SF Bay Area Gift Economy's topics - tribe.net

Looking to Rent or ??

Tiqa — Tue, 20 May 2008 17:39:16 GMT

Bay Area native recently returned. I'm looking for a place of my own to rent or ?? I'm a very positive, responsible female, N/S. If you have any recommendations, I would appreciate it. Thank you. Tiqa, 619.249.8271

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FREE Documentary and Activism Panel on 4/13 at 2:00pm at Little Roxie Theater-SF

sfwff — Fri, 13 Apr 2007 06:11:46 GMT

Friday, April the 13th, 2-4pm, at Little Roxie Theatre
DOCUMENTARY AND ACTIVISM PANEL
We live in an age where documentary films have the power to inform the masses on hot topic issues from global warming, preserving freedom of speech to genetically modified food debate. SFWFF will host a panel dedicated to “Filmmaking and Activism.” Local Filmmakers, Karil Daniels, Carolyn Scott, Deborah Koons-Garcia, Connie Field and Dorothy Fadiman will be on hand to show some clips, talk about their films and take your questions.

For the complete schedule and full details about the San Francisco Women's Film Festival 2007, visit the
website at:
http://www.sfwff.com

DISCOUNTED TICKETS FOR INFO:
You can receive $2 off admission, when purchasing tickets for the following shows in advance online by
entering coupon code: festivalfriends07

Sat. 4/14, 8 pm - DOCUMENTARY AND ACTIVISM FILMS at
the SF Women's Building, 3543 18th St. #8, SF.

Sun. 4/15, 7 pm - CLOSING NIGHT FILMS, TRIBUTE & PARTY
at 111 Minna Gallery, 111 Minna St., SF.

For the complete schedule and full details about the
San Francisco Women's Film Festival 2007, visit the
website at:
http://www.sfwff.com

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Free Skool Santa Cruz Marks Two Years

ricothunder — Fri, 02 Feb 2007 17:55:22 GMT

Free Skool Marks Two Years of Learning Outside the System

Grassroots project has grown to include hundreds of classes and continues to blur the line between teachers and students

Santa Cruz, CA, February 1st, 2007: Two years ago this spring, Free Skool Santa Cruz started as an idea between friends. It was a resuscitation of an old idea: interactive and informal learning in a non-intuitional, non-hierarchical setting outside of the monetary economy. In other words, friends sharing what they know with others in an informal skill-sharing network. And in two years, Free Skool has offered over 260 different classes on everything from DIY-philosophy such as bike repair and knitting to more academic subjects such as local and radical history.

In fact, looking at the quarterly-produced Free Skool calendar -- with classes offered almost every single day -- it is nearly impossible to easily summarize the breadth of the subjects offered. "History of the Future" falls next to "Don't Die! Wild Foods." " Polynesian Star Navigation" cozies up to "Surveillance Camera Walking Tour" on the Free Skool calendar. More mainstay classes -- language, yoga, cooking, and art. -- also round out the schedule.

As much as possible, Free Skool works to blur the line between teachers, students, and organizers. Teachers make most of the arrangements for their classes including subject, material, timing, and location. Classes are informal, egalitarian, and are held in homes, social spaces, and parks. "We are all students and we are all teachers here," says the Free Skool website. And once a quarter, students, teachers, organizers, and community members all pitch in to put on the Free Skool Community Picnic.

Organizers view Free Skool as an intrinsically radical project. It is not only a framework in which students and teachers can share what they know, but a direct challenge to institutional control and the commodification of learning. It is a completely grassroots effort, with no outside funding or support, a bunch of individuals working collectively and autonomously to make it happen.

New Free Skool teachers are always welcome. The deadline to submit new classes for the upcoming Spring Quarter is February 10th.

Spring Quarter runs March 1st to May 31st. Calendars for the new quarter will be available mid-February on-line and at most cafes, bookstores, and community centers in Santa Cruz and beyond. The Free Skool Santa Cruz website, which offers the current calendar, class reviews, and discussion, is at http://santacruz.freeskool.org

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Last Night DIY Parade Returns in Full Force

ricothunder — Tue, 26 Dec 2006 06:23:39 GMT

Following police spying, decentralized celebration refuses permission to bring spontaneous parade to Santa Cruz streets

Santa Cruz, CA, December 31st, 2006: Undaunted by civil rights violations last year by the Santa Cruz Police Department, this year's Last Night DIY Parade and Celebration returns in full force to take over the streets.

In your near future: a New Year’s eve parade crammed with jugglers, clowns, samba drums, pirates, bikes, and marching bands. The usual Santa Cruz city-sponsored New Year’s eve event? Hardly. This is Last Night Santa Cruz, a people’s parade, a do-it-yourself celebration that goes beyond the now-defunct First Night event, canceled two years ago due to money problems.

Last year, the celebration erupted into the national headlines when it was discovered that Santa Cruz Police had violated the civil liberties of organizers by spying on their meetings for three months and gathering information about the group and other unrelated activities.

This year, the celebration returns with an unabashedly defiant point-of-view. A manifesto published on the Last Night DIY website states, "Last Night is a decentralized, collective, spontaneous, open, public New Year's Eve celebration, a completely organic event, organized and put on at a grassroots-level." DIY stands for do-it-yourself and the parade boasts no city-sponsorship and no corporate donors.

The Last Night website states, "The parade is not merely a celebration, but a celebration of the power that we all have when we gather together to make something happen. Not just a street party, but a party to reclaim our streets."

This year on New Year's Eve, the celebration will meet at sunset near the Saturn Cafe parking lot on Pacific Ave.

A Brief History of Last Night

Last Night started in 2005 as a response to the implosion of the city-sponsored First Night celebration. Elsewhere that year, the government abandoned millions of poor people in hurricane-ravaged New Orleans, and so Last Night was also a commemoration of the do-it-yourself spirit of those surviving communities.

That year, thousands of people came out to participate in the people’s parade that marched raucously up Pacific Avenue. The parade included the Santa Cruz Trash Orchestra, martial arts displays, firedancers, the Santa Cruz Peace Coalition, Indonesian music, drum circles, floats, and the Opera Lady. The parade was high-energy and peaceful. There were no conflicts with police who’s light presence remained far on the periphery. The parade and it’s organizers represented a broad cross-section of the community.
In a typical overreaction of authority to the threat of people taking responsibility in their own lives, the Santa Cruz Police Department deployed undercover officers to infiltrate parade planning meetings for three months. Records released after the spying scandal came to light, revealed a pattern of abuses, including monitoring unrelated groups and other first amendment activities and compiling police dossiers of organizers. The city's own police auditor determined that police had violated the civil rights of parade organizers. After six months of effort, community, activist, and ACLU involvement, the city put in place a weak policy to curb some of the abuses of police power.

A Decentralized Community Event

Organizers, or "un-organizers" as they prefer to be called, issued a manifesto to make clear the intentions of the Last Night parade, online at the Last Night DIY website at www.lastnightdiy.org. The site also offers history, news, discussion, and press info about the Last Night DIY Celebration.

It is a people's parade and everyone is invited: parents with kids, wayward youth, the homeless, Mexican workers, students, retired people. Get your friends together and bring your creativity to the parade. Build a float or puppets. Bring your friends dressed as clowns. Make music and performance art. Show off your art car. Form a bike gang. Bring your political message because unlike First Night, free speech is encouraged.

The celebration is decentralized -- no one person or group is making it happen. No one is in charge, but those involved in the parade claim they are all leaders. Decisions about tactical matters are made collectively by those willing to step up and make it happen. The paraders are not asking for permits and permission, nor are there any limits on participation. No one is in a position to restrict who can participate or in what way. People simply show up prepared to take part in a city-wide celebration.

Not Seeking Permits

Beyond the impossible barrier of the city's arduous and prohibitively expensive special event permit, the permit process itself is a racket. It is the process through which the city seeks to charge us for the privilege of exercising our rights to free speech and free assembly. Accepting a permit puts someone in the position of having to take responsibility and liability for the actions of others. Parade organizers reject that way of thinking.

The focus is on self-reliance. One of the most important aspects of the Last Night celebration is that people take responsibility for themselves and for their community. As such, parade "un-organizers" take pains to address issues such as security, traffic control, sanitation, clean-up, and police liaison.

The Last Night DIY Parade is not seeking permits from the city. Last Night organizers reason, "When we ask permission to live our lives, to celebrate, to come together, to express dissent, we legitimate the power of institutions over us. We give up our power to make our own choices. We refuse to ask permission to be free."

