Open Mike LIVE

This archive chronicles over 7 years of video posts made by Mike George on the Facebook Live platform, highlighting various locations around the United States and Canada:

- Columbus, Ohio

- Portland, Oregon

- Montreal, Quebec

- Alexandria, Louisiana

- Steubenville, Ohio

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  • Willkommen, German Village
    1/27/25

    Willkommen, German Village

    Mike struggles to kick off the week during a leisurely - if not disheveled - stroll in Columbus's German Village.

  • The Big Deuce
    1/9/25

    The Big Deuce

    Mike decompresses aboard the 2 bus in Columbus, Ohio, during the after-work rush.

  • Columbus is a Winter Wonderland
    1/6/25

    Columbus is a Winter Wonderland

    Mike basks in the first significant snowfall to hit Columbus this winter season.

  • Faceoff w/ Parking Garage KAREN
    12/30/24

    Faceoff w/ Parking Garage KAREN

    Mike encounters Parking Garage KAREN in his penthouse loft.

  • The Prolonged Void
    12/23/24

    The Prolonged Void

    Mike uses the coping mechanisms that he's learned over the course of previous dark holiday seasons to coax himself out of his holiday blues this year.

  • Sunrise Over OSU
    12/21/24

    Sunrise Over OSU

    A beautiful morning greets us on the winter solstice in The Ohio State University

  • Penthouse Loft
    12/16/24

    Penthouse Loft

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

  • Multitasking Across the Multiverse
    12/10/24

    Multitasking Across the Multiverse

    While struggling to multitask during this broadcast, Mike reflects on how the genre of science-fiction has evolved alongside our actual “future,” including the concept of multiverse theory.

  • The 3 Commandments of Any Electrical/Electronic Device
    12/2/24

    The 3 Commandments of Any Electrical/Electronic Device

    Mike proposes a basic set of 3 cardinal rules for any sort of electrical or electronic device on the market, and expresses bewilderment at the fact that such rules don't already exist as common sense.

  • Columbus Railroad
    11/20/24

    Columbus Railroad

    Because model train sets aren't beholden to cancellation by a boondoggle governor...

  • Fall and Football
    11/9/24

    Fall and Football

    Basking in the things that aren't election-related.

  • Out of Exile
    10/30/24

    Out of Exile

    Two months after getting his laptop AND phone stolen, Mike gives a brief update, using his replacement device.

  • Camp Time
    7/25/24

    Camp Time

    Mike presents his first improvised dwelling, a "camp" site created to accommodate his overnight stays in the Clintonville district of Columbus, Ohio.

  • Places Now & Then
    7/20/24

    Places Now & Then

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

  • App Sale
    6/26/24

    App Sale

    Mike presents on Street|SMART, a Shared Map of Aid, Resources & Tips made to aid folks on the streets with locating free resources nearby.

  • Rain Delay
    6/5/24

    Rain Delay

    When the rut starts to feel like the “new normal”…

  • Nighttime Stroll with WANDA
    5/23/24

    Nighttime Stroll with WANDA

    Mike shares a stroll with WANDA through the University District.

  • The Conversation
    5/18/24

    The Conversation

    Mike pauses to reflect on some of the obstacles encountered with developing WANDA for market and asks how to overcome them.

  • 4:20 Downtown Stroll
    5/16/24

    4:20 Downtown Stroll

    The streets downtown are so peaceful at night. It’s like having an entire city to yourself.

  • WANDA's Legacy
    5/7/24

    WANDA's Legacy

    Mike reflects on the little ways that WANDA has made a difference, and finds inspiration taking stock on all the positive changes in our communities that often don’t get shown on TV.

  • Spring Equinox
    3/12/24

    Spring Equinox

    Heterosexual Pride is on St Patrick’s Day.

  • Commoners Don't Tip
    12/16/23

    Commoners Don't Tip

    Mike performs with WANDA at the Columbus Commons, while illuminated and adorned with Christmas lights.

