Conversations

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Presented by Nicholas McCay, Salma Attalla, and Karl Dagher - all STS grad students within the 'Responsibility in Science, Technology, and Society' program at Technical University Munich (TUM): https://www.mcts.tum.de/programs/master-reset/

Oct 19, 202201:13:57

The Power & Peril of Dual-Use Technology: Ammonium Nitrate

#STS #ScienceandTechnology #AmmoniumNitrate #EclecticSpacewalk

A podcast about the dual-use nature of ammonium nitrate.

Interviewees include:

- Dr. Fracesco Amodio, Associate Professor of Economics at McGill University

- Dr. Hans Pasman, Emeritus Professor in Chemical Risk Management at the Technical University of Delft

- Dr. Vyto Babrauskas, Fire Science & Technology, Inc.

- Jonathan Dagher, Investigative Journalist

Transcript: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1AMstUpJPMlNriWf0YRrhM2M2Nqtwy6_p/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=104043058832235051025&rtpof=true&sd=true

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Oct 05, 202225:00

Conversations #22 - Stephanie Lepp

Hello Eclectic Spacewalkers!

This month, we sat down with Stephanie Lepp. Stephanie is an executive producer at the Center for Humane Technology, where she leads the podcast “Your Undivided Attention” hosted by Tristan Harris and Aza Raskin where they “explore the incredible power that technology has over our lives — and how we can use it to catalyze a humane future.” Some of our favorites are episodes with Daniel Schmactenberger, Tim Wu, and Kate Raworth.

“A producer whose work strives to hold up a mirror - inviting us to grow from what we see.”

The Center for Human Technology produced the documentary “The Social Dilemma” and has a course “Foundations of Humane Technology: An Online Course For Professionals Shaping Tomorrow's Technology.”

We thank Stephanie for their time, research, and eclectic mind. Enjoy the conversation, and until next time - Ad Astra!

Timestamps:

Early influences (03:28)
Studying Science, Technology, and Society or STS (05:43)
“A producer whose work strives to hold up a mirror - inviting us to grow from what we see.” (10:24)
Reckonings project (17:08)
Deep Reckonings (21:14)
The Center for Humane Technology (34:53)
Your Undivided Attention podcast (51:34)
“Wormhole through constellations of tribes” & Synthetic Strategy (56:08)
The power and influence of New Media like Animation/AR/VR/etc. (01:05:53)
Overview Effect question (1:11:07)

—

More on Stephanie Lepp:

Your Undivided Attention podcast: https://www.humanetech.com/podcast

Twitter: https://twitter.com/stephlepp

Infinite Lunchbox website: https://www.infinitelunchbox.com/

Deep Reckonings website: https://www.deepreckonings.com/

—

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The Pathless Path: Imagining a New Story for Work and Life

Aug 03, 202201:18:40

Conversations #21 - Paul Millerd

A conversation with Writer, Coach, and Consultant, Paul Millerd—

Hey Eclectic Spacewalkers!

This month, we sat down with Paul Millerd. Paul is a writer, coach, and consultant and who I would describe as the epitome of a digital nomad. He is also a freelancer and digital creator. Paul is “Trying to carve my own path. Sharing what I learn along the way” and he recently released a new book called:

Paul’s book is a fantastic read and goes deep into his personal journey through the “default path” of business school, working at McKinsey, and chasing prestige as a “world-class hoop jumper.” After a bout with Lyme disease and reassessing what is important in life, Paul realized that “wonder tips the scales” and that he was somewhat fearful in pursuing what he really wanted.

Summarizing (not absolutely) to finding and walking your “own pathless path.”
- Question the Default
- Reflect
- Figure out what you have to offer
- Pause & Disconnect
- Go make a friend
- Go make something
- Give generously
- Experiment
- Commit
- Be Patient

We thank Paul for their time, research, and eclectic mind. Enjoy the conversation, and until next time - Ad Astra!

Timestamps:

Being a “world-class hoop jumper” (04:44)
Strategy consulting and creating StrategyU (10:48)
Being a digital nomad and moving to Taipei, Taiwan (15:44)
The power of Twitter networking (22:44)
Paul’s writing journey, influences, and self-publishing (28:13)
The Pathless Path: Imagining a New Story for Work and Life (38:39)
Dealing with fears that inevitably come up (42:54)
Some aspects of being on “The Pathless Path” (46:27)
This is not a business or self-help book (55:24)
Paul’s answer to the “Overview Effect” question (1:00:42)

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Hey Eclectic Spacewalkers!

Feb 23, 202201:02:15

Conversations #20 - Patricia Hurducaș

A conversation with the creator of the Flâneuse Project, Patricia Hurducaș—

Hey Eclectic Spacewalkers!

A few weeks ago we traveled to Zürich, Switzerland to speak with Patricia Hurducaș. Patricia is the creator of The Flâneuse Project an online repository for interviews, essays, and a digital gallery.

“The Flâneuse Project (F) is the place where I follow my curiosity, share my writings and questions, curation of visual art, and maps with the places I stumble upon on my walks. Currently working on a digital magazine, a collection of slow interviews, and researching material for my upcoming online and offline exhibitions.”

Zürich is wonderfully beautiful with incredible architecture, warm glühwein, and of course tasty chocolate. It is a fantastic city to practice as Patricia describes it: Peripatetic Flânerie - “A Philosophy of Walking (Aimlessly).”

Patricia is also an Interintellect salon host. Salons are 3-4 hour moderated conversations. Eclectic Spacewalk became a member this past summer and has thoroughly enjoyed the format, discussion, and ultimately, COMMUNITY it provides. Patricia runs a few continuous salons on writing and has hosted more than 20 salons across a wide variety of topics.

We thank Patricia for her time, research, and eclectic mind. Enjoy the conversation, and until next time - Ad Astra!

Timestamps:

Who or what influenced Patricia’s curiosity growing up? (03:28)
Flâneur, Flâneuse, & Flânerie (11:41)
CyberFlânerie (24:14)
The Flâneuse Project (28:42)
Upcoming e-book: A field guide to flânerie (32:54)
Interintellect and hosting salons (41:41)
Host your own salon! (46:14)
On the Art of Conversation (49:44)
Writing, time travel, and having to make choices (55:04)
Patricia’s answer to the Overview Effect question (01:02:49)

Conversations #19 - Jason Snyder

A conversation with Meta-Modern Homesteader, Jason Snyder—

Last month we traveled to the outskirts of Boone, NC to sit down with Jason Snyder.

Jason is yet another Twitter mutual that we had the pleasure of finally meeting in person. We also were joined by previous podcast guest Ashley Colby, who was visiting the US from Uruguay.

