sudo-discuss

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Re: [sudo-discuss] my experiences with "crime" in oakland [part 1 of ?]

by The Batkid

I too love a good email thread, but I'm not sure what's the point of all this is, besides humble bragging about how more miserable our respective origins are from some other entity on the Internet. By the time it gets to message 100 in this thread, there will be no sudoroom members left.

11 years, 5 months

Ladders, tables, and other horizontal surfaces

by rachel lyra hospodar

Greetings, sudo! It has been a long time since i have visited! I hope you have all been doing well. I am taking the time right now as the year draws to a close to reflect on the current state of things in my world. Perhaps you will indulge me in reading everything below. perhaps you are seeking a tl;dr in which case i will ask you, have you seen my folding plastic table? have you seen my aluminum ladder? have you seen my dreams for a shared space and a common future? I believe I left … [View More]them laying around here someplace, possibly with my name scrawled across in marker. The table is about 3'x6', blown plastic, folds in half. The ladder is aluminum, 12' high or so, and quite nice. The dreams are like hair or cuticles, forever growing back even as i try to ignore them and focus on something tangible or 'important'. At the beginning of this year I closed Coyote, a shared art studio and retail space I had been managing in North Oakland. We closed in part because of the loss of one of our founding members, who moved back east to live closer to his family. We closed also because of a mismatch with the neighborhood, admitting reluctantly that where we wanted to have our art studio was not compatible with where we needed to do our retail work - to seek customers, and build paying business. We struggled to integrate into our neighborhood, making friends while seeking to understand the impact of gentrification. We struggled with an unscrupulous landlord, mounting costs and flatlining incomes, and we had to admit that the project wasn't working in its current guise. The upscale restaurant down the block sought our support, as we were closing, for a 'neighborhood meeting' about crime. When I pressed the owner (who had never before visited, in our year and a half in business) about what their concerns were, he told me that some of their patrons were being mugged on their way from the tony restaurant to the train station. I can't say that I was surprised. I wasn't surprised that the patrons of this restaurant had been mugged. The food is not cheap and the place is an oasis of genteel laughter in a neighborhood more attuned to sirens, car stereos, and the stacatto passage of these same folks in their cars on their way home to the hills. I also wasn't surprised that the restaurant owners, after completely ignoring the existence of their scrappy neighbors, after failing to welcome their new peers to the block, after ignoring that small business baksheesh of customer-trading, were still willing to hit us up to come to their 'community' meeting and talk about how to 'stop crime'. I ache for folks who suffer through being robbed with the threat of violence, or with actual violence. It sucks to have something like that happen to you. But. In the time that I bottomlined our business in North Oakland, we lost about 5% of our sales income in shoplifting. This is in comparison to basically nil in shoplifting losses in a similar store that I previously ran in San Francisco, near haight/fillmore. What's different? Income inequality. Sure, in a diverse place, folks of all different sorts encounter each other, and there is a lot that is healthy about that. In this region there do seem to be some entrenched group identities in the culture war, and I sometimes wonder which side I am on. I have watched friends and neighbors struggle as their food stamps are cut. I have listened to the pained conflict that grows up in their loving homes around money, when there is none. I wondered most especially which side I was on after George Zimmerman was let free, and marches passed my West Oakland house every day. I saw the notoriously violent OPD standing between me and these marches, as if to protect me. This more than anything else drove me to walk out my front gate and join those marches, to show with my body where my loyalties lay. I have watched the region that has nurtured me for the last decade sink into an inequality that I am led to believe is as deep and deeply entrenched (meaning the unlikelihood of people to transcend the circumstances into which they were born) as the period that preceded the French Revolution. Only whose head will roll? In the midst of these questions I was forced to confront the inadequacy of Sudo's best and most shining efforts. It is a place where I have made friends, many of whom stay in my orbit & community now as I re-orient. Sudo is also the only place where my hair was ever grabbed without my consent. It is a place where I have been accosted in a dark hallway by someone who repeatedly demanded my attention despite my demurrals, despite walking away. It is a place I have been yelled at in anger, as have many others. It is a place I have feared to bring friends. I watched a community struggle to set boundaries to protect its members, only to founder as it seeks to define what a 'member' is that deserves protection. I say these things not as a condemnation of sudo, and i hope they are not read as such. I say them as an honest person sharing some difficult thoughts, and i remind you dear reader that we reside within a culture that is structurally predisposed against this. It trains us to see critique as attack, to see critical thought as a threat, instead of what we hackers know as the fundamental strength we bring to any situation. We can think. we can assess. we can learn and grow and change, and we can evolve. We are meta. We are legion, and we cannot be contained. I read recently about this space starting in SF, and while i was gladdened to hear about Double Union, I am extra excited to imagine another space with such a strong commitment to inclusion. https://github.com/wallacemax/sfhackerspace I hope the east bay hackerspace scene continues to grow, evolve, and flourish. I understand sudo is changing right now as well. It is well for all things to change, and I hope that in this case the changes lead towards the causes of transparency in governance and inclusion for all, which i always understood to be some of the most fundamental tenets of sudo. be well, good luck to all, and always, R. [View Less]

11 years, 5 months

Dec 5 2013 :: 2.Oakland’s Tech & Innovation Celebration

by Neil Planchon

Hello everyone On Dec 5 at the Port WorkSpaces at 101 Broadway (at Embarcadero) 2.Oakland celebrates Oakland based tech and innovation. Please join us for community building, fun, music and food at our end of year gathering. To learn more and register visit http://twopointoakland.com/dec-5-2013-2-oaklands-tech-innovation-celebratio… Cordially, Neil In community, Neil Planchon CPCC Life and Productivity Coach, Website Design and Technology Solutions - www.neilplanchon.com Founding … [View More]

11 years, 5 months

Crime and its opposites: starting a microenterprise lending system.

