SlowPlanet Forums: Recent Topics

SlowPlanet Forums: Recent Topics http://www.slowplanet.com/forums/ Just another bbPress community en Tue, 07 Feb 2012 14:19:09 +0000 Jedi on "Why Slow Travel?" http://www.slowplanet.com/forums/topic/why-slow-travel#post-197 Sun, 25 Sep 2011 20:06:13 +0000 Jedi 197@http://www.slowplanet.com/forums/ Hello Everyone! I am not yet actually a slow traveller, as I have limited time for my trips abroad. I agree with the slow travel philosophy but it is hard to practice slow travel. Of course, slow travel is suitable for everyone to practice but I assume that slow tourists may be motivated by different reasons. I have already read so much about slow travel on this website as well as other related websites, but I still have some questions. I would like to understand slow travellers and why they travel slowly. I would like to ask the general questions - If you are a slow traveller? -What makes you become a slow traveller? -What is your primary reason to choose slow travel? For me, I have been trying to explore my immediate locallity such as a small community or suburb in which I have never visited. Of course I use public transport or sometimes walking and cycling, and I realise how amazing walking and cycling are, both allow me to understand and experience the place like becoming a participant interacting with the place, culture and local people. -How do you engage in or practice slow travel? And why? Please let me here from you all:) Thanks! jacmott on "Looking for Slow products to showcase in magazine" http://www.slowplanet.com/forums/topic/looking-for-slow-products-to-showcase-in-magazine#post-99 Mon, 06 Apr 2009 11:54:43 +0000 jacmott 99@http://www.slowplanet.com/forums/ Hello, I'm in Australia, and about to launch a magazine. One of the regular features is SLOW STUFF, a chance for readers to have a look at Slow designs, I mean products that have impressed you - that were made slowly, or that create a slowness in some way. I thought I'd like to throw this idea 'out there' and if we can identify some interesting pieces, I'll get onto the stockists or designers and showcase them in this Australian magazine. Any ideas? jawnn on "Slow commuting vehicles" http://www.slowplanet.com/forums/topic/slow-commuting-vehicles#post-189 Mon, 10 Jan 2011 19:16:18 +0000 jawnn 189@http://www.slowplanet.com/forums/ Cars move too fast, they cause all kinds of problems buzzing around at 30 to 80 mph. I never used my car much, so I finally gave it to the junk yard over a dozen years ago. I’ve been cycling ever since. And I have written an extensive blog about the technology required for a car free life style. <a href="http://commutercycling.blogspot.com" rel="nofollow">http://commutercycling.blogspot.com</a> One year ago at age 60, I realized that I was not going to be able to live without a motor much longer. So I started researching how to build an electric trike. People kept telling me that I had to drive up hills as fast as possible to keep the power system from burning out. That didn’t sound right to me. It took me two years to find out the reason that e-bikes can’t climb hills slowly; it was so simple that I could not see it. With all the technology that goes into an electric power system, it boils down to one simple thing, “gears”. If you’re going to build a single gear machine it should be a low slow gear, hub motors are built for speed and therefore have problems moving a heavy vehicle up steep hills. Not only is it the law that power assisted bikes have a speed limit of only 20 mph, it also saves a lot of energy. Life at 20 mph or slower is much safer, relaxing and just costs much less money. An electric golf cart would make a good truck, but if you want to build a sexy aerodynamic micro car to save even more energy, read my blog page about it ( <a href="http://commutercycling.blogspot.com/2010/10/secrets-of-motor-pedal-hybrid-design.html" rel="nofollow">http://commutercycling.blogspot.com/2010/10/secrets-of-motor-pedal-hybrid-design.html</a> ), and if you think these vehicles cost too much do the math on your car. I believe that slow electric vehicles will become very popular in the next decade, and slow commuter bicycles will finally get some popularity. Now is a good time to start using them. tbergbus on "Canadians are working too much." http://www.slowplanet.com/forums/topic/canadians-are-working-too-much#post-192 Tue, 19 Apr 2011 14:34:43 +0000 tbergbus 192@http://www.slowplanet.com/forums/ Recently released figures from OECD show that Canadians aren’t just busy beavers but world-class workhorses when it comes to hours worked per day. See <a href="http://www.progressive-economics.ca/2011/04/18/canadians-working-too-much/" rel="nofollow">http://www.progressive-economics.ca/2011/04/18/canadians-working-too-much/</a> We are ranked fourth highest of 30 countries in terms of total minutes, paid and unpaid, worked each day and fifth highest in terms of paid work. Only those in Japan, Korea, Mexico and China worked on average longer hours at their paid jobs each day than Canadians did. raybakes on "Slowing down eating and our tastebuds" http://www.slowplanet.com/forums/topic/slowing-down-eating-and-our-tastebuds#post-69 Thu, 22 Jan 2009 19:38:36 +0000 raybakes 69@http://www.slowplanet.com/forums/ Hi, I'm a Nutritional Therapist who saw Carl give a talk on Slowness this week. I felt inspired after the talk to put down a few things in this section and in the medicine section. My mother always said chew your food and eat slowly – well there is good reason! If we eat slowly and chew our food, the sugars from carbohydrates hit our bloodstream more slowly and evenly. Eating