Mar 30, 2003
the only picture that turned out decent from the get up kids concert. i only took like, 9 shots though, so meh. i accidently took some video footage, but only a second's worth as i thought i was taking a photo. in retrospect, i should have taken a clip or two of the show. it's really pretty cool to have video....darn. next time....next time....
Mar 26, 2003
thestar.com
Cody said Americans are "hypersensitive" to the fact their so-called coalition of the willing is "pretty thin" and could have used the added legitimacy Canadian backing would have given it.
He said American memory doesn't go back to the First World War, when the U.S. waited three years before joining the fight, or the Second World War, when it waited until the Japanese hit Pearl Harbour on Dec. 7, 1941, over two years after the Germans invaded Poland.
"As a matter of fact, sometimes when you hear American political leaders talking about these things, it's as though the world began on Sept. 11, 2001."
Cody said Americans are "hypersensitive" to the fact their so-called coalition of the willing is "pretty thin" and could have used the added legitimacy Canadian backing would have given it.
He said American memory doesn't go back to the First World War, when the U.S. waited three years before joining the fight, or the Second World War, when it waited until the Japanese hit Pearl Harbour on Dec. 7, 1941, over two years after the Germans invaded Poland.
"As a matter of fact, sometimes when you hear American political leaders talking about these things, it's as though the world began on Sept. 11, 2001."
Mar 25, 2003
Mar 24, 2003
Mar 23, 2003
it might be pretty obvious, but i think i'm in a bit of a photography phase. particularly, i'm really digging faux-artsy pretentious abstract photography like the ridiculous close ups of items from my room that i used for the link buttons you see at the top of the page.
i've been so inspired as of late to just go around taking pictures of everything. unfortunately i don't have a digital camera (and i'm too poor and impatient to use regular film). i think i'll steal my parents digicam this weekend when i go home and never give it back....
anyhow, i don't know exactly what it is about photos that really intrigues me. maybe it's the realization that there's art - beauty, to be ridiculously cliche - in everything. Literally, everything. It's just that we never slow down enough, we never pay attention to the details enough to realize it until someone shows up with a photo, and slows it down to a stop for us. Allowing us to analyse, and appreciate a moment, a face, a setting, everything in the world without the hinderence of being in it. Thats why i appreciate pictures of seemingly random things so much. because to you and me, walking by say, a rack of chocolate bars or something.
It's just a rack of chocolate bars you think. you've seen thousands of them. they're everywhere. it's like seeing the sky, or the ground. It's part of the background of life.
But if you take a photo of a rack of chocolate bars, and you look at it, you begin to see things. you see lines. you see patterns, colour. you see beauty in the everyday. and thats just candy! when you take photos of people, and places, and particularly when you capture a moment that is the essence of our world (read - fast, busy, hectic) and just....stop it. and really...really look into it.
what totally blows me away after thinking about this, is that....even in our puny, finite way, we can use photos to appreciate the nuances and meticulous details we walk by everyday.
can you imagine what it must be like for God? to have created this world which we live in - that we can't even begin to fully appreciate, and to see it in a manner which transcends time and space? how much beauty he must see when he looks down at his works? it's boggling, even from a non-religous sense. considering just the metaphysical....
It almost.....ALMOST helps explain why He won't give up on us huh?
i've been so inspired as of late to just go around taking pictures of everything. unfortunately i don't have a digital camera (and i'm too poor and impatient to use regular film). i think i'll steal my parents digicam this weekend when i go home and never give it back....
anyhow, i don't know exactly what it is about photos that really intrigues me. maybe it's the realization that there's art - beauty, to be ridiculously cliche - in everything. Literally, everything. It's just that we never slow down enough, we never pay attention to the details enough to realize it until someone shows up with a photo, and slows it down to a stop for us. Allowing us to analyse, and appreciate a moment, a face, a setting, everything in the world without the hinderence of being in it. Thats why i appreciate pictures of seemingly random things so much. because to you and me, walking by say, a rack of chocolate bars or something.
It's just a rack of chocolate bars you think. you've seen thousands of them. they're everywhere. it's like seeing the sky, or the ground. It's part of the background of life.
But if you take a photo of a rack of chocolate bars, and you look at it, you begin to see things. you see lines. you see patterns, colour. you see beauty in the everyday. and thats just candy! when you take photos of people, and places, and particularly when you capture a moment that is the essence of our world (read - fast, busy, hectic) and just....stop it. and really...really look into it.
what totally blows me away after thinking about this, is that....even in our puny, finite way, we can use photos to appreciate the nuances and meticulous details we walk by everyday.
can you imagine what it must be like for God? to have created this world which we live in - that we can't even begin to fully appreciate, and to see it in a manner which transcends time and space? how much beauty he must see when he looks down at his works? it's boggling, even from a non-religous sense. considering just the metaphysical....
It almost.....ALMOST helps explain why He won't give up on us huh?
Mar 22, 2003
connections with other people seem to happen so rarely.
what determines whether or not you're friends with someone for a year? or a week? or for life? why do you feel compelled to stay in touch with certain individuals and not others? what produces the inate comfort level around some people that doesn't materialize when in the presence of others?
lately i've been analysing my relations with people. it may be partly due to an increase in procrastination from all my essays, but i've been thinking how often we under estimate the value of respect in our friendships. the more i thought about it, the clearer to me it became that to forge life-long friendships, a mutual respect must be shared. an almost utilitarian relation must exist, where both parties are made better by being friends with each other. friendships where you don't just like the person because they're funny, or attractive, or charismatic - but because after stripping all the superficiality away, you are left with a human being who inspires you to be a better person yourself. Who you respect enough to trust, to earnestly take to heart and to hold you accountable.