The Last Night manifesto states, "We want to live in a world full of play and celebration, where self-expression is a matter of course. A world full of surprises, in which relationships are authentic and open-ended. A world in which we share a direct connection to the world around us. Where one does not have to ask permission of authorities to realize one’s dreams of adventure and possibility."

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really really free market bonfire potluck party

kirsten — Fri, 17 Nov 2006 02:34:48 GMT

Hello starry eyes,
Since the last one was so great, we’re having another mid-month rrfm party.
But this time, lets come together in front of the Pacific Ocean. Bring your
friends to a cozy fire on the coast. Like last month, this isn’t a formal
meeting, just a chance to bring a great group of people together.

Sunday November 19th. Dinner’s at 7pm. yes, we will feed you.

Ocean Beach – between Lincoln Way & Fulton Street (directly west of Golden Gate
Park).
Muni buses 31, 18, 38, and 5 go to Ocean Beach.
There is also parking near the beach across from Golden Gate park until 10pm.
Here is a map to the area near the parking lots between Fulton and Lincoln.
http://maps.yahoo.com/maps_result?newFL=Use+Address+Below&addr=great+highway+at+fulton&csz=San+Francisco%2C+CA&.intl=us&name=&lat=&lon=&srchtype=a&qty=&new=1&trf=0&getmap=Get+Map
you might have to copy and paste the link.

*Apparently, parking is easier on the Fulton side, so we’ll aim to set-up around
there too. Look for a red and green flag to find us.

*A mystic meteorologist told me that Sunday is looking dry, but in the case that
we get rained out, we will have a back-up, indoor location for the festivities.
Email me for the plan-b location at reallyreallyfreemarket@mutualaid.org

*Anyone can post to our discussion board at www.sf-rrfm.org so if you want to
coordinate a ride sharing situation, feel free to use that forum to connect with
others.

*Although this is not a requirement, you’re encouraged to bring something for
the feast, some wood for the fire, red wine was a big theme last month, or a
performance of any variety

*Officially, alcohol and glass are forbidden on the beach, so please be discreet

Find the green and red flag!

Hope to see you there!

yours in solidarity,
kirsten

THE NEXT RRFM IS NOV. 25 IN DOLORES PARK, SF 12PM

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pickup soccer tonight and every tuesday - SF

tenderoni — Tue, 05 Sep 2006 23:52:25 GMT

join our pickup game
every tuesday 7pm

Beginner/Recreational to Intermediate skills. Skilled players are welcome as long as they respect and pass to beginners. Stanyan and Rivoli street (one block north of 17th street) at the gratten playground.
this pickup game is inteneded for everyone interested regardless of skill, age,sex..... only rule is to keep the game friendly.

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Really Really Free Market this Saturday the 26th!!

kirsten — Thu, 24 Aug 2006 04:49:02 GMT

Please join us this month for the August Really Really Free Market - This Saturday, Aug. 26th - Noon to Four in Dolores Park, SF!!
This month will (hopefully) hold: massage, food, fire-dancing lessons and props, a kids space with games, clothes (as always), and whatever else you all bring!

Never been to a RRFM? Its like a potluck, made up of ideas, food, music, books, skills, games and many other resources that we as a community can come together and share. everything is free. yes, really really free. no money, no bartering, advertising, just free. [more info below in the faq]

Bring a blanket; bring things to put on the blanket; sit on someones else’s blanket; play in the grass and live for a few hours outside of capitalism.

August 26th and the Last Saturday of Every Month - 12-4pm-Dolores Park
website - www.sf-rrfm.org
email - reallyreallyfreemarket@mutualaid.org

[i'm interested in trying to help arrange free things that arent necessarily tangible such as performances (music, spoken word, circus arts...), services (massage, tarot, therapy...) skills shares (composting, bike repair, haircutting) and activities (soccer, yoga, international scrabble...) so if you do any of these things and want to participate, or know someone who does, email us!!]

---------------------------------------------
FAQ
---------------------------------------------

*What is The Really REALLY Free Market?

It's like a large community-wide garage sale and festival, except everything is
FREE! Yes, that's right, FREE! Everyone is invitied to bring things to
GIVE
AWAY!

*So this is like bartering or trading, right?
Nope. Bartering and trading go something like this:
I've got this great shirt here, what can you offer me for it?

The RRFM goes something like this: I've got this really great shirt
here. I don't really wear it anymore, but I'd hate to see it go to
waste.
Do you want it? Great! Here, it's yours!

*Why would i want to do a thing like that?
Because you have to many things already! Because you're just going to throw it away anyway. Because it FEELS GOOD!
Do you have things cluttering up your home? Maybe some stuff that you don't use anymore, but you know that someone else would probably love.
One person's trash can truly be another person's treasure!

*What should I bring?
Bring *your thing* to the RRFM, whatever that is! Material goods, food or drinks, a service to provide, a skill you have that you want to teach to others, a performance, or anything else!

*What if I don't have anything to give away?
Everyone has something to give to others. The RRFM isn't just about giving away *stuff.* What is it that you do? Why not come to the RRFM and find a way to do it for others, except this time for free just for the fun of it. As a gift to others, as a gift to yourself. It's a way of reclaiming meaning in your job, to give it as a gift, unmediated by commerce.

*Who runs the RRFM?
Well, the RRFM consists of the sum of its participants. The gift you
bring to the event, helps create what the event is for others, just as what others bring to the event, creates what the event is for you.

That said, there are some folks who came together to help create the structure for the RRFM to work. But it is our hope that soon enough, our role within the RRFM will be the same as everyone else's. That is, that each of us decides our own level of involvement.

The RRFM is yours! Take advantageous of that. Make it what you want it to be! If you want to see something happening at the RRFM that isn't already happening, than make it happen! If you want to see more people coming to the RRFM, help spread the word! Send emails to your friends, make and distribute flyers (make your own or download them from the website), talk to people about the RRFM.
-------------------------------------------------------------

Please help us keep the RRFM a 100% FREE and non-commercial event. Once a month, let's come together and forget about trading, bartering, and money. Leave the business cards at home and remember the joy of giving for the sake of giving.

Help us keep Dolores Park clean. If no one takes what you brought, please bring it home with you.

If you like what you just read, get involved! Come to the RRFM! Bring your own gifts to share! Spread the info, and get more people involved!

The RRFM takes YOU to make it happen.

posted in SF Bay Area Gift Economy - 0 replies

Hello from Crestone

tufani — Sun, 07 May 2006 20:40:02 GMT

Just joined this tribe. I like the resonance. I hope cyberspace is fair enough meeting grounds for us, as I am in Crestone, CO.

Tufani

posted in SF Bay Area Gift Economy - 0 replies

Really Really Free Market Saturday 4/29

ray999 — Fri, 21 Apr 2006 04:30:37 GMT

Hello,

Just wanted to let everyone know that the Really
Really Free Market will be happening on april 29th in
Dolores Park from noon to 4pm. This is the first one
this year, so let everyone that might be interested
know!
Peace-
Ray

What is The Really REALLY Free Market?

It's like a large community-wide garage sale, except
everything is
FREE! Yes, that's right, FREE! Everyone is invitied to
bring things to GIVE
AWAY!

So this is like bartering or trading, right?
Nope. Bartering and trading go something like this:
I've got this great shirt here, what can you offer me
for it?

The RRFM goes something like this: I've got this
really great shirt
here. I don't really wear it anymore, but I'd hate to
see it go to waste.
Do you want it? Great! Here, it's yours!

Why would i want to do a thing like that?
Because you have to many things already! Because
you're just going to
throw it away anyway. Because it FEELS GOOD!
Do you have things cluttering up your home? Maybe some
stuff that you
don't use anymore, but you know that someone else
would probably love.
One person's trash can truly be another person's
treasure!

What should I bring?
Bring *your thing* to the RRFM, whatever that is!
Material goods, food
or drinks, a service to provide, a skill you have that
you want to
teach to others, a performance, or anything else!

What if I don't have anything to give away?
Everyone has something to give to others. The RRFM
isn't just about
giving away *stuff.* What is it that you do? Why not
come to the RRFM and
find a way to do it for others, except this time for
free just for the
fun of it. As a gift to others, as a gift to yourself.
It's a way of
reclaiming meaning in your job, to give it as a gift,
unmediated by
commerce.

Who runs the RRFM?
Well, the RRFM consists of the sum of its
participants. The gift you
bring to the event, helps create what the event is for
others, just as
what others bring to the event, creates what the event
is for you.

That said, there are some folks who came together to
help create the
structure for the RRFM to work. But it is our hope
that soon enough, our
role within the RRFM will be the same as everyone
else's. That is, that
each of us decides our own level of involvement.

