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I sent something similar to a friend who gave me two audio amplifier boards:-

I've failed with the PAM8403 audio boards. Removing the 22nF capacitors seems to tie output to supply Voltage. This may be due my poor unsoldering or the 22nF capacitors having oscillator functionality in addition to blocking DC drift from audio input. It may be possible to connect the 22nF capacitors to ground (for the purpose of oscillation?) and connect signal behind the capacitors (for the purpose of permitting DC drift for motor control).

People at my makerspace are quite amused that a turtle or tank robot could be controlled with stereo audio output and an 80 cent audio amplifier. Four or more PAM8403 chips multiplexed with a 4052 chip or suchlike and controlled with two or more GPIO pins would be particularly cheap but effective.

After a technical argument at the makerspace about Lego motor specifications, it was determined that approximately all Lego motors (from 3V to 9V, excluding servo motors) may be compatible with a PAM8403. This applies much more generally - if a PAM8403 chip can be made to work with a DC offset.

Also, two of the amateur radio enthusiasts and electronics experts at the makerspace were particularly impressed by the size and cost of PAM8403 boards. However, they confirmed that D-Class amplifiers cannot be ganged.

If anyone can get this working then you'll be *very* popular.

First Amendment group threatens to sue Trump for blocking Twitter users

A legal group has asked Donald Trump to unblock users who have offended him on Twitter, saying that the blocks violate the First Amendment. In a letter, the Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University argued that Trump’s Twitter account was a public forum, and banning users from viewing or engaging with his tweets suppresses free speech. “The President must not be allowed to banish views from public discourse simply because he finds them objectionable,” writes Knight Institute executive director Jameel Jaffer. “Having opened this forum to all comers, the President can’t exclude people from it merely because he dislikes what they’re saying.”

This is NOT about cooking at home or historical influences on cuisines; it's about profit, ownership, and wealth in a white supremacist culture.

White people are nearly 50% more likely than people of color (POC) to own a business in the state of Oregon. Ownership builds wealth in ways that employment does not. The racial wealth and small business lending gaps in the US are pronounced, which allows white folks to open new businesses more easily. These white-owned businesses hamper the ability for POC to run successful businesses of their own (cooking their own cuisines) by either consuming market share with their attempt at authenticity or by modifying foods to market to white palates. Their success further perpetuates the problems stated above. It's a cyclical pattern that will require intentional behavior change to break. If you've come here in anger, please read at least a couple of these articles before continuing to the list on the next tab below.

In the meat of the spreadsheet at the "Restaurants List" tab, we have

"Many people have asked for us to list alternatives owned by people of color (POC), so we have updated the list to include the nearest (in cuisine and distance) POC-owned restaurant to each of the appropriative restaurants. If you look at these two lists and you have visited more of the red than the green, please ask yourself why.

Note that the backgrounds of the people of color who own the listed restaurants do not necessarily match the cuisine they serve. We could have limited the list to only people selling their own cuisine, but we made the decision not to in order to make a point. If this seems like hypocrisy from the standards set for white-owned restaurants, you haven't understood why white appropriation is a problem.

White business owners wield economic and ""cultural capital"" advantages over POC business owners, so they are ""punching down"" by appropriating cuisines from people who are disadvantaged in comparison. A Vietnamese person opening a Japanese restaurant does not have the same impact as a non-Hispanic white person opening a Mexican restaurant. Healthy cultural exchange can and does occur when the playing field is relatively even, but appropriation is a demonstration of power that perpetuates inequities.

I think this double standard speaks for itself despite the rationalizing of the last paragraph. But is it real or a clever hoax?

Statement on coverage of Seth Rich murder investigation

Published May 23, 2017 Fox News
On May 16, a story was posted on the Fox News website on the investigation into the 2016 murder of DNC Staffer Seth Rich. The article was not initially subjected to the high degree of editorial scrutiny we require for all our reporting. Upon appropriate review, the article was found not to meet those standards and has since been removed.

We will continue to investigate this story and will provide updates as warranted.