Not only did we travel to record this podcast with Jason, but also to film what it is like to be a budding homesteader and a “Dommer Optimist.” We are in the midst of creating a short film based on both of those embodied ways of life, but below is a little preview. More to come by the end of the year!

Both Jason and Ashley have helped open our eyes to some of the folly of techno-optimism, and its discontents, but both have also been humble enough to not completely fall down the slippery slope of the worst kinds of techno-pessimism. There is a tension there that needs to be explored, discussed, and experimented with.

Enter Wendell Berry and Doomer Optimism.

Doomer + Optimism = Navigating civilizational collapse (literally & metaphorically)

Our conversation with Jason was as wide-ranging as the colors of fall leaves in the Appalachian mountains. We talked about regenerative food systems, bioregionalism, and teaching at Appalachian State University, amongst other topics.

We thank Jason for his time, research, and eclectic mind. Enjoy the conversation, and until next time - Ad Astra!

Timestamps:

Who, or what, influenced your curiosity growing up? (02:58)

Questioning neo-classical economic models (13:12)

Publishing papers, academic publishing, and development issues (23:07)

Technopoly, Techno-Optimism, Techno-Pessimism, and Techno-Realism (40:37)

Energy use, bioregionalism, and collective decision making, (49:03)

Life as a budding homesteader (58:22)

What is Doomer Optimism? (01:07:42)

Doomer Optimism Vocabulary: Cosmopolitan Localism, Solar Punk, and Operating Manual for Spaceship Earth (01:10:27)

The Doomer Optimist Collective (01:16:47)

Jason’s answer to The Overview Effect questions (01:22:02)

More on Jason Snyder:

Twitter: @cognazor

Teacher Profile: https://sd.appstate.edu/directory/jason-snyder-phd

Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=vlhs0XQAAAAJ&hl=en

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Oct 25, 202101:27:23

Conversations #18 - Celine Halioua

A conversation with CEO of Loyal, Celine Halioua—

Celine is the founder and CEO of Loyal for Dogs. Loyal is a company working to develop therapies that treat the underlying causes of aging in dogs. All in hopes of coming at the “human longevity” problem from a different, albeit furrier, angle.

Celine has a background in venture capital, neuroscience, and was once chief of staff to Laura Deming at the Longevity Fund before founding her own startup. Our conversation was as wide-ranging as the difference between a Golden Retriever and a Chihuahua.

We discussed what biotech is, how to build a biotech company, and what the benefits of increased funding in biotech would mean for the future of not just dogs, but humans.

Loyal recently completed its first clinical study and announced a $27 mil funding round.

We also talked about preventative and curative medicine, along with one of Celine’s main reasons why she is playing a part in spearheading the longevity fight, as well as the question of the importance and benefits of socialized healthcare.

We thank Celine for her time, research, and eclectic mind.

Enjoy the conversation, and until next time - Ad Astra!

Timestamps:

Celine’s eclectic and cosmopolitan international upbringing (02:44)
Celine’s growth through academia, hardships, and hierarchies (07:44)
Celine’s journey as Laura Deming’s Chief of Staff to founding a company of her own and looking for her own right-hand person (16:50)
The difference between biotechnology and pharma (25:44)
How I raised an $11M seed as a first-time, female, solo founder for a biotech moonshot (34:44)
What is the goal and thesis of Loyal? (40:44)
Help build a playbook for scientists becoming operators/startup founders, and become a 99th percentile operator myself (47:17)
Celine’s philosophy on the relationship between animals & humans (56:14)
Celine’s experience with different healthcare systems (59:04)
Celine’s answer to the Overview Effect (01:04:06)

More on Celine Halioua:

Celine’s Website: https://www.celinehh.com/

Celine’s Twitter: @celinehalioua

Loyal’s Website: https://loyalfordogs.com/

Loyal’s Twitter: @loyalfordogs

Oct 04, 202101:06:22

Conversations #17 - Samo Burja

A conversation with Researcher, Speaker, and Writer, Samo Burja—

Last month we sat down with Samo Burja. Samo is a researcher, speaker, and writer. He is also the founder of Bismarck Analysis, a research fellow at the Long Now Foundation, and a senior research fellow in political science at the Foresight Institute. Samo has previous bylines in City Journal, Palladium Magazine, and The National Interest.

It is refreshing, and desperately needed, in today’s filter bubbled world to see a unique blend of historical synthesis that is both academic and respected while being critical from a nuanced contrarian position. Samo’s expertise on institutional and societal decline will only become handier as we march headlong into the Anthropocene epoch.

Our conversation was wide-ranging as we discussed Samo’s unique journey, the explosion of knowledge transfer through YouTube, and how different cultures have different relationships with their technologies. We riffed on writing as part of public discourse, the difference between live vs. dead players, and how we can really learn from history, our past, and our ancestors.

We also discussed his consulting firm Bismarck Analysis, and “building long-term partnerships with select clients who aim to make a difference in the world.”

We thank Samo for his time, research, and eclectic mind. Enjoy the conversation, and until next time - Ad Astra!

Timestamps:

Samo’s European travels helped foster his intellectual journey (05:29)
Samo’s research fellowships at the Long Now Foundation & the Foresight Institute (10:42)
YouTube’s role in the revolution of knowledge transfer (16:20)
History as a discipline, and how different cultures see & shape society (23:38)
Are we at the End of History as Francis Fukuyama posited? (33:39)
How does travel and tourism, like going to Göbekli Tepe, influence how we interact with history? (39:49)
Samo’s essay on how civilization is much older than we thought and his “Long Now” bet (50:29)
Samo’s thesis & manuscript The Great Founder Theory (1:03:18)
Founding Bismarck Analysis (01:11:33)
Samo’s answer to the Overview Effect question (01:17:15)

More on Samo Burja:

Website: https://samoburja.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/SamoBurja

Great Founder Theory: https://samoburja.com/gft/

Bismarck Analysis Website: https://www.bismarckanalysis.com/#/

Palladium Mag article on Göbekli Tepe: https://palladiummag.com/2021/05/17/why-civilization-is-older-than-we-thought/

The YouTube Revolution in Knowledge Transfer: https://samoburja.com/the-youtube-revolution-in-knowledge-transfer/

Foresight Institute talk: Civilization: Institutions, Knowledge and the Future: https://youtu.be/OiNmTVThNEY

Sep 13, 202101:19:21

Conversations #16 - Carey Baraka

A conversation with Writer, Carey Baraka—

This past month, I sat down with Carey Baraka. Carey is a writer from Kisumu, Kenya. Carey has bylines in publications such as Popula, Lithub, Foreign Policy, and Johannesburg Review of books. He also sings for a ‘secret choir’ in Nairobi.