The RRFM is yours! Take advantageous of that. Make it
what you want it
to be! If you want to see something happening at the
RRFM that isn't
already happening, than make it happen! If you want to
see more people
coming to the RRFM, help spread the word! Send emails
to your friends,
make and distribute flyers (make your own or download
them from the
website), talk to people about the RRFM.
----

Please help us keep the RRFM a 100% FREE and
non-commercial event. Once
a month, let's come together and forget about trading,
bartering, and
money. Leave the business cards at home and remember
the joy of giving
for the sake of giving.

Help us keep Dolores Park clean. If no one takes what
you brought,
please bring it home with you.

If you like what you just read, get involved! Come to
the RRFM! Bring
your own gifts to share! Spread the info, and get more
people involved!
The RRFM takes YOU to make it happen.

posted in SF Bay Area Gift Economy - 1 reply

Really Really Free Market meeting

ray999 — Thu, 13 Apr 2006 03:21:16 GMT

Hi everyone,
Well it's been a long and wet winter, but spring is coming and it's
time to get the RRFM going again! So I would like to have a meeting to
organize and discuss having one at the end of April, which happens to be
the 1 year anniversary of the first one in Dolores Park.

Meeting time: 12pm, this Sunday the 16th
Location: Station 40, 3030B 16th St at Mission, San Francisco. Location
is not 100% certain, but assume it is here unless otherwise posted. You
can call me (Ray) at (415) 240-1052 to be sure.

We had an awesome thing going last year, let's bring it back even
better this year! Hope to see you at the meeting!
Ray

posted in SF Bay Area Gift Economy - 0 replies

A Tropical Rain Forest Event

Punjab — Mon, 13 Mar 2006 02:22:28 GMT

Hello,

I’m letting all of the tribes know about a regional event coming up soon – Rebirth. Burning Man, but rather than radical desert survival – radical tropical rain forest survival. Details of the event can be found here:

http://www.kapilina.org/bigisland/rebirth2006.html

Hawaii… Fire spinning capital of the world… Big Island… Hot tub ponds heated by thermal vents… Black Sand Beaches… LAVA… REAL LAVA! And a Burning Man regional event.

I’ve tried to figure out how to reduce costs as much as possible for everyone coming over from the mainland (if you can think of anyother suggestions please post):

Rideshare thread from the airport to puna here:
http://kapilina.tribe.net/thread/5438fe28-b674-4c10-9bed-3334aae6f4e3

Cheap Airfare From Mainland:
vacations.travelzoo.com/hawaii.../229965

www.airtech.com/specials.html

Shipping Art/Supplies:
http://kapilina.tribe.net/thread/daca9206-f7a4-4c58-a763-49b96731a584

Again if you know cheaper means please repost. See you all there!

posted in SF Bay Area Gift Economy - 0 replies

What's So Bad About Capitalism?

ricothunder — Sat, 17 Dec 2005 08:21:23 GMT

Capitalism. That’s like democracy, isn’t it?

(And aren’t the enemies of capitalism the opponents of democracy? Didn’t we defeat them in the Cold War?)

Actually, capitalism and democracy are two very different things. Democracy is, essentially, the idea that people should have control over their lives, that power should be shared by all rather than concentrated in the hands of a few. Capitalism is something altogether different.

In the United States (and other Western nations), we’re used to hearing that we live in a democratic society. It’s true that we have a government that calls itself democratic (although whether each of us really has an equal say, or much of a say at all, in such a bloated and atrophied “representative democracy” is worth asking), but whether our society is itself democratic is another question entirely. Government is only one aspect of society, of course; and it is far from the most important one, when it comes to considering day to day life. The economic system of any given society has more influence over daily life than any court or congress could: for it is economics that decides who has control over the lands, resources, and tools of the society, what people have to do each day to survive and “get ahead,” and ultimately how those people interact with each other and view the world.

And capitalism is, in fact, one of the least democratic economic systems. In a “democratic” economy, each member of the society would have an equal say in how resources are used and how work is done. But in the capitalist economy, in which all resources are private property and everyone competes against each other for them, most resources end up under the control of a few people (today, read: corporations). Those people can decide how everyone else will work, since most of the others can’t live without earning money from them. They even get to determine the physical and psychological landscape of the society, since they own most of the land and control most of the media. And at bottom, they aren’t really in control, either, for if they let their guard down and stop working to keep ahead they will quickly be at the bottom of the pyramid with everybody else; that means nobody truly has freedom under the capitalist system: everyone is equally at the mercy of the laws of competition.

How does this affect the average person?

This means that your time and creative energy are being bought from you, which is the worst part of all. When all you have to sell in return for the means to survive is your own labor, you are forced sell your life away in increments just to exist. You end up spending the greater part of your life doing whatever you can get paid the most for, instead of what you really want to do: you trade your dreams for salaries and your freedom to act for material possessions. In your “free” time you can buy back what you made during your time at work (at a profit to your employers, of course); but you can never buy back the time you spent at work. That part of your life is gone and you have nothing to show for it but the bills you were able to pay.

Eventually you start to think of your own creative abilities and labor power as beyond your control, for you come to associate doing anything but “relaxing” (recovering from work) with the misery of doing what you are told rather than what you want. The idea of acting on your own initiative and pursuing your own goals no longer occurs to you except when it comes to working on your hobbies.

Yes, there are a few people who find ways to get paid to do exactly what they’ve always wanted to. But how many of the working people you know fit into that category? These rare, lucky individuals are held up to us as proof that the system works, and we are exhorted to work really, really hard so that one day we can be as lucky as they are, too. The truth is that there are simply not enough job openings for everyone to be a rock star or syndicated cartoonist; somebody has to work in the factories to mass produce the records and newspapers. If you don’t succeed in becoming the next world-famous basketball star, and end up selling athletic shoes in a mall instead, you must not have tried hard enough … so it’s your fault if you’re bored there, right? But it wasn’t your idea that there should be one thousand shoe salesmen for every professional basketball player. If anything, you can only be blamed for accepting a situation that offers such poor odds. Rather than all competing to be the one at the top of the corporate ladder or the one in a million lottery winner, we should be trying to figure out how to make it possible for all of us to do what we want with our lives. For even if you are lucky enough to come out on top, what about the thousands and thousands who didn’t make it—the unhappy office clerks, the failed artists, listless grill cooks and fed up hotel maids? Is it in your best interest to live in a world filled with people who aren’t happy, who never got to chase their dreams… who maybe never even got to have dreams?

What does capitalism make people value?

Under capitalism our lives end up revolving around things, as if happiness is to be found in possessions rather than in free actions and pursuits. Those who have wealth have it because they spend a lot of time and energy figuring out how to get it from other people. Those who have very little have to spend most of their lives working to get what they need to survive, and all they have as consolation for their lives of hard labor and poverty are the few things they are able to afford to buy— since their lives themselves have been bought from them. Between those two social classes are the members of the middle class, who have been bombarded from birth with advertisements and other propaganda proclaiming that happiness, youth, meaning, and everything else in life are to be found in possessions and status symbols. They learn to spend their lives working hard to collect these, rather than taking advantage of whatever chances they might have to seek adventure and pleasure.

Thus capitalism centers everyone’s values around what they have rather than what they do, by making them spend their lives competing for the things they need to survive and achieve social standing. People might be more likely to find happiness in a society that encouraged them to value their ability to act freely and do what they want above all else. To create such a society, we will have to stop competing for control and wealth, and start to share them more freely; only then will everyone be completely free to choose the lives they most want to live, without fear of going hungry or being shut out of society.

“But doesn’t competition lean to productivity?”

Yes—that’s the problem. The competitive “free market” economy not only encourages productivity at all costs, it enforces it: for those who do not stay ahead of the competition are trodden under it. And what costs, exactly, are we talking about here? For one thing, there are the long hours we spend at work: forty, fifty, sometimes even sixty hours a week, at the beck and call of bosses and/or customers, working until we’re well past exhausted in the race to “get ahead.” On top of this, there are the low wages we’re paid: most of us aren’t paid nearly enough to afford a share of all the things our society has to offer, even though it is our labor that makes them possible. This is because in the competitive market, workers aren’t paid what they “deserve” for their labor—they’re paid the smallest amount their employer can pay without them leaving to look for better wages. That’s the “law” of supply and demand. The employer has to do this, because he needs to save as much extra capital as he can for advertising, corporate expansion, and other ways to try to keep ahead of the competition. Otherwise, he might not be an employer for long, and his employees will end up working for a more “competitive” master.

