Notes & essays
Writing
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Ceramic Destinations in Tokyo
The most popular post on Slowlane has been Ceramics Destinations in Kyoto, this post seeks to provide the same information for a Tokyo visitor.
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Ceramics Destinations in Kyoto
A guide to the best ceramics destinations in Kyoto — Kawai Kanjiro's house with its magnificent climbing kiln, the Kyoto Ceramics Centre on Gojo-zaka, the Nomura Art Museum's tea bowl collection, and the Raku Museum. Essential stops for anyone drawn to Japanese pottery and the mingei tradition.
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A Lucky Find
Prompted by reading John Connell's The Running Book, I remembed a catalogue of moody black-and-white photographs of the Irish landscape by Giles Norman.
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Tree Poems
Kinship, a poem by Ursula K. Le Guin, contrasts the slow, deep burning of an ancient forest tree with the restless, blinding warmth of human life — a meditation on what we share with the non-human world.
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Sydney Ceramics Galleries
There are some excellent galleries in Sydney that focus on displaying the work of local artists and providing exhibition space. A labour of love for most gallery owners as the market is not large.
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Inhabit Movie
Inhabit is a beautifully produced documentary exploring permaculture design across rural, suburban and urban landscapes in North America. A compelling and well-made case that human needs and planetary health need not be in conflict.
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Ceramic Destinations in Tokyo
The most popular post on Slowlane has been Ceramics Destinations in Kyoto, this post seeks to provide the same information for a Tokyo visitor.
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Arkansas Living Treasures
Following a link from Fine Woodworking I came across an inspiring collection of videos featuring a group of traditional craftspeople who live in the US state of Arkansas.
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Making and Work
Reflecting on what it means to identify as a Maker — and how the satisfaction found in the workshop with wood and clay becomes harder to locate as professional life shifts toward management. Matt Gemmell's sharp distinction between Makers and Takers provides a useful lens.
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Daily Rituals
Great infographic showing the daily rituals of interesting historical figures. Smoking, coffee and beer appear frequently.
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A Vision of the Future
A pointer to Stephen Wolfram's SXSW talk — a wide-ranging glimpse of the computational capabilities his firm is rolling out, and the enormous potential they hold for new kinds of software.
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Making a Flamenco Guitar
I have linked to this video showing the making of a beautiful guitar before, but its so good its worth another run.
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Permaculture Online Course Update
In a previous post I wrote about the positive experience we were having taking part in Geoff Lawton's Online Permaculture course. Having completed all the online lessons and the quiz we are now working on the practical assignment which is due by the end of August.
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We should build mandolins
A beautiful Fretboard Journal video portrait of Tom Ellis, who has been building mandolins from his rural workshop since the late 1970s. A quiet celebration of the kind of dedicated, long-term craft that produces instruments of genuine character.
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Permaculture and online learning
After years of exposure to Permaculture and having spent several years a decade ago implementing a disparate set of its common patterns at our previous property in Northern NSW, I am now taking a much deeper dive into it after enrolling in Geoff Lawton's Online Permaculture Design Course.
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Jean Nicholas Gerard, a potters potter
Goldmark have produced another fascinating 'day in the life' video, this time featuring French potter Jean-Nicholas Gerard who makes beautiful slipware pots.
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Why have Enterprise Architecture
A short video produced by Mastering Archimate and T36 that makes the case for why Enterprise Architecture matters — a useful resource for explaining the discipline to stakeholders.
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Lost in this beautiful world
I have been enjoying the album Lost in this beautiful world by Jon Lacey. It's a melodic piano and guitar driven folk album with an authentic feel, partly due to the raw quality of Jon's voice.
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The way of the megapode
Our local Megapodes are known as Bush (or Brush) Turkey's and can destroy a productive vege path in seconds.
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Models for decision making
A look at decision-making techniques and the value of stepping back to see the full picture. Includes a fine mind map example from Learning Fundamentals on personal actions for reducing climate change impacts.
