Hello All,
==What?==
There is a church that has gone bankrupt, and their property is for sale.
2439 Adeline Street
Oakland, CA 94607
The appraisal value is $500k, but it is not on the market yet. (Appraisal
pdf attached). So my feeling is that we can make an offer for somewhere
around $400k if we organize quickly.
There are some pictures in the appraisal PDF.
I have set up an appointment to View the church at 8pm on Tuesday 1st
October. I'm inviting you to come see if you want.
==Communal …
[View More]Buying==
There are several ways to buy the property. I am intrigued by a multi-buyer
shared-equity approach. Where everybody that pays not necessarily equal
amounts, owns equity in not necessarily equal amounts.
There has also been an offer of lender financing if we put $178k down.
I am open to creative solutions.
==Potential Uses==
Currently it is zoned "CIX" commercial-industrial mix. That means that
officially you can only use one-third of the space for living. If we were
to get a mortgage we would need a business license. Of course thought once
you own it, there isn't zoning police that check what you do with it.
So we could make this into housing, hostel, a venue, keep it a church, have
a tiny house village on the back bit.
Again I am open to creative solutions.
==Get in touch==
If you want to come to the viewing, please email or call me (7074787023).
[View Less]
Tomorrow if you join us you might be saying Today I Learned cool things
about brain-inspired algorithms, and then had fun with
PyBrain<http://pybrain.org/>afterwards. Jointly with Counter Culture
labs, this:
Study of the brain has inspired algorithms that seek to emulate how it
functions for as long as practical computers have existed with which to try
these algorithms out. We'll look at some of the most notable of these and
find out how our understanding of the brain has given us …
[View More]powerful tools to
solve difficult problems. Get a better handle on your noggin and how it
might work with an algorithmic tour of the brain.
· Cerebellum ― Cerebellar Model Articulation Controller
· Cortex ― Perceptrons, Liquid State Networks, Long Short-Term Memory
· Hippocampus ― Hopfield network
· Thalamus ― Scale-free network Integrated systems ― Miikkulainen's
DISCERN & artificial schizophrenia experiments
· Tools & future directions
Experience as a brain owner is all that is required! We'll start at a
conceptual level suitable for the curious layperson and go deeper into the
technical details according to your interests.
http://www.meetup.com/Counter-Culture-Labs/events/140945552/
[View Less]
hey all,
the awesome foundation <http://www.awesomefoundation.org/> appears to have
expanded its chapter system beyond "fund awesome things in x city" to
include specific topic areas such as open
web<http://www.awesomefoundation.org/en/chapters/openweb>&
food <http://www.awesomefoundation.org/en/chapters/food>.
the awesome foundation model involves 10 people commiting $100 a month into
a single $1000 grant awarded every month. the ten people then pick the
grantee based …
[View More]on criteria they all agree on.
awesome foundation is accepting new chapters and from my understanding it's
not difficult to get approved. i am wondering if there is enough interest
and disposable $$ in our various communities to create a sudo- or bach- or
other topic-specific awesome foundation chapter.
to gauge the number of people who would be interested in something like
this and what kind of topic they'd like to support, please fill out yet
another google form:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/19hKmF0LODOcisqAzPPP2tlOprm-jWaisI_3GTZbKS-…
the results should be visible to everyone.
please feel free to fwd to others (bay area and non-bay-area..who cares -
we have the internet!)
i'll follow up in a week.
- marina
[View Less]
Hello Sudoers!
Tomorrow, Saturday 9/28 at 2 PM!
Alexander Honkala and I will be teaching another class. Last time, we covered some basic tenets of molecular biology, and tried to give you all a topical view of systems biology as well as comfort with the idea of coding your biology with some bio-hacking nanoparticles and/or viruses.
This time around, we will be covering "boorganic chemistry", as well as the basics of pharmacology. We will delve into methods of creating awesome molecules that …
[View More]mimic your biology, and how to use those molecules to build larger assemblies of molecules that can do stuff. Time constraints in mind, we will move at a pace that is comfortable for everyone. We want you to taste how your body interacts with things, and how it makes things to interact with itself.
Hope to see many of you there!