too quickly causes a spike in blood sugar which can result in more of our food going to fat rather than energy. Eating slowly allows enzymes in the mouth to start breaking down food and puts less of a load on the rest of digestion. Eating too quickly keeps us in a stressful state. Digestion only works properly when we are relaxed. The parasympathetic nervous system that drives digestion is suppressed during stress. Appreciating the colour, aroma, taste and texture of food is an important part of stimulating digestion. Only by taking time can we appeciate these qualities and improve our digestion.....and eating becomes more enjoyable too! MSG as a food additive speeds up our taste buds and makes us think something tastes good. Chinese food and crisps are a common source. Aspartic acid in aspartame and nutra sweet is an excitotoxin and can speed up brain cells so quickly that they die from a lack of energy. Pauline on "Being a Vegetarian Helps you Slow Down" http://www.slowplanet.com/forums/topic/being-a-vegetarian-helps-you-slow-down#post-27 Wed, 17 Dec 2008 17:09:41 +0000 Pauline 27@http://www.slowplanet.com/forums/ Being a vegetarian changes your life in more ways than changing what you eat. You are forced to slow down because you have to think more about what you are eating. No more grabbing a McDonald's burger for a quick lunch. Maybe if vegetarianism becomes more accepted, and McDonald's offers veggie burgers, you will find "fast" vegetarians but for now being a vegetarian means making most of your meals, cooking from scratch, eating grains and vegetables instead of animals. I have been a vegetarian for over 25 years (started in my mid-20s). In the early 80s my husband and I were looking for a healthier way to eat and worked our way from Pritikin to McDougall to vegetarian and ended up at Macrobiotics. When vegetables are the main part of your diet, you want the best vegetables you can find so we eat organic and try to find locally grown/produced foods. Cooking dinner is one of the calmest parts of the day for me and I really enjoy preparing our meals. I left the traditional business world (and gave away my suits) a few years after becoming a vegetarian. For me it felt like becoming a vegetarian was the first step in making a lot of changes in my life, to live more intentionally and to slow it down. Pennie on "Keeping the kids active" http://www.slowplanet.com/forums/topic/keeping-the-kids-active#post-182 Wed, 24 Nov 2010 16:32:37 +0000 Pennie 182@http://www.slowplanet.com/forums/ It seems like there are so many distractions kids face in today's world. Rather than spending time playing sports and being active, they spend their free time playing video games, surfing the Internet and texting. It's important as parents to encourage our kids to be active and limit their time playing video games and watching TV. Elise on "Suggestions: Putting Slow into Community Development Projects??" http://www.slowplanet.com/forums/topic/suggestions-putting-slow-into-community-development-projects#post-176 Thu, 22 Jul 2010 14:03:33 +0000 Elise 176@http://www.slowplanet.com/forums/ Suggestions Welcome! I am seeking to embed the slow philosophy within existing approaches to international development projects. Does anybody share my interest or know of any developments in this area of Slow? Perhaps a set of 'slow' guidelines in approaches to humanitarian problems could benefit the quality of outcomes for beneficiaries of development aid..? To those of you who have practically applied slow guidelines, a code of conduct, etc. to an organizational setting, what has been your experience of doing so for project beneficiaries/outcomes? I ask because I hope to introduce the idea of slow into an established community development project. Yet, the team have not heard of the ‘slow movement’. Idea for the Report's Outline: - Acknowledge pre-existing effectiveness of ‘slow’ practices in the organisation - Locate area’s that could do with a 'slower' approach - Identify obstacles to implementing change - Outline the benefits of altering the organization’s approach. (I am spending 4 months in the head office in Australia for the initial report. I then hope to examine the outcomes of a ‘slow’ organizational approach for the beneficiaries living in Cambodia). Any feedback? Does anyone see a need for this? Thanks! albertootaduy on "SLOW SPORT IN SPAIN" http://www.slowplanet.com/forums/topic/slow-sport-in-spain#post-177 Tue, 03 Aug 2010 09:25:46 +0000 albertootaduy 177@http://www.slowplanet.com/forums/ Hello everyone. I´d like to show to this comunity the way we do sport in the north of spain. For generations we´ve been playing PALAS which is an sport played with wooden raquets and a tennis ball, normaly in the beach. We live this way of entretainment as an slow life sport, as we never compete. The thing is , playing as tennis but the ball never touches the ground and there are no rules, and not any points to win. You have to hit de ball in the best possible way, this makes the ball to reach the other player in the most suitable way for him/her to hit it back. It is an slow way to play. There is no stress at all, there is no anxiety for winning, there is no expensive club fees, it is only a matter of sharing. Have a look <a href="http://www.compartapalas.com" rel="nofollow">www.compartapalas.com</a> enjoy it alberto trygve rolfsnes on "Slow travel with a professional travel companion" http://www.slowplanet.com/forums/topic/slow-travel-with-a-professional-travel-companion#post-125 Mon, 22 Jun 2009 23:36:00 +0000 trygve rolfsnes 125@http://www.slowplanet.com/forums/ Most people are to much in a hurry when they