Announcements, Week of 5/14/2012
Filed under: Announcements, Ex Libris Den Mother 4.0
Everyone have a nice Mother’s Day? Terrific. Everyone enjoy seeing Avengers for the first/second/third/fourth time? Wonderful. Welcome back to the hall, friends.
Something that I’ve been noticing, and I’m sure you have been too, is the clamor of construction downstairs, all the more noticeable through that hole in the floor. It’s funny to me how all of that noice somehow doesn’t distract from the energy and concentration here. Don’t get me wrong, it can be a seriously inconvenient ruckus at times, but everyone here knows the motivation behind the noise, we know that it’s only the prelude to something great, and we know that we’re all responsible for that upcoming greatness. We keep coming to the Hall, even in this bizarre state of flux.
I guess we like each other or something.
This Week!
Natasha is making lunch every Tuesday and Friday, for 10 people who are interested! $8 buys a fresh, homemade lunch, prepared and served here at Indy Hall. Want in? Add your name to the day you’d like lunch to reserve a plate: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AlxE_6slMcg-dDU3Y1RwM1Vfb1JjT1hlX2dpY0p4bnc
Monday (TONIGHT!) - Counter Culture starts at 6:00pm, right here in the Indy Hall kitchen. Asparagus coconut soup is a thing that is happening!
Tuesday - Y’all know that Domino! launches today in the App Store, right? High-five Parker and Jake, place some tiles. Go! Buy! Domino!
Wednesday - Night Owls is back on track, starts at 6pm. Free to all members!
Thursday - Show ‘n Tell with Cathy Goodwin at noon – Cathy will be talking about attractive copywriting, offering live critique and tips for anyone seeking some help in that department.
Friday - On the fifth day: beer. (@ National Mechanics)
HIPCHAT:
Are you in the Indy Hall Hipchat room? If so, speak up! If not, let me know! https://indyhall.hipchat.com
Hear that? That’s the sound of evolution. (and hammers and shit)
Announcements, Week of 4/9/2012
Filed under: Announcements, Ex Libris Den Mother 4.0
Baseball! Baseball is happening! We should all think about grabbing some cheap tickets to a Phillies game and spend a Saturday at the park, soon. The weather’s just right and even if you absolutely detest the sport (or the Phillies), I’m sure a group of us would have a great time. This time of the year reminds me of the fact that I’ve got a ton of new friends to enjoy the season with, and even more reasons to meet new ones.
Indy Hall’s Latest!
- Ben Garvey
- Reed Gustow
- Paul Walker
- Amy Lisenmayer
- Edmond Durana
This Week!
Natasha is making lunch on Friday, for 10 people who are interested! $8 buys a fresh, homemade lunch, prepared and served here at Indy Hall. Want in? Reserve a lunch here: http://wepay.com/x2ivarl
Monday (TONIGHT!) – Counter Culture starts at 6:30pm, right here in the Indy Hall kitchen.
Tuesday – I don’t know what a “big blind” is, but I do know that Indy Hall poker is more than worth the $10 I will inevitably sacrifice. Sign up to win play here: http://anyvite.com/b1w1iq0gui
Wednesday – Soccer at Franklin’s Square, meet up here at the Hall at 4:30pm!. Bring your cleats! Or don’t! Whatever!
- Night Owls all up in this place, starting at 6pm. Free to all members! [Note: If you frequently attend Night Owls and potentially have interest in hosting regularly, let me know! SRSLY.]
Thursday – CocoaHeads meets at 7pm!
Friday – Grab a friend and make your way to National Mecha- WAIT. Scratch that, mosey on over to Amy Hoy’s apartment to welcome Thomas back into the US of A (it’s a surprise party so shh!). Relevant details here: http://anyvite.com/a9a1bkx843
COMING UP NEXT WEEK:
- NextFab 2 Preview Party on April 19th – 6pm to 9pm. Details here: http://ph.ly/axme1
INDY HALL ATHLETICS:
Interested in finding people to play sports with? Add your skillset to the Indy Hall Sports sheet, link up with others for a pickup game, or league.
