SPCC A Casa Amarela

the plumbing caught fire yesterday. someone threw away the egg boxes we collected. they were covered with polyurethane, so at some point probably someone threw a cigarette and ignited it. so a small fire melted the pipe, and therefore the crew had to move it.

this means we are now redesigning the plumbing, and including the water tank in the design this time. that means once the police takes the water down, we'll still have a backup water system, and with the coming winter rain, we'll be closing the water loop.

godspeed starstuff ☆★☆☆★★★☆☆☆☆☆

Less people, more easier to maintain, share, learn, etc. Back on track we are, Our kids (R,S,I) are now more calm because their issue disappeared. Good. Old business is the same i think. The only thing that changes here is my behavior. I'm not going to scream more at anyone, even if they are disrespecting me. I'll ignore. Some time ago i knew this so good - ignoring is the worst thing you can do to someone that disrespects you. I re-learned again, mostly thanks to my private talks to J.

So for instance, i'm going to ignore the fact that they don't say thank you, or are not even polite (saying good morning when you see someone in the room is nice, and they always did it). I'm going to ignore the fact that they told us that we do not include them, and that they feel that we need a meeting and do not act according to what they say and instead close them selfs in their rooms and act as if nothing happen - i am not going after them asking if they still want a meeting. Etc...etc...and etc.

I will continue to do EVERYTHING i did since the beginning: work in maintenance, create new stuff, improving old stuff, helping guests feel comfortable and participative, being there if someone asks for help, being that my PRIORITY. But whenever someone disrespects me, i'll ignore that, and keep moving, instead of trying to talk to someone that does not tolerate or respects something or someone if they are not included in their ideologies or life style.

Besides that, today, me , D and our guests gather spontaneously together in breakfast, and in five minutes decided and volunteer for simple tasks on cleaning and constructing things, to recover from the hitchhiking invasion. Altogether in few hours we cleaned the building and transformed some stuff: bigger table in hosting floor, and other tables went to chill out, new fireplace outside that is perfect for pizzas or bread.

<3

it's been cloudy. that's it. cloudy means not as much power, which means we haven't had even remotely the same energy. therefore, i have an entirely new plan. a generator to charge the bank. whenever we need it, it goes up. and that includes powering the big concert sound system if needed.

by modding it for methane, we can build a digester and harvest the gas. actually, considering the amount of shit we produce, we might get all our gas from it. this way, it would be way easier to close the energy loop whenever solar is weak. consider winter, for example. it won't be enough, and just adding panels doesn't fix it.

bike generators, windmills and such are still in the works. they are not that complicated at all, and i might do one soon. but whenever we need massive power (heavy power tools, big sound systems), we should back it up somehow.

other than that, we're back to less people, smaller issues. the crew has been working on the stage, they have bigger plans (a studio in the back), and whenever one of the kids is around, they work hard on it.

i think within a month we might have proper concerts.

godspeed starstuff ☆★☆☆★★★☆☆☆☆☆

last night the crew made some wood sculptures and at night they burned them, together with some poi and staff shows. someone was drumming, and i played the pipes in one of the bunkers. then the usual: amazing conversations spanning all kinds of topics, laughter, drunkenness and just another wonderful celebration of life. we made it.

godspeed starstuff ☆★☆☆★★★☆☆☆☆☆

this weekend was particularly successful to us. not only did the workshops work out great, they were useful: we actually used the workshop built projector to project the lecture for discussion. so now we have a projector for the house (still needs some casing and a stronger lamp, but works). the fact that we built it ourselves makes us even more proud of the past weekend. we also learned how to make our own booze and started some home made wine projects with dumpstered food.

the hitchhiker crew + CS + helpx is both highly educated (and nerdy at times) and very eco-conscious and reciprocal, or at least, the ones that tend to stay. so in a week they've done more, given more, taught more and generally contributed more than the house residents (O, S, R, I) did in the past months. this is obviously causing the residents to close up and tribe up, as they always did, since they feel their privileges (free everything at our cost) threatened. so instead of going to the workshops, they all hid in S's room listening to the same old tapes and CDs, doing drugs and "looking cool". the issue, as usual, is both people not feeling included (even though they don't try to be a part of it), and with it becoming arrogant, angry or just generally prejudiced. so closing up in a room, making fun of people, doing what they said they don't do (hard drugs, lying, etc), has become a subculture of our little community.

