An animated mind melt into a post human New York where TV and animals rule. Consider environmental concerns and our relationship with the media. Video found by Kadhja for Sunday’s ‘political viewing.’
Category: House Meetings
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- Strawberry having some trouble.
So since people weren’t generally available for a workshop wednesday, we’ve decided to go with a teach-in tuesday (not finding tutorial tuesday as nice).
Rachel and Max led a bike workshop where several people learned how to change and/or patch their tube.
Three Ways To Fix A Bicycle Flat
There are three ways to fix a bicycle flat tire. You can replace the whole inner tube, which is more reliable than another way, patching it. Patching is cheaper, the patch kit is easier to carry than a whole tube and you will have more than one patch, in case you have another flat.
The third way is the easiest. There are various liquids and foams that you can squirt into the inner tube through the valve. They seal leaks by clogging them up. Sealants can be put into your tires before you have a puncture, as a preventive measure. But they have less than a fifty percent success rate. Sealants are at their best in cases of numerous small punctures, such as running over areas where thorn bushes grow. They seldom work with large holes.
Patching The Bicycle Tube
Put lots of air into the tube until it is twice its regular size. The hole should be noticeable by now, but if not, you can put the whole tube under water and look for bubbles coming out. If the hole is small, you can mark it by poking through the hole with a screwdriver to make it larger.
Unless you have glueless patches, follow this procedure exactly:
1. Deflate and make sure the outside of the tube is dry.
2. Using sandpaper, or the metal scraper that comes with some patch kits, buff the tube around the area of the hole to remove the outer surface of the rubber revealing fresh rubber underneath. Make sure to buff at least as large an area as the whole patch will cover. If you use a metal scraper, be careful not to cut deep enough to create new holes.
3. Put glue over the buffed area. Work only in a well-ventilated area.
4. Let the glue dry fully. Really! This kind of glue, also called contact cement, must dry completely before applying the patch. Many people are confused about this and do strange things including setting the glue on fire!
5. Peel the foil or the plastic backing off the patch and press it firmly on the glued area. Do not touch the side of the patch which sticks to the glue because even the microscopic amount of material on your fingers deactivates its stickiness.
Installing The Bicycles Tire And Tube
1. Check the rimstrip, the rubber, cloth or plastic covering over the spoke nipples to be sure it is in good condition and in proper position.
2. Look at the outside of the tire while feeling around the inside (carefully) to see whether the puncturing object is still stuck in the rubber.
If the tire has a large hole, you may be able to shore it up temporarily. Just lay a square of cloth between the tire and the tube. The air pressure will hold it in place.
3. Pump just enough air into the tube for it to take its doughnut-like shape.
4. Put the inner tube fully into the tire.
5. Push the valve about half way into the valve hole on the rim. If you have trouble getting it in, lift up the rimstrip first, push the valve through the rimstrip, then into the rim.
6. Lay the wheel on a table and then slip the bottom side of the tire into position onto the rim.
The last little bit may be difficult to slip over the edge of the rim. Resist the temptation to use a tire lever to pry it on.
This may damage the tire edge, or you may slip and put a hole in the tube. It is almost always possible to get the tire on entirely by hand if you force just an inch or two at a time over the rim using your thumbs. Practice helps more than strength. Except with a few thin tires, almost no strength is needed.
7. Now put the top side of the tire on the same way. If you have trouble, make sure there is not too much air in the inner tube. Also check to see that the tire goes on properly. Sometimes the tire won’t drop fully into position on the rim, often near the valve. This is why you put the valve half-way into its hole at first, to help prevent the tube getting caught between the tire and the rim edge.
Getting the last portion of the tire over the rim.
8. When the tire is installed, gently pull and wiggle the valve stem into position.
9. Put just a little air into the bicycle’s tire, about ten pounds per square inch. Look at the tire, all the way around and on both sides, to be sure it is seated properly. If there is a section of tire that is trying to bulge off the rim, let the air out and fix this area by pushing it into position. After you are satisfied with the tire installation, inflate the tire to full pressure. Do this slowly, periodically checking that the seating is still OK. The proper pressure is written (vulcanized) on the tire side.
