<div>I just send this out to the Squirrel mailing list and I wanted to share it with you guys....</div><br><div class="gmail_quote">---------- Forwarded message ----------<br>From: <b class="gmail_sendername">Darcy Whyte</b> <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:darcy@siteware.com">darcy@siteware.com</a>></span><br>
Date: Mon, Nov 29, 2010 at 11:54 AM<br>Subject: makezine, maker culture and hackspaces [Squirrel News]<br>To: Darcy Whyte <<a href="mailto:Darcy@siteware.com">Darcy@siteware.com</a>><br><br><br><div>Hello Aviators!</div>
<div><br></div><div>I've not sent an update in a while. I've been doing a lot of work behind the scenes with the Squirrel project as well as my regular volunteer work (and a bit of new stuff!). </div>
<div><br></div><div>I wanted to share with you that the Squirrel model plane project caused an avalanche of change in my life. For one thing I started travelling more and doing volunteer work at a wide variety of organizations ranging from the Ottawa Mission to community centers to guerrilla style. What's "guerrilla style"? I do a lot of things through organizations but what I mean by that are the things I do directly for people. Setting up random kids and people with planes. Organizations or good but they are not perfectly efficient and the opportunity to do good can be at the street level without organized groups. Here is a quote that sums it up.</div>
<br clear="all">"Do not wait for instituations and leaders; do it alone, person to person" -- Mother Theresa<div><br></div><div>This whole volunteering and helping thing has been very enriching and has made me enjoy helping people in general even more (even non model plane stuff). Further the Squirrel project generates a bit of income so I'm able to make it my principal occupation and enjoy the slightly unconventional work schedule of a grass roots, micro business.</div>
<div><br></div><div>With the automation projects for manufacturing Squirrels (CNC Laser cutter, CNC Milling machine, CNC Wire bending, injection moulding to name a few), I have become more connected to the community of people that make things. When faced with these sorts of challenges, it was natural for me to seek out people with the same challenges. Of course I became involved with the culture of Makezine who facilitates a community including the famous Maker Faires. They covered the Squirrel (<a href="http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2009/07/easy-to-build_tissue_and_balsa_mode.html?CMP=OTC-0D6B48984890" target="_blank">http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2009/07/easy-to-build_tissue_and_balsa_mode.html?CMP=OTC-0D6B48984890</a>).</div>
<div><br></div><div>Further, I became involved with hackspaces. They are little hives in each city of people that have a grass roots mentality about making things and hacking. This has put me in proximity the art community (which is a huge interest of mine). It's a very social and varied community. From robots to dance.</div>
<div><br></div><div>So I've started a few projects in the artistic space. </div>
<div><br></div><div>The outcome of all this mishmash is that I've created some new blogs to help manage the social components of these interests.</div><div><div><br></div><div><div>
<a href="http://www.endlesslift.com/" target="_blank">www.endlessLift.com</a> Not about the Squirrel Specifically but about simplicity in model aviation in general. <b>Contributions welcome!</b></div></div><div><a href="http://www.squirrelify.com/" target="_blank">www.Squirrelify.com</a> NOT ONLINE YET Will eventually be the real Squirrel site. (Still working on getting a design together)</div>
<div><a href="http://www.mambohead.com/" target="_blank">www.Mambohead.com</a> Artsy projects</div><div><br></div><div>In a nutshell I thought that the Squirrel project was a little hobby sideline but it has opened a whole new lifestyle and has lead me to a lot of new friends. Funny how things go...</div>
<div><br>--<br>Darcy Whyte<br>Darcy@Siteware.com<br>Ottawa, Canada | 613-563-3634 | N 45° 25'03.1" W 75° 42'21.4"<br>
<br>Inspirational Flying Machines:<br><a href="http://www.rubber-power.com" target="_blank">http://www.rubber-power.com</a><div><a href="http://www.endlessLift.com" target="_blank">http://www.endlessLift.com</a></div><div>
<a href="http://www.endlessLift.com" target="_blank"></a><a href="http://www.Squirrelify.com" target="_blank">http://www.Squirrelify.com</a></div><div><a href="http://www.Squirrelify.com" target="_blank"></a>MAAC 23153<br>
<br>Software services since 1988<br>Web, Database, LAMP<br><a href="http://www.Siteware.com" target="_blank">www.Siteware.com</a></div><div><a href="http://www.generalSocial.com" target="_blank">www.generalSocial.com</a><br>
</div><div><br></div><div>Art</div><div><a href="http://www.Mambohead.com" target="_blank">www.Mambohead.com</a></div><div><a href="http://www.SalsaMob.com" target="_blank">www.SalsaMob.com</a></div><div><br></div><div><br>
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