in previous posts i got angry and frustrated. but if anything, what our residents are becoming, thanks to their lack of interest in any other thing other than mirrors, mohawks, punk music and themselves, is basic social center users. they use the water, the shelter, the food, but have no interest in any other thing. so instead of disciplining (which is something i was advocating in anger at some point), we are instead shifting to regular social work. we will treat the same respect and care we treat the homeless people we help. but if they want to have a say, they will have to work for it.

let's conjure up a simple example of this. we designed a cane flow around the building, for shelter and defining the space. it took us (mostly D) time and effort to do it. it was worked on, designed, an put in practice. some residents then, after we finished, said they didn't like it. so, usually, had we followed the principle "let's include everyone in the decision process so that we make the best decision" there would be no cane flow done at all.

what we're doing now is if it's done and you don't want it, you undo it yourself or start alternatives. in a way, we are using laziness against itself. we're using, instead of global democracy values (like advocated by the previous group), the local power model first described by myself in the beginning of this community. in a funny way, this is a right wing turn in an anarchist house that promotes anarchism. can we stop using anarchism so much, too, since everyone misuses it and the word is an oxymoron itself?

what i see this mainly as is a shift from allowing reactive intelligence to act on synthetic intelligence, and slowly empower synthetic intelligence and downplaying reactive intelligence. this is what we do with the model i provided. the generators of information (negentropy, exuberance, creative types, whatever) become the ruling class, and the consumers (reactive intelligence) are pushed to little to no power. this is, basically, a worker revolt. we are not ending our productivity and surplus generation. we are, instead, using it as our own power to set course of our community, instead of giving power to people that have no interest in community building at all, except for their own interests.

a big irony, as the anarchists are the bourgeois of the squat, and the more conservative, working people end up being the oppressed working class.

basically, we're testing out the new model, and dealing with those who don't agree with motherly love instead of discipline. a fairer, more humane way of keeping the community in motion. therefore, we are no longer an anarcho-punk-crust squat or anarcho-syndicalist squat, but an exuberantist cult with everything it implies.

godspeed starstuff ☆★☆☆★★★☆☆☆☆☆

Today, one of our guests came up with a cool game for everyone to do.

I got them cool points in the city that they should see. They are going to make a race/collecting points by doing several things. Basic principle is do sight seeing while collecting stuff for the squat, and also make it funny.

Goals are:

- dumpster dive cool items for the freeshop
- collect free booze
- get your hands dirty
- scare tourists and get media attention
- get to specific touristy points and take pictures to prove that you where there
- drink something with a local (if its an old lady, get extra points)
- create stuff for the squat

On another note, the desperate behavior to show off some work still goes on. Obviously they are working on something which they will use later: place for concerts. Just can't wait for the talk and see how it goes.

Today we are clearing out the back of our building. Me, Fabien, our Spanish guest that is staying in his van, and a hitch hiker cleared the spot where the water from the kitchen falls in only 1h and something.That's the fucking difference in having people whiling to work and get their hands dirty or having lazy parasites. So today we are going to have a completely clean landscape in the back of our building!

<3

the house is full of proactive, creative people now, thanks mostly to the hitchhiker gathering. we're therefore spontaneously organizing a cultural day tomorrow, including a workshop on how to make your own solar panels. more on this later, since more people might join and give classes about other stuff.

obviously, no meeting happened. i guess S and R are too ashamed to show face after what they did. S apologized yesterday night. the old and wise tactic of always staying out of any trouble, even when inciting it in the first place.

quote of the day: it's better to do nothing than to do little (S). i guess that sums up the attitude right there.

personally, i'm more interested in the cool new people we got, and all the new stuff they taught us. we might have a projector soon if we get lucky.

godspeed starstuff ☆★☆☆★★★☆☆☆☆☆

When i first though about this project, i though about something really simple:

- everybody should get access to it, without any entry fee, which means if you don't have money it's no problem, i'll be there as long as others, to provide that for you. It doesn't matter your social background, it doesn't matter which is your favorite music style, what's your philosophy of living, etc. So basically, that supports and promotes diversity.

What i didn't thought about it, until the day a certain group of people wanted to start a squat along with me was:

- A community that wants to support diversity and accept anyone needs to have something in common. The word "community" is derived from the Old French communité which is derived from the Latin communitas (cum, "with/together" + munus, "gift"), a broad term for fellowship or organized society. Biologically, community means that you share the same space or environment. With humans can be an intent, beliefs, or whatever you want. In our case, we took something that's pretty simple and natural in human beings: reciprocity. This way, cultural diversity can be supported, because you can observe reciprocity in many cultures.

