There is a lot of talk about empowering the common person through the Internet. I don't think that this is the big deal of the Internet or Web 2.0 or any other such things. The BIG DEAL is that we can now use the inherent habits of people--communication, gossip, and social hierarchies--to organize and sort data, build content, and dynamically expand the possibilities for advancement.
I mean that Digg and Craigslist and StumbleUpon and other sites offer a way to organize vast amounts of data through things that humans like to do already. Some are Web 2.0 applications--whatever the hell that is!--and others are just simple rating services. No matter what they are the next killer app is data coherence and content creation.
Friday, July 20, 2007
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
Camping Again and the Fall of Polyphasic Sleep Redux
I have to stop the planned polyphasic sleep agenda. This is ostensibly due to the fact that I am now going to see Crackgerbal every weekend. She is a full state away from me (approximatly 5 1/2 hours of driving) and I cannot continue my little sleep experiments. I'm wondering if this is the biggest reason why the polyphasic sleep thing has failed to catch on or be successful in people's lives. Who knows.
In other news...
Crackgerbal and I went camping again. No pictures this time--we forgot. We went swimming and floated down the river. Nice fun time but I got a sunburn. No big deal but a bit annoying.
Next weekend Crackgerbal will be coming down to see me here at home! She is riding the train so it will be a long, slow trip for her. Not nice but it is good to be seeing her every weekend. I can't wait. I miss her already.
That is all
In other news...
Crackgerbal and I went camping again. No pictures this time--we forgot. We went swimming and floated down the river. Nice fun time but I got a sunburn. No big deal but a bit annoying.
Next weekend Crackgerbal will be coming down to see me here at home! She is riding the train so it will be a long, slow trip for her. Not nice but it is good to be seeing her every weekend. I can't wait. I miss her already.
That is all
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
Polyphasic Sleep Redux (Day 1)
We are at it again as promised before. Not really much different this time other than I know have company for the long nights. It's kinda nice.
Here is a picture of what I'm getting up to while the long night wittles itself away. Mucho progress on that piece of chainmail I showed you before. Still 13" long but now 7" wide! This will be the rear-flap for Crackgerbal's skirt. Very sexy when it is done. I can't wait!
Just feeling a bit of tired and have a stuffy nose. That's the allergies for ya. Fuckers. I'll keep this one short so my 'vast' readership doesn't have to slog through many paragraphs of dense text.
That is all
Here is a picture of what I'm getting up to while the long night wittles itself away. Mucho progress on that piece of chainmail I showed you before. Still 13" long but now 7" wide! This will be the rear-flap for Crackgerbal's skirt. Very sexy when it is done. I can't wait!
Just feeling a bit of tired and have a stuffy nose. That's the allergies for ya. Fuckers. I'll keep this one short so my 'vast' readership doesn't have to slog through many paragraphs of dense text.
That is all
Saturday, July 7, 2007
Polyphasic Sleep (Day 5)
I went to sleep!
Not accidentally, I got all cross-eyed and had to sleep. I am a little concerned about the effects it was having on me. I had control of all my major muscles but the minor ones started to revolt and doe funny things. I couldn't see straight--eyes kept crossing--I was stumbling and veering--fine motor coordination was lost, etc.
I will do the following: I will sleep on a monophasic schedule till Tuesday night at which point I will begin the polyphasic schedule again. This will allow me to recoup and go for it again. The only change will be that I will have two other people with me on this one all trying to do the same thing. This should help with the really bad times. They have also come up against this wall though on various days--two and three--and so we can all help each other through it to the end.
Starting on Tuesday night allows us to get the really shitty days done during the weekend when we don't need to be functional. Hurray for planning ahead.
That is all
Not accidentally, I got all cross-eyed and had to sleep. I am a little concerned about the effects it was having on me. I had control of all my major muscles but the minor ones started to revolt and doe funny things. I couldn't see straight--eyes kept crossing--I was stumbling and veering--fine motor coordination was lost, etc.
I will do the following: I will sleep on a monophasic schedule till Tuesday night at which point I will begin the polyphasic schedule again. This will allow me to recoup and go for it again. The only change will be that I will have two other people with me on this one all trying to do the same thing. This should help with the really bad times. They have also come up against this wall though on various days--two and three--and so we can all help each other through it to the end.
Starting on Tuesday night allows us to get the really shitty days done during the weekend when we don't need to be functional. Hurray for planning ahead.
