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LifeloggingI am Apollo Lemmon and this is my lifestream. I invite you to join me in my exploration of an integral life. I am focused on discovering what it means to live a life rooted in integral consciousness and I explore spirituality, art, community, technology, fitness and other aspects of a fully engaged life. I am now living in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.
I can always be reached at apollo@apollolemmon.com
My love for podcasts is undiminished.
When I listen to great new ‘casts I share them here, filtering out the boring bits of the podosphere and leaving you with gems. You can find my previous recommendations all collected at Frozen Truth.
I recently discovered The Moth and was gripped by many of the podcasts I listened to. It features short storytelling sessions from fascinating speakers. Some of the notable guests of the larger project, of which the podcast is as aspect, have been Margaret Cho, Neil Gaiman, Ethan Hawke, Darryl “DMC” McDaniels, Moby, and Suzanne Vega. The series is a showcase of real life stories from people of all walks of life and succedes in bringing many perspecitves under the umbrella of intimate storytelling.
The stories range in length from approximately 5 to 17 minutes. Sometimes funny, occasionally sad, often poignant, we hope you will find the stories memorable and representative of many aspects of human experience. Because the stories are culled from many years worth of archives, the sound quality varies.
Tank Riot is a feast of a podcast. Each episode features a historic figure, pop culture landmark or topic that is explored with great enthusiasm and insight. A quick glace through the archives shows off just how varied the subjects can be; robber barons, Gilligan’s Island, Mother Teresa, Hanna-Barbera, Joe McCarthy, Post-Apocalypse Cinema, Walt Disney, Ayn Rand, Jim Henson, Mister Rogers, Tron, Devo, Henry Ford, Nikola Tesla, Douglas Adams, Philip K. Dick and Hugo Chávez were all fodder for this ‘cast. Some of the takes on important figures are surprising and shed light on overlooked histories; revealing Mother Teresa’s ugly side was especially audacious. Every episode is a thill, so be sure to subscribe.
I mentioned Kelly and Jessica’s The Popular Podcast in a previous post, but since then they have both created personal podcasts as part of their lifestreaming activities. Kelly and Jessica share their lives with great honesty and a clear desire to have their experiments bear fruit in their lives and the lives of those who look in through their lifestreams and podcasts. Recently Jessica has been focusing on lifestreaming for learning and design while Kelly has been exploring relationships and experiences.
I’m a lifestream designer, podcaster, & MFA candidate at UT Austin. This site is about using lifestreaming to learn about yourself and the world, so you can design the life you want. Follow my daily activities here.
Podcasts are meaningful media for me; they’re the closest thing to radio I can have any passion about. Here is a selection of sexy, speculative and informative ‘casts that I have recently added to the ‘casts I enjoy enough to listen to weekly.
These ‘casts often include mature, sexual or violent content, so if you’re timid you may not want to explore the material I am about to present. If you are interested in being challenged in thinking about relationships, wish to be tantalized with otherworldly fiction and … wish to be tantalized with otherworldly fiction, read on.
I’m a comics and science fiction geek, I’ll admit it. A love for the fantastic has been there since birth; I was named for a character from Battlestar Galactica and the science fiction writer Isaac Asimov. My parents were science fiction fans and I grew up in a home steeped in the joys of Star Trek, The Prisoner, Tolkien, science fiction novels, comic books (one fond memory I have from childhood is discovering Bizarre Adventures #30, coloured in by my father) and countless other science fiction and fantasy media.
I promised one more Podcast Selections entry, and here it is, flying past at warp 3.14. This will be a very brief entry, as I’m itching to get these very cool ‘casts to you. Today’s picks are podcasts that discuss a wide range of science fiction and comics topics.
My favourite podcast discovery of the past month is Galactic Watercooler, a sci fi talk show that touches on a large swath of science fiction, as well as comics and fantasy. Hosts Audra, Chuck and Sean inject humour and playfulness into discussions about material such as Dollhouse, Avatar, Batman and Star Trek and explore luminaries like Carl Sagan and J.R.R. Tolkien.
I grew up with Star Trek, so I first knew Wil Wheaton as Wesley Crusher on The Next Generation. Now I’m thrilled to listen every week to his podcasts. Memories of the Futurecast is Wil’s geeky and hilarious return to the first season of The Next Generation that is “equal amounts of nostalgia and facepalm”. Thus far, he has covered the first half of the first season, sharing pieces from his book Memories of the Future for one episode in each ‘cast.
Comic Book Club is hosts Alex, Justin and Pete’s insightful and funny take on the world of comics. The reviews and interviews featured on the show are great resources for someone like me who just isn’t able to keep up with the countless issues that come out each week but still has a love for great characters and great storytelling.
Casey McKinnon and Rudy Jahchan‘s A Comicbook Orange is another cheeky comic book ‘cast with great production values. Casey and Rudy bring all the fireworks of their previous podcasts —the sexy Kitcast and sci fi parody show Galacticast— to this series, making it one of the finest ‘casts on the net.
