‘funny,’ not funny

Phil returns to talk about the latest public release from his A Day In Music Project which is available on bandcamp under the project name. Lionel and I once again sit in awe of the scope and breadth of Phil’s creativity, ability, and vision. We cannot overstate the depth of this material. We encourage you all to buy the albums and dig in to the early morning of this 24 hour project in process.All clips included with permission by the artist.

Lionel and I read part of the book Buddhism: A Journey Through History by Donald S. Lopez Jr. This ended up being the first of two discussions we would have about this challenging and exhaustive, though not entirely complete accounting of one of the world's major religions.The following summary was generated by AI automatically on Riverside. I did not ask for it, but included it here anyway. I edited it a bit and took out parts that were inaccurate. - JimThis conversation delves into the complexities of Buddhism, exploring its historical roots, various schools such as Mahayana and Theravada, and the evolution of its practices across cultures. We discuss the teachings of the Buddha, the role of monastic life, and the significance of almsgiving. We also touch on the critiques of Buddhism, the challenges of translation, and the personal experiences that shape their understanding of the tradition.

In this, the 4th episode of our 6th season, Lionel, Jim, and Tom discuss various themes in music, focusing on Tom Burris’ songwriting process. We talk about the upbeat sounds of Jabbering Trout in contrast to its sometimes dark themes. Tom shares insights into his creative process, revealing how he crafts danceable tunes with deep meanings, while also reflecting on the importance of storytelling in music.

Lionel talks about his visit to the New York State Fair and bringing his Big Brother companion. Jim admits that he misunderstood the direction to read the book Dominion, a book about the history of Christianity, which Lionel has started and discusses. Jim talks about the TV show and video game Fallout and recommends the TV show to Lionel. Jim then launches on a monologue about his experience listening to arguments about theology on social media. We talk about the usefulness or lack thereof of having these sorts of debates.

In this episode of Funny Not Funny, hosts Jim and Lionel welcome mastering engineer Jonathan Wyner to discuss the evolving landscape of music in the age of generative AI. They explore the challenges and opportunities presented by AI in music production, the importance of authenticity, and the impact of technology on music education. Wyner shares insights from his extensive career and teaching at Berklee, while the hosts reflect on the future of music consumption and the role of live performances. The conversation delves into the ethical implications of AI in music and the necessity for artists to maintain genuine connections with their audiences. (this text generated by AI)

We have begun Season 6 of ‘Funny,’ Not Funny with Jim & Lionel.Jim talks about his recent major life upheaval, watching the new Star Trek shows on Paramount, including The Lower Decks, Discovery, Picard, and Strange New Worlds. Lionel discusses the podcast "The History of the Twentieth Century" the one with the XX in the icon. Jim relays his experience going down the rabbit hole of the Flat Earth YouTube videos.

This week, photographer and creative visionary Liz Linder joins the podcast. Liz’s work has appeared in dozens of leading publications, including Rolling Stone, The New York Times, and Fast Company. She’s been heard on NPR’s On Point; and seen on ABC World News Tonight. Her photographs have appeared on set in film and TV — including the award-winning series, House of Cards, and Gotham, and her work is exhibited and collected through the U.S. and Europe.Liz brought two huge books with her to Slabmedia's offices. We immediately run into the challenge of describing purely visual material on an audio-only podcast. We will post the video to our youtube channel and embed it on our website. In the meantime, we do our level best to describe her work for you. If you want to see more, visit Liz's Instagram accounts: https://www.instagram.com/lizlinderphotography/ & https://www.instagram.com/lizlinderstudio/ and her website: https://lizlinder.com[:imgblocks-3x:]

This week we talk with IT security expert and avid cycler Leigh Weber. We talk about his epic ride across the country, mostly. Next time he joins us, perhaps we will talk about data security. Leigh Weber, an industrial cybersecurity specialist and management consultant, helps identify and understand the measurable impact of operational (OT) cybersecurity risks to an organization. Leigh brings a rare ability to communicate effectively with all levels within an organization – making OT cybersecurity risks real and relevant to each person.

We start by talking about Newbury Comics on Newbury Street in Boston, and then a bit about Jim's adventures bringing a teenage crowd to see Black Flag when he was an RA at Bennington College. We talk about Jim's attempt to read St. Augustine, and actually find something interesting to talk about regarding that religious work. We talk about a public lecture given by a Yale Professor as part of the free lecture series on the early middle ages.Here is a link to the lecture: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KiPJq7-5lH4We move on the Stanley Tucci in Italy, which we both enjoyed. Jim & Lionel then rattle off a series of TV shows including Your Friends and Neighbors, Andor 2, Dope Thief, and The Last of Us, and we discuss each.

Catherine Pilfrey returns to the podcast to talk about her new creation: The I Ching Oracle card deck: a 64-card illustrated deck and guidebook. Catherine Pilfrey is a designer, and meditation teacher who has been consulting the I Ching Oracle for 25 years. We start talking about the death of Norman Lear and increasingly long life spans for some people.
Catherine talks about the process of creating the deck, and her own experience using the I Ching in the past. She mentions the original methods of yarrow sticks and coins and how the cards are different. Catherine says she was inpspired by the book, The Laws of Change by Jack M. Balkin, who says that the method is unimportant.Jim asks about the origins of the Book of Changes, and Catherine first mentions Richard Wilhelm, who did the first English/German Translation. Catherine says it pre-existed Confucious but that he added a moral quality to the augur method. In buddhism, Chögyam Trungpa was interested in the I Ching, and it was embraced by many of his students. Lionel talks about Philip K. Dick’s use of the I Ching and yarrow sticks in The Man In The High Castle. Lionel mentions a game/puzzle called House of Cards by the Eames Brothers, and Brian Eno’s Oblique Strategies as welll as an article sent to us by Sarah Elkins espousing a theory that the I Ching was created to prevent human sacrifice in ancient China.Catherine describes the hexagrams and their parts. She tells a story about how she consulted the I Ching for the first time to decide what to do in a relationship that was going south. Jim interrupts with a difficulty he's currently having during the recording of the podcast, and Catherine picks a card for him to decide whether he needs to end the podcast and deal with the issue, or keep going. He gets the answer, and the podcast continues. Catherine talks about how the I Ching can strengthen our confidence in our own inner wisdom.