We came across Carey’s writing in his essay The failed promise of Kenya’s smart city. It is a thought-provoking article that draws from history, economics & political theory, along with connecting details only available to someone on the ground.

“African governments keep burning money planning smart cities by following a McKinsey blueprint.

But will any actually be completed?…"

Our conversation was wide-ranging, illuminating, and a great example of us tripping over our own truths. We discussed Kenya’s geography and colonial past, along with how Carey grew up with many western influences, like Harry Potter.

Below are timestamps of the conversation to skip around (or just clear your mind and press play to hear a thoughtful conversation).

We thank Carey for his time, research, and eclectic mind. Enjoy the conversation, and until next time - Ad Astra!

Timestamps:

“I am alive because my Kenyan great-grandfather quarantined 100 years ago and here we go again” (02:16)

“Growing up in Kisumu, we were always aware of the train, but only in the back of our minds.” (06:09)

Carey’s experience growing up in Kenya (14:09)

Carey’s influences on his curiosity and learning development (20:29)

Carey talks about roots, place, silence, memory, and identity (28:14)

Carey’s writing & editing process, and how he channels his experiences & ‘the muse’ during flow states (41:14)

Carey’s essay on Konza, Africa’s failed smart city (47:29)

Carey’s push to highlight women African writers (57:29)

Carey’s answer to ‘The Overview Effect’ question (01:06:31)

More on Carey Baraka:

Website: https://careybaraka.com/

Twitter: @CareyBaraka

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Sep 01, 202101:09:19

Conversations #15 - Ashley Colby

A conversation with Co-Founder of Rizoma School, Ashley Colby—

Last month we had the pleasure of sitting down with Ashley Colby. Ashley is an environmental sociologist, homesteader, and author. She is also the co-founder of Rizoma School and Executive Director at Rizoma Foundation and Loconomy Project.

After months of digital exchanges on Twitter, Ashley is yet another mutual from the digital sphere to come on the podcast to tell her unique story. We had such a good time riffing on a number of subjects that are parallel and intersecting with Eclectic Spacewalk’s interests.

Our conversation was far-reaching, thought-provoking, and just all-around a fun time. We discussed energy sources, scales, agriculture, aggregate data, the power of myth & story, along with co-coining the term “Doomer Optimism,” amongst a number of other interesting topics.

We thank Ashley for her time, research, and eclectic mind. We hope you enjoy the conversation!

Timestamps:

Cultural differences between the north & south sides of Chicago (04:54)
Global supply chains, regenerative agricultural, grassroots movements, and intellectual humility by turning ‘Theory into Practice’ (11:52)
Globalism, localism, and scales - ‘Local Practices & Global Principles’ (21:44)
Transparency, economic structures, systems thinking, problem-solving, and continuing to push towards optimism (28:50)
“Helping people move along the curve before they are forced to by doing a little bit each day” (38:29)
Wendell Berry, Dr. Vandana Shiva, technological realism, and the fallacy of the Enlightenment (40:24)
Technopoly, scientism, savior complexes, and the holy grail of fusion energy; the needed shift from recycling & renewables to regeneration in all areas (48:04)
Her book: Subsistence Agriculture, running a homestead, school, and foundation based in Colonia, Uruguay (57:52)
Doomer Optimism (Terms: Anthropocene, Cosmo-Localism, Updated Operating Manual for Spaceship Earth, Managed Retreat, Solar Punk, Retroactive Public Goods Funding) (01:10:39)
The power of mythmaking, creating impact through storytelling, ‘changing the narrative’ and finding meaning and belonging (01:22:14)
“My only goal in doing digital media is to get people to integrate that experience and ask themselves: What is my thing that I love? What is the thing I can move toward? Who also loves the things that I love?”
Ashley’s response to what she would say if she was experiencing the “Overview Effect” (01:30:44)

More on Ashley Colby:

Rizoma Foundation

Loconomy Project

Rizoma Field School

Ashley’s book: Subsistence Agriculture in the US

Twitter

Aug 02, 202101:38:40

Conversations #14 - Jeremy Johnson

Hey Eclectic Spacewalkers!

Last month we had the pleasure of having a conversation with Jeremy Johnson.

Jeremy is a scholar, writer, publisher (Revelore Press), editor (Integral Leadership Review), integral philosopher, and the founder of Nura Learning. Jeremy is also the host of the mutations podcast and is the author of Seeing Through the World: Jean Gebser and Integral Consciousness.

Jeremy came to our attention, like most nowadays, through Twitter. Jeremy was a guest on late journalist Michael Brooks’ show and introduced us to the idea of Integral Consciousness. More recently, Jeremy wrote a chapter “Becoming the Planetary” in the newly printed Metamodernity: Dispatches from a Time Between Worlds: Crisis and emergence in metamodernity.

In the episode, we talk to Jeremy about his academic and writing journey, including the above essay and his book Seeing Through the World. We discussed ‘The Overview Effect,’ planetary consciousness surrounding ‘the noosphere,’ ‘living during the Anthropocene,’ the need for some type of species/planetary level myth-making to navigate the troubling and unforgiving waters of metamodernity, amongst a number of other interesting topics.

We thank Jeremy for his time, research, and eclectic mind.

We hope you enjoy the conversation!

Timestamps:

Who were Jeremy’s earliest influences? (03:25)
Catalytic Readings: “The key, I think, is a reading that provokes; a move from an observer of distant mental categories to participant in lived realities.” (12:01)
What is meta-modernism? What does it mean to live in the "Anthropocene?” (33:25)
Kim Stanley Robinson’s Ministry for the Future, Timothy Morton’s ‘Hyperobjects” like COVID, Climate Crisis, Military Industrial Complex, etc... (41:30)
Living in a technological culture yet most do not get a sufficient enough education or tool kit to prosper within it, Globalization vs. Planetization, and ‘Doomer Optimism’ (51:00)
Writing Seeing Through the World and Jean Gebser’s influence (60:21)
“Kultuphilosophie: wherein he describes a “phenomenology of becoming consciousness” (01:11:40)
Marshall Mcluhan, Neil Postman, and Jean Gebser’s ‘Structures’ (1:23:05)
Parting Overview Effect Answer: (01:40:25)

More on Jeremy Johnson:

Seeing Through the World: Jean Gebser and Integral Consciousness

Jul 19, 202101:43:47

Conversations #13 - Brent Cooper

Hey Eclectic Spacewalkers!