That is all
Friday, July 6, 2007
Polyphasic Sleep (Day 4)
The weird sensation of wanting to be unconscious is slowly starting to fade. It is somewhat ridiculous to think that I haven't had a full eight hours sleep since Sunday night! It is almost unreal.
I'm finding more annoyances with the scheduling. It is a pain in the ass to have to find a place in which it is safe to take a nap outside the home. Since I work at the College this summer, this isn't such a big deal--couches everywhere! Were I anywhere else, this would be a serious issue. As it is, the restriction it puts on the duration of activities is odd and often annoying.
The fatigue isn't really lifting. I'm currently at the time of my "day" which is most difficult to get through and it is more fatigue-intense than "yesterday." It is harder to deal with as getting the text to sit still is hard with my head bobbing around to stay awake. I'm just kinda bobbing around trying not to pass out in an awkward place. Not looking good.
Also not good is my headaches with this system. I usually need to take a shit-ton of caffeine to get rid of them. This won't work with my sleep schedule as I wouldn't be able to get back to sleep after that. I won't drive in this state as it would be extremely dangerous. Hell, I will barely ride my bike like this. This is sort of ridiculous. If this doesn't clear up a bit, I won't be able to continue this little experiment.
That is all
I'm finding more annoyances with the scheduling. It is a pain in the ass to have to find a place in which it is safe to take a nap outside the home. Since I work at the College this summer, this isn't such a big deal--couches everywhere! Were I anywhere else, this would be a serious issue. As it is, the restriction it puts on the duration of activities is odd and often annoying.
The fatigue isn't really lifting. I'm currently at the time of my "day" which is most difficult to get through and it is more fatigue-intense than "yesterday." It is harder to deal with as getting the text to sit still is hard with my head bobbing around to stay awake. I'm just kinda bobbing around trying not to pass out in an awkward place. Not looking good.
Also not good is my headaches with this system. I usually need to take a shit-ton of caffeine to get rid of them. This won't work with my sleep schedule as I wouldn't be able to get back to sleep after that. I won't drive in this state as it would be extremely dangerous. Hell, I will barely ride my bike like this. This is sort of ridiculous. If this doesn't clear up a bit, I won't be able to continue this little experiment.
That is all
Thursday, July 5, 2007
Polyphasic Sleep (Day 3)
Hump day! And boy was it a hump. The early morning was a bitch. I found myself having to do physical labor so that I wouldn't fall asleep sitting at my computer. The 2 am to 6 am shift is the toughest. I finally felt true fatigue and exhaustion. Very tough to work past.
I'm feeling it again right now and am trying to tough it out. This is the main reason why people fail. They don't have the willpower to push past this stage. They get pretty depressed at how hard this is and they eventually stop trying. No shame, it is very hard. You just want to pass out and let unconsciousness take you away to bliss!
Below is an image of me right now at 3:45 am on Thursday, July 5th, 2007. I'm pretty tired but still hanging in there!
The image is low quality because I used my web cam. Sorry all.
Here is what I have been doing tonight:
It's a 1-3/4 " X 13" piece of chainmail. It's made out of 18 gauge aluminum wire and will be a skirt and halter-top for Crackgeral. Very sexy! I've been doing other stuff too but this is a huge time sink.
No real insights into the process. Just working through the tired when it hits and enjoying the times when I am not so tired. I also have really been looking forward to each nap. They are a real treat once a bought of exhaustion hits.
Crackgerbal brought up something tonight while I talked to her on the phone. I'm dense and hadn't really considered all the ramifications of this little experiment, luckily she set me straight. Turns out that if I stay on this, we will get no real sleep time together. One of the things we enjoy doing a lot is sleeping together. All night cuddling is very healthy for the relationship and is extremely emotionally satisfying for both of us. With a polyphasic sleep schedule, we wouldn't be able to do that because I would only be laying down for a nap while she would be laying down for an 8 hour block. Not satisfying.
Due to this--and other less problems with scheduling--I will not be continuing the polyphasic sleep schedule after this summer. I'm going to continue it until the end--assuming I don't wimp out first!--but I will not be going any further. Just to let you know up front. I value my relationship much more.
That is all
I'm feeling it again right now and am trying to tough it out. This is the main reason why people fail. They don't have the willpower to push past this stage. They get pretty depressed at how hard this is and they eventually stop trying. No shame, it is very hard. You just want to pass out and let unconsciousness take you away to bliss!
Below is an image of me right now at 3:45 am on Thursday, July 5th, 2007. I'm pretty tired but still hanging in there!
