Is Bonsai Mirai Live Worth $300/year?

[leatherback]

Yeah, as they say, life is a bitch. Wish you calm seas from now on.

Looking forward to the re-worked tree. Some will say it is good to leave trees alone for a bit and let them do their thing a year or two.

 

[Smoke]

I just ran my fingers thru the foliage and most just fell out. Saved me ten minutes tomorrow

 

[Smoke]

So on what Adair did, if I were to say Adair did the 1/8-1/4 rule, would people understand where that came from and who coined the term?

Nothing! This is truly a disappointment......

 

[Kyleboldy2003]

@Smoke very sorry to hear about your wife and how hard times have been. That sucks bad. The juniper you worked on right before her death is a very nice tree. But i just wanted to say sorry to hear about your wife. Hope everything else is going ok and have a good day. Cant wait to see more pictures of that tree

 

[Sn0W]

You, did it now. Do you understand what I mean? Read your words. tell me what you know that you didn't know. Did you learn a secret that only Mirai followers know. Do you know what fig. 3 is now. I mean this is the mantra; "I know more that I knew before". If you do then you should be able to quantify that with an intelligent response to something you learned from Ryan that you didn't know before.

You guys keep throwing out these talking points but no one wants to talk about it. They just want to recede into their cocoon and hope it goes away.

Shoot me three things that you are sure I have never heard of before. Believe it or not I have watched all the free video's, the larger portion until I just can't watch it anymore. I have watched Ryan in the collection work here in Fresno for two years. I have watched two demo's at GSBF conventions of Ryan's work and believe me he says nothing earth shattering. I have seen Kimura live, Kunio Koyabshi live and Shinji Suzuki right here in Fresno with Walter Pall. Seen Peter Warren and Hagadorn in demo's live and still to this day I have never heard one piece of information that I was able to take home and apply to a tree.

I never claimed I've learnt a secret only Mirai followers will know.

1. How to hook roots in the pot using (What Ryan calls) a Bo Peep hook or a Fish hook.
2. How to propagate junipers through cuttings and wire them with shape ready to grow out to be bonsai
3. How to graft roots on deciduous trees to fill in gaps in the nebari
4. How to graft junipers to put branches where I need them or to switch foliage to a different type
5. How to graft pines again to put branches where I need them
6. How to prepare pots with anchor wires and wooden frames for a tree to be potted
7. How to apply raffia (Do I need to do this at this stage? Not as all and I may never do it as I also learnt how to do it with Vet wrap as taught by Harry Harrington of Bonsai4me
8. How/When to pinch Coastal redwoods (I didn't even own a redwood until recently)
9. Basics of structural wiring
10. Basics of detail wiring

I could continue the list but I don't see the point. I watch a video, I learn something. That's how education works. Does it work this way on everyone? No, some people won't take information in from videos. Is that worth the money to me? Definitely. Is it worth the money to someone like you who knows a lot more than a beginner like me? Probably not. But I'm sure you spent money on books, classes and lectures when you were learning. That's all this is, an updated e-version designed to cater to the masses. I have books too, but I can't read a book whilst I'm working or cooking dinner but I can put on a Mirai video and learn/reinforce something bonsai related. I don't see how anyone cannot answer this question

 

[Vance Wood]

You cannot put a price on inspiration. First the posting of videos gets poo-pooed, understanding that before videos we were groping in the dark. That's OK with sex, but bonsai is a different animal. Inspiration is the force that takes our minds and drives us forward to realize a goal. These on line classes show us how to realize, and accomplish the inspirations the demonstrations give birth to. Is it worth $300? I have seen a lot more money spent on a lot less valuable objects/subjects, but it all comes down to personal value.

 

[Mayank]

.....groping in the dark. That's OK with sex, but.....

LOL

 

[coh]

You cannot put a price on inspiration. First the posting of videos gets poo-pooed, understanding that before videos we were groping in the dark. That's OK with sex, but bonsai is a different animal. Inspiration is the force that takes our minds and drives us forward to realize a goal. These on line classes show us how to realize, and accomplish the inspirations the demonstrations give birth to. Is it worth $300? I have seen a lot more money spent on a lot less valuable objects/subjects, but it all comes down to personal value.

I could easily put together a list of "items" I've learned from the mirai videos but the more important thing is hard to quantify or show with photos. And it is inspiration, as you note. Watching a professional go through the decision making process on a piece of material, especially something out of the ordinary with flaws, is something I find very valuable. As I've said before, watching a mirai video is like no other demo I've seen. Not necessarily because Ryan is any better than any other professional, but because you can see and hear everything he is doing. Unless you're in the front row of a typical demo, you will never see that level of detail (except for the few cases where they use detail cameras to show what is being done on a large screen at the same time).

Now, does he talk too much and go off on tangents and have certain pet words or phrases? Absolutely. But I always say that if most of us were taped while talking we'd find we all have our little quirks that some find annoying.

I will say that I've been watching Bjorn's videos lately and he is also very good. The videos aren't as long or detailed but he is a natural in front of the camera. We're lucky to have so many options.

 

[Vance Wood]

These things make our bonsai better. Over the last ten years the quality of local bonsai has improved. I believe this is because we have access to so much advanced skill and elevated level of talent to watch and realize that we too can do this stuff if we try.. Some of these guys are showing us how the professionals do this stuff and how simple it really is if you do it.