you simply can't maintain a true, meaningful friendship with someone that you don't respect to your utmost ability. i mean, of course you respect your friends. but when you really think about who you absolutely respect the most....and the respect i'm refering to is the level of admiration essentially. how many friends can you say actually make you a better person? how many friends honestly - totally truly honestly - have influenced who you are at your very core. the way you think, the way you see the world, your goals, your purpose, your ambitions? my guess is that when you really weigh all your answers, you will end up with only a handful of names. the rest perhaps influenced your taste in music, your style of dress, your hobbies and mannerisms. but these are things that change. things that are as changing as the connections from which they were borne.
it's wonderful to consider this, because you realize how really cool it is, and refreshing it is to talk to someone and actually be inspired by them.
it happens so rarely. to be inspired not by what someone is doing, but by who they are. it's so simple. yet...so rare.
what determines whether or not you're friends with someone for a year? or a week? or for life? why do you feel compelled to stay in touch with certain individuals and not others? what produces the inate comfort level around some people that doesn't materialize when in the presence of others?
lately i've been analysing my relations with people. it may be partly due to an increase in procrastination from all my essays, but i've been thinking how often we under estimate the value of respect in our friendships. the more i thought about it, the clearer to me it became that to forge life-long friendships, a mutual respect must be shared. an almost utilitarian relation must exist, where both parties are made better by being friends with each other. friendships where you don't just like the person because they're funny, or attractive, or charismatic - but because after stripping all the superficiality away, you are left with a human being who inspires you to be a better person yourself. Who you respect enough to trust, to earnestly take to heart and to hold you accountable.
you simply can't maintain a true, meaningful friendship with someone that you don't respect to your utmost ability. i mean, of course you respect your friends. but when you really think about who you absolutely respect the most....and the respect i'm refering to is the level of admiration essentially. how many friends can you say actually make you a better person? how many friends honestly - totally truly honestly - have influenced who you are at your very core. the way you think, the way you see the world, your goals, your purpose, your ambitions? my guess is that when you really weigh all your answers, you will end up with only a handful of names. the rest perhaps influenced your taste in music, your style of dress, your hobbies and mannerisms. but these are things that change. things that are as changing as the connections from which they were borne.
it's wonderful to consider this, because you realize how really cool it is, and refreshing it is to talk to someone and actually be inspired by them.
it happens so rarely. to be inspired not by what someone is doing, but by who they are. it's so simple. yet...so rare.
Mar 20, 2003
i was barely concious in front of the tv this afternoon rambling aloud to myself in du and herb's general direction when i realized there's no word for guys when they have affairs with married people. like...women are mistresses....but what are guys?
i sat around in my half dazed state trying to think of a word, but even after looking in the dictionary and thesaurus i still have yet to stumble upon one.
i don't think there IS one.
guys are just.....the other guy. or....bastards.
how odd.
what about... "mancubine"....?
i sat around in my half dazed state trying to think of a word, but even after looking in the dictionary and thesaurus i still have yet to stumble upon one.
i don't think there IS one.
guys are just.....the other guy. or....bastards.
how odd.
what about... "mancubine"....?
Mar 19, 2003
the archives are back up!
ALL of them! i'm amazed! i even recovered the really old ones that i thought i had lost. a good day it has been indeed. and apparently people i don't know stumble onto this site. thats.....a rather hillarious thought. if i saw my web page, i'd probably think i was the biggest dork in the land. speaking of dorks, my essay's a day late already and i've spent the whole day fixing my stupid archives. bah.
oh, and i tacked on a comments feature.
it's pretty tiny, so i don't know if anyone is ever gonna notice it.
but look, at the bottom of the post! there it is!
ooooo....ahhh.....
ALL of them! i'm amazed! i even recovered the really old ones that i thought i had lost. a good day it has been indeed. and apparently people i don't know stumble onto this site. thats.....a rather hillarious thought. if i saw my web page, i'd probably think i was the biggest dork in the land. speaking of dorks, my essay's a day late already and i've spent the whole day fixing my stupid archives. bah.
oh, and i tacked on a comments feature.
it's pretty tiny, so i don't know if anyone is ever gonna notice it.
but look, at the bottom of the post! there it is!
ooooo....ahhh.....
oh my. classic pensive moment captured by ivan here.
thats bri in the white and me in the red.
i like to think we shared a moment here.
as i recall, i THINK this was a staged photo. at least, i hope it was, or you'd think that they'd have the common courtesy to tell me it looks like i wet my own ass before they took a random candid.
yes, good times...good times....
thats bri in the white and me in the red.
i like to think we shared a moment here.
as i recall, i THINK this was a staged photo. at least, i hope it was, or you'd think that they'd have the common courtesy to tell me it looks like i wet my own ass before they took a random candid.
yes, good times...good times....
stole a template and played around with it this morning. thanks to maystar for the original template. it had barbie pictures. which is like...cool.....but uh....perhaps not representative of my interests. anyhow, the link to her site is over there on the right. i haven't figured out how to get my archives working, and as i said before, blogger's being a big pain in the butt, so we'll see how that goes. the essentials are still here, and i guess when i have time to steal the new digicam from my dad i'll throw a new slideshow up. gotta make use of the time we have free before du gets exiled to marriage.
"look at them. smiling, laughing, judging, judging, constantly judging!.....there's still time. she's still 40 feet away"
oh, and begrudgingly i have a guestbook now. keep the insults to a minimum please, i have a fragile psyche.
"look at them. smiling, laughing, judging, judging, constantly judging!.....there's still time. she's still 40 feet away"
oh, and begrudgingly i have a guestbook now. keep the insults to a minimum please, i have a fragile psyche.
