Subject:

Brain observations: I'm sleepier at night and waking up earlier in the a.m. this week. I also feel more calm and subjectively "aware". Cyclical versus placebo effect versus early neurofeedback effect.

Music observation: Gang of Four's remakes album Return the Gift is surprisingly good. You wouldn't expect some guys redoing songs they did 20+ years ago to be a good idea but they did a fine job. Most of the songs are improved, and the production is just to my taste.

My cat is ill. I think she just has a cold. It's weird hearing a cat cough.

Some hacker DIY folks have created an open source EEG hardware and software project. Sounds pretty cool, especially for use in poor countries where you can't just order a $5000 piece of equipment. Of course, they're also doing home experimentation on their brains, which may also be very cool. In case it isn't, they have a hilarious/terrifying disclaimer warning on their site. Dude, you hacked your brain and it, like, fell out.

The Beethoven Late Quartets are probably the most grown-up music that I've ever loved this much.

I still want a do over. More than anything else, that's what I want. Of course that's impossible.

Halloween costume problem solved

nihilistic_kid's story of his train trip has given me the character I need to be if I actually go to a Halloween party this year. And I quote:

In the dining car I met this man whose mental problems would have been fairly obvious even if he hadn't been wearing a shirt with an envelope pinned to it. On the envelope was scrawled the message OPEN IF UNRESPONSIVE. At one point, he hesitated a second while trying to decide between a Sierra Mist and an orange juice, and the cashier and I shared a nervous look that said "Holy shit, should we open the envelope?!" but then he decided. I guess he didn't take longer than anyone else would with his choice either, but the envelope invites overreaction. It would be odd if someone does have to open it one day and inside there's a note that reads "SIERRA MIST."

He put his disease in me

David Lynch is doing a medicine show tour for the TM people with a stop in my town. Lynch is a great film director and a fascinating weirdo, and just watching him talk is a delight. I can't stand TM, though.

Meditative techniques I think are awesome. Transcendental Meditation®, though, was the original expensive New Age cult that sold basic meditation through an authoritarian hierarchy. It faded from public notoriety after the 1970s but a core group carried on. Most notably, a physicist named John Hagelin ran for president in 2000 as the candidate of the "Natural Law Party", which is a TM creation. Hagelin believes that world problems like war and terrorism must be solved by broadcasting peace consciousness from our brains while gathered in large peace-causing assemblies that will send loving energies everywhere. The best part of this is that it's accomplished by "Yogic Flying" which is done by hopping into the air while sitting cross legged. His other plans for saving the nation and the world include legislating Vedic architecture for all buildings to bring us into harmony with Natural Law.

The Maharishi himself recently excommunicated the entire country of England from training and support because he... ...didn't like them. He is meanwhile planning a Peace Palace on a couple of islands off Nova Scotia that he recently bought.

I think David Lynch is a cool guy. I love his movies. I'm honored to have been the guy who took dictation for his comic strip 20 years ago. But I can't go to this lecture. It's like Tom Cruise shilling for Scientology almost. Sticks in my craw.

America's Next Top Muggle

1. The Themis page at ASU has some totally awesome don't miss Mars images.
   
   
2. UFO CATTLE ABDUCTION AUUUIIIGGGH short quicktime movie via adjab.
   
   
3. Happy Halloween from Pillsbury: mummy or penis? You make the call. Also via adjab.
   
   
4. From a paper and pen site: HOWTO improve your handwriting. I think mine is beyond help.
   
   
5. Edgar Allan Seuss (via Exploding Aardvark and robot wisdom).
   
   
6. News Flash: Deepak Chopra is still an overinflated idiot.
   
   
7. In the middle of this, an environmental organization's fundraising company telemarketed me and refused to communicate with me by mail instead because "that's bad for the environment". They have no email list and therefore I had myself removed from their call list. Brilliant, guys. Now back to the links.
   
   
8. Pharyngula points me to the truly amazing cartoonist Nina Paley! You should go there too! I especially like her 1920s/blues musical ramayana riff Sita Sings the Blues.
   
   
9. Gigabit internet from balloons. I said, GIGABIT INTERNET FROM BALLOONS!
   
   
10. Don't fuck with rodents. They're tougher than you and they may be smarter.

mp3 du jour: Yo Butt Ain't Made for That

This is being passed around a lot. This preacher starts in against today's independent women and then completely loses his shit. I won't spoil it further.

Yo Butt Ain't Made For That! (750K .mp3)

coal bear

The new Stephen Colbert show has an rss feed which is syndicated at colbert_feed.