Sock It To ME: a community public art project to raise awareness and funds.

[starryeyes]

Tina just pointed out in one of the CAA threads that we need to utilize the Email Advocacy here. I signed up for it and then forgot about. We need to use it to email everyone that signed up for it about this Sock It To ME/CFS project. ASAP. Tina hadn't even heard of it and nothing came up when she Googled for it, although she may not have typed it in the way we've written it.

Does anyone know how to do this?

 

[talkingfox]

Google will come up more successfully when the website is launched in May. Keep in mind that we're still very much in planning/groundwork phase at the moment I've just added a few tags to the cloud that'll help google do it's thing better as well. Thanks for reminding me teej...*doh*

Puppy: Do we have anyone willing to set up/field e-mails and possibly put together a semi-regular e-mail update thing for those signed up?

The project e-mail addy for those who may have missed it is: sockit2MEcfs@gmail.com

 

[starryeyes]

Okay. Once the website is up we need to utilize the email advocacy list here.

 

[talkingfox]

Okay. Once the website is up we need to utilize the email advocacy list here.

Absolutely!

 

[creekfeet]

Great thinking, tee and talking. Email alerts will be great, and sending them out soon as the website is up sounds just right.

My own thinking is choppy today. I spent what little brain I had available communicating with various doctors and clinics and after 1.5 hours I was whimpering while on hold so I finally figured out it was time to stop for the day.

But what I want to ask here now, about socks, is, can anybody tell me what I'm supposed to be working on next? Text for the website? Wording of that email? Both? I want to have my next task in mind so soon as my brain is able I'll get on it.

Thanks and smoochies,
Creek

 

[creekfeet]

Oerganix, I'm so glad you're liking the project. Do stay tuned to this thread because it looks like it'll be jumping, but don't abandon all other threads and make socks your entire life! Well, if you really want to I guess you can though. ; )

Jace, seems to me you have wizarded up the prototype in all but final form so I'm wondering, should we send you some decorated socks and some money for assembly materials, and have you go ahead and create an actual, three-dimensional working model of a sock garland? Would you, could you?

XOX and Sox, Creek

 

[talkingfox]

Creek text for the website would be awesome!!!! And it will be needed very soon so that the resident geek can get to programming it all.

 

[jace]

Creek, I've probably already got what's needed for assembly, and I'd be happy to do that, but you do know I'm in the UK, so postage would be higher cost....

Do people want me to write the 'How To" page, words, entry form and illustrations?

 

[Felix Virgo]

So - Firefox 3.6 has themes now. Google has themes.
Once we get it all together - um, do we have any geeks here who can make themes?

 

[jace]

Don't knoe much about it, but this site could be useful for themes:

http://www.csszengarden.com/?cssfile=/194/194.css&page=2

 

[creekfeet]

Creek, I've probably already got what's needed for assembly, and I'd be happy to do that, but you do know I'm in the UK, so postage would be higher cost....

Do people want me to write the 'How To" page, words, entry form and illustrations?

Okay, how does this sound?

Jace writes up the "How To" page, words, entry form and illustrations and makes a UK prototype and photographs it.

With Jace's instructions, As-Yet-To-Be-Identified Volunteer makes a US prototype.

We aim for a simultaneous transatlantic launch, displaying one prototype in the US and one in the UK.

 

[creekfeet]

Don't knoe much about it, but this site could be useful for themes:

http://www.csszengarden.com/?cssfile=/194/194.css&page=2

Good idea! I looked on a list of themes for Firefox on getpersonas.com and there were lots under "Causes" including various medical conditions like Breast Cancer, but nothing (yet) for ME/CFS.

 

[jspotila]

Helpful (?) Links

I have a couple links to share, and hope they will be helpful to you with this project.

There are a TON of knit-bloggers out there, and it's a great way to get exposure. If you don't want to start a blog for this project, then you might want to consider getting other bloggers interested. Here's the blog for my tiny awareness project, Travels with Swatchy. This has been a very labor intensive project, but maybe you'll find something helpful in it.

Mini-sock keychains have been around for awhile - very cute and fun.

Two other knitting public art projects: Knit a River (for clean water) and The Red Sweater Project (art installation re: American death toll in Iraq war). Maybe there is some inspiration there?

