Machinic Unconscious Happy Hour

This week I sat down with David Kaelin from Austin's own Classic Game Fest. The Classic Game Fest is an event held every summer with next year's scheduled for July 28 & 29 2018. We talked a little about the beginnings of the fest and it's growth over the years. David helped me identify a long lost game, Yars' Revenge, and we delved into some the strange story surrounding the first ET game for Atari. It was validating to see that I'm not the only one and that my love of 16 bit gaming and side scrolling action are shared by the retrogaming community. http://classicgamefest.com/ https://www.youtube.com/user/classicgamefest @classicgamefest https://gameovervideogames.com/

Barbara Morgan, Executive Director of the Austin Film Festival joined me this week. We talked a little bit about the history of the festival, some of this year's panelists that she's excited about, and other stories. The festival takes place October 26 - November 2. For more information checkout their website at: https://austinfilmfestival.com/ I also highly recommend checking out On Story http://www.onstory.tv/ iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/austin-film-festivals-on-story-podcast/id580567383?mt=2 Twitter: @austinfilmfest http://www.thewittliffcollections.txstate.edu/

Scott Williams returns to the podcast for another round of schizoid mania. This time, he brought along Skye Gilbert. We went down the rabbit hole discussing the events in Charlottesville, free speech, the limits of reason, and delved a bit into cryptocurrency near the end.

This week I sat down to talk democracy in the workplace and the science behind brewing with Andy Martinec, head brewer at Black Star Co-Op. http://www.blackstar.coop/

Dr. Robert Kane and I sat down to unpack the topic of free will. Kane is a noted proponent of what's referred to as Libertarian Free Will and has written extensively on the topic. He is author of seven books and sixty articles on the philosophy of mind and action, ethical theory and social ethics, the theory of value and philosophy of religion, including Free Will and Values (1985), Through the Moral Maze (1994), The Significance of Free Will (1996), A Contemporary Introduction to Free Will (2005). Editor of The Oxford Handbook of Free Will (2002) among other anthologies and a multiple contributor to the Cambridge Dictionary of Philosophy. http://www.roberthilarykane.com/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Kane_(philosopher) https://liberalarts.utexas.edu/philosophy/faculty/kanerh

I visit with former Director of the Texas Film Commission, Tom Copeland. Tom is currently an instructor in the theater department at Texas State University in San Marcos. He's an advocate for Texas filmmakers and worked in the industry for several years early in his career. We chat about his days in the film industry, his tenure at the film commission, and the work he's doing at Texas State.

I sat down with Mark Bristol to talk about his experiences as a writer, director and storyboard artist. Mark's list of credits include: Dazed and Confused, Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me, The Thin Red Line, Memento, Alfie, The Tree of Life,The Founder, Legion, The Leftovers, and Mission Impossible 6. We start out on fire with a Terrance Mallick story that had me tearing up with laughter. Had an awesome time chatting with Mark. http://markbristol.squarespace.com/ http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0002988/?ref_=nv_sr_1

I had a blast geeking out with Asar Ronen about accents, comics, movies, and writing. Asaf is an improv instructor at The Institution Theater, here in Austin. He's also an actor, director, and writer. http://www.theinstitutiontheater.com/about/instructors/#ronen https://yesand.com/ http://www.outofboundscomedy.com/

Dr. Bob Jensen sits down to talk American imperialism, economics, and electoral politics. We unpack these topics through the lenses of the Iraq War, 2008 Financial Collapse, and 2016 election. Dr. Jensen is a professor in the School or Journalism at the University of Texas at Austin. He is the author of Plain Radical: Living, Loving, and Learning to Leave the Planet Gracefully (Counterpoint/Soft Skull, 2015). Jensen’s other books include Arguing for Our Lives: A User’s Guide to Constructive Dialogue (City Lights, 2013); All My Bones Shake: Seeking a Progressive Path to the Prophetic Voice, (Soft Skull Press, 2009); Getting Off: Pornography and the End of Masculinity (South End Press, 2007); The Heart of Whiteness: Confronting Race, Racism and White Privilege (City Lights, 2005); Citizens of the Empire: The Struggle to Claim Our Humanity (City Lights, 2004); and Writing Dissent: Taking Radical Ideas from the Margins to the Mainstream (Peter Lang, 2002).

This week I sit with Dr. Ginny Catania to discuss her research into climate science. Her area of expertise is the study of ice sheet/glacier changes that arise from both natural and forced variability. For more insights into her research, please visit her website: http://www.catania-ice.org/

Candace Carpenter works as a data analyst in Austin and is one of my favorite folks to chat with due to her wit and charm. Help me encourage her to become a standup with your comments. We sit down to discuss her experience at a recent pro-trump rally, the current political climate, and astronomy.

Ryan Driggers, owner of Austin's own Path Salon, and I sit down to talk about his career path, ridesharing, sneakers, and hip-hop.

Scott Williams is an experienced real estate agent in the Austin market and a world traveler. We discuss some of his experiences abroad, including getting shot in the head during a botched mugging.

I get schizoid with one half of Austin's own electronic musical duo, Bames. Their music has been featured in Rick Owens fashion shows, Men's FW15 'SPHINX' & Women's FW15 'SPHINX'. https://soundcloud.com/bames

Jennifer Cox is a tarot enthusiast and intellectual. We discuss the history and thought behind the practice. The second half includes an actual reading.

Brendan Steinhauser is a grassroots political activist that was instrumental in the Tea Party movement, acted as Texas Senator John Cornyn's Campaign Manager, and Co-Founded Steinhauser Strategies with his wife, Randan. We chat about a variety of cultural, economic, and political ideas.

Tom Booker is an actor, writer, and owner of Austin's very own Institution Theater. Tom has appeared in a variety of film and television roles over the years, including Jury Duty and Curb Your Enthusiasm. He currently teaches a Make Your Movie Now course and is involved in a wide range of projects. http://www.theisntitutiontheater.com The highlights of the episode are when Tom shared few fun stories involving Andy Dick and Andy Richter.

I discuss the genesis, history, and future of Joints x Rahim with creator, Rahim Adeigbe. www.jointsbyrahim.com IG: @jointsxrahim Twitter: @heemerson

I chat with Marwan Nihad regarding his experiences growing up in Iraq under Saddam and his journey to the U.S.