-AW
----------------
Andre Watson
Chief Science Officer
Ligandal Technology
(978) 496-4635
Sent from my iPhone
[View Less]
It'd be cute to make Sudoroom birth certificates
Sent from my iPhone
> On Sep 27, 2013, at 11:06 AM, sudo-discuss-request(a)lists.sudoroom.org wrote:
>
> Send sudo-discuss mailing list submissions to
> sudo-discuss(a)lists.sudoroom.org
>
> To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit
> http://lists.sudoroom.org/listinfo/sudo-discuss
> or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to
> sudo-discuss-request(a)lists.sudoroom.org
…
[View More]>
> You can reach the person managing the list at
> sudo-discuss-owner(a)lists.sudoroom.org
>
> When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific
> than "Re: Contents of sudo-discuss digest..."
>
>
> Today's Topics:
>
> 1. Re: Fwd: Proposal to mitigate issues with building (Hol Gaskill)
>
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Message: 1
> Date: Fri, 27 Sep 2013 18:06:25 +0000 (UTC)
> From: Hol Gaskill <hol(a)gaskill.com>
> To: amberyadaanimation(a)gmail.com
> Cc: sudo-discuss(a)lists.sudoroom.org
> Subject: Re: [sudo-discuss] Fwd: Proposal to mitigate issues with
> building
> Message-ID: <36401776.7538.1380305185890.JavaMail.mail@webmail09>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8"
>
>
> sudo birthing center sounds good - i made a flyer
>
> Sep 26, 2013 11:27:50 PM, amberyadaanimation(a)gmail.com wrote:
> ...oops, i mean as in the presence of children on the premises, not necessarily giving birth to them there.?
>> !
>>
>> -amber
>
>>
>> On Thu, Sep 26, 2013 at 11:25 PM, amber yada amberyadaanimation(a)gmail.com> wrote:
> what is the status on having kids in the building?
>> -amber
>>
>> On Thu, Sep 26, 2013 at 3:59 PM, Tony Barreca tony.barreca(a)gmail.com> wrote:
>
>
>> I had intended to "Reply all," but mistakenly replied only to Matt.
>
> ---------- Forwarded message ----------
>> From:
>> Tony Barreca tony.barreca(a)gmail.com>
> Date: Thu, Sep 26, 2013 at 11:20 AM
>> Subject: Re: [sudo-discuss] Proposal to mitigate issues with building
>> To: Matthew Senate mattsenate(a)gmail.com>
>
>
> These proposals strike me as practical, feasible, and necessary.?
>>
>> Perhaps more importantly, they also seem to embody a very do-ocratic response to the recent issues.? They won't make all the issues suddenly disappear, but are a huge step in the right direction.
>
>
>
>
>>
>> On Wed, Sep 25, 2013 at 9:31 PM, Matthew Senate mattsenate(a)gmail.com> wrote:
>
>
>
>
>> Proposal #1 - access/security:
> New security policy:?
>
> The last person to leave SUDO/BAPS area, or the last person in the area, will:
> - Check all 2nd floor bathrooms, hallways and stairs. (The person bottomlining any BAPS class that gets out in the evenings, should always do this before leaving, even if there are still people at SUDO.)- Make sure the rear stairwell door is deadbolted.
>
>
>
>
> - Ask anyone you don't personally recognize who they are and what they are up to. This is a great way to maintain a welcoming space.- If you are bottomlining an event, make sure you are the last one of those attending to leave, or an appropriate SUDO/BAPS member is there.
>
>
>
>
>
>> New / fix security infrastructure:?
>> - Expand intercom/door-buzz system for the 2 other tenants that rely on 22nd st, as we have done at SUDO.?- Fix the keypad system: fabricate a chassis for the unit, secure it and all cabling up off the ground to the wall, and patch whatever software may be malfunctioning on the unit. (Who set this up?)
>
>
>
>
> - Make 22nd St entrance cam feed accessible to the other 2 building tenants.- Top-of-stairs door adjacent to the bathrooms: Modify/replace door handle lockset to one which always locks - ie, is always locked from the outside, but always openable from the inside, and cannot be left unlocked unless it is propped open. In addition, install a door-closer at the top of the door.
>
>
>
>
> - Install a Public School phone or second line to sudo phone: 510-858-7145
>> Note with the above changes, SUDO/BAPS folks will always use the elevator. Everyone else, such as the other tenants on the 2nd floor that use the 22nd st entrance, will buzz people in via the intercom, then walk to the top-of-the-stairs door near the bathrooms, and let people in. And the 22nd St door will remain locked most all of the time.
