Here are some rough logo ideas for consideration at the meeting:  I think the black text in the bottom logo might look better in green, same as the arms. In solidarity, Sean (JoveIsMad!!!!AT!!!!juno.com)

I've put in a request for a meeting room at the Chicago Temple on Jan. 11. I'll post the verdict when I receive it.

1. Proposed that CAPES get a voice mail line and assign the task of checking and answering it to the job-complexes-in-development of a bunch of CAPES members we will select.   2.Proposed that website "user" privileges be made automatically but _exclusively_ available to those requesting said privileges at an in-person meeting of our group. 3.Proposed that we adapt Ruben's "five green arms" logo with the five "S-E-E-D-S" values (Solidarity, Equity, Efficiency, Diversity and Self-Management) labeled lengthwise, one value inside each arm, in small readable (maybe bold) sans-serif letters (something like a bold "Lucida" font?). This we popularize through chicagoparecon.org and parecon.org as a proposed worldwide Parecon symbol, maybe also adapting it for our own group by adding the group acronym in larger letters in the center. And as regards that group acronym . . . 4.Proposed that CAPES should a) change its name NOW while the name is still not widely known - and b) change it to "Chicago Parecon Network." Reasons: I) "CAPES" are what little kids wear when playing at Superman-saving-the-world.  The worst possible imagery for our specific project where we are bound to be seen as infantile do-gooders exaggerating our powers and underestimating harsh realities.     II) We want people to remember and research "Parecon," not "CAPES." "Chicago Parecon" is our website and it is what people most need to hear and remember not only to find our www.chicagoparecon.org website but just as importantly www.parecon.org where the whole philosophy is being debated worldwide.  We have www.chicagoparecon.net (announcement - I have rented that domain for the next five years as a gift to the group - it's forwarding to our .org site as we speak) and "chicago parecon network" or "chicago parecon organization" are both ideal names.   III) "Parecon" is not only easier to remember than "participatory  economics," but it's MORE descriptive than the longer term, in that it is clearly a proper name describing a specific institution and not just the principle of "participatory organization in economics" which everyone of course agrees is nice. (I could change my name from "Sean" to "a fat bearded guy" but if I told you, "wait at the corner until a fat bearded guy comes" you might wind up having coffee with someone else or just get confused and go home).  At any rate it's easy and natural to provide the longer name to explain and reinforce memory of the shorter one when anyone is interested.  We lose no meaning with the more compact and more easily memorizable name. IV): And finally, let's get "society" out of our name. "Society" evokes an inward-looking and precious little club, with or without secret handshakes: and that's because the chief job of any "Society" is to pepper its own members with perks and privileges and resources and status.  Thus anything calling itself a "society" always jealously regulates membership: secret handshakes and the like.  We are not the larger Society - we are here to change the way it distributes riches but we don't come to CAPES for those riches, but to change the actual society that enriches or impoverishes, sometimes unto death, everyone around us.  The resources we distribute are the institutions of Parecon: and our job is NOT to distribute the goods to our "membership" but rather to everyone ELSE:  not to regulate membership but to empower anyone who comes to us, whether as a member or just as an interested party:  We're not an exclusive "society," we're an expanding NETWORK with complex boundaries and interfaces with the society around us. Our name should reflect this.  "Chicago Parecon Organization" is good except that it's too monolithic, it sounds like a political machine.  Our job is to connect inspire and empower lots of different organizations.   So: www.chicagoparecon.net?  Chicago Parecon Network.    In SolidaritySean