by GtwoG PublicOhOne

Continued from my posting under the "crime" topic. How to setup a microenterprise lending systemand start a bank. 1) Find a local credit union or local bank whose management are willing to agree to the project. 2) Set up an account for this purpose. This can be done by any legal entity formed for the purpose. 3) Solicit funds from whoever. All the money gets deposited to the account. Bookkeeping keeps track of who's in for how much, in case someone wants to exit the system and … [View More]withdraw their funds (with simple savings-account interest). The minimum to shoot for should be $120,000. Better, shoot for $250,000 which is the limit of a single FDIC-insured deposit account. The targets can go higher as more FDIC-insured deposit accounts are opened. 4) Whenthe targetamount is reached, it gets used to tie down a secured line of credit with the bank or credit union (or more than one as the case may be). The secured line of credit will probably be somewhere in the neighborhood of 60% to 80% of the funds on deposit, but that's OK because it serves a specific purpose (per (12) below). 5) At this point, go into the 'hood and the schools and work with existing local organizations to seek out young people who have entrepreneurial smarts and who are seriously at-risk of opting into crime-world. 6) The secured line of credit is used for lending to the grassroots microenterprise startups. 7) Work with groups of kids to develop viable business ideas. Do the whole business planning exercise with them, teach them how to do it. Ideal case is that the first round of these won't depend on renting storefronts: rent is a huge expense and a business-killer unless gross sales can rampup quickly. Best if the group members can continue to live with their parents (to keep costs down), though this can't be taken for granted, and shared housing arrangements may be needed. 8) Each group that qualifies gets signed for a startup loan. The loan is actually taken with the bank or credit union. However, the loan is secured by the funds in the account under (3) above. This means zero risk to the local financial institution, and that's the key to getting their approval for the whole project. 9) The agreement between the organization and the groups it funds, is that 20% of their net profits, goes back to the organization to grow its pile of capital. This is in addition to repaying the loan to the local financial institution. (VCs are typically looking for 30%, so this is a better deal for the new startups.) In addition, the founders of these startups are obligated to help withoutreach and mentoring of others, after they themselves succeed. 10) If a new startup can't make a loan payment, the money is paid fromthe secured account. The risk is distributed proportionally across all of the contributors to the account. 11) Stay actively involved with each new startupthrough its first five years in business. If it survives its first year, it is most likely to survive the next four years. After five years,it is likely to continue successfully. 12) Per the agreement with the original financial institution(s), once a startup successfully pays off its starting loan, it becomes eligible for comparable credit directly from the institution. This is the step that leverages the startup fund to obtain independent credit for the startups after their first couple of years. 13) At this level the system runs steady-state: its ability to fund new startups is limited by its own funds. But that will change under (16) below. 14) Once the startups start succeeding, their contributions of 20% of net will grow the funds and enable more startups. 15) Once there's an asset pool of a couple million dollars, distributed across a number of FDIC-insured accounts, possibly at a number of institutions, then it's time to consolidate all of that money into one entity, and start a new financial institution. This is the point at which the community organization starts a bank. 16) The new institution starts with a decent chunk of capital, chartered for smallbusiness and startup lending. And then it becomes eligible to engage in "fractional reserve" lending, which multiplies the effective use of its money. If the reserve ratiois 10% assets to loans, that means $2 million in cash can theoretically produce $20 million in lending. Note, 10% is "conservative." In the US, the actual number is abit below 5%, which means $2 million in deposits can generate $40 million in lending capability, assuming that each borrower uses the new institution to hold its own deposits (this can be written into contracts with new startups). Reality is usually substantially below these theoretical maximums, but any multiplier is a good multiplier. 17) Fractional reserve lending is how banks "print money." It's an enormous engine for economic development. But instead of enriching a small number of investors, plowing it all back into the community enriches the community. 18) Last but not least, this could be a candidate for a Kickstarter, starting at step (1) above. However, 100% of funds raised should go direct to the initial account and to the lending program: this is not the place to generate jobs for the organizers themselves(that may take five to ten years or longer). And, to get back to the original "crime" topic, when at-risk kids start to see real opportunity in starting legitimate businessesor getting legitimate jobs working for their buddies, they aren't going to opt into crime-world. But the point of the exercise isn't just to lower the crime rate. The point of the exercise is to enrich the community so people can flourish rather thanbarely survive. -G. [View Less]

11 years, 5 months

Re: [sudo-discuss] my experiences with "crime" in oakland [part 1 of ?]