Every Sunday I do my ironing. I have to wear reasonably "smart" clothes to work four days a week and on Friday we're allowed to dress down. Every Sunday night, depending on how tired I am, I try to iron four shirts and a pair of trousers.

It has always occurred to me that ironing clothes is a waste of time and energy. It serves no purpose other than to adhere to a social convention. If I were putting Lean Six Sigma onto my life, I think it would probably come under the category of "necessary waste" since it is there to comply with the law (an unwritten social law enforced by the Central Scrutinizer) which adds no value to the value stream.

I just found a calculation I did about three years ago to work out the impact to atmospheric carbon dioxide emissions that ironing clothes causes.

I used official UK government statistics on the proportion of electricity generated by fossil fuels and the carbon dioxide gas produced.

I have no idea if these links are still valid.

Carbon Dioxide (Equivalent) Emissions from Electricity Generation (2013)

Historical elctricity data: 1920 to 2013

For my calculations. my electrical iron is rated at 2kW and I estimated the heater to be operational 50% of the time. It takes me about 5 minutes to iron a single item, and I do 5 at a time.

To cut a long story short, I calculated that in the UK, given 2013 electricity generation data, 1 million of me doing my ironing would produce about 244.5 Te of carbon dioxide gas.

Here's my data:

Constants
Seconds per Minute    60
kcal/joule 0.000239005736
1 billion 1000000000
Seconds per Hour 3600
1 million 1000000

Iron Power (W)    2000
Time to Iron (mins)    5
Time Heating (%) 50
Energy per Item (J) 300000
Energy per Item (kcal) 71.7017208

MtCO2e 178.5
Energy Supplied (Gwh) 304155

CO2(kg) 178500000000
Energy Supplied (J) 1.094958E+018
Mass of CO2/unit energy (kg/J)    1.63019951450193E-07

CO2e(kg) per item ironed     0.048905985435058

CO2e(kg) per million items ironed 48905.9854350578
CO2(Te) per million items ironed 48.9059854350578

Items/person/week 5
1 Million People (Te)    244.529927175289

I've been documenting work (and re-using some code from an under-funded project which came to a grinding halt when my last SD card burned out). As part of the documenting process, I've been dubbing audio on OpenOffice presentations. I've automated this process and the workflow is conceptually simple: .odp -> .pdf -> .png -> (quite a few more steps) -> .mp4 container with H.264 video at 10 frames per second and MP3 audio at a maximum of 128kb/s quality.

Software requirements are as follows: Unix type operating system with bash, make and perl on command path, OpenOffice or LibreOffice on command path, pdftocairo or pdftoppm on command path, ffmpeg or avconv on command path.

The directory structure is relatively simple (compared to previous projects). Populate a leaf directory with the given Makefile and an OpenOffice presentation with any name. (Or a PowerPoint presentation, if you really insist.) If multiple presentations exist in a directory, the one which numerically sorts last is chosen. This allows crude versioning to occur within a directory. Anyhow, with these two files present, type:-

make slides

and the directory will be populated with .png files - one for every slide in the presentation. (This workflow specifically doesn't work with animated images or embedded video. Feel free to add features as required. Likewise, script may fail to batch convert .odp to .pdf if OpenOffice or LibreOffice is running in foreground. Feel free to detect or correct this problem.)

With your preferred image viewer, step through slides and record audio for the presentation. Edit audio and place .wav or .mp3 with any name in the same directory. If multiple audio files exist in a directory, the one which numerically sorts last is chosen. This further allows crude versioning to occur within a directory.

Next comes the tricky part: slide transition times defined in a .csv file. The .csv file should be in the following format:-

01,1:06
02,2:33
03,5:04

where the first column is the slide number and the second column is the absolute time within the audio at which the slide should be *discarded*. (So, the last entry should be the duration of the audio plus maybe a small margin of error.) Times may be specified in seconds; minutes and seconds; hours, minutes and seconds; all with or without fractional values. Times are rounded down to the nearest 0.1 second.