This ran into my mind because i knew fairly enough by that time, those who were involved in the squatting project. I also knew what were their goals concerning the squat (just living). I also knew pretty well their behavior in a community, and it was lazy and selfish, and they didn't knew or accepted as part of them the concept of reciprocity.
Still, they came to the community and they are part of it. S and O since the beginning, R and I a couple of months later. Why? Besides me and J being the minority we though that maybe they can change and learn, and take something more meaningful (besides food and booze and a place to sleep) from the house, which is one important aspect of this community. The house, being so open, and supporting diversity everybody can change, learn and improve simply by knowing people that are different and see things in another perspective. Well, the conclusion is that we FAILED. Our fears from day 1 were right. My guess is that we failed because of the fucking organizational system we got into, that 3 people had chosen. My guess is that if we had a more utilitarian perspective on our organizational system, as J proposed from day 1 none of the fucking problems we have now would happen. Everybody wants to make decisions in their own lives and in the space where they sleep. If we had that kind of system that pushes you into contributing to the community and in which affects your weight when it comes to decisions and power, everybody would be contributing somehow even if it was just to maintain or secure their "slice of power".

And that is STILL the problem. R, S, O and I don't do SHIT. They are freeloading J, they are using the space and accommodations in which i put a LOT of my effort whit out giving anything back. Why? because everything happens around them without any need to contribute. Because me and J (and now a bunch of our guests) are there to do it. Basically they're abusing the system.

Today R disrespected me in many forms and ways. He is constantly doing the same with our "sharing-contributing-guests". He disrespected the person that defended him from P and M, that was there when S was on cocaine really hard and R, I and O didn't wanted that S disrespected the only rule we have because they were feeling bad and putted in dangerous because they can't handle cocaine or heroin if they're close to it. A big fuck off to that. Plus they take J as a dick an abuse of what he gives. So i am not going to allow them to disrespect me, neither one of my guests, nor i'm going to continue to watch the hypocrite behavior towards J.

Today i booked a meeting, and they failed. (uh..what rebels, like when you're a kid and you skip school or something).

Tomorrow, we're not going to point any meeting, instead just gonna grab them, put them in chairs, like we do with kids, and talk. I'm personally not going to talk much. I'm going to let that part to J and let him be the alpha this time, not only because i'm tired of that bulshit crap of alpha males (which i didn't asked for) but mostly and more important because, he is the start of a chain that makes this house work and also supports their lives with free food, free booze, free dog food, free everything.

<3

as predicted, and as i was saying before, the residents have been sinking into their own habits. but they have begun to feel their status is threatened, and therefore began a power struggle with the currently perceived alpha. R has been shouting and disrespecting random guests, and today did that to T.

considering this is out of bounds, we've summoned a house meeting tonight. it will have to be made clear that this kind of anti-social behavior cannot continue, as well as the freeloading. it was what got P and M out of the house, and it's what might get them out too.

often it is referred that i don't care or since i don't say anything it's because i'm ok with it. fact is, after my 8 hour work day, i have little patience and time to deal with these issues. but i do notice the weight on my wallet, and comment that in private with T. she ends up protecting me and showing the face for the global issues, which has been somewhat unfair to her.

i'm spending about 600€ a month on the house and the guests/residents. even when only residents are around, this would mean a 100€ cost a month for each resident. for residents that cannot afford, they've been paying with work. T and (now) D work all day at the house. that means they contribute what they can, in a basic sense of reciprocity.

on the other hand, S, R and O have no sense of reciprocity at all. if there's beer, they drink it. if there's food, they eat it. if there's money in the box, they take it. their contributions to the community are the drugs they sell, the loud music only they enjoy, and the obnoxious attitude towards guests. what saddens me is that i get lied to to my face every day. be it about drug abuse (which is higher than ever now that (I) isn't here), work-for-show (like cleaning a bit in front of me, a technique i first recognized at my old place), or simply empty compliments without any honesty behind it. these are easy techniques to cloud my judgment. if i'm working all day, and see two people working when i get here, it's easy to assume the both of them had been working all day, when in fact it's usually the opposite. they are working mostly because it's the ideal time to show work done.

i am no leader in this community, but i am the funding. in that sense, i'm more of a commodity than an authority. i fix the plumbing, electricity and get the food, among other things. so i'm payed tribute by the freeloaders in many forms. what is perceived as reciprocity (i give food, you give thank you) is usually just politeness. if i feed you every day, and every day you say thank you, i effectively did all the work. the man-hours spent in saying thank you are not even remotely close to the work hours spent in getting the food on the table.