by Chris Bee

You're right. You might get it again, hang on... I posted this earlier....it may seem somewhat out of context but I think it finishes well (or is at least relevant to the conversation)- "Except that it doesn't work this way. Based on what I've seen and experienced as a Oakland resident for the past 15 years, you're proposing putting another 300 well-armed and connected thugs on the street to deal with violent crime. Doesn't matter which side the thugs are on, they're going to do what they're … [View More]going to do....aside from a few exceptions to the rule it's all they know how to do, and when they're operating under the color of public mandate really nasty things can happen. I've dealt with enough cops in different situations to know that at the end of the day they're simply another gang. Best to avoid them altogether and take care of yourself...that means not looking conspicuously wealthy (or easy to rob) in certain parts of town without acknowledging some level of personal risk. To do anything less is the height of irresponsibility and entitlement." For the record, I am a rapidly approaching 40 yo larger bodied male of fairly light complexion. I prefer to not align with any race or sexuality because I think it's arbitrary...I'm concentrating on being the best human I can be, and I think setting labels aside could help me get there. Or not. Time will tell, I suppose. I was robbed at gunpoint by two kids in 2006...it didn't happen because I was white and they were black, it happened because I was visibly drunk and they were opportunistic. Since then I have made it a point to not look like someone who would be worth robbing, as far as a) what I may be carrying b) my awareness of my surroundings and c) and how much potential I have to turn the tables on the situation. The first two ANYONE can do. The latter, maybe not so much...it has to do with how you carry yourself in certain situations. In other words- if you look shook you look like a much easier target. But if you look like you're on point and like you might be willing to dish out a little more than someone who wants to fuck with you, then you will generally be left alone. As far as what Rhodey said about helping sudoers helping sudoers avoid shitty situations of this nature, I can offer one huge piece of advice- most strong arm robbery happens near BART stations and transit hubs, so be especially aware when you're near one. That means paying attention to who is near you and what they're doing. Do NOT walk down the street chatting on your iPhone at 1 am in front of groups of strangers....almost every holdup story I've heard over the last few years started off this way, and there's absolutely no reason why it should. I should add that since embracing those three guidelines I have felt safer living in Oakland than anywhere else I've lived (and I've lived in a lot of different places). I definitely feel safer here than I did growing up in Millbrae....that may sound strange to some of you, but try being a freaky looking queer teenager there and tell me how that works out for you. I had WAY more stress there than I ever had in Oakland....had I known then what I know now I would have moved here a lot sooner. In short, at the end of the day YOU are responsible for your own safety. Not the cops, not Oakland at large. So be safe out there. -chrisbee On Mon, Nov 18, 2013 at 9:18 PM, rhodey <rhodey(a)anhonesteffort.org> wrote: > Just a heads up, this wasn't CC'd to the list which is what I assume you > intended to do :) > > -- > -- rhodey ˙ ͜ʟ˙ > > On 11/18/2013 09:14 PM, Chris Bee wrote: > > I posted this earlier....it may seem somewhat out of context but I think > > it finishes well (or is at least relevant to the conversation)- > > > > "Except that it doesn't work this way. Based on what I've seen and > > experienced as a Oakland resident for the past 15 years, you're > > proposing putting another 300 well-armed and connected thugs on the > > street to deal with violent crime. Doesn't matter which side the thugs > > are on, they're going to do what they're going to do....aside from a few > > exceptions to the rule it's all they know how to do, and when they're > > operating under the color of public mandate really nasty things can > > happen. I've dealt with enough cops in different situations to know that > > at the end of the day they're simply another gang. Best to avoid them > > altogether and take care of yourself...that means not looking > > conspicuously wealthy (or easy to rob) in certain parts of town without > > acknowledging some level of personal risk. To do anything less is the > > height of irresponsibility and entitlement." > > > > For the record, I am a rapidly approaching 40 yo larger bodied male of > > fairly light complexion. I prefer to not align with any race or > > sexuality because I think it's arbitrary...I'm concentrating on being > > the best human I can be, and I think setting labels aside could help me > > get there. Or not. Time will tell, I suppose. > > > > I was robbed at gunpoint by two kids in 2006...it didn't happen because > > I was white and they were black, it happened because I was visibly drunk > > and they were opportunistic. Since then I have made it a point to not > > look like someone who would be worth robbing, as far as a) what I may be > > carrying b) my awareness of my surroundings and c) and how much > > potential I have to turn the tables on the situation. The first two > > ANYONE can do. The latter, maybe not so much...it has to do with how you > > carry yourself in certain situations. In other words- if you look shook > > you look like a much easier target. But if you look like you're on point > > and like you might be willing to dish out a little more than someone who > > wants to fuck with you, then you will generally be left alone. > > > > As far as what Rhodey said about helping sudoers helping sudoers avoid > > shitty situations of this nature, I can offer one huge piece of advice- > > most strong arm robbery happens near BART stations and transit hubs, so > > be especially aware when you're near one. That means paying attention