Tangentially Speaking with Christopher Ryan

613 - Mark Nelson (Biospherian)

10 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Mark Nelson is an American ecologist and author based in Santa Fe, New Mexico. His research focuses on closed ecological system research, ecological e...

612 - Mee Ok Icaro (From Death's Door to Becoming a Guide to Healing)

03 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

I met this incredible woman over a decade ago (ep 87), when she was in a very difficult spot, suffering from constant pain, unable to move or care for...

611 - ROMA 73

28 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit chrisryan.substack.comWhat values underlie this podcast? Russell Brand in search of univ...

610 - Bill Ellzey (Landscape Photographer)

23 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Bill first picked up a camera in 1965, at age 20, little knowing that photography would become his profession. Since then camera work has taken him to...

609 - Neil Strauss (To Die For)

16 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Neil Strauss is a wildly successful writer and podcaster. He’s written for Rolling Stone, The New York Times, and just about every other high-profil...

608 Mini-ROMA (Do We Fall in or for Love?)

10 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit chrisryan.substack.comA “director’s cut” of one of my most popular posts on Substa...

DJCPR 2 (Covers)

27 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit chrisryan.substack.comCover versions of well-known songs that illuminate some quality in...

A Few Things Ethical Non-Monogamy Can Be

23 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

As a follow-up to my recent post about some things ethical non-monogamy is not, I thought it might be fun to consider some things ENM can be, in the b...

Audio: A Few Things ENM is Not.

22 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Trying this new feature on Substack where I read a post and add some off the cuff commentary. Sort of a mini-ROMA, centered around a written piece. Le...

607 - Gone Squatchin' with Mateo Argüello

15 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

A few months ago, someone mentioned that a dude had walked to Crestone from Colorado Springs — which is a SERIOUS walk over some very rugged mountai...

606 - Jack McClure (Author: You Carry the Tent, I'll Carry the Baby: One Family's Journey on the Pacific Crest Trail)

10 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Following the birth of their daughter, Jack McClure and his wife Alana decided to continue their life of adventure. They set their sights on thru-hiki...

605 - ROMA 72

03 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit chrisryan.substack.com* Can/should we slow down the development of AI?* Frans de Waal: “...

604 - Adam Kinney (Who Buys a Horse at a Yard Sale?)

28 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Adam’s name comes up a lot in Crestone. He and his family have been around for a long time, he runs a local business, currently serves on the Town B...

603 - Michael Henry Dunn (Actor, Author, Activist)

10 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Michael Henry Dunn is a guy who has been around the block a few times. He’s a classically trained actor, having studied at Juilliard. He’s a music...

602 - Liza Marron (Local Foods/Local Politics)

04 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

We’ve all heard the adage: “Think globally, act locally.” Liza embodies that perspective. She came to the San Luis valley about 30 years ago to ...

601 - Elliot Swartz (Lab Meat)

27 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Trained as a neuroscientist, Elliot is the Principle Scientist at a nonprofit called The Good Food Institute, which is focused on building an innovati...

600 - Charles Duhigg (Author of Supercommunicators)

21 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

CHARLES DUHIGG is a Pulitzer prize-winning reporter and the author of The Power of Habit, which spent over three years on New York Times bestseller li...

599 - "Jordi"

18 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit chrisryan.substack.com“Jordi” has one of the most unusual life stories I’ve ever c...

598 - Wes Atkinson (Sacred Wyld)

08 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit chrisryan.substack.comWes Atkinson grew up kinda wild and largely unsupervised in a very...

597 - Amanda Knox (Labyrinths Podcast)

05 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit chrisryan.substack.comAmanda Knox is an exoneree, journalist, public speaker, and author...

596 - Ian MacKenzie (The Village of Lovers)

24 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit chrisryan.substack.comIan is a writer, podcaster (The Mythic Masculine), and filmmaker w...

595 - ROMA 71

19 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit chrisryan.substack.comA few of the issues I discuss in this one:Snoring and sleep apnea....

594 - Lama Thupten Dorje Gyaltsen Rinpoche

09 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Teacher, seeker, musician, traveler, visionary, professor, husband, father, scholar…. Lama Thupten is all these and more. I was lucky enough to hang...

593 - Nick Chisari (Nine Seasons in Antarctica)

06 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Nick has spent a good chunk of his adult life on an island off the coast of Antarctica at McMurdo Station. He’s a cool guy who is living an extraord...

592 - "The Break-upisode," with Kyle Thiermann

17 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Kyle Thiermann first made headlines as a teenager when he released a YouTube video detailing how Bank of America was one of the largest financiers of ...

591 - ROMA 70

06 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit chrisryan.substack.comAmerican Beauty, Love Has Won, Down By Law, Stranger Than Paradise...