travel. They visit to many places in a limited time. This happens either people do private travels or travel in organised groups. With the help and guidence of a professional travel companion, you should be able slow down a little, relax and enjoy more your new experiences. I offer you: An experienced travel companion with good language skills (English, Portuguese and some Spanish, German, and French). I'm Norwegian but live in Brazil. Someone who can keep you company when ever you wish: at mealtimes, on the beach, in the bar, on excursions etc. Someone who can take photos of your trip when you want to be in the picture yourself. Someone you can share your daily holiday experiences with. For more information have a look at my homepage: <a href="http://www.professional-travelcompanion.com/" rel="nofollow">http://www.professional-travelcompanion.com/</a> cavesandcastles on "Slow Travel in the Vezere Valley, the 'Cradle of Mankind'" http://www.slowplanet.com/forums/topic/slow-travel-in-the-vezere-valley-the-cradle-of-mankind#post-171 Sun, 11 Apr 2010 21:23:53 +0000 cavesandcastles 171@http://www.slowplanet.com/forums/ If you're thinking of visiting the Dordogne (or other areas of France) why not think about a self catering holiday? It's relaxed, it's easy - you can eat in or eat out. Go out and visit places or stay at home and laze around, swim in the pool, read a book, go for a stroll, paddle a canoe. The Cave Art is phenomenal - you get really close to your ancestors here. Lascaux II is just one example. Sarlat - a 'must visit' for many people is close by too. How about Rocamadour? - it's second most visited site in France. Add into this scene a day or more with a professional archaeologist who lives locally and knows and loves the area. He'll help you to see the bigger picture easily and comfortably. You'll quickly learn so much more doing it the slow way! Want to know more? Contact Steve & Judie Burman and Caves and Castles - for Slow Travel in the Dordogne. DanT on "Go French for summer sun!" http://www.slowplanet.com/forums/topic/go-french-for-summer-sun#post-59 Thu, 15 Jan 2009 13:22:27 +0000 DanT 59@http://www.slowplanet.com/forums/ As chill winds rip through most of the world, thoughts must surely turn to where will this years summer holiday be! As many of us doubtless are aware of however, the economy and its slowdown (I mean world economy) mean some places just arent feasible any more. Thankfully fuel prices have fallen a little meaning its still possible to fly somewhere without breaking the bank...what what is the oil cartels get together again and prices rise once more? Well, we will probably have to holiday in our back yards or chose the country next door. In the UK of course we have beautiful Europe on our doorstep. It means the delights of France, Italy and Spain are just hours away, often by car. For anyone wanting to whet the whistle and take the plunge into their private pool in a few months, why not take a look at <a href="http://www.qualityvillas.com" rel="nofollow">www.qualityvillas.com</a> - our prices are largely reduced in light of the economic situation, meaning there are special deals to be had. If you arent holidaying this year, I wish you all the best anyway with the weather! tburdphotos on "Wedding Photography - Why it's best not to rush through it..." http://www.slowplanet.com/forums/topic/wedding-photography-why-its-best-not-to-rush-through-it#post-123 Wed, 10 Jun 2009 00:53:00 +0000 tburdphotos 123@http://www.slowplanet.com/forums/ I often have wedding clients ask me how much time they should plan to schedule for their posed wedding photos. Usually, people assume it shouldn't take more than half an hour. Well, it I supposed you could get your photos taken in that time, but it's really not a good idea! As with anything, if you want quality, don't rush it... If you're planning your wedding day and wondering how much time to allot for the formal (posed) photography, here are some tips for you: Personally, I have two hour minimum for wedding photography, because in my experience, one hour is never enough time. (No matter how large or small the wedding party.) For any event, but especially weddings, the photographer needs to arrive at least 30 minutes prior to starting photography, in order to familiarize ourselves with the location and to discuss any last minute details that may come up. Regarding the photography itself, for formal shots of the wedding party, family, bride and groom, etc. a good rule of thumb is to figure on approximately 30 minutes for each different configuration of people. The posed shots of the bride and groom alone together, usually take between 30 minutes to an hour. 30 minutes for bridal party shots 30 minutes for family and friends shots 30-60 minutes for bride and groom shots It’s possible it may not take that long, but it’s best to schedule for that amount of time, rather than feel rushed. It takes time to get everyone organized and posed properly. You don’t want your wedding photos to look or feel like you hurried through them! For more information and to view galleries, visit the Tamea Burd Photography website <a href="http://www.tburdphotos.net" rel="nofollow">http://www.tburdphotos.net</a> john miceli on "Nomadic Retirement" http://www.slowplanet.com/forums/topic/nomadic-retirement#post-165 Sat, 27 Mar 2010 02:56:53 +0000 john miceli 165@http://www.slowplanet.com/forums/ My own retirement dream is to have a low-maintenance home-base, with the opportunity for extended travel to great places around the world. One of the benefits of retirement should be the freedom to do just that without causing financial hardship. So I asked