to > > who is near you and what they're doing. Do NOT walk down the street > > chatting on your iPhone at 1 am in front of groups of > > strangers....almost every holdup story I've heard over the last few > > years started off this way, and there's absolutely no reason why it > should. > > > > I should add that since embracing those three guidelines I have felt > > safer living in Oakland than anywhere else I've lived (and I've lived in > > a lot of different places). I definitely feel safer here than I did > > growing up in Millbrae....that may sound strange to some of you, but try > > being a freaky looking queer teenager there and tell me how that works > > out for you. I had WAY more stress there than I ever had in > > Oakland....had I known then what I know now I would have moved here a > > lot sooner. > > > > In short, at the end of the day YOU are responsible for your own safety. > > Not the cops, not Oakland at large. So be safe out there. > > > > -chrisbee > > > > On Mon, Nov 18, 2013 at 8:30 PM, rhodey <rhodey(a)anhonesteffort.org > > <mailto:rhodey@anhonesteffort.org>> wrote: > > > > There is a class of discussions I feel comfortable having on a public > > mailing list and a class of discussions I feel more comfortable > having > > in person. While I agree that race and age are relevant factors in > being > > the target of crime, the target discussion is not a discussion I'm > > interested in having or intended to spur. > > > > What I'm more interested in exploring is the preventative measures > that > > can be taken to decrease crime at the society level and how Sudo Room > > can lend a hand. > > > > -- > > -- rhodey ˙ ͜ʟ˙ > > > > On 11/18/2013 08:17 PM, Sonja Trauss wrote: > > > no way man! your age/ race / gender is super relevant I think for > > how at > > > risk you are for being hassled, and in what way. > > > I think gender is the most important. Super crazy people and > females > > > will rob ladies, but crazy people, females AND healthy, red-blooded > > > American bullies will rob boys. I would bet $70 that the three > > times you > > > were robbed, if I had walked by that corner instead of you, your > > robbers > > > would have said "hey girl, can I go w chu"? to me and I would not > have > > > been robbed. > > > > > > I also think it gets less fun to rob men as they get older. > > > > > > David - you're black, do you have any info on the relative safety > from > > > mugging of black women and men? > > > I would expect the same dynamic to play out - it's not that fun to > rob > > > women, it's not as cool of a story. What about the relative safety > of > > > black and white men? I think white men and women imagine they > would be > > > safer in a black neighbourhood if they were black, but I don't > believe > > > that. I'm pretty sure the main victims of black criminals are other > > > black people. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > On Mon, Nov 18, 2013 at 7:59 PM, rhodey <rhodey(a)anhonesteffort.org > > <mailto:rhodey@anhonesteffort.org> > > > <mailto:rhodey@anhonesteffort.org > > <mailto:rhodey@anhonesteffort.org>>> wrote: > > > > > > I am sincerely sorry that I've made you uncomfortable. It was > my > > > intention to share an experience that better helped me > understand > > > motivations for crime, not an experience with other ethnic > groups. > > > > > > Retrospectively I'd rather not have answered the last question > > because > > > it wrongly places focus elsewhere. > > > > > > -- > > > -- rhodey ˙ ͜ʟ˙ > > > > > > On 11/18/2013 07:50 PM, David Barthwell wrote: > > > > To all the people sharing fun stories and uplifting > > anecdotes about > > > > encountering black people in Oakland: Let's not forget that > > there are > > > > actually some on this list. In fact, I'm one of them! > > > > > > > > > > > > On Mon, Nov 18, 2013 at 7:36 PM, rhodey > > <rhodey(a)anhonesteffort.org <mailto:rhodey@anhonesteffort.org> > > > <mailto:rhodey@anhonesteffort.org > > <mailto:rhodey@anhonesteffort.org>> > > > > <mailto:rhodey@anhonesteffort.org > > <mailto:rhodey@anhonesteffort.org> > > > <mailto:rhodey@anhonesteffort.org > > <mailto:rhodey@anhonesteffort.org>>>> wrote: > > > > > > > > Oh yes, it is worth noting that I'm a white male in his > > early 20s. > > > > > > > > -- > > > > -- rhodey ˙ ͜ʟ˙ > > > > > > > > On 11/18/2013 07:12 PM, Sonja Trauss wrote: > > > > > this reminds me of a comment I overheard on the bus > when I > > > lived in st > > > > > louis: > > > > > "I'm getting that government money man, fuck street > > money, it > > > > ain't even > > > > > worth it." > > > > > > > > > > ps are you a boy or a girl? > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > On Mon, Nov 18, 2013 at 6:55 PM, rhodey > > > <rhodey(a)anhonesteffort.org <mailto:rhodey@anhonesteffort.org> > > <mailto:rhodey@anhonesteffort.org <mailto:rhodey@anhonesteffort.org > >> > > > > <mailto:rhodey@anhonesteffort.org > > <mailto:rhodey@anhonesteffort.org> > > > <mailto:rhodey@anhonesteffort.org > > <mailto:rhodey@anhonesteffort.org>>> > > > > > <mailto:rhodey@anhonesteffort.org > > <mailto:rhodey@anhonesteffort.org> > > > <mailto:rhodey@anhonesteffort.org > > <mailto:rhodey@anhonesteffort.org>> > > > > <mailto:rhodey@anhonesteffort.org > > <mailto:rhodey@anhonesteffort.org> > > > <mailto:rhodey@anhonesteffort.org > > <mailto:rhodey@anhonesteffort.org>>>>> wrote: > > > > > > > > > > Receiving and contemplating the perspectives of > others > > > is one > > > > of my > > > > > favorite ways to burn metaphorical CPU cycles. The > > level of > > > > respect I > > > > > show for differing perspectives is something I > hope to > > > never be > > > > > content with, that is to say I believe it's an > endless > > > process > > > > and I'm > > > > > still working on it. I have a tendency to keep my > head > > > stuck in > > > > > projects and have realized is that I've been > > holding out on > > > > sharing > > > > > many of my most valued perspectives, more > > specifically my > > > > experiences. > > > > > It is my hope that through sharing experiences we > > can better > > > > > understand how to conduct ourselves within Sudo > > Room and