Remember when Barbie was a troublemaker? She got herself and Mattel into hot water when the talking version of her vinyl embodiment quipped “Math class is tough.” Suddenly education activists and women’s rights watchdogs were up in arms at Mattel’s complicity in the fact that more boys than girls take advanced math and science classes, and boys outnumber girls studying computer science by a factor of 3 to 1 (but the Barbie Liberation Organization had quite a bit of fun with it).

Is is because math and science are boring and useless? Hardly! Who designed the iPhone? A bunch of very hip nerds at Mac. How did you get to this website to stare at this post? The hard work of many dedicated nerds who made computers possible and then figured out how to hook them up to each other. You’ve got to admit it: Nerds are cool. So grab yourself a cool, nerdy t-shirt that proclaims the truth and wear it proudly!

PS: Nerds are also delicious.

Team Boom Tape is a team that not only makes things out of duct tape in competitions (like a poker-chip-toting barge), they’ve created a server with a duct tape case!

They’ve even lit it from the inside, and it show through since they’ve used 3M’s clear duct tape to make “windows.” The duct tape fan guard is an especially amusing part of the setup.

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Laptop jockeys and synth-slingers have a harder time getting gigs in a club world ruled by rock. Here’s a nice article over at Createdigitalmusic.com that has ten tips on how to get booked for a live PA in a club or a bar.

Getting Booked:10 Basic Tips for Getting Live Electronic Music Gigs

Here’s another one over at LivePA on more of the technical elements of getting started:

Livepa: Where Electronic Music Comes Alive

Here’s also a good, related article:
Getting Publicity: Start With a Good Name for Your Project

Sam Garfield and Jake Haglund run the DIY:happy site–an extensive list of projects that pretty much anyone can do, be it electronics, explosives (really!), toys, paper crafts, rockets, mods, or knitting. Here’s a few of our favorites:

Homemade EKG
Curious how your heart is responding to your web-surfing habits? Why not make your own electrocardiogram and watch your heart-waves on your computer screen?

Film canister home planetarium
Don’t feel like shelling out 25 bux to watch lasers and stars-projections zoom around to a classic rock soundtrack at the planetarium? Just hang onto a film canister (you’ve got to know someone who still has a film camera, right?), punch some holes, grab a flashlight, and invite some friends over for some low-tech science nerdery.

Matchstick Rockets
And while said nerdy friends are assembled in your living room, why not bust out the matches and shoot them all over the place? Everyone like fire and shooting, and this is a low cost way to get some cheap thrills.

Fast-food container airplane
It’s so much easier to create a sweet glider from a styrofoam hamburger clamshell than from a wrinkled, greasy paper wrapper.

Make your own Batphone
Wow, talk about insta-cred! Having a direct line to Bruce Wayne’s mansion sitting on your desk would certainly send a message to your co-workers and higher-ups.

[By Liz Revision] Instead of awkwardly typing on your phone’s keypad something to the extent of “cant find yr house” or “theyre charging a cover here at this venue,” try using server response codes!

200 = OK
The client’s request was successful, and the server’s response contains the requested data.

[FRIEND] hows the sushi ovr there?
[YOU] 200

or

[FRIEND] is it cool if i come over after work w/ a 6pack?
[YOU] 200

202 = Accepted
The request was accepted but not immediately acted upon. More information about the transaction may be given in the entity body of the server’s response. There is no guarantee that the server will actually honor the request, even though it may seem like a legitimate request at the time of acceptance.

[FRIEND] come to our party tonite. addy = 2143 hoyne apt4. theres a keg
[YOU] 202

204 = No Content
A status code and header is given in the response, but there is no entity body in the reply. Browsers should not update their document view upon receiving this response. This is a useful code for an imagemap handler to return when the user clicks on useless or blank areas of an image.

