[ML-General] Clarifications

Sun Sep 6 23:32:00 CDT 2015

I genuinely had no clue any of this has or was an issue - I know I've been
off the grid for awhile since I lost my job but I applaud you coming forth
to address this concerned with the members of the shop. Honestly I'm
surprised to hear people being so toxic about your decisions and lifestyle
choices. I will apologize though for my lack of involvement at the shop to
try and be a bigger part of everything. Hope all is well now.

On Sun, Sep 6, 2015 at 10:36 AM, <smeeon at gmail.com> wrote:

> It is a bit disappointing there are those who still have social stigmas
> about alternate lifestyles. Thanks for the clarification on all topics
> hopefully it squashed all rumors. I feel a re-application is due and should
> be well received. You are a valuable member to the shop as your expertise
> is refreshing and right along the lines of the people makers spaces are
> thankful to have in the folds.
>
>
>
> --
> Daniel Valdez
> Audio Insight, Inc.
> www.audio-insight.com
> Office 256-885-1995
> Cell 256-783-6983
>
> We Make Technology Work
> Residential & Commercial - Design & Installation
> Audio * Video * Networking * Automation
>
> On Sep 5, 2015, at 5:05 AM, joshua carr <joshuaq.carr at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> In these wee hours of the morning I am my most eloquent self. I've decided
> to write a bit tonight to clear up some rumors about myself and my fiance
> that have been recently brought to my attention.
> When I applied for membership a while back(my 4th application in 6 years)
> I was unexpectedly and callously denied. The friends I've made in the local
> maker/hacker community over the years were quick to criticize the reasons
> that were given for this, but I feel that that if you guys felt strongly
> enough about them them to turn me down, then I should be just as concerned.
>
> (1) It seems that my choice of lifestyle was an issue for most. I read
> vague assumptions about how a person who lived in a modified vehicle rather
> than in a house or an apartment MUST be applying for membership so that he
> can take advantage of the facilities for daily functions like showering and
> preparing meals. I AGREE that this is not what the shop exists for. I had
> already established more reliable means of accomplishing those tasks, but
> there was no way for any of you to know that.
>
> There were concerns that the presence of such a vehicle would hurt the
> image of the shop. It seems that some of the members are very put off by
> the appearance of poverty(homeless camp). What was insulting was the vapid
> assumption that, if I was made a member again, I would "live at the shop"
> and never leave.
> There were nights that we stayed in the shop driveway and used the shower
> the next morning rather than driving back to Lacey's spring, but only after
> we were encouraged for weeks to do so by several members.
>
> Ive never been treated like a hobo before, and I'm certainly no bum, so I
> was quite upset by this, but I hold no grudges against the people who said
> these things. They were expressing valid concerns based on what they had
> seen or heard, and that's why makers Local has this process.
>
> (2) There were also concerns that Amanda, my girlfriend of 4 years, was
> "part of the deal" when deciding to allow me back as a member. There were
> statements that she was irresponsible with, or not to be trusted around
> other peoples valuables.
>
> This is entirely MY FAULT.
> A year ago, when Amanda and I were going through a sour spot in our
> relationship, I went on 2 angry drunken tirades, while at the shop, blaming
> Amanda for the failure of my business and my subsequent stress and misery.
> These were baseless statements made out of anger and frustration that have
> since evolved into a bad reputation that Amanda did not earn and does not
> deserve.
> Amanda did not steal from my company. My business failed because it was
> not prepared to grow and I never drew a line between our personal finances
> and those of the business.
> So, while she was partly to blame for the misery that drove me to drink so
> much, the other problems were not her doing.
> I can't apologize enough for the things I said. I hope each of you can see
> past this.
> I had come so far and risked so much, that I couldn't admit to my family
> and friends that I had failed. I consider most of you my friends. I have
> respect for each of your individual successes and felt that I owed it to
> you to be successful as well, so I found a scapegoat in Amanda, and I've
> been eating crow ever since.
>
> It's past time to set the record straight, for her sake.
> Amanda has been a helpful right hand to me in most of my endeavors and has
> taken the time to clean various areas of the shop on several occasions,
> including regularly neglected areas like the bathrooms and the kitchen.
>
> Being unable to change the past, I'm focused on the future.
>
> I'm pleased to share that our lives are very different now. Since reading
> your fervent support and damning condemnations of us, we have taken some
> steps to alleviate your stated reasons for apprehension.
>
> (1) We don't live in the van anymore. Amandas aunt owns a 4 bedroom house
> just over the bridge south of Huntsville, and we are renting one of her
> spare rooms. The van has been emptied and is now merely a mode of
> transportation again. This also means that we will no longer have to bring
> our yappy little dog with us to the shop.
>
> (2) We are gainfully employed. Our "hustle and flow" means of supporting
> ourselves was enough to pay our few bills before, but wasn't something that
> many of you can relate to, so we went out and got regular jobs. Amanda is
> managing a pizza joint and I'm a delivery driver. I've been able to put
> more money into my projects and Amanda has dusted off her sewing machine
> and done a few of her own.
>
> (3) We are no longer attached at the hip. We purchased a second vehicle
> allowing us individual means of travel, and we now work varying schedules
> that don't always allow us to both be at the shop at the same time... For
> whatever that's worth.
>
> I'm sending this out to you all because I intend to reapply for membership
> soon, and would rather be humble than be humiliated... Again.
>
> TL/DR
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> I'm not homeless or jobless anymore.
>
> Amanda is good people, despite what I said when I was drunk a year ago.
>
> Amanda has her own car now.
>
> Yappy dog stays at home now.
>
> I need to be a member again, cuz I got more money than time.
>
> Stop treating me like a hobo, and just let me work on my projects.
>
> Please.
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>
> Josh Carr
>
> Joshuaq.carr at gmail.com
>
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