Buddha is laughing

I haven't read Success @ Life: A Zentrepreneur's Guide. Someone on Twitter recommended it. Reading several reviews gave me a bit more depth to what the title offered. My deep appreciation goes out to one reviewer who concluded her comments with 'but like so many in this sub-genre ignores the basic question of where's the capital?'

Different

So I'm reading Seth Godin's blog this morning "In Search of Competition".

Sometimes the obvious needs to be written out, and written out in an effective and congenial way, just so people will notice. The 'green movement', 'global climate change', 'organic' are just a few.

Godin compares being unique with being competitive. If you're the only game in town you can charge almost anything. Competition changes that.

This is not new.

Doing some city planning a number of years ago prompted an interesting perspective. With a regional mall just a few miles away I proposed a town center plan that offered small properties in the context of walkable 'city' neighborhood to encourage mom-and-pops. Mixed with city services, educational pockets, inexpensive residential (for the start-up business entrepreneurs) this amalgation was intended to compete directly with the branded stores of the mall: an alternative, just down the street.

As Godin says "acknowledge that the competition exists and in fact, to encourage it."

The city ultimately chased developers that would build big box stores. After 10 years nothing has yet materialized.

Hessler Road Snow

Here's a winter/Christmastime piece.
......
there are moments in the snow
i can never forget -
three a m darkness
studio tired
a last turn home
through this surprise blanket
that muffles even the silence of my small street
where lamp posts step in pools of white
and oh!
I hear the snow flakes falling



The best Christmas to you and a healthy new year.

Michael Pollen's Omnivore's Dilemna

From juice at the local vineyard to touring California and Virginia vineyards to reading about the technicals of winemaking to terroirs to dirt to llamas to angora goats. Michael Pollen is pulling it together for me.

The melody is coming together now we need a base line.

Value

It's worth checking out Amber's blog. She raises an interesting in Value Through the Looking Glass. When you get right down to it 'value' is a neutral word. It gains its impact from its surrounding.

So taking this approach I added the following comment --------------

So, I’m doing this quick scan through tweets during lunch. I stop at black raddish alternative to sulfites and some thoughts on “value”.

These picks are tied to my interests.

At the same time each pick is stated in such a way as to hold out the potential of a NEW idea.

My curiosity has been peaked by the possibility of finding something of value.

If the material is good then there is a basis for trust. You should know something more than me, have a different and/or interesting perspective, a unique offering, be involved in an interesting circumstance, are genuinely funny (or sarcastic), etc. I may disagree but the statement may be so well formed as to present an opportunity for exploration together.

It’s at this point that a conversation can begin.

Maybe even a long term one.

Off the track...well maybe

American Apparel in Rome. Katie Parla's blog about American Apparel brought to mind the following memory. Another view.

In another life I headed the architecture and environment committee for my local community. After doing the basic research and overall community evaluation, it was time to put some ideas forward. Good design students from Kent State offered a substantive array of options.

My interest was the city center. The core of the community. The idea was to develop a large open area in city center currently occupied by radio towers. [We know where those are going!] In a way it would be similar to how the industrial park was developed.

The basic idea was to have the city develop the infrastructure and the, under a controlling design/development board, sell parcels to individuals or organizations for private development.

There would be 2 key factors: 1. develop a vibrant, lively and useful mix of occupancies that would prompt people to visit even if they had no reason to purchase something; 2. That whatever enterprises occur in this area they are essentially mom & pop.

The city ultimately opted to hand over the concept to a developer that wanted to develop using big box stores and name brand outlets. With a regional mall just 15 minutes away the idea ultimately failed, either for the economic reasons, competition or just greed.

There is just too much richness in the mom & pop scheme even if they wind up to be brand new. It's a different attitude and different way of life. These people are committed to servicing their clients in the best way possible. It's good small business.

I am looking for that same appeal with the vineyard.

Pre-Visualization

Of course you know the name Ansel Adams. We happen to share the same birthday.

Do you know Minor White? How about Nicolas Hlobeczy?

I never met Adams. Met Minor White in a photo workshop and studied briefly with Mr. Hlobeczy. Minor White wrote Zone System Manual, first published, I believe, back around 1965. Adams was the first to talk about pre-visualization. White took it up in his Zone System and Hlobeczy, as an instructor, pushed photography in a way that made these ideas come alive.