There’s a word for those long hours and unfair wages: exploitation. But that’s not the only cost of the “productivity” our competitive system encourages. Employers have to cut corners in a thousand other ways, too: that’s why our work environments are often unsafe, for example. And if it takes doing things that are ecologically destructive to make money and stay productive, an economic system that rewards productivity above all else gives corporations no reason to resist trampling over wildlife and wilderness to make a buck. That’s where our forests went, that’s where the ozone layer went, that’s where hundreds of species of wild animals went: they were burned up in our rat race. In place of forests, we now have shopping malls and gas stations, not to mention air pollution, because it’s more important to have places to buy and sell than it is to preserve environments of peace and beauty. In place of buffalo and bald eagles, we have animals locked in factory farms, turned into milk and meat machines… and singing cartoon animals in Disney movies, the closest thing to wild animals some of us ever see. Our competitive economic system forces us to replace everything free and beautiful with the efficient, the uniform, the profitable.

This isn’t limited to our own countries and cultures, of course. Capitalism and its values have spread across the world like a disease. Competing companies have to keep increasing their markets to keep up with each other, whether by persuasion or by force; that’s why you can buy a Coke in Egypt and eat at McDonalds in Thailand. Throughout history we can see examples of how capitalist corporations have forced their way into one country after another, not hesitating to use violence where they deemed it necessary Today, human beings in almost every corner of the world sell their labor to multinational corporations, often for less than a dollar an hour, in return for the chance to chase the images of wealth and status those corporations use to tantalize them. The wealth that their labor creates is sucked out of their communities into the pockets of these companies, and in return their unique cultures are replaced by the standard-issue monoculture of Western consumerism. By the same token, people in these countries can hardly afford not to seek to be competitive and “productive” themselves in the same ways that those exploiting them are. Consequently, the whole world is being standardized under one system, the capitalist system . . . and it is getting hard for people to imagine any other way of doing things.

So—what kind of productivity does competition encourage? It encourages material productivity alone—that is, profit at any expense. We don’t get higher quality products, for it is in the manufacturers’ best interest that we return to buy from them again when our cars and stereos break down after a few years. We don’t get the products that are most relevant to our lives and pursuit of happiness, either: we get the products that are easiest and most profitable to sell. We get credit card companies, telemarketers, junk mail, cigarettes carefully designed to contain eight different addictive chemicals. In order that one company may outsell its competitors, we end up spending our lives working to develop, mass-produce, and purchase things like garbage disposal units, conveniences that raise our standard of survival without actually improving our quality of life. Much more than better blenders or video games or potato chips, we need more meaning and pleasure in our lives, but we’re all so busy competing that we don’t even have time to think about it.

Surely in a less competitive society, we could still produce all the things we need, without being forced to produce all the frivolous extra stuff that is presently filling up our landfills. And maybe then we could concentrate our efforts on learning how to produce the most important thing of all: human happiness.

So…who exactly is it that gets power under capitalism?

In a system where people compete for wealth and the power that comes with it, the ones who are the most ruthless in their pursuit are the ones who end up with the most of both, of course. Thus the capitalist system encourages deceit, exploitation, and cutthroat competition, and rewards those who go to those lengths by giving them the most power and the greatest say in what goes on in society.

The corporations who do the best job of convincing us that we need their products, whether we do or not, are the most successful. That’s how a company like Coca-Cola, which makes one of the most practically useless products on the market, was able to attain such a position of wealth and power: they were the most successful not at offering something of value to society, but at promoting their product. Coke is not the best tasting beverage the world has ever tasted— it is simply the most mercilessly marketed. The ones who are most successful at creating an environment that keeps us buying from them, whether that means manipulating us with ad campaigns or using more devious means, are the ones who get the most resources to keep doing what they are doing; and thus, they are the ones who get the most power over the environments we live in. That’s why our cities are filled with billboards and corporate skyscrapers, rather than artwork, public gardens, or bathhouses. That’s why our newspapers and television programs are filled with slanted perspectives and outright lies: the producers are at the mercy of their advertisers, and the advertisers they depend on most are the ones who have the most money: the ones who are willing to do anything, even twist facts and spread falsehoods, to get and keep that money (Do a little research and you’ll see just how often this happens.) Capitalism virtually guarantees that the ones who control what goes on in society are the greediest, the cruelest, the most heartless.

And since everyone else is at their mercy, and no one wants to end up on the losing side, everyone is encouraged to be greedy, cruel, and heartless. Of course, no one is selfish or hardhearted all the time. Very few people want to be, or get much pleasure out of it, and whenever they can avoid it they do. But the average work environment is set up to make people cold and impersonal to each other. If somebody comes into a bagel shop starving and penniless, company policy usually requires the employees to send him away empty handed rather than letting anyone have anything without paying—even if the bagel shop throws away dozens of bagels at the end of each day, as most do. The poor employees come to regard the starving people as a nuisance, and the starving people blame the employees for not helping them, when really it is just capitalism pitting them against each other. And, sadly enough, it is probably the employee who enforces ridiculous rules like this the most strictly who will advance to manager.

Those who dare to spend their lives doing things that are not profitable generally get neither security nor status for their efforts. They may be doing things of great value to society, such as making art or music or doing social work. But if they can’t turn a profit from these activities, they will have a hard time surviving, let alone gathering the resources to expand their projects; and, since power comes first and foremost from wealth, they will have little control over what goes on in their society, as well. Thus, corporations that have no goals other than gathering more wealth and power for themselves always end up with more power over what goes on in a capitalist society than artists or social activists do. And at the same time, few people can afford to spend much time doing things that are worthwhile but not lucrative. “You can imagine what sort of effects this has.

What kind of place does this make our world?

The capitalist system gives the average person very little control over the collective capabilities and technologies of her society, and very little say in their deployment. Even though it is her labor (and that of people like her) that has made possible the construction of the world she lives in, she feels as though that labor, her own potential and the potential of her fellow human beings, is foreign to her, outside her control, something that acts upon the world regardless of her will. Small wonder if she feels frustrated, powerless, unfulfilled, dreamless. But it is not just this lack of control that makes capitalism so hostile to human happiness. In place of democratic control over our lives and our society, we have the heartless dominion of force.

Violence is not only present when human beings do physical harm to each other. Violence is there, albeit in a subtler form, whenever they use force upon each other in their interactions. It is violence that is at the root of capitalism. Under the capitalist system, all the economic laws governing human life come down to coercion: Work or go hungry! Dominate or be dominated! Compete or perish! Sell the hours of your life away for the means to survive, or rot in poverty — or jail!

Most people go to work because they have to, not because they want to. They sell their time to buy food and shelter, and to pay the bills for all the status symbols and luxuries they have been conditioned to collect, only because they know that the alternative is starvation and ostracism. They may like some of the things they do at their jobs, but they would much rather do these things on their own time and in their own way — and do other things, besides, that their jobs leave them no time or energy for. To force the maximum productivity out of people who would rather be elsewhere, corporations use a thousand mechanisms of control: they schedule work hours for their employees, make them punch timeclocks, keep them under constant observation. Bosses and workers are brought together under mutual economic duress, and they negotiate with each other under invisible threats: the one pointing the gun of unemployment and poverty to the other’s head, the other threatening poor service and, possibly, strikes. Most people try to maintain some concern for the human needs of others, even on the job; but the essence of our economy is competition and domination, and that always comes out in our relationships with those above and below us in the work hierarchy.

Can you imagine how much more advantageous, and how much n, it could be for all of us if we were able to act out of love, rather than compulsion? If we did things for the sheer joy of doing them, and worked together because we wanted to, not because we had to? Wouldn’t that make it more enjoyable to do the things that are necessary for survival—and to be around each other, for that matter? For these patterns of violence inevitably spill over into the rest of our lives, too. When you’re used to regarding people as objects, as resources to be spent or enemies to be feared and fought, it’s hard to leave those values behind you when you come home. The hierarchy that private ownership imposes upon relationships in the workplace can be found everywhere else in society: in schools, in churches, in families and in friendships, everywhere the dynamics of domination and submission take place. It’s almost impossible to imagine what a truly equal relationship could consist of, in a society where everyone is always jockeying for superiority. When children fight in grade school or rival gangs war in the streets, they are merely imitating the greater conflicts that take place between and within corporations and the nations that serve their interests; their violence is regarded as an anomaly, but it is just a reflection of the violent, competitive world that fostered them. When potential friends or lovers evaluate each other in terms of financial worth and status rather than according to heart and soul, they are simply acting out the lessons they have been taught about “market value”—living under the reign of force, it’s almost impossible not to look at other human beings and the world in general in terms of what’s in it for you.