HIPCHAT:
Are you in the Indy Hall Hipchat room? If so, speak up! If not, let me know! https://indyhall.hipchat.com
PLAY BALL, DUDES.
Announcements, Week of 4/2/2012
Filed under: Announcements, Ex Libris Den Mother 4.0
There are a lot of weird things on our block, most of which I’m just discovering for the first time. That raccoon on the wall across from our balcony – what’s up with that? Or, ever notice how many stores sell just shirts around this block? A lot of shirt sellin’ on this street, so much so that the entire wall behind the food cart is deemed “SHIRT CORNER”. Ironically, there are no shirts being sold on or around that corner. Indy Hall is here on the second floor of the Daniel Building (and soon on the first floor, holy crap http://www.indyhall.org/blog/2012/03/31/indy-hall-3-0-the-future-of-indy-hall/), but let’s not forget that Indy Hall is outside, too. The weather is getting better this month, appropriately, and it’s a good time to have someone point out quirky landmarks that you might miss on the daily. “SHIRT CORNER” is a hell of a conversation-starter for meeting someone new.
Welcome (back), new members!
- Kevin Lee
- Todd Hiestand
This Week!
Monday (TONIGHT!) – Counter Culture starts at 6:30pm, right here in the Indy Hall kitchen. In fact, they’ve been fixing up a polenta concoction all afternoon, and we have them to thank for the smells in the Hall, which is not frequently offered as a high compliment.
Tuesday – Indy Hall Poker continues to ramble and gamble on through the night. $10 buy-in, this week. http://anyvite.com/nnclngeofq
Wednesday – Soccer at Franklin’s Square, meetup here at the Hall at 4:30pm!. Bring your cleats! Or don’t! Whatever!
- Night Owls all up in this place, starting at 6pm. Free to all members! [Note: If you frequently attend Night Owls and potentially have interest in hosting regularly, let me know!]
Thursday – Postgreen South Kensington event, 4pm to 8pm at 1703-05 N Howard St. More details, here: http://postgreenhomes.com/customize/?s=0
Friday – Beer brings us together. Test that theory at National Mechanics, tonight.
COMING UP NEXT WEEK:
- NextFab 2 Preview Party on April 19th – 6pm to 9pm. Details here: http://ph.ly/axme1
INDY HALL ATHLETICS:
Interested in finding people to play sports with? Add your skillset to the Indy Hall Sports sheet, link up with others for a pickup game, or league.
HIPCHAT:
Are you in the Indy Hall Hipchat room? If so, speak up! If not, let me know! https://indyhall.hipchat.com
Oh, by the way, INDY HALL IS GROWING UP AND EXPANDING DOWN. LET’S GET THIS PARTY STARTED.
Announcements, Week of 3/26/2012
Filed under: Announcements, Ex Libris Den Mother 4.0
We did it. We have arrived at the last week in March. Not that anything particularly wild is happening this week, but I think it only benefits to treat every day as a destination.
That’s deep, man.
This Week!
Monday (TONIGHT!) – Counter Culture starts at 6:30pm, right here in the Indy Hall kitchen.
Tuesday – Indy Hall Poker Night! $10 buy-in, this week. http://anyvite.com/d1y8e0elql
Wednesday – Soccer at Franklin’s Square, meetup here at the Hall at 4:30pm!. Bring your cleats!
- Night Owls starts at 6pm, free to all members!
Thursday – Oh, come onnnnn. Not another week with an uneventful Thursday!
Friday – Experience the history of Indy Hall.
Experience a pint of beer with a friend.
Experience National Mechanics.
INDY HALL ATHLETICS:
Interested in finding people to play sports with? Take a moment to add your skillset to the Indy Hall Sports sheet, link up with others for a pickup game, or league. http://bit.ly/H4KYSX
HIPCHAT:
Are you in the Indy Hall Hipchat room? If so, speak up! If not, let me know! https://indyhall.hipchat.com
HAVE A GREAT WEEK, YOUSE!