>
>
>
>
>
>> Proposal #2 - Cleanliness in shared areas.
>> - Before any big events at SUDO/BAPS, whoever is bottomlining the event should stock the bathrooms with extra TP. I am going to ask Laurie to pay for the TP or include it in our utilities etc., and that it be stored in a space we can get to.
>
>
>
>
> - After any big events, the persons bottomlining it check the bathrooms before leaving- empty the trash, take the trash bag and the key to the trashroom/roll-up door in the alley, empty it, and put in a fresh bag. There are two keys for the trash room, one in SUDO room and one in BAPS (both hanging on a hook on the wall.) Trash bags are found under the sink in the common area, as well as in SUDO room. Note there are also small bags for the compost containers.
>
>
>
>
> - replace any missing / run-out TP
>
>> _______________________________________________
> sudo-discuss mailing list
> sudo-discuss(a)lists.sudoroom.org
> http://lists.sudoroom.org/listinfo/sudo-discuss
>
>>
>>
>>
>> --
>> Tony Barreca
>> LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/tonybarreca
>
>
> Skype: tonybarreca
>> Twitter: tbarreca
>> Mobile: (510) 710-5864
>
>
>>
>>
>> --
>> Tony Barreca
>> LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/tonybarreca
> Skype: tonybarreca
>> Twitter: tbarreca
>> Mobile: (510) 710-5864
>
>
>> _______________________________________________
> sudo-discuss mailing list
> sudo-discuss(a)lists.sudoroom.org
> http://lists.sudoroom.org/listinfo/sudo-discuss
>
>>
>>
>>
>> --
>> Animator Mama You-Tube Channel
>
> Animator Mama on Tumblr
>
>
>
>
>>
>>
>> --
>> Animator Mama You-Tube Channel
> Animator Mama on Tumblr
>
>
>
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> sudo-discuss mailing list
>> sudo-discuss(a)lists.sudoroom.org
>> http://lists.sudoroom.org/listinfo/sudo-discuss
>
[View Less]
I had intended to "Reply all," but mistakenly replied only to Matt.
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Tony Barreca <tony.barreca(a)gmail.com>
Date: Thu, Sep 26, 2013 at 11:20 AM
Subject: Re: [sudo-discuss] Proposal to mitigate issues with building
To: Matthew Senate <mattsenate(a)gmail.com>
These proposals strike me as practical, feasible, and necessary.
Perhaps more importantly, they also seem to embody a very do-ocratic
response to the recent issues. They won't …
[View More]make all the issues suddenly
disappear, but are a huge step in the right direction.
On Wed, Sep 25, 2013 at 9:31 PM, Matthew Senate <mattsenate(a)gmail.com>wrote:
> Proposal #1 - access/security:
>
> New security policy:
>
> The last person to leave SUDO/BAPS area, or the last person in the area,
> will:
>
> - Check all 2nd floor bathrooms, hallways and stairs. (The person
> bottomlining any BAPS class that gets out in the evenings, should always do
> this before leaving, even if there are still people at SUDO.)
> - Make sure the rear stairwell door is deadbolted.
> - Ask anyone you don't personally recognize who they are and what they are
> up to. This is a great way to maintain a welcoming space.
> - If you are bottomlining an event, make sure you are the last one of
> those attending to leave, or an appropriate SUDO/BAPS member is there.
>
> New / fix security infrastructure:
>
> - Expand intercom/door-buzz system for the 2 other tenants that rely on
> 22nd st, as we have done at SUDO.
> - Fix the keypad system: fabricate a chassis for the unit, secure it and
> all cabling up off the ground to the wall, and patch whatever software may
> be malfunctioning on the unit. (Who set this up?)
> - Make 22nd St entrance cam feed accessible to the other 2 building
> tenants.
> - Top-of-stairs door adjacent to the bathrooms: Modify/replace door handle
> lockset to one which always locks - ie, is always locked from the outside,
> but always openable from the inside, and cannot be left unlocked unless it
> is propped open. In addition, install a door-closer at the top of the door.
> - Install a Public School phone or second line to sudo phone: 510-858-7145
>
> Note with the above changes, SUDO/BAPS folks will always use the elevator.