how > > > > we Sudo > > > > > Room can better conduct ourselves within our local > > > community. > > > > > > > > > > I arrived in the "bay area" May 1st by way of some > > > airport in New > > > > > England, in search of hackers, activists and > > uncomfortable > > > > > experiences. After subletting an apartment in the > > > mission for > > > > all of a > > > > > month I moved to West Oakland. Since arriving in > > Oakland > > > I've been > > > > > robbed three times, to me each experience has been > > > indescribably > > > > > educational in its own way. However, my first > > crime related > > > > experience > > > > > in Oakland was not a crime at all. > > > > > > > > > > There is a corner store within ~6 minutes walking > > > distance from my > > > > > apartment by West Oakland BART called Happy Times. > > To me > > > it is > > > > usually > > > > > a liquor store, but this day I felt like working > > through the > > > > night so > > > > > I bought 2 large redbull energy drinks. Walking > home > > > holding the > > > > > redbull as best I could in one hand I passed two > > > African-American > > > > > youths, one female, one male and both no older > > than 17. We > > > > passed each > > > > > other and at this time I was about 20" from home > > then from > > > > behind me I > > > > > heard "hey man, can I get a redbull?". > > > > > > > > > > I turned around to face the two of them with a bit > > of a > > > guilty > > > > smile > > > > > on my face, after all who the fuck really needs > > 32oz of > > > redbull? > > > > > Caffeine, other energy drinks, productivity and I > all > > > get along > > > > > swimmingly, all the better if I can help someone > > else get > > > > things done. > > > > > "Sure" I said, followed by "make good use of it" > in an > > > attempt > > > > to make > > > > > the situation more casual. I walked up and handed > > him the > > > > redbull, his > > > > > face lit up, he went nuts. > > > > > > > > > > **and I quote** "Oh man! Asking is so much better > than > > > stealing!" > > > > > > > > > > The smile stayed on his face as he continued > > celebrating, > > > > exclaiming > > > > > all possible iterations of the above statement as I > > > stood their > > > > > dumbfounded. This continued for minutes until we > > parted > > > ways, > > > > up the > > > > > stairs and into the house I could still hear him > > talking > > > with his > > > > > friend. > > > > > > > > > > This was certainly not the first time he'd been > > told of this > > > > > sentiment, but after ~17 years of living it was the > > > first time > > > > he had > > > > > ever believed it. There are at least 3 other > > experiences I > > > > would like > > > > > to share in time, but for now I'll leave it at > this. > > > > > > > > > > -- > > > > > -- rhodey ˙ ͜ʟ˙ > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > > > > sudo-discuss mailing list > > > > > sudo-discuss(a)lists.sudoroom.org > > <mailto:sudo-discuss@lists.sudoroom.org> > > > <mailto:sudo-discuss@lists.sudoroom.org > > <mailto:sudo-discuss@lists.sudoroom.org>> > > > > <mailto:sudo-discuss@lists.sudoroom.org > > <mailto:sudo-discuss@lists.sudoroom.org> > > > <mailto:sudo-discuss@lists.sudoroom.org > > <mailto:sudo-discuss@lists.sudoroom.org>>> > > > > <mailto:sudo-discuss@lists.sudoroom.org > > <mailto:sudo-discuss@lists.sudoroom.org> > > > <mailto:sudo-discuss@lists.sudoroom.org > > <mailto:sudo-discuss@lists.sudoroom.org>> > > > > <mailto:sudo-discuss@lists.sudoroom.org > > <mailto:sudo-discuss@lists.sudoroom.org> > > > <mailto:sudo-discuss@lists.sudoroom.org > > <mailto:sudo-discuss@lists.sudoroom.org>>>> > > > > > http://lists.sudoroom.org/listinfo/sudo-discuss > > > > > > > > > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > > > sudo-discuss mailing list > > > > sudo-discuss(a)lists.sudoroom.org > > <mailto:sudo-discuss@lists.sudoroom.org> > > > <mailto:sudo-discuss@lists.sudoroom.org > > <mailto:sudo-discuss@lists.sudoroom.org>> > > > <mailto:sudo-discuss@lists.sudoroom.org > > <mailto:sudo-discuss@lists.sudoroom.org> > > > <mailto:sudo-discuss@lists.sudoroom.org > > <mailto:sudo-discuss@lists.sudoroom.org>>> > > > > http://lists.sudoroom.org/listinfo/sudo-discuss > > > > > > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > > sudo-discuss mailing list > > > sudo-discuss(a)lists.sudoroom.org > > <mailto:sudo-discuss@lists.sudoroom.org> > > <mailto:sudo-discuss@lists.sudoroom.org > > <mailto:sudo-discuss@lists.sudoroom.org>> > > > http://lists.sudoroom.org/listinfo/sudo-discuss > > > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > sudo-discuss mailing list > > sudo-discuss(a)lists.sudoroom.org <mailto: > sudo-discuss(a)lists.sudoroom.org> > > http://lists.sudoroom.org/listinfo/sudo-discuss > > > > > On Mon, Nov 18, 2013 at 9:18 PM, rhodey <rhodey(a)anhonesteffort.org> wrote: > Just a heads up, this wasn't CC'd to the list which is what I assume you > intended to do :) > > -- > -- rhodey ˙ ͜ʟ˙ > > On 11/18/2013 09:14 PM, Chris Bee wrote: > > I posted this earlier....it may seem somewhat out of context but I think > > it finishes well (or is at least relevant to the conversation)- > > > > "Except that it doesn't work this way. Based on what I've seen and > > experienced as a Oakland resident for the past 15 years, you're > > proposing putting another 300 well-armed and connected thugs on the > > street to deal with violent crime. Doesn't matter which side the thugs > > are on, they're going to do what they're going to do....aside from a few > > exceptions to the rule it's all they know how to do, and when they're > > operating under the color of public mandate really nasty things can > > happen. I've dealt with enough cops in different situations to know that > > at the end of the day they're simply another gang. Best to avoid them > > altogether and take care of yourself...that means not looking > > conspicuously wealthy (or easy to rob) in certain parts of town without > > acknowledging some level of personal risk. To do anything less is the > > height of irresponsibility and entitlement." > > > > For the record, I am a rapidly approaching 40 yo larger bodied male of > > fairly