Pre-visualization, if you haven't read the articles, is summarized by Adams: You don't take a photograph, you make it. So it has been for most of my life, not only with photographs but with everything I approach and attempt. Certainly there is a whole period of trial and error, testing the equipment, ideas, materials and of course results. Once these "incidentals" become almost second nature the objective is to plan, prepare, assemble the necessary components, execute and realize the results all with the idea that end result is evident.

In Dan Gilbert's very entertaining book, Stumbling on Happiness he (and be aware, I'm giving away his conclusion here) tells us that we can prepare for our next adventure simply by asking other people if they are happy in the situation that you are pursuing. Even in times when I let myself go with the tide I have come to realize that there is inevitably excitement and fascination that results.

The atheletes do this all the time. You can watch the gymnasts visualize their routine, all the details, all the moves, all the results.

In a Mozart biography, the composer was quoted as saying that he could see the entire musical piece in front of him, without beginning, middle or end but all at once.

So here we are at the start, hopefully of a new vineyard, and I am gathering all my energies in order to see what it will be.

If you have any insights (yes I know it's hard work and I shouldn't have an extended family involved) drop me a note.

Finally, one of the most incredible aspects of this kind of thinking and working is that the results almost always provide more than anticipated. There is always a surprise, a good surprise, something to delight the heart and mind and provide reinforcement and nourishment for the next endeavour.

Goose

Dan Barber talks about foie gras on TED. Why did I listen to this presentation you ask? Probably because the title included the words 'surprising parable'.

Little by little it be comes apparent that mass production and global distribution can be difficult to manage environmentally. At the same time the quality of the product often suffers. The product becomes generic, appealing to an acceptable commonality. These products are often 'suitable'.

For those of use who are trying to learn the nuances of things of value, these 'suitable' products demonstrate little to separate themselves. This becomes apparent in automobile advertising when the most distinctive characteristic is Sirius radio or GPS.

What Mr. Barber shows us in his parable is that the interconnectivity of the universe around us can serve us extraordinarily well if we make ourselves aware and treat appropriate elements appropriately.

Take a listen.

Richard

In 1963 a classmate of mine told me that an architect was going to speak at Kent State University and that a group was going to the presentation.

I was rather naive about famous architects or any architects for that matter, never heard of R. Buckminster Fuller (Bucky) and only with a bit of encouragement decided to tag along with my friends.

The lecture did not start well. When was this guy going to talk about architecture. He talked about physics, mathematics, sociology, anthropology, philosophy and just went on and on and on. Just about 3 hours on.

Somewhere in the middle of the presentation it began to dawn on me that this fella was no light weight. He wove everything together. All of these different divisions of information that we call professions suddenly had no boundaries between them. I was not exactly sure how that happened so I started to read his books.

In one book, and I have not been able to track down the passage (maybe someone out there on the interweb can help) he describes government thinking following the launch of Sputnik in 1957. The USA had to catch up and education was the key.

The question became 'what was education going to look like to develop successful innovative scientists'. So there was a study done, of course. Those scientists who were considered innovative, successful and respected by their peers were identified. Each was asked about the most important factor that prompted them and contributed to their outstanding work.

The answer came back that it was the influence of one person, a mentor, at some point in their life, that created the spark, the interest, devotion and ultimately hard work to accomplish what they had done.

Another twist

You all now can get a chance to see just what kind of mind I do have. It is, probably like so many others, rather strange.

The TED presentations have really started my head jumping around. So much of what is said in the presentations has to do with what one presenter offered from an interview with Studs Terkel - that the most important thing in life is human touch. And how is that defined?

In considering a question on the TED profile questionnaire I've come to the following conclusion: teaching and learning are important to me. And in considering this "passion" if you will, I look back on these 'sound bites' in my life: phrases from books, movies, comments, music from people I know, associate with, have loved or not and have never know except through their words.

These are bits and pieces that I carry around with me all the time. I'm not sure if they are inspiration or simply reminders, or possibly crop up hoping that's it the right time.

Bucky Fuller - "Unity is plural and at a minimum two."

A bit more on design and drawing.