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Sleep apnoea, A success story
Interesting article in The Magazine about sleep apnoea experiences. I blogged previously about my own experiences with this disorder - fortunately, my case is less severe than the authors'.
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Prioritising organic foods and challenges to paleo
Mark Sisson runs a business that promotes a version of the Paleo diet and philosophy. He writes some excellent posts on his blog that I often find myself nodding in agreement with.
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Solvay Conference 1911
Mark Bernstein illustrates his argument by describing the photo of attendees at the first Solvay conference in 1911, which brought to my attention that so many these famous scientists were contemporaries.
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Information Visualisation and Web Science
Very interesting diagrams to see at the Web Science Industry Forum Poster Session via Mark Bernstein.
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Permaculture ethics
A long engagment with the ideas of Permaculture
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Makers at work
Those Who Make is an extensive video series celebrating the work and philosophy of contemporary makers and craftspeople — well worth exploring for anyone drawn to the culture of skilled hand work.
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A look behind the increasing prevalence of supermarket-organic-products
A revealing look behind the supermarket green wash, examining whether organic supermarket food is just another lie.
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Craftsmanship, one mans inspiration
Moving essay from David Sparks meditating about the influence of his father on his own pursuit of craftsmanship.
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Visualisation techniques
A link to an interactive periodic table of data visualisation techniques — a broad and surprising compilation, with many methods you won't have encountered before.
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Chinas rising soybean consumption-reshaping-western-agriculture
A disturbing piece by Lester Brown: saving the Amazon rainforest now depends on curbing global demand for soybeans — which means both stabilising population and, for the world's more affluent people, eating significantly less meat.
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Ode to invention, Maira Kalman
Maira Kalman's graphic celebration of Benjamin Franklin's inventiveness, part of her year-long NY Times series exploring American history and democracy. A gateway to her wider work, including a beautifully illustrated edition of Michael Pollan's Food Rules.
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Made by hand in brooklyn
Made by Hand is a project creating beautiful videos that celebrate the resurgent maker scene in Brooklyn.
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John Dermer
A visit to John Dermer's annual exhibition at Kirby's Flat — arriving early, only to find a dozen cars already in the car park and half the work sold before ten past nine. The pieces that remained were beautiful; we brought home an exquisite salt-glazed bowl.
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Swedish spoon-maker 1923
A remarkable piece of film footage from 1923 showing a Swedish craftsman making wooden spoons entirely by hand — a quiet record of traditional skill that woodworkers will find both humbling and inspiring.
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Living with introverts
Insightful guide to living with an introvert, rings true and definitely worth a look.
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Depression and getting help
This article was linked by Macdrifter overnight and, as is often the case, Gabe has come up with gem. It's by Rob Delaney a US comedian, reflecting on his depression and the importance of getting help.
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Getting to the root of the problem
Excellent writing as usual from Monbiot, pointing to the underlying causes of the unfolding Eco crisis.
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Dividing camels
The traditional teaching stories of the Sufi's are often intriguing. One of my favourites is known as Dividing Camels.
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Challenges of creating for the web
A pointed comic from The Oatmeal on the realities of making things for the web — the gap between what creators intend and how the work is actually received. Painfully recognisable.
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New Listening
I first heard Chris at the Blue Mountains Music Festival a few years ago, and I'm excited to see he is coming back again this year.
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The Anarchists Tool Chest
Christopher Schwarz's Anarchist's Tool Chest is much more than a guide to building a tool chest — it's a philosophy of craft, ownership and self-reliance. An inspiring read that prompted plans to build a chest and invest in quality hand tools.
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Ceramics Destinations in Kyoto
A guide to the best ceramics destinations in Kyoto — Kawai Kanjiro's house with its magnificent climbing kiln, the Kyoto Ceramics Centre on Gojo-zaka, the Nomura Art Museum's tea bowl collection, and the Raku Museum. Essential stops for anyone drawn to Japanese pottery and the mingei tradition.
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Mike dodd video
Mike Dodd makes beautiful ceramics. Goldmark have produced an uplifting video of Mike talking about his work and life.
