2009.03.24 13:00 - Foresight, insight or just in the garden

Arabella breaks the silence;

Mickorod Renard: so,,has anyone had some nice arisings today?
Udge Watanabe purses his lips and shakes his head.
Mickorod Renard: he he
Udge Watanabe: not even un-nice ones, sad to say.
arabella Ella: well i had an idea as i have been listening to a lot about foresight today and yesterday
arabella Ella: at a conference
Mickorod Renard: I always start the day thinking I will make time for some appreciation,,,,but I hit work running and the first i get to rethink is when I am leaving
Mickorod Renard: wow,
Mickorod Renard: tell more Ara
Udge Watanabe nods encouragingly to Ara.
arabella Ella: does anyone here know what foresight or future studies is?
Mickorod Renard: I have an idea
arabella Ella: it is a new discipline where we work on weak signals, anticipatory signals, future trends, scenarios etc
arabella Ella: to design a vision for the future on a particular topic
arabella Ella: and i realised
arabella Ella: that when we do so2009.03.24 13:00 - Title goes here
The Guardian for this meeting was Mickorod Renard. The comments are by Mickorod Renard

arabella Ella: as we have to take a huge leap into the unknown
arabella Ella: we have to put aside everything concerning the present
arabella Ella: and make an effort to search for what thoughts arise
arabella Ella: to create new visions for the futute
Mickorod Renard: that sounds wonderful Ara
arabella Ella: and someone at the conference came up with an interesting metaphor or analogy
arabella Ella: there is no point in trying to put humpty dumpty together again
arabella Ella: cos everything is always changing ... in our language ... constantly arising anew
arabella Ella: that's it
Mickorod Renard: I see what you mean,,although i am a fixer of broken things,,so its an odd thought for me
arabella Ella: well what worked in the past may not work as well in the future
arabella Ella: as we are living in changing times
arabella Ella: shifting sands
arabella Ella: and our practice of seeing things as arising
arabella Ella: reflects these foresight methods
arabella Ella: at least in my opinion
Mickorod Renard: I think some of the challenges to the world in general that are looming ,,will need people with a lot of foresight
arabella Ella: oh yes definitely
arabella Ella: but as it is a new discipline they are still working on methods besides visions and scenarious
arabella Ella: but what we do here
arabella Ella: could so easily be a new method for coming up with new visions and scenarious too
arabella Ella: at least in my opinion
arabella Ella: not sure whether i am being clear?
Fefonz Quan: though we are not so focused on teh future here
Fefonz Quan: the*
Udge Watanabe grins and nods at Squee
Metafire Horsley: What are you doing exactly? What kind of new methods do you use?
arabella Ella: well there are different methods
arabella Ella: one involves identifying what coud be considered as weak signals
arabella Ella: new trends which are not yet mainstream which could treigger off new ideas
arabella Ella: but ... if we learn to look at things as constantly arising anew ... looking at Being
Fefonz Quan: (wondered what are weak signals too)
arabella Ella: then perhaps this too could work out to be another new method
arabella Ella: ok ... what are weak signals
arabella Ella: trends ... like perhaps sub cultures could be one example
arabella Ella: which have only just started
arabella Ella: which catch our attention

