Grab your goggles: it’s time to dive into the timeless ritual of swimming in the public pool. Hey, no petting! As a swimmer, neither my technique nor my commitment is particularly strong. I don’t have much interest in improving my stroke, and there have been long stretches of time where I’ve fallen out of the […]
All the best things about public swimming pools Read More »
The Parable of the Chinese Farmer has been on my mind recently. Though in my case the Parable of the Sleepless Writer would be more appropriate. A couple of years ago I bought an alarm clock. I wanted to sleep without my phone by my bedside, in an effort to reduce my screen time. My
The Good Decision / Bad Decision Alarm Clock Read More »
It feels like I’ve spent half my life at the dentist, despite diligent brushing and flossing. From explosive vomiting to epic extractions, join me on this surreal journey. Open wide… What they say about New York City is also true of my mouth: it will be a great place – if they ever finish it.
A hypnagogic journey through my lifetime in the dentist’s chair Read More »
I rarely sleep well, but some nights are more gruelling than others. This is a record of an especially restless night: messages from the frontier of sleeplessness… It’s like this some nights: the land of sleep is a nightclub with an implacable door policy. That’s one way I visualise my insomnia: I’m queuing alone outside
Insomnia Land: Eight Restless Dispatches from the Lonely Frontier Read More »
All you need to get in great shape is a pedometer, an unforgiving inner monologue, and the wisdom of Spinal Tap. It worked for me! Obsessing over step counting is an idiotic waste of time. Sorry, I was just talking to myself. But you might as well hear it too, dear reader. At best, Fitbits
The Shadow Scorecard of the Fitbit Fanatic Read More »
Ignorance is bliss. So is caffeine. Here’s how my morning coffee was ruined by science… There are some facts that, once learned, you wish you could immediately scrub from your memory. A couple of years ago, I read that it’s best to abstain from coffee in the first hour after waking, because caffeine interferes with
What is there to look forward to, except coffee? Read More »
My tinnitus was driving me crazy, so I headed to the beach. But instead of a paradise of white noise, I encountered a celestial silence that was deafening… I stood at the threshold of the divine and immediately wanted to go home. For most people, what I experienced would represent a moment of serenity, a
Slack water at the gates of heaven Read More »
