Resounding sanity amidst frustration (day 248)

Leila tried using the Sony TG1s with the digi-dat remote but she said it was highly frustrating to have to wait for the moment where the initial sync is less than 1ms.  It breaks all spontaneity and creates a lot of tension when trying to get a good shot.  She was shooting a soccer game with 10 minute periods so fiddling with the cameras for 5-6 minutes was too frustrating to be worth it.  She did get some footage but we didn't have time to look at it today.  In any case, it looks like we'll have to find another solution, or other cameras that are better synced than the ones we have.  We do have the Silicon Imaging cameras but are still waiting on the field recorder.  Hopefully we'll have it soon and can use the setup during the residency.  Time is getting tight but hope lives on. 

We also tried to make the singing bowl resonate without being struck.  Miles used a piezo vibrating at the same frequency as the bowl (~457 Hz).  The results were interesting but not as successful as we'd hoped.  The bowl would resonate a little bit at some specific spots but not to the point of giving the rich sound of stroking or striking the bowl.  Miles will keep working at it.  It's possible we could use a mix of vibrations or some kind of amplifier to create the effect we're seeking.

Lastly, today I came across this interview with Father Miguel D'Escoto, former President of the United Nations. I had never seen or heard him speak before.  Sometimes the strength and sanity of older humans are awe-inspiring.  Miguel D'Escoto has that awe-inspiring quality.  I think there is a lot of truth in what he is saying about the way we name things to normalize them.  We name wars and they become crusades.  We name groups of people getting killed and we forget they were ever individuals.  I also liked the way he talked about being unashamed to stand up for 'Mother Earth'.  It is not us that are insane.  We should care. 

A song for this post.

Experiment of a benign addict (day 17)

It's official, I am now off caffeine. I quit primarily because I was tired of not having the choice of skipping the coffee unless I was ready to deal with the headache that inevitably would surface roughly six hours later. The move was prompted by my usual supplier of coffee beans not having my favourite beans to sell for days in a row. After a while I started feeling like an addict showing up and sheepishly asking for the beans. And some mornings I would wake up late and be resentful that I couldn't just skip the coffee to gain some time. I know this is a ritual for most adults in this culture and certainly I love the joe but there was this moment where I started feeling ridiculous for being so directed by it. I listened to the moment and thought ok let's just say I don't do this anymore.

A couple days of headaches later, and I'm free. It feels really good and I save time and money. The only thing is, I now have these small urges to reach for my absent cup of coffee. Usually when a moment is uncomfortable or confusing, or if a task hits a wall and I just need some time away from it. It's something between an avoidance mechanism, a sensory reset, and a security blanket. It's been interesting noting when it happens. Now I need to figure out whether I replace it with herbal tea of some kind or just find a new thing to insert into those moments. I think maybe I'll see if every time it happens, I can just become conscious of my breath and relax into a sigh or something. Could be interesting. No doubt this would take care of itself over time but while the contrast is still high, I'll experiment.

A song for this post.