light complexion. I prefer to not align with any race or > > sexuality because I think it's arbitrary...I'm concentrating on being > > the best human I can be, and I think setting labels aside could help me > > get there. Or not. Time will tell, I suppose. > > > > I was robbed at gunpoint by two kids in 2006...it didn't happen because > > I was white and they were black, it happened because I was visibly drunk > > and they were opportunistic. Since then I have made it a point to not > > look like someone who would be worth robbing, as far as a) what I may be > > carrying b) my awareness of my surroundings and c) and how much > > potential I have to turn the tables on the situation. The first two > > ANYONE can do. The latter, maybe not so much...it has to do with how you > > carry yourself in certain situations. In other words- if you look shook > > you look like a much easier target. But if you look like you're on point > > and like you might be willing to dish out a little more than someone who > > wants to fuck with you, then you will generally be left alone. > > > > As far as what Rhodey said about helping sudoers helping sudoers avoid > > shitty situations of this nature, I can offer one huge piece of advice- > > most strong arm robbery happens near BART stations and transit hubs, so > > be especially aware when you're near one. That means paying attention to > > who is near you and what they're doing. Do NOT walk down the street > > chatting on your iPhone at 1 am in front of groups of > > strangers....almost every holdup story I've heard over the last few > > years started off this way, and there's absolutely no reason why it > should. > > > > I should add that since embracing those three guidelines I have felt > > safer living in Oakland than anywhere else I've lived (and I've lived in > > a lot of different places). I definitely feel safer here than I did > > growing up in Millbrae....that may sound strange to some of you, but try > > being a freaky looking queer teenager there and tell me how that works > > out for you. I had WAY more stress there than I ever had in > > Oakland....had I known then what I know now I would have moved here a > > lot sooner. > > > > In short, at the end of the day YOU are responsible for your own safety. > > Not the cops, not Oakland at large. So be safe out there. > > > > -chrisbee > > > > On Mon, Nov 18, 2013 at 8:30 PM, rhodey <rhodey(a)anhonesteffort.org > > <mailto:rhodey@anhonesteffort.org>> wrote: > > > > There is a class of discussions I feel comfortable having on a public > > mailing list and a class of discussions I feel more comfortable > having > > in person. While I agree that race and age are relevant factors in > being > > the target of crime, the target discussion is not a discussion I'm > > interested in having or intended to spur. > > > > What I'm more interested in exploring is the preventative measures > that > > can be taken to decrease crime at the society level and how Sudo Room > > can lend a hand. > > > > -- > > -- rhodey ˙ ͜ʟ˙ > > > > On 11/18/2013 08:17 PM, Sonja Trauss wrote: > > > no way man! your age/ race / gender is super relevant I think for > > how at > > > risk you are for being hassled, and in what way. > > > I think gender is the most important. Super crazy people and > females > > > will rob ladies, but crazy people, females AND healthy, red-blooded > > > American bullies will rob boys. I would bet $70 that the three > > times you > > > were robbed, if I had walked by that corner instead of you, your > > robbers > > > would have said "hey girl, can I go w chu"? to me and I would not > have > > > been robbed. > > > > > > I also think it gets less fun to rob men as they get older. > > > > > > David - you're black, do you have any info on the relative safety > from > > > mugging of black women and men? > > > I would expect the same dynamic to play out - it's not that fun to > rob > > > women, it's not as cool of a story. What about the relative safety > of > > > black and white men? I think white men and women imagine they > would be > > > safer in a black neighbourhood if they were black, but I don't > believe > > > that. I'm pretty sure the main victims of black criminals are other > > > black people. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > On Mon, Nov 18, 2013 at 7:59 PM, rhodey <rhodey(a)anhonesteffort.org > > <mailto:rhodey@anhonesteffort.org> > > > <mailto:rhodey@anhonesteffort.org > > <mailto:rhodey@anhonesteffort.org>>> wrote: > > > > > > I am sincerely sorry that I've made you uncomfortable. It was > my > > > intention to share an experience that better helped me > understand > > > motivations for crime, not an experience with other ethnic > groups. > > > > > > Retrospectively I'd rather not have answered the last question > > because > > > it wrongly places focus elsewhere. > > > > > > -- > > > -- rhodey ˙ ͜ʟ˙ > > > > > > On 11/18/2013 07:50 PM, David Barthwell wrote: > > > > To all the people sharing fun stories and uplifting > > anecdotes about > > > > encountering black people in Oakland: Let's not forget that > > there are > > > > actually some on this list. In fact, I'm one of them! > > > > > > > > > > > > On Mon, Nov 18, 2013 at 7:36 PM, rhodey > > <rhodey(a)anhonesteffort.org <mailto:rhodey@anhonesteffort.org> > > > <mailto:rhodey@anhonesteffort.org > > <mailto:rhodey@anhonesteffort.org>> > > > > <mailto:rhodey@anhonesteffort.org > > <mailto:rhodey@anhonesteffort.org> > > > <mailto:rhodey@anhonesteffort.org > > <mailto:rhodey@anhonesteffort.org>>>> wrote: > > > > > > > > Oh yes, it is worth noting that I'm a white male in his > > early 20s. > > > > > > > > -- > > > > -- rhodey ˙ ͜ʟ˙ > > > > > > > > On 11/18/2013 07:12 PM, Sonja Trauss wrote: > > > > > this reminds me of a comment I overheard on the bus > when I > > > lived in st > > > > > louis: > > > > > "I'm getting that government money man, fuck street > > money, it > > > > ain't even > > > > > worth it." > > > > > > > > > > ps are you a boy or a girl? > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > On Mon, Nov 18, 2013 at 6:55 PM, rhodey > > > <rhodey(a)anhonesteffort.org <mailto:rhodey@anhonesteffort.org> > > <mailto:rhodey@anhonesteffort.org <mailto:rhodey@anhonesteffort.org > >> > > > > <mailto:rhodey@anhonesteffort.org > > <mailto:rhodey@anhonesteffort.org> > > > <mailto:rhodey@anhonesteffort.org > > <mailto:rhodey@anhonesteffort.org>>> > > > > > <mailto:rhodey@anhonesteffort.org > > <mailto:rhodey@anhonesteffort.org> > > > <mailto:rhodey@anhonesteffort.org > > <mailto:rhodey@anhonesteffort.org>> > > > > <mailto:rhodey@anhonesteffort.org > > <mailto:rhodey@anhonesteffort.org> > > > <mailto:rhodey@anhonesteffort.org > > <mailto:rhodey@anhonesteffort.org>>>>> wrote: > > > > > > > > > > Receiving and contemplating the perspectives of > others > > > is one > > > > of my > > > > > favorite ways to burn metaphorical CPU cycles. The > > level of > > > > respect I > > > > > show for differing perspectives is something I > hope to > > > never be > > > > > content with, that is to say I believe it's an > endless > > > process > > > > and I'm > > > > > still working on it. I have a tendency to keep my > head > > > stuck in > > > > > projects and have realized is that I've been > > holding out on > > > > sharing > > > > > many of my most valued perspectives, more > > specifically my > > > > experiences. > > > > > It is my hope that through sharing experiences we > > can better > > > > > understand how to conduct ourselves within Sudo > > Room and how > > > > we Sudo > > > > > Room can better conduct ourselves within our local > > > community. > > > > > > > > > > I arrived in the "bay area" May 1st by way of some > > > airport in New > > > > > England, in search of hackers, activists and > > uncomfortable > > > > > experiences. After subletting an apartment in the > > > mission for > > > > all of a > > > > > month I moved to West Oakland. Since arriving in > > Oakland > > > I've been > > > > > robbed three times, to me each experience has been > > > indescribably > > > > > educational in its own way. However, my first > > crime related > > > > experience > > > > > in Oakland was not a crime at all. > > > > > > > > > > There is a corner store within ~6 minutes walking > > > distance from my > > > > > apartment by West Oakland BART called Happy Times. > > To me > > > it is > > > > usually > > > > > a liquor store, but this day I felt like working > > through the > > > > night so > > > > > I bought 2 large redbull energy drinks. Walking > home > > > holding the > > > > > redbull as best I could in one hand I passed two > > > African-American > > > > > youths, one female, one male and both no older > > than 17. We > > > > passed each > > > > > other and at this time I was about 20" from home > > then from > > > > behind me I > > > > > heard "hey man, can I get a redbull?". > > > > > > > > > > I turned around to face the two of them with a bit > > of a > > > guilty > > > > smile > > > > > on my face, after all who the fuck really needs > > 32oz of > > > redbull? > > > > > Caffeine, other energy drinks, productivity and I > all > > > get along > > > > > swimmingly, all the better if I can help someone > > else get > > > > things done. > > > > > "Sure" I said, followed by "make good use of it" > in an > > > attempt > > > > to make > > > > > the situation more casual. I walked up and handed > > him the > > > > redbull, his > > > > > face lit up, he went nuts. > > > > > > > > > > **and I quote** "Oh man! Asking is so much better > than > > > stealing!" > > > > > > > > > > The smile stayed on his face as he continued > > celebrating, > > > > exclaiming > > > > > all possible iterations of the above statement as I > > > stood their > > > > > dumbfounded. This continued for minutes until we > > parted > > > ways, > > > > up the > > > > > stairs and into the house I could still hear him > > talking > > > with his > > > > > friend. > > > > > > > > > > This was certainly not the first time he'd been > > told of this > > > > > sentiment, but after ~17 years of living it was the > > > first time > > > > he had > > > > > ever believed it. There are at least 3 other > > experiences I > > > > would like > > > > > to share in time, but for now I'll leave it at > this. > > > > > > > > > > -- > > > > > -- rhodey ˙ ͜ʟ˙ > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > > > > sudo-discuss mailing list > > > > > sudo-discuss(a)lists.sudoroom.org > > <mailto:sudo-discuss@lists.sudoroom.org> > > > <mailto:sudo-discuss@lists.sudoroom.org > > <mailto:sudo-discuss@lists.sudoroom.org>> > > > > <mailto:sudo-discuss@lists.sudoroom.org > > <mailto:sudo-discuss@lists.sudoroom.org> > > > <mailto:sudo-discuss@lists.sudoroom.org > > <mailto:sudo-discuss@lists.sudoroom.org>>> > > > > <mailto:sudo-discuss@lists.sudoroom.org > > <mailto:sudo-discuss@lists.sudoroom.org> > > > <mailto:sudo-discuss@lists.sudoroom.org > > <mailto:sudo-discuss@lists.sudoroom.org>> > > > > <mailto:sudo-discuss@lists.sudoroom.org > > <mailto:sudo-discuss@lists.sudoroom.org> > > > <mailto:sudo-discuss@lists.sudoroom.org > > <mailto:sudo-discuss@lists.sudoroom.org>>>> > > > > > http://lists.sudoroom.org/listinfo/sudo-discuss > > > > > > > > > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > > > sudo-discuss mailing list > > > > sudo-discuss(a)lists.sudoroom.org > > <mailto:sudo-discuss@lists.sudoroom.org> > > > <mailto:sudo-discuss@lists.sudoroom.org > > <mailto:sudo-discuss@lists.sudoroom.org>> > > > <mailto:sudo-discuss@lists.sudoroom.org > > <mailto:sudo-discuss@lists.sudoroom.org> > > > <mailto:sudo-discuss@lists.sudoroom.org > > <mailto:sudo-discuss@lists.sudoroom.org>>> > > > > http://lists.sudoroom.org/listinfo/sudo-discuss > > > > > > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > > sudo-discuss mailing list > > > sudo-discuss(a)lists.sudoroom.org > > <mailto:sudo-discuss@lists.sudoroom.org> > > <mailto:sudo-discuss@lists.sudoroom.org > > <mailto:sudo-discuss@lists.sudoroom.org>> > > > http://lists.sudoroom.org/listinfo/sudo-discuss > > > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > sudo-discuss mailing list > > sudo-discuss(a)lists.sudoroom.org <mailto: > sudo-discuss(a)lists.sudoroom.org> > > http://lists.sudoroom.org/listinfo/sudo-discuss > > > > > [View Less]