Another seating problem is the opposite of bulging. The tire will not seem to fill up entirely in one area, giving you a wheel with a sort of flat spot. Sometimes this can be cured by letting the air out, manipulating the tire by hand into place, and then re-inflating. Sometimes you have to do more. One approach is to coat the edges of the rim with soapy water to lubricate the tire and rim, allowing the tire to slip into position as you inflate it. Use a kind of soap that dries up. Some mechanics just exceed the recommended pressure for a short while until the tire pops into position, but this is dangerous. In some cases, a new tire is necessary.
Meeting notes 9 6 2010
Charlie read this post from feministe:
Whoever cooks Friday – keep it simple and clean, and be done earlier so we can PREPARE FOR THE PARTY.
Cleaning lady came and cleaned the kitchen. Kind of fucked up they brought in a woman of color cleaning lady, and problematic they forced it on us.
Rachel: The landlords had the cleaning folks come on Friday, and they cleaned the kitchen and the bathrooms very thoroughly. We didn’t want it, problematic to have someone come clean for us, and they hired them anyway. Already happened, not a regular thing, a singular deep cleaning.
Buckets gone? Disappeared, one came back.
If you mop at a cleaning party, dump out the water. If you use rags, put them away, etc. There’s a white trash can– if wet, drape it over the side.
Guests at meetings: last week we had a couple people come to the meeting – in the past, we’ve voted on their policy. In the past, we’ve decided not to have anyone because personal things could be brought up. And they can be disruptive.
Caveats – non participation rule outside of the political discussion. E-mail the house before, see if anyone doesn’t want anyone there, if so, the person whose guest it is has to tell them not to be there for part of it.
Voted for AND PASSED.
Put your Tupperware in the fridge, label and date it, and if it’s still there in a week CLEAR IT OUT.
Whose responsibility is it to clean the Tupperware that they finish? Cook or eater?
Gerardo – cook because though unfair, hard to enforce.
Adam – partially cook’s, but should employ the honor system. Asking someone to check on it… just make it a reasonable size you leave.
VOTE: LEAVE ENOUGH FOR THE NEXT PERSON TO EAT. IF YOU FINISH IT, CLEAN IT.
Garden:
It’s doing well – Rachel wants to ask if everyone can help with it. The chickens get out sometimes, and sometimes get into the garden and dig a hole. Don’t leave the chicken fence open.
Leaving stove on:
LOW IS NOT OFF. TURN IT OFF. IT’S ON THE OTHER SIDE.
Joshua Tree Roots Festival:
Max and Rachel are hopefully taking the veggie oil bus out, it’s Saturday and Sunday. Maybe leaving Saturday morning as early as possible.
Really small, 500-1000 people. Camp ground right outside of JTree
Volunteering: Be on promotional team, which is before, they send posters, and you go and put up posters. Write down where you put them up, send it in, they send you a ticket. The other is there, directing people or whatever.
Need confirmation because if others aren’t going, then Max and Rachel will just leave on their trip.
E-mail Rachel if you want to go by the next meeting.
Coming out as an ally:
USC LGBT, which we don’t connect with for some reasons… is doing a campaign for allies, where they hold up a sign that says ALLY, take a picture, send it in.
Maybe do the whole house as an ally, and then also individuals as allies.
Maybe assault people at the party to do it
Rice cooker update:
What size? 25 or 50 people? (ruling was 25 people)
GIVE MICHAELA $3 FOR GAS!!!!!! – leave your name somehow so it can be tracked.
No home/no name:
Gerardo cleaned the private fridge and put things on everyone’s shelf, everything without a name is in the lower right drawer of the common fridge – YOU HAVE UNTIL TOMORROW TO GET IT OR IT SHALL BE COMMON.
Caucuses:
What first? Race? Class? Gender? Sexuality?