Announcements, Week of 3/19/2012
Filed under: Announcements, Ex Libris Den Mother 4.0
Everyone all accounted for, after SXSW and St. Patrick’s Day? Excellent. Now, let’s get on with the rest of March, shall we?
Welcome, a few new members to the Hall!
Brian Auton
AJ Bubb
Travis Hufford
Allyson Kramer
Cara-Beth Lillback
This Week!
Monday (TONIGHT!) – Everyone loves food. Come and love food, together! Counter Culture starts at 6:30pm, right here in the Indy Hall kitchen.
Tuesday - Indy Hall Poker Night! $20 buy-in, this week. http://anyvite.com/dxcjddjdvz
Wednesday – Bend it like Bula! Join a group of us to play soccer at Franklin’s Square, we’ll be meeting up at 4:30pm. Bring cleats and an extra soccer ball, if you’re equipped. Bring an inhaler and a defibrillator, if you’re me.
- Night Owls starts at 6pm, free to all members!
Friday – The first Friday night in March that won’t see a bus full of green-shirted lunatics pouring into National Mechanics. Go take advantage of that.
HIPCHAT:
Are you in the Indy Hall Hipchat room? If so, speak up! If not, let me know! https://indyhall.hipchat.com
HAVE A GREAT WEEK, EVERYBODY!
Announcements, Week of 3/12/2012
Filed under: Announcements, Ex Libris Den Mother 4.0
Weekly Announcements
On this day, 1993, Philadelphia (and the entire east coast) was beginning to be pummeled with thunder-snowstorms, which we would endure for almost three days, straight. Thunder snowstorms. That’s far too much weather happening, at the same time. They were calling it the “Storm of the Century”, and it was positively insane. This week, 2012, we’re expected to experience a high of around 76 degrees.
On a day-to-day basis, who knows what’s going to happen. Do something you didn’t expect to, this week. Surprise yourself, surprise others. Also, stop blotting out the sun with carbon emissions, but that’s me being super picky.
Welcome, new members!
Nate Abele
Mark Schuber
This Week!
Monday (TONIGHT!) – Go outside, and get a tan!
Tuesday - Indy Hall Poker Night! $10 buy-in, this week. http://anyvite.com/imz7tbgruz
- Revel in your loyalty to Philadelphia and the decision to NOT go to Austin! RSVP to attend the #notatSXSW Celebration presented by your friends at YIP, Indy Hall, Technically Philly, and Geekadelphia. It’s at Barcade and, it’s going to be way cooler than SXSW.
Details, here: https://www.facebook.com/events/324335397613350/
Wednesday – Night Owls is on at 6pm. Good music! Great company! High productivity! Miniature disc golf ! (totally free to all Indy Hall members)
Thursday – Show ‘n Tell starts at noon, and Jonathan Kaye will be showing the work he’s been doing toward revolutionizing safety training. Join us in the lounge to find out what members sitting right next to you are working on!
Friday – “He was a wise man who invented beer.”
- Plato
Don’t take my word for it, trust the guy who worked with Socrate and invented this stuff*. Head over to National Mechanics, share a drink.
*I might have to fact-check that
NOTICE:
Indy Hall is officially composting! Do as others do and toss all coffee grounds in the labelled-compost containers!
Go outside, this week. Not just out the doors, either, but outside of yourself. Yeah, that’s deep.
Announcements, Week of 3/5/2012
Filed under: Announcements, Ex Libris Den Mother 4.0
*Disclaimer: I tried to Google the phrase “funadelphia”, came up short. So, this.
Weekly Announcements
SXSW and all of it’s nerdy debauchery commences in Austin, TX, this week. What does that mean for those of us holding down the Indy Hall fort? It poses the challenge for us to have such an outrageously fun and productive week that we’ll make our SXSW-goers regret the moment they stepped outside of 20 N. 3rd Street. Let’s all band together and have way more fun than everyone so unlucky to attend what the San Jose Mercury News calls “a fashionable place”. [In related news, anybody want to take the phones this week? I really want to go to SXSW.]