The image is low quality because I used my web cam. Sorry all.Here is what I have been doing tonight:
It's a 1-3/4 " X 13" piece of chainmail. It's made out of 18 gauge aluminum wire and will be a skirt and halter-top for Crackgeral. Very sexy! I've been doing other stuff too but this is a huge time sink.No real insights into the process. Just working through the tired when it hits and enjoying the times when I am not so tired. I also have really been looking forward to each nap. They are a real treat once a bought of exhaustion hits.
Crackgerbal brought up something tonight while I talked to her on the phone. I'm dense and hadn't really considered all the ramifications of this little experiment, luckily she set me straight. Turns out that if I stay on this, we will get no real sleep time together. One of the things we enjoy doing a lot is sleeping together. All night cuddling is very healthy for the relationship and is extremely emotionally satisfying for both of us. With a polyphasic sleep schedule, we wouldn't be able to do that because I would only be laying down for a nap while she would be laying down for an 8 hour block. Not satisfying.
Due to this--and other less problems with scheduling--I will not be continuing the polyphasic sleep schedule after this summer. I'm going to continue it until the end--assuming I don't wimp out first!--but I will not be going any further. Just to let you know up front. I value my relationship much more.
That is all
Wednesday, July 4, 2007
Camping
This last weekend Pam and I went camping again. We had gone before at the same place but had not taken any pictures. We now have pictures! Here are a select few for your viewing pleasure:
OnePam up a tree!
A long stair to...up!
The suspension bridge at Metzler Park. The white spot is probably a raindrop on th lens.
The stream at Metzler. Very pretty.
Me by the "water fall" in Oregon City.
Pretty Pam and Goofy Stan!
OnePam up a tree!
A long stair to...up!
The suspension bridge at Metzler Park. The white spot is probably a raindrop on th lens.
The stream at Metzler. Very pretty.
Me by the "water fall" in Oregon City.
Pretty Pam and Goofy Stan!That is all
Tuesday, July 3, 2007
Polyphasic Sleep (Day 2)
I've done a bunch more reading on this now. Many of the failings of others I have simply ruled out by my habits and lifestyle. For instance, I'm very structured to begin with--hurray for engineering students!--and this allows me to keep to the rigid schedule I need. A very good blog can be found here but be warned that the guy is out there a bit. I'm not nearly as spiritually based as him but a lot of his experiences match mine.
At the time of this writing it has been 42 hours since I last woke up from an eight hour sleep period. I haven't missed any naps--though I have pushed a few out longer--and I have not overslept even one minute. My last sleep period, which I took at 10:30 to 11:00 pm was the only one I had any trouble falling asleep on. I did manage it but it was a bit of a struggle. I didn't toss or turn, my mind just wouldn't slow down for a bit--perhaps ten minutes. No harm, no foul.
As the physical sensations of this...I was expecting a lot more fatigue and drowsiness. They are there but only at a minimum. I think perhaps what is different from myself and others is that I started after I had been up 18 hours since my last sleep cycle. Others--Steve Pavelina--started directly upon waking up from a monophasic sleep cycle so they weren't really tired to begin with. I don't know if this is the case--need more data and a larger population to sample from--but it seems to be true.
The time thing is stranger than you think it will be. I had read about what others had experienced and was still in no way prepared for the 'other-ness' of the thing. I simply want to be unconscious. Not because I am particularly tired or anything, it just seems the right thing to be after this long awake.
That sense of being awake for an extended period of time is also weired. True to other's accounts, it is still the same day I started this in my subjective time. Leads to very odd problems concerning what day it is, how long ago a thing was, etc. Not annoying, just interesting and a little disconcerting. I'm fairly certain this will pass due to the texture of the feelings elicited. They seem to be a bit ephemeral, if that makes any sense.
Crackgerbal is a bit worried about the health consequences but I'm not concerned. Call it ignorance or just stupidity but I feel young--because I am--and healthy--because I 'sorta' am. :-)
I'm getting a shit-ton of stuff done. This is a no-joke way to get way more hours in your day. I have a lot of projects that I'm working on with or for other people--as well as my own--and this allows me to get to all of them in a 24 hour period whereas before I would have to spread the rotation out over two or more days.
My specific schedule seems to be shaping up like this:
I will continue to post other blog entries but all of the ones concerning my Polyphasic experiences will be labeled Polyphasic Sleep (Day #).
