Bluelight Stall - Part 3 - Please Read
- Thread starter haste
- Start date
well i know we have the mail list now, but for the benefit of everyone with a passing interest i'll describe the outcome of our melb meeting.
firstly tho, sorry jb for getting moody hehe i'm bipolar y'know and sometimes i just have my misery days. often in spring when the weather turns from good to bad. i'm not always such a wimp when someone disagrees w/ me
*anyways*...
what we came up with was:
the stall will be a bluelight stall w/ bl affiliation. we will most likely bear the bl name. we may if we choose wear a bl tshirt. our info literature will have the bluelight address on it, along w/ others such as dancesafe. that way people interested in finding out more will find us easily. & we will be have presented a balanced view.
BUT what we will not be doing is overtly and actively promoting bluelight, such as in the handing out of cards bearing naught but the bluelight url. this was seen as being way too overt and likely to get us in trouble w/, amongst others, promoters.
hopefully, this is a sensible middle ground that everyone is happy with. i believe that no matter who we are affiliated w/, its our actions that will really count, and if we show balance in our approach, and a strong dedication toward true harm reduction (which is what this is), then we cant really be faulted (and have it stick..). at least, thats what we hope!!
anyways, to use a phrase maligned in the social forum its all good! =)
smilez everyone
oh yeah.. we talked bout a bunch of other stuff, but you need to join the mail list hehe. and yeah, we're going to do pill testing, that was never really a non option
[This message has been edited by atomica (edited 12 October 2000).]
firstly tho, sorry jb for getting moody hehe i'm bipolar y'know and sometimes i just have my misery days. often in spring when the weather turns from good to bad. i'm not always such a wimp when someone disagrees w/ me
what we came up with was:
the stall will be a bluelight stall w/ bl affiliation. we will most likely bear the bl name. we may if we choose wear a bl tshirt. our info literature will have the bluelight address on it, along w/ others such as dancesafe. that way people interested in finding out more will find us easily. & we will be have presented a balanced view.
BUT what we will not be doing is overtly and actively promoting bluelight, such as in the handing out of cards bearing naught but the bluelight url. this was seen as being way too overt and likely to get us in trouble w/, amongst others, promoters.
hopefully, this is a sensible middle ground that everyone is happy with. i believe that no matter who we are affiliated w/, its our actions that will really count, and if we show balance in our approach, and a strong dedication toward true harm reduction (which is what this is), then we cant really be faulted (and have it stick..). at least, thats what we hope!!
anyways, to use a phrase maligned in the social forum its all good! =)
smilez everyone
oh yeah.. we talked bout a bunch of other stuff, but you need to join the mail list hehe. and yeah, we're going to do pill testing, that was never really a non option
[This message has been edited by atomica (edited 12 October 2000).]
MíkeySåmmy
Bluelighter
- Joined
- Jun 6, 2000
- Messages
- 2,216
I believe that the link to bluelight is essential.. what we should be aiming to do is giving recreational drug users the chance to actively come in here and find out all there is to know, inform themselves and make their own decisions.
However, one thing we all really must realise that there is an inherent risk (for each of us as well as the stall project itself) in becoming active in this bluelight stall and pill testing at raves (if it ends up being legitimate). In giving ourselves up to this cause, we need to establish our own credibility, and it is likely that we will come under scrutiny from the media and so on. There are people out there that will wish to scrutinise us and bring us down in any way possible, and in providing a link to bluelight, we are also welcoming in here those who wish to scrutinise us to have a look around for anything they could dig up. on any of us.
Now, here's my concern. If we are to work hard to obtain credibility, the act of offering ourselves into the spotlight of those who wish to scrutinise may result in just as quick a downfall for this idea as it has risen and become active.