If we lived in a world where we could pursue whatever aspirations we pleased, without fear of dying hungry, crazy, and unloved like Van Gogh and a thousand others, our lives and relationships would no longer be molded by violence. Perhaps then it would be easier for us to look at each other and see what is beautiful and unique, to look at nature and appreciate it for what it is … to be and let be rather than always seeking power and advantage. There have been hundreds of other societies in the history of our species in which people have lived that way. Is it really too much to think that we could reorganize our own society to be more democratic?

OK, OK, but what’s the alternative?

The alternative to capitalism would be a consensual society in which we could decide individually (and, where necessary, collectively) what our lives and surroundings would be, instead of being forced into them by so-called laws like “supply and demand.” Those are only laws if we let them be. It’s hard to imagine a society based on cooperation from this vantage point, since the only societies most of us have seen in our lives are based on competition. But such societies are possible: they have existed over and over in the history of our species, and they can exist again, if we want.

To escape from the fetters of competition, we need to develop an economy that is based on giving rather than trading: a gift economy, in place of this exchange economy. In such a system, each person could do what she wanted to with her life, and offer to others what she felt most qualified to offer, without fear of going hungry The means to do things would be shared by everyone rather than hoarded up by the greediest individuals, so each person would have all the capabilities of society at her disposal. Those who wanted to paint could paint, those who enjoy building engines and machines could do that, those who love bicycles could make and repair them for others. The so-called “dirty work” would be spread around more fairly, and everyone would benefit from being able to do a variety of things rather ^J than being limited to one trade like a cog in a machine. “Work” itself would be a thousand times more pleasurable, without tight schedules or demanding bosses constraining us. And though we might have a slower rate of production, we would have a wider array of creative pursuits in our society, which could make life fuller and more meaningful for all of us … besides, do we really need all the trinkets and luxuries we slave so hard to make today?

This sounds like an Utopian vision, and it is, but that doesn’t mean that we can’t make our lives a lot more like that than they are now. We don’t have to look only to the bushmen of the Kalahari desert for examples of what life is like outside capitalism, either: even today, there are plenty of opportunities in our own society to see how much better life is when nothing has a price. Whenever a knitting circle meets to share friendship and advice, whenever people camping together and divide up responsibilities, whenever people cooperate to cook or make music or do anything else for pleasure rather than money, that is the “gift economy” in action. One of the most exhilarating things about being in love or having a close friend is that, for once, you are valued for who you are, not what you’re “worth.” And what a wonderful feeling it is to enjoy things in life that come to you free, without having to measure how much of yourself you are exchanging for them! Even in this society, almost everything we derive real pleasure from comes from outside the confines of capitalist relations. And why shouldn’t we demand all the time what works so well in our private lives? If we get so much more out of our relationships when they are free from the coercion of ownership and competition, why shouldn’t we seek to free our “work relationships” from that coercion as well?

But who will collect the garbage, if we all do what we want? Well, when a group of friends live in an apartment together, doesn’t the garbage get taken out? It might not get taken out as regularly as it would by the janitor at an office, but it gets taken out voluntarily, and it isn’t always the same guy stuck doing it. To suggest that we can’t provide for our own needs without authority forcing us to is to vastly underestimate and insult our species. The idea that we would all sit around doing nothing if we didn’t have to work for bosses to survive comes from the fact that, since we do have to work for bosses to survive, we would all rather sit around doing nothing. But if we had our energy and our time to ourselves, we would rediscover how to use them, for practical purposes as well as impractical: remember how many people enjoy gardening for its own sake, even when they don’t have to do it to survive. Surely we wouldn’t let ourselves starve to death in a society where we shared decisions and power rather than fighting over them … and the fact that so many people are starving today indicates that capitalism is no less impractical than any other system might be.

We’re often told it is “human nature” to be greedy, and that this is why our world is the way it is. The very existence of other societies and other ways of life contradicts this. Once you realize that modern capitalist society is only one of a thousand ways that human beings have lived and interacted together, you can see that this talk of “human nature” is nonsense. We are formed first and foremost by the environments we grow up in—and human beings now have the power to construct our own environments. If we are ambitious enough, we can design our world to reconstruct us in any shape our hearts desire. Yes, all of us are haunted by feelings of greed and aggression, living as we do in a materialistic and violent world. But in more supportive environments, built on different values, we could learn to interact in ways that would bring more pleasure to all of us. Indeed, most of us would be far more generous and considerate today if we could be—-it’s hard to give gifts freely in a world where you have to sell a part of yourself away in order to get anything at all. Considering that, it’s amazing how many gifts we still give each other.

The people who talk about “human nature” would tell us that this nature consists chiefly of the lust to possess and control. But what about our desires to share, and to act for the sheer sake of acting? Only those who have given up on doing what they want content themselves by finding meaning in what they merely have. Almost everyone knows that it is more rewarding to bring joy to others than it is to take things from them. Acting freely and giving freely are their own reward. Those who think that “from each according to her means, to each according to her needs” unfairly benefits the receivers have simply misunderstood what makes human beings happy.

It’s tempting to think of capitalism as a conspiracy of the rich against everyone else, and to conceive of the struggle against capitalism as a struggle against them. But in truth, it is in everyone’s best interest that we do away with this economic system. If true wealth consists of freedom and community, we are all poor here: for even to be “rich” in a society that is hostile to those things is only to possess the greatest amounts of poverty. This system is not the result of an evil plot by a few villains bent on world domination—and even if it was, they’ve only succeeded in condemning everyone, themselves included, to the shackles of domination and submission. Let’s not be too jealous of them just because they seem better off from a distance. Anyone who has grown up in one of their households can tell you that for all their bank accounts and sprinkler systems, they’re no happier or freer than you are. We should try to find ways to make everyone see what is to be gained from transforming our society, and to involve everyone in it.

If that’s a difficult challenge, and it sometimes seems to you that “the masses” deserve what they get for accepting this way of life, don’t lose heart. Remember, the system they accept is the one you live under. Your chances for liberation are inextricably tied to theirs.

Don’t be paralyzed by the seeming vastness of the forces arranged against us—those work forces are made up of people just like you, yearning to break free. Find ways to escape from the system of violence in your own life, and take them with you when you can. Seize any free moment, any opportunity you can get your hands on; life can be sold away, but it can’t be bought—only stolen back!

CrimethInc Ex-workers Collective

posted in SF Bay Area Gift Economy - 0 replies

SF Really Really Free Market on Sunday

ricothunder — Wed, 21 Sep 2005 14:51:47 GMT

Hey friends,
This is just a friendly reminder that the Really REALLY Free
Market will be held in Dolores Park from 12Noon to 4pm on Sunday, 9/25. Normally it's supposed to be held on Saturday, but due to the antiwar march and the Loveparade this month it will be held on Sunday.

Don't forget to check the forums and discuss any ideas you have for the RRFM, at www.reallyreallyfreemarket.org!

See you Sunday!

The Really REALLY Free Market!
The Last Saturday of EVERY Month! (Except for this month!)
Dolores Park 12-4pm
website: http://www.reallyreallyfreemarket.org
email: reallyfreemarket@mutualaid.org

What is The Really REALLY Free Market?
It's like a large community-wide garage sale, except everything is
FREE! Yes, that's right, FREE! Everyone is invitied to bring things to GIVE
AWAY!

So this is like bartering or trading, right?
Nope. Bartering and trading go something like this: I've got this great
shirt here, what can you offer me for it?
The RRFM goes something like this: I've got this really great shirt
here. I don't really wear it anymore, but I'd hate to see it go to waste.
Do you want it? Great! Here, it's yours!

Why would i want to do a thing like that?
Because you have to many things already! Because you're just going to
throw it away anyway. Because it FEELS GOOD! Do you have things
cluttering up your home? Maybe some stuff that you don't use anymore, but you
know that someone else would probably love. One person's trash can truly
be another person's treasure!

What should I bring?
Bring *your thing* to the RRFM, whatever that is! Material goods, food
or drinks, a service to provide, a skill you have that you want to
teach to others, a performance, or anything else!

What if I don't have anything to give away?
Everyone has something to give to others. The RRFM isn't just about
giving away *stuff.* What is it that you do? Why not come to the RRFM and
find a way to do it for others, except this time for free just for the
fun of it. As a gift to others, as a gift to yourself. It's a way of
reclaiming meaning in your job, to give it as a gift, unmediated by
commerce.