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The failure of international politics
George Monbiot's response to the collapse of the Rio Summit is stirring and unsentimental: governments have abdicated responsibility for the planet. A companion piece explores Paul Kingsnorth's Dark Mountain project and its unflinching look at what comes next.
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A cabinet makers notebook
James Krenov's A Cabinetmaker's Notebook is cited by many contemporary woodworkers as the book that changed their lives. A meditation on sensitive, considered work — not a manual of techniques, but an invitation to a different relationship with materials and making.
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Guitar zero
I am reading a new book by Gary Marcus a scientist who in his professional life studies languages and cognitive science. In this book he explores the research behind the popular belief that its much more difficult for adults to learn a musical instrument compared to the ease with which children can pick it up.
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Elegant deep or beautiful explanations-at-edge-2012
Some fascinating ideas explored at the Annual Edge contributions for the most deep, elegant or beautiful explanation.
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Doing one thing at a time
A timely reminder from Harvard Business Review that sustained focus — doing one thing well rather than fragmenting attention across email, calls and meetings — is both rarer and more valuable than we tend to acknowledge.
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Finding significance in a world of distraction
Really good material here from Becoming Minimalist about finding significance in a world of distraction.
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How to clean your apps permissions
A quick reminder to audit which third-party apps have access to your Gmail and LinkedIn accounts. It takes two minutes and is well worth the effort — you may find permissions you have no recollection of granting.
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Diversify your dreams
Great post from HBR that calls out the danger of simplifying your dreams down to a narrow outcome that can setup a black and white success or failure scenario.
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Attack of the wolf mountain chickens
This chook post has it all - video, pictures, domes and self feeders. Also some great insight into the chicken management practises at Milkwood Permaculture.
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Sleep apnea and sonomed
An article from the BBC describes a sleeping pattern involving two sleeps of about 4 hours with a period of wakefulness in between, known as segmented sleep
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Uncloud local wireless networking
UnCloud is an intriguing step toward local wireless networking and Internet independence — a project worth exploring alongside Douglas Rushkoff's thinking on why reclaiming our digital infrastructure matters.
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The ongoing challenge of how to spend your time
The question of how to align your working life with deeper purpose is perennial. A pointer to a piece invoking the Buddhist concept of Right Livelihood — a reminder that the challenge of finding one's true calling is ongoing, not a problem to be solved once.
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Off the map
I noticed this post recommending the movie 'Off The Map' recently. We watched it last night and really enjoyed it.
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Sopa what can make a difference
A call for direct, concrete action against SOPA rather than symbolic online gestures — banners and blackouts won't create the change internet users want. A pointed piece from Macdrifter worth heeding.
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Crisis of faith in the financial system
Thought provoking post by Adam Richardson at Harvard Business Review on the levels of abstraction implicit in the financial system and the trust that is required from all participants for it to continue to operate.
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Read one book per week
A note on the challenge of keeping up with a growing reading backlog — and a pointer to Joshua Becker's strategy of reading one book per week as a way to make steady, satisfying progress.
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Fairfield Horseshoe
A long and rewarding day walking the Fairfield Horseshoe in the hills above Ambleside in September 2011 — clear skies and warm temperatures made for exceptional views over the Lake District fells.
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Looking for meaning by paying attention
Practising how to find the meaning in proverbs sharpens our ability to define problems in ways that lead to innovation. A piece that connects HBR's thinking on creative problem-solving with the deeper attention cultivated by traditions like Sufi teaching stories.
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Solar sinter
Markus Kayser's Solar Sinter project uses sunlight, sand and 3D printing to produce glass objects in the desert — an astonishing demonstration of what becomes possible when you combine natural energy with open technologies.
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Drowning in books to read
I love books, i enjoy being given them at this time of the year and I enjoy buying them at any time. Unfortunately I sometimes fall behind with reading them.
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Facebook and ads
This is right on the money - so to speak. If you pay for a product, you're a customer. If you don't, you're the product.