590 - Kyle Thiermann (Part 1)

05 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit chrisryan.substack.comYou know this guy. Big wave surfer, environmental activist, co-cre...

589 - Matt & Pete (Owner Builders Unite on YouTube)

26 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Matt Evers and Pete Van Horn both moved to Crestone in pursuit of freedom, independence, and community. If those concepts strike you as being in oppos...

588 - ROMA 69

22 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit chrisryan.substack.comI talk about some fascinating documentaries I’ve seen lately:* H...

587 - Daniele Bolelli

14 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Daniele is one of the deepest, kindest, most thoughtful guys around. He’s an author of several books, a university professor, and the host of the Hi...

586 - Anya Kaats (Podcast: A Millennial's Guide to Saving the World)

06 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Anya has produced and hosted her podcast for precisely five years, and she recently decided that was enough. We talk about the experience of letting g...

585 - "Aaron" (Mentorship Series #4)

21 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit chrisryan.substack.comIn this episode, I chat with a guy we’re calling “Aaron,” ab...

584 - ROMA 68

10 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit chrisryan.substack.comIf you saw your friend standing naked on a spire, would you cheer ...

583 - Simon King (Dark Comedy Legend to Be)

04 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Simon is a Canadian comic with a particular talent for going places that scare the shit out of most of us. He looks into the shadows and finds the hum...

582 - Joshua Wright (Documentarian: "Eden's Last Chance")

24 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Joshua Wright grew up living in Africa and Asia. While still a kid, he became an environmentalist watching the timber industry clear-cut around his fa...

581 - Cameron Shayne (Budokon Mixed Movement Arts)

06 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit chrisryan.substack.comCameron holds black belts in three martial arts, is the founder of...

580 - "Nathan" (Mentorship Series #3)

21 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In this third and final (for now) episode with “Nathan,” we talk mainly about the creative process and how to pursue “success” without being e...

579 - Michael Harrell (Long-distance Bike Tripper)

14 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit chrisryan.substack.comMichael just got back from riding his bike from Alaska to Chile. A...

578 - Hamilton Morris (Psychedelic Researcher)

07 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Hamilton Morris is an American journalist, documentarian, and scientific researcher. He is the creator and director of the television series Hamilton'...

577 - Moby and Lindsay (hosts of Moby Pod)

31 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Moby and Lindsay are pals, neighbors, and amateur tick-removal specialists. We talk about their new podcast, the many uses of dental floss, the myster...

576 - Peter Anderson: The First Church of the Higher Elevations (Crestone Elder Series)

26 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Peter Anderson is an author, traveler, observer, story-teller, and a million other things. He’s the whole package. His books include, Heading Home: ...

575 - ROMA 67 (True words and false prophets)

20 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This is a follow-up to ROMA 66, in which I further discuss the dangers of ignoring or silencing people we disagree with. Here’s the profile of Andre...

574 - ROMA 66

15 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Here’s the interview with Andrew Tate I mentioned. The Milgram study. The article calling Jonah Hill’s texts “monstrous.” Excellent conversati...

573 - Kizzen Laki and Janet Woodman (Crestone Elder Series)

12 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Kizzen and Janet have not only been in and around Crestone for decades, they’ve played a large part in shaping it into the funky, unique little town...

572 - KnowMads (Tom Pepe and Tom Wilson)

07 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

I’ve been a big fan of KnowMads for several years now. Finally got to hang with them for a while, if virtually. I’m an even bigger fan now. These ...

571 - ROMA 65

05 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The Unabomber, EarthFirst, the Monkeywrench Gang, and the constant hum of humiliation in 2023. How to live in a shitstorm without getting covered in s...

570 - Rich Ayers (Muralist)

27 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Rich travels around the US with his dog, Louis, transforming plain, boring walls into scenes of imagination and beauty. Our conversation ranges from w...

569 - Joshua Fields Millburn (Minimalist)

21 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Along with his buddy Ryan Nicodemus, Joshua hit a wall about a decade ago. These friends realized that they had it made, on paper, anyway. They had th...

568 - "Nathan" Part 2. (Mentorship Series)

11 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit chrisryan.substack.comNote: If you’re hearing some mess in the first minute or so, ple...

566 - Miriam Lancewood (World Traveler/Author)

06 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Along with her partner, Peter, Miriam has walked the planet for the past decade or so. India, Papua New Guinea, New Zealand, Europe. They travel light...

565 - John Colapinto (Author/Journalist/Sophisticated Gentleman)

26 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit chrisryan.substack.comJohn Colapinto has written two novels, About the Author (2001) and...

564 - ROMA 64

18 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

“The bad news is you’re falling through the air, nothing to hang on to, no parachute. The good news is, there’s no ground.” ― Chögyam Tru...