Use this one in place of “lame” or “nothing exciting here”

[FRIEND] how’s the music ovr there? djs start yet?
[YOU] 204

300 = Multiple Choices
The requested URI refers to more than one resource. For example, the URI could refer to a document that has been translated into many languages. The entity body returned by the server could have a list of more specific data about how to choose the correct resource.

[FRIEND] hey whats goin on tonite?
[YOU] 300

301 = Moved Permanently
The requested URI is no longer used by the server, and the operation specified in the request was not performed. The new location for the requested document is specified in the Location header. All future requests for the document should use the new URI.

[FRIEND] yo im heading ovr there now ok?
[YOU] 301: rodan

302 = Moved Temporarily
The requested URI has moved, but only temporarily. The Location header points to the new location. Immediately after receiving this status code, the client should use the new URI to resolve the request, but the old URI should be used for all future requests.

Use this one in place of “brb.”

[FRIEND] yo im heading ovr there now ok?
[YOU] 302

401 = Unauthorized
The result code is given along with the WW-Authenticate header to indicate that the request lacked proper authorization, and the client should supply proper authorization when requesting this URI again.

[FRIEND] were u able to get in without yr ID? or no?
[YOU] 401

402 = Payment Required
This code is not yet implemented in HTTP.

But that doesn’t mean we can’t use it over SMS!

[FRIEND] is it a free show 2nite or is there a cover?
[YOU] 402

403 = Forbidden
The request was denied for a reason the server does not want to (or has no means to) indicate to the client.

[FRIEND] i herd the show was sold out. did u get in?
[YOU] 403

or

[FRIEND] how’d it go last night with that new girl???
[YOU] 403

404 = Not Found
The document at the specified URI does not exist.

[FRIEND] is there any parking outside the place? did you find any?
[YOU] 404

or

[FRIEND] where teh frak r you??? weve been waiting for 2 hrs now…
[YOU] 404

or, [*advanced*] as an inverted request, signalling “i’m lost”:

[YOU] 404
[FRIEND] 2 blks n of armitage at dickens, 3rd bldng on right

405 = Method Not Allowed
This code is given with the Allow header and indicates that the method used by the client is not supported for this URI.

[FRIEND] can i bring my dogs to the theater?
[YOU] 405

406 = Not Acceptable
The URI specified by the client exists, but not in a format preferred by the client. Along with this code, the server provides the Content-Language, Content-Encoding, and Content-Type headers.

[FRIEND] sup doo000000d?? im bringin 2 transvestites and some bondage gear to yr party tonite!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! RAWK on!
[YOU] 406

409 = Conflict
This code indicates that the request conflicts with another request or with the server’s configuration. Information about the conflict should be returned in the data portion of the reply.

[FRIEND] can you meet me @ 4:30 @ filter today?
[YOU] 409: dentist appt

410 Gone
This code indicates that the requested URI no longer exists and has been permanently removed from the server.

[FRIEND] what happend to that cute roomate you had?
[YOU] 410

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[tags]sms, mobile, geek, funny, humor, text messaging, culture[/tags]

The International Chiptune Resistance Tour invaded Chicago on Sunday, June 4th at Deadtech–a gallery on the west side that hosts “Dorkbot,” a regular show and tell for people doing interesting things with technology. Less a presentation than a straight up rock show, the Tour features two Gameboy musicians, Nullsleep and Bitshifter, using the sequencer programs Little Sound DJ and Nanoloop. The event’s description forebode the sonic onslaught in store for the evening:

The familiar beeps, clicks, and tones of obsolete game hardware, repurposed into arresting laser-guided melodies and low-res, hard-hitting precision rhythms — all delivered at high volume from standard-issue handhelds and home gaming consoles. The machines are small, the sound is gigantic, the scope is worldwide, the advance is unstoppable. Prepare your defenses.