Last week we had the pleasure of sitting down with Brent Cooper. Brent is an independent political sociologist, filmmaker, and the Founder and Executive Director of The Abs-Tract Organization.

We came across Brent like most of the people that have come on ‘Conversations’ - through Twitter. Brent’s writing was our first introduction to him, as he lucidly and ruthlessly critiqued the Intellectual Dark Web, Game B, the meta/hyper modernism movements, and a lot of what was and is happening in our current political discourse.

Brent's background includes growing up in Vancouver, a unique journey to and from academia and back again, starting the Abs-Tract Organization, as well as making a film of a - shall we say - “satirical” nature (check it out below).

The Abs-Tract Organization ("TATO") is a meta-think tank formed to provide global solutions to systemic problems, specializing in "abstraction", an advanced thinking process and social critique with wide ranging applications.

Our conversation was far-reaching, thought-provoking, and interesting to say the least. We have included some of Bren’t best writing below, along with timestamps from our discussion. We thank Brent for his time, research, and eclectic mind.

We hope you enjoy the conversation!

Timestamps:

Working in blue-collar jobs for 5 yrs between college and graduate school (07:00)
Living in the Anthropocene epoch and the difference between Meta-modernism & Hyper-modernism (11:45)
Timothy Morton’s Hyperobjects, Object-Oriented Ontology, and Modern Monetary Theory (16:55)
“Key Logs”, keystone, technopoly, and other heuristics (24:45)
Five favorite logical fallacies featured on Brent’s The Stoa lecture (33:05)
Anti-Intellectualism, THAT Jordan Peterson vs. Slavoj Zizek, the IDW, Game B, & Anti-Debates (42:40)
Our recent episode with Claire Webb, the Drake Equation, the Fermi Paradox, and the importance of collective action (58:40)
the idea of “Systemic Conspiracy” (01:01:40)
A critique on IRL and reductionist modalities (01:18:40)
The Abs-Tract Organization (01:22:30)
Brent’s message for his “Overview Effect” question (01:33:04)

More on Brent Cooper:

The Abs•Tract: Core Philosophy

Biography

Jul 05, 202101:41:29

Conversations #12 - Claire Webb

Hey Eclectic Spacewalkers!

Last week we had the pleasure of sitting down with Claire Webb.

Claire is a historian and anthropologist of science and currently a fellow of USC and the Berggruen Institute. Her research considers future-facing technoscientific objects since the postwar era in the United States.

Her dissertation, from MIT’s HASTS program, Technologies of Perception: Searches for Life and Intelligence Beyond Earth is a history of, and current work on, scientific searches for extraterrestrial life.

She has a long personal history of being around telescopes, even working with Breakthrough Listen - UC-Berkeley’s SETI research arm, and collaborating with none other than Jill Tarter. Jodie Foster’s rough characterization in the film Contact should jog your memory of who that is.

Our conversation was far-reaching, thought-provoking, and exactly the type of conversation for us to get back into the podcasting swing of things again. We talked about Claire’s early inspirations, The Overview Effect and Earthrise photo, The Drake Equation/Fermi Paradox, for E.T., and what type of techno futures we can imagine on worlds beyond Earth, amongst a number of other interesting topics. I thank Claire for her time, research, and eclectic mind.

I hope you enjoy the conversation!

Timestamps:

Early influences, wanting to be an astronaut, and The Power of Ten short film (03:15)
Dr. Jill Tarter’s inspiration, founding member of SETI (11:00)
Claire’s academic journey (16:55)
What are history, anthropology, and STS studies and how do they interact? (30:55)
How should a layman think and interact with history unfolding? (42:15)
Claire’s article Worlds Beyond Ours in NOEMA Mag (44:50)
The Overview Effect, Earthrise photo, and how we see ourselves among the cosmos (58:04)
MDRS Mars Analog Missions and “resonance” (1:04:30)
The Drake Equation and The Fermi Paradox (1:14:05)
Claire’s dissertation Technologies of Perception: Searches for Life and Intelligence Beyond Earth (01:24:35)
Moving out to Los Angeles, USC & Berggruen Institute fellowships, and new research into feminist posthumanism. (01:52:15)

That project asks: What are the computational processes scientists have used since the 1950s to configure software and hardware—assemblages that are shifting traditionally perceived thresholds of liveliness—to find novel forms of life beyond Earth?
Claire would quote a poem by Sappho or Rainer Maria Rilke if she was experiencing the Overview Effect with the eyes of the world upon her. (01:58:10)

More on Claire Webb:

Website

Twitter

Jun 21, 202102:00:41

Conversations #11 - Tara Perry

A conversation with the founder of BlackPact.org, Tara Perry--

After a four-month hiatus due to COVID-19, we were finally able to record a podcast with Tara Perry, founder of BlackPact.org. Tara has been enormously helpful and a trusted friend in navigating the discussion of race in our present society over the last year.

Shortly after the death of Nipsey Hussle in 2019, we reached out to Tara regarding some filming opportunities in oder to learn more about the community that just lost a hearo. The following months were a humbling journey in thinking and talking about race, priviledge, and whiteness that pointed to how entangles those subjects are not just in the United States, but around the world. Unfortunately, we were able to produce an event/concert in celebrating the life of Nipsey Hussle, but an important conversation had begun.

A Political Action Committee or PAC's main focus is to use monied contributions to elect or defeat political individuals, but are capped at $5,000 for indivisuals and $15,000 for any national committee per year. Starting first as a PAC, BlackPact.org's ultimate goal would be to become a Super-PAC- which can give unlimited campaign contributions.

"BLACK PACT is a Political Action Committee (PAC) committed to creating a social contract among Black American Descendants of Slavery (ADOS) to be politically, economically and socially responsible for one another's interests as a cultural collective. We make a pact to organize the masses of our people and allies to push a political agenda that not only represent the members of our organization but to work against policies that adversely affect our communities. We are driven by a single goal; to push a political agenda that addresses the specific ills forces into our communities through slavery, the reconstruction era, Jim Crow, redlining and the prison industrial complex. Our decision-making process is informed by comprehensive empirical studies and high-quality data evaluations. We strive to make a positive impact on all of our pursuits."

Tara and I discussed her upbringing and her first dealing with the concept of race, the ADOS (American Descendents of Slaves) movement, running as a write-in candidate for District 8 in Los Angeles, founding BlackPact.org, the history of Jim Crow and redlining, and gentrification's impact on the Black community among other topics. I thank Tara for her time, research, and eclectic mind.

I hope you enjoy the conversation.

