The Sill

Are we at a tipping point, and what are the dynamics playing into this moment of human evolution? From social infantilization to the relentless onslaught of dubious information to our obsession with safety first, we have created a scenario fraught with ambiguity, confusion and anxiety. Duration: 30:09 Credit: The Matrix 4 "Red / Blue Pill Teasers" (2021) on YouTube Posted: June 5, 2022

Education is a choice. In a world preoccupied with structure and performance, the challenge to consider or act on alternatives, when it comes to educating our children, can be its own reward. Stacey Dittman is an excellent example of someone who has successfully taken up this challenge. Her sons, Levi and Jerome, also briefly share their respective experiences. Duration: 45:02 Posted: May 22, 2022

What is our responsibility when it comes to questioning authority and/or the status quo? When and why is it important for individuals to rise above the collective and engage or challenge accepted norms… and why should we care? Duration: 32:43 Credits: YouTube - Martin Luther King, Rosa Parks, and The Importance Of Asking Good Questions

It’s rare to find an artisan so dedicated to his craft that he or she would choose to immerse themselves in a culture quite foreign to their own. Currently raising a family in Tokyo, Paul Denhoed continues his steadfast pursuit of knowledge regarding the venerable art of handmade papermaking. Paul shares the challenges and joys of a westerner living in Japanese society. Instagram: https://www.inst...

The power of persuasion often includes a well crafted and delivered seduction in order to convince another into the need or desire to have whatever is being sold. Speed and convenience, primarily driven by technological advances in the modern world, are just two prime examples of seduction we have collectively bought into. Duration: 25:34 Credit: Jordan Peterson - ‘Things more meaningful than happ...

In every interaction there is a tipping point or a threshold moment, beyond which it becomes increasingly difficult to stabilize. This tends to hold true for individual relationships or all circumstances where conflict is present. Can focusing on measured responses be a key to de-escalating or defusing potential volatile situations? Duration: 32:58

Tony Holtkamp calls himself a regular guy walking. Except… that this regular guy walking happens to be trekking across about 8,000 kilometres, coast to coast, of the second largest country on the planet. Canadian born to a large family, comprised of twelve children, Tony talks to us from Brampton, Ontario, during a brief pause, sharing an account of his journey so far. Tony Holtkamp: https://www.t...

We have been plunged into a kind of psychological darkness precipitated by the Covid pandemic, slowly transitioning towards a hopefully brighter future. This period has shed light upon our blinded consciousness, as well as offering us opportunities for healing and enlightenment. Duration: 32:54 Posted: February 27, 2022

Poet/Musician instigator Croc E Moses, shares an account of his journey from Northern Canada to Southern Africa, in his search for the meaning of home. The gift of rhythm inspired by his immersion in South African culture has infused all aspects of his artistic life. Now, back in Canada, he reflects on his ongoing journey and the human condition. Croc E Moses: https://crocemoses.bandcamp.com/track...

The stories we tell are the stories we live, and the words we use to tell these stories shape what we learn from them. In the time of Covid certain words have become charged and contentious, because their meanings have been altered to support one or another narrative. We zone in on this verbal minefield. Duration - 40:41

Concert pianist, teacher, and promoter of all things cultural, Erato Alakiozidou shares her love for music, her students and her international family of friends. Born in, and a current resident of, Thessaloniki (Θεσσαλονίκη), Greece, Erato’s lifelong commitment to fostering the arts spans over three decades and continues to inspire a new generation of musicians. Erato Alakiozidou: https://www.erat...

Although 2021 left us with a plethora of things we’d like to forget, it also gave us plenty of fodder for conversation that resulted in many of the 26 episodes produced this year. From adding a new podcast series - Planetary Postcards - to exploring several new books, to deep-diving into issues central to understanding the pandemic world, The Sill continues to shed light on the human experience. D...