myself how to blend the freedom of retirement with the human need for connection and inspiration, and the cultural benefits of slow travel. I’ve been developing a housing concept that allows and even promotes extended stay visitors. I'd like to promote, encourage, and support the development of 100 housing co-ops around the world into an international exchange. While this could be developed by a single entity and rented or sold as condominiums, the ability to really celebrate the local culture seems to suggest local ownership as a much more appropriate approach. Once these prove successful, this concept can be increased to hundreds more locations around the world, and achieve the true promise of cross-cultural exchange and understanding. The main idea here is that each co-op would include an additional hotel type room for every 8 - 12 units, and provide access to common areas such as kitchen, dining, reading, laundry, and fitness spaces. This would ensure there would always be some opportunity to visit any of the locations involved. To add more detail, I developed the following principles to help blend these ideas into a single coherent, overall concept. I think many of these ideas and principles overlap, which at least suggests some coherence, but may also simply reflect my own personal goals and values. 12 Nomadic Retirement Housing Principles 1. Slow Travel Co-op or Franchise – providing hotel type rooms along with common space for regular visitors up to 3 months; associated with similar facilities around the country or world 2. Active Living – integrated into a pedestrian neighborhood, with a garden, fitness equipment, near a park and/or bike path 3. Connected – WAN, cable, near services (groceries, entertainment, etc.; many retirement communities create these services within their facilities; wouldn’t it be great to use established ones?), and public transportation 4. Small is Beautiful – max. of 32 units, helping to avoid high concentration (and isolation) of retirees; this also allows greater potential in locating near established neighborhoods 5. Sustainable – Using 50% less resources than comparable facilities, LEED Gold? 6. Accessible – internally as well as near easy public transportation 7. Lifelong Learning – near a college, museum, library, conservatory (College Towns may be ideal locations) 8. Volunteeristic – near schools, museums, parks, places of worship to allow meaningful and fulfilling opportunities 9. Affordable – doesn’t exceed average local rent (too many great ideas end up being only for the wealthy). 10. Inspirational – near places of worship, natural wonders, great places 11. Designed and built as if you or someone you love will live there, with care and detail and nuance. 12. Promotes Companionship – visitor and pet friendly SlowCoach on "Time = Productivity?" http://www.slowplanet.com/forums/topic/time-productivity#post-49 Mon, 12 Jan 2009 10:13:08 +0000 SlowCoach 49@http://www.slowplanet.com/forums/ The TUC announced last week that people are working more and more (unpaid) over-time here in the UK: <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7817022.stm" rel="nofollow">http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7817022.stm</a> It is something I have been considering for awhile. How slowing down and doing less, means you actually get more done. I was on the radio on Thursday discussing how we can achieve the same results in less time, with less stress, so that people don't need to work such long hours (I was going to post a link, but can't find the archive on the BBC site, sorry) One of the problems I have discovered in trying to take Slow into the working environment is that it is ingrained with the believe that time is intrinsically linked to productivity, the longer you work, the more you get done. Personally I blame Benjamin Franklin (well, he is a good a target as any!), when he said, “Remember that time is money” in Advice to a Young Tradesman. Since then we have acted as if time equals money (or productivity). This of course is nonsense, and we have known this for a long time. A Home Office report into Industrial Fatigue 1916 stated “[output] is lowered by working over-time. The diminution is often so great that the total daily output is less when overtime is worked than when it is suspended. Thus overtime defeats in own object”. I have always been disinterested in the time = productivity idea and even when I had a proper job, I used to get in trouble with my bosses all the time for letting my team go early and work flexibility hours (even though there was no official “flexitime” policy). I had the attitude that as long as you got the work you were meant to do done, to the right standard, I didn’t care how long you worked! Of course, a large part of the problem is people think they need to seen to be working long hours otherwise they will be labelled as lazy and in the next round of job cuts they will top of the list. To really get people to slow down I think we need to demonstrate that Slow working practices are not just as good as the current paradigm, but in fact MORE productive! So that managers and business owners change their beliefs that their staff have to work long hours and encourage and implement alternative working practices. tmoberg on "Slow Professionals group on LinkedIn" http://www.slowplanet.com/forums/topic/slow-professionals-group-on-linkedin#post-163 Thu, 18 Feb 2010 12:28:53 +0000 tmoberg 163@http://www.slowplanet.com/forums/ Dear members, I just want to tell you that I have started a 'Slow Professionals' group on LinkedIn. You are welcome to join us. All the best, Tomas syvella on "Giving