 

[Stuart]

Ooooh! Keychain Sock Blocker Sock! :tongue:

That one has me excited and I don't even knit!

Thanks Jspot!

 

[jspotila]

Thanks Jspot!

:victory:

I knit myself one awhile ago, but it broke (the springy part).

 

[Puppy_almighty]

People are listening...

Hello Group!

I received some exciting information today. It seems word of our grassroots project has spread to the offices of Alaska Governor Sean Parnell. I was blindsided today by a phone call. The discussion lasted for over an hour and ranged from putting me in touch with the Alaska Dept. of Health and Human Services who is the office that can help with obtaining our goals to asking to be updated as we reach new levels and milestones and when we can hit the stage for funding. (I am not saying he promised funding just saying he asked to be updated.) It was amazing how genuinely interested in the facts and in wanting more updates he seemed. I also received this follow up:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Mr. Mertens,


Hello and thank you for sharing your information with Governor Parnell today. Regarding your grassroots effort, We encourage you to contact the Department of Health and Social Services who might be able to better assist you with more information on how to accomplish your goal and spread interest. The main line for the Department is 907-465-3030, and they will be able to direct you to the appropriate person(s).



Thank you, again, and best wishes with your efforts.



Warm regards,



Staci Ignell



___________________________

Staci Ignell

Coordinator for Constituent Relations

Office of Governor Sean Parnell

Alaska State Capitol

Juneau, Alaska 99811

www.gov.state.ak.us


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I just wanted to share with you all that people are listening and that people are interested in what is going on. I hope that this post helps to see that people are waking up and that a tiny voice can grow into a tsunami of action.

I want to thank you all for giving me so much information and for allowing me to learn and to offer my help in any way I can. I am thankful for each of you and for this chance.

Puppy

 

[starryeyes]

That's so awesome puppy!!! Wow! You rock!!

:victory::victory::victory::victory: :victory::victory::victory::victory:

 

[jace]

Following my hospital visit yesterday, I'm in recovery mode right now...

Jace writes up the "How To" page, words, entry form and illustrations and makes a UK prototype and photographs it.

With Jace's instructions, As-Yet-To-Be-Identified Volunteer makes a US prototype.

I'll get on with the "how to" page when the symptoms recede - right now, I'm taking some time off. I'll be back on the case in a few days.

 

[Dreambirdie]

I HAVE AN IDEA!

Maybe already discussed... but can this SOCK PROJECT become the springboard for a new ME/CFS advocacy group?

Since there is so much frustration and unhappiness with CAA right now (as I've been reading about in so many posts lately on other threads)... why can't we use the SOCK PROJECT for the purposes that CAA hasn't fulfilled for us? ESPECIALLY (the big complaint of so many on this forum) for the purpose of driving home the point that this is ABSOLUTELY NOT, NOR EVER HAS BEEN, A PSYCHOLOGICAL ILLNESS.

That way... we could be taking all the frustration of what we DON'T HAVE (from CAA) and turning it into WHAT WE WANT TO HAVE (from our own sweet and determined selves). Wouldn't THAT be empowering!

I'm thinking that we could have the OPENING PAGE of the Sock Project website read something like:

"ME/CFS is a serious debilitating neuro immune disease that affects 4 million Americans and 17 million worldwide."
To know more, click here.

These words could be in the center of the page--maybe in white letters on a black or dark blue background--with the sock streamers above and below them.

Once you enter the site, there could be info not only about the sock project itself, but also a lot of educational info/articles/links about ME/CFS, including:
1) a page that describes the ME/CFS symptoms of those who are: severely ill, minimally functioning, well functioning; and maybe goes into some of the treatment options available
2) a page about the current revolutionary XMRV research with links to WPI and articles/video that came out in October with the XMRV discovery;
3) a page that includes articles that debunk the "CBT/GET" agenda that we are all so sick of hearing about;
4) a page with links to the most supportive practitioners/advocates that we know--Klimas, Peterson, Donnica Moore... etc..

I haven't read much of this threads 22 pages... :Retro redface: sorry to say. I've been in recovery from a big setback, so excuse me if someone has already come up with this idea... and if someone has... I say Yes! me too! :victory:

 

[Dreambirdie]

Dr Donnica---maybe she could help?

I just dropped her a note, with a link to this thread.

Maybe she can help us get some media attention? That would be nice!