Who runs the RRFM?
Well, the RRFM consists of the sum of its participants. The gift you
bring to the event, helps create what the event is for others, just as
what others bring to the event, creates what the event is for you. That
said, there are some folks who came together to help create the
structure for the RRFM to work. But it is our hope that soon enough, our role
within the RRFM will be the same as everyone else's. That is, that each
of us decides our own level of involvement.

The RRFM is yours!
Take advantageous of that. Make it what you want it to be! If you want
to see something happening at the RRFM that isn't already happening,
than make it happen! If you want to see more people coming to the RRFM,
help spread the word! Send emails to your friends, make and distribute
flyers (make your own or download them from the website), talk to people
about the RRFM.
----
Please help us keep the RRFM a 100% FREE and non-commercial event. Once
a month, let's come together and forget about trading, bartering, and
money. Leave the business cards at home and remember the joy of giving
for the sake of giving. Help us keep Dolores Park clean. If no one takes
what you brought, please bring it home with you. If you like what you
just read, get involved! Come to the RRFM! Bring your own gifts to
share! Spread the info, and get more people involved! The RRFM takes YOU to
make it happen.

posted in SF Bay Area Gift Economy - 1 reply

Moneyless Society

Wed, 26 Oct 2005 02:42:47 GMT

As believer in Libertarian Socialism, I believe in the abolishment of money and private owership of the land and natural resources.

I believe that the earth belongs to everybody and nobody, and that we all have a right to sleep on the earth, drink clean running water, and use the earths resources in an ethical mannor that respects all life.

However, my personal economic views is that in an autonomous society, some things should be owned in common (Water, farmable land, bamboo for building, ect), some things should be given freely of peoples own choosing, but barter should still be an option for those who wish to trade specific craft items.

As a medicine practioner, I may offer my services freely to anybody who needs to be cured of an illness, though I would certainly appreciate gifts including medical herbs to heal more people or some food to eat.

However, if I dont realy feel like doing something, then somebody offers me something I realy like in exchange, which motivates me to do it, is this bad politics to engage in trade?

Also, if I realy like something that I am using, and somebody else asks me if they can have it, am I entitled to give it to them?

Just wanted some opinions on these issues from the community.

posted in SF Bay Area Gift Economy - 0 replies

SF State, anyone??

gaia — Tue, 30 Aug 2005 21:06:05 GMT

Hi!

Does any of you go to SF State?? I am a staff producer for http://xpress.sfsu.edu/ and would like to do a story on your fantastic RRFM,
but I need a campus angle.
You can contact me at gaiagea2003 at yahoo
thanks!

posted in SF Bay Area Gift Economy - 0 replies

The next Really REALLY Free Market is THIS Saturday Aug 27!

Wed, 24 Aug 2005 03:53:28 GMT

Hey friends,
This is just a friendly reminder that the next Really REALLY Free Market will
be held in Dolores Park from 12Noon to 4pm THIS Saturday August 27th.

There's been a definite surge in energy for the RRFM in this past month.
The web site forums are getting used and read. Thanks to Ray for setting them up!
There is also a new RRFM tribe on Tribe.net at:
tribes.tribe.net/rrfm

The tribe is also getting a lot of use, and will hopefully only continue to grow.

HOW YOU CAN HELP:
Probably the things that we could use the most help with is publicity, getting the word out. Please help get the word out about the RRFM any way that you can. Forward this email onto your friends and onto email lists that you think would be appropriate.
Go to the RRFM website and download flyers,
www.reallyreallyfreemarket.org/fl....html
print them and post them in your neighborhood. Or make your own flyers and send them to:
reallyreallyfreemarket@mutualaid.org
We'll make sure they're posted to the website.
Talk to your friends and neighbors about the RRFM and get them to come out too!

We could also use help setting things up. If you can come to Dolores Park at around 11:30am to help out, that would be great!
And of course, we could also use help at the end with cleanup. So please if you can, stick around to help!

Other than that, please just come on out and participate!

See you Saturday!

posted in SF Bay Area Gift Economy - 0 replies

Really REALLY Free Market: Making it better/Getting involved/help

Mon, 08 Aug 2005 23:42:55 GMT

Have you been to the Really REALLY Free Market yet?
If not, why not? As someone interested in Gift Economy concepts, is there something that doesn't appeal to you about the RRFM?

If you have been to the RRFM, what did you think? Do you like it? Do you not?

Is this project everything you'd hoped and envisioned it could be?

What would you do differently?

How would you achieve that?

Are you willing/wanting to help make it a reality?

The RRFM is *yours*! Whether you've been involved from the beginning, or if you've never been before. Whatever you want to see happen at the RRFM, let's make it happen! So come on, let's get at it! Either answer the above questions here, or at the new RRFM tribe:
http://tribes.tribe.net/rrfm

or on the website forums:
http://www.reallyreallyfreemarket.org/forum

Greg

posted in SF Bay Area Gift Economy - 1 reply

The Really REALLY Free Market THIS Saturday 7/30

ricothunder — Tue, 26 Jul 2005 06:39:56 GMT

I'm passing this on from the RRFM peeps:

Hey friends,
This is just a friendly reminder that the next Really REALLY Free Market will be held in Dolores Park from 12Noon to 4pm THIS Saturday July 30th.

We'd also like to announce that the website has been reworked by Ray who started coming to the RRFMs and loved it so much he wanted to work on the website. He has added a discussion forum to the website. Here's a note from Ray:

Hi everyone,
Our new discussion forums are up and running on the website. You can
use them to organize carpooling to the RRFM, discuss what you want the
RRFM to be and ways of getting there, and get together with others to
create new projects to support the ideals of the RRFM. The forums are
accessible by clicking on "discussion" on the website
(www.reallyreallyfreemarket.com).
Peace,
Ray

The forums are just getting started now. Please use them as your heart sees fit. Don't be shy if there isn't much going on there yet. Your posting will help it get started!

See you Saturday!

The Really REALLY Free Market!
The Last Saturday of EVERY Month!
Dolores Park 12-4pm
website: http://www.reallyreallyfreemarket.org
email: reallyfreemarket@mutualaid.org

What is The Really REALLY Free Market?
It's like a large community-wide garage sale, except everything is FREE! Yes, that's right, FREE! Everyone is invitied to bring things to GIVE AWAY!

So this is like bartering or trading, right?
Nope. Bartering and trading go something like this: I've got this great shirt here, what can you offer me for it?
The RRFM goes something like this: I've got this really great shirt here. I don't really wear it anymore, but I'd hate to see it go to waste. Do you want it? Great! Here, it's yours!

Why would i want to do a thing like that?
Because you have to many things already! Because you're just going to throw it away anyway. Because it FEELS GOOD! Do you have things cluttering up your home? Maybe some stuff that you don't use anymore, but you know that someone else would probably love. One person's trash can truly be another person's treasure!

What should I bring?
Bring *your thing* to the RRFM, whatever that is! Material goods, food or drinks, a service to provide, a skill you have that you want to teach to others, a performance, or anything else!

What if I don't have anything to give away?
Everyone has something to give to others. The RRFM isn't just about giving away *stuff.* What is it that you do? Why not come to the RRFM and find a way to do it for others, except this time for free just for the fun of it. As a gift to others, as a gift to yourself. It's a way of reclaiming meaning in your job, to give it as a gift, unmediated by commerce.

Who runs the RRFM?
Well, the RRFM consists of the sum of its participants. The gift you bring to the event, helps create what the event is for others, just as what others bring to the event, creates what the event is for you. That said, there are some folks who came together to help create the structure for the RRFM to work. But it is our hope that soon enough, our role within the RRFM will be the same as everyone else's. That is, that each of us decides our own level of involvement.

The RRFM is yours!
Take advantageous of that. Make it what you want it to be! If you want to see something happening at the RRFM that isn't already happening, than make it happen! If you want to see more people coming to the RRFM, help spread the word! Send emails to your friends, make and distribute flyers (make your own or download them from the website), talk to people about the RRFM.
----
Please help us keep the RRFM a 100% FREE and non-commercial event. Once a month, let's come together and forget about trading, bartering, and money. Leave the business cards at home and remember the joy of giving for the sake of giving. Help us keep Dolores Park clean. If no one takes what you brought, please bring it home with you. If you like what you just read, get involved! Come to the RRFM! Bring your own gifts to share! Spread the info, and get more people involved! The RRFM takes YOU to make it happen.

posted in SF Bay Area Gift Economy - 0 replies

Free Skool Santa Cruz Summer Quarter Begins

ricothunder — Mon, 25 Jul 2005 13:38:52 GMT

From Spanish language classes to forage and storage, Free Skool Santa Cruz offers a decentralized educational network outside the system for $19,926 less than UCSC

Santa Cruz, CA, July 5th, 2005: Summer quarter is just starting. But you won’t need any student id, add/drop forms, or registration fees. There are no classrooms, professors, or administration, just people sharing what they know. This is Free Skool Santa Cruz. And the first thing you will learn is that we are all students and we are all teachers.

