Project Update #5: Foraging & Feasting: A Field Guide and Wild Food Cookbook by Dina Falconi and Wendy Hollender 1FEB13

HERE is another Kickstarter project I decided to support, this is the 6th project I have backed and the 5th to meet it's fundraising goal and so will receive the pledges from people like me. I am not rich, but I sure ain't poor, God has been good to me and so if I can lend a hand for a worthy cause or project I'll do it. Check out Kickstarter some time, maybe you'll find a project you'll want to support.....

Hello Everyone, This is an amazing time for us. Two days ago we were pleasantly surprised to learn that Kickstarter had chosen our book as “Project of The Day”. By the end of that day we had reached 85% of our goal ($20,000). All of a sudden at 2 pm yesterday the pledges literally starting flying in: Ten orders every second! Either I called Dina or she called me, (who can remember, we were so flustered) and we watched our computer screens in astonishment, what could be happening? A few moments later we received a newsletter from Kickstarter. They were recommending three projects: ours was the first one! The day continued as a blur. We met our Kickstarter goal in the next twenty minutes and the pledges kept flowing like a stream after a major (but very loving) storm. 24 hours later we are over $52,000! Many people are emailing questions and suggestions and we are trying to respond to everyone. Words cannot express the level of gratitude we are feeling right now. For three years we have been quietly working and preparing this book, often taking walks together at the end of a workday, fantasizing how we would make this project a reality. You have made it real. P.S. We set our project goal of $25,000 as a partial contribution toward the actual cost of pre-production and printing. Please note that with more pledges we can produce an even better book, instructive visual products and perhaps an e-book. Thank you! Regards, Dina and Wendy

Project Update #11: Rewards shipped forreallyreal, credit where credit is due, and progress 1FEB13

HERE is an update on one of the projects I backed on Kickstarter, Robotboat Mark VI....

Oh hai guuuuys.
We'll have all of the rewards shipped by tomorrow (except the postcards which will be done shortly after the maiden voyage).  If you still haven't gotten something drop me a line.  SHWEW.  We really hope everybody is enjoying the rewards.  We tried to make them special. For those of you who will have inscriptions on the boat, lookout for confirmation in the next few weeks followed by some pictures.
We've heard a lot of good feedback about the rewards, particularly the t-shirts, of which we are especially proud.  Much as we'd like to take credit for the design, the real maestro behind the shirts was my friend Forrest @ Studio One.  I've worked with them on a bunch of projects and I must say, it is always a pleasure.  In our estimation, the keychains came out pretty dang rad too, and in keeping with proper attribution I want to shout outJon @ Imprint Items.  Jon suffered my franticness and rushed to make sure we'd get them in time (despite a few rounds of misunderstandings).  The 3D printed models were made by Stewart @ CRP USA and they are boss.  They are made from the same material we've used all over the place on the Mk VI.  Windform XT is good enough for F1 cars, good enough for Robotboats & satellites (Walt's design btw), good enough for your bathtub.  Like magic.
So with the rewards all sent, we're gonna pack it in, cause this is just too hard and we already have your money...
PSYCH!  I assure you that we're working as hard as we can to push this technology.
The Mk VI is coming along.  We're continuing our tradition of employing top-notch U.S. manufacturers.  May we recommend Solid Concepts for your experimental watercraft needs?  FJB for your prototype weldments?  We've already received almost all of the small parts and some of the big complicated parts.  Below you can see a sweet mast solo and one of the custom made molds for the hulls.
We expect to be on the water in ~1 month (yes we are about a month behind schedule, sorry about that - really thought we were immune, but obviously should have known better, ehem).  We'll keep you posted throughout the assembly/calibration stages and during live trials.  As always dear backers, please don't hesitate to contact us with any questions or concerns.

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The Best of Kickstarter 2012 8JAN13

I have been a backer of four projects on Kickstarter, and don't regret backing any of them. Here is an overview of Kickstarter's work in 2012.....

