Just Play

In this episode I express gratitude for those creatives who make fantastical stories in games and literary fiction. I am also careful to acknowledge the parents who support, nurture, and cultivate creativity in their offspring as I reflect on my own mother doing the same for me. I discuss my reaction to Hogwarts Legacy so far, how it's reignited my love for the fantastical worlds of role playing games, and what led me away from RPG type games in the first place. I hope you enjoy!Links:Hogwarts LegacySega GenesisSonic The HedgehogStreets of RageStreets of Rage 2 Ending Theme (Absolutely Beautiful)Playstation 2Inner UniverseMega Man 8Dig DugPac Man World 2Radiata StoriesIndigo ProphecyKingdom HeartsHarry PotterThe Dresden FilesTekken 7Super Smash Bros UltimateImmortal JellyfishEinstein's Fridge

In this episode I discuss music. Specifically my gratitude and appreciation for electronic music and some of the folks who were instrumental both in pioneering the field and telling the story of the field as it came to be the awesome thing we know today.Links:Atomic DogJacob in the WildernessFounders PodcastBlack Techno MattersThe Belleville ThreeElectronic MusicAssembling a Black Counter CultureBlues PeopleSylvester WeaverDon LewisMIDIThe Ballad of Don LewisIkutaro KakehashiI Believe In MusicAn Age Without SamplesNothing But ThievesGeorge ClintonRoland CorporationAtomic Dog (Extended Version)

In this episode I address the question: Why do I sometimes refer to myself as a heretic? Whenever the topic of religion comes up, which it does somewhat frequently for me, I answer simply that I am a heretic. My full thoughts on religion are quite simple, but can also seem complicated to those accustomed to religious people who conform to the orthodox views of their religion. Alas, I talk about it here and also find some folks at whom I can toss some gratitude. Links:HeresyAdon OlamC.S. Lewis' TrilemmaApologeticsDead in SinJewish Views on the AfterlifeConstantine and PagansTikkun OlamGödel's Incompleteness TheoremsCase Against Reality by Donald Hoffman

In this episode I admire human adaptability and express gratitude for physical health. I reflect a bit on 2022 and muse about what may be in store for 2023. Happy New Year to you all!Links:Hard Work Running Cadence: https://genius.com/The-us-army-airborne-hard-work-lyricsCreative Selection by Ken Kocienda: https://a.co/d/3jsnfrQWho Says Elephants Can't Dance by Louis V Gerstner Jr: https://a.co/d/cq67avSManufacturing Consent by Edward S. Herman and Noam Chomsky: https://a.co/d/3OMLYAv

In this holiday episode I do a bit of story time. Inspired by my sister to share "cool stories", I'll talk about some experiences I had while working in law enforcement while also expressing gratitude for those who commit themselves to public sector work. Whether it be cops, social workers, firefighters, EMTs, etc., those who try to tackle some of society's hardest problems have my gratitude. Perhaps once you hear some of the stories I'll tell you'll find some gratitude for the folks working to make society better in your life too.Links:Exploring: https://www.exploring.org/LASD Explorers: https://lasd.org/explorers.htmlDC Reserve Police: https://joinmpd.dc.gov/metropolitan-police/reserve-police-officerReserve Policing: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Auxiliary_policeDomestic Violence & Law Enforcement: https://www.cnn.com/2022/01/22/us/domestic-incidents-police-officers-danger/index.htmlPolice Pat Downs: https://www.fletc.gov/sites/default/files/imported_files/training/programs/legal-division/downloads-articles-and-faqs/research-by-subject/4th-amendment/terryfriskupdate.pdfHow Tasers Work: https://www.britannica.com/topic/TASERPepper Spray: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pepper_spray

In this episode I express fascination and gratitude for science, recent developments in nuclear fusion, and muse about how our hyperconnected ability to know everyone and everything might explain strong emotional reactions towards anger or anxiety that many of us feel. There's so much information to consume and as inherently creative creatures at our core, the delay between how quickly everyone and everything is available and our biological, mental, and social "muscle memory" can process all that leads to a "does not compute" moment of anxiety. Alas, I am hopeful that we will adapt as we take advantage of emergent social phenomena and sentiment to become a sort of super-organism consisting of virtually localized communities of information consumers and curators. This may be the longest episode summary yet.Links:Nuclear Fusion & Press Conference: https://www.energy.gov/articles/doe-national-laboratory-makes-history-achieving-fusion-ignition\Nuclear Fission: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_fissionNuclear Fusion: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_fissionPeriodic Table: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Periodic_tableWhole Earth Discipline by Steward Brand: https://www.energy.gov/articles/doe-national-laboratory-makes-history-achieving-fusion-ignitionHow Many Smartphones in the World: https://www.bankmycell.com/blog/how-many-phones-are-in-the-world Website: https://justhere.clubTwitter: https://twitter.com/justhereclub