Numbers in the first column should follow the numerical format of pdftocairo and therefore some slides may require one or more leading zeros.

With the audio track and transition times present, type:-

make this

and wait for the presentation to be made at 1024×768 pixels, 512×384 pixels, 256×192 pixels and audio only.

If making multiple presentaions, the second optional Makefile provides additional functionality for directory recursion and consistent titling across multiple presentations. Specifically, branch directories form sections and subsections. Each section (and suchlike) may optionally have one slide (plus audio) which prefixes every video and may optionally have one slide (plus audio) which suffixes every video. These "bookends" may be nested such that a video may be of the form:-

• common title
• section prefix
• subsection prefix
• content
• subsection suffix
• section suffix
• further info

However, this configuration is significantly more fiddly and knocks all of the timings in the .csv files.

I'll be using these scripts to process about 800 slides in 60 presentations. However, I've yet to record the accompanying audio. This will require about two minutes of audio per slide and, for me, before audio editing, that requires at least five minutes per slide with a hot microphone plus additional time to practice. So, I've got at least 4000 minutes of talking and I'll require significantly more time to edit and check my work.

Understandably, this task got me thinking about accelerated learning and it is my belief that 400 hours of finished presentations could form the vast bulk of a rigorous degree education.

Script to make one presentation:-

begin 644 Makefile.gz
M'XL(`!6B'UD"`[T8:7/;MO)S^"MV:+DB)8&'?"5RE,AM_5)/ZR23>-+WQO*+
M*1*24),$'T'*<FSWMW?!0P=U.)V7-!F3Q![8Q6)/[9BIB,T!"TT:3B!P;JBB
M[,"[B(;OAD/F4C@+HI@*`1<<3E*/<?,3\RB']PBD8>(DC(?P$P\G-!;XB;S:
M3WK;LH_@8DPE0O`X86E@*#N(DPBK;=L@$B=.YH`V"&="Y^N#ROJPLCY:6N]7
MZ/<K]/M5^O9^95VA;U?H]ZRE]8&UK.^!O5]9/\_7"/"92`Q73$",>>I[,*#`
MAY"@;88\#CH$23B`R_TT",'N0)@&-&:NXX-(\0*FDEKX:'*X9<D8?.IX+!S!
M%QIS82PQMSO@I7%^(;@W>$Q$OG,'+`1!71YZ`F['-$;!L>-**I0Q<?R4"G`0
M&O,T]*@''K\-(>%@F[95,!KR(*G(-#<].C%%@DJ`$WKY4BJ#KG.'APU8`A'>
MN#-@/DON,DXW\XX$S,A)QF;"S2'GYL")R<#Y8OXO3:=2W)1&!.%$PB6"2(1R
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MP9MC0E%<O(?P,[,ZRC,2!T"&P((1:1A1.*I`$C$#".9CQ"Q"T#*)!-6T7+@^
MP]A6>W]Z=/B\1.W-40=V>[KW?'\-IGUP.+5?M-=@8LX3(XCV9H":EIG6ULD6
M27.BS3+G-)NESV@R%7+CH>7H5'H*Y+CN=4%EZ=?PPP_(<W[RZZD.I:45)8L"
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M_ZZ5?0<,XSNW8W%KBU*DU/G&?R(-0I!M"]$3_,%D&\$6W+J(6_`(29QYA(3C
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MQ\77K3.IY,EYL)'`B<!"2V4?=L>IV&W1*HAQ`,O;:DTOX[6XDN^KT@`7MI7]
M^[OZ%95AJ5=9SA`\C9-Q"W`>D(VI;/^*'C6[Q<4\@/UG%JG/,4+\5Y@2\$6(
M#'4,(L,PU2D"##7?:2Y%E8Z,_$BFW\]CG^F/C^5*7=$?W;\4E\EYF0EM-E>D
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M*V4LG6VCP++G%6PZN]*L4D""H_#-5]QI(;D<H[[R)!NX9NI@2Q+.%'+'U+T1
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M).WBG/HD<3&GR$%@09_9SV+;!^UM9(M:;*,K%!AP?D-##RVI>$C]F;51'<WU
MP#"D`8,;C\7R-Z8?3SZ>ZG7T-!?[WBB&!M2QA)7P19;$B7$V+WZP(_PVI+&L
M/%A0RFT,)*EG)JII;WY[]Z.^I-]UF:"6MW3_-G^148J>>UG=T1>&YWB1:35'
MY!OGW`.D:&\GF7[9CD_BE)9FM3MK^L!*8X#@;+[$J0&TWLF'-Y_R!@QZHU;>
M]:A2AOIHJ*9JJ(VB@Y!#QF.!E^90'[MY(P;8B.&81Z?4U=0R%(I;5O4ZG&-R
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F9WGA'/6[]F1=:.[^9S?8]<CN+[OGNQ^OUVB(&>(O29%TT_H7````
`
end

