Bluetech – Lay Your Sorrows Down

Brother, sister… just let it go. Shed those pains to the ground, like the butterfly that leaves its pupa. Spread your wings and embrace… the Universe. Let this angel’s voice guide you, let this beautiful rhythm move you. Connect with the joy that you are alive and the knowing that comes with it. You can dream and you can act.

“Sometimes when I look at what’s in front of me
It seems so overwhelming when it’s staring back at me
I know things move on and they grow
So why is it hard to stay mellow?
Just got to take it slow

So just breathe, breathe slow
Though it’s hard it’s hard to make it you know
I want you to breathe, breathe slow
Breathe, breathe

Sometimes, sometimes when you try to go inside and find what you’re all about
At times you feel things aren’t for real, there is doubt
Sometimes you feel you got to be left alone
Sometimes you feel you got to be taking it slow
So don’t you think another minute”

You can listen to the melody for free, in good quality, on BandCamp, which is one of the best websites when it comes to supporting artists. You can also purchase the song (or album) from this same location. And in case you’re wondering, yes, I did purchase Bluetech’s album :).

https://interchill.bandcamp.com/track/lay-your-sorrows-down^

YouTube (decent quality):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ji3GsQzwYA0^

For Spotify Users (high quality):

https://open.spotify.com/track/6SigpcpjlpMst0fggd0hN2^

For Deezer Users (high quality):

http://www.deezer.com/track/12666598^

This Weekly Song entry has been brought from the FaceBook archive of Weekly Song^. This exploration was originally started through a FaceBook page, about 13 months prior to launching Mentatul. Slowly but surely, the entire FaceBook archive will be brought here.

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Blasts from the (Tech) Past

Here are two awesome links with echoes from our technological past.

Let Windows 95’s startup sound slowed down with 4000% guide your meditation:

http://boingboing.net/2017/03/21/windows-95-startup-sound-slowe.html^

And then bow in front of the all-mighty Floppotron and the Computer Hardware Orchestra playing AWOLNATION’s “Sail”:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KclRiK-L-_4^

I can’t help it to also link another awesome fan-made video for “Sail”:

www.mentatul.com^

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Digitonal – Polestar

This song strikes a sublime balance between mood, diversity and calmness. There is just enough going on to make it a highly entertaining listen while in the same time keeping it a well within the threshold of something you can meditate on. This well-arranged combination of electronica and air instruments has brought to fruition a splendid mood-setter and journey song.

You can listen to the melody for free, in good quality, on BandCamp, which is one of the best websites when it comes to supporting artists. You can also purchase the song (or album) from this same location. And in case you’re wondering, yes, I did purchase Digitonal’s album :).

https://digitonal.bandcamp.com/track/polestar^

Sadly, the song is not available on YouTube, but that’s fine because you can listen for free on BandCamp (see above) and Deezer.

For Spotify Users (high quality):

https://open.spotify.com/track/2WeMe27gIV9FFjKD7nKw5u^

For Deezer Users (high quality):

http://www.deezer.com/track/96772702^

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That Pepsi Commercial

This nicely written article on Wired says it all: sometimes corporations are so tone-deaf that they manage the impossible: uniting the Internet:

https://www.wired.com/2017/04/pepsi-ad-internet-response/^

I am saddened by the fact that Pepsi took a noble message and a beautiful story only to ruin everything by having a script and implementation so utterly disrespectful towards minorities, women and social classes. Pepsi wants to say “we should look beyond social classes”, but instead highlights the ugly differences that exist between the privileged and the other 99%. The commercial is also a rather sad mix of cliché and kitsch.

Bottom line? It’s bad taste. Just like Pepsi and the rest of the canned sugar industry.

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Baby Alpaca – Sea of Dreams (Turbotito Remix)

Baby Alpaca’s “Sea of Dreams” is a calm, beautiful song, which is why I linked it below as well. Turbotito’s remix is, however, more to this (dreamy) listener’s linking. The clever use of echo and resonance gives the song a different (dreamy) texture.

Both versions of the song are equally evocative and they share the same good (and dreamy) lyrics. They are both relying on lots of reverb to invoke the (dreamy) mood. It’s due to my love of electronica that I choose the remix version as title (and main feature) of this (dreamy) Weekly Song entry, even though you can find both (dreamy) songs here.

