DorkbotPDX people doing strange things with electricity

Come join us this evening at Someday Lounge. We've been invited to bring our particular brand of dorkiness and geekdom and show it off. This will be much like our usual meetings (so bring your toys!) but we'll also be giving folks the opportunity to make a lot of noise and get up on the stage.

The fun begins at 9PM and among the activities will be:

• Don, performing on the computer-enhanced bass guitar
• Jason and Jared, aka CRM114 Discriminator, performing an avant/noise piece originally premiered at ToorCamp
• Simran, with the feedback organ

For those who didn't notice (like me, this was actually pointed out in our IRC channel by breedx), the Mercury choose our very own little meeting next week for their Monday pick:

MONDAY, JUNE 8

Some of the most hardcore tech tinkerers in town gather at the semi-monthly DorkbotPDX meeting, showing off their newest creations and interfacing in the optimum environment for efficient socialization. Bring your own toys, too, but theirs are probably better. WR

So, this last Sunday I finally had time to attend one of the open lab workshops Don has been hosting for a while now. I went hoping to either finish putting together the Benito kit I had been sitting on for months now or to build a Lo-fi Arduino guitar pedal.

It appears that at least a few people might be having issues sending email to the blabber list. If you're one of these people, please email me directly (tlockney AT gmail DOT com) and let me know the details. I'll contact the folks running the dorkbot.org servers and try to get it all straightened out.

Ok, I just realized I haven't sent anything out yet... but there WILL be a meeting tomorrow at the NW Lucky Lab. I'm too damn tired to think of anything witty to say, just show up, bring something interesting if you've got anything new to show off, or maybe bring a friend!

Anyway, here's the deal if you haven't been before. We meet at 7PM at the NW Lucky Lab (**NOT** the Hawthorne location). We should be easy to find -- just look for the geeks with all the crazy stuff lying on the table. If I remember, I'll even bring my DorkbotPDX banner. Anyway, come join us -- we don't bite.

You know you've been sitting there thinking "why don't those two weeks go by faster? I *NEED* my DorkbotPDX fix, now!"

Well, I'm here to tell you that your wait is nearly over. In just 4 days time you can satisfy that need to hang out and socialize (a frightening concent, I know) with other freaks and geeks. Of course, I know there's a lot of newcomers out there, so don't be afraid -- we don't bite (well, Don might, but I'll leave that one for you to find out).

Bring your toys, your ideas and most of all your ability to have fun. We take all kinds and we don't turn anyone away.

Ok, sorry if this spiel sounds familiar... I'm going on fumes at the moment and just wanted to get this out:

It's time again to break out the breadboards, shine up the solder joints and light up the LEDs with your good friends in DorkbotPDX. We'll be meeting once again to mull over strange ideas (involving electricity, of course), hash out plans for world domination and, as always, drink beer. Come join us, bring along a project if you have one and can fit it in your preferred mode of transport, and make yourself known to your fellow Portland dorks.

When: Monday, April 14th, 7pm

Thanks to the wonderful efforts of Mark, Jason and Jared, we now have videos up of the proceedings from DorkbotPDX 0x01. Check them out here: http://www.vimeo.com/album/10961

Also, there's now a Vimeo channel for DorkbotPDX, too, which will be the place to see all sorts of videos from the various goings on of our fine group: http://www.vimeo.com/dorkbotpdx

Ok, so here's the scoop: tomorrow night (that's Thursday for those who aren't keeping count) we're going to be getting down for some tried and true geekery at everyone's favorite downtown hacker hangout, Backspace.

So, bring yourself and your hacked gear down and show off your 1337 skills. We'll be sitting around staring at our monitors until you show up. Be there at 7PM if you want the good seats! Bring a friend or two for bonus points. ;~)

So, it's come to my attention (thanks to Audrey and Mark) that TechShop is going to be opening a Portland facility sometime in the middle of 2008. For those of you who don't know about it, TechShop is pure geek heaven. It's a DIY facility that stocks the tools to build pretty much anything. You can become a member at various levels and have access to everything from machine tools to laser cutters and probably any sort of woodworking device you can imagine. Guy Kawasaki did a great walk through of the original Menlo Park location.