MEETING TO TALK ABOUT HOW THE CAUCUSES WILL RUN: SUNDAY AT 5 30.
Vote for which one: we pick GENDER.
Woody accepts not coming to the house.
He was defensive, but it was over the phone so its hard to know.
Vegan brunch:
2-3 organizers needed.
Could use same recipes if they wanted, flyer places, etc.
Make a separate flyer for the neighbors, that their kids can come, etc
All we really did was cook a little the night before and get the ingredients, then cooked the morning of.
VOLUNTEERS: Charlie, Finfy, Mitch!
IF YOU EVER USE UP THE LAST OF THE COMMON FOOD, WRITE IT ON THE LITTLE WHITE BOARD OVER THE PANTRY!
CLEAN THE KITCHEN AFTER COOKING! When you cook, you’re responsible for everything you cook and put the leftovers away.
PARTY DEWDSS AND DEWDETTES.
Cost: $2 – if they only have $1, they’re in still.
Angie is updating it.
Intoxication committee: involves getting money from everyone, and then getting a ton of caguama or whatever. Maybe no keg. Maybe just lots of cheap vodka and such.
Rachels, Dan and Adam
Decoration committee: Anna, Adam, Dan, Gerardo, Alicia, Michaela, Laila, AngieWIN, Berry
Cleaning committee: Gerardo, Rachel, Drew, Mitch, Alicia, Charlie, Berry
Music – Kevin.
KATIE AND HANNAH!?!?!?!?!?!? WHACHUDO-AN!?!?!?!?
Decoration committee meeting: 8 on Wednesday
Dome is being put up Friday morning (THE PVC PIPE ONE)
Body paint intergalactic space emperor and assistant to: Adam and Kevin sets it up, figures it out.
CHECK OUT CHARLIE’S FACEBOOK PROFILE PICTURE FOR VOTING!
This is a zine about partner abuse within activist communities. It addresses the use of “community accountability” when the survivor of abuse does not wish to involve the police/criminal justice system. It is an amazing read. The first several essays are personal accounts. The last essays were written and published by activist organizations and outline what community accountability is and how it is put to use. Righteous.
- Last semester, meetings would start with a political discussion or reading for discussion at the beginning (as opposed to the end, which lead to discussions getting cut short). In continuation of this practice, Rachel started off the meeting with a reading about Israel and a discussion of her time in Israel.
2. Recruitment stuff: Angie and Laila, Tuesday (08/09) at 6 to discuss Recruitment
3. Hitchhikers guide to the galaxy: Everyone PLEASE work on it! Work on it tomorrow
4. Make the compost 3rd tier
5. Make Chore Tags; get more Velcro
i. Trash Attack
ii. Purple Plant Rain
iii. Hungry Chicken
iv. Turning & Watering Compost
v. Table Wiper
vi. Living Room Collector
vii. Owl Post (and delivery)
viii. Dish Fairy (empty dishwasher, empty drying rack)
6. Make a magnet for the dishwasher to say clean or dirty!
7. Make for the washer and dryer! Micky made them! Yay!
8. Rachael will be having a gardening day during morning hours on Friday!
9. We have mothers visiting!
10. Katie’s friends may stay.
11. Couchsurfing: Angie’s Couchsurfing account is back in service. All requests must be made the Sunday before the person visits (before the Sunday meeting). All potential surfers must be approved by the house. Anyone staying longer than a week must be discussed further.
12. Intro to Co-Op game show!
13. Movie tonight and tomorrow! Who wants to watch a movie tonight? Tonight: ? Tomorrow: Short Bus
14. Meetings get posted on the blog and everyone is emailed the link to their emails.
- What to do about meeting absentees: people who are absent have to clean the toilet in their bathroom, except in cases of excused absences (if you’re out of town or severely injured, working, or a really pressing family/friend emergency). Also read the meeting notes.