Timestamps:

-Who were your earliest influences? (02:31)

-When was the first time you learned about race? (04:46)

- What is the ADOS movement and what is its main goal? (11:34)

-Watchmen, Black Wall St., Black Art, Slavery in "the land of the free" (14:31)

- How had your concept of race changed after going to university and coming back to Los Angeles? (20:22)

- The Color of Wealth Report (33:15)

- Tara's experience running for elected office in LA's district 8 (42:19)

- Homelessness, new Rams stadium & failed promise in local jobs, and recommendationsMalcolm impact (50:01)

- Nipsey Hussle and celebrating black culture in the mainstream (59:08)

- Tara moderated a panel called "Resurrecting Malcolm" and the wisdom we can attain from Malcom X in 2020 (01:07:12)

-Eclectic Spacewalk's influences and Tara's reccomendations of others to research (01:16:07)

- What is BlackPact's mission? (01:22:39)

- What can be done about reconciling the harms of slavery? (01:29:51)

- The New Jim Crow & the prison industrial complex (01:33:43)

- What would you say to the World is you were experiencing "The Overview Effect?" (01:43:44)

Conversations #10 - Rob Harper

A conversation with Filmmaker Rob Harper—

Last fall, while in London recording another podcast with Vinay Gupta, I had the supreme pleasure in interviewing director, producer, and screenwriter Rob Harper about his most recent film - Journey’s to the Edge of Consciousness.

Take an animated trip into the depths of the human mind with three brave pioneers of the 1950’s/60’s Aldous Huxley, Timothy Leary and Alan Watts. The film presents three psychedelic trips by these three world-famous authors that together changed them, and Western culture, forever. - via website

The film follows three revolutionaries in the science of psychedelics: Timothy Leary, the disgraced Harvard professor who said “Turn on. Tune in. Drop out,” the renowned English author Aldous Huxley who later wrote about his trippy experience in Doors of Perception, and lastly Alan Watts, the philosopher who arguably was the main reason why eastern philosophy has became popular in western countries.

Rob and I discussed his journey into the psychedelic realm, the film making process, and the promise of therapy among other topics. I thank Rob for his time, research, and eclectic mind.

Watch Journey's to the Edge of Consciousness at https://www.journeysmovie.com/

Enjoy the conversation, and until next time - Ad Astra!

Timestamps:

Stanislov Grof’s Realms of the Human Unconscious and Graham Hancock’s The War on Consciousness banned TED talk was two of Rob’s biggest influences in being interested in the subject of psychedelics (02:31)
What does psychedelics have to do with consciousness? (05:13)
Why did you partly animate the film? (10:53)
How did you decide on which experts in the field to interview? (16:03)
How did you keep the flow of the film fresh? (19:08)
Tell us about the logistics & funding of the film making process. (21:53)
How was the viewer’s journey of watching the film supposed to be intended? (24:12)

“Fundamentally, this is not a film about psychedelics. In so many ways it is completely, but actually beyond that it’s not. It is a film about consciousness…This film is really about the painful process of making contact with yourself in a world where we are not invited to spend much time in contact with ourselves.” (27:03)
Rob describes the “edge” of consciousness (29:28)
How did you come up with the question: "What can expanded states of mind teach us about ourselves, the world and our place in it?" (32:58)
How have perceptions on psychedelics changed in the last 5 years? (34:33)
What does our psychedelic infused future look like? (38:23)
How have your expectations changed throughout the film making process, and since it has been released? (43:53)
What have you learned about yourself during this journey? (48:43)

More on Rob Harper:

Film’s Website: https://www.journeysmovie.com/

Film’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/Journeys_Movie

Rob’s IMBD: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1236148/

Apr 13, 202052:32

Conversations #9 - Eric Schwitzgebel

A conversation with Professor of Philosophy, Eric Schwitzgebel—

This month, I sat down with Professor of Philosophy at the University of California - Riverside - Eric Schwitzgebel. Along with teaching, Eric is a prolific writer who since 2006 has written over 1000 posts about numerous subjects on his blog “The Splintered Mind.” His most recent book: A Theory of Jerks and other Philosophical Misadventures is a collection of 68 of Eric’s favorites.

Our conversation was as wide ranging as his resume and research. We talked about his personal history towards a academic career in philosophy. Being influenced as a grad student under John Searle of “The Chinese Room” thought experiment fame. Eric’s dad had a similar trajectory as he worked under Timothy Leary for the famous Harvard LSD studies.

We discussed the utility of philosophy, moral psychology, and went deep into many of the questions pertaining to consciousness. Our discussion featured his past research on ethics of ethics professors, complex mating dances of garden snails, and ancient Chinese philosophy. We also touched on the reconnection of psychology and philosophy in the last 20 years, and teaching evil earlier in the semester to his students.

I thank Eric for his time, research, and eclectic mind. Enjoy the conversation, and until next time - Ad Astra!

Timestamps:

- Eric’s dad was a grad student in the famous Harvard (Timothy Leary & Ram Das) LSD Studies, and invented the ankle monitoring system for arrestees (00:05:13) 

- Eric did his post graduate work at UC Berkley under John Searle of “The Chinese Room” thought experiment fame - a critique of “The Turing Test” (00:13:59) 

- What exactly is consciousness? (00:18:20) 

- Can collectives, societies, companies, ideas, or countries like the United States be conscious? (00:22:45) 

- Eric’s thoughts on Object Oriented Ontology and speculative realism (00:26:37) 

- Unknown Unknowns, and the quest for consilience, and the Fermi paradox (00:35:16) 

Part Two:

- Philosophical outlook on altered states of consciousness (00:44:02) 

- The great debate between Mengzi & Xunzi about whether human nature is good or evil. (00:48:06) 

- Science fiction as a philosophy & ethics of technology (01:02:22) 

- Upcoming anthology: “Philosophy through science fiction stories” (01:06:31) 

- Discussing films Ex Machina & Arrival (01:10:54) 

- The bizarre, weird, and complex lives of garden snails (01:16:09) 

- The love of writing, running a blog called “The Splintered Mind,” and everyone is really a philosopher and interested in the deepest mysteries of existence (01:23:40) 

- Eric’s new book: “A Theory of Jerks and other Philosophical Misadventures" (01:30:21) 

- Recommending Zhuangzi (Butterfly Dream) and John Stuart Mill (On Liberty) and Montaigne (Personal essays like On Solitude) (01:39:50) 

- What can we gain philosophically from the idea of the “The Overview Effect?” (01:56:34)

More on Eric Schwitzgebel:

Eric’s Book: https://mitpress.mit.edu/books/theory-jerks-and-other-philosophical-misadventures

Eric’s Website: https://faculty.ucr.edu/~eschwitz/

Eric’s blog “The Splintered Mind”: https://schwitzsplinters.blogspot.com/

Eric’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/eschwitz?lang=en

Mar 16, 202002:03:48

Conversations #8 - Mike Elias

A conversation with the founder of Idea Markets, Mike Elias—

After traveling to Europe in October & November to film some projects and record a few podcasts (Ronni Abergel, Vinay Gupta, George Por, & Yogos Krassakopoulos), I am back in LA for the foreseeable future.

