Open Mike LIVE

This collection chronicles over 7 years of live-streaming video posts I’ve recorded.

This raw format is a move from static text to video, facilitating a more immediate and direct connection with others. They are unscripted and unpolished slices in my life, documenting my travels and adventures across various locations in North America.

A man with dark hair and a bandana around his neck stands in front of red and white striped fabric and a blue section with white stars, reminiscent of the American flag.
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  • Humility, Listening, & Understanding
    12/4/22

    Humility, Listening, & Understanding

    Mike reflects on how social media and the internet has fundamentally changed the way we talk to each other in real life - listening to respond vs. listening to understand.

    Perhaps a dose of humility would enrich this form of conversation. Divided we fall - to some of the worst people imaginable…

  • The Portland She-bacle
    9/7/22

    The Portland She-bacle

    Two years after the 2020 West Coast wildfires, Mike opens up and shares the series of traumatic events he faced mere months after moving to Portland, Oregon.

  • Escaping Hell
    1/4/21

    Escaping Hell

    Mike vents about a relentless stream of hardships and trauma that have followed him since leaving Portland, Oregon, during a period of hell that includes being a victim of rape and theft by an ex-partner, an illegal eviction spurred by friends of the ex, and precipitously losing his job after a mental health crisis sparked by the wildfires that besieged the state of Oregon in summer 2020.

  • Double Rainbow
    11/14/20

    Double Rainbow

    A double rainbow unexpectedly greets us while enjoying some music from Hairspray the Musical, days following the 2020 election.

  • Election Party
    11/11/20

    Election Party

    Celebrations in downtown Portland in November 2020, following Joe Biden and Kamala Harris's presidential election victory.

  • The Nightmare Is Over
    11/10/20

    The Nightmare Is Over

    Mike broadcasts from Portland, Oregon, during a celebration of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris winning the 2020 presidential election, expressing immense relief and excitement that the "nightmare" from the previous administration seems to be over.

  • Waterfalls
    10/4/20

    Waterfalls

    Mike embraces a waterfall at a suburban Portland cafe to accompany it with some TLC.

  • The Dark of Smoke
    9/19/20

    The Dark of Smoke

    In the peaceful pre-dawn hours, Mike outlines the personal turmoil faced in Portland during the Oregon wildfires.

  • The Apocalypse is Nigh
    9/9/20

    The Apocalypse is Nigh

    The moon is red in the sky, shrouded by the thick smoke from the wildfires surrounding Portland, Oregon, in August 2020.

  • Finding Renewed Purpose in Portland
    7/4/20

    Finding Renewed Purpose in Portland

    Mike shares personal updates, particularly about recently starting his "dream job" as a transmission operations engineer at Portland General Electric, which he is passionate about and sees as a significant positive change after a challenging year.

  • Portland Debacle
    11/24/17

    Portland Debacle

    Broadcasting aboard his car in Portland, Mike vents on his recent breakup with Matt and welcomes special guests Dakota Conduct and Mya James. He highlights Dakota's new podcast series "Thots and Shares" and navigates a cluster of technical difficulties while driving.

  • Bobtailing from Tacoma
    9/1/17

    Bobtailing from Tacoma

    This episode captures Mike and Matt on their trucking journey, bobtailing south of Tacoma, Washington, after delivering corrugated steel. Their travels take them towards Portland, Oregon, where they anticipate a fun evening and plan to meet friends.

Featured Episodes

Featured
Ignorance vs Arrogance
Ignorance vs Arrogance

Mike discusses the concept of ignorance, particularly in the context of political and social discourse.

The Thankless Toil
Crimson House
The Thankless Toil
Crimson House

Mike reflects on his past 3 years of relying upon the financial and emotional support of others. He emphasizes the power of gratitude, particularly in the form of handwritten thank-you notes, as a way to recognize individuals for their financial, emotional and logistical support, and reflects on others who had worked for him in various efforts and activities throughout his experiences in producing community events and bringing people together.

Crimson House
Artificial Intelligence (AI)
Columbus Metropolitan Library
Artificial Intelligence (AI)
Columbus Metropolitan Library

These episodes focus on the concept of artificial intelligence (AI), exploring various facets of intelligence itself and distinguishing real from artificial intelligence. We question how intelligence is defined, debate whether it involves acquiring and retaining information, goal-oriented learning, and the ability to adapt or alter goals.

Columbus Metropolitan Library
AI Fueled Performance Evaluation
AI Fueled Performance Evaluation

Mike utilizes Google's artificial-intelligence platform Notebook LM to review his video collection. This AI-generated analysis serves as a unique self-evaluation, highlighting Mike's adaptability, resilience, and observant nature as he navigates various life challenges, including housing insecurity and financial struggles.