Assessing where we are now, globally, relative to the pandemic, goes beyond the evolution of the Covid virus. We are now seeing pandemics of individual and social dis-ease, from increasing tribalism to intimations of potential violence to fear-based compliance. Where are we headed? Duration - 38:59 Confusion Sample: Possible confusion related messages - https://youtu.be/cd4Q3Tw1Pmc

Over the last two years living with Covid has profoundly impacted our perception of time. The uncertainties that have enveloped us during this period has served to disconnect us from the flow of time, and our psychological experience of time. Is the 'forever moment' attainable? Duration - 33:30 Credits: From William Shatner’s 2002 album 'Has Been'

Where are we headed? What will the world, post Covid, look like? From the obvious economic, social, and political changes to the deepening of personal and spiritual awareness, the future though for the most part unknown, is ours to create. Explicit Content (two words in the entire podcast) Duration - 42:06 Credits: Jordan Peterson’s Warning To The World

Just when you think there’s nothing more to know or learn about The Beatles, a Canadian born writer, whose life-long passion with the band and their music ventures to explore it from his own national connection. The result is a story about the fab four, profound in its purely Canadian perspective. John Arnone: https://www.beatlesandcanada.com Duration - 40:47 Credits: John Lennon & The Beatles...

Journey to Berlin through the eyes of an AI developer and psychotherapist. Berlin resident Ansgar Bittermann shares his thoughts and feelings about this highly cosmopolitan city steeped in history and culture that spans millennia. Ansgar Bittermann: https://pocketguide.ai Duration - 35:42 Credits: John F. Kennedy's Speech at the Berlin Wall

Perhaps even more important than the physical challenge of Covid-19 is the impact brought on by the increasing divisiveness evident in communities, small and large. Do we have enough energy and goodwill left to avoid the potential for a social Chernobyl? Duration - 38:25 Credits: Harry Posner - ‘Prayer For Healing’ Brown eyes and blue eyes Racism experiment Children Session - Jane Elliott https://...

Where do my individual rights end, and your public rights begin? The crux of this moral and societal dilemma revolves around agreeing on a satisfactory answer to this question, which may affect the way we understand ‘the common good’ for the foreseeable future. Duration - 41:40

Reaching escape velocity, or breaking out of self, requires intention, energy and direction. There are a multitude of options that may help get us there, as many options as there are individuals. Executing the breakout may be difficult, though potentially life-saving. Duration - 29:54 Music Credit: Playing in the background is ‘The Animals - We Gotta Get out of This Place’

Our quest for joy has taken on a whole different dimension during this time of Covid. A conversation exploring the many possible roads leading to euphoric epiphanies, which will hopefully help to rejuvenate our depleted spirits. Duration - 32:34 Music Credit: Playing in the background is ‘Three Dog Night - Joy To The World’

Co-host Harry Posner shares his motivation and experience from a recent World Freedom rally and march held in Toronto on July 24, 2021. Challenged by co-host Peter Noce to elaborate, the conversation spirals outward to include the many varied layers embedded in, and as a result of, the Covid crisis. Explicit Content (only one word in the entire podcast) Duration - 36:09

In this episode the hosts shine a light on the tiny Kingdom of Eswatini (the former Swaziland) in Southern Africa. Artist, musician, activist, Bongiwe Dlamini shares her views, both personal and political, on the challenges of growing up and living in one of the few remaining absolute monarchies on the African continent. Duration - 43:37 Music Credit: Bongiwe Dlamini - ’Strange Ways’ Photo Credit:...

TSP155 - PH Factor: Walls of Bias - Blinding Truth We are all biased in one way or another. The question is, are we aware of how biased we are and do we need to do anything about it? This conversation is an attempt to explore and dismantle the walls of bias in pursuit of a better solution. Duration - 31:21

July 10, 2017, marks the beginning of The Sill’s 5th year. With 154 episodes in the can, the audio journey continues to surprise and captivate the imagination, through the art of conversation. The hosts reminisce about favourite episodes and the story’s behind them, as well as share their personal trajectories over the past 4 years. All Podcast Categories: https://thesillpodcast.com/podcasts_categ...