How To Get There 13/10/19

Written By: - Date published: 7:00 am, October 13th, 2019 - 54 comments
Categories: Deep stuff - Tags:

 

This post is a place for positive discussion of the future.

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The Big Picture, rather than a snapshot of the day’s goings on. Topics rather than topical.

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54 comments on “How To Get There 13/10/19 ”

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  1. Mista Smokey 1
    13 October 2019 at 7:45 am

    North o'Scotland, as folk here will surely know, is Orkney. And years ago, my wife and I are there, heading on foot to old Maeshowe. We are battling into the mighty cold rainy northerly, wearing all gear, but slowly and surely suffering in the chill. Not turning back. And so, as one does in Orkney, come upon a tomb. The sign mentions it's thousands of years old. There's steps, so down we go, and out of the gale. And revive. Then on to Maeshowe, where the rain eases, sun comes out and we shelter behind a wall, snug, yes! to gaze for quite a while at the wondrous ancient (World Heritage) tomb.

    So now, back home, when we have a day of vigorous change – cloud and clear, gale and rain and calm, I'll choose to call out no complaints, but rather, "She's an Orkney day t'day!" And maybe head down to our fire circle. This, inspired by our travels in Orkney and Scotland has no great stones. She's made from logs I dragged back from the Motueka River, to set upright and proud, with three totara, nurturing the after-births of our grandchildren born here in our home or near. I may light the fire or not. But will surely give thanks to the Wonder Planet, feel one with her and the folk, and my heart, sing.

    • Ad 1.1
      13 October 2019 at 8:26 am

      nice work there

      i did a good tour of the highland stone circles 10 years ago.

      • Mista Smokey 1.1.1
        13 October 2019 at 3:37 pm

        Cheers Ad, that must have been a mighty wander. Maybe you made it to the island of Lewis, Outer Hebrides, to see the Callanish Stones? I loved them. My wife says she didn't feel much and continued exploring on, to a smaller circle nearby. Whammo, sensed a very strong energy and later discovered it was a special women's place. Mysteries eh?!

        (Maybe I've added to some mystery with a location mistake in my writing above. I'll set it right up there)

    • Robert Guyton 1.2
      13 October 2019 at 8:44 am

      My people on my mother's side were from Orkney and Shetland and I'm living in Southland where the weather can often be described as Orcadian. If I'd gone even further and settled on Stewart Island, I'd have been amongst my own…at least, I'd have neighbours with surnames like Marwick and Clouston. It seems my old people sought out environments that they felt at home in, despite warmer opportunities and perhaps I'm subject to the same urge smiley

      • greywarshark 1.2.1
        13 October 2019 at 10:54 am

        In my community mixing and co-operative essaying I have met two people who met in the Shetlands and are good to know, kindly and practical. And then there was the lass from Knoydart which is a template for how we can gather our strengths and goodness together, and find a manageable, simpler way to have community..

        Google keywords –

        Knoydart Community Trust

        Knoydart forest trust

        Knoydart john muir trust

        • Mista Smokey 1.2.1.1
          13 October 2019 at 12:02 pm

          G'day Grey, cheers and thanks. I've had fun searching your keywords…and these: "Treeplanting Orkney." Good stuff, like:

          For Orkney, these (ancient native) species are generally agreed to be Downy Birch, Hazel, Rowan, Aspen, Willows, Roses, Honeysuckle and Juniper. If there's any spare ground down our Southland, wondering if we should plant some o'these near Robert's place? He's earned 'em. (But may not want to eat them).

          When we were on Orkney, (admittedly a while ago), I was told, with some passion: "Plant trees?! They'll blow out by the roots!" As we now see, some did not heed the nae-sayers, and look what's happening.

          Chatting to a writer there, he said as I recall something like this: "Storytellers come up from the south with tales o'trees, and we just don't get it, having none. We have old places and strange sea-creatures" So I thought, there's my challenge, create a tree-story you cannot refuse. And I've done that, but sadly not been back to Orkney to offer it. Doubt I'll make it now. Maybe, instead, head south, to our Robert (& Robyn) o'Riverton. Spin the Orkney tree-yarn there eh? Offer her there by magic and see what happens?

