Circuit Bending Challenge 10-28-07

A few weeks back a friend gave me this zapper gun to see what I could do to it. The spinning lights in the bulb had broken so when turned on the lights would just clatter around the plastic bulb and he wanted me to fix it. Of course when I finally opened it up I would find a few bends and mod it to my pleasure.

And keep it...



I put in two contact screws on the side of the gun which are soldered to these points on the board,



And an output for amp or pa was put in by the trigger,



Originally I thought the bends were only in the screws, but after completing this and toying around I found more sounds could be made by touching the screws with the output to lengthen the sound.

Larger versions of the video can be found at,

Vanillatray's Flickr set

It was a rather simple bending session and the least money I've ever put into a project, but this zapper came into my hands just when I discover that there's a circuit bending challenge.

Here is a video of the zapper in action,



Links:

Get Lofi
Create Digital Music

**UPDATE**

승리 괴물 suggested how they would want to see it in the dark. I agree, so I upped this real quick like:



I recorded this in front of a mirror for added effect.

Manju, Rest In Peace

Manju

October 2002 - December 27, 2006

(Manju is on the right)



Manju, my beloved guinea pig has joined her sister (Mochi, shown on the left) in piggie heaven today. We will never forget Manju's optimistic attitude on life and her friendliness towards everyone around her.


Manju, there's lots of lettuce for you to munch on now.

Real Dolls vs Real Girls

I just finished watching a documentary called Guys and Dolls, which documents the relationship between men and the Real Dolls they own.

Real Dolls are synthetic life-like dolls, which were developed by a special effects company in Southern California. Since the company opened ten years ago, they had been shipping dolls around the world. And at $4000 a pop, it's surprising how some men collect more than one.

One thing I noticed firstly, is that the dolls that were with men who adored their companionship "looked" happy, yet those that used them strictly for sexual purposes looked sad and abused. It's a strange thing to see, really, but the whole thing questions human existence.

Some people have social anxiety. For a man, meeting a woman can be a very intimidating thing, and with social standards these days it's more and more difficult to meet people. It was very different when marriages were arranged between families and more attention was paid to close relatives. A wife could be expected with little effort given. There are positives and negatives to everything, though.

The real doll gives men a sort of option to better deal with this loneliness. The documentary didn't really delve into the topics of the other genders available through the company or of women owning the dolls, but I'm sure that happens too.

One man had eight dolls. He dressed these up as sluts and had said they were strictly used for sex.

Another man just had one doll, whom he was truly in love with.

This brings up a question of human existence and purpose. Our deep purpose really is to care for and be cared for. The human nature strives for this companionship, no matter how much the person denies otherwise.

Loneliness can drive a person crazy. Owning one of these dolls could be looked down upon by society. Now, personally, I don't see anything wrong with a person owning a doll to better deal with their loneliness. It's much better than other effects of loneliness.

This reminds me of how parakeet bird cages are equipped with mirrors. The bird will get depressed if it doesn't see another bird. Even if it's looking simply at a reflection, it's happy knowing that there is another bird there.

Does humanity need this type of comfort?

Why is it there are so many people that can't live alone? If it's not living with a partner, it's living with a room mate. I get into this conversation a lot, honestly. I live alone. I chose to last year as there were some things I wanted to figure out for myself. Living with a room mate would have been financially better, but doing this was worth the mental gain I have had this last year.

Do humans need to know that someone else is there? Is that physical presence all we really need?

The men in this documentary all dealt with a type of loneliness. All had a type of social awkwardness which put women at such a distant venture, something that was unobtainable. And most had continued to try to seek out female companionship, but after purchasing the real doll, they were able to come home to somebody. Just that knowledge of this female doll being there for them made them happy.

All had admitted that owning the dolls immensely helped them, giving them a sense of purpose and happiness.

I don't see myself purchasing a doll at any point, but over the course of this year, to be completely honest, I have dealt with different levels of loneliness. I keep myself busy with projects, with my music, with my strange inventions, with downloading and collecting obsure television shows, keeping track of cds. I have been dealing with it in my own way.

And it has helped me immensely.

But my cat has been my companionship, honestly. And I've been fine with it.

So, in all, not everyone can find that partner to fulfill humanity's purpose (companionship), and those that don't find other methods. Leave them be and don't be hatin'

Also, times are very different. There are too many humans. People need to stop procreating. Ha ha.

on again off again

hello! hello!

Meeting people on the internet... (and elsewhere)

I have been wanting to make this rant for some time now. It's been on my mind, but I haven't necessarily figured out WHERE to blog it.

I want it read, but I sort of don't want it read. I will blog it here since I figure most of my friends don't know about this site. As I didn't tell them, and it's not linked on any of my pages, as far as I know. (With so many free webpage accounts, it's difficult to keep track of everything).

