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 [...]

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 the word “if” and [...]

James P. Carse: Religious War in Light of the Infinite Game

This is the only online lecture (reflection) I could find for the brilliant author of “Finite and Infinite Games,” retired New York University professor, James P. Carse. In this lecture, Carse talks about religion, war, finite games, infinite games, self-veiling, poeisis, religion and more. This is well worth your time if you are interested in [...]

How Determined Are You?

Stephen Colbert recently interviewed Michael Phelps. Slipped in between the jokes, Colbert asked Phelps about his training for the Olympics. Phelps said that during a five-year span, he practiced every single day for four to six hours a day. That bears repeating: 5 years…365 days a year…4-6 hours a day… Talk about determination. Talk about [...]

Johnny Unicorn live on “The Basement”

My good friend, Johnny Unicorn is good at doing what needs to be done. His perseverence and competence coupled with an intense drive has kept him busy and productive doing what he loves: making music. He was recently featured on Lansing, Michigan’s college radio station Impact 88.9′s show, “The Basement.” The above video features an [...]

Study Japanese with Ken Tanaka: The Power of Music and Coffee

When I was a university student, a band that I was in (and am still “in,” even though I’m an ocean away) – Special Dental Team, wrote several songs with Japanese titles and even one with Japanese lyrics. In retrospect, I do recommend this as a study tactic to be stressed in my 50 Study [...]

The Visual Poetics of Erick Ifergan’s Public Safety Videos

Erick Ifergan, director of Johnny 316, recently finished a video campaign for the Russian Road Security Program in conjunction with the YesTasteWinNow advertising agency in Moscow. The videos tackle the subjects of road manners, drinking and driving, speeding, driving cautiously, and watching out for children. Each video features the same piano score by composer Max [...]