  • Finals Week at OSU
    12/12/23

    Finals Week at OSU

    A walk through The Ohio State University during the eerie calm of finals week on campus.

  • My Olde Home in Olde Towne East
    10/4/23

    My Olde Home in Olde Towne East

    To my relief, my former home in our first Crimson House site, above the Corner Stone wine shoppe on Oak & Parsons Ave, remains relatively intact due to project delays on the nearby Interstate 71 overhaul.

  • Changing Face of the Short North
    10/4/23

    Changing Face of the Short North

    Mike strolls down High Street in Columbus’s Short North neighborhood, which has been at the center of the city’s rapid development.

  • Karaoke Night
    9/27/23

    Karaoke Night

    Karaoke performance in Columbus of "Letting The Cables Sleep," by Bush.

  • Changing Face of Olde Towne East
    9/22/23

    Changing Face of Olde Towne East

    Mike strolls down Oak St in the Olde Towne East neighborhood of Columbus, while reflecting on the changes and development throughout the neighborhood.

  • Stroll down High Street
    8/27/23

    Stroll down High Street

    Newly arrived in Columbus, Mike reminisces on the Short North during a stroll down High Street.

  • Top of the Campus
    8/27/23

    Top of the Campus

    Mike marvels at the transformation underway in Columbus and around The Ohio State University since moving away in 2017, including acres and acres of parking garages.

  • NOLA Rain
    5/6/23

    NOLA Rain

    Rainy morning in New Orleans’ French Quarter

  • The Walk
    4/21/23

    The Walk

    Despite the stigmas of not owning a car, walking affords a much more intimate relationship with the places I live.

  • 3/16/23

    Park After Dark...

    Today’s children enjoy far nicer playgrounds than were around when I was a child.

  • Reflecting on Natchez
    3/5/23

    Reflecting on Natchez

    Mike reflects fondly on his past month marooned in Natchez, Mississippi, and expresses gratitude to the distant friends, recent acquaintances throughout Natchez, and even small businesses who have provided aid to Mike in the form of monetary donations, loans, and/or in-kind assistance.

  • Finding Home
    3/4/23

    Finding Home

    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.

  • Grooving in Mississippi
    2/28/23

    Grooving in Mississippi

    Mike highlights some of the projects he’s been working to develop while in Natchez, as he shows off his latest incarnation of WANDA and discusses a mobile app he’s working to develop.

  • Let Go, Let God
    2/23/23

    Let Go, Let God

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

  • Be There
    2/21/23

    Be There

    Despite living in an age in which everyone has a cellphone (with a clock), folks cannot be bothered to respect each other’s time and show up.

  • Reflections on Houses & Home
    2/19/23

    Reflections on Houses & Home

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

  • Mardi Gras in Natchez
    2/18/23

    Mardi Gras in Natchez

    As the people of Natchez gather along Commerce Street for its Mardi Gras celebration, Mike reflects on the comeback of numerous small and mid-sized towns throughout America.

  • Riverboat Calliope
    2/17/23

    Riverboat Calliope

    A riverboat serenades Mike with its onboard calliope, as it travels up the Mississippi River from its former port in Natchez.

  • Presidential Suite
    2/12/23

    Presidential Suite

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

  • 2/3/23

    The Police Department is Closed...

    Mike visits the Natchez police department in a vain attempt to retrieve his belongings, after his hotel inexplicably turns them over to the police instead of returning them to their rightful owner.

  • Natchez Bluff
    2/1/23

    Natchez Bluff

    A Grindr date abruptly goes awry during a short roadtrip to the lad’s hometown of Natchez, Mississippi, resulting in the lad speeding off in his vehicle alone, leaving Mike in a hotel parking lot near the Mississippi River in an unfamiliar area with nearly no money, accommodations, or friends.

    Welcome to Natchez, y’all!

  • Underbelly of the Bridge
    1/30/23

    Underbelly of the Bridge

    Mike seeks refuge from the rain beneath the Natchez-Vidalia Bridge spanning the Mississippi River.