Let's start from the beginning, I have made my life on the internet long before most of you have, so I have wisdom when it comes to meeting people online and some insight.

Please realize that whatever you post on your myspace, xanga, livejournal, blogger site is available for ANYONE to see, not just your friends. Complete strangers, including myself.

Also realize, that I spend most of my evening browsing blogs, personal sites, profiles. This does not make me a creepy stalker type. This the most comfortable way for me to meet people.

Of all the creepy people actually on the internet, I should not be a threat to you.

(By the way, the evening news has often talked of the threats of stalkers on the internet. I'm serious when I say this, stalkers on the internet only cover a tiny tiny tiny portion of the internet community. But it's those stalkers that give the rest of us a bad name. You're at more of a risk of being stalked at the store or the park than on the internet).

I don't go to bars. I have a select number of friends, which are as social as I am. I don't get to meet new people all that often.

If I run into you in the "real world" and you may perhaps know one of my friends, I will mention that I have seen your myspace page, or read your journal, or seen your blog.

I have noticed that when I mention this, usually, they instantly become closed off to me, as if I had intruded on space of theirs that was not meant for me to cross.

But please realize, that if I mention that I liked your site, then something about you was memorable enough that I could relay it in the real world. That's a compliment of sorts.

In today's society, with the identity crisis everyone is having, the best compliment there can be is, "I remember you."

If you don't want people to read your blog, there are privacy settings on your accounts so that only those you choose can read. Figure those out if you want to be kept private.

But everyone please realize that the internet is available to anyone! This is a new age where we're not limited to meeting people strictly to bars and social gatherings.

Especially for me. I hate the bar scene ("sup bro! 'nother shot of yeager?"), and I'm generally not too social in gatherings. The internet is great to meet someone because everyone has little advertisements of themselves. Their thoughts and opinions are out there for anyone to read. This could give me fodder for possible conversation.

It's akin to reading reviews of movies, or seeing previews on the tele. Nobody would go to the theater and buy a ticket to a movie they've never heard of, nor have any clue as to what it's about.

In that same sense, I do not pick up on chicks that I don't know much about.

You know what? I'm going to change pace on this and not leave it strictly to the internet. Everybody needs to stop being so damned private!

I have noticed that it's very difficult to meet people unless the social situation is right. For some reason a girl in a bar can be comfortable enough to go up to any stranger and start making out with them, and go home with them with very little conversation between the two.

Granted, drinking lowers inhibitions and people tend to do what they feel when drunk rather than thinking about the situation. BUT if drinking were not limited to licensed locations, then would it be easier to meet people at say, the mall? The grocery store? At the gas station?

I don't think so. Most people will be in "busy mode" when running errands, and only get into "social mode" while at a diner or bar where humans are supposed to interact with each other. I would call this social closedmindedness.

I have strong confidence, so I don't need a drink to meet people. I can strike up conversations with strangers, and try to on an often enough basis. And I don't bullshit about the weather, or what new event has taken place. I will get this new friend into a deep conversation, something that we'll both value and learn from.

This is who I am. This does not make me a creepy stalker type. After the conversation, they will go their way, I'll go mine. I do not follow them to their house, rape them and hold a pillow over their face until they stop breathing.

Seriously, that's not my style.

I like to help people, in whatever little way I can.

I have gotten yelled at by strangers for trying to help. I'm straight forward with all my actions, and generally don't imply something else (sex) in trying to help.

I hold the door open for people, women especially. This does not mean that I'm trying to sleep with them.

Everybody feels so damn violated.

I am approaching my late-twenties. I am single with no prospects of a wife anytime in the future. Everyone I know is getting married and having kids.

In a sense, I have given up on looking for a mate. There is still that "human desire" to be with someone, but I'm not the type to sleep with anybody I meet, so I get out those frustrations and passions in my strange music.

I am celebate, but not by choice. It just happened. So instead of raising a family, I find my happiness in helping other people. I'm just tired of everybody yelling at me for it.

myspace

I now have a band website at myspace. Check it out. I will upload songs often once I get everything setup in the new apartment.

Vanillatray at Myspace (aka chopstick music)

I can't play my drums!!!!

I'm moving, by the way. I found a place and I get to move in next week. So each evening I have been packing up, though I had been making a habit of playing the drums. They were packed up last night, and now I can't play my drums.

How sad...

I can still play my homemade cigar box guitar though, with all two working strings!! (one of them broke).

yay...

So I'm posting on here in hopes that the typing would somehow cleanse the drumming urges.

However, it's not.

I still have lots of packing to do, so I should get off this internet and finish...

now I'm looking up drum brains off ebay. I would like to get a vintage brain and bend it to create some different sounds.

This is what I day dream about these days. I really need to start recording. No, I need to start packing. I'll record and produce my heart out in the new place.

yay...