James Gourlay
JimFireSmall.jpg

Friction fire-lighting on a rare dry day in Wales.


About Me

Name: James Gourlay

I love to improvise, to make do and mend and figure things out for myself - even if this means doing things the hard way. In any week I may find myself programming, catering or teaching in the woods, I find these are complementary. Its the connection between things, people, ideas that fascinate me.


Interests

  • Improvisation in every sense I can imagine
  • Wilderness Living - I currently teach bushcraft courses in UK, amongst other things.
  • Linux - allows me to get the most value out of the computer experience
  • Solo world travel on a shoestring - couch surfing, hitch-hiking or ridesharing
  • 1970s How-to books - I collect them, and have been fortunate to meet some of their authors
  • Sailing, Yoga, massage, cookery - especially of wild foods


Appropedia and Me

What a great resource, I stumbled across Arcata, CCAT and Appropedia while hitch hiking up the coast several years ago, got totally inspired and hope to give something back.

Experience

I developed a load- sharing router to provide WiFi based access to areas of rural Wales Patented a tamper-evident seal, sold it, bought a sailboat, sold it, travelled around the world Taught courses on bushcraft and survival skills to diverse groups

Qualifications

  • Postgrad Diploma from Centre for Appropriate Technology, Wales, UK in Architecture: Advanced Environmental & Energy Studies
  • Software Engineering B.Eng (Hons), University of Wales, Aberystwyth.
  • Wilderness Trauma First Response
  • Certified yoga teacher, various massage modalities.

Favorite Quote

"A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly. Specialization is for insects."

-Robert A. Heinlein

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