Free Skool summer quarter runs July 1st to September 31st and offers a variety of classes in homes, community centers, and open spaces all over Santa Cruz. In Free Skool Santa Cruz’ second quarter, classes include Conversational Spanish, Women’s and Trans Bicycle Repair, Studio Drawing and Collage, Local History, Birth and Birth Control, Self-Defense, Organic Gardening, Dyslexia Workshops, World History and Politics, Carpentry, and Monkey Chant.

Free Skool is a completely grassroots effort, a collection of locals who’ve decided to act collectively and autonomously to create a skill-sharing network, a school without institutional control. It is an opportunity to learn from others and share what they know, to help create self-reliance, vital communities, and beauty in the world.

Free Skool teachers are ordinary folk drawn from all over the county. Artists, midwives, teachers, martial artists, tradespersons, activists, and community members are leading summer quarter classes.

Free Skool summer calendars are available at most cafes, bookstores, and community centers in Santa Cruz and beyond. At the Free Skool website you can browse the online calendar, read Free Skool news, teacher bios, class review, and articles. You can also take part in the discussion about Free Skool, post questions, suggestions, and class proposals.

http://santacruz.freeskool.org

posted in SF Bay Area Gift Economy - 0 replies

I can give Ads in Bay Crossings Magazine

Scottica — Mon, 31 Jan 2005 20:21:37 GMT

hey all,
I am the new Ad director for Bay Crossings Magazine.
Which means that I can give us a a few biz card size ads in the mag per month as I figure out the empty spaces each month.
This is called remenant space and I would rather our community get it.

let me know,
Scottica

posted in SF Bay Area Gift Economy - 2 replies

New Members Welcome and Introduction

ricothunder — Wed, 09 Feb 2005 17:33:09 GMT

Hey-oh. Welcome to the Gift Economy Tribe. I figure you are already part of the gift economy. You already enjoy free boxes, skill shares, potlucks, street musicians, and bad jokes.

But what projects are you working on that are gift economy-based? What ideas can we steal from you... ahem, do you choose to gift to us that we can spread in our own local communities?

Also introduce yourself, show us what you're made of, what your interest is, what your dreams are...

I'll start. I'm Rico and isn't until after we created this tribe that I realized almost all the projects I'm working on were part of the gift economy: Guerilla Drive-In, Free Skool, Free Carpentry, and a half dozen others.

Eventually I want to look back and wonder, a little amused perhaps, when was the last time I needed to pay for anything. To comodify something, to put a fiscal value on my work, rather than give it to others, to the world, and to myself as a gift.

posted in SF Bay Area Gift Economy - 9 replies

gifty jobs

creativecommunications — Sun, 27 Feb 2005 03:50:25 GMT

Right now I'm pounding the pavement looking for a job. Any ideas would be great.

Sometimes I get to do gifty things, working at foundations and gov't work.

Another interesting thing is giving out samples. You get to be nice to people and hand stuff out. Sometimes people are greedy or take more than one but mostly it's okay.

I sometimes put leads in eventstaff.tribe.net

posted in SF Bay Area Gift Economy - 7 replies

REV BILLY and NIGHT OF THE IGUANA at Santa Cruz Guerilla Drive-In

ricothunder — Tue, 31 May 2005 06:59:07 GMT

A special GDI feature, not only mid-week, but in a downtown location. What draws us out on a Thursday night? Why, Reverend Billy and the Stop Shopping Gospel Choir, of course. Don't miss this dynamic evening of redeption and jubilation. Note the downtown location.

Santa Cruz Guerilla Drive-In Special Event

The Night of the Iguana
with Reverend Billy and the Stop Shopping Gospel Choir

Night of the Iguana is John Houston's masterpiece adaption of the Tennessee Williams play. A defrocked preist who's lost his faith, a lascivious widow, a lonely middle aged woman, a beautiful 17 year old nymphomaniac, a poet on the verge of death, and a gorgeous Mexican coastal paradise.They are united in that they are divided, in that they are all tortured souls seeking beauty, life, meaning and engaged in battles to stand tall, to live with integrity and love. On a hot, cloying night, a night of the iguana, when all their ropes snap taut, they meet. In glorious black and white.

Plus we'll be joined by Reverend Billy and the Stop Shopping Gospel Choir who will bring their own special entertaining blend of spirituality and activism. Throughout its seven year existence the Church of Stop Shopping has fought Starbucks, Disney, Walmart (to name a few) promoting independent businesses and gift, thrift and barter economies; encouraging the survival of our neighborhoods; and giving a voice to countless sweatshop workers worldwide. More on Rev. Billy's past visits to Santa Cruz at http://tinyurl.com/7myvr

PLUS selected shorts, community goings-on, good company, and an intermission.

Thursday June 2nd, 8:00pm
Under the Soquel Ave Bridge, Santa Cruz

BRING lawn chairs, blankets, pillows, friends, wine, & food to share for intermission. Donations are greatly appreciated and directly support the project and the Revolutionary Garden Society who sponsors Guerilla Drive-In. (We are currently saving to get a spare projector bulb.)

SANTA CRUZ GUERILLA DRIVE-IN is exactly what it sounds like -- an outdoor movie theatre under the stars that springs up unexpectedly in the fields and industrial wastelands. Guerilla Drive-In is helping reclaim public space and transform our urban environment into the joyful playground we deserve.

SPECIAL SHOWING LOCATION: S on Hwy 17 to Hwy 1, L on River St, L on Soquel, park a ways away (not in the Royal Taj lot), we're under the bridge

MORE INFO summer schedule & do-it-yourself: www.thespoon.com/drivein

BREAKING NEWS: Join our low-volume Guerilla Drive-In announcement list:
guerilla-drive-in-subscribe@lists.riseup.net. Tell a friend, eh?

posted in SF Bay Area Gift Economy - 0 replies

really really free market

barbara jane — Thu, 14 Apr 2005 18:03:44 GMT

april 30th
noon-4
dolores park

a gift economy in action

posted in SF Bay Area Gift Economy - 2 replies

Help One Person (HOP)

mongo-mail — Wed, 23 Mar 2005 19:54:40 GMT

Hello fellow gifters,

I'm no philanthropist but I found that making an effort to help just one person was pretty satisfying. So I'm throwing down the gauntlet and challenging you to match me in my endeavours. That is, please join me this weekend in providing one sack lunch to a homeless person. A few weekends ago I made a sac full of pickles, smoked salmon, 2 slices buttered bread with a slice of alpine swiss cheese, cliff bar (chocolate Chip), an apple and a blueberry pancake leftover from my breakfast. I dropped it off Sunday with a gentlemen panhanding by the Battery Street entrance to the Bay Bridge. He seemed a bit surprised. And then I was on my way.

The thing I like about this way of giving is it costs me little money and takes only a bit of my time, since I'm already sacking my own lunch. Plus, if enough people involve themselves, it solves the distribution problems of a centralized model, like a soup kitchen. Kind of a pear-2-peer network...

So HOP on it and share your stories!

Peace, Mongo

posted in SF Bay Area Gift Economy - 5 replies

Oakland warehouse needs Carpentry!

Matt — Wed, 16 Mar 2005 19:50:10 GMT

We have an amazing 18,000 square foot warehouse in West Oakland - full of musicians, artists, activists and generally good people. It's a resurrected space with a new crew of people. Beautiful building, with space for several small businesses (Cafe/bookstore), recording studio, several performance spaces and much more.

WE NEED A CARPENTER / HANDYPERSON.

We are looking for a solid carpenter to help us build out a few more spaces. We can do basic finishing work, but we want to do stuff right - and build to code. Nothing super-major - but we have a single-room loft space we want to create, and a couple walls framed. We *could* do this ourselves - but we don't have much collective experience in this - and like I said - we want it done right.

So we need someone who is:

-experienced with framing
-has tools (we have some)
-knows basic building code issues and can try to keep close to them
-communicative and gets along with people
-doesn't have drug issues
-is resourceful
-is responsible, and can work with us

We don't have much money currently - so we are looking to for work done on mutual aid - or ideally - we would love to find someone cool who wants to live here and be a part of our community as well - and will build themselves a room. Details can be worked out - but we are very interested in work/trade in exchange for rent, or use of our space (work, live, performance etc)

If you are interested, or know of anyone who might be - drop us a line with some info about yourself. Your skills, your background, what you are into etc....