So drawing really gets to be almost automatic. It's a secondary function to developing out a resolution to the problem. Drawing is really transparent. The instrument or the paper, medium, can be arbitrary. I do have my favorites but find that with significant concentration anything tools will do.

Stepping into this other zone is important. As one of the TED presenters noted, it's playing the piano on one cheek. (That's a visual.)

Educating myself in vineyard management and wine making is a slim to nothing attempt at trying to get closer to stepping into this zone. The only way to get to that zone is by doing.

I am tired of reading. It's time to make mistakes.

A nose for music. A short diversion

If there is anyone out there who has read this blog you probably thought I was rather daft to explain that my intent is to develop a vineyard/winery based on music. As my daughter will tell you about the students who applied to Berklee College of music, the applicant always says "Music is my life."

It is a cliche'. And even when I read it here it sounds like a cliche'.

But Luca Turin has validated my idea.

Click on the title and spend 15 minutes to learn the truth.

And remember, a third of the enjoyment of wine is the aroma.

All in all it's just another brick in the ............

So if am thinking about how to build a brick wall I start with a brick. I've used brick so even without having one in front of me I can feel it. Bricks are nice because they are easy to pick up and put into place. As opposed to concrete blocks that are a bit more cumbersome. So I can feel the brick and the drawing starts with a brick, three bricks high with three joints is 8 inches. One brick long with one joint is 8 inches. The width of one brick and joint is 4 inches.

A drawing may start with a number of bricks in some arrangement. Oh but these brick need to rest on something. If it's ground and the ground freezes the bricks will move and possible damage the assembly. Let's dig a hole deep enough to avoid frost.

If the wall is only one brick wide, like Mr. Jefferson's serpentine wall, maybe there should be something more stable on which to set the first brick. Maybe a concrete footing that wider than the brick. The concrete, if properly placed, taken over by gravity, should settle to a somewhat level state. Might need forms depending the type of dirt we are digging in. So let's summarize: bricks, mortar joints, hole, level foundation, type of dirt.

So, Mr. Jefferson is a soils analyst, excavator, carpenter to make the forms, concrete mixer and placer and finally bricklayer. This is a question of checking level and establishing work points. Work points are needed to accomplish the design intent or CORE so that we arrive at serpentine wall and not a straight wall with piers.

Design

A lot of what I do is details, as an architect. But based on my last post you understand that it has to do with a core. That core, sometimes called 'design intent' is a big part of the motivation in discerning the details. These sketches often start in 2 or 3 dimensions, or as I see it, an interpretation of a 4 dimensional form.

That last dimension is the interesting one. It involves a variety of manufactured products, sequence of assembly, the assemblers, stability, waterproofing, wind-proofing, aesthetic balance and of course arriving at a solution that reflects the intention of the larger design.

It is essential to visualize these things and/or operations and/or performance as the end of the pencil/pen moves across the paper. The process of drawing becomes secondary to the almost physical sense of touching the bricks, mortar, window frame, wood block, flashing materials or metal fasteners. One becomes a metal worker, brick layer, carpenter, glazer or roofer as necessary.

Design, or not.

Listened to a number of talks from TED. There are several main themes but one got my mind going. You have to have passion about what you do in order to be successful.

So somewhere you need to find that core that you believe in and causes you to do anything and everything for it. It can be what you best or in some circumstances what is in front of you.

Along with that it is important that the peripherals contribute to the core. Those other things that you do.

That's a bunch of schist

OK it's a rock

Or Galestro - Schist (from Wikipedia) based soil found in the Tuscany region of Italy. It is a laminated, crystalline rock based soil that retains heat well and is rich in magnesium and potassium but poor in organic nutrients and nitrogens.

Found in Tuscany.

Retains heat and is rich in magnesium and potassium.

Pretty good stuff considering the wines that come from that area.

What me worry?

I am not sophisticated when it comes to wine. With as big a nose as I have it doesn't quite get all those glorious aromas. The flavors sometimes slip through also.
"Really, you taste that?"
But there is occasionally an aroma and taste that is really astounding. That's one reason why I want in, from the ground (so to speak) up.