 

[sorce]

These things make our bonsai better. Over the last ten years the quality of local bonsai has improved. I believe this is because we have access to so much advanced skill and elevated level of talent to watch and realize that we too can do this stuff if we try.. Some of these guys are showing us how the professionals do this stuff and how simple it really is if you do it.

Sir, your particularly open minded perseverance is pivotal in your local scene, and well beyond.

I appreciate your modesty, this is to remind you that you will never lose my respect. So we don't "almost" have to disagree sometimes. I can stand near "disagreements" with anyone else. Not you.

I consider you, "the old dog who does new tricks better than these bitch pups".

A man's man and a tree's bonsai artist.

One of few....er. lol! (the smoke clears)

Sorce

 

[M. Frary]

. I also learned how when wiring, when you get out where the needles are, you don’t try to lay the wire on the stem, you make a loose cage of wire around the outside of the needles. I didn’t know that little trick prior to watching the video

Really?
I've been doing that ever since I taught myself to wire.
Hell,I do it on junipers and pines too.

 

[M. Frary]

Really...? You living in a cave?

Just Michigan.
I live in a cave.

 

[leatherback]

Just Michigan.
I live in a cave.

Cool. Caves are cool. In summer. In winter they are warm.
Or so I have been told!

 

[sorce]

@M. Frary you wire like shit! You cant see in a cave!

This guy with the blind kid over the lake calls em vents.

We know what is warm, and coming out of vents!

Snake and chicken Farts!

HAHAHAHAHAHA!

Both the Siberian Elms are doing well and should be ruthlessly repotted this solstice.
And the boxwood in the terracotta spalling pot is gangbusters, the other I pushed too far.

Any dead Boxwood becomes a potters tool from here out, problem is, the one with more wood won't die!

Still Love Smoke Still Miss Mrs.Smoke. Also Super Selfishly.

Sorce

 

[Adair M]

Really?
I've been doing that ever since I taught myself to wire.
Hell,I do it on junipers and pines too.

Er... you’re not supposed to do that with junipers and pines! Lol!!

 

[Smoke]

@M. Frary you wire like shit! You cant see in a cave!

This guy with the blind kid over the lake calls em vents.

We know what is warm, and coming out of vents!

Snake and chicken Farts!

HAHAHAHAHAHA!

Both the Siberian Elms are doing well and should be ruthlessly repotted this solstice.
And the boxwood in the terracotta spalling pot is gangbusters, the other I pushed too far.

Any dead Boxwood becomes a potters tool from here out, problem is, the one with more wood won't die!

Still Love Smoke Still Miss Mrs.Smoke. Also Super Selfishly.

Sorce

Too bad not all of us can retract our words. You always have a way to make my day....

Nobody misses Mrs Smoke the way I do. Losing a wife to cancer and a new girls toes to diabetes is a lot to handle. She had the toes removed last Nov. I stopped posting here in Dec. just too much to do. I do everything, the yard work, the washing the dishes and the cooking and washing the clothes. Put her in the shower, put her pajamas on every night. She has lost so much weight and muscle she weighs 101 pounds and looks like an Ethiopian child. She still can't walk. I'm doing OK considering. Having someone making fun of someone having an amputation is just what I would expect from you.......

 

[sorce]

Without knowing we care you'll still be leaving.

Whatever I have to do make you see you're 10,000 plus loved.

Things were retracted. Maybe that's where all my words go!

If you know what you know you know what I mean and I know you know what I know cuz I wouldn't know most of it if you didn't know it.

I'd rather you put worry into the dumb shit I have to say to you. You know it doesn't kill you!

(they dont have the emoji for this)

Sorce

 

[Smoke]

I have no idea what your saying. Can you just speak english?

for once?

 

[sorce]

I don't believe you or I is an ass.

We are both half an ass.

Together!

.....

Glad it isn't you cuz you'd trip and land on your gun!

We've been right here before.

Why?

After 20 years, I just realized that I read the Sorceress so well, it causes more fights.

Just as she feels"pressured", I tell her she doesn't have to feel pressured, but since she already feels it, she thinks I am trying to convince her against her feelings, she is too dedicated to them.

My Man, I think you are too dedicated to what the shit that's on your plate makes you feel. Let me be your ignorant comic relief.

I'm telling you I been there. My grandma disciplined me balancing on those feet. So forgive me if I don't only see negatives from the situation. I know strength of Woman needs no toes. Strength of Man is knowing this.

We will always be more powerful with you.

Between you and me, I love how confused people are reading this. The weak are flailing.
The others show trees. Watch!

Sorce

 

[Smoke]

Sorce, I owe you an apology, I am in the wrong thread. I found your post, this one, was in a different thread.

I just hope he doesn't have a foot fetish?
My grandma had to have toes amputated due to diabetes.
I hope the new Mrs. Smoke isn't going through this. But if she is, it's good to know this grey haired, big bellied, gun toting motherfucker loves her!
If its him having toes cut off, he should shove them in his tight Fresno County BOOTY hole!
RuffRuff!
Sorce

This is where my pictures should have been.
Going now...I do apoligise for thinking you deleted it.