Think about it. in two months from now people may be coming in here to see if they can dig up anything that they can throw at us, reading all that we're typing. they see those that have been active in getting this show on the road.. and can go and use the search button to get access to everything you and i have ever said in here. and if they see "oooh, yeah mikeysammy.. hmmm he's ranted on and on about his drug use in these other threads.. and so has this person.. and that person.. these people running this stall have all been sharing experiences of rolling their asses off."
and there goes our credibility.
and each of our personal reputations for the rest of our lives. horsey's always going on about "do not use real names on bluelight". whilst i am in here, i am an anonymous bluelighter called "MíkeySåmmy" but i cant just be "MíkeySåmmy" if i'm going to be involved in this stall.
i dont know what the solution is. i am just posing a concern which i do share with other people. all i know is that we cant go ahead with anything until all these possible scenarios have been dealt with and considered.
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Note: This message is for informational and entertainment purposes only.
[This message has been edited by MíkeySåmmy (edited 12 October 2000).]
However, one thing we all really must realise that there is an inherent risk (for each of us as well as the stall project itself) in becoming active in this bluelight stall and pill testing at raves (if it ends up being legitimate). In giving ourselves up to this cause, we need to establish our own credibility, and it is likely that we will come under scrutiny from the media and so on. There are people out there that will wish to scrutinise us and bring us down in any way possible, and in providing a link to bluelight, we are also welcoming in here those who wish to scrutinise us to have a look around for anything they could dig up. on any of us.
Now, here's my concern. If we are to work hard to obtain credibility, the act of offering ourselves into the spotlight of those who wish to scrutinise may result in just as quick a downfall for this idea as it has risen and become active.
Think about it. in two months from now people may be coming in here to see if they can dig up anything that they can throw at us, reading all that we're typing. they see those that have been active in getting this show on the road.. and can go and use the search button to get access to everything you and i have ever said in here. and if they see "oooh, yeah mikeysammy.. hmmm he's ranted on and on about his drug use in these other threads.. and so has this person.. and that person.. these people running this stall have all been sharing experiences of rolling their asses off."
and there goes our credibility.
and each of our personal reputations for the rest of our lives. horsey's always going on about "do not use real names on bluelight". whilst i am in here, i am an anonymous bluelighter called "MíkeySåmmy" but i cant just be "MíkeySåmmy" if i'm going to be involved in this stall.
i dont know what the solution is. i am just posing a concern which i do share with other people. all i know is that we cant go ahead with anything until all these possible scenarios have been dealt with and considered.
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[This message has been edited by MíkeySåmmy (edited 12 October 2000).]
haste
Bluelight Crew
- Joined
- May 21, 2000
- Messages
- 7,641
I have spent the good part of the morning seeking advice from fellow Youth Workers on open involvement with the Bluelight Stall and it's direct affiliation with the site. I posted in a previous thread my concern of this link up on my career as a Youth Worker. I have come to the decision, which was not easy to do, that it is best that I take a back seat in this project for the time being. I have a career that i wish to protect that has taken me many years to build, and seeing as though many of the projects that I work for on a part time basis are government funded - I think I am making the best decision in the long run.
I am still giving the stall my full support and i will help as much as i can with ideas and information. I have not made this decision lightly, and many that know me personally know my intense passion for this project. I have no hard feelings about the decisions that have been made - as I have always said it is the people's project and the people have spoken - it is purely professional reasons I am making this decision.
Thank you all fro your great support and I congratulate you all for making this dream into a reality
Thank you for your time
Haste
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Careful with that axe Eugene....
I am still giving the stall my full support and i will help as much as i can with ideas and information. I have not made this decision lightly, and many that know me personally know my intense passion for this project. I have no hard feelings about the decisions that have been made - as I have always said it is the people's project and the people have spoken - it is purely professional reasons I am making this decision.
Thank you all fro your great support and I congratulate you all for making this dream into a reality
Thank you for your time
Haste
------------------
Careful with that axe Eugene....
awww haste
okay, in my heart of hearts, i am not happy w/ a direct bluelight affiliation. there is a good chance it will cause the project itself to be undermined, and there is a chance of damage to peoples reputations. some can afford to be heedless of these outcomes, others cannot.
we should understand that this affects everyone who will be involved, including those who will eventually stand and pill test at parties, not just those of us who were present at last night's meeting.
maybe the way to go would be to take a rollcall of everyone willing to be actively involved in some regard, get some perspectives, and then take a vote. and then everyone can act accordingly.
i see three main courses of action.
