Speaking of keys, my W key has been broken for several weeks. It isn’t attached to my laptop, but rather just floats there, ready to be knocked free or shift enough that it’s a hassle to type. It’s been an annoyance that has reminded me of the value of every last letter. How does one type questions without a W? Who, what, when, where and how are just gone.
I’m having some vanilla cola and some honey dijon kettle chips, in case you were wondering. It’s a last hurrah for my more indulgent eating habbits (not that there’s anything particularly bad about the Kettle chips, delicious and natural as they are). This week will be the end of my sweet tooth’s reign over my intake and another transformation of my lifestyle to get an ILP in swing.
Sugar has long been a big part of my life for a long while. I’ve always had a terrible sweet tooth, and that’s lead me to consuming more sweetness than would be best. So from here on out I won’t be drinking straight maple syrup by the mugful. Okay, just a couple times a year. I’ll make a conscious effort to limit the amount of sugar-rich foods I eat and be mindful of that element of my diet. A weekly bottle of Jones can stay, but much of the rest will be weened.
A year ago I became a vegetarian, one of the changes in my life I’m most glad I made. It’s been a year of change that goes far beyond that dietary choice, but I think it’s symbolic of my momentum. It’s been surprising to see the reactions of people when they learn I’m a vegetarian, especially those who know me when I was young, because I was a big fan of meat when I was growing up; I’d have consumed only steaks some days if I’d been allowed. More than just not eating animal parts, I think the mindfulness about food has been rewarding. Along with vegetarianism I’ve gained an appreciation for diversity in foods; ethnic and experimental foods have become a bigger part of my diet as a result.
This past week I discovered my favourite pop album so far this year. Matthew Sweet and Susanna Hoffs will be releasing the sublime Under The Covers, Vol. 1 next month, just in time for a spring and summer that’ll bring all the good of the sixties’ sound to bear on my headphones. The album is a collection of covers of both obscure and well known songs from the 60’s (and one abnormality from the 70’s) recorded as a amalgamation of Matthew and Susanna’s styles with a reverence for the originals. “Cinnamon Girl” and “Different Drum” are my two favourites at the moment. It’s beautiful, all you really need to know.
After listening to them at Integral Naked, the people behind Viking Youth Power Hour have become some of my internet heroes. They produce a weekly podcast during which they chat about some facinating topics in the manner I’ve had the best conversations among friends in my living room. It definitely has a free and casual vibe, but the vikings do their homework and present a diverse and often hilarious hour of talk, counter-culture and realness. Oh, and their slogan is badass; “Quit dreaming like a pussy!”
Have you ever looked at just how subjective our experiences are? Time is one of the most obvious of these. As Einstein said, “A man sits with a pretty girl for an hour, it seems like a minute. He sits on a hot stove for a minute, it’s longer than any hour. That is relativity.” How to Stop Time is an experiment in manipulating our sense of time in a way to demonstrate its subjectivity. Give it a try and maybe you’ll be moved to be as curious about our consciousness as I am.
I’ve been using binaural beat biofeedback for several months now and I’ve been curious about experiementing with binaural beats in other ways. I was pleasantly surprised to learn about SBaGen, a freeware program that creates binaural beats. I’m especially interested in the dream-recall aspect, since I remember very few of my dreams. I’ll approach it with care, but definitely give it a try soon.