> Everyone else, such as the other tenants on the 2nd floor that use the 22nd
> st entrance, will buzz people in via the intercom, then walk to the
> top-of-the-stairs door near the bathrooms, and let people in. And the 22nd
> St door will remain locked most all of the time.
>
> Proposal #2 - Cleanliness in shared areas.
>
> - Before any big events at SUDO/BAPS, whoever is bottomlining the event
> should stock the bathrooms with extra TP. I am going to ask Laurie to pay
> for the TP or include it in our utilities etc., and that it be stored in a
> space we can get to.
> - After any big events, the persons bottomlining it check the bathrooms
> before leaving
> - empty the trash, take the trash bag and the key to the trashroom/roll-up
> door in the alley, empty it, and put in a fresh bag. There are two keys for
> the trash room, one in SUDO room and one in BAPS (both hanging on a hook on
> the wall.) Trash bags are found under the sink in the common area, as well
> as in SUDO room. Note there are also small bags for the compost containers.
> - replace any missing / run-out TP
>
> _______________________________________________
> sudo-discuss mailing list
> sudo-discuss(a)lists.sudoroom.org
> http://lists.sudoroom.org/listinfo/sudo-discuss
>
>
--
Tony Barreca
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/tonybarreca
Skype: tonybarreca
Twitter: tbarreca
Mobile: (510) 710-5864
--
Tony Barreca
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/tonybarreca
Skype: tonybarreca
Twitter: tbarreca
Mobile: (510) 710-5864
[View Less]
If anyone has some thoughts/ideas about the Oakland Tool Lending Library, especially in regards to the possibilities for an attached community center/maker space - let me know.
sent from eddan.com
> From: "jon eldan" <eldanj(a)yahoo.com>
> Date: September 26, 2013, 9:33:12 AM PDT
> To: Eddan Katz <eddan(a)eddan.com>
> Subject: Planning for the Future of the Oakland Tool Lending Library
> Reply-To: jon eldan <eldanj(a)yahoo.com>
>
> Eddan,
>
> …
[View More]As I mentioned on our call yesterday, the library administrator and the office of At Large City Council Member Rebecca Kaplan have agreed to work with the Friends of the Tool Lending Library toward making a budget request from the City Council in January for a one-time expenditure to fund the expansion, or expansion and relocation, of the Tool Lending Library (TLL), in order to resolve the long-standing space, access and capacity issues with the TLL.
>
> To do that, we will need a concrete proposal (with budget numbers) that (1) addresses the current and future needs of the TLL (and possibly a community classroom/work space), and (2) identifies a specific City building (assuming a move) and the work necessary to make it ready to house the TLL.
>
> I along with some other members of the Friends of the Tool Lending Library are taking the lead on drafting a report that identifies the TLL's current and future needs and priorities, gathers community input, and makes a strong case for why we need to increase access and capacity.
>
> The library administration will work with the City's Real Estate Department to identify a space based on the criteria we have provided previously (1200-1500 square feet at ground level for easy access, with parking and reasonably close to a freeway and transit lines), and determine the cost of readying that space.
>
> One of the ways we could increase the value of this resource without necessarily increasing initial or ongoing costs to the City would be to relocate to a space large enough to accommodate an expanded TLL (1200-1500 square feet), and also a complimentary space that could house a community classroom and/or a community work space/maker space. My thinking is that the latter operation might be run by a non-profit organization, rather than the City (which presumably does not have the resources to take on and manage a work space).
>
> I note that I have discussed this last idea - a work space/maker space - in a City-owned building - only casually with city officials and the library administration. While it always elicits a positive reaction, we have not sought nor received any official approval or interest.
...
[View Less]
Proposal #1 - access/security:
New security policy:
The last person to leave SUDO/BAPS area, or the last person in the area,
will:
- Check all 2nd floor bathrooms, hallways and stairs. (The person
bottomlining any BAPS class that gets out in the evenings, should always do
this before leaving, even if there are still people at SUDO.)
- Make sure the rear stairwell door is deadbolted.
- Ask anyone you don't personally recognize who they are and what they are
up to. This is a great way to …
[View More]maintain a welcoming space.
- If you are bottomlining an event, make sure you are the last one of those
attending to leave, or an appropriate SUDO/BAPS member is there.