  • Crossing the Mississippi
    1/29/23

    Crossing the Mississippi

    After spending 2 years in Louisiana for his last utility/engineering job, Mike finally manages to return to the proper side of the Mississippi River to discover the cute little town of Natchez, sitting atop a bluff overlooking the Mississippi River.

  • The Circle
    1/22/23

    The Circle

    Walking around one of America’s largest traffic circles.

  • Stroll in Alexandria
    1/19/23

    Stroll in Alexandria

    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.

  • The Great American Circle Jerk
    1/11/23

    The Great American Circle Jerk

    Mike marvels at the World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) corporation for its unmatched ability to profit from drumming up conflict and division among young Americans. As US politics devolves into some combination of entertainment and rivalry, at what point should we expect the chambers of Congress to be littered with folding chairs for C-SPAN’s exclusive pay-per-view fights?

  • Recycle!
    1/10/23

    Recycle!

    In the absence of any sort of city recycling service, Mike demonstrates his routine of walking his discarded recyclables to Target - one of the few places that offers any semblance of recycling disposal.

  • Stroll down Masonic Drive
    1/6/23

    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.

  • Final Day of Crimson House Alexandria
    12/27/22

    Final Day of Crimson House Alexandria

    We’ve managed to take the greatest country on Earth and devolve into a nation of cowards - incapable of anything beyond armchair activism and complaining into the void of social media.

  • Reflections on Home and Family
    12/23/22

    Reflections on Home and Family

    This holiday season, Mike reflects fondly on his hometown Steubenville, praising in particular the way its people treated his mother throughout his childhood.

  • Final Soiree
    12/22/22

    Final Soiree

    Mike kicks back with his new friend Robert and throws an impromptu soiree to commemorate the final days of Crimson House Alexandria, as his eviction date of 1 January 2023 draws ominously near…

  • WANDA & GLADYS Rehearsal/Demo
    12/16/22

    WANDA & GLADYS Rehearsal/Demo

    GLADYS is the wireless audio network powering all bluetooth speakers in Crimson House. WANDA is a musical baton comprising 2 of those speakers.

  • 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…

  • WANDA performance
    9/16/22

    WANDA performance

    WANDA is a pair of bluetooth speakers mounted on a 6-foot-long stick.

  • 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.

  • Our Inner Saboteur
    4/23/22

    Our Inner Saboteur

    We are almost always our worst enemy. We tend to obsess over our imperfections and shortcomings, and we tend to overhype the accolades of others.

    To those growing up in small towns or otherwise overshadowed places, know that even the most glamorous and affluent places in America are filled with people wanting to leave.

  • Silence Means BE QUIET
    4/15/22

    Silence Means BE QUIET

    Silence is an unnatural state that induces discomfort. But it also reveals the extent to which we are accustomed to a noisy world.

  • Wrong Way
    4/6/22

    Wrong Way

    Lamenting on his unsatisfaction in his present work in Louisiana, Mike ponders on the next steps in his career and where that will prompt him to move next.

    Mike emphasizes his admiration towards his fellow transit warriors who elect to walk in places hostile to pedestrians, that do not provide sidewalks, crosswalks, and basic pedestrian safety features.

    proposes a thesis on the correlation between a community's walkability and the preponderance of nice butts among its residents.

  • Package Reveal
    2/19/22

    Package Reveal

    Mike shares the excitement of opening a package he'd forgotten that he ordered.

  • Down South
    5/30/21

    Down South

    Moved to Alexandria, Louisiana, to begin a new full-time staff engineer role.

  • 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 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.

  • Vive La Liberté!
    4/11/19

    Vive La Liberté!

    Mike basks in the beautiful spring weather of Montreal, in anticipation of reporting to the police station in 24 hours.

  • Bon matin, MTL
    12/8/18

    Bon matin, MTL

    Relaxing with Jonathan on a beautiful Saturday morning in Montreal.