The Best of 2012

Thanks for making 2012 an unforgettable year. To celebrate, our team put together this look back at some of our favorite projects and moments. We hope you enjoy!

Go!

MARIA from PLAYING FOR CHANGE

I know I just posted a request for funding of a great project on Kickstarter, Robotboat Mark VI (and they did make their funding goal in time so THANKS TO ALL WHO PLEDGED AND CONTRIBUTED!!!!!), but I gotta post this Kickstarter project for Playing For Change because the whole organization is so cool and they do a lot of good and produce great music too! So check out their latest music video, explore the Playing For Change website and then their project on Kickstarter and please pledge a contribution if you can! 

Sending you all love from your PFC Family. Today we are proud to share a new video for our "Live Outside" series, featuring Louis Mhlanga. "Maria" was recorded and filmed in his back yard in South Africa. Sometimes great music is just in the moment, and today we celebrate these moments together through music.

Louis Mhlanga, Grandpa Elliott and the PFC Band will be back on the road in Brazil at the end of November-- stay tuned for tour dates. And if you have not yet checked out our Kickstarter page, please have a look. We need to raise $75,000 to complete our new album of Songs Around the World, "PFC 3." There are tons of great rewards to choose from, including CDs and DVDs, concert tickets, opportunities to meet the band, and more! It's a terriffic way to participate in the Playing For Change movement, and support music made by the world's musicians.

One Love,

Mark

Follow us on Facebook: facebook.com/PlayingForChange

Follow us on Twitter: twitter.com/Playing4Change

Support the PFC Foundation: playingforchange.org

Photos from the road: flickr.com/playingforchange

We are “Playing For Change”. A Global multi-media project creating Songs Around The World uniting musicians and people everywhere.

• Launched: Oct 8, 2012
• Funding ends: Nov 22, 2012 
• http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/897132093/playing-for-change-songs-around-the-world-new-cd-d?ref=live 

Hello everyone, we are “Playing For Change”.
A Global music project that began with a dream to connect the world through music and has evolved into a movement uniting people everywhere. (www.playingforchange.com).
Now there is an opportunity for the millions of people who have been touched by the Playing for Change artists and family around the globe to be personally involved with our most exciting project ever…the Playing For Change 3 (PFC3) album and DVD/blue ray to be launched globally in 2013, in association with concerts around the world.  
By your direct support and contribution to our Kickstarter project you can help support this incredible project and be involved in a very meaningful way.  Every contribution, large or small, will make a huge difference and will mean that we can extend our music to hundreds of millions of people around the world.
The project came to life about 8 years ago when I was walking on the streets in Santa Monica, California, and I heard the voice of Roger Ridley singing, “Stand By Me”.  He had so much soul in his voice and I approached him and I said if I come back with some recording equipment and cameras we would love to record and film you playing “Stand By me” and take the song around the world adding different musicians to the track.  He looked at me like I was crazy but he said if you come back, I’ll play the song. When the crew and I returned, Roger was in a set break and I asked him, “with a voice like yours why are you singing in the street?  He said, Man: I’m in the Joy business, I just like to come outside and be with the people.” Ever since that day Playing For Change has been traveling across the globe building a family and creating songs around the world.
PFC 1 was our first CD/DVD featuring “Stand By Me” and “One Love”, two global anthems that helped launch PFC into the hearts and minds of people everywhere.
As our music and message spread across the world PFC 2 was born, our second CD/DVD featuring ten new songs and stunning videos of our artists playing on the street in different corners of the world.  We kicked off in West Africa featuring “Gimme Shelter” and “Redemption Song” as well as new original songs around the world such as “Satchita” and “Music is my Ammunition”.
PFC 3 is our new project and we are relying on your participation and all our energies to create something truely amazing.  The CD and DVD/Blue Ray will feature ten new songs and videos around the world.  Our community of supporters is allowing us to be fully independent and we are looking to the people of the planet to help us create a masterpiece together.  Music legends such as Keith Richards, Los Lobos, Keb’ Mo’ and of course, Grandpa Elliott will all be participating on the new album. Join us on a musical journey as we travel from the Congo to the Mississippi, Australia, Europe, Jamaica, Cuba, Mexico and South America. 
This project has always been from the people, for the people.  The Internet helps us directly reach the hearts and minds of people everywhere. Now we can directly invite all of you to participate in the process of creating and launching PFC 3. Please help us by supporting our new PFC 3 CD/DVD and together we will leave this world better than we found it. 
For each contribution towards making the world a better place, we will be recognizing your personal involvement in a number of ways. Everyone at Playing For Change thanks you so much for dedicating a bit of your time to learning about PFC 3 and we really appreciate your support. Together with this PFC project we invite you to come onto our website (www.playingforchange.com) and have a look at the many ways each and every one can participate in the Playing for Change movement.
We are all Playing For Change. 
One Love,
Mark Johnson