- Whole-y books name: The Hitchhikers Guide to the Technicolor Tree Tribe
“Don’t hitchhike without a towel.” Strawberry & HHGTTG
-Work on book later tonight
- Recruitment Timeline
- a. Back to school coalition
- i. The three freshman boys will be tacked onto this group
- ii. Laila and Angie
- a. Back to school coalition
-When are co-op members coming back?
First weekend back bonding camping trip for Co-Op-ers: Sunday and Monday, Monday and Tuesday (August Sun 21, August Sat 22, Monday 23 first day of school), maybe LABOR DAY WEEKEND (maybe a staycation sleepover (set up the dome in the front lawn) BURNING MAN PEOPLE WILL BE HERE THE SATURDAY AND SUNDAY BEFORE SCHOOL STARTS SO THAT WORKS BEST FOR EVERYONE
Sunday Vegan Brunch the weekend after the Involvement Fair (Wednesday, August 25) so BRUNCH on Sunday, August 29th. What we need, what recipe, how much it costs to get George and Leo to pay for it.
Pamphlets of activities
Political film screenings (Charlie’s job)
party
For PARTY (have a paragraph about what the house is about and what events are coming up)- Read this out and then also have it written somewhere (send out post even Face book message)
Freecycle day (grilling!) (Stawberry)
Tie-dye parties
Crafting days
Scavenger hunt
Zine
-The point of these activities: Creating a community space that fosters political involvement. Activities and events don’t have to be organized around political events but we can incorporate political events into them. Have a writing prompt at the film screening, get on a microphone and announce what the event is about, have a pamphlet or information for particular events.
-How to teach how to cook enough for everyone! Maybe pair new cookers up with experienced ones.
-Have a day of rotated activities, maybe?
- Cleaning/Organizing
Cleaning Parties!
Cleaning parties are the most effective and a necessary part of
How to clean the kitchen: after you cook, sweep the floors, wipe the counter tops, clean the stovetop, wipe off and clear away things from the sink. DRYING WITH A CLEAN TOWEL, THINGS YOU WASH. Before washing dishes, clear the drying rack.
-Series of Cleaning 101, Cooking 101, of how to use the kitchen. IN SKIT FORMAT.
Chore tags:
-Have skill based chore tags: people excited about the chickens get to take care of the chickens every day. Help them take ownership of certain things in the house.
-Make sure things that need to get done get done.
-To facilitate cleaning, make sure the lost and found is emptied every week and put into the free cycle so that as people clean, if they don’t know who’s belongings something is, they can put it in the lost and found.
-new chore tags:
Daily: wipe down the kitchen table after dinners/meetings, clear out living room of the random stuff, turn the compost,
As needed: put kitchen rags in the washer
Weekly: make a snack (pick oranges from the tree), check the fridge and toss gross stuff.
- Strawberry’s Tuperware
- Common food budget + breakdown
-Breakdown how much money will go into the common fund
-Refill and restock white bins (trip to Rainbow Acres)
Common Food: Rice, Beans, baking stuff, spices, oatmeal, cleaning supplies (handsoap)
Fridge/other common stuff: Pasta whole grain, Peanut Butter, Margerine, (experimental) Soymilk, onions, garlic, toilet paper
CSA Farmer’s Market boxes, Email to see if the situation is really desperate (Angie)
- Who uses what bathrooms:
- Downstairs: Kadhja, Angie, Laila, Gerardo, Charlie, Pearle
- Upstairs big: Strawberry, Erin, Micky, Mitch, Marco
- Small bathroom:
- Laila’s birthday camping in Deep Creek Hot Springs, 1½ away from here. Half hour hike up to creek, hour back.
Co-op meeting notes- 1-31-10
Attendance: Erin, Tani, Charlie, Rachel, Gerardo, Reina, Micky, Laila, Teddy, Ale.
Not in attendance: Alex, Pat, Bryan, Iris, Peggy, Taylor (excused).
If you cant come please let everyone know as a sign of respect.
- Gas bill coming up, Charlie will notify.
- Talk about naked Mondays later. We will maybe have an intimacy workshop with Kellee, date TBA. Plus its too cold now.
