The Joy Of Destroying One's Shopping

Yesterday I heard Richard Stallman speak on copyright and community. He started off by talking about the four freedoms that software should have to be considered truly free: the freedom to run the software, the freedom to modify the software for one’s own needs, the freedom to redistribute copies so one can help one’s neighbor, and the freedom to improve the program, and release the improvements to the public, so that the whole community benefits. Of these, he noted, only the first two apply to physical objects rather than software.

It’s fun to buy something with the intention of destructively modifying it right away. I’m trying to build up a computer soundcard interface for my transceiver out of bits and bobs you can find at Radio Shack and OfficeMax. Today’s foray was to OfficeMax to pick a keyboard/mouse extension cable of which I promptly cut off one end. I just need the 6-pin connector at one end and bare wires at the other. No luck so far in getting the interface to work — I’m still getting the same RF noise back into the receiver as when I did when I wired it straight using a mono audio cable with 1/8” plugs. But that’s tinkering for you.