New / fix security infrastructure:
- Expand intercom/door-buzz system for the 2 other tenants that rely on
22nd st, as we have done at SUDO.
- Fix the keypad system: fabricate a chassis for the unit, secure it and
all cabling up off the ground to the wall, and patch whatever software may
be malfunctioning on the unit. (Who set this up?)
- Make 22nd St entrance cam feed accessible to the other 2 building tenants.
- Top-of-stairs door adjacent to the bathrooms: Modify/replace door handle
lockset to one which always locks - ie, is always locked from the outside,
but always openable from the inside, and cannot be left unlocked unless it
is propped open. In addition, install a door-closer at the top of the door.
- Install a Public School phone or second line to sudo phone: 510-858-7145
Note with the above changes, SUDO/BAPS folks will always use the elevator.
Everyone else, such as the other tenants on the 2nd floor that use the 22nd
st entrance, will buzz people in via the intercom, then walk to the
top-of-the-stairs door near the bathrooms, and let people in. And the 22nd
St door will remain locked most all of the time.
Proposal #2 - Cleanliness in shared areas.
- Before any big events at SUDO/BAPS, whoever is bottomlining the event
should stock the bathrooms with extra TP. I am going to ask Laurie to pay
for the TP or include it in our utilities etc., and that it be stored in a
space we can get to.
- After any big events, the persons bottomlining it check the bathrooms
before leaving
- empty the trash, take the trash bag and the key to the trashroom/roll-up
door in the alley, empty it, and put in a fresh bag. There are two keys for
the trash room, one in SUDO room and one in BAPS (both hanging on a hook on
the wall.) Trash bags are found under the sink in the common area, as well
as in SUDO room. Note there are also small bags for the compost containers.
- replace any missing / run-out TP
[View Less]
On Wed, Sep 25, 2013 at 11:03 AM, Troy Massey
<<http://EconomicPolicyJournal.com>
ecoeconomist11(a)gmail.com> wrote:
>
>
> "ECONOMIC CONTROVERSIES"
>
A DISCUSSION GROUP AND CONCEPT RESOURCE
>
>
>
>
>
> Hello Bay Area citizens,
>
> I am proposing to hold discussions on current economic controversies
>
> Bob Wenzel a local dedicated Austrian school economist will be in
> attendance to offer his controversial …
[View More]perspective on the economy, it's
> mechanisms, and will be available to answer general questions through out
> his presentation.
>
> Be prepared to learn and promote your own thoughts. We encourage people to
> bring any burning questions and perspectives which will be worked into the
> presentations so that we can study to help develop dialogue.
>
>
> EconomicPolicyJournal.com
>
> www.Sudoroom.org
>
>
>
> We will be holding the discussions on
>
> * 7pm Tuesdays at Sudoroom *
>
> (2141 Broadway on 22nd street entrance Oakland 94612 )
>
> We look forward to your attendance!
> <http://EconomicPolicyJournal.com>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> We will be holding the discussions on
> *
> **7pm** Tuesdays at Sudoroom*
>
> (2141 Broadway on 22nd street entrance Oakland 94612 )
>
> ( type in your blog or webpage here Bob )
>
> www.Sudoroom.org
>
> We look forward to your attendance!
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Sincerely,
>
> Troy Massey
> 510.383.6117
>
> LIBRARIAN
> www.SUDOroom.org
> 2141 Broadway
> Oakland Ca, 94612
>
>
> COMMUNICATIONS COORDINATOR
> www.CommunityDemocracyProject.org
>
>
> "You are the source of freedom. The price of freedom is awareness and
> action."
>
[View Less]
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Nicole Neditch <nneditch(a)gmail.com>
Date: Tue, Sep 24, 2013 at 9:08 PM
Subject: [OpenOakland Brigade] Invitation to Reception/Press Conference
To: openoakland(a)googlegroups.com
OpenOakland,
In the coming week, there will be two opportunities to check out the City's
new Public Records Request application built by Oakland's 2013 Code for
America Fellows and celebrate its launch. Come tomorrow night to our thank
you/preview reception from 6-…
[View More]8pm in City Hall (there will be wine!), or
come to the Press Conference on Tuesday, October 1 at the main library
downtown, 2nd floor, teen zone from 10:30 to 11:30am.