“Dawn’s growing from the sea
Reflections lilac in the clouds
Sea lion’s black eyes awaken me
Takes me to the sea of dreams

We wade in a sea of dreams
Swimming free in the mountain breeze
Far out where it’s dark and deep
Dawn’s horizon sets us free”

YouTube (decent quality, NICE video):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=87N4EgpLKng^

For Spotify Users (high quality):

https://open.spotify.com/track/2cpTQcWzvkwltxoPuhX50B^

For Deezer Users (high quality):

http://www.deezer.com/track/74620370^

Original song:

YouTube (decent quality):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lzB3awjHOK4^

For Spotify Users (high quality):

https://open.spotify.com/track/6cr7CDzWPPeIBdTkLYwBE1^

For Deezer Users (high quality):

http://www.deezer.com/track/67128608^

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The Slow Loris and the Pet Industry

I have to confess that this one caught me completely off-guard. During the past years of course I’ve seen several videos featuring the ridiculously sweet Slow Loris. Little did I know about the horror hidden behind the Loris pet trade. The website below explains the crime being committed in no uncertain terms (beware, the video may be difficult to stomach, as it should be):

https://www.ticklingistorture.org/^

This is the same video as the one from the website, provided here as back-up:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=otTNxR8C4uE^

In case you don’t want to watch the video, here’s a page that explains things in text mode:

https://www.internationalanimalrescue.org/how-slow-loris-became-someones-pet^

I’ve signed the pledge to never encourage this heinous trade. And as a matter of fact, please give me a pledge where I can sign to not have any pets. Forcing any creature to live in an enclosure much smaller than its usual habitat is, in my opinion, unfair. I’m (not) sorry to break it, but this applies to the super-common dogs and cats.

I also don’t condone the actions of people who sterilize or cut parts from their pets “because it’s for their own good”. Yes, it’s for their own good because they’re prisoners and owners don’t want them to (hear them) “suffer” while their procreation instinct is not met. This human interference in the ways of nature has to stop sooner or later.

I have nothing against animal companionship that is gained naturally and where the animal has freedom to move inside a large habitat. Creatures shouldn’t be bound by the owner’s schedule of allowing them droplets of freedom (often, even those are by the end of a leash).

There is no delicate way of saying it: the pet industry (food and chemicals producers, slave “cute animals” shops, etc.) reeks of ignorance and lack of respect towards other life-forms. In general, our attitude towards our ecosystem is one of this species’ worst crimes.

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Pink Floyd – Shine On You Crazy Diamond

From the very first seconds, this avatar of musical art promises to send its passengers to the far reaches of imagination. The finesse at play here is all too evident. While the mighty sound creature begins to unfold its wings, through solemn, constant touches of the synthesizer, a myriad smaller musical happenings occur in the background. And this is barely scratching the surface of what can be said about the first minute and a half of this masterpiece in composition and meaning.

Soon, the soft, calm synth landscape is punctuated by a lonely guitar, bringing a whole new dimension of sharpness and… sincerity. Then, the melody bursts to life, echoing, warping time and space. And it’s still only the beginning.

Words are blinded by the light of genius. The only way to reward this creation is to close my eyes and let it live inside me. And a long life it will be, for songs such as this one are touched with the magnetism of divinity.

The melody is regarded as homage to Syd Barrett, one of the founding members of Pink Floyd. He had departed seven years prior to the release of “Wish You Were Here”. The album is rounded off sublimely by “Shine On You Crazy Diamond”, with parts 1-5 starting the journey and parts 6-9 ending it. It’s one of the best space-rock albums I ever heard and, of course, I recommend listening to it in full. That would be the proper way to appreciate this song.

“Remember when you were young?
You shone like the sun.
Shine on, you crazy diamond
Now there’s a look in your eyes
Like black holes in the sky
Shine on, you crazy diamond
You were caught in the crossfire
Of childhood and stardom,
Blown on the steel breeze
Come on you target
for faraway laughter
Come on you stranger, you legend,
You martyr, and shine
You reached for the secret
too soon
You cried for the moon
Shine on, you crazy diamond
Threatened by shadows at night
And exposed in the light
Shine on, you crazy diamond”

YouTube (better quality, music video, only parts 1-5)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cWGE9Gi0bB0^

YouTube (rather poor quality, COMBINED version of the song, all 9 parts):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8UXircX3VdM^

For Spotify Users (high quality):

Part 1-5:

https://open.spotify.com/track/2dWCp5vcNwSy25zRVFGC5t^

Part 6-9:

https://open.spotify.com/track/0W1uJJJsbbLxc1Sa9aLNxN^

For Deezer Users (high quality):

Part 1-5:

http://www.deezer.com/track/117585768^

Part 6-9:

http://www.deezer.com/track/117585776^

Further musical history reading:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wish_You_Were_Here_(Pink_Floyd_album)^

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syd_Barrett^

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North Korea Open Sources Nuclear Weapons Program, Goes KickStarter

The Internet is abuzz following the news that North Korea has Open Sourced its nuclear weapons program. General Nuk Yu of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea is the person behind a new GitHub account that has uploaded ballistic missile and nuclear warhead designs. The readme.md file of the repository says:

“We are setting nuclear weapons free. No longer will imperialistic superpowers hold countries hostage with technological superiority. Now, any country on Earth can take up arms against these imperialistic superpowers.”

