C-Realm Podcast

KMO ventures into the Kunstler Kave with two C-Realm listeners to engage James Howard Kunstler, author of The Long Emergency: Surviving the End of Oil, Climate Change, and Other Converging Catastrophes of the Twenty-First Century and Scooter the cat in a conversation on the topic of conspiracy, paranoid thinking, and the undeniable fact that humans at all levels of society do, in fact, collude with one another to advance their own interests and agendas. Other topics include the Obama administration's response to the ongoing financial meltdown, the impossibility of continuing to live on debt, and the maladaptive American penchant for grandiosity that distorts workable responses to challenging times into quixotic fantasies doomed to failure. Music by East Forrest

KMO welcomes Eric Boyd of X-Prize Cars back to the program to patrol the borders of conceptual space and test the vigilence of the border holders whose extreme ideologies provide comfort to the mainstream. Familiar landmarks include "the tragic comedy of suburban sprawl" and the superlative visions of Singularitarians. Eric also waxes enthusiastic on the Hacker Space phenomenon by which Alpha Geeks "find the others" in meatspace and wrest control of technology from the self-serving agenda of global corporate capitalism.

KMO welcomes Jarrett Sanchez to the C-Realm to discuss his new project, the Next Step Podcast. Later KMO compares competing worldviews concerning Peak Oil and reads a portion of an essay by Erik Davis about slowing down and getting out of the “zombies on speed” mode. In my closing rant, I make reference to a talk by Douglas Rushkoff that can be found here: http://rushkoff.com/podcasts/rushkoff_general_semantics_11-08.mp3 Music by Float23

In the 150th installment of the C-Realm Podcast, KMO chews over the same old themes with James Howard Kunstler of the Kunstlercast and reconciles the coincidence of opposites with Frank Aragona, host and creator of the Agroinnovations Podcast. The Quiet Coup by Simon Johnson Music by the Plant

KMO welcomes Joe Bageant, author of Deer Hunting with Jesus: Dispatches from America's Class War, to the program to examine the corporate media-fabricated bubble of hyper-propaganda that Americans perceive as the real world, the "Stockholm syndrome of the soul" by which we identify with the ideologies of our captors and align ourselves against our own interests, and what this snow globe of a society looks like from the outside. A transcript of this interview appears in the book Conversations on Collapse. Music by Neon Brown

Sponsored by zaimoni Another Peak Oil episode? Yes, indeed. KMO welcomes Gail the Actuary, editor of the TheOilDrum.com, to the C-Realm to discuss the divergent channels in the Peak Oil reality tunnel. Topics covered include Peak Oil-inspired social alienation, the preponderance of atheists in the Peak Oil community, the link between Peak Oil and the financial crisis, and the possibility that we've reached "Peak Humanity" and now teeter on the doorstep of the "Malthusian Correction." Hey, Google, this is a PODCAST about "PEAK OIL!" Music by Neon Brown A Few Thoughts on Religions and on Belief Systems by Gale the Actuary Thanks to toucansanctuary for suggesting the interview with Gale and for making the initial approach.

Author and NPR correspondent Doug Fine returns to the C-Realm to explain why sustainability isn't just for hippies in Birkenstocks sitting outside a hut eating steamed dirt. Doug set out to get off petroleum without giving up any of his digital age comforts, and he answers questions from C-Realm listeners about his progress. Later, KMO and AyasminA track the thematic evolution of the C-Realm Podcast. You can find the full Doug Fine interview here: http://www.talkshoe.com/talkshoe/web/talkCast.jsp?masterId=22480&cmd=tc

AyasminA returns to the C-Realm to help KMO plumb the darkness for landmarks along KMO's invisible path. In response to an email from the world's only credentialed "creative urbanist," KMO quotes from Kevin Kelly's blog entry about the fatal flaw in the anti-civilizationists' agenda. At the end of the program KMO enlists the words of Charles Eisenstein to anchor the over-arching theme of the episode. Music: Reggae Drift by Adam of the Psychonautilus.

KMO concludes his C-Realm conference call with Charles Eisenstein, author of The Ascent of Humanity: Civilization and the Human Sense of Self. Are exponential advances in technology providing diminishing returns? What new economic system might follow the demise of our currently over-built and tottering ediface? Charles Eisenstein explains what he means when he says that we are facing "a revolution in human beingness." Music by Tibet2Timbuk2

KMO welcomes author and regular Reality Sandwich contributor Charles Eisenstein to the program to discus the ideas in his book The Ascent of Humanity: The Age of Separation, the Age of Reunion... and the Convergence of Crises that is birthing the transition. In a new twist on the familiar format, two C-Realm listeners join KMO on the line to help put questions to the guest.

KMO presents material recorded at the 4th Annual International Amazonian Shamanism conference held in Iquitos, Peru in July of 2008. Can plant consciousness interface with primate conscious to put us on a more adaptive course? KMO, David "Slocum" Hewson, Julian Haynes, AyasminA and other conference attendees explore the possibilities. Slocum's full presentation can be found here: http://erocx1.blogspot.com/2008/08/4th-amazonian-shamanism-conference-mp3.html

Hear the conclusion of AyasminA's interview with Dr. Tom Pinkson as they discuss the practical purpose of shamanism, giving our negative judgments to the fire, the importance of death and decay and the five steps to attitudinal healing on the topic of the end of life. You can learn more about the path that Tom walks at these websites: http://www.nierica.com and http://anewvisionofaging.com Music by Float23

Promised links: Thinkism by Kevin Kelly The Agroinnovations Podcast - Reprap with Adrian Bowyer Part I The Agroinnovations Podcast - Reprap with Adrian Bowyer Part II

KMO welcomes Erik Davis back to the program to talk about Gnosticism as the underlying stream of Western esoteric experience as well as its modern manifestation in pop culture. Next AyasminA speaks with Dr. Tom Pinkson about life as a series of initiations and the real-life people and experiences that shaped the literary character of Carlos Castaneda's Don Juan. You learn more about the path that Tom walks at these websites: http://www.nierica.com and http://anewvisionofaging.com Music by Jeff Andrews & the Blessed Unrest

KMO welcomes Thomas Homer-Dixon, author of The Upside of Down, back to the program to discus the potential, connectedness, and resilience of adaptive systems like ecosystems and economies. Is restoring the growth trajectory of the global economy a viable means of securing long term prosperity? What impact is technology having on employment, and is full employment a workable or even desirable goal? Later, Tad reads from his forthcoming book, Carbon Shift: How the Twin Crises of Oil Depletion and Climate Change Will Define the Future You can find a transcript of (large portions of )this interview here: http://community.livejournal.com/the_recession/241224.html Thomas Homer-Dixon first appeared on the C-Realm Podcast in episode 36: Locus of Agency. I also played a portion of one his public talks in episode 86: Moments of Contingency. Music by Jeff Andrews.