*Tomorrow night: *
Come see how your support for the Code for America fellowship has made a
positive impact on Oakland!
Be among the first to see the City of Oakland's new app that furthers our
goals of increased transparency, more efficient processes and better access
to public information. Join Mayor Jean Quan along with Councilmember Libby
Schaaf for a special preview of Oakland's new Public Record's app, and chat
with the fellows and staff that been working on this project. We will have
some light refreshments.
Wednesday, September 25, 2013
6pm to 8pm
City Hall
1 Frank H Ogawa Plaza, 3rd Floor
Oakland, CA 6412
If you haven't done so already, please RSVP:
https://cfareception.eventbrite.com/
*Press Conference: *
On Tuesday, October 1, we are going to be officially launching Oakland's
2013 Code for America project -- the new Public Records Request system. We
hope that you can join us for the press conference.
Oakland Public Library, Main Branch
125 14th Street, 2nd Floor, Teen Zone
Oakland, CA
10:30am -- 11:30am
Hope to see you at one or both of these events!
Thanks, Nicole
--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups
"OpenOakland" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an
email to openoakland+unsubscribe(a)googlegroups.com.
To post to this group, send email to openoakland(a)googlegroups.com.
To view this discussion on the web visit
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.
For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out.
[View Less]
Who's a little crazy about wiki?
Next week there will be a "Wiki Wednesday" at the Wikimedia Foundation
offices in SF (right by BART). Details:
http://eekim.com/blog/2013/09/wikiwednesday-in-san-francisco-state-of-the-w…
Wiki Wednesdays are typically social events for people who are active with
wikis, interested in how they can be used, etc.
It would be great to see Sudo Room people there!
Also, if anybody is subscribed to the Noisebridge list, please cross-post
there. The last Wiki …
[View More]Wednesday I did was at Noisebridge, and people seemed
very interested.
Pete
[View Less]
Anybody interested in restarting morning math? I live a lot closer now and
would be able to come regularly. I would love it if we all tackled a
problem/puzzle, or a couple problems depending on peoples experience,
together instead of only doing discussion, maybe rebrand it as Math Dojo.
What are people who are interested schedules' like?
http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2013-09-20/why-its-hard-to-make-an-eth…
Why It's Hard to Make an Ethically Sourced Smartphone
A Dutch startup called Fairphone has just unveiled what is being heralded as “the world’s first ethically-sourced smartphone.” That’s supposed to mean the company’s supply chains won’t end up using, say, criminal gangs in poor countries or employers of improper child labor. But the handset is nowhere close to 100 percent ethically sourced. “That would be nearly …
[View More]impossible,” says Bibi Bleekemolen, a researcher for the company.
Why so hard? Much of the problem has to do with sometimes hard-to-get, and hard-to-trace, minerals. “There are at least 30 minerals that go into the production chain—think copper, cobalt, tin, tungsten, tantalum—and the supply chain for electronics is very complex,” Bleekemolen explains. “There are hundreds of components attached to the printed circuit board and all of the individual components have their own suppliers and sub-suppliers.”
What’s more, minerals found in smartphones often come from conflict zones, most notably the Democratic Republic of Congo, where many mines are controlled by warlords and armed groups that use the profits to bankroll the country’s brutal, ongoing battles. “Congo is one of the poorest countries, but it is rich in terms of minerals,” Bleekemollen says, noting that it holds about 40 percent of the world’s tin, among many other resources.
As part of the Dodd-Frank Act, the Securities and Exchange Commission last year ruled that U.S. companies must begin reporting the origins of their minerals, as well as the refineries and smelters used to process them, by May 2014. Some electronics giants, including Intel (INTC), Motorola, Hewlett-Packard (HP), and Philips (PHIA), have reportedly begun researching their supply chains and taking steps to avoid conflict minerals.
Fairphone, founded by designer Bas van Abel in 2010, is seeking incremental gains. So far the startup has managed to ethically source only tin and tantalum by partnering with NGOs that track supply chains. As for the other 28 minerals, Bleekemollen says, “We don’t have a clue where they come from.” She also notes that the tin and tantalum are only conflict-free, meaning rebel groups don’t have access to profits, but they aren’t necessarily produced with fair labor practices in mind. The goal is to improve sourcing with each new iteration of Fairphone.