- Make sure dinner is clean- Check-in at 11 pm. People have to deal with a mess the next morning sometimes and can’t cook.
- Mail box sorter to be made for the house.
- Managers- Schedule a cleaning day to do a deep clean on your area.
- Lost and found is now the free-cycle, in line with our decision to move everything to the free-cycle at the end of the month. Today is Jan. 31.
- Lock the fucking door (always) and turn the lights off. You know who you are…
- New vaccuum. How to use: Turn on both switches to clean carpet. Clear the bottom brush part when your done so the vacuum does not break because of stuff that gets clogged.
- Put the projector away. In its case under the piano.
- Alex stubbed his toe!
- Confliction Resolution: Handled on an individual basis. The person with an issue can find a point person to be a peer-mediator with the other person to help the two people resolve the issue. A workshop with a counselor to be scheduled.
- Lease meeting with George: Lease lowered to $8000.00 next year. $200.00 off (almost nothing).
- Reina will send out a blurb, and send it out to all of your past classes on blackboard.
- Hooray! Meeting adjourned.
Regularly scheduled events put on by the Technicolor Tree Tribe including workshops, parades, movies, caucuses, and vegan brunches!
Begins January 31 with Caucuses!
The Co-op has survived the rain! After a week of unrelenting downpours (unheard of in LA), the clouds have let up and we are now free to soak in the sun instead of being soaking wet. On Saturday morning, when the warm globe in the sky first made its reappearance, most of the TTT found themselves at a spontaneous garden party. We all stood around outside, picking the cherry tomatoes that had gone unnoticed in the rain.
I feel as if the weather put a stopper on normal campus activities, but now they have recommenced. On Wednesday (2-3pm,) and Thursday (10-11am), SCALE (Student Coalition Against Labor Exploitation) will be in front of the USC bookstore flyering for a boycott of all clothing in the bookstore feb. 1st until USC joins the Workers Rights Consortium.
On Wednesday, there will be a poetry reading by 4th-7th graders, all taught by USC students through a fabulous class called The Writer in the Community. The event, which will happen from 6-8pm in SGM 123, will a celebration of the USC students work with children and young adults of 32nd St. School. The kids will be reading their best work, all of which will be included in a printed, professionally bound anthology. I think (hope) that several co-opers will make it to the event.
1. Everyone say hi to Gerardo
2. Michaela will personally kill you if you mess up the kitchen
3. Landlords – Problem: weatherproofing house, we need a cheaper rent, heater issues? See emails that have been going around.
Solution: Task Force! Meeting Tomorrow, Monday at 9:00pm
4. Tomatoes don’t go in the fridge!
5. Charlie is now the Michaela of the Common Fund
6. Reina is now the Michaela of Rent
7. We are $590 short Sunny’s Rent Last month. Michaela and the 2 new Michaelas (of rent and common fund) are going to come up with a bill for everyone.
8. Next Monday is MLK day – no school. Meeting on Monday. And people are going hiking
9. Involvement: Each person is part of 1+ committee: Vegan Brunch, Parade, Movie/Discussion Night, Workshops, Guerrilla Art
10. Vegan Brunch: Every 1st Sunday of the month
1. 11am-2pm involvement fair on campus – MAX
12. Thursday capoeira 7pm and movie night 8pm (after dinner) SOMEONE GETS POPCORN! – RACHEL, CHARLIE, LAILA, MAX can pick people up from campus
12. Leaving around 11am monday (the 18th) the hiknick – Charlie will make breakfast
13. Managers – Quick definition: Each person would have their own manager position (or two people to a position). Semester long responsibilities. The managers would be accountable. We could have a very nice permanent sign that would be on display. Max sent out a fairly detailed email of his ideas about them.
How do these work with Tani’s Pea Pods?
Managers pass. We can put up suggestions on the fridge.
For this week we will do Tani’s Pea Pods. She will forward around the lists. Everyone is in a group. Party and clean for 45 min!
14. Vacuum is getting fixed
15. Party NEXT friday (22nd)