563 - "Nathan" (Mentorship Series, 1 of 3)

15 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit chrisryan.substack.comTrying something a little different here. A guy we’re agreeing t...

562 - Alex Pappademas (Author: Quantum Criminals)

11 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Alex wrote a book called Quantum Criminals: Ramblers, Wild Gamblers, and Other Sole Survivors from the Songs of Steely Dan (beautifully illustrated by...

561 - ROMA 63

03 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Should we be excited or concerned about AI? Is technology learning to mimic us or are we learning to mimic technology? Who’s colonizing whom? I talk...

560 - Turner Osler, MD

25 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Dr. Turner Osler studied anthropology at Princeton, before becoming a surgeon and research epidemiologist. After 30 years working at the University of...

559 - He is Risen!

19 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Hey. I hope you missed me as much as I missed you! This is the podcast where I explain where I’ve been for the past few weeks and why. I also talk a...

558 - ROMA 62

11 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Thoughts while driving:— Why are teenagers so unhappy?— Are we drowning in a bullshit tsunami?— Shouldn’t there be a word for the current part...

557 - Eric Czuleger (Traveler to Non-Existent Countries)

27 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Eric Czuleger is currently banned from entering Turkey due to an accusation that he is a spy. He is not a spy. He is however, the author of books and ...

556 Mike Maher (Take a Deep Breath)

22 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Mike is a breathwork coach from the UK. After 15 years in the corporate world, Mike decided to leave to teach breathwork full time. Mike has trained w...

555 - Marc Elliot (NXIVM - Overcame Tourette's Syndrome)

24 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

At age nine, Marc was diagnosed with Tourette’s Syndrome due to incessant vocal and motor tics that interfered with every aspect of his life. Every ...

554 - ROMA 61

21 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Are you a proud optimist? A glass half-full sorta person? How much is too much to spend on feline medical care? Should I stay or should I go? Do we ac...

553 - Tony Brasunas, Author: Red, White & Blind

12 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Tony grew up in an intentional spiritual community in West Virginia that many called a hippie commune. His new book, Red, White & Blind looks at how c...

552 - Randall Nickerson (Ariel Phenomenon)

05 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

On September 16, 1994, sixty-two students at Ariel School in Zimbabwe witnessed something incredible. In his fantastic documentary, Ariel Phenomenon, ...

551 - ROMA 60

21 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In which I respond to a lobster fisherman’s question about why he gets restless in relationships. I yammer on about the difference between a “roma...

550 - ROMA 59

30 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit chrisryan.substack.comIn which I talk about the difference between scarcity and value, a...

549 - Charlie Zender (Climate Scientist)

17 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

I “met” Charlie when he wrote to gently correct me on some nonsense I’d said on the podcast about climate change. I could tell from the content ...

548 - Allison Pelot (Author of Finally Thriving)

02 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

My friend Allison Pelot was a gymnast from about the age of 5 to 22. Then, she studied pre-physical therapy before switching over to exercise science ...

547 - Murphy Pelot (Older and Wiser)

19 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Murphy first appeared on this podcast seven years ago, in episode 121. He was 13 1/2 years old at that time, getting ready to swim across the river of...

546 - Stanley Krippner at 90

05 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

I’ve known Stanley Krippner since the mid-1990s, when he invited me to join him on a three week trip to Brazil. He’s a world-famous researcher and...

545 - Rick Beato in Person

03 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

I love this guy. He exudes kindness, generosity, and intelligence. This is the fourth time Rick’s been on Tangentially Speaking, but the first time ...

544 - ROMA 58 (Covid, Camping, Bosom)

30 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

This mini-ROMA was recorded streamside at a Lund Park campground in Oregon. It includes an update on my dance with covid and some thoughts on a very s...

543 - Deborah Eden Tull (Zen Teacher, Author: Luminous Darkness)

06 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

DEBORAH EDEN TULL, founder of Mindful Living Revolution, is a Zen meditation and engaged dharma teacher, public speaker, author, and sustainability e...

542 - Alex Cody Foster (Ghostwriter)

24 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Alex Cody Foster’s next book, The Man Who Hacked the World: A Ghostwriter’s Descent into Madness with John McAfee, will be published November 15th...

541 - Katie Halper (Co-host: The Useful Idiots Podcast)

19 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Katherine Halper is an American comedian, writer, filmmaker, podcaster, and political commentator. She is the host of the podcast The Katie Halper Sho...

540 - Zappy Zapolin (Futurist/Psychedelic Advocate)

12 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Zappy Zapolin is driven by his belief that psychedelic medicine is the most powerful tool available to quickly raise consciousness and alter humanity’...

539 - Cory Allen (The Astral Hustle Podcast)

05 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

I was recently on Cory’s podcast, and I enjoyed our conversation so much that I proposed we keep it rolling on mine. That’s how it works with us p...