    • Mista Smokey 1.3
      13 October 2019 at 3:59 pm

      Oh, for my error. Apologies folks. It was the Midhowe Broch we visited, described above.

      In the backyard cricket days of yore, we took no risks with The Scheme o'Things. Example: "Busta winda, seven-years-bad-luck." I truly believed it.

      Confusing Maeshowe with Midhowe Broch? ~ The spirits may be angry. I could be in danger. I'll try to sort it: "Own the error and apologise by Sunset and all will be well."

      If you hear no more o'me, you'll know the spirits got rough. Check me out, turned to stone, third weird rock at The Broch.

  2. Sacha 2
    13 October 2019 at 8:00 am

    Step One: get elected. Congratulations, Robert.

    • Robert Guyton 2.1
      13 October 2019 at 8:51 am

      Thanks, Sacha. I'm not completely at ease yet, as I'm on the cusp of in or out and there are special votes to come…so it's tenterhooks for me for some days yet. The innards of the campaign for the Environment Southland council are oddly curious and convoluted this time around and I'd love to write an article about them but until it's settled, I'll just be keeping my head down and fingers crossedindecision

  3. phillip ure 3
    13 October 2019 at 9:22 am

    as i sat eating breakfast – staying at a beach near raglan..with the sun warming the nape of my neck..

    i thought – this is the soundtrack of my life at the moment..

    https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=sitting+on+the+dock+of+the+bay

    unsure yet where i'm going to – but enjoying the journey there..

    • Robert Guyton 3.1
      13 October 2019 at 9:32 am

      I wish the sun would warm my nape, Phil, but he's been mia for a week now and the cold easterly wind does something less desirable to the back of my neck! Today, I'm guest speaker at a garden party held at a bowling club. Fortunately, it's where they ordinarily play indoor bowlssmiley

  4. weka 4
    13 October 2019 at 9:44 am

    There's been some po-faced Brits mocking the young ones dancing at the UK ER, but get a load of this rebellion in Australia

    https://twitter.com/JoshuaPotash/status/1182654352391131138

  6. TootingPopularFront 6
    13 October 2019 at 11:47 am

    One way to get there might be to engage more compassionately with indigenous people, rather than continuing to marginalise them: https://www.strategic-culture.org/news/2019/10/12/the-obligation-to-discredit-colonial-regret/

    [Corrected typo in user handle]

    • greywarshark 6.1
      13 October 2019 at 9:02 pm

      Often when government ask what Maori would like, they can't give an answer in a timely fashion. Then Maori might have said at the first that they did not want it, and then accuse the government of being very ready to back out, too spineless to go through with it. Government and pakeha society are often patronising and insensitive and the fact that they are trying to do anything should be accepted as a step in the right direction. Nitpicking from the sides is to be avoided, but a guiding hand and advice can help in processes.

  7. gsays 7
    13 October 2019 at 1:36 pm

    Hi folks, after a few months of improvements and tinkering, I have perfected my charcoal retort.

    Unfortunately, while I am aiming for lump charcoal for my smoker I end up with what would be closer to lump bio char.

    The important difference being the burn time/temperature of the product. I have done a LOT of research on youniversity tube but haven't found a way to do the charcoal slower. Therefore leaving some of the wood gas in the charcoal.

    Anyone out there got info, website etc for improving the product.

    P.S. I know of the value and worth of bio char and wood vinegar but would rather that was the by-product of my lump charcoal.

    • WeTheBleeple 7.1
      13 October 2019 at 2:03 pm

      Your post is a bit confusing? A slower/lower temp burn should produce more (pre) biochar than charcoal. Try slowing your air intake so the fire can't burn so quickly if the aim is to make biochar. To get it hotter add a wee fan on the air intake. To charge up biochar for the garden urine works fine. I just compost with it now as it retains gasses etc that might otherwise be lost, also seems to help minimise losses of mass in the decomposition process. Another handy tip is to use it to deodorise the chook pen (or pigs) and they'll mix it with dirt via scratching and charge it up via excreting leaving a finished fertiliser and soil conditioning product for your garden. Very effective to help trees in boggy clay.

      If i have it backward feel free to correct me I know very little about charcoal but have mucked about with biochar for decades.