Podcasts present some of the best media in the world; the very brightest of our futures, the strangest notions and the most startling warnings make their way into podcasts. In my first two Podcast Selections posts I focused on fiction, personal development and spirituality; now I will showcase an assortment of the best podcasts that cover pop culture, geek culture, counter culture and other strangeness.
The Hour has become Canada’s best interview show due the superb interviews conducted by its host, George Stroumboulopoulos. The show covers a wide range of topics that include —but are not limited to— science, politics, arts and ethics. The Hour offers both video and audio podcasts, as well as full episodes, marking it as one of the most web-savvy major television shows.
Past guests of the show have included Eckhart Tolle, David Suzuki, Jimmy Carter, Larry King, Henry Rollins, Alanis Morissette, The Smashing Pumpkins, Richard Dawkins, Al Gore, Tony Robbins, Margaret Atwood, Levar Burton, Cory Doctorow, Naomi Klein, Blue Rodeo, Stephen King, Geddy Lee, Alex Lifeson, Morgan Freeman, Moby, Spike Lee, and Margaret Cho.
George Stroumboulopoulos is the host of The Hour, Canada’s late night talk show. Now in its sixth season, the program has won seven Gemini Awards (Canada’s equivalent to an Emmy Award), three for best talk series in Canada; three for best host in a talk program or series; and a Gemini for the production design of The Hour’s set. The Hour has also won a 2009 Gracie Award – the first international award presented to The Hour for Outstanding TV Show – Public Division, by the American Women of Radio and Television.
The Hour is unlike any program on television. It is a hybrid of news and celebrity, reflected through in-depth conversations and dynamic production. It covers politics, the arts, entertainment, the environment, human rights, sports and more. George is one of the most respected journalists in Canada, equally comfortable speaking with a world leader as he is a rock star. He has interviewed many of the most influential and recognized people in the world.
Podcasts can push us to our edges of wisdom, insight and growth. Spiritual practice and personal growth are essential for becoming the greatest humans we can be, and gaining the perspectives and insights of masters is invaluable. I am showcasing the four podcasts that I return to week after week to challenge me to grow.
Brian Johnson‘s Philosophers Notes challenges us to “get our wisdom on” and engage in building the best lives we can. Each episode is a very short overview of a key insight from one of the best books on spiritual and personal development. The Big Ideas he shares several times each week are immediately useful in our growth. Philosophers Notes also exists as a premium site delivering excellent summaries of “life-changing Big Ideas” from the best books in the self-development field.
Philsophers Notes brings insights from a staggering number of great minds, including Abraham Maslow, Krishnamurti, Shawn Phillips, Osho, Tony Robbins, Ken Wilber, Andrew Cohen, Stephen R. Covey, Deepak Chopra, Eckhart Tolle, Eric Butterworth, Martin Seligman, James Allen, Friedrich Nietzsche, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Buddha, Any Rand, Seneca, David Deida, George Leonard, Marcus Aurelius, Joseph Campbell, Russell Simmons, Esther & Jerry Hicks, Robin Sharma, Gay & Katie Hendricks, Dan Milman, Nathaniel Branden, Dennis Genpo Merzel, Michael Beckwith and Lao Tzu.
Brian Johnson nets out the great lessons of humanity for you by synthesizing the latest books on human potential, philosophy and life-empowerment. Get key takeaways, 3 times a week, in synopsis form.
Join Brian as he goes straight to the “big ideas” from the world’s great personal development teachers including: Deepak Chopra, Wayne Dyer, Eckhart Tolle, Abraham-Hicks, Tony Robbins, Stephen Covey, Dan Millman, Paulo Coelho, Nietzsche, Rumi, Ayn Rand, Joseph Campbell, Marcus Aurelius, Abraham Maslow and Napoleon Hill.
Get your wisdom on with PhilosophersNotes as you tap into inspiration on everything from discovering (and living!) your purpose, tapping into the laws of affluence and spiritual economics, mastering your time management skills, nurturing your relationships, optimizing your health and fitness and pushing through fears to live your greatest life.
“Brian Johnson is a national and international treasure, and his consciousness is a gift to us all. I’m delighted that his new service, PhilosophersNotes, is having such a large global impact. It’s rare to discover a service that springs directly from the creator’s genius, and rarer still to find something so useful that makes life richer and simpler. I encourage you to subscribe to PhilosophersNotes and tune to Brian’s frequency.” ~Gay Hendricks, Ph.D., Author of “Five Wishes”; Co-Author, with Dr. Kathlyn Hendricks, of “Conscious Loving”
Podcasts have become the source of most of the storytelling I experience. The high quality of readings and the stories being read are too good to keep quiet about, so I’m beginning a series of entries on podcasts with the best in science fiction, horror, fantasy and mainstream fiction that I have been lucky enough to find.