A row of tables flanked by two PA speakers were set up at once end of the small–and already warming as people filtered in–windowless gallery. At one end were six or eight Gameboys that were plugged into a Mackie mixer. Nulsleep, apparently MCing the night, made an introduction and then implored the crowd to ditch the chairs they were sitting on and move towards the front, because “rocking out in front of a bunch of seated people would be weird.” Apparently agreeing, the crowd congregated towards the middle-front and the chairs were pushed into the far back of the space.

Saskrotch opened with a drill-n-carnage set consisting mostly of 8bit notes digitally-signal-processed into a breakcore-ish array with the occasional movie sample. The crowd nodded and clapped politley when appropriate but seemed more interested in the pizza on the table at the side and the small fridge full of High Life next to it.

Nullsleep grabbed the mic after Saskrotch’s set and suggested the crowd imbibe more beer and gave a short intermission that allowed them to do so. Bitshifter stepped up to the row of Gameboys and opened with a catchy track from his latest album, The Information Chase, freely downloadable from the 8bitpeoples label [MP3s here].

Here’s a video of the beginning of Bitshifter’s set [mirror1].

The small group of dancers at the back left moved to the front left and their infectious energy turned that side into a dance party.

Check out the video of the dancers [mirror1].

His last track was the highlight of his set. Check out the video of Bitshifter rocking out. [mirror1]
Following up was Nullsleep, who maintained the energy of Bitshifter’s set, but periodically addressed the audience with comments about the tour or his gear.

Here he’s extolling the glories of a modified cartridge that lets you store songs on an SD memory card, which allowed him to keep his whole set on one Gameboy.

Here’s the crowd loving his set.

After succumbing to the request for an encore, Nullsleep thanked the crowd, divulged that he had blown through 8 credit cards on the tour, and mentioned that they had t-shirts for sale. Everyone crowded around the table, snagging buttons, t-shirts and CDs. The t-shirts feature a Russian-constructivist / airforce design with a raised Powerglove. Hilarious.

Music (MP3s - right click, save as):
Bitshifter - “The Information Chase” The Information Chase. 8BitPeoples
Nullsleep - “Enjoy The Silence” Depeche Mode Megamix. 8BitPeoples

Here’s a few more links to explore:
Nulsleep video on Coolhunting
Bitshifter video on Coolhunting
Micromusic.net. An 8bit music site (Registration required)
Scene.org. A demoscene website with computer game music
VGmusic Has MIDI files of Gameboy music from games

Drag that Speak-N-Spell out of storage, grab a soldering iron, and head to NYC in April! The Bent 2006 festival will showcase the fine art of circuit-bending, or “the creative short-circuiting of low voltage, battery-powered electronic audio devices such as guitar effects, children’s toys and small synthesizers to create new musical instruments and sound generators” [via Wikipedia]. There’ll be performances, installations, and hands-on workshops, so you can get a C-B guru to walk you through the process of getting that plastic kid’s piano you got at Target to sound like a psychadelic banshee in a food processor.Excellent circuit bent instruments are available from Pete Edwards at Casperelectronics (see photo) and Robotspeak in San Francisco.

We just added an entire spectrum of photovoltaic backpacks & messenger bags by Voltaic systems.
I’m thinking these would be *perfect* at something like Burning Man, Coachella, M3, Fuse-IN / Movement / DEMF, the Muteks, or any other outdoor festival where you need to keep your gadgets charged and there’s not an AC outlet in sight. And (at Burning Man, specifically), you could make all sorts of new friends with your excellent charging-powers as long as the sun’s out.

In honor of the Alcohol Appreciation Day, I would like to share my recipe for a nerdy drink:

NERD COCKTAIL
- 1 oz melon liqueur (Midori, DeKuyper etc)
- 1 oz Blue Curacao liqueur
- 1 oz lemonade or bar lemon mix

Fill a highball glass with ice cubes. Pour in the melon liqueur and Blue Curacao and then top it off with the lemonade. Garnish with a lemon flag–that’s a cherry skewered between two ends of a thinly-sliced lemon (like Lemonade-Coated Wild Cherry Nerds, get it?). Imbibe!