liambesaw

@liambesaw are those mugs in a damp box of sorts?

Mugs mugs mugs.  Gonna do another 45 this week and then work on some other things.  Been chasing around a teapot idea for a while so we will give that a shot.  In the meantime, mugs mugs mugs

I want to say something about language. It is essentially ingrained & inherited from how and where and with whom we grew up and hung out with.  When someone like me (old school NY street life) says things like "look, pal", or a southern waitress  calls me "sweetie or dearie", we are not name-calling. It is just habitual expressiveness that has not been willfully changed. I used to say "F- this and  F-that, you M'rFk'r (which is now more commonly expressed  as mofo--go figure!)  repeatedly, every sentence, non-stop. And I could not stop--had no reason to, and then when I did have a reason to, it was rough.  I had to be taught how to change my world view, my stance in the world, and my mouth. I had to--painfully, I might add--practice, practice, practice, literally for years until I could speak like a decent mainstream person in a variety of settings and communities. 
Most of us have a working brain-it is not about having the smarts, even tho using certain language can make one look stupid, or aggressive, etc..  The waitress saying "Can I get you more coffee sweetie" and me saying "Look, sister, I'm not your sweetie" are really the same thing. Except it sets us worlds apart (like different cultures around the globe) , and maybe at odds with each other, as I think she's of low intelligence and she thinks I'm a biker's broad.  
So with all due respect to everyone---I see nothing in this thread that is less than civil. I hope that as group members, we are not being required by moderators to  become hyper-vigilent and super-sensitive about what we say or how we say it (or how Lee writes stuff-which is quite hard to reign in from my natural style-seriously). I hope there is some reasonable wiggle-room, so we can be "who we are".
If someone is offended, I trust they can speak up for themselves and with private messaging, we can usually work it out. If it is perceived as offensive and ongoing, we can report it to a moderator and they can handle it politely and privately. When it can't be worked out, either the offender or the offended will leave the group. Isn't it partly how things were said (and badly misinterpreted, in my opinion) that provoked the loss of some great foundational members/mentors/experts not all that long ago?  Compassion & respect are as perceived,  as delivered and as received; they not always clear absolutes that are identifiable by all as such, on both the delivering and receiving ends.  Lee's rant of the day-or, to put it in a more paletable form, just some food for thought. 

Mugs mugs mugs.  Gonna do another 45 this week and then work on some other things.  Been chasing around a teapot idea for a while so we will give that a shot.  In the meantime, mugs mugs mugs

As a person of Korean heritage, I wholeheartedly endorse every word of the blog post.
I also get raging mad when people use the term “wasi sabi” to describe something that is simply a poorly made pot. This is the heart of the matter for me. Asian cultures involve a culturally required politeness. We are programmed not to confront, or to express our offense. In my life, I've met many non-Asians who misinterpret this as approval, and somehow manage to extend the misinterpretation as “lower standards,” and  take advantage of it, 
I appreciate her mention of Euan Craig as an example of someone who would never call his work “wabi sabi.”
I don’t think she’s being vitriolic at all. She is offended, and expressing it with reasoned and tempered words. Maybe if more Asian people would stop holding their tongues, and express their offense, it wouldn’t seem vitriolic. 

Nice!  We finally got some good days of weather and I finally got a little better hold on my settings.

It's hard for English speakers to interpret concepts that have a name.  There's nothing special about words here as a concept so it can be hard for us to understand the big deal about using a word (or phrase).  And someone Japanese probably has the same difficulty understanding why westerners are so careless with the words they use.  Lost in translation is a great phrase because there are concepts that are hard to explain with words, and feelings and whatnot.  Japanese is really cool, they have stuff like onomatopoeia for textures and feelings and stuff, it's way beyond comprehension for me, I just try to sit back and enjoy.  My wife is Japanese and I get to hear about the misuse of words a lot, she kind of understands now and can see it from the western side, our words don't carry the same brevity and we use them like they're free.
I liked her article, but I think she could have done a better job of explaining why it makes her so angry.

lol figures.  Still, $125 isn’t terrible.   Thanks
 

Mugs mugs mugs.  Gonna do another 45 this week and then work on some other things.  Been chasing around a teapot idea for a while so we will give that a shot.  In the meantime, mugs mugs mugs

Wow great!  Thanks

Wow great!  Thanks

if i am still around in 5 years, i will be 83.   i have a small pension and social security.   the control of neither is entirely in my hands so the future is very hard to see clearly.   i would like to  put a small apartment upstairs over my studio to turn into an Airbnb.   i can hope to do that but need cash to build it.   maybe i can get on wheel of fortune and luck out.   that's the only way i see to get the $50, 000 to do it. 
so, if i am still around, i hope i can still enjoy the sunshine every time i see it and the beauty of the natural world as well as making useful things in clay.

I was just trying to say that mark loves what he does every day, and has made a life of it.  As a Potter he has a pretty special opportunity to "retire" from maybe the grind of soap dishes and coffee mugs, and just make what he likes instead.  
I mean... Pottery is what a lot of the retired folks here have decided to focus on in retirement, so I stand by it, there's plenty of time to retire when you expire.

I was just trying to say that mark loves what he does every day, and has made a life of it.  As a Potter he has a pretty special opportunity to "retire" from maybe the grind of soap dishes and coffee mugs, and just make what he likes instead.  
I mean... Pottery is what a lot of the retired folks here have decided to focus on in retirement, so I stand by it, there's plenty of time to retire when you expire.

My 5 year goal is to be making more money from pottery than I do from my day job.

Nice photo -just do not send it to a juried show

Nice!  We finally got some good days of weather and I finally got a little better hold on my settings.

Nice!  We finally got some good days of weather and I finally got a little better hold on my settings.

I took them outdoors today because it was cloudy, I think this one is a little better
 

Nice!  We finally got some good days of weather and I finally got a little better hold on my settings.

Nice!  We finally got some good days of weather and I finally got a little better hold on my settings.

I feel like most cultures beyond american view this as flattery.  I know that the Japanese and Korean do.  I'm generally speaking here, but it's tourism culture in Japan to wear a kimono or participate in a tea ceremony.  I feel like it's the same thing.  Think about if you had to adhere to a certain American culture in your pottery because you're beholden to your culture.  I think it would be pretty boring and close minded.  I have seen italian videos of majolica demonstrations where they are happy to share their method and culture.  
I feel like the culture wars that are popular right now involve a vocal minority and dont truly represent popular opinion.  That said, appropriating culture is a hot issue right now, and my thoughts are all about intent.  If you're making something to purposely shortchange a culture or profit specifically on that, I don't think that's appropriate.  However if you're developing a personal style that draws inspiration from a culture, I don't think that is the same.  Basically if your intent is exploitation, bad.  If your intent is to create beautiful things, how can it be wrong.

I took them outdoors today because it was cloudy, I think this one is a little better
 

I took them outdoors today because it was cloudy, I think this one is a little better
 

I took them outdoors today because it was cloudy, I think this one is a little better