Episodes
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A few months ago, someone mentioned that a dude had walked to Crestone from Colorado Springs â which is a SERIOUS walk over some very rugged mountains â and that he was some kind of Sasquatch expert. I was intrigued, but I have to admit that I assumed the guy was a wild-eyed wayward soul whoâd had a bit too much psilocybin and not enough common sense. Then I met Mateo at a party and after chatting with this totally chill, reasonable, obviously smart dude for a while, I realized ⊠wait a minute, THIS is the Squatch dude? So Iâd like to introduce you to yet another fascinating Crestonian. You can learn more about Mateo and his exploits at modernexplorer.me.
Intro music âBrightside of the Sun,â by Basin and Range. âForest,â by David Beckingham; Outro: âSmoke Alarm,â by Carsie Blanton.
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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-hiking the Pacific Crest Trail from Canada to Mexico as a family, beginning when their daughter was 9 months old. What followed was a 1,500 mile odyssey filled not only with primeval forests and sweeping mountain vistas but also countless lullabies, hundreds of diaper changes and innumerable tears shed.
Intro music âBrightside of the Sun,â by Basin and Range. âA Way Back Home,â by Give Me Motion; Outro: âSmoke Alarm,â by Carsie Blanton.
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Missing episodes?
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* Can/should we slow down the development of AI?
* Frans de Waal: âBecause the role of sex in society is such a loaded and controversial issue, scientists have tended to downplay this side of bonobo behaviorâŠ. Sexual encounters of the bonobo kind are strikingly casual, almost more affectionate than erotic.â
* AndrewâŠ
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Adamâs 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 Board of Trustees, is running for County Commissioner, and seems to be admired and respected by pretty much everyone. This is my favorite kind of podcast to bring you, where Iâm getting to know the guest at the same time you are. Among lots of other stuff, we talk about:
* what it was like to be a quirky, sensitive kid in Texas (not great),
* who then moved suddenly to Madrid, Spain (much better);
* his complex relationship with his father and masculinity;
* the challenges of trying to help kids navigate the world as it is now;
* the experience of spending months on horseback, riding through backcountry reservation land.
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Michael Henry Dunn is a guy who has been around the block a few times. Heâs a classically trained actor, having studied at Juilliard. Heâs a musician and an activist. Heâs an author, journalist, Substacker and scholar who has delved deeply into the controversies around Shakespeareâs true identity, the Code of Chivalry and global human rights. And heâs a really nice guy who happens to live in this funky little town in the Colorado high desert. Go figure.
Information about the retreat in Montana is here.
Intro music âBrightside of the Sun,â by Basin and Range. Outro: âSmoke Alarm,â by Carsie Blanton.
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Weâve all heard the adage: âThink globally, act locally.â Liza embodies that perspective. She came to the San Luis valley about 30 years ago to work on a buffalo ranch with her husband. Since then, sheâs lived a lot of life in this valley. Raising kids, horses, dogs, working as school board president and County Commissioner, and founding and running the San Luis Valley Local Foods Coalition are just a few of the things that have kept her busy over the years. Everyone around here knows her and admires her energy, intelligence, and positive approach to things. Iâm really glad to be able to share this wonderful woman with you.
This is a public episode. If youâd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit chrisryan.substack.com/subscribe -
Trained as a neuroscientist, Elliot is the Principle Scientist at a nonprofit called The Good Food Institute, which is focused on building an innovation ecosystem that will accelerate the development of alternatives to conventional/industrialized production of meat, eggs, and dairy. They believe that we can avoid or mitigate the many negative externalities of industrial meat production by instead making meat from plants or growing it directly from animal cells. Iâve got my doubts, but Elliot makes a convincing case. See what you think.
Hereâs a link to the Budokon retreat info, if you might want to join us in June.
Intro music âBrightside of the Sun,â by Basin and Range. Outro: âSmoke Alarm,â by Carsie Blanton.
This is a public episode. If youâd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit chrisryan.substack.com/subscribe -
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 lists. His second book, Smarter Faster Better, was also a New York Times bestseller.
His latest book, Supercommunicators, is out now.
Charles currently writes for The New Yorker magazine.
Intro music âBrightside of the Sun,â by Basin and Range. âBreaking Us in Two,â by Joe Jackson; Outro: âSmoke Alarm,â by Carsie Blanton.
For those of you who prefer video:
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âJordiâ has one of the most unusual life stories Iâve ever come across â built around a manâs very pure, very unusual love. We talk about being a child of mixed cultures (Spanish and Basque, in his case). What makes someone a âparentâ and what constitutes âa family?â
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Wes Atkinson grew up kinda wild and largely unsupervised in a very remote part of Colorado. Nature was his sanctuary. As an adult, Wes ran a thriving outfitting business where he guided hunters all over the world. But then a quiet voice suggested it might be time to rethink his life, and he realized that indeed, something important â something sacred â âŠ
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Amanda Knox is an exoneree, journalist, public speaker, and author of the New York Times best-selling memoir, Waiting to Be Heard. She spent nearly four years in an Italian prison and eight years on trial for a murder she didnât commit.
