MeetingMinutes20090528

Yet another productive meeting for Automatic Sausagefest^.  Er, Automatic Subconscious.  (Recruit more ladies!!)

In attendance: Alex Khripin, Bethany, Blake (Hooch), Brian Gowdey, Colin, Dan Strange, Dream, FiG, Ike, James, and Tristram.  Thank you Tristram & Futurehouse for hosting (and for fresh-baked chocolate chip cookies, yeeeaaahh).

We had scheduled our next meeting for this Thursday, June 18, but it will be a bit delayed.  Stay tuned for a message from Pete Z.

Dues are now up to $425.  Pay up, dear AutoSubbers!  Currently paid members include:

Alex Khripin, Bethany, Blake (Hooch), Brian Gowdey, Dan Strange, Dream, FiG, Greg Simpson, Hannah, Ike, James, Ken, Pete Z, Ruuskado, Steve, and Tristram.

Inside this issue:

• Questions (for anyone who can answer them)
• Dome update
• Pod updates
• Personal/other projects

Questions

• Can we borrow Rob's rebar hammer?  (Please, oh pretty please?)
  
• Do the tapestries previously hung from the cube belong to Liz or to AutoSub?  Can we use them again this year?
  
• If Xuth is camping with AutoSub, will he provide a shower base and pump again?  If not, Bethany will make sure we have one.

Dome Update (under the direction of Buildings & Grounds and Art Pod)

• Skin
• Possible materials, from Colin and Alexis: lycra spandex (too expensive?), Tyvek (can we get it without the logo?), canvas ($120-$425), sail cloth (too expensive), Jenn has old sheets (but probably too thin) ... looks like we'll go with canvas!
• Colin, Alexis, and Ike are working together to finalize the skin.
• Tunnel
• We'll wait to focus on the tunnel until after the dome is done.
• Can we re-use fabric and PVC from last year's mini-tunnel?  This year's tunnel will be much larger, but hopefully we can salvage materials.  Are those materials in the Reno storage room or somewhere in Boston?
• How to make the tunnel inviting?  Ideas: The Head at entrance to tunnel, tunnel extra wide at mouth, flashy decorations and marquee at entrance.
• Face
• We're turning the dome into a "face."  Ike will design eyes (pinwheel?).  Jenn and Bethany will design non-mooping hair (pool noodles? rope? strips of fabric?).  Tristram will be in charge of the snozzatorium (the nose, for hookah lounging and aromatherapying).
• James found leads on possible existing snozzatorium domes.
• Designs for the eyes and hair should be finished by July 1, so that construction can be finished by mid-July.
• Lighting
• Tristram has a bunch of spotlights that run on 12V batteries.
• Jenn, Blake, and etc. have rope lights.
• We should have the swirly eyes and AUTOMATIC SUBCONSCIOUS letters from previous years.
• Decorating
• Art pod will come up with ways to decorate inside the tunnel, inside the main dome, and inside the snozzatorium.  Volunteers?
• Tristram would like to hang things (just above head-height) inside the dome.  A thousand rubber ducks?  Pinwheels?  Keep your eye out for possibilities.

Late & Early Crews

• A solid early crew is vital to our camp, in order to erect all our infrastructure (kitchen, camp shade hut, evap pond, dome, etc.).  We've requested 9 early crew passes, but it'll be a while before we know how many we've been given.  Still, if you can do early crew, please book your flights accordingly!  Even if we can't get you on the playa extra early, we can use your help in Reno.  Early crew will be converging in Reno on Tuesday/Wednesday, August 25/26, and carpooling to the playa that Wednesday.  Work hard, play hard, see the city come to life, and help make your camp happen!  Current early crew includes Steve, Tristram, Greg, hopefully Ronny, and possibly Ike.
• Likewise, late crew is vital to AutoSub's existence and success.  Current late crew includes Pete, Hannah, Ike, and James.  Late crew should expect to be on-playa and in Reno until Wednesday (or Thursday?) after the event.  We'll take as many late crew members as we can get; there are no limits.  Sign up today!
  
  

Power & Water

• If you need power (for art, for cooling your dwelling, etc.), email your power budget to Blake a.s.a.p.
• We didn't budget for any new generators, but if you hear of a good (cheap/free) one up for grabs or see one on craigslist, let us know!!
  

Kitchen Pod

• Jenn (Dream) has officially begun thinking about the kitchen.  Email her if you have requests, recipes you want to make, dietary concerns, etc.
• A reminder: Everyone is responsible for at least two kitchen shifts!  That means leading a meal, assisting with a meal, cleaning up, and/or picking up ice in the morning.  A schedule will be coordinated, eventually.
  
  

Trash & Recycling Pod

• Notes from Ken, our T&R leader, were read at the meeting and will be posted here soon.
• Dan, Ike, and James volunteered to be T&R helpers, hoorah!
  

Bar Pod

• There will be a schedule to sign up bartenders.  Let Tristram know if you're interested in bartending one night.
  
• Do we want some sort of 24-hour booze dispenser? e.g. serve-yourself sangria?

Sound & Stage

• Doug will be getting sound equipment.
• Brian will be managing the sound equipment on-playa.
• FiG will be scheduling acts for our stage.  Contact him if you want stage time for your event.

Personal/other projects

• Brian is designing a card for AutoSub to pass out at our greeter shift, with some sort of loveliness on front and our schedule of events on back.  If anybody wants to create additional card designs, talk to Brian.  Anybody know good (i.e. cheap/free) printing options?
• Ike will be doing bismuth crystals again.
• Tristram will look into getting liquid nitrogen for ice cream.  In the past, Rob has graciously made ice cream happen, and it has been a great gift to the playa.  AutoSub may not have the budget to buy a liquid nitrogen tank ($300?) and get it to the playa, but folks are interested in continuing the tradition, so the current idea is to solicit $10 each from enough individuals, in order to make it happen.
  
• James has begun his subliminal message board.  He's soliciting cut-out symbols; contact him for more info.
• Alex will be building an 8' x 8' x 12'-tall wooden platform for people to climb on.
• Bethany would like to design a flashy marquee for the tunnel entry.  The original idea was for the marquee to include AutoSub's schedule of upcoming events.  But if she can manage it, it would be fun for the marquee to count down the amount of time until A.Sub's next event.
• And you can still expect to see James' Infinite Canvas project, the latest iteration of Doug's Galaxy, and an exciting new project a la Doug.
  

^Credit, I believe, goes to Pete Z for the coinage of our new nickname.