11 years, 5 months

Rally this Tue. 11/19: Against Oakland's Planned Surveillance Center! 5:30pm at City Hall!

by Marina Kukso

Call to Action: Pack city hall & rally to stop the Domain Awareness Center in Oakland. (Please forward widely) Oakland City Council is building a surveillance center to aggregate video surveillance feeds from all over Oakland. The Domain Awareness Center<http://oaklandwiki.org/dac>(DAC), as it's called, will include a computer system that aggregates information from surveillance cameras and license plate readers across Oakland, and in the future may include facial recognition … [View More]

11 years, 5 months

Dance at death guild night with Sudo and noisebridge

by Romy Ilano

Hey everyone :: would you like to have an epic goth night with sudoroom && noisebridge together at death guild tonight? Let's get out dance out , wear lots of make up and talk shop. I always prefer meetings where people can move instead of sitting still ...

11 years, 5 months

BREW SUBIIR THIS TUESDAY -> (! / ?) ?

by Morten H. D. Fuglsang

Hey all, I want to get Subiir brewing started again, for three main reasons: - get some kick-ass brew out there to get donations to sudoroom - get better at brewing - and most importantly,* to equip more people to brew with the Subiir setup.* *Tomorrow, Tuesday the 19th happens to be a good day to brew. 6pm to 11pm (it's okay to not be there the full session). If you are down, let me know!*If noone can join I won't host, due to reason #3. I would get all materials for 8 gl of California-… [View More]

11 years, 5 months

Public School Meeting about The Omni, THIS THURSDAY, 11/21 @ 7PM

by DZ Brazil

Dear Friends : The Public School is meeting to discuss the possibility of collective acquisition of The Omni space this Thursday, November 21 at 7PM at 2141 Broadway. We'd like to invite all our Sudo Room friends & comrades to join us at this meeting -- if we are going to move ahead on this project we're going to have to start getting together to talk about it ! Hope to see you there -- Love & solidarity -- David Brazil ________________________________ From: "sudo-discuss-… [View More]request(a)lists.sudoroom.org" <sudo-discuss-request(a)lists.sudoroom.org> To: sudo-discuss(a)lists.sudoroom.org Sent: Sunday, November 17, 2013 9:20 PM Subject: sudo-discuss Digest, Vol 13, Issue 31 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 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. Did your weekend start with a flat tire? (Morten H. D. Fuglsang) 2. Re: "Today We Learned": Weekly Colearning Sat. Afternoons 2-5PM Starting this Sat. 11/16 (Marina Kukso) 3. Help me with my desks (Thomas Levine) 4. Re: Phuckin' Phylean - Art Murmur After Party/Proposal/Planning/Properly/Promoter/Perhaps (johanna faust) 5. Re: Meeting Notes 11-13-13 - Juice and Paranoia in Sudoland (johanna faust) 6. missing insulation for 3d printer extruder (Jake) 7. Re: forts, magazines, arsenals, dockyards, and other needful buildings (Patrick Schmidt) 8. Conflict Resolution Proposal and Conflict Awareness 1, 2 and 3 (Patrick Schmidt) 9. Re: Dealing with funding (Hol Gaskill) 10. This Monday 18th is Techno Activism Third Monday, San Francisco -- with Morgan Mayhem, Laurie Penny, Jillian York, 6PM, EFF HQ (Danny O'Brien) 11. Re: Dealing with funding (The Batkid) 12. Re: Dealing with funding (David Keenan) 13. Re: Dealing with funding (Jenny Ryan) 14. Re: Dealing with funding (Hol Gaskill) 15. 5MOF call for speakers this Thursday! (Danny O'Brien) 16. Fwd: This Wednesday: Grassroots Financing teach-in (Vicky Knox) 17. Live demo refuting quantum mechanics, invitation (fwd) (Jake) 18. Rally this Tue. 11/19: Against Oakland's Planned Surveillance Center! 5:30pm at City Hall! (Marina Kukso) 19. Fwd: important mail (David Keenan) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Message: 1 Date: Sat, 16 Nov 2013 09:40:07 -0800 From: "Morten H. D. Fuglsang" <vallebo(a)gmail.com> To: "sudo-discuss(a)lists.sudoroom.org" <sudo-discuss(a)lists.sudoroom.org> Subject: [sudo-discuss] Did your weekend start with a flat tire? Message-ID: <CALbJKfPwAmQ2NOAcriAN1LmK6A1mOCah21S6eaenir+g4d3pZQ(a)mail.gmail.com> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Then come to Biketopia's second annual bike drive, TODAY! From 2 to 6 pm. 1752 Alcatraz. Free bike check-up, snacks, drinks - while supporting your friendly neighbourhood community bike workshop. See you there! :) ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Biketopia <colin.moss(a)biketopiaworkshop.org> Date: Fri, Nov 8, 2013 at 10:18 AM Subject: Second Annual Fall Bike Drive! To: morten(a)biketopiaworkshop.org You're invited to our Second Annual Bike Drive Fundraiser! View this email in your browser<http://us6.campaign-archive1.com/?u=7124c935e2da35aff97f9602d&id=26c7c05769…> [image: Biketopia Bike Drive Flyer] Biketopia's Second Annual Fall Bike Drive is sponsored in part by the following local businesses ... Sweet Adeline Bakery Gecko Gecko Thai California Eatery Manifesto Bicycles Oakland Missing Link Cooperative East Bay Bicycle Coalition The New Parkway Bart Bike Station Downtown Berkeley Bike Link Next time you're in one of these businesses, thank them for helping us out! *Copyright ? 2013 Biketopia Community Workshop, All rights reserved.* Your are receiving this email because you are a member of Biketopia or you signed up at the shop. *Our mailing address is:* Biketopia Community Workshop 1752 Alcatraz St Berkeley, Ca 94704 Add us to your address book<http://biketopiaworkshop.us6.list-manage1.com/vcard?u=7124c935e2da35aff97f9…> unsubscribe from this list<http://biketopiaworkshop.us6.list-manage1.com/unsubscribe?u=7124c935e2da35a…> update subscription preferences<http://biketopiaworkshop.us6.list-manage.com/profile?u=7124c935e2da35aff97f…> [image: Email Marketing Powered by MailChimp]<http://www.mailchimp.com/monkey-rewards/?utm_source=freemium_newsletter&utm…> [View Less]

11 years, 5 months

Live demo refuting quantum mechanics, invitation (fwd)

by Jake

---------- Forwarded message ---------- Hello friends of Unquantum, I am doing a live demonstration of the gamma-ray unquantum effect that refutes the photon model of light. It will be at the Chit-Chat Cafe, 5 West Manor Dr, tomorrow Monday night November 18th and Monday night November 25th at 6 to 7:30 PM. The poster for the event and details of this work are at http://www.unquantum.net This issue is important even if you are not a physicist. Not all of you are "friends of … [View More]

11 years, 5 months

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