Mar 18, 2003
Mar 17, 2003
we're not going to iraq
it seems everyone has an opinion on the impending war. i honestly don't know what the "right" decision is. but i know that i don't want any Canadians losing their lives for a cause they don't believe in with all their hearts. A cause that as a country we are collectively hesitant to back. To sacrifice their lives alongside allies who are there for seemingly dishonest reasons and have repeatedly forged ahead to this war under the false pretense of justice, and worst of all of doing God's will. Who have chosen war over diplomacy while feigning attempts for peace.
i can't say this war is "wrong". i don't know that it is.
but i know i'm glad we're not part of it, and it makes me proud to know our leaders feel the same way.
it seems everyone has an opinion on the impending war. i honestly don't know what the "right" decision is. but i know that i don't want any Canadians losing their lives for a cause they don't believe in with all their hearts. A cause that as a country we are collectively hesitant to back. To sacrifice their lives alongside allies who are there for seemingly dishonest reasons and have repeatedly forged ahead to this war under the false pretense of justice, and worst of all of doing God's will. Who have chosen war over diplomacy while feigning attempts for peace.
i can't say this war is "wrong". i don't know that it is.
but i know i'm glad we're not part of it, and it makes me proud to know our leaders feel the same way.
Mar 16, 2003
just got back from the juliana theory show. i must say i'm sort of dissapointed with it. the venue is small, so it's nice and intimate. unfortunately, it has probably the worst acoustics i've ever heard. this may partially be attributed to a crappy sound tech though, as i swear he had no clue what he was doing. he totally mangled TJT's set, which was a major downer. they played a decent set, but left out a few songs i was hoping they'd play (closest thing, top of the world). so asides from TJT sounding awful and not playing a few of my favourite songs, i guess i could have still considered it a decent night. hopesfall was awful as i expected (i'm not big on unnecessary and arbitrary screaming) and snap-case was alright, but i think they played too long a set, as all the energy they hit the stage with sort of died as the crowd started to get bored towards the end.
also, standing for 4 hours, 1.5 of it outside waiting to get in, and the fact that by butchering TJT's sound the sound techie turned the volume knob up to "painful hangover simulation" my ears are ruined now i think. like, i never thought i'd say this, but it was just TOO LOUD. and if you know me, you know i'm a huge fan of loud, so thats saying a lot....luckily numbness eventually set in....
argh. dissapointing, but i have high hopes for the get up kids show in a few weeks. moneen's one of the openers and i love those guys. plus they're local boys, which make them even cooler. yup. the 28th sure seems far away from now though.....
also, standing for 4 hours, 1.5 of it outside waiting to get in, and the fact that by butchering TJT's sound the sound techie turned the volume knob up to "painful hangover simulation" my ears are ruined now i think. like, i never thought i'd say this, but it was just TOO LOUD. and if you know me, you know i'm a huge fan of loud, so thats saying a lot....luckily numbness eventually set in....
argh. dissapointing, but i have high hopes for the get up kids show in a few weeks. moneen's one of the openers and i love those guys. plus they're local boys, which make them even cooler. yup. the 28th sure seems far away from now though.....
Mar 15, 2003
argh. can't find the new songs:ohia album anywhere.
on the bright side, i managed to snag the new ozma. haven't given it a good listen yet, but at first skim it seems like they've evolved their sound a bit. still extremely ozma (imagine weezer meets...uh....the rentals...and you start to get the idea) but they've definately toned down the smiles and are a bit more moody. passive agressive angst is the dish of the day it seems. as blue album as they used to be, this is a bit more like pinkerton.
either way, they're still weezer circa mid 90's incarnate.
which is cool.
can't wait for the juliana theory show tonight....been on like, a show hunting binge lately. kinda dissapointed i missed the chance to catch hey mercedes over reading week, but tonight and the get up kids show should make up for it.
ah music. where would the world be without you.
on the bright side, i managed to snag the new ozma. haven't given it a good listen yet, but at first skim it seems like they've evolved their sound a bit. still extremely ozma (imagine weezer meets...uh....the rentals...and you start to get the idea) but they've definately toned down the smiles and are a bit more moody. passive agressive angst is the dish of the day it seems. as blue album as they used to be, this is a bit more like pinkerton.
either way, they're still weezer circa mid 90's incarnate.
which is cool.
can't wait for the juliana theory show tonight....been on like, a show hunting binge lately. kinda dissapointed i missed the chance to catch hey mercedes over reading week, but tonight and the get up kids show should make up for it.
ah music. where would the world be without you.
Mar 14, 2003
so i thought i'd see how the communicam works indoors but using natural light. not too bad actually. this is a picture from my desk of the hospital across the street where the old people sleep. i can't help but be paranoid and think there's some crazy old guy with a telescope watching me.......
annnnnyways, i've said too much....
i guess this is my feeble first stab at....uh...communicamography? wow, thats a mouthful. but yea, i think it turned out fairly well all things considering. hm....if i ever bothered to go to class, maybe it'd be interesting to see how beautiful the little things on campus can be. great, now i'm getting all artsy fartsy. ew...
i'm sleepy. hopefully more pics to come?
Mar 13, 2003
do you think it's likely that after a while of hearing yourself sing, you just become desensitized to how awful you sound?
i mean, surely it would explain american idol auditions.
"you're the worst singer in the world"
"i don't think i'm THAT bad"
"please kill me now"
"i don't think i'm THAT bad"
"NEXT!"
"did i make it??"
anyhow, it's just funny, because i like, can't sing for crap. but for some reason, after a while of hearing my own voice, i start to think more and more that hey. i'm not so bad. then like, an hour later, i'll hear my voice again and i'll be like.....yo. i blow. fo sho. like a ho. what da dilly yo?
word.
but yes....so i've been up for like, the oddest 10 hour block you could have, and at 6am this morning me and gabe were at UCC doing basketball drills for fun. then after 2 hours of practice and shooting around, we played for another hour and a half. i think i need a stunt double or something to live my silly daily life, because at this rate, i'm stupiding myself to death.
lets all say it together now:
"silly simon. you're a retard"
there. isn't everyone's day that much better now?
smile!
i mean, surely it would explain american idol auditions.
