lied about a lot of corporations being supportive of SOPA and PIPA) have paid a lot of legislators who are on the House and Senate Judiciary Committes to rail this through to Congress despite past failures of similar bills that tried to use the "think of the children" strategy to shut off the Internet.  But these bills, despite being tabled at the moment, are slated to come back after Christmas.  Most of the hearing were closed (so much for transparency) and those opposed to the bill were asked not to show up or even invited to the hearings.  They won't even cover these events on C-SPAN despite being such an important issue because the pro-SOPA/PIPA folks don't want it to be known that they want to silence the internet.  They even tried sneaking in a clandestine meeting right before Christmas when they were supposed to be on break.  The US Chamber of Commerce (which is not like any state or local chamber of commerce; it's really a conservative special interest group made up of all the corporations that tanked the economy and are happy they've created economic bedlam because they made more money that you will ever see in your lifetime through it) wants to tell us how to use the internet, when they can't keep Chinese hackers from breaking in to their computers?

TLDR? Long story short, it would do yourself much good to visit http://www.americancensorship.org especially if you've been living under a rock for the past few months and haven't been paying attention to this critical issue.

I would also advice knowing about the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) and visiting their website at http://www.eff.org

OK, political soapbox on an important technology issue over.

I need some idea as to what to make with this Arduino.  I know you can make just about anything with it, but I'm not sure at the moment.  Ideas are welcome.

[MrHacks]

Word seems to have spread around about Arduino in this town.  I went back to Radio Shack this evening to see if they had a part I was looking for that I could plug into my breadboard and all the Arduinos were gone.

I would really like to know who that guy is and invite him to this group.

Speaking of inviting people to this group, consider that your new years resolution instead of vague promisies like trying to lose weight (sell you car, buy a bike or a good pair of walking shoes and stop eating fast food so often), being nicer to other people (go outside and use your people skills), or never drink again (stop drinking all the Corona and let your friends (of age) have some!).

In the mean time, I'll have to make a few more visits to makershed.

PEACE!

[PYROcomp]

microcenter has arduino too...

 Fix it once,  fix it right,  fix ANYTHING.

 Free Open Source Software(FOSS) advocate
         http://www.rexmo.net

The information contained in or attached to this email and any subsequent correspondence is private, is solely for the intended recipient(s) and may contain confidential or privileged information. For those other than the intended recipient(s), any disclosure, copying, distribution, or any other action taken, or omitted to be taken, in reliance on such information is prohibited and is unlawful.  If you are not the intended recipient and have received this message in error, please inform the sender and delete this mail and any attachments.
        .___.
      /          \
     | O _ O |
     /    \_/    \
   .' /           \ `.
  / _|           |_ \
(_/ |           | \_)
       \         /
   __\_>-<_/__
      ~;/     \;~
Don't mess with the penguin!

A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion,

butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance

accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders,

give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new

problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight

efficiently, die gallantly. Specialization is for insects. - Robert A. Heinlein

[MrHacks]

Do they have components for breadboarding?  I recall a few years ago I could get an assorted package of resistors, but now you can't get that.

--
MrHacks.Tumblr.com

[PYROcomp]

I don't recall,  you could call and ask.  I do know that only some of the radio shacks carry components these days.

I have a rather large assortment of stuff; what do you need?   I could mail you something or meet up somewhere.  I will be rather busy until after the first though..   Gortta move the BIG truck and stuff to kholdfuzions farm. 

        .___.
      /          \
     | O _ O |
     /    \_/    \
   .' /           \ `.
  / _|           |_ \
(_/ |           | \_)
       \         /
   __\_>-<_/__
      ~;/     \;~
Don't mess with the penguin!

Do they have components for breadboarding?  I recall a few years ago I could get an assorted package of resistors, but now you can't get that.