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Ian is a writer, podcaster (The Mythic Masculine), and filmmaker who is especially interested in exploring a regenerative future and how to get there. We talk primarily about his recent film, âThe Village of Lovers.â
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This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit chrisryan.substack.com
A few of the issues I discuss in this one:
Snoring and sleep apnea.
Is doubt an expression of humility?
Are all emotions, at base, an expression of love?
Is deepfake porn an invasion of privacy or a protection of privacy?
My picks for the NFL playoffs.
Music: âBrightside of the Sun,â by Basin and Range; âGet Together,â by the Youngbloods; Remix of âWhoâll StâŠ
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Teacher, seeker, musician, traveler, visionary, professor, husband, father, scholarâŠ. Lama Thupten is all these and more. I was lucky enough to hang out with him a bit recently here in Crestone, where he was visiting the Yeshe Khorlo retreat center.
This is a public episode. If youâd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit chrisryan.substack.com/subscribe -
Nick has spent a good chunk of his adult life on an island off the coast of Antarctica at McMurdo Station. Heâs a cool guy who is living an extraordinary life in a humble, low-key way. Iâm really glad to have met him and, with any luck, weâll be neighbors before too long!
This is a public episode. If youâd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit chrisryan.substack.com/subscribe -
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 dirty energy worldwide. This video garnered international media attention, landed him on the stage at TEDx, and caused people to move significant sums of money out of B of A and into local banks around the country.Through his 20s, Thiermann worked at Discovery Digital Networks as a writer and on-camera host. His work has appeared in Menâs Health Magazine, SURFER Magazine, and Outside Magazine.
A few years ago, Kyle and I came up with an idea for making environmental activism fun (and funny), and thus was born The Motherfucker Awards, a red-carpet event where the worst polluters were recognized for their outstanding contributions to fucking Mother Nature.Thiermann also worked as Head of Editorial and Senior Copywriter at MUD\WTR, a brand known for its irreverent marketing and distinct tone. While there, he launched Trends w/ Benefits, a storytelling platform that focused on psychedelics and mental health.As a Patagonia-sponsored surfer he continues to use his travel opportunities to cover environmental issues around the world, interviewing all sorts of folks on his podcast The Kyle Thiermann Show.
Join his Substack newsletter here:
Hereâs a link to the story Kyle tells about Derek Sivers riding his bike with just a little less effort, and a lot more enjoyment.
This will give you some sense of my own haircut debacle:
The vid, if you wanna see Kyleâs haircut:
This is a public episode. If youâd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit chrisryan.substack.com/subscribe -
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit chrisryan.substack.com
American Beauty, Love Has Won, Down By Law, Stranger Than Paradise, and The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber.
Intro music âBrightside of the Sun,â by Basin and Range. âNarrative Song,â from Lowland Tribes of Ecuador, recorded by David Blair Stiffler; âHarlem 2 Bole,â from Bole 2 Harlem; Outro: âSmoke Alarm,â by Carsie Blanton.
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This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit chrisryan.substack.com
You know this guy. Big wave surfer, environmental activist, co-creator of the Motherfucker Awards, world traveler, standup comic, beet taco pusher, driveway squatter and as close to a son as Iâll ever get ⊠the one and only Kyle Barrett Thiermann. This is the first part of a two-part conversation recorded a few weeks ago. We were so much younger thenâŠ. âŠ
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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 opposition to each other, you may learn something important in this conversation. We talk about the challenges and joys of building your own house, what DIY DOESNâT mean, the tension between being self-reliant and being a good neighbor, the unique qualities of life in Crestone, and a slew of other things. These are two solid dudes who overcame the doubt and fear and built themselves a comfortable, safe home without getting dragged into the rat race of endless debt and needless extravagance. In 2023, this is a rare manifestation of wisdom. Check out their YouTube channel: Owner Builders Unite.
Show Notes:
Music: âBrightside of the Sun,â by Basin and Range; âSmoke Alarm,â by Carsie Blanton.
30% off all merch on my site through the end of the year.
Check out Jakeâs momâs tallow balm at thebeekeepersgranddaughter.com. Use the code HOLIDAY15 to get 15% off til the end of the year.
Hereâs a funky drone video of Peteâs place.
This is a public episode. If youâd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit chrisryan.substack.com/subscribe -
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit chrisryan.substack.com
I talk about some fascinating documentaries Iâve seen lately:
* Happy People: A Year in the Taiga (Amazon Prime)
* 28 Up (Amazon Prime)
* Love Has Won (HBO/Max)
How/when/why do our âgodsâ become our human sacrifices?
When does a potential mass murderer qualify as an unknown, solitary hero?
How should we handle a nice guy who takes some mushrooms,âŠ
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