"you're the worst singer in the world"
"i don't think i'm THAT bad"
"please kill me now"
"i don't think i'm THAT bad"
"NEXT!"
"did i make it??"
anyhow, it's just funny, because i like, can't sing for crap. but for some reason, after a while of hearing my own voice, i start to think more and more that hey. i'm not so bad. then like, an hour later, i'll hear my voice again and i'll be like.....yo. i blow. fo sho. like a ho. what da dilly yo?
word.
but yes....so i've been up for like, the oddest 10 hour block you could have, and at 6am this morning me and gabe were at UCC doing basketball drills for fun. then after 2 hours of practice and shooting around, we played for another hour and a half. i think i need a stunt double or something to live my silly daily life, because at this rate, i'm stupiding myself to death.
lets all say it together now:
"silly simon. you're a retard"
there. isn't everyone's day that much better now?
smile!
Mar 12, 2003
this game amused me for a good half hour
it would be pretty boring were it not for the crazy dutch guy screaming at you the whole time.....hehhehheh.....CLASSIC!
it would be pretty boring were it not for the crazy dutch guy screaming at you the whole time.....hehhehheh.....CLASSIC!
Mar 11, 2003
a while back, ry was telling me about this toronto band called "broken social scene" that i had never heard of (gasp) but was suppose to be really really good.
so i've spent the last like, month, trying to find their album.
and i finally did it earlier tonight.
it took me so long to get it.
between the quest for this album, and stupid midnite challenge, i haven't slept at all tonight and i'm suppose to go play basketball in an hour.
and you know what blows? i saved up SO MUCH MONEY to buy a ferarri 360 modena. and it won't let me buy a supercharger or turbocharger for it!! my WRX was running faster then this stupid ferarri that i saved so much money for! so i sold it right away, crying as i clicked my mouse. unphased, i went over to porche and got myself a slightly cheaper but equally fun porche 911 turbo.
but guess what? NO TURBOCHARGER UPGRADE!
arrrrgh.....
anyhow....enough griping.....
the album (you forgot it in people) is amazing. it actually sounds a lot like the new yo la tengo album if you'd like a gauge of sorts. it's indie-pop bliss. music that you remember, and gets stuck in your head, yet you can have in the background as you study without starting to grate on your nerves after the second run through (my personal test of album quality). i'd go into more detail, but i'm going to try sleeping for 15 minutes.
apparently it's sold at HMV. if i weren't so damn cheap and such an mp3 pirate, i might have heard this album a long time ago. alas, i'm really cheap and i'm a huge mp3 pirate, so it's taken me a few months to track this sucker down and bask in its glory as it mellowly washes over my sleep deprived soul.
according to du, if i attempt uberman sleep for a month, i'll die.
so what harm could two days do right? riiiiight.....to baketball i go.....
so i've spent the last like, month, trying to find their album.
and i finally did it earlier tonight.
it took me so long to get it.
between the quest for this album, and stupid midnite challenge, i haven't slept at all tonight and i'm suppose to go play basketball in an hour.
and you know what blows? i saved up SO MUCH MONEY to buy a ferarri 360 modena. and it won't let me buy a supercharger or turbocharger for it!! my WRX was running faster then this stupid ferarri that i saved so much money for! so i sold it right away, crying as i clicked my mouse. unphased, i went over to porche and got myself a slightly cheaper but equally fun porche 911 turbo.
but guess what? NO TURBOCHARGER UPGRADE!
arrrrgh.....
anyhow....enough griping.....
the album (you forgot it in people) is amazing. it actually sounds a lot like the new yo la tengo album if you'd like a gauge of sorts. it's indie-pop bliss. music that you remember, and gets stuck in your head, yet you can have in the background as you study without starting to grate on your nerves after the second run through (my personal test of album quality). i'd go into more detail, but i'm going to try sleeping for 15 minutes.
apparently it's sold at HMV. if i weren't so damn cheap and such an mp3 pirate, i might have heard this album a long time ago. alas, i'm really cheap and i'm a huge mp3 pirate, so it's taken me a few months to track this sucker down and bask in its glory as it mellowly washes over my sleep deprived soul.
according to du, if i attempt uberman sleep for a month, i'll die.
so what harm could two days do right? riiiiight.....to baketball i go.....
Mar 10, 2003
hehhehheh....
the new terry tate commercial is out.
DID YOU READ YOUR MEMO'S GUNTHER??!!
achtung baby.
the new terry tate commercial is out.
DID YOU READ YOUR MEMO'S GUNTHER??!!
achtung baby.
Mar 9, 2003
wow.
me and herb just watched voices from a distant star and i have to say it's possibly one of the best, if not THE best anime i've ever seen.
(btw, opuszine is one of the best sites on the net for music and indie/foreign film reviews, including anime. they also have a great random links section which leads to many of my hours being wasted. bookmark it now. NOW!)
taken outside the anime box, it stands alone as possibly one of the best written short films i've seen in a long time. It's what every anime should aspire to accomplish, using the powers of limitless creativity to develop and realize a story which only could be made to its full intended potential through animation. In the span of 25 minutes, Voices... manages to develop two characters and a relationship which you can't help but fall for. (read the review for a fuller synopsis. my little rant is just to gush over how great it is)
it's absolutely wonderful. it reminds me a bit of waking life in it's narrative style, which is a testimony to Makoto Shinkai's raw artistry and talent.
storytelling at it's best. find a way to watch it. i'll lend you my burned copy, as i feel you're somehow a deprived individual if you haven't seen this.
me and herb just watched voices from a distant star and i have to say it's possibly one of the best, if not THE best anime i've ever seen.
