Category: Journal

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Three new sketches & tools

First time in months I’ve put pen to screen! Playing.

The last one called “Making Time” Mostly using ArtRage on the Toshiba M200.

making time

I love the process. I am so familiar with the tools – the software and the M200.

I have my eye on an iPad. It will not have the pressure sensitivity. What it will have is mobility. It is so sad that MS did not have the ability to develop the Tablet. The Toshiba M200 is small enough, but impossible (for me at least) to master when folded into its slate form. And the battery life is measured in minutes even with my new battery. There is still IMO a place in the market for MS to make a Windows 7 convertible. I am over my initial iPad disdain. I am appreciating Apple’s solid building and pragmatics combine with the revolutionary. They took over the music industry even though they came in late to the mp3 market, not a mean feat brilliant strategies!

Tools evolve, and the best use of any given tool is of value. I have done a lot of sketching on my Palm PDAs – tool I’ll never use again – but therein lies something of value. The lead pencil has no colour. But look what has been done over the centuries with the humble pencil, and it lives. The current – no pressure iPad will die and be gone, but I look forward to making use of it, while it is in its first iteration. What can the finger do on that thing?

Here are some examples, some good stuff there.

✔ July 2021

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Role of the Therapist with Couples

There is a continuum with two extremes.

Its all in the dialogue between the couple
Education is the main focus.		 ____________________________________ Its all in the safety of the relationship with the therapist. The therapeutic relationship with each partner and the relationship is the main focus.

Of course it is both, I doubt anyone holds the extreme positions. However it is an interesting question as to when one of these aspects needs to be to the fore.

This discussion with Rick & Sherry Stolp addresses this question very well, among other things.

Click to play & downloadListen or download here

Rick Stolp website

 

__________________________________________________

Later : Saturday, 6 October, 2012

I have further clarified that there are some criteria that indicate readiness for dialogue. The ability to move from adversarial positions is required for a dialogue. We do not want to foster something that is dialogical in form but adversarial in essence. As dialogues involve mirroring, the psychodrama principle that doubling comes before mirroring comes into play.

The therapist may be needed to double the couple for some time. Longer work is indicated for them to get to the dialogue stage.

__________________________________________________

Later: Sunday, October 17, 2010

About 20 minutes into the audio they talk about research based on ideas of “Duncan & Miller” on outcome research. http://www.talkingcure.com.

They now have separate websites:

Scott D Miller
http://www.scottdmiller.com
http://www.centerforclinicalexcellence.com

Barry Duncan
http://www.heartandsoulofchange.com
http://www.whatsrightwithyou.com

I’ve made another post on Outcome research here.

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Simple & minimal

My car was stolen yesterday (Subaru Legacy wagon PM7910 in case you are in Christchurch, if you see it call the police). For all the pain there is a sense of freedom too. I might not get another car! Walk, bike and borrow (I don’t intend complete abstinence!).

Strangely, the feeling is similar to having just installed Readability in Firefox. What beautiful clean pages. I love reading on my PC. Maybe I don’t need an iPad after all. I put my laptop on my chest in bed today and read using the Readability, Kindle and Comical. There is something in my astrology pulling towards the simple & minimal.

I have been impressed by Roger Ebert’s item on “frisson”, a delightful and sensible contribution to the trollish “Google makes you stupid” discussions. Google makes us smart! Individually and as a species. What if Gregor Mendel talked to Charles Darwin? Ebert discusses his own experience of finding it hard to sit and read a whole book as in the old days. I know that experience! He has a plan to read again. Re-train the mind. Makes sense to me.

The planets continue to conspire. I read: Alain de Botton, On Distraction, Our minds need to go on a diet. I like it.

I’ve never been impressed by the idea of “Internet free days” or “email free days” as I am strong on using filters and readers to manage information, there is no overload. It takes a bit of work but the Net comes to me quite intelligently. It knows what I want. Not just email filters, search, an RSS reader but socially mediated information via mailing lists and twitter create a stream that tunes into me, like a very good friend.