      • gsays 7.1.1
        13 October 2019 at 5:34 pm

        Chur WTB.

        I have an insulated 200 litre drum with air intake @ the bottom. I put a 60 litre drum of seasoned manuka with a perforated lid inside the large drum. I back fill with firewood, light it and put a lid with a flue on top of the large drum.

        It gets hot, real quick once the wood gas from the small drum starts to combust. in approx 2 hours it's starting a to slow and cool.

        I am left with VERY light charcoal, that doesn't take much to break apart.

        My current thinking is to slow the burn and try to 'harvest' some of the smoke and condense to wood vinegar, and some way leave some of the 'goodies' in the charcoal.

        • WeTheBleeple 7.1.1.1
          14 October 2019 at 10:04 am

          Yes the wood gases really change the ferocity of the fire aye. Restricting their input will likely cause a pressure build up in the internal chamber which is, to my mind, dangerous. Restricting overall air flow seems the easiest option to slow things. A damper would be very useful, being able to let lots of air in for ignition then slow things as the gas kicks in.

          Imagine now, having an engineer and materials to create a bbq design that cooks dinner and makes biochar. I have a prototype, but no cash surplus or engineer – yet.

          A carbon negative BBQ that takes garden prunings. That is my vision (among other things). Lifestyle changes are required to help save the planet, but in many instances, tech changes would suffice.

          • Mista Smokey 7.1.1.1.1
            14 October 2019 at 12:05 pm

            You beauty, WTB. So glad you are here and cranking. Go well.

          • gsays 7.1.1.1.2
            14 October 2019 at 7:31 pm

            I think you are right about air intake and slowing things down.

            If yr looking to utilize the energy from smaller fuel feedstock, then rocketstove tech comes to mind. The permies site has some great projects where oven chambers are melded to rocket heaters.

            I love the stone age steampunk vibe of incorporating brick, clay and terracotta with steel, stainless and copper.

            TBH tutuing round with rocket stoves has influenced this retort ( air intake the same size as the exhaust), insulation/efficiency and burning as much of the available fuel (little or mo smoke).

            This isnt bbqing but it is heating water.



  8. Pingau 8
    13 October 2019 at 3:29 pm

    So what are the thoughts of everyone here on lowering the voting age to 16? I'm tending towards "yes" to encourage engagement amoung New Zealanders at an age before they get too disenchanted (hopefully). Also they are for the most part a captive audience and could put on the electoral role.

    I have posted this here as opposed to the local election post as I saw there are more younger people voted in this year and Sophie Handford in particular at age 18 has won her ward it seems in Paekakariki-Raumati and has come directly from climate change protesting to standing (and winning) her ward.

    • greywarshark 8.1
      13 October 2019 at 3:38 pm

      I was unsure too but now feel that 16 would be okay. I am veering towards celebrating youngsters approaching maturity with a type of 'bar mitzvah and bat mitzvah' (girls) ceremony at age 14.

      The idea of waiting till one is adult has followed an idea that only adults can have good ideas and understand about life – obviously a totally erroneous idea. So bring the young ones in, they have the most to lose and need to have a chance to learn how to steer the dingy dinghy, and may even learn how to build vibrant new waka.

    • Sacha 8.2
      13 October 2019 at 4:49 pm

      Sophie Handford already seems wiser about leadership than many people three or four times her age. https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/400886/hours-of-tension-before-teen-s-election-win-confirmed-at-barn-dance

      Ms Handford said she would like to remain involved with the Schools Strike for Climate movement, but said it was also important she step back and let younger people come through to lead.

      • greywarshark 8.2.1
        13 October 2019 at 8:55 pm

        I hope we are not going to have a PC thing about stepping back and obeising ourselves to ever younger people, who still have a lot to learn. Once they have learned they will need to act with thinking practical older people.
        There needs to be some huge philosophical discussions around the country to establish what sort of life the country can aim for also. We do not want to fall into the same traps, the same ruts as there lies madness. the saying goes. Can't do that as we are already mad, irrational and devious, also mean so we mustn't increase this.

        It's terribly important to look at what we are and our natural human traits, and devise a political ystem that we can keep to, without ideas of zero tolerance and 100% anything, yet with appropriate rules and laws that apply to all. If we could just have good enough, and try to help the good to go around everybody, that would be exponentially better.

