Mute Presence: A look at an aphorism by E.M. Cioran

Here is a fifteen minute video that I shot on Vimeo. Recently, I have been using Vimeo as an educational platform and a way to share my thoughts. This video opens up an aphorism by E.M. Cioran and brings in some other thinkers, as well. Is it perfect? No, but it was the best I [...]

生活習慣病：Lifestyle [Lifestyle-Related] Disease(s) (Musing)

I have gotten back into the mode of studying Japanese on a daily basis. I recently learned this nifty and useful concept, 生活習慣病、which, can be read “seikatsusyuukanbyou.” In English, this means “lifestyle [lifestyle-related] disease(s).” The kanji can be broken down as follows: 生活 (daily life and/or lifestyle), 習慣 (habit(s)), 病 (disease). In my lexicon, this [...]

The Unexamined Life is Not Worth Living: Demetri Martin’s “If I”

I haven’t spent much time with Demetri Martin’s comedy material, but through some great stroke of serendipity, stumbled across this hour-long special for the BBC, entitled “If I.” To my delight, this performance is not simply “stand-up,” but examines such things as communication, choices, life-making, creativity, meaning and thinking. Martin unpacks [...]

Communication!: A Radical Philosophy for Life’s #1 Problem

I have studied (and worked hard at understanding) the works of Lee Thayer since 2000 and am eagerly awaiting his newest book on Communication, Communication! A Radical Philosophy for Life’s #1 Problem to be released sometime this month (February) by Windsor Media Enterprises.
According to the WME website:
“Communication! begins with a half-dozen “Forewarnings,” such as [...]

Summarization of a Speech Given in Japanese to a Graduating High School Class

I recently presented a speech to a graduating high school class here in Japan. Re-molding one’s thoughts into a wholly different tongue with the intention of interpretive clarity for the receiver is no easy task. Aside from content, which may have been a bit “over their heads,” the biggest compliment was the fact that the [...]