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On 2/15/2012 4:29 PM, Stewart Dickson wrote:
<blockquote cite="mid:4F3C4DFB.60108@Emsh.CalArts.edu" type="cite">
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On 2/15/12 3:28 PM, Mitch Altman wrote:
<blockquote cite="mid:4F3C236C.1080009@CornfieldElectronics.com"
type="cite">
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<br>
And I'm ready for TechKnowledge on 1-March (though 8am is *not*
my usual time of day)!<br>
</blockquote>
Yeah, that's 6:00AM San Francisco time, but it's in the middle of
the afternoon Paris time. :)<br>
You will actually be here on Thursday, 23-Feb, too -- although I
suppose you'll be resting up from your trip? =) I'll be doing
the radio show that morning, too. Every Thursday from 8 to 9.<br>
</blockquote>
<br>
I may be too tired to be conscious at 6am SF time after flying in
the night before (and taking the train directly from Chicago to
Champaign). So, I better not commit. Let's talk the night of the
22nd and see how things are. I get into Champaign on the train at
about 10:30pm.<br>
<br>
Here's my cell phone:<br>
415-377-5993<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<blockquote cite="mid:4F3C4DFB.60108@Emsh.CalArts.edu" type="cite">
<blockquote cite="mid:4F3C236C.1080009@CornfieldElectronics.com"
type="cite"> If gmc survived staying with you, then I'm sure I
can too. (Hi gmc! Cool that you've visited my old home town.
:)<br>
<br>
I am booked nights from 26-Feb through 2-March, for Unit One.
But am open for giving a talk any day or night after that. And
if I can stay at your place, Stewart, then I can stay till the
date we choose. What day is cool? <br>
</blockquote>
So, your return trip is open-ended? 6-March-... How many days
did you have in mind? </blockquote>
<br>
I fly home from Chicago on 13-March. But I'd like to visit with
some family and friends up there for a few days. I have to leave
the Unit One apartment on the morning of the 6th. If I'll be going
to the meeting at the Urbana Free Library on the 7th, I'll need to
stay at least till that night. The last train leaves at 6:49pm each
night, so I could leave on the 8th or 9th, depending on if I give an
extra talk. That cool?<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<blockquote cite="mid:4F3C4DFB.60108@Emsh.CalArts.edu" type="cite">
<blockquote cite="mid:4F3C236C.1080009@CornfieldElectronics.com"
type="cite"> And what should I talk about? Hackerspaces? How
to run your own small business? How to manufacture your project
(and make a living doing what you love)? TV-B-Gone and media
literacy? Brain Machine? Fuck the dominant paradigm (and
create supportive community)? How I went from a depressed blob
of a kid to a jet-setting crazy-haired inventor who loves my
life? Something else (I take requests)?<br>
</blockquote>
I, personally am fascinated to hear about HackerSpaces in
Africa. Geeks & Depression seems<br>
to be (for better or worse) unique to NoiseBridge? Or is it?
I'd like to hear about that.<br>
</blockquote>
<br>
I wish that geeks & depression was unique to Noisebridge. But,
unfortunately, a huge percentage of geeks are well acquainted with
depression all over the world. I haven't seen any studies, but it
wouldn't surprise me if geeks suffered from depression more than
society at large. Growing up geek now isn't as bad as it used to
be, now that almost everyone uses gadgets, and everyone knows that
it is up to geeks to create all those cool gadgets. But it's still
not easy growing up geeky. Being different is such a horrible thing
as a kid. And many of us were teased or bullied or brutalized. And
that makes us escape into our geeky realms, which keeps us from
learning to effectively deal with others, which makes us more of a
target for bullies, which makes us want to escape more into our
geeky realms (and later in life, into other means of escape), and
the vicious cycle continues. And as we grow up, we bring our past
with us.<br>
<br>
When I wrote the blog post after my friend Ilya killed himself
<a class="moz-txt-link-rfc2396E" href="https://blog.noisebridge.net/2011/11/19/please-reach-out/"><https://blog.noisebridge.net/2011/11/19/please-reach-out/></a> I
was inundated with comments and emails. This is when it became
clear to me that starting a Geeks & Depression meetup might be
worthwhile. And now there are more Geeks & Depression meetups
around the world. The Geeks & Depression panel at 28C3 generate
lots of discussions around the world. All of this open talk about
depression has been helpful for lots of people. And maybe (who
knows) it has encouraged someone to reach out rather than harm
themselves, so that they may live another day. <br>
<br>
People are still emailing me and others who've become involved and
who've offered to be contacts whenever people want some support, or
someone to talk or write to.<br>
<br>
I'm organizing a Geeks & Depression panel for the HOPE #9
conference this July in NYC.<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<blockquote cite="mid:4F3C4DFB.60108@Emsh.CalArts.edu" type="cite">
All of those topics -- media literacy, Fuck the dominant paradigm
(and create supportive community) -- are right up the IMC's alley.<br>
<br>
I have always described the MakerSpace as "an informal incubator
for radical product design",<br>
and we have talked about what to do when a project takes on a life
of its own, goes commercial<br>
and the Intellectual Property stops belonging to the MakerSpace
Collective and starts belonging<br>
to the business. It hasn't happened here yet (that we know of),
but I think it's something that<br>
people would be interested in hearing about.<br>
</blockquote>
<br>
I'd be happy to lead a discussion about this. And/or give a talk on
whatever people like.<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<blockquote cite="mid:4F3C4DFB.60108@Emsh.CalArts.edu" type="cite">
<blockquote cite="mid:4F3C236C.1080009@CornfieldElectronics.com"
type="cite"> Also, is it still OK if I borrow soldering irons
and stands for teaching at Unit One?<br>
</blockquote>
Yes, we discussed it among the membership and everyone agreed that
it was a good idea.<br>
I volunteered to transport them -- hence, the plastic bin.<br>
</blockquote>
<br>
Awesome -- thanks!<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
Cheers,<br>
Mitch.<br>
<br>
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