  Metafire Horsley

Metafire Horsley: How can you tell what trends will become really significant and which one will disappear after some time?
arabella Ella: which may eventually become mainstream
arabella Ella: you cannot tell which trends will become significant
arabella Ella: but you can use trends as triggers for the imagination
Mickorod Renard: is there not a risk that you may become part of the mechanism that creates the trend
Metafire Horsley: Well, maybe then it's time to think about a method to find out which trends actually will be important.
arabella Ella: i could give you one example i saw yesterday in one presentation
arabella Ella: many people would like to have a house of their own with a garden for growing plants and some space for leisure
arabella Ella: but ity is expensive and not easy to get to that stage unless you have a good income
arabella Ella: but architechts could consider having small gardens on different levels just as you could have a multi level garage
arabella Ella: so people in appartments could enjoy a better quality of life with some private outdoor space too
Mickorod Renard: Hiya Joey
Metafire Horsley: Hi Joey
joey Molko: Hey!
Udge Watanabe excuses himself quietly. Sorry, I'm being paged. Goodnight all, take care.
Pila Mulligan: bye
joey Molko: hey every one
Mickorod Renard: bye Udge
Mickorod Renard: bye Joey
Mickorod Renard: I gave Joey the handout cards
Mickorod Renard: Its a nice idea ara..and what with idea's of better environmental issues,,it is more relevent now too
Mickorod Renard: excuse my grammar
arabella Ella: yes people who do foresight do a lot of work on energy and on environmental issues
arabella Ella: but my point really is
arabella Ella: we could use what we learn here
Metafire Horsley: I wonder how expensive such multi level gardens would be. I think that's a central problem if they are going to be popular.
arabella Ella: bracket reality ... or what is generally considered as reality
arabella Ella: as see what 'arises'
arabella Ella: multi level gardens could be popular in towns where there is not much space
Mickorod Renard: yes,,i wonder sometimes whether there is too much effort put into keep fit and gyms,,where what people proberbly need is a chill out place,,somewhere to meditate
Fefonz Quan: how will the sun get to the lower level gardens?
arabella Ella: well Fefonz ... imagine a fire escape
Fefonz Quan: (sorry for bringing engeneering considerations :))
arabella Ella: just outside a building ... a tall one
arabella Ella: you could use a similar principle
arabella Ella: and after all in countries like the UK or scandinavia they get very little sunshine anyway
Fefonz Quan: like big porshes as garden?
arabella Ella: it is light that is important
arabella Ella smiles
Mickorod Renard: how about roof atriums?
arabella Ella: like what the brits call allotments
arabella Ella: but one for each floor of appartment blocks
arabella Ella: instead of balconies for eg
Metafire Horsley: If it become too expensive then the rental fees of such appartments would be almost as high as those of nice small houses in the suburbs.
Fefonz Quan: agree with metafire,
Mickorod Renard: I suspect money will be a deciding factor
Metafire Horsley: So there wouldn't be a really big advantage of that principle and the idea wouln't really become popular.
Fefonz Quan: instead of going outside the city to live outdoor, built the outdoors in the noisy smoky city...
Mickorod Renard: a public atrium wud be better managed I think
arabella Ella: but remember i said
arabella Ella: that this is a useful idea
arabella Ella: for ppl who live in cities where there is not much space
arabella Ella: like singapore for eg
Mickorod Renard: yes,,its the example that we need to see
Fefonz Quan: maybe you can turn the problem upside down, and helping peopple live outside cities
Fefonz Quan: ok, singapoer is a good example,
arabella Ella: or where i am malta where space is so limited
Mickorod Renard: I have never been there,,whats special about singapoor
arabella Ella: or high rise buildings in suburbs in various countries
arabella Ella: singapore is a very densely populated place
arabella Ella: tokyo is too
arabella Ella: land is expensive
Fefonz Quan: i think what's special is that is very urbanic with many high buildings, and no regions of teh state surrounding it with vacant areas
Mickorod Renard: and hongkong
arabella Ella: and people tend to live in high rise buildings
arabella Ella: yes and hong kong too
Metafire Horsley: I actually like the idea. So maybe in some years the looks of those super crowded cities will change a bit.
Fefonz Quan: but it does extend the area of each appartment, isn't it?
Fefonz Quan: (so instead you can build a big central park in the middle of the city, summing up all the extra land in one place)
Mickorod Renard: yes,,there would have to be a financial interest to someone in the chain
arabella Ella: yes but ... there is another trend i have seen , similar ... but more for upper bracket earners
arabella Ella: which is swimming pools in balconies of appartments
arabella Ella: that could be seen as another weak signal
Fefonz Quan: can you explain why is it called "weak signal"?
arabella Ella: it is a signal
Metafire Horsley: Why not just build zen gardens with stones and such on balconies? They wouldn't really need much light *g*
arabella Ella: which could ... signal ... something which may or may not happen
arabella Ella: yes Metafire that is another brilliant idea
arabella Ella: why not
Fefonz Quan: ok, so the idea is the signak
arabella Ella: yes Fefonz exactly
Fefonz Quan: yes metafire, i have a small kit of zen garden about 20*30 cm ;-)