precedence to the participatory approach" http://www.slowplanet.com/forums/topic/giving-precedence-to-the-participatory-approach#post-162 Tue, 16 Feb 2010 10:40:04 +0000 syvella 162@http://www.slowplanet.com/forums/ Of all the living beings on the planet, it is the human race that has the intelligence and the ability to alter the environment. No other living creature has caused any damage to the natural environment like the human race. Peterson (1996: 27,28) takes a more hard-hitting approach to linking human ecology with ecosystem management. He advocates four extreme approaches to human ecology that humans use to define their relationship with the planet. These include: 1. Dominion: This implies rule by a monarch, where humans are held to be in charge of the earth. They can be exploitative or serve the well-being of all, in their role as ‘king’. 2. Stewardship: This paradigm puts humans in the role of the caretaker of the earth, managing the earth in trust as an agent of some employer or client. The client may be the human race or the earth itself. 3. Participation: This role sees humans in symbiosis with other species of the planet, so that a position of equity is conveyed. Humans serve by constructing cooperative and complementary relationships through which all other species are better off. 4. Abdication: Here, all rights to proper living in a particular area are relinquished when such rights conflict with the functional values of other species. Humans are caught in the predator-prey relationship just as other species are. The implications of these four approaches to ecosystem management, according to Peterson, are that effective human management of the ecosystems will not occur without gaining a clear understanding of the place of people in the context of the ecosystem. In <a href="http://www.keralatravelcompany.com">kerala tours and travels</a> across the length and breadth of the state have a common feature. It is the participatory approach, wherein a visitor is taken around to see the natural beauty of the land without altering or damaging the natural surroundings. Pepincascaron on "Lectura lenta..." http://www.slowplanet.com/forums/topic/lectura-lenta#post-155 Wed, 30 Dec 2009 03:33:58 +0000 Pepincascaron 155@http://www.slowplanet.com/forums/ Despues de casi un año, estoy por terminar de leer Elogio....., creo que es un buen comienzo tomarse el tiempo para disfrutar cada pagina de este libro y de cualquiera que merezca ser leido. redwoodtwig on "songs and videos" http://www.slowplanet.com/forums/topic/songs-and-videos#post-12 Mon, 24 Nov 2008 02:59:27 +0000 redwoodtwig 12@http://www.slowplanet.com/forums/ It is easy to dismiss youtube as yet another dose of something done too quickly to be of any use in a movement where we are trying to get people to smell the roses. However, the fast paced delivery of Carl in <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UhXiHJ8vfuk" rel="nofollow">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UhXiHJ8vfuk</a> and a couple of others can only help to spread the word. However, it's too bad we have to sit through a 27 second commercial first. Songs will help, too. I apologize for the poor quality, particularly the audio, but the song is quite something. <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KvONhejUp3M" rel="nofollow">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KvONhejUp3M</a> By sheer coincidence, this was performed the night before a slow food benefit put on in the same town. I went to both, but I did not see anyone from one at the other. Are there some more songwriters or singers working on things like this? Brandon Smith captaindownbeat on "Song Inspired by the Slow Movement" http://www.slowplanet.com/forums/topic/song-inspired-by-the-slow-movement#post-153 Sun, 20 Dec 2009 17:58:40 +0000 captaindownbeat 153@http://www.slowplanet.com/forums/ Hello Slowpokes I've been reading up on - and trying to follow - many of the ideas behind the Slow Movement. Thinking about all this inspired a new song in me, and I'd love to share it with you. It's called "K.I.S.S. (Keep it Simple, Sunshine)" and you can listen to it (and download it FREE) here: <a href="http://dylanbell.bandcamp.com" rel="nofollow">http://dylanbell.bandcamp.com</a> If you like it, please let me know... and share it with anyone who could use it! Yours Dylan Bell, Toronto, Canada <a href="http://www.dylanbell.ca" rel="nofollow">http://www.dylanbell.ca</a> jeanneromano on "reference for Barcelona apartment rental agencies please" http://www.slowplanet.com/forums/topic/reference-for-barcelona-apartment-rental-agencies-please#post-151 Fri, 27 Nov 2009 16:46:42 +0000 jeanneromano 151@http://www.slowplanet.com/forums/ Hello fellow travelers, I am planning a trip to Barcelona for March and April, 2010. I've found a few apartment rentals online and wonder if anyone has previously rented an apartment through either of these agencies: Barcelonaforrent Apartments - <a href="http://www.barcelon" rel="nofollow">http://www.barcelon</a> aforrent. com OR Aspasios - <a href="http://www.aspasios" rel="nofollow">http://www.aspasios</a> .com I would like to know if they are reliable and responsive. I would hate to show up in March to find that the apartment was not available for us. Also, with a long term rental, it would be nice to know that the agency is responsive if something needs repairing during our stay. Thanks for your help! Jeanne tsakf on "Free and Open Source Software Link Library" http://www.slowplanet.com/forums/topic/free-and-open-source-software-link-library#post-150 Tue, 24 Nov 2009 18:34:37 +0000 tsakf 150@http://www.slowplanet.com/forums/ Loving