That is all
At the time of this writing it has been 42 hours since I last woke up from an eight hour sleep period. I haven't missed any naps--though I have pushed a few out longer--and I have not overslept even one minute. My last sleep period, which I took at 10:30 to 11:00 pm was the only one I had any trouble falling asleep on. I did manage it but it was a bit of a struggle. I didn't toss or turn, my mind just wouldn't slow down for a bit--perhaps ten minutes. No harm, no foul.
As the physical sensations of this...I was expecting a lot more fatigue and drowsiness. They are there but only at a minimum. I think perhaps what is different from myself and others is that I started after I had been up 18 hours since my last sleep cycle. Others--Steve Pavelina--started directly upon waking up from a monophasic sleep cycle so they weren't really tired to begin with. I don't know if this is the case--need more data and a larger population to sample from--but it seems to be true.
The time thing is stranger than you think it will be. I had read about what others had experienced and was still in no way prepared for the 'other-ness' of the thing. I simply want to be unconscious. Not because I am particularly tired or anything, it just seems the right thing to be after this long awake.
That sense of being awake for an extended period of time is also weired. True to other's accounts, it is still the same day I started this in my subjective time. Leads to very odd problems concerning what day it is, how long ago a thing was, etc. Not annoying, just interesting and a little disconcerting. I'm fairly certain this will pass due to the texture of the feelings elicited. They seem to be a bit ephemeral, if that makes any sense.
Crackgerbal is a bit worried about the health consequences but I'm not concerned. Call it ignorance or just stupidity but I feel young--because I am--and healthy--because I 'sorta' am. :-)
I'm getting a shit-ton of stuff done. This is a no-joke way to get way more hours in your day. I have a lot of projects that I'm working on with or for other people--as well as my own--and this allows me to get to all of them in a 24 hour period whereas before I would have to spread the rotation out over two or more days.
My specific schedule seems to be shaping up like this:
- Naps at 6, 11, and 4 (am/pm) though this can spread and contract as needed.
- Shower when I get home from work at 4 pm and then straight to nap.
- Eat whenever I feel like it.
I will continue to post other blog entries but all of the ones concerning my Polyphasic experiences will be labeled Polyphasic Sleep (Day #).
That is all
Polyphasic Sleep (Day 1)
Crackgerbal and I just had a bit of a tiff over me doing housework and such while I talked on the phone with her at night. This has been our schedule since she went away for her internship. She says she doesn't feel like I'm paying full attention and I feel like I don't want to give up another hour of my day to the sole activity of talking on the phone. Does this make me an asshole?
Directly after this--coincidence--I get a call from our Wal-Mart hating stoner friends who tells me about P0lyphasic Sleep. I immediately see this as interesting and a solution to Crackgerbal and I's problem--was that grammatically sound? Needless to say, I'm trying this little experiment. For a break down of what it is, follow the link.
So, to that end, I will be sleeping about 2-3 hours a day in 20 minute naps. I hope to continue this through this summer--famous last words!--assuming I can hack the initial break-in period. I'll post daily here on my progress--or lack of it so you can all laugh at me--and to let you know I am still sane.
I looked into the validity of this and found evidence on both sides. Very little in the way of hard science has been done with this so I decided to give it a try and prove/disprove it empirically. Let's all see how it goes.
It's 3:30 am right now and I just got up from my first 25 minute nap a half hour ago. Was rough for the first five minutes but after that I settled in and am not having too much difficulty. I'm coherent and am able to concentrate. Actually did manage to get to sleep in the allotted time--perhaps the last 15 minutes of it--and so I think it did "some" good in the overall scheme of things.
That is all
Directly after this--coincidence--I get a call from our Wal-Mart hating stoner friends who tells me about P0lyphasic Sleep. I immediately see this as interesting and a solution to Crackgerbal and I's problem--was that grammatically sound? Needless to say, I'm trying this little experiment. For a break down of what it is, follow the link.
So, to that end, I will be sleeping about 2-3 hours a day in 20 minute naps. I hope to continue this through this summer--famous last words!--assuming I can hack the initial break-in period. I'll post daily here on my progress--or lack of it so you can all laugh at me--and to let you know I am still sane.
I looked into the validity of this and found evidence on both sides. Very little in the way of hard science has been done with this so I decided to give it a try and prove/disprove it empirically. Let's all see how it goes.
It's 3:30 am right now and I just got up from my first 25 minute nap a half hour ago. Was rough for the first five minutes but after that I settled in and am not having too much difficulty. I'm coherent and am able to concentrate. Actually did manage to get to sleep in the allotted time--perhaps the last 15 minutes of it--and so I think it did "some" good in the overall scheme of things.
That is all
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