High Over High St
High Over High St

Mike discovers a splendid rooftop terrace, in time for the sunset.

My Stolen Birthday
My Stolen Birthday

Mike shares his recent struggles, including the theft of his belongings around his 39th birthday. Despite these setbacks and over two years of living on the streets, he remains resilient, finding gratitude in those he's met during this journey.

Columbus is a Winter Wonderland
Crimson House
Columbus is a Winter Wonderland
Crimson House

On his first broadcast of the new year, Mike shows off downtown Columbus, following the city's fresh snowfall.

This walk along Broad Street includes a glimpse of the nativity scene of St. Joseph Catholic Church and the Ohio Statehouse.

Crimson House
Faceoff w/ Parking Garage KAREN
Faceoff w/ Parking Garage KAREN

Mike encounters Parking Garage KAREN in his penthouse loft.

Penthouse Loft
Crimson House
Penthouse Loft
Crimson House

Mike finds a fabulous and unexpected solution to his present housing woes.

Crimson House
Past versus Present Futures
Past versus Present Futures

Mike observes how the genre of science fiction has shifted in tone from utopian visions of humanity to a more fractured and tribalistic society, mirroring societal changes in the real world away from embracing globalization to the balkanization of global politics, economics, and culture these days. From this imperfect future stems the notion of the multiverse.

Places Now & Then
Places Now & Then

Mike reflects on how notable places in our life anchor us to the past.

Rain Delay
Rain Delay

Mike shares a raw and candid reflection on his recent struggles and observations. He begins by noting a "rain delay" in his evening, which metaphorically mirrors a period of personal stagnation and disillusionment.

WANDA’s Legacy
WANDA’s Legacy

Broadcasting in transit aboard a commuter bus in Columbus, Mike reflects on his relationship with WANDA, the bright musical baton that routinely accompanies his commutes throughout the city, discussing the factors that necessitated its creation in the first place - unsafe streets that expose pedestrians to motor vehicle collisions and tragic accidents - and remembering its evolution into a political creed for pedestrian safety and commuter accessibility.

Finding Home
Crimson House
Finding Home
Crimson House

After having the opportunity to live in seven distinct parts of North America, Mike grows weary of the nomadic transience of moving and reestablishing his social life every few years, now longing for the very thing he used to dread when in his twenties - to “settle down” in his home state of Ohio to focus on building something more everlasting and impactful for the communities and people he cares most about.

Crimson House
The Good & Quiet Ripple
The Good & Quiet Ripple

Mike recounts a Bible passage in which Peter's shadow serves to heal the sick, emphasizing that Peter was merely a vessel for God's power - unaware of the miracles occurring around him.

In an age driven by boastfully sharing our lives on social media, even good deeds and extemporaneous acts of kindness can often feel transactional. There is a magic that occurs when good deeds are done for their own sake, which produce secondary, tertiary, and unforeseen reverberations of wholesome goodwill.

Let Go, Let God
Let Go, Let God

Mike reflects on a spiritual moment he had during Sunday service at the First Assembly of God in Natchez, Mississippi.

Reflections on Houses & Home
Crimson House
Reflections on Houses & Home
Crimson House

Mike contrasts between his times of being broke/unhoused versus those of financial abundance with a roof over his head.

Crimson House
Presidential Suite
Presidential Suite

Finding an unlocked door to the presidential suite of the flagship hotel in Natchez, Mike steps inside…

Stroll in Alexandria
Crimson House
Stroll in Alexandria
Crimson House

In this first-person POV of downtown Alexandria, Louisiana, Mike marvels at some of the small towns and unexpected places that have made efforts at better connecting their communities with transit and other pedestrian-oriented measures.

Crimson House
Stroll down Masonic Drive
Stroll down Masonic Drive

During his first week living the streets of Alexandria, Mike bemoans the lack of consideration for pedestrians and non-motorists in the design and construction of roadways throughout American cities.

Journals & Musings

  • A hand-drawn graph on white paper shows the relationship between boredom and the tendency to write a blog. The graph has two lines, one in pink labeled "intensity of opinion" and one in orange. The pink line increases more steeply than the orange line. The title at the top reads "Figuring things out..." in green. The pink line and text indicate that as the intensity of opinion increases, so does the tendency to write a blog, especially at higher levels of opinion intensity.

    Figuring Things Out

    2013-2020

    Graphics are colorful, they invite a myriad of differing interpretations, they portray trends, etc.  Plus, they're less prone to language barriers.

    Figures make complicated concepts easier to understand, simplify, and organize. Plus, I was too lazy to write longwinded essays anymore.

    Read
  • Close-up of a person's face with blue lighting, showing a serious expression.

    My Little Corner of Semi-Reality

    2004-2013

    My life is an open book. Please don't burn it.

    Read