Funded almost entirely through crowdsourcing, Fairphone has already received 15,000 orders for its phone, which retails for $440 and will become available in December. The handset looks similar to a Samsung (005930) Galaxy or Apple (AAPL), is unlocked, works with all mobile carriers, and runs on a custom version of Google (GOOG)‘s Android operating system.
To improve each phone’s lifespan and discourage waste, Fairphones are built to be opened up and will come with instruction manuals so users can perform repairs on their own. They have two sim card slots so people can merge their personal and business lines.
The phones are produced in a factory in China where Bleekemollen says the startup has set up a fund to ensure fair living wages and good working conditions. It’s a small operation and an admittedly risky venture. “If the factory which makes the devices is engulfed by an earthquake, I am going to have to refund them one by one,” Fairfound founder van Abel told the AFP. “When I think about it I can’t even sleep or eat.”
Still, the company is already in talks with mobile carriers such as Vodafone (VOD) and the Netherland’s VPN, which ordered 1,000 Fairphones. The hope, Bleekemollen says, is to change the industry from within and make supply chains more transparent, so other companies can more easily identify and use ethically-sourced minerals.. “As a social enterprise we can aim for impact maximization rather than profit maximization. That’s a big difference in the business model we have.”
Still, to make a phone that is 100 percent ethically sourced, Bleekemollen says Fairphone will need many more reliable partnerships: “We’re 15 people in Amsterdam, what do we know?”
Sent from my iPad
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Sudo-kids was off to a quiet start with some piano lessons and food
preparation when our landlord came in yelling "everybody out! all kids
out! no kids! everybody under 18 leave the building!" He claims that 2
weeks ago, Laurie sent all tenants an email to the effect of children
being generally unwelcome. We talked him into backing down for
tonight, but not before the kids were exposed to a lot of abusive
behavior and language, sadly.
Some reasons he cited were:
* Lack of insurance
* We don'…
[View More]t pay for the common space, or not enough
* A recent sudo-kids event where a gross mess was left in the bathroom.
* A (perhaps related) event where kids were smashing something with a ball (?)
He also provided a new and different interpretation of his birthday
proceedings, namely that furniture and things "temporarily" removed
would perhaps not return afterwards.
Interactions with him are always difficult. As usual, his concerns are
real, but his way of communicating them absolutely unacceptable. His
willingness to take a room full of children of all ages down this
well-worn path of abusive tirade leaves me especially demoralized.
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All:
The Metabolex auction pickup closes today, and there are at least *4
biosafety cabinets* in sparkling condition, certified clean and calibrated
with paperwork, that have not been picked up, possibly abandoned. I am
attempting to negotiate with BioSurplus to see if we could buy one of them
outright for cash, but it would also likely need to be picked up TODAY.
I think my negotiations might have a bit more oomph if I could get a bunch
of people and a truck out to Metabolex at 3:45 today- …
[View More]that's in less than 2
hours. I'm going to be there in the parking lot- anyone who can back be or
help me out with this, please just show up. If you need a ride from Union
City BART around 3:30, email me directly or call me and I can pick up one,
maybe two people from BART.
If you have tools, bring em.
The meeting place is
parking lot of Metabolex (back of building, loading dock)
3878 Bay Center Place
Hayward, CA 94545
Thanks in advance!
And if anyone needs something off my equipment list, I'd be happy to give
you an open house tour after.
-matt
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---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Laurie Cooperman Rosen <Lscoop(a)comcast.net>
Date: Fri, Sep 20, 2013 at 8:55 PM
Subject: Request for November 3rd, and info on a janitorial assistant
To: Laurie Cooperman Rosen <Lscoop(a)comcast.net>
Cc: eddan(a)eddan.com, mattsenate(a)gmail.com, poems(a)zachhouston.com,
exchequer(a)sudoroom.org, David Keenan <dkeenan44(a)gmail.com>,
wenzel505(a)gmail.com
Hi All-
First, I would like to request use of the kitchen area of the big …
[View More]space on
Sunday, November 3rd, from 2-5pm (2-3pm=setup, 3-5pm=class on Fermentation,
5-6pm breakdown/cleanup/get out)--note that we do remove any trash that we
generate. I want to make sure that there are no conflicts with any other
scheduled events and need to respond to the organizer ASAP. Probably 20-30
people, similar to the meetup that we had prior to George's party last week.