Last month, I sat down with Mike Elias of Idea Markets. The subject matter we discussed hits close to home with my journalism background, and should be deeply important for anyone who values democratic values & access to information. Sadly, this is not a new story, but a very old one.

Mike & Idea Markets are trying to help solve the problem of trust, credibility, and narrative rigor that is objectively missing in media today. As well as, countering the incalculable harm of the “Tobacco Strategy” that still plagues our societal discourse anywhere narratives take root in the public’s psyche.

Enjoy & Ad Astra!

What is an idea market?
“Idea markets use investment to establish credibility for ideas and narratives without trusting a centralized third party by changing the incentive landscape for creating common knowledge. Success is achieved not when lies disappear forever, but when the trend reverses from a competition to exploit, terrorize, and divide the public to a competition to serve, inspire, and unite it.”

Timestamps

How Mike’s influences have changed over time (05:07)
What he does day to day other than Idea Markets (12:53)
His experience with cryptocurrencies (18:59)
Beginning of part two with an explanation of the Hegelian Dialectic (27:23)
What are fiat narratives, and examples of how media corporations create them (36:36)
The effectiveness of the “Tobacco Strategy” & Edward Bernays lasting influence on us all (47:31)
Beginning of part three with how we are in an epistemic crisis (51:41)
Our public media apparatus is inadequate in dealing with the problems of today (55:53)
What does Idea Markets do differently? (58:36)
How Idea Markets runs on the Ethereum blockchain (We talked to Vinay Gupta who helped launch Ethereum in a previous episode) (01:04:12)
Idea Markets have Skin in the Game principles (01:08:59)
Idea Markets browser extension launches March 1st, 2020! (01:14:13)

More on Mike Elias:

Idea Markets Website: https://ideamarkets.org/

Idea Markets White Paper: https://github.com/harmonylion/ideamarkets/wiki/Whitepaper-v1

Idea Markets Twitter: https://twitter.com/Ideamarkets_

Mike’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/harmonylion1

Feb 24, 202001:17:03

Conversations #7 - Yorgos Krassakopoulos

A conversation with the Head of Programming for the Thessaloniki International Film Festival, Yorgos Krassakopoulos—

“Γεια σας από την Ελλάδα” - “Hello from Greece”

After traveling to Europe in October and recording a few podcasts(Ronni Abergel, Vinay Gupta, & George Por), I recieved a long awaited email from the international press secretary of the Thessaloniki International Film Festival(TIFF) regarding press credentials. I had applied weeks prior due to theme of the 2019 festival being of particular interest. TIFF celebrated it’s 60th anniversary last November, and the theme was “The Overview Effect.” So of course Eclectic Spacewalk had to go check it out.

We discussed movies & film in general, their impact on the public, and a little about TIFF’s 60th anniversary theme - The Overview Effect.” Yogos is usually critiquing the films and deciding on their possible inclusion to TIFF, but he also enjoyes interviewing the eclectic director John Waters one of the evenings.

Enjoy & Ad Astra!

Timestamps

Yorgos was born in a small town in the Peloponnese region of Greece (02:16)
“Who were your biggest influences growing up and now?” (04:09)
Yorgos talks about the transformation that happens when you watch a great film (06:26)
“What makes a great film?” (09:34)
Great films go beyond language or cultural differences (10:46)
Three films( Fight Club, Theorem, The Ogre of Athens) that had great impact on Yorgos (11:22)
How do you disconnect being a film critic and a film fan/enthusiast? (13:26)
Why was this year’s theme “The Overview Effect?” (17:27)
Thessaloniki comes alive for the festival (22:26)

--
More on Yorgos Krassakopoulos:

TIFF Website: https://www.filmfestival.gr/en/

Flix Website: https://flix.gr/

Review Examples: https://flix.gr/en/author/yorgos

Yorgos Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/krassakopoulos/

Jan 21, 202028:46

Conversations #6 - George Por

Hey Eclectic Spacewalkers!

Back in October, after traveling to Copenhagen and then to London, we headed to Brighton, on the southern coast of the UK, to speak with George Por.

George Por is the Founder & Academic Dean of Campus Co-Evolve, or “The Campus.” Campus Co-Evolve is a unique digital higher education prototype. Their ambitions are of the highest order in pioneering learning techniques that can be used at three all encompassing scales.

Our purpose is “to trigger viral waves of new capabilities for facilitating profound transformation on three scales — personal, organizational, and societal.”

Campus Co-Evolve is still relatively new, as it has only been around for a year or so, but there is much promise. Given more capital with successful cohorts and committed teachers we could be hearing more about The Campus in the future of education.

George has a long track record of teaching, mentorship, and being a r.evolutionary change agent. Our conversation was wide ranging & thought provoking. We talked about The Campus, but also got into civilization renewal, reinvigorating the commons, and the importance of adding evolutionary thinking into your repertoire of seeing reality.

Enjoy the conversation, and until next time - Ad Astra!

Timestamps

What did you want to be when you grew up? (00:01:42)
George’s story about being being kicked out of university, spending 20 months in jail, and exiled from Hungary in the 1960s. (00:06:03)
George talks about his “Circle of Life” work, and it changing every year (00:13:14)
George started a magazine called “Enlivening Edge” (00:23:45)

BEGINNING OF PART TWO (00:29:12)

George founded a company called Community Intelligence which is “enabling the next stage of development and people and organizations” (00:29:12)
“Organizational theories interests me only if they can be tested and practice & are improving the lives of people while moving the organization that they work with to its next stage of capabilities. (00:35:30)
What are “The Commons?” (00:44:49)
How has mentor-ship & teaching changed you personally? (00:48:28)

BEGINNING OF PART THREE (00:52:54)

Why did you start Campus Co-Evolve? (00:52:54)
Five Pillars of Campus Co-Evolve (00:58:15)
Campus Co-Evolve is donation based instead of tuition (01:05:12)
If you were at the International Space Station or say the moon with a whole world looking up at you (Experiencing “The Overview Effect”), what would you say? (01:11:41)

More on George Por:

Campus Co-Evolve Website: https://campus-coevolve.org/

Community Intelligence Website: https://community-intelligence.com/

EnLivening Edge Newsletter: https://www.enliveningedge.org/

George’s Twitter: @TechnoShaman

George’s Medium: https://medium.com/@technoshaman

Dec 24, 201901:14:08

Conversations #5 - Vinay Gupta

Hey Eclectic Spacewalk subscribers!