(btw, opuszine is one of the best sites on the net for music and indie/foreign film reviews, including anime. they also have a great random links section which leads to many of my hours being wasted. bookmark it now. NOW!)
taken outside the anime box, it stands alone as possibly one of the best written short films i've seen in a long time. It's what every anime should aspire to accomplish, using the powers of limitless creativity to develop and realize a story which only could be made to its full intended potential through animation. In the span of 25 minutes, Voices... manages to develop two characters and a relationship which you can't help but fall for. (read the review for a fuller synopsis. my little rant is just to gush over how great it is)
it's absolutely wonderful. it reminds me a bit of waking life in it's narrative style, which is a testimony to Makoto Shinkai's raw artistry and talent.
storytelling at it's best. find a way to watch it. i'll lend you my burned copy, as i feel you're somehow a deprived individual if you haven't seen this.
Mar 8, 2003
why am i still awake at 6:30 in the morning you may ask?
that's a fair question.
ironically (it's a word if i say it is dammit) i've been up reading about 'Uberman sleep'.
it's essentially depriving yourself of REM sleep to the point that your body goes into REM right when you fall unconcious (normaly in a 7-8 hour sleep you get about 1.5 hours of REM). REM is basically when your brain works out all its kinks. without it, we'd all go nuts.
so moving on.....'Uberman sleep' is a cycle where you purposely deprive yourself of REM sleep for a few days until your brain adjusts and goes into it instantly. This allows for the replacing of extended sleep with REM naps of about 15 minutes or so. In theory, this should give you an extra 6 hours of waking time every day. rather attractive no? i mean, i'm already up at 4am every night, i might as well be fully rested and productive.
Traditionally you see, it's believed we are naturally monophasic sleepers. meaning, we rest and sleep in one big sleep in order to get our rest and healing and such. It's believed the same benifits could be gained from sleeping several periods instead of the one though. this is essentially called polyphasic sleep.
would anyone care to delve into an experimental phase of this with me?
if not, and you see talking to invisible people while walking around campus in nothing but my socks....uh...don't laugh too hard. i'm liable to kill you without realizing it.
i realize you all think i'm insane, so i thought i'd provide some information to help persuade you all to join the dark side. like...literally. we'll be up all night.
imagine....6 extra hours a day! think of all the procrastinat....uh....i mean, studying, we could do. yea.....studying....
previous individuals experiences and experiments with Uberman Sleep
story 1
story 2
or you could just look up polyphasic sleep on google. there's a ton of info out there i was surprised to discover.
that's a fair question.
ironically (it's a word if i say it is dammit) i've been up reading about 'Uberman sleep'.
it's essentially depriving yourself of REM sleep to the point that your body goes into REM right when you fall unconcious (normaly in a 7-8 hour sleep you get about 1.5 hours of REM). REM is basically when your brain works out all its kinks. without it, we'd all go nuts.
so moving on.....'Uberman sleep' is a cycle where you purposely deprive yourself of REM sleep for a few days until your brain adjusts and goes into it instantly. This allows for the replacing of extended sleep with REM naps of about 15 minutes or so. In theory, this should give you an extra 6 hours of waking time every day. rather attractive no? i mean, i'm already up at 4am every night, i might as well be fully rested and productive.
Traditionally you see, it's believed we are naturally monophasic sleepers. meaning, we rest and sleep in one big sleep in order to get our rest and healing and such. It's believed the same benifits could be gained from sleeping several periods instead of the one though. this is essentially called polyphasic sleep.
would anyone care to delve into an experimental phase of this with me?
if not, and you see talking to invisible people while walking around campus in nothing but my socks....uh...don't laugh too hard. i'm liable to kill you without realizing it.
i realize you all think i'm insane, so i thought i'd provide some information to help persuade you all to join the dark side. like...literally. we'll be up all night.
imagine....6 extra hours a day! think of all the procrastinat....uh....i mean, studying, we could do. yea.....studying....
previous individuals experiences and experiments with Uberman Sleep
story 1
story 2
or you could just look up polyphasic sleep on google. there's a ton of info out there i was surprised to discover.
you know, i've noticed strangely enough that there seems to be a bit of a pick up in traffic 'round these parts lately. it seems more people for some reason or another have discovered this page of irrational ranting.
i'm hearing the words "i read your blog" more in the last 2 weeks than i have in the last 2 years. which is odd....because in high school i was all for telling the world about my site redesigns and whatnot, but nowadays i sort of just throw all sorts of trippy crap up here because i know everyone who reads this already knows i require institutional help. it's a bit spooky thinking people who think i'm normal are wandering around here and the archives, not-so-slowly realizing i'm a total wierdo.....
anyhow, in the spirit of sharing i suppose, i think i'll share some links i frequent. we're all better off when we're more informed. not necessarily BETTER informed mind you. just.....more. here's a few of my daily clicks:
Harper's index and weekly review provide for some of the most interesting, humorous and obscure information about mostly poltics, but happenings around the world in general. The facts are everywhere if you look hard enough, and Harper's is one of those places that pokes fun at the reality of the situation while presenting it clearly
ever read Vice? It's that free magazine you can pick up at the trendy/bohemian stores along Queen W. and SoHo and stuff. based out of montreal, this little publication is even greater online because you can access an online archive of past issues. there's nothing that perks up my day more then reading the latest do's/don'ts .
here's one of my favourite examples of a classic "don't"...