Tony C. Smith has created a superb audio science fiction magazine with StarshipSofa’s weekly Aural Delights podcast. The Sofa collects poetry, flash fiction, fact articles and short fiction by a wide range of the most important people in the science fiction field: writers and guests have included Elizabeth Bear, Spider Robinson, Cory Doctorow, Tad Williams, Larry Santoro, Jeremiah Tolbert, Gustavo Bondoni, Michael Bishop, Amy H Sturgis, Michael Moorcock, Gene Wolfe, Charles Stross, and Ted Kosmatka.
A host of SF writers have offered to let the StarShipSofa narrate their works. Writers who have already donated their work include Ian Watson, Pat Cadigan, Harry Harrison, Joe Haldeman, Joan D Vinge, Norman Spinrad, Ian MacDonald, J D Nordley, Bruce Sterling, Gweneth Jones, Alastair Reynolds, Jerry Pournelle, Landon Jones, John Varley, Pat Murphy, John Kessel, Laurel Winter, Jeff Vandermeer, Kevin J Anderson, Bradley Denton and Matthew Hughes.
Tony C Smith host of the StarShipSofa podcast explains that all the authors kindly donated their work to be narrated for free as long as there was no money to be made. Tony Smith says, “I wanted to start getting great stories out there for free and thought the best way to do that was to contact the writers directly. All have been happy to donate works to the StarShipSofa as long as we make no money from this venture. That is exactly what we are doing.” ~PR
Late last year I discovered John Varley‘s The Persistence of Vision through a superb reading of the story included in Spider Robinson’s Spider on the Web podcast. The story has become my favourite novella and I am thrilled each time I revisit it.
One of the richest elements of the story is the positive vision of polyamoury that Varley placed at the heart of his community. The non-exclusive intimacy was not merely sexual —though it was sexual— and demonstrated the best of what a pragmatic and enthusiastic community can create.
That one aspect of the community resonated with me, but Varley instilled the story with a genuine sense of realism by developing a fictional culture and society that was both functional and beautiful.
Recognizing elements of Utopian narratives led me to a reading of the story that I think works well: this is a functional utopia, one that recognizes the flaws inherent in any idealism and responds to them. The displaced Other of utopian thought is present here, but it is an other able to form a real community; idealism demands constant rebuilding.
This is a timely reading — and not just because the economy is in free-fall. Technology is rupture — each new wave of technological change displaces and remakes us. Today’s technocratic winners are tomorrow’s superannuated losers. The future of human history will be about how we answer the bug in/bug out question.
Cory Doctorow, “Spider Robinson reads Varley’s ‘The Persistence of Vision‘”
Spider Robinson’s reading of the story is warm, loving and damn-near-perfect. You can download “Spider on the Web Episode 57 The Persistence of Vision” at Spider Robinson’s website and learn more about John Varley at his own.
I bring along Spider Robinson‘s Spider on the Web podcast when I have time to do some listening as one of my staples. Science fiction, great music, technology, culture, space and a slew of other topics pop up and Spider offers cutting insight on it all. His readings of essays written for the H.R. Macmillan Space Centre are especially rewarding, as are his ‘casts on religion and global warming. There’s an integral lean to a lot of his stuff that I appreciate.
This week’s ‘cast has been one of my favourites, largely because it introduced me to David Crosby performing “Triad”, the finest song on polyamory I’ve heard, and Spider’s Lifehouse Trilogy, which explores ethics among non-theists.
I’ve mentioned and quoted Spider before in “My Enviornmental Stance” and “Stardancing“.
Video offerings online can be frustratingly hard to keep track of without a program like Miro. When I find a video podcast I enjoy, I just add it to my list of subscriptions on Miro and it downloads as soon as new episodes are released. If I often search for something on YouTube, I’ll just add the search to Miro and it will keep me updated on new videos. I can sit down and watch when I have the time and know everything has been taken care of so that I can just enjoy the videos. The interface is intuitive and the content offered through promoted channels is superb.
The best software products combine ease of use, aesthetics and wide functionality. When it comes to video, I rely on Miro to deliver most of what I watch online because it is the best combination of those three aspects of quality I’ve found. In addition to this, being open source, free and cross-platform (Miro supports Linux, MacOS and Windows) makes it a natural fit for me.
Miro provides a healthy model for what internet video delivery should be. It has rich features that make it easily one of the best video products available, and because it is open source and has a strong community behind it, it’s always improving. Free, fast, efficient, fun and beautiful can describe the software we choose to use, and with Miro available that choice is an easy one to make.
Channels I watch on Miro:
Geek Brief – “Geek Brief TV is Shiny, Happy Tech News.”
Seed – Seed magazine’s video feed
Pulp Secret – “the world’s first comic book network”
Marvel/DC – parody “playing in Marvel and DC’s sandboxes”
Integral Naked – Integral Naked’s free YouTube channel, filled with superb content from the leading edge
Boing Boing TV – strange video from across the ‘net
Galacticast – “a comedy show parodying all the worlds of geek-dom”
Ask a Ninja – Ninja comedy at its best.
Pink: The Series – “Pink is a serialized dark comedy produced specifically for a web-based audience. … Think of it as a live-action graphic novel.”