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Inspiring blogger - Matt Gemmell
Matt Gemmell is such a good writer, his post Dear TextMate is a beauty and must reflect the thoughts of many former Textmate fans.
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How to accomplish more by doing less
Rings true to my own experience. It's not just the number of hours we sit at a desk in that determines the value we generate. It's the energy we bring to the hours we work.
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Dark Sky - how it works
A fascinating technical account of how the Dark Sky weather app was built — combining open-source tools, public radar data and clever numerical analysis to deliver hyperlocal rainfall predictions on an iPhone.
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A book apart
Just bought a bundle from A Book Apart, excellent value - especially as eBooks. I particularly like their condensed focused works.
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US police under the spotlight
The pepper-spraying of seated protesters at UC Davis sparked international outrage and a powerful moment of silent accountability as the Chancellor walked to her car through rows of students. A reflection on police militarisation, civil disobedience, and Thoreau's enduring relevance.
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Understanding the global money markets
Two striking visualisations — a BBC diagram of European sovereign debt entanglements and an xkcd infographic on the scale of global money — that help make the staggering complexity of the financial system legible.
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VW and the darkside
Greenpeace's clever Star Wars-themed campaign pressed Volkswagen to apply its green technology across its full fleet, not just flagship models. A well-crafted piece of activist media that used the brand's own imagery against it.
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Rushkoff speaks to occupy movement
Douglas Rushkoff's rousing address to Occupy Wall Street argues that protesters are fighting not people but a 500-year-old economic program designed to suppress peer-to-peer exchange. A companion piece to his book Life Inc.
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The innovators secret weapon
Six practical habits of innovative thinkers — keeping an idea journal, cultivating hobbies, reading widely, taking long walks, volunteering, and helping others create. A timely reminder that innovation grows from a richly lived life, not just focused work.
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Maintaining physical social and mental fitness
Since I subscribed to the Harvard Business Review blog posts I have seen a steady stream of sharply observed and well thought out pieces. Many are aimed at corporate efficiency however a good smattering challenge the existing order and some are just timely good advice like this one.
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Occupying wallstreet
Tim Bray's sharp summary of why Occupy Wall Street resonates: bankers enriched themselves through what feels like theft, nobody was punished, the bailouts came from public money, and the political system appears structurally incapable of acting against financial elite interests.
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CNN occupy wall street
Douglas Rushkoff argues that Occupy is not a protest but a prototype — a practical experiment in a different way of living. Its lack of demands is precisely the point: it isn't asking anything of the existing system, which is what makes it both unsettling and genuinely new.
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The Apple of zen
Few people knew that Steve Jobs had a serious Zen practice, or that his teacher was Kobun Chino Otogawa. A dharma talk by teacher Peg Syverson considers what Jobs' life and death can teach the rest of us about attention, creativity and impermanence.
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This precious life
A luminous passage from Paul Bowles on the finitude of experience — how many more times will you watch the full moon rise? Perhaps twenty. And yet it all seems limitless. A quiet call to pay attention to the life you are actually living.
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Save our inboxes
Chris Anderson's Email Charter offers ten simple rules for reducing the burden email places on everyone — including the principle that short and slow is not rude. Worth adopting and sharing.
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The future of aviation
A 1910 exhibition at the French National Library imagined the world of the year 2000 — including long-distance airship travel that now looks less like fantasy and more like a plausible low-carbon future for aviation.
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Top 5 death bed regrets
Palliative nurse Bronnie Ware recorded the most common regrets of the dying — and the most frequent of all was not having had the courage to live a life true to oneself. A sobering and clarifying reminder of what actually matters.
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Groups with more women are more intelligent
Tom Malone on collective intelligence and the 'genetic' structure of groups. The average intelligence of the people in the group and the maximum intelligence of the people in the group doesn't predict group intelligence.
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Rushkoff, a change agent
Douglas Rushkoff's books Program or Be Programmed and Life Inc make a compelling case for why we should engage critically with technology and challenge the economic model that shapes so much of modern life. A rare pair of books that genuinely changes how you see the world.