the slow movement, I decided to give to people, a slow way to access information about my technology field (Free and Open Source Software a.k.a FOSS). Instead of building a search function, all the articles are tagged, so the visitor can slowly browse through the tags, specially, if somebody want's to "walk", in the library, to see if there is something interesting. You are welcome to visit the library, at <a href="http://fosslib.tsakf.net" rel="nofollow">http://fosslib.tsakf.net</a> geir on "A Slow Poem that can help us define productivity" http://www.slowplanet.com/forums/topic/a-slow-poem-that-can-help-us-define-productivity#post-60 Thu, 15 Jan 2009 13:36:27 +0000 geir 60@http://www.slowplanet.com/forums/ I have really found the discussion around TIME=PRODUCTIVITY very intersting. What is time? The ancient Greeks had two words for time, chronos and kairos. While the former refers to chronological or sequential time, the latter signifies a time in between, a moment of undetermined period of time in which something special happens. Kairos (καιρός) is an ancient Greek word meaning the right or opportune moment. What is productivity? Is it different if you focus only on only "Chronlogical Time" compared to focus on a balance between "Chronological Time" and "Kairos Time". What is productivity? THE PARADOX OF OUR TIMES (His Holiness the Dalai Lama) Is that we have taller buildings, but shorter tempers Wider freeways, but narrower viewpoints We spend more, but we have less We have bigger houses, but smaller families More conveniences, but less time We have more degrees, but less sense More knowledge, but less judgment More experts, but more problems More medicines, but less wellness We have multiplied our possessions, but reduced our values We talk too much, love too seldom, and hate too often We have learnt how to make a living, but not a life We have added years to life, but not life to years We’ve been all the way to the moon and back But have trouble crossing the street to meet the new neighbour We have conquered outer space, but not inner space We’ve cleaned up the air, but polluted our soul We’ve split the atom, but not our prejudice We’ve higher incomes, but lower morals We’ve become long on quantity but short on quality These are the times of tall men, and short character Steep profits, and shallow relationships These are the times of world peace, but domestic warfare More leisure, but less fun; more kinds of food, but less nutrition These are the days of two incomes, but more divorces Of fancier houses, but broken homes It is a time when there is much in the show window And nothing in the stockroom mhender668 on "Slow Down when Visiting Venice" http://www.slowplanet.com/forums/topic/slow-down-when-visiting-venice#post-43 Sat, 03 Jan 2009 09:56:03 +0000 mhender668 43@http://www.slowplanet.com/forums/ I live in the most beautiful and most romantic city in the world: Venice. Millions of tourists come here every year, crowding St. Mark’s Square, the Rialto Bridge, and the streets in between. Tourists can be seen trying to find their way in this medieval city, staring at their maps, looking up at the street signs, and back at their maps. Sometimes the frustration is obvious when couples, who should be enjoying such a romantic city, angrily argue over which way to go. This frustration is compounded by the bustle of the place. Locals are rushing about, trying to get through the throngs of gawking and window shopping tourists, rudely bumping into people, and exhibiting their own frustration. Add to this delivery men and garbage men pushing carts (there are no cars, and they must get things over bridges) through the masses, a day in Venice can seem hectic. Because relatively few of these millions venture away from the central tourist-choked streets to see the real Venice, people often come away with a bad impression. This is a shame. Once you get away from the touristy sections, Venice is uncrowded, interesting, and moves at a much slower pace. Now, there are sights in Venice that once should certainly see, and which involve dealing with crowds. St. Mark’s, the Bridge of Sighs, the Rialto Bridge, the Rialto Market, and certain of the museums. These places are necessarily crowded and difficult to move around, but by all means see them. If, however, you come to Venice and don’t venture away from these areas, you may be unhappy with your time here. Fortunately, there are a few things you can do to make your experience in Venice much more enjoyable. Often the hotels give out small maps of Venice for free. On these maps are indicated in yellow the main paths from one sight to the other. One should generally look at these yellow lines as streets to avoid. Instead, try to find another way to get to the sights. Also, it is better to go early in the morning to see certain sights, as they are not crowded until midmorning, and in the summer it is a cooler time of day. Consider as well going at night. Venice is safe at all hours of the night, it is cooler, less crowded, and in some ways more interesting. Consider hiring a private tour guide, particularly if you have only a short time in Venice. A lot of people come to Venice for only a day, or take a day trip from someplace like Florence. Other people are in Venice either to meet their cruise ship, or to spend a day or so after a cruise. These people would benefit from taking a private tour so they can see Venice in an easy relaxed manner, and at their own pace, and without the frustration of trying to find their way on a map. At the same time, such a tour will give you some history and lore, take you off the beaten path, and make your time