1. no affiliation. except a listing of the bl address on the brochure along w/ others like dancesafe.
2. affiliation, but no active promotion (as described in my prior post)
3. affiliation and active promotion of the site.
maybe we should put this up for general vote, then. but only from those willing to actively participate in this project.
i'm about to start looking for a new job (this was part of yesterdays moodiness heh). i do payroll which by its nature is a position of trust.
upon speaking with asymmetry at leangth, and further reflection about my own future, i have decided that like haste, unless it is option 1, i probably will have only minimal involvement. i would so love to be part of this, but i have to go w/ what i think is right
and this is not because i feel any shame toward bluelight. but part of loving something is being aware of its flaws and limitations. in and of itself, bl is fantastic and i love it, but in regard to pill testing etc, i do not think its suitable, because it is actively pro-drug, and we have all admitted to illegal activities on this board.
so, lets *all* vote hey? then we can all make our own personal choices.
smilez ppl
[This message has been edited by atomica (edited 12 October 2000).]
okay, in my heart of hearts, i am not happy w/ a direct bluelight affiliation. there is a good chance it will cause the project itself to be undermined, and there is a chance of damage to peoples reputations. some can afford to be heedless of these outcomes, others cannot.
we should understand that this affects everyone who will be involved, including those who will eventually stand and pill test at parties, not just those of us who were present at last night's meeting.
maybe the way to go would be to take a rollcall of everyone willing to be actively involved in some regard, get some perspectives, and then take a vote. and then everyone can act accordingly.
i see three main courses of action.
1. no affiliation. except a listing of the bl address on the brochure along w/ others like dancesafe.
2. affiliation, but no active promotion (as described in my prior post)
3. affiliation and active promotion of the site.
maybe we should put this up for general vote, then. but only from those willing to actively participate in this project.
i'm about to start looking for a new job (this was part of yesterdays moodiness heh). i do payroll which by its nature is a position of trust.
upon speaking with asymmetry at leangth, and further reflection about my own future, i have decided that like haste, unless it is option 1, i probably will have only minimal involvement. i would so love to be part of this, but i have to go w/ what i think is right
and this is not because i feel any shame toward bluelight. but part of loving something is being aware of its flaws and limitations. in and of itself, bl is fantastic and i love it, but in regard to pill testing etc, i do not think its suitable, because it is actively pro-drug, and we have all admitted to illegal activities on this board.
so, lets *all* vote hey? then we can all make our own personal choices.
smilez ppl
[This message has been edited by atomica (edited 12 October 2000).]
Haste,
Can you fill us in on what's been going on down there please.
It would be unforgiveable if this stops here. Surely we can come to some compromise on the Bluelight thing.
Johnboy, for those of us in Sydney and others not able to attend the Melbourne meeting could you please outline your case once again.
Thanks
Finn
P.S. My boyfriend works with a guy whose brother is a lawyer, the right kind. He knows what his brother gets up to and has given him all sorts of advice about what his rights are re: cops, searches etc. He could be our man, hopefully he can clear up the issue of pill testing being legal or not.
I also have a meeting this week with my friend the D&A worker. It will be good to hear what someone already using harm minimisation principles has to say about pill testing.
Can you fill us in on what's been going on down there please.
It would be unforgiveable if this stops here. Surely we can come to some compromise on the Bluelight thing.
Johnboy, for those of us in Sydney and others not able to attend the Melbourne meeting could you please outline your case once again.
Thanks
Finn
P.S. My boyfriend works with a guy whose brother is a lawyer, the right kind. He knows what his brother gets up to and has given him all sorts of advice about what his rights are re: cops, searches etc. He could be our man, hopefully he can clear up the issue of pill testing being legal or not.
