‘funny,’ not funny

In this episode, Jim and Lionel discuss various topics ranging from technical difficulties in live streaming to the complexities of PCI compliance. They delve into literary discussions about Steinbeck's ‘East of Eden’ and cinematic explorations of Wong Kar-Wai's films, particularly ‘In the Mood for Love.’ Lionel brings up Werner Herzog's movie ‘My Best...

Jim, Lionel and Adam Shartoff of Filmwax Radio delve into the works of Lynne Ramsay, focusing on her films Ratcatcher and Morvern Callar. They explore the themes of childhood trauma, guilt, and the complexity of emotionally disconnected characters, while also discussing Ramsay's unique cinematic style and the emotional depth of her storytelling. The discussion highlights the ambiguity present...

Jim Infantino, Lionel, and Rick Beyer delve into Rick’s podcast History Happy Hour and the fascinating history of the Ghost Army , a unique World War II unit that used deception to mislead the enemy. They discuss Rick's journey into documentary filmmaking, the impact of his work on public understanding of this historical narrative, and the importance of personal stories in history. The...

The conversation delves into the philosophical ideas of Schopenhauer and Kastrup, exploring themes of consciousness, the nature of reality, and the historical context of their thoughts. It highlights the eccentricities of historical figures, the evolution of philosophical thought, and the implications of analytic idealism versus physicalism. The discussion also touches on the relevance of these id...

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...

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...

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. After...

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 standar...

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 m...

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...

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...

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...

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 f...

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 proce...

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....

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 storytel...

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 liste...

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 B...

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 o...

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,...

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 ra...

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 pa...

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 creati...

Jim touts the fun of assembling furniture from Ikea. His coat stand was BONDSKÄRET and the lamp was VIDJA. Lionel scores a victory in pinpointing the very first Ikea store in the USA from memory. Jim talks about an audio documentary he's been listening to in audiobook format called Light On: How understanding consciousness helps us understand the universe by Annika Harris. Lionel interru...