Just when you’re sitting there thinking, “where the fuck did French Canadians hear that wearing huge women’s earrings is acceptable?” his Mom pops out of the crowd and is like, “Quoi? Aaah une photo!” and jumps in there with her fucking biker shorts on. And then you’re like “Oh.”
i'm hearing the words "i read your blog" more in the last 2 weeks than i have in the last 2 years. which is odd....because in high school i was all for telling the world about my site redesigns and whatnot, but nowadays i sort of just throw all sorts of trippy crap up here because i know everyone who reads this already knows i require institutional help. it's a bit spooky thinking people who think i'm normal are wandering around here and the archives, not-so-slowly realizing i'm a total wierdo.....
anyhow, in the spirit of sharing i suppose, i think i'll share some links i frequent. we're all better off when we're more informed. not necessarily BETTER informed mind you. just.....more. here's a few of my daily clicks:
Harper's index and weekly review provide for some of the most interesting, humorous and obscure information about mostly poltics, but happenings around the world in general. The facts are everywhere if you look hard enough, and Harper's is one of those places that pokes fun at the reality of the situation while presenting it clearly
ever read Vice? It's that free magazine you can pick up at the trendy/bohemian stores along Queen W. and SoHo and stuff. based out of montreal, this little publication is even greater online because you can access an online archive of past issues. there's nothing that perks up my day more then reading the latest do's/don'ts .
here's one of my favourite examples of a classic "don't"...
Just when you’re sitting there thinking, “where the fuck did French Canadians hear that wearing huge women’s earrings is acceptable?” his Mom pops out of the crowd and is like, “Quoi? Aaah une photo!” and jumps in there with her fucking biker shorts on. And then you’re like “Oh.”
Mar 7, 2003
actually.....the more i look at this page, the more i'm bored of it.
once i have some free time, it's time for another major revamp.
it seems like the only thing i go through faster then page designs is basketball shoes.....
anyhow, i don't remember who told me this (i think it was ivan..) but SOMEONE told me that to achieve optimal efficiency and productivity, the best sleeping pattern is to sleep 24 hours, then work 24 hours, and so on and so forth.
i've been thinking about this lately, what with my ridiculous sleeping patterns and all (just look at the time of most of my posts) and i just don't buy it. like, first of all, isn't it extremely hard to sleep 24 hours?
i mean, is it even humanly possible to sleep 24 hours?! my personal record is 18 hours, and even that i generally consider to be 1 part impressive and 2 parts disturbing. plus the circumstances surrounding that coma were unique indeed. how could someone possibly sleep 24 hours every other day? furthermore, wouldn't sleeping all that time make you even more tired? oversleep tends to do that i find, and to be able to work efficiently for 24 hours straight after sleeping a day seems like an absurd proposition to me. i mean....maybe if you're on speed and k or something, but even then i think you'd be much to trippy to sleep at all.
meh. maybe i'll try it one week when i have nothing else to do.
whats the worst that could possibly happen......hm....
once i have some free time, it's time for another major revamp.
it seems like the only thing i go through faster then page designs is basketball shoes.....
anyhow, i don't remember who told me this (i think it was ivan..) but SOMEONE told me that to achieve optimal efficiency and productivity, the best sleeping pattern is to sleep 24 hours, then work 24 hours, and so on and so forth.
i've been thinking about this lately, what with my ridiculous sleeping patterns and all (just look at the time of most of my posts) and i just don't buy it. like, first of all, isn't it extremely hard to sleep 24 hours?
i mean, is it even humanly possible to sleep 24 hours?! my personal record is 18 hours, and even that i generally consider to be 1 part impressive and 2 parts disturbing. plus the circumstances surrounding that coma were unique indeed. how could someone possibly sleep 24 hours every other day? furthermore, wouldn't sleeping all that time make you even more tired? oversleep tends to do that i find, and to be able to work efficiently for 24 hours straight after sleeping a day seems like an absurd proposition to me. i mean....maybe if you're on speed and k or something, but even then i think you'd be much to trippy to sleep at all.
meh. maybe i'll try it one week when i have nothing else to do.
whats the worst that could possibly happen......hm....
Mar 6, 2003
Mar 5, 2003
it seems proboards (the fine folk who provide us with a free message board) moved to a newer, bigger and faster server. yay!
unfortunately, this means it'll take a while for most of our web hosts to find and connect with the changed DNS host.
(in laymans terms, you won't be able to access the board for anytime between a few hours to a day).
unfortunately, this means it'll take a while for most of our web hosts to find and connect with the changed DNS host.
(in laymans terms, you won't be able to access the board for anytime between a few hours to a day).
i played with my camera phone while we waited for pizza hut buffet to open on sunday. (yes, we waited outside for pizza hut to open. we're that gluttonous). the pictures are eerily high quality i have to say. i forsee much more picture taking happening. i'll likely have to open another phantom member account with rogers. the sad part is, the phonecam only works this well in outdoor lighting. i guess that significantly limits my artistic opportunities, but i guess the only times i'm indoor anyways is when i'm at home or in class.
my aspirations for being an imitation lomographer may be possible yet!
so we had one of those crazy theological discussions during mens cell tonight and i'm still trying to wrap my head around it.
i've taken religous philosophy, but really, there are no answers i found that satisfied me. the closest answer being just that - there is no answer that we can understand or that can satisfy us. we cannot begin to comprehend God's will.
but anyhow, we were talking about the whole free-will, God's will, predetermination thing.
see, if our (human kind's) blessing from God is free will, and if God knows everything, then naturally God realizes that some people are going to go to hell. God knows this before He creates them.
which is perplexing in and of itself. why create us if we're destined to be seperated from him eternally? i don't think we can ever know this i guess, but i'm one of those people that needs to think about stuff like this.
