by James | Jul 3, 2012 | Exploration I
What balance of time will there be between duties, research, training and leisure?
It should be as much as possible a balance between work and pleasure with exercise simply being considered as part of a daily routine. Regular sabbaticals and times of relaxation and mindfulness should punctuate the working day, week and year and these should be considered as mandatory as physical exercise.
Consistent over-workers should be closely observed to ensure they aren’t destroying themselves out of some perceived obligation; However, some people are workaholics and passionate about what they do, as long as it isn’t detrimental to their performance and health making people relax should be seen as a guideline not an enforcible standard. Work can remain a static amount but shifted between personal research, training and duties.
Study time should also be factored in outside of normal working hours. Regularly, say, every 2 years, members should take at least a month long holiday travelling and absorbing other cultures. Or a quiet retreat to friends and family, a long sojourn in a private retreat. The vacation or retreat would be subsidized by the community and the only rule is that the holiday must recorded and a journal be written of things learnt, This will then be placed into the communities library / wiki / openstreetmap e.t.c. Every map and experience will in this way help add to the whole.
by James | Jun 27, 2012 | Exploration I
What do members do?
Primarily, members research, study, teach and practise their skills as much as possible. On top of this they will have additional duties for the benefit of the community as a whole and physical and mental training as part of their daily routines.
Duties will comprise of community chores like farming, laundry, lab work, cooking. Elected duties such as administrating departments, regulatory matters, community decisions and contractual duties – using ones skills for external groups, peer reviews of studied papers, working on community software and open source educational tools.
There should be a balance between reason, aesthetic and physical conditioning to create well balanced individuals.
[note:These ideas are developed much more in later posts, including specialised positions and methods of electing officials etc.]
by James | Jun 18, 2012 | Life
So I’m still on holiday here in Lisbon, hence the lack of posts in any regard or work towards any of my projects. Still, considering all the plans I have for the upcoming few months having a holiday now is much better than trying to have one later.
Lisbon is as great as I remember it, although I’m in a very different part of town called Alfama. It’s the oldest part of Lisbon and sadly, it looks it. Despite the crumbling buildings it’s well worth visiting, listening to Fado (traditional Portuguese music and eating Sardines, chilling out at the castle. Also it’s different being here with a girlfriend we’ve done very different things and I’ve seen stuff I probably would have missed by myself.
On that note if you get a chance, go to the zoo! It’s a fantastic one, lots of animals in nice habitats; dolphin and seal shows. Very impressed.
Right off to enjoy our last day shopping and chilling out before coming back to Toulouse for an extreme amount of work. Plus we have to leave around 4 in the morning just to get the flight… Arrghh.
by James | Nov 5, 2011 | Exploration I
In an ideal system, all people should work on what they are passionate about and share the chores they hate; however, this doesn’t occur in any sufficiently complex society or community. People must perform duties or work in necessary but unpleasant situations for the community’s good. The problem in larger groups is that these chores can become the sole responsibility of a single group, creating tension. In respect of this, the community must have some framework in place to share general tasks.
Regular routines such as exercise, meditation, study, training, waking, and sleeping times and a clear rotation of chores such as cleaning, cooking, and laundry, should be shared equally amongst all members and all levels of hierarchy within the community. To build equality and also a sense of communal connectivity daily.