  • Embarking - Road Trip Celebrating Freedom
    7/1/18

    Embarking - Road Trip Celebrating Freedom

    Mike embarks from Montreal on Canada Day, for a roadtrip to visit NYC during US Independence Day.

  • In Kelowna, BC
    4/18/18

    In Kelowna, BC

    MIke travels to Kelowna, British Columbia, for a work conference.

  • Columbus Beckons Paula's First Visit to the US
    3/31/18

    Columbus Beckons Paula's First Visit to the US

    Mike shows Paula around his former stomping grounds in Columbus during her first time visiting the United States.

  • Birthday Special from Montreal
    3/17/18

    Birthday Special from Montreal

    To save his friends the labor of typing out “happy birthday” messages, Mike invites them to this livestream to deliver their well-wishes with a slightly more personal touch., while gossiping and fawning over the heaps of gorgeous men lurking throughout Montreal.

  • From Montreal
    2/18/18

    From Montreal

    Mike gawks at the neighbors from his apartment balcony overlooking the streets of Montreal.

  • Visiting Dayton
    1/7/18

    Visiting Dayton

    Mike takes a drive on the new/improved I-75 segment into downtown Dayton to visit a couple of his beloved bars from his undergrad days at Wright State.

  • Beneath the Plant, Onto Detroit
    1/3/18

    Beneath the Plant, Onto Detroit

    While enroute to Detroit, Mike drives beneath one of the major coal-fired power plants along the Ohio River, FirstEnergy’s Sammis Plant.

  • The Pittsburgh Reveal
    12/28/17

    The Pittsburgh Reveal

    Driving in Pittsburgh is like driving in a pinball machine, but it offers the most dramatic approach into its downtown.

  • Visiting Steubenville
    12/23/17

    Visiting Steubenville

    Mike drives into his beloved hometown of Steubenville, Ohio, and shows us around.

  • Double Rainbow over Yakima Valley, WA
  • I-15 through Las Vegas
    11/12/17

    I-15 through Las Vegas

    Mike and Matt traverse Las Vegas along Interstate 15.

  • Trans-Atlantic Broadcast Straddling Utah
    10/24/17

    Trans-Atlantic Broadcast Straddling Utah

    Matt and Mike share one of their routine trips along Interstate 15 delivering goods for Walmart from their distribution center to the various stores across the state of Utah.

  • Over the Divide
    10/3/17

    Over the Divide

    While crossing over North America’s continental divide, Mike and Matt discuss the political divides in our country and how we can better forge consensus among diverse people.

  • From Salt Lake City, Utah
  • From California's Central Valley
  • Pride, Adapting & Maneuvering around the Hills of San Francisco
    8/29/17

    Pride, Adapting & Maneuvering around the Hills of San Francisco

    Matt and Mike spend a few days in San Francisco, delivering rebar to the construction site of a new water treatment plant in Pacifica, California.

    They discuss the concept of "pride” and the fluidity that one’s personality can take, adapting to various social situations. Mike mentioned Matthew's "bro mode," acknowledging the influence of others' personalities and accents.

  • Desert Storms
    8/23/17

    Desert Storms

    From a truck stop in Phoenix shortly after a dust storm, Mike reflects on learning his rider duties assisting with truck deliveries. Also discussed are the commonly mistaken distinction between power and energy, as well as procrastination habits, and remembering back when talking about nazis used to be comical.

  • Safety Message - Stay Hydrated!
    8/21/17

    Safety Message - Stay Hydrated!

    Suffering from the early stages of heat exhaustion while helping Matt secure his flatbed load, Mike reflects on the recent solar eclipse that they viewed from Arizona.

  • From Weed, California
    8/18/17

    From Weed, California

    Mike begins piloting a video commentary series "Trans/America" to chronicle his months abroad his boyfriend's flatbed tractor-trailer, as they traverse the western states of the United States together.

Journals & Musings

  • 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.

  • My Little Corner of Semi-Reality

    2004-2013

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