In this episode I talk about why I'm an entrepreneur, what I've learned so far, and my gratitude for inspirational and creative heavyweights who've come before me on the entrepreneurial journey. If you're someone who's on the fence about whether to start your own company or not, or just curious about how to think about that sort of decision, perhaps this episode will help you to unleash your creative passion.Links:Master Your Destiny: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/master-your-destiny-daniel-ford/Here's To The Crazy One's: https://youtu.be/tjgtLSHhTPgBecoming Steve Jobs: https://amzn.to/3uNyBpKSteve Jobs The Lost Interview: https://amzn.to/3VRHfPXBicycle for the Human Mind: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KmuP8gsgWb8Fastest Way To Wealth: https://www.cnbc.com/2019/11/19/fastest-way-to-become-a-millionaire-is-the-hardest-says-money-expert.htmlAkio Morita: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Akio_MoritaEdwin Land: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edwin_H._LandMadame CJ Walker: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Madam_C._J._WalkerSelf Made TV Series: https://www.netflix.com/title/80202462Super Founders by Ali Tamaseb: https://amzn.to/3HAB0vFEd Catmull: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edwin_CatmullCreativity Inc: https://amzn.to/3VVfc29 Sam Walton: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sam_WaltonMade in America by Sam Walton: https://amzn.to/3URvebV

In this episode I'm showing some gratitude for John Stuart Mill and his work On Liberty. From there I discuss broadly how I feel about freedom of expression and it's importance.On Liberty by John Stuart Mill: https://amzn.to/3UvIPWqFounding Fathers: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Founding_Fathers_of_the_United_StatesDon't Ask Don't Tell: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Don%27t_ask,_don%27t_tell

In this episode I talk about my deep belief in crypto as a tool to digitally represent truth that we can strap to the rocket of computation to make abundance available to the world and to create more abundance. If my voice sounds weird it's because it was recorded quite late (or early?) and the fatigue was deep. Thank you for listening!The Crypto Anarchist Manifesto: https://www.activism.net/cypherpunk/crypto-anarchy.htmlCryptography Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cryptography#Cryptocurrencies_and_cryptoeconomicsThe Case Against Reality by Donald Hoffman: https://amzn.to/3VirykyConcentric Circles: https://byjus.com/maths/concentric-circles/#:~:text=Concentric%20Circles%20Meaning,is%20known%20as%20an%20annulusKurt Gödel: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kurt_G%C3%B6delOperation (Math): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_(mathematics)Mathematical Symbols: https://www.smartick.com/blog/mathematics/algebra/mathematical-symbols/Why counting is complicated: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CountingTurning anything into a number: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hash_functionEinstein's Fridge: https://amzn.to/3AUkWkbSteve Job's Bicycle for the Human Mind: https://youtu.be/KmuP8gsgWb8

In this episode I cover my hacker origin story and walk you through the basis for my love of technology. As we proceed from here I want to deep dive into a lot of the technical creativity and goings on that I believe are solid reasons to be optimistic and hopeful for the future and this episode is the start of that. Links:Hacker Manifesto: http://phrack.org/issues/7/3.htmlHackers: Heroes of the Computer Revolution by Stephen Levy: https://amzn.to/3OqFQwSTeach Yourself C++ in 24 Hours: https://amzn.to/3Xq1e9yThe Matrix: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_MatrixReverse Engineering: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reverse_engineering How to ask questions the smart way: http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.htmlAndroid Open Source Project: https://source.android.com/Sony Developer Portal: https://developer.sony.com/XDA Developers: https://www.xda-developers.com/

What's the relationship between time, money, and value? Time is money they say...in this episode we explore the tangled relationship between time, money, and value.In Time: https://amzn.to/3UMCpCAAndrew Niccol: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andrew_NiccolThe Case Against Reality by Donald Hoffman: https://amzn.to/3GbGsEwEinstein's Theory of Relativity: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theory_of_relativityProof is in the Plants by Simon Hill: https://amzn.to/3O3falHsMen, Machines, and Modern Times by Elting Morison: https://amzn.to/3AdaCDMAntifragile by Nassim Taleb: https://amzn.to/3tr0ovICheck us out on Twitter @justhereclub or the website at https://justhere.club

What is the difference between "what" and "how"? How does a person figure out what they want? What about figuring out "how to live"? We cover all this and more in this episode.Mob Psycho 100 Theme Song Lyrics: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mob_Psycho_100Mob Psycho 100 Theme Song: https://youtu.be/Bw-5Lka7gPEUrban Dictionary Weeb: https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Weeb

Introducing the Just Here podcast. In this episode I discuss what the purpose of this podcast is, and what you can expect from it.Links:Making Sense Episode 290: https://www.samharris.org/podcasts/making-sense-episodes/290-what-went-wrongWorldcat: https://worldcat.orgArchive.org: https://archive.org/details/thinkingbigstory00gott/page/16/mode/2up?view=theater Mechanism Design: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mechanism_designClaude Shannon: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Claude_ShannonThe Idea Factory: https://amzn.to/3zg1M7x

This is your reminder that burgeoning deep below the surface within you is a palpable, urgent, unyielding desire. You have nothing to fear. The only limitation is an imagined prison of your own making. You are in control. You know who you are. You know what you want. Just Play.