Last month, after traveling to Copenhagen, Denmark to speak to Ronni Abergel, Founder & CEO of the Human Library Organization (HLO), we headed to jolly ole’ London town (please excuse the cliche lol) to have a conversation with Vinay Gupta, the CEO of Mattereum.

We talked about his early days and influences growing up in Scotland. We spoke about how Buckminster Fuller’s “doing more with less” was the founding principle for him to make a usable shelter at Burning Man, but also the opportunity for the finished product - The Hexayurt - to be deployed in disaster areas. We discussed how cryptocurrencies were almost inevitable because of the problems with payments over the internet, and how he came to help launch Ethereum.

The later parts of our conversation focused on his founding of Matterum, and how it’s main mission is to:

“Turn Law into Code” by “Organizing the world's property and making it universally accessible and useful.”

In their White Paper, Matterum says it is a “commercial infrastructure to turn smart contracts into legal contracts that can be efficiently enforced all over the world, without needing new legislation, creating liquidity for $50 trillion of assets globally.”

By humanizing the singularity, Matterum will not only help in the legitimacy and trust of assets, but it is positioned extremely well to help fight against climate change by “creating digital twins of material objects and using blockchain smart contracts to automate all aspects of how material things are traded, owned, and combined. We aim to squeeze out these systemic inefficiencies and more accurately allocate capital to activities which promote wellbeing.”

Timestamps

Biggest influences growing up (00:06:57)
Buckminster Fuller, Burning Man, & The Hexayurt (00:10:29)
Influence of Twitter in discourse & communication (00:16:32)
Personal philosophy changing over the years (00:25:03)

BEGINNING OF PART TWO (31:59)

What is the Blockchain? (00:31:59)
Trade-offs of the Blockchain (00:41:21)
Helping launch Ethereum (00:59:43)
Founding Mattereum - “Turning Law into Code.” (01:08:41)
Mattereum proof of concept trust model with William Shatner & his collectibles (01:26:40)
What would you say to the world, if you were experiencing the “Overview Effect?” (01:51:42)

More on Vinay Gupta:

Mattereum Website: https://mattereum.com/

Mattereum White Paper: https://cms.mattereum.io/upload/iblock/784/mattereum-summary_white_paper.pdf

Vinay Twitter: https://twitter.com/leashless

Vinay Medium: https://medium.com/@leashless

Nov 25, 201902:09:17

Conversations #4 - Ronni Abergel

Hey Eclectic Spacewalkers,

This month I traveled to Copenhagen, Denmark to speak to Ronni Abergel, Founder & CEO of the Human Library Organization (HLO), and also to document one of their events during Copenhagen’s Culture Night on October 11th, 2019.

“Menneskebiblioteket” as it is called in Danish, was created in Copenhagen in the spring of 2000 by Ronni and a few others. HLO has grown significantly since their humble beginnings and now operate events in over 80 countries.

“The Human Library® is, in the true sense of the word, a library of people. We host events where readers can borrow human beings serving as open books and have conversations they would not normally have access to. Every human book from our bookshelf, represent a group in our society that is often subjected to prejudice, stigmatization or discrimination because of their lifestyle, diagnosis, belief, disability, social status, ethnic origin etc.”

HLO meets their goals by, “creating a special dialogue room, where taboo topics can be discussed openly and without condemnation. A place where people who would otherwise never talk find room for conversation…a place where difficult questions are expected, appreciated and answered.”

“Un-judge Someone!” is upgraded from “Don’t judge a book by it’s cover”

The improved statement honestly presupposes our biological judgements (based on evolution & survival techniques) of others, but - critically - allows us to consciously rise above them.

Ronni and I had a fantastic conversation about the journey of HLO, growing pain key learnings, as well as future plans of expansion. Our conversation also got into the natural mechanics of judgement, identity, and community. I thank Ronni for his time, and the wonderful discussion we had.

Enjoy the conversation, and until next time - Ad Astra!

- - - - -

Timestamps

Growing up with a French Moroccan family heritage in Copenhagen (00:02:25)
Different influences & role models (00:08:07)
“I don't know if it's about seeing myself in them. It's more about understanding the world and their understanding of the world, and maybe will help me better my understanding of the world.” (00:12:58)
After spending a year in the US, the reverse culture shock of going back to Copenhagen was indeed “weird” (00:15:56)
Judging is an integral part of humanity’s biological repertoire of defense mechanisms, but HLO is saying: “Become a NON-Judge because we know you already judged.” (00:23:58)

BEGINNING OF PART TWO (29:17)

What is the Human Library? (00:29:40)
“All of us have unconscious bias and all of us judge.” (00:30:51)
The non religious epiphany or insight that started it all. (00:34:06)
“Unjudge someone” is an upgrade from “Don’t judge a book by it’s cover” (00:38:14)
The content of conversations depend on your courage to have them (00:40:45)
Human Library’s corporate model (00:44:12)

- - - - -

More on Ronni Abergel:

Human Library' Website: https://humanlibrary.org/

Human Library’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheHumanLibrary

Human Library’s Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/humanlibraryorg

Nov 04, 201947:25

Conversations #3 - Tiago Forte

Hello Eclectic Spacewalkers,

Last month, I sat down with coach, entrepreneur, and writer Tiago Forte. He is the creator of BuildingASecondBrain.com, which is: “on a mission to radically improve the effectiveness of human beings while making work a vehicle for personal growth.”

Tiago is also the Founder of Forte Labs & Writer of the Praxis newsletter. His goal is to help people not just survive, but thrive, while working in modern times. “Together, we’ll expand the definition of modern knowledge work, experiment with new ways of doing more with less, and explore what it means to fulfill our human potential.”

Along with talking about his personal journey, our conversation mainly revolved around his central thesis approach of “principles, not prescriptions.” Instead of doling out a stale list of productivity “tips and tricks” that ignore each person’s unique situation, Tiago teaches principles that anyone can adapt for themselves.

This approach comes from Tiago’s extensive study of diverse fields – including design thinking, behavioral science, user experience design, information science, and active learning – to identify both the latest research and the timeless principles that underpin human performance.

We spoke to his personal goal of synthesizing everything he learns into practical methods that allows people to harness the power of technology. “Technology is central to every company in every industry, we need new ways of managing our attention and focusing it where it matters most, instead of reacting to every interruption. Instead of being a constant source of distraction, I believe we can transform technology into a dependable source of learning, growth, and self-fulfillment.”