If I don't hear of any objections/conflicts by Monday evening, I'll go ahead
and schedule the event. I'll also send an email to any interested in
registering. Heather Haxo Philips is a very well-known local raw chef and
yoga instructor.
Second, I met a very nice young man from one of our tenants (David Wei, an
awesome Qui Gong instructor)....he's about 19-20 and is looking for work.
He specializes in Martial Arts, and among other odd jobs is currently doing
janitorial for a Meditation Center, where everything is all about
cleanliness. He'd work for $10-$12/hour (maybe depending on whether it's
taxed or not?) and can also do odd jobs such as moving, some
repairs/maintenance, etc. I know you were talking about getting some help
and this is really a VERY nice person who is a pleasure to have around. His
name is Fenua and you can call or text him at 510-590-7920.
Thanks, and enjoy the weekend!
Laurie
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hi all,
in addition to your regularly scheduled hacking, we will have two things
going on at sudo:
2PM: Today I Learned: "SQL Injection & Prevention" with the excellent
rhodey.
from the description on the
wik<https://sudoroom.org/wiki/Today_I_Learned#September_21:_SQL_Injection_.26_P…>i:
SQL Injection or "SQLi" is a one of the most dangerous, popular and fun :D
web application exploits found today on the modern web. In this lesson we
will cover the basics of SQL and then dive into …
[View More]some SQLi exploitation and
mitigation techniques. A series of mock web applications will be made
available for attendants to practice on.
After TIL: we'll be informally working on stuff in nodeschool.io, a cool
new learning program created by sudoers max ogden and substack, along with
many others. max is travelling the
world<https://twitter.com/maxogden/status/381143774975385600/photo/1>,
but substack will be around (in between world-travelling adventures).
yay, learning & hacking ^_^
- marina
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---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Praveen Sinha <dmhomee(a)gmail.com>
Date: Thu, Sep 19, 2013 at 5:03 PM
Subject: conversation on fb
To: lol-hackers <lol-hackers(a)googlegroups.com>
Just for the hell of it, I decided to start a conversation about gender at
tech companies this morning. If any of you are interested or have
feedback, I'd love to hear it:
https://www.facebook.com/praveen.sinha.121/posts/10151557415951191
Yo Sudo!
Interested in peer-to-peer applications, mesh networking, decentralized and
distributed tech? Open Garden is starting a series of social events in the
interest of sparking great conversations, sharing ideas and projects, and
co-learning. Also beer.
The first one is next Wednesday at Biergarten:
http://www.meetup.com/Tech-Garden-SF/events/139596332/
I won't be there for this one as I'm off to Berlin for a few weeks, but it
would be great to have some Sudoers representing!
Cheers,
…
[View More]Jenny
http://jennyryan.nethttp://thepyre.orghttp://thevirtualcampfire.orghttp://technomadic.tumblr.com
`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`
"Technology is the campfire around which we tell our stories."
-Laurie Anderson
"Storytelling reveals meaning without committing the error of defining it."
-Hannah Arendt
"To define is to kill. To suggest is to create."
-Stéphane Mallarmé
~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`
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I am thinking of having a 5MOF event where we all talk about a single
topic. This topic is near and dear to many of us.
Protocol stacks like email have served us well since the beginning of the
internet. Email continues to be the "lowest common denominator." It's the
communication tool that everyone disagrees with the least. Protocols allow
people, computers, companies, and other entities to communicate in a
prescribed manner.
Platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Google's many offerings, and …
[View More]many others
offer deeply customized computing experiences for specific tasks. A company
or group of companies acquire talent and spend time dialing in these tools.
Day One: 5MOF at Noisebridge
Day Two: Lightning Talks at Hacker Dojo
Day Three: Your Bay Area Hackerspace
Day Four: Final Showdown venue tba
The hackerspace days would have a social atmosphere, like dev house. There
would be opportunities for serendipitous encounters. The best speakers will
be invited to speak again at the Final Showdown, which is of course,
serious business.
It is my not-so-secret nefarious goal that people who have been working on
platforms can learn from the protocol people and vice versa.
If you are interested in organizing this, send a message to
5mof-symposium(a)lists.noisebridge.net, or join the
list<https://www.noisebridge.net/mailman/listinfo/5mof-symposium>
.
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