Optional script to make multiple presentations:-

begin 644 Makefile.gz
M'XL(`#NB'UD"`\U7>5/;1A3_&WV*5R%'DD&'Q6$P<0:2>A*F)702AK9#&"Q+
M*WN#KM%*PN;(9^];R?(%>*"E3&!&N_ONW[ZWN\^KOQ@92XP>#0T2YA#8ET00
M5N$X)N&QYU&'P&$0)X0Q.(G@('-I9)Q2ET3P!Q))F-HIC4+X$(4Y21A.45?Y
MH%IFHPDG`\(9+$I2F@6ZL(H\SC"MA@4LM9-T2F@"LW,R65O6W'IS@;]I;<^O
M-\RY]98YK[_5V%Q8[Y1K)&2,0.2!X9+<8*E+0[!#MUQ>DR3"'1F!3P.:0HQ`
M[![U:3K2!:'SUTGG<Z-MYU00;-]O@>,3.[R@)J0#RH2554B(DR6,Z,)*3!(?
M-`+RU8#Z1'&)1T/B*I(T:+^M&T>XYQ[2WZGJ#2?]8,:W"=$P(K;'1BPE@2(Z
M+L@B_J-4,>X5^0)T+ZIWLB!4(;2$E20`S0,:]+6Z'H?]BH"I].A0EY0R?+6B
ML\R;IY>VIJ@0T*OA*7R6B/A>MOAF.D6%I:!';@QI!'KL>L(*B\H:U;0!L5V?
MEZFFC44UE$(AZ/I(=$'+H5XHWT)J4PR_T87;6_@FK$18ZR]AQZ>]A+R$(<_V
M&>&@HYB?+DSO:+V8!Q2+M42NE7F;M<5M3VW]`.M=6<9AYONH@&RTL41CF3'4
M#_*EWA[G38*=J<:9A'+A(J&<CHLTBF,4QR5HS+%]@ONF#:%AXJ&?$D;0;)K`
MZ8!S_/S))39!^P3-[9UE*#&*\3X7SAR;XBE_#7>3M$ZAHU.$GO,+%7?)SCD'
M-#^*8NZ#%CO6*,0TIY7C/=0;6MOH-<5[#&.FPPLO2&&4Y9N6&8.68%!CG<E)
MKIQ[04SZ_Y/M$M@C\5O_PH?UQ/A?R':5&#?K@<W?.'T&#;V'&DFS"?=\V\'A
MRL[GCAP6`>DG)`99.;.UZ_,S4]L]KY]AU6SOG&NWY4VLRK.UH@5V#":"*2:-
MEKT`K<"`)!N">`.K<X`O$F'IO5M]8<]^7@0]Y#7,XN\)<!;*C-Y+YW^"U=C8
M:NXBK/(I?)G$+#ZK#R;F9T3P<&(>@U,D1NA%T24)7=:J.J!7:Q@JSV7/P'R\
M3XNNX=4"*%V6[HE+T]:T-7E.^_&L%N.);83@4I9>4`M#4C!Z78<W;R"X=&D"
MLJ2\/_C:465L`QV\(N,$ZB#KNE'19U6P7\=6)LP"DE!'BZY"@FN'/^N5&1U%
MY"(L2?GX^_%[=:YFNU6US)MTGJT_O@9X2Y%X"^'VKRGBV"VBFC)*PZ5V#R6L
MY2+#Z^7\-,DFV]IHS=26%R5847[;W,/OVQW^75M3;Y!,;&<`DN2"LG_PY>.I
M>A-G;`#[_75)ZGP^O1&Y#_%.%PU1%^N&.$1-'<7O[L9\OAWB7?M[1$-%!'%]
MOZ_ND2%Q%%%2C@Y^ZZ@PSK*(I[XJ7)!Y8?3E<HR+T6%Y,?*+I9C@U2)78/CO
M!C+D/W.`!]1&X[\>?E$USM4DY>3PJ*.*/''S3ANE_E09E=IB-[YRL289<8$-
M];HQ'(Y7,C-*B]5S@M]R_NA'D@Q#[A:NQRYX+.C#M5,":[6_:T'-U6J?:D>U
0K]T'(C0%X1^4/-2PZ`X`````
`
end