in Venice infinitely more pleasant. Don’t try to fit too much into one day, and don’t over schedule. Being a tourist is tiring work; leave time open to do whatever comes to your mind. Sit at a café in a little square (campo), relax, drink some wine, and watch Venice go by. Whether you come to Venice for a day or for a month, and whether you take a tour or simply meander on your own through the magical streets of Venice, take it easy and savor it. Take your time, look at the details, watch the people drink in its beauty. This is the best way - the slow way. <a href="http://www.theveniceexperience.com">Visit my website</a> for lots of useful information about Venice. ruby on "Welcome the Siesta- Why wait for the 25th of June:-)" http://www.slowplanet.com/forums/topic/welcome-the-siesta-why-wait-for-the-25th-of-june-#post-70 Fri, 23 Jan 2009 09:46:28 +0000 ruby 70@http://www.slowplanet.com/forums/ Wednesday 25 June is National Siesta Day, the one day in the year when we are all encouraged to close our eyes for 10-20 minutes during our lunch break to recharge our batteries for the afternoon. Do you ever feel your energy levels dip after lunch? Do you sometimes wish you could have a siesta to make you feel more refreshed? The post-lunch nap has not yet been adopted in Britain, but recent research suggests that we should stop thinking that the need to down tools for 20 minutes is a sign of weakness. Scientists know that we have a tendency to feel tired in the early part of the afternoon, but they also know that a short period of shut-eye can increase productivity by over 30% and alertness by as much as 100%. Tests by NASA have shown that memory and concentration are also given a boost, while stress and risk of heart disease is reduced by 34%. Lack of sleep is also known to make weight loss more difficult. The siesta has been around for thousands of years and was even regarded as a necessity, rather than a luxury. It is still widely practiced in Spain today, though they also use it to get out of the sun during the hottest part of the day and can therefore take as long as two hours to rest. We don’t have that long (well, with our weather, we don’t need it), though the need to take a break in the afternoon remains. Research has shown that most of us feel tired twice every day, making it harder to concentrate and think straight. Tiredness can also cause road accidents – a short nap, as little as 10-15 minutes, goes a long way to reducing the risk of such an unnecessary event. Taking time out of your hectic schedule to sleep may sound like career suicide to some, but history has shown that siestas need not stand in the way of success. Famous nappers include American President Bill Clinton, who dozed to cope with the pressures of office. Napoleon used to sleep while perched on his horse, while Einstein would sit in his favourite chair and allow himself to drop off. Winston Churchill and Margaret Thatcher also napped in order to be at their best. A huge study involving 24,000 men and women and published by Harvard School of Public Health found that a short nap in the afternoon can reduce risk of heart disease by 34%. NASA has also carried out a lot of research in this area, discovering that after a short nap astronauts showed a 34% improvement in performance and 54% in alertness. Elsewhere, research from the University of Manchester also suggests that it is only natural to want to sleep after lunch. Scientists at the university discovered that the brain cells, or 'neurons', which keep us alert and awake are turned off after we eat. Dr Denis Burdakov, the lead researcher based in Manchester's Faculty of Life Sciences said that glucose is at the heart of the theory. "It has been known for a while that people and animals can become sleepy and less active after a meal, but brain signals responsible for this were poorly understood," he said. "We have pinpointed how glucose - the sugar in food - can stop brain cells from producing signals that keep us awake.” So what better excuse do we all need to take a break during the afternoon? Let's follow the Spanish example and give ourselves some well-deserved shut-eye after lunch! Anonymous on "Slow Movement Ideas with Anat Baniel" http://www.slowplanet.com/forums/topic/slow-movement-ideas-with-anat-baniel#post-140 Tue, 13 Oct 2009 20:19:11 +0000 Anonymous 140@http://www.slowplanet.com/forums/ I am reading a wonderful new book, by Anat Baniel: "Move into Life". She has a chapter on SLOW: Luxuriate in the Richness of Feeling: page 136 "In our rushed lives, we are always two steps ahead of ourselves, And this is not just a perception on our part. Scientific research shows that we can either react automatically with a shorter reaction time of 0.25 seconds or less or act consciously with a delayed reaction time of 0.5 seconds or more. If we go too fast, we simply don't have time to know what we're doing. It's as if we're not even there! We're already onto the next thing before we know it." See: <a href="http://www.anatbanielmethod.com" rel="nofollow">http://www.anatbanielmethod.com</a> for more on the book, etc. Harry Pearle <a href="http://www.SavingSchools.org" rel="nofollow">http://www.SavingSchools.org</a> AC on "Music and Debate" http://www.slowplanet.com/forums/topic/music-and-debate#post-135 Mon, 24 Aug 2009 12:17:11 +0000 AC 135@http://www.slowplanet.com/forums/ Have you heard about Longplayer, the musical composition lasting 1000 years? On September 12th, composer Jem Finer will direct Longplayer’s spectacular first-ever live performance: 1000 minutes from its vast continuum, played by a 25-strong all-star orchestra on a purpose-built 20-meter