A handful of new members joining Indy Hall, this week and last. Introduce yourself to:
Michael Auritt
Justin Campbell
Mark Headd
Liz Koster
Ben Levin
David Manning
Luke Ellis Nicholaides, Mike’s newborn son (Mike, I’m charging him as a Full-Timer, fyi)
This Week!
Monday (TONIGHT!) - Nothing?!
Tuesday - Alex Hillman and Councilman Bill Green meet for a discussion on Philadelphia and Business Privilege Tax. The talk begins at 5pm, and if you haven’t already RSVP’d, let me know.
Wednesday – Night Owls is on at 6pm. Good music! Great company! High productivity! Miniature disc golf ! (totally free to all Indy Hall members)
Thursday - Cocoaheads meet-up at 7pm – be there, or don’t (but you’re better off being there)
Friday - Here’s a little pre-weekend math:
Let y = you
Let f = friend
Let NM = National Mechanics
y + f + NM = math makes me anxious, let’s drink
NEXT WEEK: Tuesday, March 13th – Revel in your loyalty to Philadelphia and the choice to NOT go to Austin! RSVP to attend the #notatSXSW Celebration presented by your friends at YIP, Indy Hall, Technically Philly, and Geekadelphia. It’s at Barcade and it’s going to be great/better than SXSW.
Details, here: https://www.facebook.com/events/324335397613350/
NOTICE:
This week, Indy Hall begins composting. Toss ALL COFFEE GROUNDS in the compost containers, please and thank you!
Do something out of the ordinary, today. And, tomorrow. And, the day after that.
Announcements, Week of 2/27/2012
Filed under: Announcements, Ex Libris Den Mother 4.0
Weekly Announcements
The end of this week ushers in the beginning of March, a month of green milkshakes, green top-hats, green clovers, green beer and monochrome, cultural stereotypes. Indy Hall is going green (ha!) beginning this week, too, with the inception of composting and vastly-improved recycling habits, not to mention the sprouting of serpentine flora throughout the Hall. Lest I start talking about plants and garbage in the introductory paragraph of the announcements, I suggest we move right along to the week’s events.
This Week!
Monday (TONIGHT!) - Find out what’s cooking at Indy Hall with Counter Culture, starting at 6pm.
Tuesday – Postgreen Homes’ reNEWBOLD launch party, at Taproom from 5pm to 8pm.
- Indy Hall Poker Night. Cards come out at 7:15pm and blinds go up every 30mins. Spots are still available to play. RSVP at http://anyvite.com/usndejkvdc
Wednesday – Betsy Spivak makes her triumphant return to Indy Hall, offering invaluable advice on insurance options for small businesses and independent entrepreneurs. Enlist for 30 minutes of pure, unadulterated insurance intel by signing-up on the sheet in the kitchen.
- Night Owls commences at 6pm. Good music! Great company! High productivity! Miniature disc golf ! (totally free to all Indy Hall members)
Thursday - Nothing specific to report on Thursday. Anyone have plans?
Friday - Lunch ‘n Learn with Adam Kazan, Financial Wizard – starts at noon!
- Does the phrase “data gloryhole” mean anything to you? Get down with Kelani Edmondson and Little Berlin when they launch flashfl00d, their “semi-secretive mass public exhibition of rapidly-distributed hidden flash drives containing downloadable exhibitions”.
Check out the site: http://littleberlin.org/flashfl00d/
-also on Friday: GO TO NATIONAL MECHANICS AND DRINK.
Introduce yourself to someone you don’t know, this week – Go forth, and be merry!
Announcements, Week of 2/20/2012
Filed under: Announcements, Ex Libris Den Mother 4.0
Weekly Announcements (Now with 100% more Future Space Presidents!)
Who’s ready for President’s Day?! I want you all to know, each and every one of you is my President, this year. I also want you to know that I have, essentially, plagiarised my own introduction from last week because I haven’t had a cup of coffee, yet.
So sue me. (Don’t, though.)
This Week!
Monday (TONIGHT!) - President’s Day, which means impromptu scotch tasting? What’s going on tonight?!