Risks and challenges Learn about accountability on Kickstarter

The challenges of creating PFC 3 are the very things that make it a special work of art that transcends differences and creates strong human connections. A small crew of people travel the world overcoming the obstacles of cultural differences and using the connective power of music to bring us together. Playing For Change represents the Humanity in all of us and therefore it succeeds in uniting people who otherwise might not find positive ways to connect. We also treat everyone with love and respect and simply invite them to participate with no expectations or requirements. The risks of traveling to far off places in the world are simply treated as an adventure for the sake of music and humanity. Music is our ammunition.

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Robotboat Mark VI (A KICKSTARTER CROWDFUNDING PROJECT) DEADLINE 12OKT12 UPDATE 9OKT12

JUST AN UPDATE ON THIS PROJECT, they now have $70074.00 in pledges since I first posted this on 7OKT, just $9026.00 away from meeting their goal of $80000.00 by 2PM / 1400 Friday 12OKT12. They have to meet that goal or they get nothing. WAY TO GO EVERYONE WHO HAS PLEDGED!!! If you didn't, will ya consider it? If you can't will you pass this on to others who might? Think about it!!!!
THIS is another project on KickStarter I decided to back because it is way cool, it will be good for the American economy and very good for the world's oceans. When I pledged they had raised just over $30000.00 (of a goal of $80000.00), they are now at $61654.00 and have till 12OKT12 or they get nothing. They are so close! Take a look at the project here http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/robotboat/robotboat-mark-vi 
and check out the funding update below sent to supporters by Eamon Carrig, on of the projects team members a few days ago. IF you can please make a pledge, and please send this out to family and friends so they can consider supporting the project. Peace to all!
From Eamon...
There are an awful lot of really talented, passionate, and capable people working on trying to figure out how we can better understand and be better stewards of our agua.  One of the happiest surprises of the campaign so far has been connecting with some of them.  It's a good thing too, because there is not a lot of time to waste.  As we round out the 20th day of our campaign, we are proud to be able to say that we've made it just about halfway to our financial goal.  We are also very proud that so many people have thought this cause worthy of their time and precious resources (nearly 1000 backers!).  We are especially proud of the people who have waded out into the new and exciting world of crowdfunding for the first time to support Robotboat.  At the risk of being pedantic (you seasoned backers will have to bear with us), we thought it prudent to point out an important feature of this effort, and indeed all Kickstarter campaigns: if we fall short of our goal, by even one dollar, it will all be for naught. Kickstarter is all-or-nothing in that regard.  We feel as though this project is both important and urgent in the context of global water stewardship.  And, through the looking glass, your support has become both important and urgent to the project.  We have only ten days left and quite a few dollars to go.  If you haven't already (we are thrilled and humbled by the fact that so many of you have) would you consider sending a note/link to your friends, co-workers, relatives, neighbors, respected enemies, and anyone else you think might care or be in a position to help?  Together we can make the dream of abundant, accurate, ocean data an irrefutable reality.