538 - Frans de Waal (Author & Primatologist)

01 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

On his second visit to the podcast, Frans discusses his latest book, Different: Gender Through the Eyes of a Primatologist, as well as one of my favor...

537 - Chris and Nani on Lake Eyasi, Tanzania

21 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Chris and Nani manage the amazing Kisima Ngeda Camp, on Lake Eyasi, Tanzania. Chris grew up nearby after his German parents moved to Africa on an impu...

536 - ROMA 57

18 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Here’s a ROMA in which I talk about some oddities of backwards greetings in Tanzania, driving in Georgia, the financial realities of world travel in...

535 - Elia Edward Mollel (Tanzanian Guide)

12 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The folks at Gladioloa Adventure in Arusha thought Elia would be a good guide to show us around northern Tanzania for 9 days. They were right. Raised ...

Chip Kime (1962 - 2021)

11 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Chip Kime was an utterly unique young man who was a huge presence in my life once, then he became an abstraction when our paths diverged in our 20s, a...

534 - Craig Sholley (Gorilla Researcher)

08 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Craig's Sholley’s experiences with wildlife and conservation began in 1973 as a Peace Corps volunteer in Zaire. As an L.S.B. Leakey grant researche...

533 - Dario Pescador

25 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Dario is a science journalist based in Madrid who was instrumental in getting Sex at Dawn published in Spain (En el Principio era el Sexo). We’ve be...

532 - Kevin Allison (Host of RISK! Podcast)

20 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Kevin is an actor, comedian, and host of the RISK! podcast — which Slate.com called “Hilarious, jaw-dropping and just plain touching,” and Rolli...

531 - Gym Halama (Artist/Adventurer)

13 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

I met Gym when I rented her place on Airbnb in Chite, Spain. Just looking at the photos of the funky space she’d created, I had a sense that this wo...

529 - Debra Berger

04 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

My friend Debra is a magical woman living a magical life. She’s the hub of many wheels, the grain of sand in the oyster, the sun in solar systems, ...

527 - May BROMA (Part 1)

20 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In the first part of this month’s bonus ROMA (BROMA), available to everyone, I talk about a new feature to help listeners find each other. I also ta...

526 - Robert de Vico

19 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

To boil it waaay down … After suffering a freak road-rage incident in LA, Robert came to Spain to visit an old friend seven years ago, then went bac...

525 - ROMA 56

28 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Intro messages from Mike in Washington, Adam in the UK, and a human from an undisclosed location. I discuss a few topics suggested by listeners, inclu...

524 - Why Podcast?

26 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

If you’ve read my recent post of the same title, you can skip this one, which is mostly for folks who listen to the podcast, but haven’t checked o...

522 - Zen Rahmoun (Millennial Refugee)

17 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Zen Rahmoun is living what may be the story of our age: that of the refugee. Whether triggered by war, climate change, political upheaval, or economic...

521 - Simon Rex is Riding a Red Rocket

12 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In the past year or so Simon Rex’s life has changed in ways nobody could have anticipated, but the man himself has changed very little. He’s just ...

520 - Talking About Russia and Ukraine with my buddy Mike Lang

07 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Mike Lang taught me to enjoy beer and Rush when we were 16 years old in 1978. We’ve been brothers-by-choice ever since. In addition to being one of ...

519 - Psychedelics and Stars (with Reluctant Astrologer Anya Kaats)

20 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

What's the relation between "truth" and meaning? Can we scientifically verify our visions while tripping? Are psychedelics tools or teachers? Is astro...

518 - ROMA 55 (Lifeguard Lessons, Why Circles Explain More than Lines)

15 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Should I welcome you, or thank you for welcoming me? My appreciation for the Blindboy podcast. Lifeguard lessons. Why a dog with a bone isn't your fr...

517 - ROMA 54 (What Would a World without Sexual Shame Be Like?)

28 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Try to imagine a culture in which children aren't taught that their bodies and desires are dangerous, shameful, and disgusting. What would that be lik...

516 - ROMA 53 (Wealth in Simplicity/Russia Invades Ukraine/How & When to Hurt Others)

22 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In this one, I discuss the totally cliche notion that happiness is to be found in simple pleasures (and bodily functions), the strange wisdom of Thai ...

515 - ROMA 52 (Brief Birthday Message to Listeners)

13 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Made it to 60! Too late to die young. This is just a very brief, very personal message to you, if you listen to this podcast. Many thanks. Intro music...

514 - ROMA 51 (Rogan, Whoopi Goldberg, Good/Bad Lies)

07 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Coming to you from Koh Pha Ngan, Thailand, in this one I discuss my insights into Joe Rogan (and the current controversy), my thoughts on Whoopie Gold...