The repository also contains a how-to guide to avoiding United Nations sanctions, a list of countries and regimes willing to work together towards an Open Nuclear Stockpile and a manifesto about ensuring world peace through mutually assured destruction.

Furthermore, General Nuk Yu and his staff have launched a KickStarter campaign seeking several billion dollars towards constructing a ballistic missile capable of deterring the USA’s THAAD system^. Apparently the North Korean missile will contain smaller missiles that can shoot down THAAD’s interceptors, essentially rendering the USA vulnerable to nuclear attack.

We reached out to North Korea’s embassy in Sweden who had the following statement for us: “We believe that mutually assured destruction is an important deterrent for nuclear war and that the United States has broken the rules with their THAAD system. We are simply trying to even the odds and ask all peace lovers on Earth to unite and help us.”

North Korea & KickStarter - A Match Made in Heaven
North Korea & KickStarter – A Match Made in Heaven

As any KickStarter campaign, project Nuke Skywalker has several interesting rewards:

  • Pledge 1$: knowledge that you contributed towards world freedom.
  • Pledge 20$: your name will be added inside all of the missiles’ CMOS memory, to go up in a ball of fire in case of nuclear war (plus all of the above rewards).
  • Pledge 300$: signed poster with Kim Jung Un and General Nuk Yu (plus all of the above rewards).
  • Pledge 4.000$: your name will be etched on the inside of the ballistic missiles (limited quantity!) (plus all of the above rewards).
  • Pledge 50.000$: your name will be hand-painted (in gold) on the outside of the ballistic missiles (limited quantity) (plus all of the above rewards).
  • Pledge 600.000$: personal call with general Nuk Yu on the topic of “world peace” (plus all of the above rewards).
  • Pledge 7.000.000$: lifetime tickets for you and a companion to a North Korean Century Vault (a nuclear fallout bunker equipped for survival through a potential nuclear winter) (limited quantity) (plus all of the above rewards).
  • Pledge 987.654.321$: luxury apartment for 6 inside a North Korean Century Vault (limited quantity) (plus all of the above rewards).

 

 

 

This text has been published in the “Satire” category for a good reason.

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AWOLNATION – Sail

This melody came on my radar thanks to an amazing fan-made YouTube video. It’s so good that whenever I read the song’s title, the first thing I think about is not the music, but the playful, over-the-top video full of youthful exuberance and vibrant energy. This one is simply off the charts in the “cute” category!

Of course, this is not to say that this isn’t a great song, because it is! It’s a fabulous combination of rock, synth-driven textures, distorted vocals and dreamy choirs. Definitely a song I’d put in a collection meant to expand one’s musical horizons. But really, make sure you see the video :).

“This is how I show my love
I made it in my mind because
I blame it on my A.D.D. baby

[…]

Maybe I’m a different breed
Maybe I’m not listening
So blame it on my A.D.D. baby

[…]

Sail with me into the dark
Sail!”

YouTube (decent quality, AWESOME fan-made video):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JaAWdljhD5o^

YouTube (another awesome fan-made creation: Sail by floppy disks and other computer hardware):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KclRiK-L-_4^

For Spotify Users (high quality):

https://open.spotify.com/track/5k0mTv94djzbl1HvhxjXPn^

For Deezer Users (high quality):

http://www.deezer.com/track/97453888^

This Weekly Song entry has been brought from the FaceBook archive of Weekly Song^. This exploration was originally started through a FaceBook page, about 13 months prior to launching Mentatul. Slowly but surely, the entire FaceBook archive will be brought here.

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Why Do We Make Children Sleep Alone?

As “the Internet likes to say”: this!

http://www.latimes.com/opinion/op-ed/la-oe-reiss-sleep-alone-20170324-story.html^

I’ve been meaning to write something about what I think regarding having children sleep in their own rooms. Fortunately I found this excellent article first. It says everything I would have said, and then some. It’s well researched and will hopefully give parents and parents-to-be some good food for thought. Key concepts: emotional stability, effective sleep, nurtured development.

To be clear: I have nothing against parents’ wishes for a good quality rest and need for intimacy. But co-sleeping is not necessarily mutually exclusive with quality of life for adults (as many, including myself, can confirm). Of course, co-sleeping doesn’t always work and in that case, it’s equally important for mom & dad to do what they can to be happy parents because parents who sacrifice too much become even more dangerous for their offspring than parents who isolate their kids in another room.

Just as I was looking for a thumbnail for this article, I stumbled upon this horrible news^. Some parents actually found it suitable to administer hormones (melatonin) to their children to “help” them sleep. Parents do this without there being any long term study on the effects of messing with the neurotransmitters of these young children. Talk about complete ignorance in the age of consumerism. This happens when “religion saves” turns into “the drug store saves” (check my Consumerism as Religion^ article).

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