the issue is that the perceived reciprocity (thank you = food) is not reciprocal at all. it is a one way gesture of consumption. and the irony is that not even a thank you is uttered anymore. everything is assumed to be there. these are just symptoms of very individualistic habits.

what is also very ironic, is how the failures of the current house organizational system are exactly the ones predicted by me and T since day 1. which means that the incompetence of the people behind the original organizational choices (A, L, S), our community (and myself personally) has suffered tremendously. an organization cannot be designed by the ones that exploit it. a working community cannot be designed by lazy people. it's that simple. but i guess the people that fucked up the design aren't here to deal with it, which is another great irony of our endeavor. we've been working with and defending a system we did not design, with people we did not choose to live with, for the simple fact of being the minority in the house. almost everyone that believed in everyone having an equal say has left, or is abusing the free goods. it seems obvious: if you're lazy, you design a system that protects your laziness. if you're a worker, you design a system that protects your work. it's the old lymbic response again.

i'm tired of defending behavior that has no possible defense. it will be a key point of my opinion in the meeting today. i'm tired of anarchists that define anarchy as chaos and disorder, tired of freeloaders that want to be part of the decisions, even though they do very little to help. we need a better system and better people, or this ship will sink.

godspeed starstuff ☆★☆☆★★★☆☆☆☆☆

our crew has been busy. currently some of our guests have a couple of interesting DIY projects: a windmill (made from pvc pipes and recycled stuff), a swimming pool (out in the back, not even sure how it's going to work), gardens (though carrying soil is still too much), and a cane flow up and around the building.

overall, i think our method for choosing people has increased the percentage of workers (vs. freeloaders) in the house, leading to a more healthy and productive environment. this is making our previous freeloader load more obvious (our lazy residents).

anarcho-syndicalism (a-s) isn't working anymore. it assumes working class ethics is understood and practiced every day by everyone. but not everyone shares that view, instead choosing individualist libertarian anarchism. therefore, a-s ends up allowing for a constant, growing abuse of the workers' output. are freeloaders the bourgeois oppressor class of the squat?

we have more workers now, so that means that freeloaders need to do less work. this has gotten to the point where the residents (S and R mainly) have grown so lazy they don't buy or dumpster for food anymore, drink and eat the surplus the house generates, and spend all their money (including stealing house money from the box) on booze and crack. just the other day i was woken up at 2am with S asking me to go drive him to "get beer" downtown. it wasn't beer, 'cause he can get beer down the street all night. it was crack. it's always crack. drugs, especially cocaine, have a way of distorting people's reality to a point where they always live in mememe land. plus, if they don't have to fight for survival anymore and can sell drugs to an endless stream of guests, it is the perfect setting for indulgence.

i've always been sensitive to this issue and critical on what the street punk libertarians would bring to the house progress. what we see here is that even though we invested time, effort, money in creating a regenerating, empowering environment from which people could learn, grow and break free of their habit patterns, instead it is proving to be the exact opposite. since the house is becoming sustainable and self sufficient (thanks to our hard work), it only encouraged the hedonistic behavior of our residents.

in this sense, the 6 month trial of a-s failed as an organizational system. for it to work, it requires a shared worker mindset from all the participants, and therefore it is unfit for a diverse house such as our own.

as an alternative, my own model has been proposed, and will be implemented soon. it is based on the exuberantist ideology, and tends to empower workers and remove power from freeloaders. i have some (short) info on what it is on the main network website (exuberantism.org).

as a transition, we have begun to track all the work and money put in by each of the guests and residents. at the end of each month, a balance is to be done and we'll confront all the residents with their activity (or lack thereof). next, we will give everyone a period of time to change their behavior, and if nothing happens, we will go back to our founder authority and kick people out. it will only happen if people fail to understand community living.

as for the exuberantist ideology, it is sufficiently similar to anarchism to be mistaken for it. but as my big A for anarchy symbolized, the random specks can be seen as random, but may actually hide meaningful data in them. in my design, the random specks were a Ulam Spiral, a mathematical plot of prime numbers. i include it below. when done right, order and reason might be as rough and natural as nature itself. like the endless richness of a fractal, a rational approach does not mean a heartless approach.

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godspeed starstuff ☆★☆☆★★★☆☆☆☆☆