Firstly, a clarification. When I use the word 'hacker' I am not talking about computer crime. The word hacker predates the internet and is used by real hackers to refer to a really clever person. That's all it means. The [bad word removed]s who steal your credit card info, write virsus, and crash websites have stolen the word and made it dirty. When I talk about hackers I am refering to 'white hat' hackers, who are just clever people who love messing around with technology. Criminal hackers I will refer to as 'black hat' hackers, 'crackers', or '[naughty language]s'. As you can tell I feel very strongly about this issue, and if you ever want to hear a rant on the subject feel free to ask me about it.

So anyways, I found a hackerspace in my hometown today and I am so totally stoked! For those of you who don't know, a hackerspace is a workshop where people interested in technology get together to build, teach, and mess around. If you find one you can join up with them and make all kinds of cool stuff. It's kinda like a robotics lab, a software development firm, a video game company, a design firm, and a DND circle all rolled into one! As you can tell I think that this is the coolest idea ever, and that's because it is! I mean come on! What's cooler than a place where you can find a ready supply of technology experts ready and willing to help you with your own pet projects. A rollerskating chicken you say? True, but those are much harder to find and tend to make a bit of a mess.

So anyways, this place is awesome and the people working there are all working on some sick projects. There's one dude who's making a 3D printer that (is supposed to) print out new 3D printers. Tell me that's not cool. Plus, this means that my plan to make a working mini-sentry gun from TF2 is back on track and I'm even considering adding a wrangler function again! (By the way, if anyone has any advice on making a mini-sentry, please tell me.) I'm hoping to use the 3D printer to print out the barrel and maybe even the casing for the gun instead of just making it out of wood like I planned at first.

So, blog summery time: Hackers rock, h4X0rz suck, rollerskating chickens are cool, and I found me the coolest workshop ever. All in all I'd have to say this day has been pretty good.

Mister Chippy, signing off. (Isn't it so cool how I've decided to end each blog post by saying that? Don't answer that, just let me keep thinking it's cool.)