ajroach42

ajroach42, 11 days ago

As a result, there's a hole in the ceiling and the drywall is missing off of two walls.

We've stopped the problem from getting any worse. We're working on making it better. We'll find out how much it's going to cost soon.

But a lot, probably.

We're also replacing an A/C unit at the makerspace right now, which is likely to cost more than $8k.

So uhhh

ajroach42, 11 days ago

Hi!
My name is Andrew.

I run a bookstore ( https://hemlockbazaar.com ) and we, very unexpectedly, need to replace two walls and part of our ceiling, probably out of pocket.

I do a lot of other things. You can learn about some of them at https://andrewroach.net but that's out of date, because life keeps happening.

You can also learn about some of them at https://impractical.computer which is significantly less out of date, because it's brand new.

One of the other things I do is run a Makerspace ( https://ellijaymakerspace.org ) which needs a new A/C unit to survive the summer heat.

ajroach42, 11 days ago

If you'd like to help us afford to repair our walls and ceiling or replace our A/C unit you can:

• Buy a book, movie or record from us: https://hemlockbazaar.com/shop
• Buy some of the coffee we roast https://gamountaincoffee.com
• Buy one of the albums we release: https://analogrevolution.bandcamp.com
• Check out our TV network https://newellijay.tv
• Buy some toys https://mountaintowntoys.com

We support a community of about 20 people here in our small mountain town, and these are two of the latest in a series of large unexpected expenses that have plagued us all year.

ajroach42, 11 days ago

We won't be shooting the whole thing on VHS, but we will shoot some of it on vintage video cameras.

ajroach42, 11 days ago

and I think we're going to celebrate the new website and the launch of the new show with a VHS is the future video festival (it ain't a film festival, there ain't no film.)

So, what do you think? Is it time for a shot-on-video festival?

I can try and partner with our makerspace, or with #NewEllijayTelevision to turn it in to something worth seeing.

(We will absolutely accept things shot on digital video, including your point and shoot or cell phone to this festival, but if it looks like it was shot by professionals on professional gear you better dirty it up in post.)

ajroach42, 13 days ago

@ernie I felt that a few months ago when I got a bump from Doctorow and Gaiman on a thing I had shared.

I went from a minor hit at a few thousand views to "oh god is the server going to fall over?"

ajroach42, 14 days ago

Well, I'm probably the most qualified person in the county to talk about the modern tech industry.

I'm in the top 10% on M&E, becuase of my professional history (record label, director of technical operations at an M&E startup, technically award winning filmmaker, etc.)

But I'm willing to show up, so it doesn't really matter that there are more qualified people.

ajroach42, 14 days ago

I was invited at the last minute. I dontnhave anything prepped. I assume the other folks who are tabling will have displays and things.

ajroach42, 14 days ago

Regardless, this should represent my reentry in to full time New Ellijay Television after nearly 9 months just treading water and working on the bookstore.

Maybe I can convince some college kids to volunteer with us.

ajroach42, 14 days ago

You can learn mors about what I do from https://communitymedia.network and https://newellijay.tv

ajroach42, 13 days ago

That was a really delightful event. I talked to a bunch of 14 - 16 year old kids who had no idea what they wanted to do in the future, and a few who absolutely and obviously wanted to do computer science.

I told the comp sci kids that the most important things for them to learn were empathy and compassion for other people, and that if they could learn that and figure out how to communicate, the computer skills they already have and can develop in the next 4 years plus that empathy and communication will make them better engineers than half the people I worked with professionally.

ajroach42, 13 days ago

I offered them gig work on upcoming projects. I hope they take me up on it. They will learn a lot working with other people.

No one else knew what they wanted to do, so we mostly talked about NETV. They asked lots of really weird questions that I wasn't expecting.

The adults all had questions for me too? i guess tech and M&E are just kind of unknowns for a lot of people.

I told everyone that the rules are fake, and we can build whatever we want and no one will stop us.

ajroach42, 13 days ago

One kid told me he wanted to be a cop.

I couldn't help myself. I said "Wow, that sucks. I've known a lot of cops, and every one of them was an asshole who needed a hobby."

He ... I mean he looked like a cop, tbh. But when I said that, he kind of looked sad for a minute, and then he said "my dad's a cop"

to which I replied, "Yeah, mine too. He's also an asshole who needs a hobby. All I've ever wanted to do was be less miserable than my dad.

What do you love?"

and he went bugeyed for a second and then proceeded to talk to me about video editing and film production for like fifteen minutes.

During our panel session, he was one of the most talkative, asking questions about the process, about the classes, about the programs we offer.

ajroach42, 15 days ago

@Rycaut Give it a shot.