wide instrument featuring highly resonant singing bowls. A unique historical moment, Longplayer Live is an opportunity to contemplate time past, present and future, and to be part of something momentous, lasting and beautiful. The Artangel Longplayer Conversation 2009 will take place simultaneously, a relay-style conversation on related themes with 24 speakers over 12 hours, including writer Jeanette Winterson, neuroscientist Daniel Glaser, poet Ruth Padel, mathematician Marcus du Sautoy and many more. 12 September 2009, 08:20-01:00 The Roundhouse, Chalk Farm More info: <a href="http://www.roundhouse.org.uk/whats-on/book-tickets/longplayer-live-3543/3544" rel="nofollow">http://www.roundhouse.org.uk/whats-on/book-tickets/longplayer-live-3543/3544</a> Also: <a href="http://www.longplayer.org" rel="nofollow">www.longplayer.org</a> and you can chat to us if you want any more info via <a href="http://www.twitter.com/longplayerlive" rel="nofollow">www.twitter.com/longplayerlive</a> Anonymous on "Slow reading" http://www.slowplanet.com/forums/topic/slow-reading#post-65 Thu, 22 Jan 2009 10:57:35 +0000 Anonymous 65@http://www.slowplanet.com/forums/ When I was a kid I had a voracious appetite for books. I hoovered them up. Every week I borrowed the maximum six books and relished the praise I got from my Mum and the librarians for cantering through them so quickly. And that approach to reading continued for much of my adult life too. I have less reading time than I used to, but there are so many good books out there waiting for me I have this burning itch to plough through as many as I can. The upshot of this speed, this inattention, is that - apart from those childhood favourites which I went back to time and time again - many times I can pick up a book that I have already read and remember nothing of it. Now, some may say that's a good thing in these economically-straitened times - I don't have to spend money on new books as I have all these old ones to re-read! But I find it sad that the speed with which I read in my youth means I absorbed very little of the story that the authors spent months and years crafting. So now I have turned a page in my reading habits. I open a book, take a deep breath and concentrate on the words. When I realise I am becoming distracted I go back a few paragraphs and re-read them. I've even taken to the old kindergarten trick of putting my bookmark under the words I am reading, the better to concentrate on one line at a time. And it works! I recently spent two weeks working through "We need to talk about Kevin" by Lionel Shriver (I know, I am so behind in my reading) but I thoroughly enjoyed the experience. I remember the story, spotted clues and treasured the way she wrote. Through applying Slowness to my reading life I have fallen in love with books all over again. Anonymous on "Jackson Music Lesson: RX for Sanity and Slowness" http://www.slowplanet.com/forums/topic/jackson-music-lesson-rx-for-sanity-and-slowness#post-128 Fri, 26 Jun 2009 15:10:14 +0000 Anonymous 128@http://www.slowplanet.com/forums/ He sang and danced at a frenzied pace that I could not follow. There wasmbrilliance and genius in Jackson, but I think he represented the craziness of modern times. I think that Michael Jackson, perhaps more than any performer revealed this insanity. We worship technology and we try to keep pace with it. We compete to get the jump on others. We edit experience in the media and we try to edit life. We crave approval and popularity. We know it is insanity, but we can't seem to stop it. I think much of our mental illness and unhappiness stems from this desire for super human performance and approval. Perhaps if we use Michael Jackson as an example, we can see our own crazy “song and dance” routines and come to our senses, before it is too late. Maybe we can use Jackson’s music as an RX for sanity and slowness, an important lesson in our schools, in our workplaces and in our homes. Thank you, Michael. May your soul rest in peace. (See: <a href="http://www.SavingSchools.org" rel="nofollow">www.SavingSchools.org</a> by Harry for more ideas on slowness and education) geir on "Slow Poem" http://www.slowplanet.com/forums/topic/slow-poem#post-124 Fri, 19 Jun 2009 12:52:04 +0000 geir 124@http://www.slowplanet.com/forums/ A slow poem by Dali Lama: THE PARADOX OF OUR TIMES Is that we have taller buildings, but shorter tempers Wider freeways, but narrower viewpoints We spend more, but we have less We have bigger houses, but smaller families More conveniences, but less time We have more degrees, but less sense More knowledge, but less judgment More experts, but more problems More medicines, but less wellness We have multiplied our possessions, but reduced our values We talk too much, love too seldom, and hate too often We have learnt how to make a living, but not a life We have added years to life, but not life to years We’ve been all the way to the moon and back But have trouble crossing the street to meet the new neighbour We have conquered outer space, but not inner space We’ve cleaned up the air, but polluted our soul We’ve split the atom, but not our prejudice We’ve higher incomes, but lower morals We’ve become long on quantity but short on quality These are the times of tall men, and short character Steep profits, and shallow relationships These are the times of world peace, but domestic warfare More leisure, but less fun; more kinds of food, but less nutrition These are the days of two incomes, but more divorces Of fancier houses, but broken homes It is a time when there is much in the show window And nothing in the stockroom Take a slow movement in the right direction!