‘funny,’ not funny

Sarah Lipton, podcaster, author, and meditation teacher joins us to talk about her path in, and experience with Vajrayana Buddhism. They discuss the Shambhala path, the role of sutras, and the diverse practices within Buddhism, emphasizing that meditation is not just a formal practice but can be integrated into daily activities. The conversation highlights the significance of being kind to oneself to effectively help others and the transformative power of mindfulness in navigating life's challenges.

Chris Chanlder joins us once again to talk about the movies "A Complete Unknown" and "Deliver Me From Nowhere." The conversation explores the potential for creating a better biopic of Bruce Springsteen, comparing it to the Dylan movie and discussing the creative choices that could enhance storytelling in music films.

We begin by announcing the live stream of the podcast on Patreon for subscribers. This is a new direction for the pod and we encourage anyone who wants to support these episodes to join Jim's Patreon, where you can listen as we make the sausage, and get bonus materials (songs, novel chapters, and more). This podcast requires a great deal of editing and incurs costs relating to the software we use to record and stream, so your support is very much appreciated.Lionel and Jim both watched Tokyo Story by Yasujirō Ozu, considered a perfect movie by film buffs. We react to it as amateur film watchers, from our own cultural perspective. We compare and contrast other films like Singing In the Rain, Citizen Caine, and others. Notable is the comparison with the film making of directors like Wim Wenders, and the inspiration he must have drawn from this film. Lionel did not see Tokyo Twilight, but Jim did, and offers his reaction. Late in the podcast we mention a poem by W.H. Auden and compare that sentiment with the final scene in the film.

We begin with an embarassing discussion of Jim's relationship with his bidet without being overly disgusting. Somehow, we move to Martin Scorsese’s 1997 movie Kundun and each of our reactions to it. We transition to his movie Hugo (2011) and we should warn you, that this movie is full of surprises and we give them all away, hence, there is a huge SPOILER WARNING with this episode.Afterwards, we openly plan for upcoming episodes and talk about Jim's experience at the Northeastern Regional Folk Music conference he went to in Albany back in early November. This episode was recorded November 14.For those interested in watching it, Jim mentions Janis Ian’s keynote address at the conference which can be viewed here: https://janisian.com/videos/janis-ian-keynote-speech-at-nerfa-2025/

Thrayle joined us this week to talk about his TikTok channel The Batcolyte, where people are invited to question their beliefs. Thrayle talks about the origins of this channel (called a Live on TikTok) and shares his experiences questioning others about what they believe. From inebriated guests to people who just want to win a debate, we learn about what makes this forum different from the standard Lives on this platform, and how the Socratic Method takes precedence over argument and defensiveness. It was a pleasure to have him as a guest.

Kat joined us from the jungles of Hawaii where she lives off the grid. She picked 2 movies for us to discuss, Moulin Rouge, and SLC Punk, which are two of her favorites. We talk about living off the grid in Hawaii, volcanic eruptions, and her lifestyle there. The “Hawifi” cuts in and out, but we make the most of it. Later in the show, we talk about DJing Punk Rock, what constitutes a music style, the TikTok forum Batcolyte, questioning core beliefs, and the socratic method.

Lionel and Jim dive into two of the more recent Wim Wender's films "Perfect Days" and "Anselm" and discuss the common themes of his style of filmmaking. This also brings up Chuck Ramiriez, a photographer Lionel likes from San Antonio. This episode is pieced together from two shorter ones we recorded on consecutive days.What the Riverside AI says:“The conversation delves into the themes of simplicity in daily rituals and the nostalgia associated with cassette culture, highlighting how these elements contribute to the overall experience of the film being discussed.”Going forward, we will be livecasting the recording of these podcasts only on https://patreon.com/jiminfantino for paid subscribers. Join now and support the pod.

In this conversation, Jim discusses the upcoming release of his album 'Assemble Yourself', reflecting on the challenges of the music industry, including the transition from CDs to streaming. The discussion also critiques a book on Buddhism, explores the concept of filk music, and delves into production techniques used in music. Additionally, they touch on the legacy of Glenn Gould and his unique approach to music editing, while also contemplating future projects and the intriguing series 'The Secret Life of Machines'.

This episode was recorded on September 17, 2025 and is being released late, because of an oversight. Jim starts with an inane idea for a rewrite of the song Closer by Trent Reznor, and we move on to talk about album and book titles, Money Ball, and the Red Sox.Jim mentions his time lurking on TikTok, noting the new atheist and deconstruction movements in the "live" forums on that platform. Lionel and Jim discuss the merits or lack there of in the deconstruction movement. Jim mentions Batcolyte aka Thrayle who has a forum in which people question their beliefs. Others Jim mention are Anna Stone and Radio Spencer.Jim and Lionel explore possible titles for Jim's solo album and review his past album names.The discussion continues with talk of fall foliage, apple picking, alcohol use, and retro computer keyboard fetishism.

Jim starts by explaining his micro-yoga routine, if it can be called a routine. Once we dispose of this ridiculousness, we return to Donald S. Lopez's book Buddhism: A Journey Through History, having read a little further. We decide that it lacks a lot of what we want in a history of anything, which is an perspective on how the practice effected the lives of people under it's sway. We felt a little let down by the strict recounting of conflicts between the various schools without a view into what the differences in those schools represented. This draws to a close our discussion of Lopez's book, but our exploration into Buddhism may return later from a different perspective.