I also have a meeting this week with my friend the D&A worker. It will be good to hear what someone already using harm minimisation principles has to say about pill testing.
okay some confusion hehe.. at first i asked bout the ravesafe meeting, then i read somas email and responded in this thread to hastes post re thursday meet, but i think haste was answering my Q bout ravesafe....
anyways.. i think there's a good chance we can make 12pm on saturday for our local meeting. i wont say for definate, but lookin mighty likely
definately not thursday tho.
as for ravesafe, if that is indeed what haste was talking about, its just occured to me that its always on wednesday no matter what, so no matter what date i cant go
ah wells, back to work. i'm gonna be here another few hrs, mostly cuz i've been on here too much as usual.
anyways.. i think there's a good chance we can make 12pm on saturday for our local meeting. i wont say for definate, but lookin mighty likely
as for ravesafe, if that is indeed what haste was talking about, its just occured to me that its always on wednesday no matter what, so no matter what date i cant go
ah wells, back to work. i'm gonna be here another few hrs, mostly cuz i've been on here too much as usual.
haste
Bluelight Crew
- Joined
- May 21, 2000
- Messages
- 7,641
Ok - I have to say I'm confused to say the least - I thought after the second meeting that it was decided that the affiliation with the site was the way to go. But now I see the question of this issue being asked again. If you want my opnion I think this project needs to be put on stop for awhile until it is decided which way it will go. I think all the internals need to be worked out first before we proceed any further.
haste, i think the outcome of last wednesday was hastey (eheh) and premature. also there was only 7 ppl there. some others like finn are still considering the issues. a lot dont care, apparently - the rollcall thread has lots of ppl willing to help no matter what. i think its still in the works.
maybe we should just pose it like this:
DOES ANYONE HAVE A PROBLEM WITH DOING THIS NON-AFFILIATED?
if not, then lets not be affiliated, get this thing on the move, and anyone who wants to can promo bluelight til they're blue in the face (har har) in their own time.
if anyone does, then lets talk about it some more.. but i want this to be organised n moving by november earthcore!! so lets try and put this issue to rest and get on with it?
smilez
[This message has been edited by atomica (edited 17 October 2000).]
maybe we should just pose it like this:
DOES ANYONE HAVE A PROBLEM WITH DOING THIS NON-AFFILIATED?
if not, then lets not be affiliated, get this thing on the move, and anyone who wants to can promo bluelight til they're blue in the face (har har) in their own time.
if anyone does, then lets talk about it some more.. but i want this to be organised n moving by november earthcore!! so lets try and put this issue to rest and get on with it?
smilez
[This message has been edited by atomica (edited 17 October 2000).]
johnboy
Bluelight Crew
- Joined
- Oct 27, 1999
- Messages
- 6,873
i think the question is more: do people want to do pill testing?
regardless of affiliation, this is the central issue. handing out pamphlets is all well and good, but Ravesafe has been doing this for years.
we all acknowledge the need for pill testing, it just seems that there are some people who are worried about taking a "risk", worried about their reputations.
pill testing is not illegal in europe or america. there is no specific legislation in australian law forbidding it, as far as i can tell. the possession and use of a testing kit is legal. the testing system can be made so that the tester never comes into contact with a prohibited substance.
we even have the makers of the test offering to give us as much tester fluid as we need, plus allow us to sell the testers to make money.
we also have some rave pro*****s who arewilling to let us test at their parties.
all of this can happen now. and it needs to happen now.
sure, starting this is a risk, but to change things you need courage.
or just sit back and let it all stay the same...
this is the choice: support pill testing or just hand out pamphlets.
forget about what you call yourself when you do it...
regardless of affiliation, this is the central issue. handing out pamphlets is all well and good, but Ravesafe has been doing this for years.
we all acknowledge the need for pill testing, it just seems that there are some people who are worried about taking a "risk", worried about their reputations.
pill testing is not illegal in europe or america. there is no specific legislation in australian law forbidding it, as far as i can tell. the possession and use of a testing kit is legal. the testing system can be made so that the tester never comes into contact with a prohibited substance.
we even have the makers of the test offering to give us as much tester fluid as we need, plus allow us to sell the testers to make money.
we also have some rave pro*****s who arewilling to let us test at their parties.
all of this can happen now. and it needs to happen now.
sure, starting this is a risk, but to change things you need courage.
or just sit back and let it all stay the same...
this is the choice: support pill testing or just hand out pamphlets.
forget about what you call yourself when you do it...