It seems maker spaces are springing up everywhere. And that's really, really exciting. We're a part of a movement, a gathering force of change and hope. We gather at Faires, at Cons, at challenges. We make friends and learn from each other. We feel epic, because we do epic things.

It feels amazing... until a space opens in the same city, down the way. Then we feel threatened, because we're socialized to see participants as a zero-sum game. We think someone going to NotYourSpace is, well, not going to your space.

It's finally finished, and that means, I finally get to show it to you. The NorthSkirt is a soft circuit project that incorporates my redesigned flexible soft-circuit boards (now, StarBoards), a hacked NorthPaw kit, and a strong desire to have a soft-circuit project actually DO something.

What does it do? It points north, silly.

This post is part 1 of 2- the next one I'll have a really exciting announcement about StarBoards. Way more info after the cut...

NIMBY writes: This portion of our campaign is all or nothing.  If we do not reach our fundraising goal in the next 7 days - we will not receive any of the $10,600 currently pledged.

All of the direct donations and tax-deductible donations have allowed us to make it through the end of 2009.  We are almost out of the woods, but we need to make this goal by January 5th.  Thank you if you have already lent your support.  Please pass this message on to anyone who has enjoyed the art that has come out of NIMBY over the years.

Oakland has responded to our engineering plans - and our use of shipping containers is APPROVED.  We have satisfied all the requirements set-forth by both hazmat and fire.  We are setting a new precedent for art spaces.  Spring is ushering in many exciting, new projects.

You can donate here:
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1362561841/nimby-industrial-art-and-diy-space

Donate directly:
https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=10559466 (Tax Deductible Donations - email rachael@nimbyspace.org)

[Be sure to click through to see the video of what goes on at NIMBY even if you don't pledge and BTW, they just got $200 from me. - Jake]