creativity

reggie watts is a genius
Some people are just insanely creative. We already met Beardyman. Reggie Watts is equipped with a similar set of skills. His web-page labels him as vocal artist, beatboxer, musician, and comedian. His performances are random and often improvised sequences of live looping and colorful vocal outbursts, comprised of sounds and noises and narrating in various accents and (mock) languages.

Source: http://www.roadtovr.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/reggie-watts-8.jpg

To appreciate how his talent affects people, one can read the remarkable compliments in the comment section of the YouTube videos of his performances. In a refreshing, albeit rare, contrast to the hatred and animosity mostly encountered there:

• "Reggie Watts is my favorite human."
• "He really is light years ahead of the rest of us humans. I love him. He is a genius."
• "What planet did he come from? We don't deserve this kind of being. We're not worthy."
• "This man is light-years ahead of his time."
• "Absolutely no clue what was happening but brilliant"
• "What a fucking genius..."
• "I hereby nominate Reggie Watts to be Ambassador of Earth, and be first to make contact with aliens should they visit."
• "Reggie is at the end of my rainbow!"
• "I don't even laugh when watching Reggie anymore. I just admire him."

One reoccurring theme is Watts speaking with a British accent reminiscent of a university professor, talking abstract nonsense. Or is it?

"And the important thing to remember is that this simulation is a good one. It's believable, it's tactile. You can reach out -- things are solid. You can move objects from one area to another. You can feel your body. You can say, 'I'd like to go over to this location,' and you can move this mass of molecules through the air over to another location, at will."

"Reggie Watts: Beats that defy boxes", TED 2012

"Now, we know that everything here is an illusion and that we are somewhere else. But the cool thing about that is, it feels pretty real. I mean -- you know what I mean? Like, it's pretty convincing. So, big credit to those people working hard there."

Reggie Watts at POPTECH 2011

Why should you consider reality to be a simulation/illusion? Well...

some stuff

on being idiosyncratic

next to my love of science (see all the boring stuff;)

I really enjoy

• snowboarding (nearly 30 years), climbing (23 years), surfing (20 years plus), and skateboarding (1/2 year)

• traveling

• electronic music and related parties/festivals

and then (in random order)

I constantly have to wonder about the existence of my own mind, the conscious experience it gives me of an external reality, and what this all could possibly mean (yeah, book project). 

I also like to be highly critical of the socio-cultural environment I was born into and from there move on to being critical of other ones (rant and rant). I am highly skeptical of our financial systems (faults and greed).

I like to question myself and my ideas/beliefs.


I try to put myself into other people's shoes, as I believe I would be that same person, given the same biography and brain chemistry/hard-wiring.


I am an irrational optimist. although I see, in my opinion, so many things that are so terribly and depressingly wrong all over the world, I try to keep my faith (this here).

I get inspired by a spiritual outlook on life that seeks happiness and wisdom within oneself and allows for the existence of other realms of "reality" outside space and time (e.g., Buddhism and certain esoteric ideas). I totally and fundamentally reject institutionalized theologies. does the term "spiritual atheism" make any sense?

I had been vegetarian for 12 years before turning vegan (as best as I can) 4 yeas ago. why? environmental, ethical, and health considerations (once I get around to it, this will be a long and heavily referenced piece).

I aim at remaining grateful for experiencing this stream of consciousness, regardless of its contents.


I try to resist the urge to be cynical as fuck as much as I can (e.g., while interacting with crackpots in news groups or discussing climate change).

I am deeply thankful to all the loved ones in my life, especially my wife, who make this journey so much more fun <3