Tuesday - Indy Hall Poker Night. Cards come out at 7:15pm and blinds go up every 30mins. Spots are still available to play. RSVP at http://anyvite.com/usndejkvdc
Wednesday – This is how Philly coworking does Downward Dog. Join Pam Selle for yoga at 11:30am.
- Night Owls starting at 6pm. Good music! Great company! High productivity! Miniature disc golf ! (totally free to all Indy Hall members)
Thursday - Girls. Geeks. Dinners. Three of the best things on the planet*. Dine with the three, new fellows for the Code for America program, starts at 5:30pm.
*somewhat subjective
- Two words: BATTLESTAR GALACTICA. Is Battlestar only one word? Does contemporary grammar hold up in space? Answers to these questions, and more, when you nerd out over the newfangled BSG movie, starting around 7pm.
Friday - It is written, “Man does not live on bread alone, but on every pint of local beer from National Mechanics”. Take someone out, tonight, because Indy Hall sayeth so.
Continues to be Happening - Have you spared a measly 30 seconds to win $1,000, yet? Enter the GCUC-sponsored “I Share My Space” contest: http://www.austingcuc.com/i-share-my-space-video-contest/
Here’s to the best week of your life, and next week’s going to be even better.
Mo’ Money, Mo’ Problems
Filed under: Ex Libris Den Mother 4.0
Having people come up to visit Indy Hall for the first time is awesome. I say the word “awesome” too much, maybe. But, oh my god, it’s awesome to show-off something awesome to some potentially awesome people and have them leave thinking that you’re an awesome person who works in an awesome environment.
/awesome
That being said, during every tour that I give to someone brand new to our space, our active philosophies, I almost always arrive at an incredibly shitty juncture, prompted by this question:
-”How much?”
Hey, don’t harsh my buzz, man. Don’t get me wrong – it’s very obviously a perfectly valid, practically-minded inquiry. THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH THIS QUESTION. The issue is entirely on my behalf, and it comes from my reminder that Indy Hall isn’t some totally-not-for-profit oasis of zero obligation and need for financial sustenance. It reminds me that money has to be involved, at some point. It reminds me that I can’t just invite this positively wonderful visitor into our happy family without at least subtly initiating a transaction.
It’s at that point where I wonder where the balance is between Indy Hall’s ability to sustain its obligatory (financial) operations and its almost free-love ethos (the coworking mantra). That “line”, and there is one, is so finely vague – intentionally, too: too much of the operation b.s. and we’re diluting the essence of what it is to “cowork”. Too little of it, and we’re dead in the water – we won’t have amenities to boast of (not that we have ever or will ever brag on behalf of our desk real estate). I just…feel weird bringing it into the conversation, as though it spoils our soon-to-be wonderful friendship.
I found a significant likeness to my Indy Hall “finance vs. fun” trouble during a poker game that I had no business buying into. See, before that game, I didn’t know how to play poker. The $20 buy-in, however, was a risk that resulted in understanding that I wasn’t paying money to just to lose it (as I initially anticipated), but to join friends and meet new ones over an easy card game. Hell, I learned how to play Poker after I put my money on the table, and I’ve been laughing about conversations with the other guys at the table since we played. An ignorant and cynical self saw nothing but loss in that game, but an enlightened and happy self knows only how much I gained. I gained everything, that night.
And, look, I’m not saying that Indy Hall is a risk or a gamble. I recognize the inherent issues with comparing our lovely coworking environment with a scandalous game of betting and bluffing. What I’m getting at, ultimately, is the game of Texas Hold ‘Em opened my eyes to a new worth of currency, and that’s how I feel about Indy Hall. I’ll state it, bluntly: no one is coming here for a desk. Nobody is paying for our printer. You’re coming here for something intangible, but lasting: a platform for relationships we might not find elsewhere. If there is a risk, I promise you that it’s worth one. If we must talk money, I’d prefer that we discuss how very much you will gain from putting up a few bucks to keep this good thing rolling.
By the way, the buy-in is $25 – coffee is on us, though.
I don’t think you’ll regret sitting at our table.