furthermore, if God knows the outcomes of our decisions, and he knows whether we will end up in hell or by his side, then do we truly have free will? Chris brought up the fact that knowledge does not translate into will. meaning, just because God knows what we'll choose, it takes nothing away from the fact that we are making our own decisions. He knows we'll choose to turn away, but it's still our free choice.
this.....doesn't sound right to me. at all.
this isn't free will by my definition, and i think, by a logical definition of the phrase. say there are two doors, one is real and blue, and one is a green door that is just a construction built to resemble a door. It doesn't open, because the maker of the door and the path you're on knows that you will never EVER open this door. you will always choose the blue. like people who have double doors at the front of their house. but only one opens. you call the one that opens the "real" door, and the dead one a "fake" door don't you?
the definition of a door is something that opens and leads somewhere right? a door has to open. it has to have another side to it to be a real door. otherwise, it isn't a real door, is it?
so with our decisions in life.....if God knows the outcome of every decision we make, doesn't it mean that we are unable to make a decision other then that in God's knowledge? he is infallible after all.
If God knows who is going to end up in hell, does this mean those people have a chance to go to heaven? no. they can't. because if they end up in heaven, God would be wrong wouldn't he? unless God knew he would end up in heaven. but then it's just vice versa isn't it?
man, i'm totally rambling, but i think i've made my point somewhat clear. the strange thing is, stuff like this hasn't dented my faith. if anything, i've been asking so many questions the last few years, and i'm slowly (agonizingly slowly) beginning to realize some answers. but still. this is the type of stuff i think about when i should be writing about the effectiveness of pressure groups lobbying to influence public policy. wheeeee
i've taken religous philosophy, but really, there are no answers i found that satisfied me. the closest answer being just that - there is no answer that we can understand or that can satisfy us. we cannot begin to comprehend God's will.
but anyhow, we were talking about the whole free-will, God's will, predetermination thing.
see, if our (human kind's) blessing from God is free will, and if God knows everything, then naturally God realizes that some people are going to go to hell. God knows this before He creates them.
which is perplexing in and of itself. why create us if we're destined to be seperated from him eternally? i don't think we can ever know this i guess, but i'm one of those people that needs to think about stuff like this.
furthermore, if God knows the outcomes of our decisions, and he knows whether we will end up in hell or by his side, then do we truly have free will? Chris brought up the fact that knowledge does not translate into will. meaning, just because God knows what we'll choose, it takes nothing away from the fact that we are making our own decisions. He knows we'll choose to turn away, but it's still our free choice.
this.....doesn't sound right to me. at all.
this isn't free will by my definition, and i think, by a logical definition of the phrase. say there are two doors, one is real and blue, and one is a green door that is just a construction built to resemble a door. It doesn't open, because the maker of the door and the path you're on knows that you will never EVER open this door. you will always choose the blue. like people who have double doors at the front of their house. but only one opens. you call the one that opens the "real" door, and the dead one a "fake" door don't you?
the definition of a door is something that opens and leads somewhere right? a door has to open. it has to have another side to it to be a real door. otherwise, it isn't a real door, is it?
so with our decisions in life.....if God knows the outcome of every decision we make, doesn't it mean that we are unable to make a decision other then that in God's knowledge? he is infallible after all.
If God knows who is going to end up in hell, does this mean those people have a chance to go to heaven? no. they can't. because if they end up in heaven, God would be wrong wouldn't he? unless God knew he would end up in heaven. but then it's just vice versa isn't it?
man, i'm totally rambling, but i think i've made my point somewhat clear. the strange thing is, stuff like this hasn't dented my faith. if anything, i've been asking so many questions the last few years, and i'm slowly (agonizingly slowly) beginning to realize some answers. but still. this is the type of stuff i think about when i should be writing about the effectiveness of pressure groups lobbying to influence public policy. wheeeee
Mar 4, 2003
so i was walking through the library today, and i saw this photocopier just spewing out copies and no one was around.
upon closer inspection, the copier was making 64 copies of lined paper with the following written on it:
to those who don't know better
to those who just don't know
to those who care to lend a hand
to those who could care less
and a large drawing underneath it of a slice of swiss cheese.
i'm not sure what it meant, but i believe i will interpret it as this:
drinking expired milk is like, totally not cool.
upon closer inspection, the copier was making 64 copies of lined paper with the following written on it:
to those who don't know better
to those who just don't know
to those who care to lend a hand
to those who could care less
and a large drawing underneath it of a slice of swiss cheese.
i'm not sure what it meant, but i believe i will interpret it as this:
drinking expired milk is like, totally not cool.
Mar 3, 2003
i don't know if i've ever posted three days in a row before.
have i? i'm not sure. it may be some sort of record.
anyhow, i'm all self concious about what i throw up here now.
why? because my roomates think i'm a manic depressive or something. thats right. you. the two fools reading this right now.
yea, i'm talking about you.
am i really that bad? i mean sure.....my occasional "life is meaningless" post and vague allusions to deep rooted self-esteem issues may seem at first like indications that i require some sort of psychological therapy, and the fact that when you two sleep at night i have to contain my nervous twitching and the voices in my head from taking over and killing you in your beds, but who hasn't gone through that here and there? i mean really, lets be honest here.
if ANYONE needs an intervension, it's duane. why? because my dear boy, rape and love are simply not the same thing.
oh. wait. interVENSION. i thought you said toddler booty. whats so good about it? "it's easy?" DAMN STRAIGHT.
ok, now you officially think i'm crazy. my job here is done. wrap your heads around THIS one you bums. try and analyze ME.....