AGAIN - we want someone who is a good fit for the building. Musicians, artists, activists - no drama, no hard drugs, no flakes.

-Matt
losinghand@yahoo.com

posted in SF Bay Area Gift Economy - 0 replies

Free Skool Santa Cruz Spring Quarter Begins

ricothunder — Fri, 25 Feb 2005 19:21:40 GMT

Free Skool Santa Cruz Spring Quarter Begins

This quarter, Spring 2005, looks very exciting. Gardening, writing, software, permaculture, self-defense, carpentry, lockpicking, art, and much more. 75 classes lead by 17 different teachers. First classes start on March 4th 2005.

Complete calendars for Spring Quarter, March to May, may be picked up at most cafes, bookstores, and community centers in Santa Cruz.

At the Free Skool Santa Cruz website, you can browse the on-line calendar, read SCFS news, teacher bios, class reviews, and articles, as well as post questions, suggestions, and class proposals.

http://santacruz.freeskool.org

You can check out the PDF versions of the FSSC calendar here, suitable for printing and hanging on your fridge here:

http://santacruz.freeskool.org/e107_files/downloads/free_skool_calendar_spring_05.pdf
http://santacruz.freeskool.org/e107_files/downloads/free_skool_calendar_spring_05_backside.pdf

Free Skool Santa Cruz is a decentralized network that shares skills, information, and knowledge without the limitations of hierarchy and the sterile institutional environment of formal schooling. Free Skool promotes self-reliance, critical consciousness, and personal development, helping us make living connections between our-selves, our community, and the earth. We aim to give people skills not just to survive within the institutional framework imposed but to thrive without and beyond it.

posted in SF Bay Area Gift Economy - 2 replies

Free Schooling

ricothunder — Fri, 21 Jan 2005 18:32:24 GMT

We're starting a Free Skool in Santa Cruz. Wanan learn? Wanna teach? A gift to our community obviously, a chace for service, but also a gift to ourselves.

If you are interested in finding out about upcoming classes, or about teaching, email us at freeskoolsc@mail.riseup.net

ABOUT FREE SKOOL SANTA CRUZ

Free Skool Santa Cruz is an interactive, decentralized model for learning-without the limitations of hierarchy and the sterile institutional environment of a University or formal school. It is an attempt to de-school ourselves and to learn from one another the skills necessary to transform society and challenge oppressive systems.

In addition to teach-ins, discussions, events, and classes, Free Skool Santa Cruz has a strong focus on skills. It’s a skillsharing network aimed to generalize skills and confidence. We seek to provide an environment that inspires individuals and facilitates the exchanging of tools they need to create their lives on their own terms. We aim to offer a network that supports peoples capacity to live more autonomously and build communities that are not limited by the constrains of outside (or inside) institutions. In an increasingly complex world, with people specialized into specific and limited positions of employment and activity, we remain largely dependent on a social order destined to self destruct while our lives are becoming increasingly monitored and controlled. We aim to give people skills not just to survive within the institutional framework imposed but to thrive without and beyond it.

RECENT NEWS: We're scheming for a Free Skool Santa Cruz launch on February 1st. First classes would start in March. Teacher deadline is January 1st.

TEACHER COMMITMENT: If you are interesting in teaching a class, we are asking for a three month commitment, March to May. That way we only have to pester you four times a year (the quarter system, ha!) rather than monthly twelve times a year.

SCHEDULING: You choose how often in that three months you want to teach your classes. You choose what days fit your schedule. You can check with us about dates and times to avoid conflicts. We're hoping Free Skool will offer at least three classes a week during this first quarter.

TEACHING SPACE: We encourage teachers to find their own spaces for their classes, but if you need it, we can help you find a location.

CLASS INFO: If you are teaching a class this quarter, we'll need solid dates, times, location, and other info by 31 Jan. Here is a quickie form:

Teacher Name: _________________________
Contact Info: _________________________
Class Name: _________________________
Proposed Dates: _________________________
Proposed Time: _________________________
Proposed Location: _________________________
Description: _________________________
_________________________
_________________________

DEADLINES: For teachers, the deadline to remember is 31 January. We'll need your class info by that deadline. We will have the calendar published within a few days of that deadline, so if you miss it, you miss it.

OPPORTUNITIES: Here is an incomplete list of classes/activities we are interested in having taught. If you have a class idea that helps people get along in this world or the new world we are creating with our hearts and minds, drop it on us.

* Sustainable Gardening/Permaculture - subsistence skills, homesteading, composting, seed saving, greywater systems, making clothes (from scratch), food drying and storage, running a nursery, canning, etc.
* Building - electrical work, carpentry, plumbing, hands-on sustainable alternative architecture, etc.
* Mental and Physical Conditioning - yoga, meditation, self defense/offense (martial arts, weapons use), climbing (rock and tree), general fitness activities (running, etc.), hiking/backpacking, etc.
* Community Building - anti-patriarchy discussion group(s), non-authoritarian child raising, midwifery, effective verbal communication, etc.
* Radio Communication - two way, cell, low-power FM
* Orienteering - using a compass, the sun, or the stars to find your way around in the world
* Mechanical - bike and car building, maintenance, and repair
* Computer Tech Skills - web programming and design, publishing, graphic design, etc.
* Do It Yourself Non-industrial Healing/Medicine - herbology, healthy eating, massage, fertility awareness, etc.
* Sailing and Navigation
* First Aid - basic emergency medical training.
* Language classes - especially Spanish.
* Music - reading music, playing instruments, making instruments, song writing, singing.
* Journalism and Writing - for fun, for sanity, independent media
* Cooking - with locally grown, gathered, or hunted foods
* Primitive/Wilderness Skills - fire making, tool making, plant and mushroom identification and use, shelter building, tracking, hunting, water purification, etc.

Know somebody who would make an awesome teacher/facilitator for a class? Send them our way.

If you want to help with the organizing parts of this whole grassroots endeavor, talk to us. We have regular organizer meetings.

Santa Cruz Free Skool
freeskoolsc@mail.riseup.net

posted in SF Bay Area Gift Economy - 0 replies

gift retirement

hyperben — Mon, 10 Jan 2005 00:41:21 GMT

Because this tribe is based on gift exchange economy, I would love to hear people's ideas for retirement and geriatric care gifting and how that could relate to this. Can we gift our way into retirement together? What happens (as it often does to carpenters) when our backs go out when we're fifty? Who can gift us our needs when and if we need a lot of medical care?

posted in SF Bay Area Gift Economy - 1 reply

Bringing Burning Man home

ricothunder — Tue, 04 Jan 2005 23:28:33 GMT

Started thinking about applying the idea of the gift economy to real life this year after coming back from Black Rock City. A friend and I started thinking, well, why the hell not and clearly it has to start with us. So we started giving away what we do, carpentry and art. It totally transformed our relationship with our work.

Today, we met three different interesting people who were interested in receiving free carpentry work. It was total pleasure meeting them and seeign their lives, their homes, and talking to them about their dreams. Maybe one out of the three will we ever build anything for, but she was an amazing woman who lived in a house built from old wooden streetcars. And she wanted us to build a treehouse in a great old oak tree. Wow!

posted in SF Bay Area Gift Economy - 1 reply

How to participate

ricothunder — Mon, 03 Jan 2005 08:43:03 GMT

Step One: get rid of some of your fucking shit. Man, you have a lot of stuff, and most of it you don't even use, let alone need. Enough already.

Step Two: Give it away.

Step Three: Do what you already do. Now it do it, at least part of the time, for free for someone else for no other reason than it feels good to do it, to have your life back, to have your time as your own.

Now stop asking how you can join/participate/sign up. Changing the world takes imagination and you have plenty of it. Don't ask for anyone's permission. Just go out and do what you can.

I guess here would be the place where you brag/inspire others about what clever ways you're working in the gift economy.

posted in SF Bay Area Gift Economy - 0 replies

Giving to those who need vs those who need nothing

ricothunder — Sun, 02 Jan 2005 21:31:37 GMT

I've said this before, but I think it bears repeating.

For me, it's important to offer the gift economy not only to those without means, but those with plenty of means.

For example, when we do free carpentry for people who could easily afford to hire a carpenter. That way when we walk away leaving the gift of our carpentry, the recipient of our giving, someone who usually has worked beside during the project, turns around and gives whatever gifts she has to offer to others.

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Giving to those who need vs those who need nothing

Excellent Idea