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Trading as video game
An Atlantic piece comparing modern derivatives trading to playing a high-stakes video game — and speculating that this kind of immersive, abstracted decision-making will become a feature of more jobs in the future.
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Great bookshops of the world
Fascinating photos of bookshops from around in the world in this article in Salon via Twitter from Mark Bertstein who has been to 3 of them.
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Things that matter
Seth Godin's free ebook brings together over seventy short essays from leading thinkers. Howard Mann's contribution stands out: a sharp observation about how we walk the streets staring into screens, convinced we are more connected than ever, while the world passes by.
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Seasonal Eating
Eating in season is the simplest way to reduce food miles, and it was once the only option available. In a modern supermarket economy it requires deliberate effort — knowing what's in season locally and supporting the farmers' markets that make it possible.
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Balehaus - an experimental building
Bath University's Balehaus project uses prefabricated straw-filled wall panels to create a high-performance prototype building — a promising demonstration of locally sourced, low-impact construction materials that raises the question of when such approaches might reach Australia.
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New book - cubicle nation
Pamela Slim's Escape from Cubicle Nation finally makes it to the shops — a book long anticipated after following her blog. A guide for anyone considering trading corporate employment for work that better reflects who they are.
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Traditional chicken ark
Plans for a traditional chicken ark drawn from Charles Hayward's 1940 book Carpentry for Beginners — still a valuable hand-tool reference. A practical design for a movable poultry shelter, with a link to the full PDF.
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In season zen cooking
A seasonal snapshot from Sydney — strawberries, asparagus and Valencia oranges in the shops — alongside a recommendation for the documentary How to Cook Your Life, featuring Zen teacher and Tassajara cookbook author Ed Brown on thirty years of mindful cooking.
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So long Fourth World Review
A tribute to the Fourth World Review, the fiercely independent journal founded by John Papworth in 1984 in the tradition of Schumacher's Small is Beautiful. A personal account of meeting the inimitable Papworth, and a pointer to the journal's online archives.
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BEN - bicycle empowerment network
Its Blog Action Day - my plug is for BEN the Bicycle Empowerment Network of Namibia. Established by Australian Michael Linke who had previously edited Australian Cyclist.
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Alan Watts
Reading Alan Watts in my teens I experienced my first taste of eastern thinking which has led to a life long interest. In his essays on Zen and the Tao I could feel deep truths were lurking just beyond the words.
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Urban chickens
Backyard chickens were a common feature of Australian life during the Depression and wartime years and are making a welcome return. A reflection on the pleasures and practicalities of keeping hens for eggs — and the rather different challenge of keeping them for the table.
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More on chicken tractors
Since my post about chickens which mentioned the Linda Woodrow inspired chook dome. I have noticed that people are searching in google for information about chicken tractors.
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Simplicity amongst the weapons
Son of a Lion is a quietly extraordinary film — shot covertly by an Australian filmmaker embedded with a Pashtun community in Pakistan's tribal weapon-making region. The story of a boy who demands an education over his father's trade is touching, authentic and unlike anything else.
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Notebooks and Manifestos
A love of notebooks — the Make magazine Makers Notebook with its graph paper pages and embedded manifestos, and the endlessly versatile Moleskine. The Crafter's Manifesto makes a compelling case: things made by hand have hidden meanings and magic powers that purchased objects simply cannot.
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Putting things off
A pointer to a piece on changing the way we work — slowing down, being more deliberate, and questioning the assumption that constant availability and busyness are virtues worth cultivating.
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Whats lurking under the lid
Michael Pollan's In Defence of Food offers simple, memorable rules for eating well.
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A slow sunday at the art gallery
A Slow Sunday at the Art Gallery of NSW — returning to the Harold Cazneaux exhibition, a remarkable body of pictorial photography that still impresses for its atmospheric use of light and location. Also the Taisho Chic exhibition of Japanese art from the 1920s and 30s.