Enjoy the conversation & until next time - Ad Astra!

- - - - -

Timestamps

• How growing up in a diverse cultural household shaped his worldview. (03:48) 

• Reading and books were always a huge influence on Tiago (05:23) 

• Especially the works of James Michener (06:59) 

• Studying abroad in Brazil, working in microfinance in Colombia, and serving in the Peace Corps in Ukraine (09:56) 

• Leaving the Peace Corps and coming back to the US (17:19) 

BEGINNING OF PART TWO (25:15)

• The principle of doing more with less (Ephemeralization) and the beginning of Forte Labs (25:02) 

• “Think of your brain as a pipeline of ideas.” (28:46) 

• “My recommendation is to focus on the system for generating insights rather than any one particular insight. This comes back to the principles not prescriptions.” (33:44) 

• Creative principles to try and help minimize the incessant grabbing of your attention (39:17) 

• 10 principles of building a second brain (42:03) 

BEGINNING OF PART THREE (53:16)

• Writing influences & history (53:57) 

• A Manifesto on Human Centered Work (57:17) 

• Personal growth is a privilege (01:00:52) 

• Personal growth is REAL work that isn’t just going to happen (01:07:55) 

• Imagination is crucially important for the future of work (01:11:54) 

• The experience of moving from San Fransisco to Mexico City (01:16:49) 

• What would you say to the entire world if everyone on Earth was looking back at you? (01:19:41) 

- - - - -

More on Tiago Forte:

Website

Twitter

Purchase Tiago’s books

Oct 11, 201901:21:28

Conversations #2 - Micheal Cholbi

Hello Eclectic Spacewalkers,

Here is my interview with Cal Poly Pomona, Professor of Philosophy - Michael Cholbi (First published on my Substack newsletter)

His research is primarily in ethics, with particular emphases on suicide, grief, punishment, Kantian ethics, paternalism, work & labor, and moral psychology.

Along with teaching, he is currently the director of the newly created California Center for Ethics and Policy (CCEP). Michael is also a founding member of the International Association for the Philosophy of Death and Dying, and has published over 60 peer-reviewed articles. His most noted books are “Suicide, the Philosophical Dimensions”, and on “Understanding Kant’s Ethics.”

(Below are timestamps of the conversation to skip around, or just clear your mind and press play to hear a thoughtful conversation).

I thank Michael for his time, research, and openness on usually hushed subject matter(s), but as he said in the conversation: “LIGHT IS THE BEST DISINFECTANT.”

We have to talk about the things that we care about, but even more so - If we want to change them.

Enjoy the conversation & Ad Astra!

- - - - - -

Timestamps

My father was at D-Day” (03:39)
Was death and suicide a part of your life growing up? (08:38)

“Yeah, I think that philosophy gives people, well it honors, their autonomy as people and gives them a chance to empower themselves and I think that at its best, you know, philosophy can be a really powerful source of human solidarity.” (24:09)

Philosophy and it’s root “Philosophia” means a “love of wisdom” NOT “wisdom” (28:28)
Is ethics only really viewed through a subjective (personal/cultural) lens? (45:34)
END OF PART ONE (47:42)

How do animals deal with death? Do they grieve?(57:15)
How do different cultures throughout the past, and now, deal with death? (59.04)
What are your thoughts on Immortality? (01:05:22)

“...it's a somewhat transient impulse and I think that acknowledging suicidal thinking is actually a very powerful suicidal Suicide Prevention technique. It doesn't seem to me that the taboo has done much good on that score.” (01:17:44)

“Each of us is a small trembling animal that will someday decay and die” - Ernest Becker (01:33:58)

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

More on Michael Cholbi:

Website: https://michael.cholbi.com/

Twitter: @MichaelCholbi

Purchase latest book: Understanding Kant’s Ethics

Purchase previous book: Suicide: The Philosophical Dimensons Book

Sep 02, 201901:40:16

Conversations #1 - Millicent Ally

Interview with Author & Poet Millicent Ally (First published on my Substack newsletter)

Purchase Book: Tales of the Human Condition on Amazon

Purchase Audiobook: Tales of the Human Condition (with music & without) on Audible

Connect on Twitter: @MillicentAlly

- - - - - -

Last month, I sat down and had a conversation with author & poet Millicent Ally. She self published a collection of poems called Tales of the Human Condition in 2012. I found Millicent’s poems in a round a bout way, but they will be on my bookshelf for a long, long time. The first half of the podcast is getting to know Millicent, and her journey until now. The second half is Millicent reading her poetry, and then us discussing it.

I was immediately enamored with her honesty, personal themes, and ability to make a legitimate attempt of encapsulating the human condition. (I don’t think any human could ever begin to do that, but the effort is appreciated!) She breaks up her collection into four pillars of her/your human condition: Life, Love, Introspection, and God.

Timestamps

Where are you from originally? (0:25)
What influences did you get from LA/”the south?” (1:10)
What age range? (2:35)
What were your writing influences? (05:19)
Millicent reads her poem “Fourteen.” (08:25)
“It's like we're more of a spiritual creature inside of a biological.” (11:28)
"So by acknowledging my character flaws and accepting my own shortcomings with love, forgiveness and a willing to change, I improve my humanity.” (13:50)
“I am more forgiving with other people than I am with myself.” (15:00)
What were the internal & external factors when you wrote Tales of the Human Condition? (19:35)
“I self-published and it was a really interesting.” (28:00)
Would you in 2019 keep those same four pillars of: Life, Love, Introspection and God? (35:45)
Imagine yourself at International Space Station or the moon, and the world is looking at you. - What would you say? (38:00)
END OF PART ONE (41:32)

—

BEGINNING OF PART TWO (41:36)
Millicent reads her poem “Sunday” (41.52)
Millicent reads her poem “Masked Morality” (45:59)
Millicent reads her poem “Ascension” (58:50)
Millicent reads her poem “World’s End”(01:00:47)
Millicent reads her poem “Profession” (01:07:30)
Millicent reads her poem “Apology” (01:10:06)
Millicent reads her poem “The Lifelong Process” (01:13:16)
Millicent reads her poem “Lazarus” (01:17:17)
Millicent reads her poem “The Distant Beyond” (01:18:44)
Millicent reads her poem “Immortal” (01:20:04)
Millicent reads her poem “Eternal Hymn in God” (01:22:07)
Nicholas reads Millicent’s Tales of the Human Condition “Conclusion” (01:25:45)

- - - - - - - - - - - - - -