*slowly falls asleep on floor in fetal position while still muttering to myself*
anyhow, i've been reading other people blogs. like, some people i know and some people i only know OF. and man. my blog is friggin boring. so i've decided i'm going to do two things, one of which may only further cement the 'simon has lost it' theory.
i'm going to start doing more things then watching basketball.
i'm going to start making things up.
yes, you heard me. i'd like to see you try and figure out what parts of my life are real. huh? not up to it you say? WUSS.
i'm gonna start lying from now on. maybe it's tomorrow, maybe it's right now and i'll never lie. thats for you to figure out. c'mon. what you got, BITCH?
sleepy makes me dumb. and profane, apparently.
I'M GOING TO AFRICA!
have i? i'm not sure. it may be some sort of record.
anyhow, i'm all self concious about what i throw up here now.
why? because my roomates think i'm a manic depressive or something. thats right. you. the two fools reading this right now.
yea, i'm talking about you.
am i really that bad? i mean sure.....my occasional "life is meaningless" post and vague allusions to deep rooted self-esteem issues may seem at first like indications that i require some sort of psychological therapy, and the fact that when you two sleep at night i have to contain my nervous twitching and the voices in my head from taking over and killing you in your beds, but who hasn't gone through that here and there? i mean really, lets be honest here.
if ANYONE needs an intervension, it's duane. why? because my dear boy, rape and love are simply not the same thing.
oh. wait. interVENSION. i thought you said toddler booty. whats so good about it? "it's easy?" DAMN STRAIGHT.
ok, now you officially think i'm crazy. my job here is done. wrap your heads around THIS one you bums. try and analyze ME.....
*slowly falls asleep on floor in fetal position while still muttering to myself*
anyhow, i've been reading other people blogs. like, some people i know and some people i only know OF. and man. my blog is friggin boring. so i've decided i'm going to do two things, one of which may only further cement the 'simon has lost it' theory.
i'm going to start doing more things then watching basketball.
i'm going to start making things up.
yes, you heard me. i'd like to see you try and figure out what parts of my life are real. huh? not up to it you say? WUSS.
i'm gonna start lying from now on. maybe it's tomorrow, maybe it's right now and i'll never lie. thats for you to figure out. c'mon. what you got, BITCH?
sleepy makes me dumb. and profane, apparently.
I'M GOING TO AFRICA!
Mar 2, 2003
wow. technology is so cool.
i remember wanting a webcam so bad a while back, and now this dinky little camera that attatches to my cell phone takes excellent quality photos in outdoor lighting.
crazy.
i hope by the time i have a job, someone invents the star trek food maker thingy. mmmm....instant food.....
i remember wanting a webcam so bad a while back, and now this dinky little camera that attatches to my cell phone takes excellent quality photos in outdoor lighting.
crazy.
i hope by the time i have a job, someone invents the star trek food maker thingy. mmmm....instant food.....
reading week came and went rather quickly.
it's always a bit of a letdown having to return to school.
it's like western is the "real world", which is ironic, because i know that in actuality it's probably the last sheltered existence i'll get to live.
i suppose i can't freeload forever. it's true....it's true.
the whole concept of blogs leads me to wonder if we (society on a whole) have a problem with communication? i mean, certainly it must be concluded that the massive appeal of blogs is that people pour their souls out into these things. they details their lives, they divulge their deepest thoughts, fears, emotions. It's a journal, a best friend. It's somewhere they can just put everything inside into words, and the comfort lies not in sharing all this to people. but simply that you MAY be sharing this with people.
bloggers tend to share things on their site, intimate things which they normally wouldn't share in person, or in a real conversation. so why do so many find solace in blogging? are we truly so devoid of contact with others? with enough connections that we are left emotionally unsatisified, only to have our thirst for confessions and venting sated by the anonymous ranting of our websites? to hide behind the fact that we can reveal our vulnerablilities without doing so in person, and thus retaining a semblance of mystique?
if so, it really has to get you thinking. why can't we share these thoughts in person with our friends? why is it easier to talk about this stuff to dozens, or even hundreds of acquaintances and strangers?
maybe we'd all be a bit more emotionaly stable if we'd just let people in a bit more, instead of being so guarded. the world has taught us to be cynical. to expect the worst. to protect ourselves from being taken advantage of at every corner, because if we allow it to happen, it will happen quickly and often. That everyone is out to get you, and it's everyone for themselves.
this is true to a extent i guess.
but conversely, what good is putting up impenetrable exteriors when we're dead inside?
it's always a bit of a letdown having to return to school.
it's like western is the "real world", which is ironic, because i know that in actuality it's probably the last sheltered existence i'll get to live.
i suppose i can't freeload forever. it's true....it's true.
the whole concept of blogs leads me to wonder if we (society on a whole) have a problem with communication? i mean, certainly it must be concluded that the massive appeal of blogs is that people pour their souls out into these things. they details their lives, they divulge their deepest thoughts, fears, emotions. It's a journal, a best friend. It's somewhere they can just put everything inside into words, and the comfort lies not in sharing all this to people. but simply that you MAY be sharing this with people.
bloggers tend to share things on their site, intimate things which they normally wouldn't share in person, or in a real conversation. so why do so many find solace in blogging? are we truly so devoid of contact with others? with enough connections that we are left emotionally unsatisified, only to have our thirst for confessions and venting sated by the anonymous ranting of our websites? to hide behind the fact that we can reveal our vulnerablilities without doing so in person, and thus retaining a semblance of mystique?
if so, it really has to get you thinking. why can't we share these thoughts in person with our friends? why is it easier to talk about this stuff to dozens, or even hundreds of acquaintances and strangers?
maybe we'd all be a bit more emotionaly stable if we'd just let people in a bit more, instead of being so guarded. the world has taught us to be cynical. to expect the worst. to protect ourselves from being taken advantage of at every corner, because if we allow it to happen, it will happen quickly and often. That everyone is out to get you, and it's everyone for themselves.
this is true to a extent i guess.
but conversely, what good is putting up impenetrable exteriors when we're dead inside?
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