arabella Ella: but the idea also has the possibility of maybe pointing towards possible future trends
arabella Ella: hey fefonz i have a kit too
Fefonz Quan: cool :)
arabella Ella: with sand and a tiny shovel and some stones ... pebbles
Mickorod Renard: I think in light of world overcrouding issues,,we should find insight into ways of making people want to live together in communities,,rather than everyone becoming seperate
Fefonz Quan: got it for my previous birthday
arabella Ella: cool
arabella Ella: i find mine very relaxing
arabella Ella: and i added a few very old pieces of pottery to it
Fefonz Quan: well, mine is still in the box :-(
arabella Ella: fragments
arabella Ella smiles
Fefonz Quan: keeping the zen from escaping :)
arabella Ella: so your birthday must have been recently
arabella Ella: belated happy birthday fefonz
Fefonz Quan: 9 months ago :)
Mickorod Renard: I have a friend with one,,and i secretly move stuff around to see if she notices
Fefonz Quan: thanks anyway
arabella Ella: LOL
Fefonz Quan: Mick, you wouldn't suspect the exact position matters :)
Fefonz Quan: you just teach her impermanence
Mickorod Renard: /
Mickorod Renard: sorry,,yes?
Fefonz Quan: ?
Mickorod Renard: key bord probs
Mickorod Renard: soon I will have to stamp on each key
Fefonz Quan: like playing a xylophon :0
arabella Ella: may i share another image which came to mind this week?
Mickorod Renard: please
Fefonz Quan: sure go aheaad
arabella Ella: ok ty
arabella Ella: so i enjoy going for walks in the countryside when i have time
arabella Ella: or on rocky beaches too
arabella Ella: and when you walk on rough ground
arabella Ella: you tend to look down not to trip or lose your balance
arabella Ella: but ... at times ... we look up
arabella Ella: while walking on rough ground
arabella Ella: and appreciate ... the presence ... of our Being ... of the whole Being of nature or watever around us
arabella Ella: and each time we look up it arises anew
arabella Ella: does this make sense to anyone here?
Mickorod Renard: Hi Zenon
Metafire Horsley: yeah, it's a beautiful idea to do that :)
Mickorod Renard: yes
arabella Ella: yes especially since each time we look up and around us we realise what we are missing and appreciate the presence even more than we would normally
Fefonz Quan: yes sounds very fresh and exhilirating
Fefonz Quan: i thought you were going to sya that if we don't 'fight' the rough ground, we can walk on it lightly without staring at each step and thus enjoy
Fefonz Quan: the surroundings
Fefonz Quan: say*
arabella Ella: ehrm ... i personally do not like the concept of 'fighting' anything ... not even rough ground
arabella Ella: i prefer to then attempt to improve my sense of balance
arabella Ella: a bit like a cat ... cats have fantastic balance wherever they thread
arabella Ella: just as dancers do too
arabella Ella: or acrobats
arabella Ella: oh hiya Zenon
Fefonz Quan: sure Zenon, see you next time
Mickorod Renard: nice of Zenon to drop by
Fefonz Quan: yep
arabella Ella: yes
Fefonz Quan: i had some thoughts about balance too
Mickorod Renard: yes?
arabella Ella: yes?
arabella Ella listens attentively ...
Fefonz Quan: when i practice Yoga, and they had all kinds off balance postures, mostly on one leg,
Fefonz Quan: I find it much easier to balance on my left leg, which is the weaker one (being right-handed)
Fefonz Quan: So my theory is, that i am so you to do precise and accurate movements with my right side, that
Adelene Dawner: See you all later :)
Fefonz Quan: i try to control the posture very accurately
Mickorod Renard: bye ade
Metafire Horsley: bye Ade
arabella Ella: sounds fascinating Fefonz
Fefonz Quan: but on the left leg, because it is less controlable, it is easier to let go of the 'control' task
arabella Ella: reminds me of when i used to do Tai Chi
Pila Mulligan slips out for Maxine's workshop
Fefonz Quan: and just let it do what it wants
arabella Ella: bye Pila
Pila Mulligan: bye
Fefonz Quan: bye pila
Metafire Horsley: bye Pila
Mickorod Renard: bye Pila
arabella Ella: yes i too find one side easier to balance than the other
Metafire Horsley: That sounds somehow logical, Fefonz.
arabella Ella: but i had never reflected on why that is so
arabella Ella: and yes what you say makes a lot of sense to me
Metafire Horsley: It reminds me of my own experiences with a bit of archery where I noticed that my left arm, which is holding the bow is actually aching more than my right arm. It's just because my left arm has to hold the bow AND compensate the pull of my right arm.
arabella Ella: yes ... cool
Fefonz Quan nods
Fefonz Quan: and connecting that to walking on dificult grounds (or walking at night at nature, when you don't see the path)
arabella Ella: yes
arabella Ella: here we sometimes tend to walk on very spikey rocks
arabella Ella: difficult for balancing
Fefonz Quan: if each step we try to get in advance the correct position, or be 'alert and ready' to stabilize, it's not working so well
arabella Ella: but fascinating too
arabella Ella: especially when we decide to look up and around us
arabella Ella: when we can feel the presence of being
Fefonz Quan: but if we just put our foot forward, more firmly, trusting it to get a good grip, it does a better job
arabella Ella: yes although it takes skill too ... and practice
arabella Ella: just as yoga or tai chi do
Fefonz Quan: (surely not being reckless about it)
arabella Ella: yes
arabella Ella: you cannot afford to be reckless
Fefonz Quan: yes.
Fefonz Quan: think i'll go to the dream workshop, godd to see you mick and ara
arabella Ella: ok bye fefonz
Fefonz Quan: and nice meeting you metafire :)
Metafire Horsley: bye Fefonz
Mickorod Renard: bye fefonz,,be well