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The franklin river campaign - 25 years on
A personal account of taking part in the Franklin River campaign — camped in Tasmanian rainforest, arrested on the Crotty Road, briefly held in Risdon maximum security prison. One of the defining experiences of a life, and a reflection on what was won and what was at stake.
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Resurgence slow sundays
Resurgence magazine launches its first Slow Sunday, inviting readers to bake bread as a small act of defiance against commercialism. A personal account of attempting the dutch oven no-knead technique — promising, if not yet perfected.
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Shakuhachi festival world masters concert
An account of the closing concert of the 5th World Shakuhachi Festival — shakuhachi, koto, shamisen and harp, a mass playing of Temuke, and a performance by Living National Treasure Reibo Aoki whose Ajikan brought a rare stillness to the auditorium.
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Visit to hepburn springs
A few winter days at Hepburn Springs — staying at Shizuka, Australia's only ryokan, eating slow-cooked food at Cliffy's, visiting the Chameleon gallery, and making repeat trips to the Red Beard bakery in Trentham for sourdough from one of the last Scotch ovens in the country.
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Chilly chook
While browsing the website of designer Zach Debord I came across this great picture of a chook in the snow with a jumper on, she looks very cosy.
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Biodynamic wine in the news
Australian biodynamic wine is attracting growing media attention, and the quality is finally being recognised more widely. A roundup of recent coverage, with recommendations for mixed cases from organicwine.com.au including Krinklewood and Tamburlaine.
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Pursuing a simpler life
Zen Habits has compiled all its writing on simplicity into a single resource — a useful reference for anyone working through the practical and philosophical challenges of living with less and with more intention.
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Guerrilla bagging
Horrified by the damage plastic bags cause to marine life, Claire Morsman launched Morsbags — a grassroots network of people making reusable bags from recycled material and giving them away. From a January 2007 start, the project had spread to seven countries and produced over 20,000 bags.
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Healing power of chooks
This post has been in my mind since I saw a wonderful program ABC TV. The program 'Rare Chicken Rescue' has two themes, one is depression and the other is about rescuing rare chicken breeds.
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Frightened by voluntary simplicity
An article in the New York Times tells of a couple who are shedding their possessions prior to starting a new life as organic farmers. What I found interesting was that they have had some hostile reactions on the blog they are keeping to document the journey.
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Organic vs local
These days we have a reasonable range of organic food available to us locally whether through the supermarket, our local shops and/or box deliveries. However, in common with nearly all modern food, much of it travels substantial distances before it gets to us.
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A very small farm
William Paul Winchester's A Very Small Farm is a memoir of quietly extraordinary simplicity — life on twenty acres, building house and barn, putting in a garden and orchard, taking up beekeeping. It belongs to the tradition of Thoreau's Walden and rewards return visits over the years.
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Krinklewood biodynamic wine
The Krinklewood vineyard was recently given a positive review in the local media so I thought I would give it a try. We would have gotten around to it anyway as we are very keen on organic and biodynamic wines.
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Slow food university
The University of Gastronomic Sciences in Piedmont is the world's first academic institution dedicated to the study of gastronomy — combining botany, food technology, history and sensory analysis. A glimpse of the Slow Food movement's deeper ambitions, including the remarkable Terra Madre gathering in Turin.
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New perspectives on money
Resurgence magazine's special issue on money and true wealth opens with a sharp editorial by Satish Kumar: money is not wealth — true wealth is healthy land, clean water, honest work and human creativity. There is never a shortage of money for war, but always a shortage for art and education.
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Managing information overload
Saw this great cartoon over at Devon-Technologies which I have been visiting lately as I start to tackle my own information overload.
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Australian Organic Wine
Here in Australia we have a vibrant wine industry including an increasing number of vineyards producing organic and/or biodynamic wine. We are especially keen on the wines from Mudgee in central NSW.
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Clear thinking - well informed outspoken
George Monbiot's essay collection Bring on the Apocalypse makes for compulsive reading — sharp, unapologetically left-wing, and full of the kind of gutsy analysis that rarely appears in mainstream Australian media. A writer who says what he believes needs to be said.
