“Controlling the Assault of Non- Solicited Pornography and Marketing” (CAN-SPAM) Act of 2003

30 01 2009

The CAN-SPAM act is essentially the law on what email is considered “Spam” mail and what is considered “Junk” mail. Just because I send out a message to 5 billion people stating that I cut my hair, don’t make it spam….. I haven’t read the whole thing through myself yet, but I do plan on it.

Essentially, it out lines what spam is and when it is illegal.

For a good overview, Read This: http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/consumerfacts/canspam.html

Written by: John Minton



California “Shine The Light Law” 2005

30 01 2009

This is going to be short, but I thought it was kind of neat.

The California “Shine The Light Law” CA Civil Code 1798.83, effective January 1, 2005:

Essentially, this law states that a business that sends you Junk Mail, or otherwise is required by law to disclose to you where they got your information from. This doesn’t effect all businesses though.

Read more about it here:

http://www.privacyrights.org/ar/SB27Release.htm

I sure could use this!

Written by: John Minton



Build Your Own Electric Drumset

30 01 2009

So someone pointed me to this page (I forget who….) and I thought it was worth mentioning:

http://www.electronicdrums.com/pads/pads2.htm

Essentially electric drum heads are nothing more than a piezoelectric “microphones” attached to something similar to a drum head. So when you hit the drumstick onto the pad, the pad then hits the piezoelectric “microphone”. A piezoelectric “microphone” is much like a regular mic, but it works differently as it picks up the shock wave of the drumstick hitting the practice pad and not really the sound.. A piezoelectric microphone is much like a switch mixed with a variable resistor. So the switch / piezoelectric mic picks up the drum being hit hard and soft, and send the signal to the electric drum computer, or midi controller, where it then plays a sound - Usually that of a drum.

A practice drum head is like a drum, but only the part fo the drum you hit, and it makes little sound. It is used to practice playing, with out the noise.

The website above instructs you to take a Remo Practice Pad apart and add some electronics to it. Real drum triggers can be very expensive. So this is the cheap way to go about adding more drums to your electronic set.

If you have a midi controller that has input for triggers (the drum heads) then you can turn your drum set into an instrument, or drums and an instrument….the possibilities become limitless wheny ou have a TON of drum heads!

If anyone tries this, comment and maybe send me some pics, I would love to post them up!!

Written by: John Minton