Terroir, orchids and bread

Finished an article by Randall Grahm (Terroir) regarding terroir, biodynamics and sensitive crystallization. Since nobody read my stuff here I'm just gonna go off for a few posts.

I like the idea of biodynamic farming although the mysticism aspect seems a bit far-fetched. It's applications, sensitivity and promotion of awareness seem very useful.

Along the way I have paid particular attention to Karen's passion for orchids. Now to grow orchids successfully one must understand the ecosystem from which they come. Shown here is an orchid that bloomed after 20 years. We had moved from northeast Ohio to Orlando where the radically different light intensity finally satisfied the plant's needs.

At the same time another article came to light about one of my other passions, bread baking. This was about Michael Suas, an extraordinary baker and head of the San Francisco Baking Insttitute. The importance of kneading bread dough by hand cannot be emphasized more. One becomes aware of how all the ingrediants are coming together and can recognize when the dough is ready.

The success of all three of these efforts is awareness, sensitivity and knowledge of the all the necessary elements and blending them appropriately.

Castello

Vicchiomaggio in Chianti, Firenze. Karen and I were there a few years ago. Stopped on the way out just to touch the dirt that the vines were growing in. Stoney soil with very fine textured soil. Ground, pulverized but with a heaviness that led me to believe it was more stone than dirt.

Where??

If there was only one place that you could grow grapes where would it be?

Work

Most of us do. But why would anyone want to trade a nice comfy office job to work in the fields, tending vines, being constantly vigilant against insects and disease, confronting alien foliage?

It's the smell of the earth, a fresh rain, blisters and sore muscles at the end of the day and beginning of the next. It is the intimate connection to something living that can, if carefully tended, yield a beverage that should only be shared.

Too loooong

Well this has been a particularly stressful time. I should have been venting here but that seems so juvenile.

Anyhow, just as an update, this guy is still looking for that perfect job. There are quite a few resumes floating around but only marginal results.

So here's some things I've learned.

Get professional advice about your resume. It really helps.

Applying for a job through a recruiting firm is frustrating and just about worthless.

A LOT of employers don't have the courtesy to acknowledge an application.
And most don't bother to inform you of the results. I stop applying to firms that put out the same ad without acknowledgement or response.
It's just an email for cryin' out loud.


Not all potential are clear about paying for relocation costs/ Check the ad and then ask in the interview.

Sooner or later the question of salary is posed. If changing locations consider these, cost of living, housing differential, income taxes, commuting costs.

Employer: if you won't pay for relocation costs say so in your ad.

It's About Time

It seems that everytime I make that commitment to publish an item every day a little more chaos ensues.

I lost my job about 2 weeks ago. Summarily dismissed. Lack of work.

Almost 3 years at this job and they suddenly didn't have any work for a person in my position.

So much for the 'we are family' concept.

Anyhow much of my time these past 2 weeks has been applied to finding another position. And it looks like it will continue for some time more.

But I've finally settled into a rhythm so there should be more on the vineyard.

Ah but there's more.

The reason

There's much good and much bad on the internet.

This is a good one: Hugh McLeod's gaping void.

Among various interesting items Hugh has a good post on social objects: the focus for human interactions.

At the same time check the referral to Mark Earls' thoughts on the subject. "Things change because of people interacting with other people, rather than technology or design really doing things to people."

The vineyard, vines, earth, weather, winery, wine, food and music are all just social objects. Nice ones but simply a focus around which people with similar interests can interact.

For us, it starts with the family. That "social object" has worked well and we expect it to continue to be successful in this endeavor.

The answer my friend .....

How's that for a trite introduction?

Anyhow it got your attention.

This may sound like everyone else who is jumping on the GREEN bandwagon but as an architect who has passed through a number of energy crises, I recognize the value for the vineyard to be as self sufficient as possible. The house I designed more than 30 years ago employed as much 'green' as I could muster at the time. But that's a whole other story.

One really interesting element is wind power. In researching the newest technologies this little contraption popped up (helixwind). The largest made is produces 5kw. That should put a dent in the utility bill. And of course the design is very interesting compared to the standard propeller blade design.

I look forward to further investigation and at some point implementation on the vineyard of a renewable energy source like wind power. There will certainly a lot more innovation in this growing technology.

Here's a few more interesting designs.