(Usual instructions for uudecode process.)

Too much going on in the world. Can't get anything done.

Defenders or enablers? [foxnews.com]

I was reading this article and thought it might be a good submission as a follow up to the post about Comey's firing.

I held back, as I thought it might already be referenced in the comments. As such, I went back and, as I was reading through the comments, came across this gem from VLM:

Could someone explain the Russia conspiracy theory?

It seems to be anointed queen in waiting lost because she sucked and the electorate hates her although the elites love her, therefore someone is to blame, and it can't be her and it can't be the D party leadership, so obviously it was gremlins or space aliens or ... I know, Russians!

Is there anything to it beyond "argh matey here be tinfoil internet pirate hats"

This got me thinking about the various ways in which we (Americans) have allowed ourselves to be divided, and discussion has devolved into demonization and wacky conspiracy theories.

I posted the following as a response (with minor changes) to VLM:

Regardless of whether the outcome would have been the same, the Russians continue to use active measures (as they have for decades) to influence public opinion in countries of interest for them. This includes the US, UK, France, much of the former Soviet bloc and FSM (okay, FSB) knows where else.

The rise of social media and the ridiculous conspiracy theories^* of the right in the US have primed the public to accept fake news (that is, lies intended to pollute public discourse) as long as it comports with their existing biases. That, and demonizing political opponents has weakened our political system and allowed folks like the Russians to muddy the waters and make it more difficult for us to work together to address the issues we all face.

It's appropriate that we all stand together to identify and understand how our public discourse and political system are being affected by those who wish to weaken, destabilize and/or harm the US.

^*Partial list of right-wing conspiracy theories. Feel free to add any left-wing ones you think appropriate.
Pizzagate
Birtherism
Jade Helm
Common Core will turn your kids gay
Agenda 21
Sharia Law coming to your town
Plans for firearms confiscation
FEMA Concentration Camps
Clinton death squads

I posit that by promoting bald-faced lies as truth and attempting to discredit those with whom we disagree, we open ourselves up to just the sort of stuff that Russia has been trying (and with the expansion of news bubbles, aided by social media, being more successful) to do for decades.

I chose not to submit the Reuters article, as it seemed to be more of a piece with the Comey firing article. What's more, even though many sources were cited, the core source(s) were anonymous. I'm sure that if there's truth to the allegations, we'll hear more about it soon.

All the same, it seems appropriate for the US to examine the role of external actors on its political and information ecosystems.

Just because the folks attempting to sway public opinion with lies are doing so at the expense of your political enemies, they are not your friends, and should not be defended or given a pass on their interference in our system.

Such actors are a threat to our national interests and should be treated as such by all of us.

I guess the question becomes, are you an American first, or a [Republican|Democrat|Libertarian|Alt-Right|Communist|Socialist|Whatever] first?

I'm an American. And my fellow Americans (regardless of political stripe) are valued members of my society. Let's work together to make our country successful for all of us. Doing so will benefit society as a whole, socially, economically and politically.