        We do need to go through this sort of discussion. We fought WW2 and made some changes but weren't cleansed of evil Young people will make changes and gradually lose their initial memes in the same way. It is one thing to fight for change from bad to good; it is another to decide how 'good' will be defined and a balanced view taken to get society on side.

        • Sacha 8.2.1.1
          13 October 2019 at 9:35 pm

          She is talking about not continuing to hold a role in a school-based movement after leaving school. That is rarer than it should be.

          • Pingau 8.2.1.1.1
            13 October 2019 at 11:51 pm

            I for one feel encouraged anyway by people like Sophie Handford stepping up to the plate. It will be an enormous learning curve but that is the same for many new councillors regardless of age.

            I also think that it is more likely that younger people will be more interested in voting if there are young people at the table.

          • greywarshark 8.2.1.1.2
            14 October 2019 at 12:26 pm

            Yes thanks, I was just going forward on a scenario that could happen. Keeping up the school-based action and thinking is good. At one primary school I was at we were able to take charge of playground planning or something that would affect us. Why this type of civic experience was not extended and made mainstream I don't know.

        • Incognito 8.2.1.2
          13 October 2019 at 10:02 pm

          When one uses the term philosophical, some people will respond to that. Some immediately switch off and some will judge you as a pseudo-intellectual pretentious snob (AKA wanker) or irrelevant arrogant Ivory Tower academic (AKA moron) without any worldly experience and deprived of knowledge of and connection with real people in ‘struggle street’.

          However, when one advocates cool-heads, clear thinking and speaking, and sound debating as the cornerstones and guiding lights of decision-making and action, one sometimes receives a more positive and constructive response.

          • greywarshark 8.2.1.2.1
            14 October 2019 at 12:38 pm

            True incognito. But we can find ourselves in a rut where we can only talk about the things that we know, and timidly venture to a few of the things that we don't know. Then there are the things that we don't want to know that we need to take out of the dark corner and look at.

            If we don't haul ourselves over the barrier of people who label anything that involves questioning the status quo then when can we get wise. This morning on Radionz someone said aboutin the electricity pricing and modernising, that we are about 10 years behind the movers in the world. Why?? We aren't cut off from information except by choice. Also there is a belief that we will come up with something better, some idealistic or simplistic idea that without wide and hard-headed discussion will likely prove as unsatisfactory as the status quo. We must talk and check out things, and list alternatives and study them, and test them against what we know of our human nature which in NZ is to find a way to do something faster and more easily (which can then become an industry standard, though against the manufacturers instructions and the regulations). Without frank talk we will be eternally in the poo and further on the way to a new Dark Age.

  9. Blazer 9
    13 October 2019 at 9:19 pm

    There is only one way re 'how to get there'…that is to adhere to the Weka/Stalinist doctrine..'I know best…no dissent will be tolerated.surprise

    • Incognito 9.1
      13 October 2019 at 9:37 pm

      Blazer, I have always enjoyed you as a solid and reliable no-nonsense commenter and contributor here but you seem to have a bee in your bonnet. As far as I can tell, you have not been banned and you’re free to comment here as you wish provided you stick to the Site’s policy, which is easy enough as the rules are quite lenient. It is any Author’s prerogative to moderate their own posts as they see fit. This does not extend to other posts nor does it become the Site’s policy. In fact, the site’s moderators respects the Author’s right to moderate their own posts and rarely step in or trump the Author’s decisions. When they do, it is usually by prior agreement with the Author.

      I hope that I’ve managed to alleviate some of your concerns about a Stalinist doctrine here on TS because there is no such thing.

    • greywarshark 9.2
      14 October 2019 at 12:47 pm

      Perhaps Blazer, Weka might have a good point. Sometimes, though it can be very wearying to a commenter, the moderator's suggestions are possibly right. There is a lot of work they put in to keep the blog going and flowing with good relatively clean comments and discussions from as wide a range of people as possible. So remembering that and respecting them for that when you disagree, makes it possible to step back, possibly ungraciously, but not call them Stalinist etc. This blog is a great place, and gives learning opportunities and is a great discussion and opinion spot.