The Alain de Botton item puts it in perspective. Fasting. A meditative approach. I could do that with food and with information! Far from being anti-food or anti-Internet I can see how fasting can enhance experience, sharpen my senses & taste.

I won’t make any resolutions though. Lets see what the planets have in store.

~

More about Readability – an item by Rich Ziade

~

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Psyche and cyberspace

I am adding a quite a few political posts of late. I put them in the World category. But I think I’ll stop posting them, and focus on psyche and cyberspace.

I see the fate of the world as a psychological phenomena. The cyberspace aspect is vital as well, so my “World” posts are not really off topic. I am deeply concerned, angry, and scared about the fate of the world. However there are a bunch of left-wing bloggers and websites that do all of this really well. Maybe I’ll put a bunch of those in the sidebar. Promote them more.

We are heading for disaster with war, climate and nuclear weaponry. If the world is like the Titanic, then we need to avoid that iceberg, grab the wheel, or slow down, or strengthen the ship in some way.

What I know best is psyche and cyberspace. In those fields there may be some answers. I think I have been posting in vain to vent anger, to point to the Emperors new clothes, to say we are on the eve of destruction. But I will sticl with the way in which psychological work is needed.

Crazy? It might sound that way because we are in an Orwellian world, where words mean their opposite. Or they mean nothing at all.

Psyche always was a complex idea. Think of Marx’s idea of class consciousness.

✳

12 September 2021
Did not post this in 2010, but put it up today. I’ve added the tag: About – about me about the world and about this weblog.

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Artist Don Peebles dies

Don Peebles – ARTIS Gallery – Artists:

Don Peebles is one of New Zealand’s most senior artists. He began his training at the Wellington Technical College of Art in 1947, he then moved to Australia and studied under John Passmore, a leading Australian painter at the time, at the Julian Ashton School of Arts in Sydney.

Audio from RNZ:
art-20100328-1451-Don_Peebles-048

Artist Don Peebles dies – National – NZ Herald News:

One of the pioneers of New Zealand abstract painting, artist Don Peebles, ONZM, has died at the age of 88.

Rest of the NZ Herald item follows.

Continue reading “Artist Don Peebles dies”

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How I listen to podcasts.

 

  1. Find the RSS feed eg http://www.democracynow.org/democracynow.rss
  2. Subscribe in Google Reader. http://www.google.com/reader/view/#overview-page
  3. Have a filter in Google Reader to get all the podcasts subscriptions into a Podcast folder, easy to review!
  4. Slide *episodes* over into the Firefox Download Box (I have it configured to be in the sidebar) if I think I’ll like them, or will have time to listen.
  5. From the Download Folder slide all those mp3s into iTunes as music. Give them the My Podcast Genre (or similar). Make a smart playlist, and have that ticked to go to the iPhone upon a sync.
  6. Walk! Listen. Rate. Once they are rated they leave the Podcast playlist (that how I set up the smart playlist). I use one star meaning delete. Soft reboot to clear the list.

That’s my Podcast System. Cumbersome? Tell me a better way.

I get exactly what I want. They stay in the Playlist till I’m done & then they go.

I can’t get that control with the built in Podcast folder, or the iTunes subscription system.

I see I made a post about this system before, has some more details.

Here is my podcast list in Google Reader

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How to get some sanity

I listen to Democracy Now more than any other news or current affair program. I find it gives me a better picture of the world than I can get from any NZ source. Left, not liberal, not sectarian. Amy Goodman – a hero!

I wish more people would listen to it. I found myself chatting casually about the plight of Haiti over the years because US interference and people though I was espousing conspiracy theory. Ordinary left thinking New Zealanders!

I’ll post up how I listen to Podcasts. The great thing is I walk & listen, good for my body. Good for the dog. Multitasking.

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