Langsam, Mensch...

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I do love a bit of slow media content. In an age of YouTube shorts that tantalise more than they satisfy, forcing one into a feedback loop of not-quite-satisfaction, reminiscent of a hypnotised pigeon paralysed into supine inaction by a semi-sadistic handler proving their own 'superiority' over the bemused creature; it's gratifying to see that there are still people out there who don't like to be rushed into, well, anything, and like to communicate that sentiment to the rest of us. In an age of adrenalin-rush short-termism, these creators are a welcome bulwark against the bullshit-mongers.

In tonight's post I'd like to offer these two examples of slow-time explication, one old, one new; and both centred around the making of smoking pipes. As I've written before, I've recently taken up - in a modest way - smoking the odd pipe or two of tobacco, late in the evening, inspired by a couple of Americans who visited us this summer [blog posts passim]. You need to allocate almost a feature films-worth of time to view these two pieces, but pour a glass of wine or three, even take a pipe of tobacco or two, and savour real craftsmanship in the service of simple human pleasure: it's worth the chill...

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