Tangentially Speaking with Christopher Ryan

Abby Martin is an American journalist who asks questions and challenges assumptions in a way very few journalists ever dare. She speaks truth to power with a snarl. You can see her show, The Empire Files on TeleSur and YouTube. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit chrisryan.substack.com/subscribe

Patrick House explores the brain, how it works, what it is, and the tiny creatures that invade it and rearrange the furniture. This raises fundamental questions like: What are we? What does it mean to be alive? and How conscious are we of our consciousness? This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit chrisryan.substack.com/s...

Captain James Nash is the fifth generation of his family to live on the 6 Ranch, raising cattle near Joseph, OR. James served in the US Marine Corps as a tank officer and fought in Afghanistan after which he was awarded two Purple Hearts. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit chrisryan.substack.com/subscribe

From J's site : "Dr. Wallace "J" Nichols - called “Keeper of the Sea" by GQ Magazine, “a visionary" by Outside Magazine and a "water warrior" by AQUATICS International - is an innovative, silo-busting, entrepreneurial scientist, movement maker, renown marine biologist, voracious Earth and idea explorer, wild water advocate, bestselling author, sought after lecturer, and fun-loving Dad. He also lik...

I got together with my buddy, world-famous comic Jake Johannsen, to catch up after his tours in Asia and Europe. We cover a lot of ground in this one, mainly focusing on how comedy works (or doesn't) in different cultures. Check out Jake's podcast, JakeThis , where this episode was co-released. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus ep...

Raam's father was a prominent Iranian environmentalist who was arrested and interrogated for supposedly being a foreign spy. After he mysteriously died in prison, Raam and his brother decided to pressure the Iranian government for answers. Telling his story here is part of that pressure. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes,...

Rayanne Irving is an accomplished kickboxer, writer, horse trainer, public speaker, and all-around badass. As a homeless teenager, she was drawn into prostitution in Vancouver, Canada. Her understanding of her own decisions and the behavior of the people who have crossed her path is one of compassion, forgiveness, and hard-won wisdom. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with ot...

Dr. Jim Fadiman is considered America's wisest and most respected authority on psychedelics and their use. Kyle Thiermann is a professional big wave surfer, documentary filmmaker, and podcast host.   This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit chrisryan.substack.com/subscribe

Angela came by to chat. Aside from the harassment we suffered from a very persistent insect, we had a great time talking about her roles as actor, producer, and director, the meditative and transporting qualities of sex, what it's like to be a wildly horny young woman in a world that both celebrates and denigrates you, and some of the hang-ups one has to face in order to have sex on camera. This i...

Peter Gorman is an award-winning journalist, former editor of High Times magazine (from 1986-1998), and pioneer in the understanding and use of psychedelic substances from the Amazon, such as ayahuasca and kambo. His most recent book is Sapo in my Soul: The Matsés Frog Medicine . This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit c...

Ryan is a very smart dude who knows a lot about how the human body works: diet, exercise, healing plants, etc. If you know someone with a medical issue that isn't responding well to conventional approaches, he may be able to help.  This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit chrisryan.substack.com/subscribe

Andrew is living the dream. A few days after recording this, he, his wife, and a dog named Pele set off for Argentina via the Arctic Circle (the scenic route). Follow their peregrinations via their site , where you'll find a blog, photos, and the latest episodes of their podcast. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit c...

John is fascinated by the things that frighten him -- from nudity to venomous snakes. He's been studying rattlesnakes for around 50 years. He's been bitten 15 times, so far, but has no intention of giving up on the pursuit of his passion. He's a fully realized, no-bullshit human being.  This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes,...

The abbreviated version, for non-Patreon supporters. I talk about the recent dust-up between Sam Harris and Ezra Klein, the questions around racial differences in "intelligence," and a bit about my thoughts concerning Jordan Peterson and the underlying hunger for the sort of guidance he offers young men. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access t...

Alexandra was a nerdy kid who grew up to be a bombshell. No doubt. We get into it all: What it's like to be a pro-dom; Why Star Trek is important; How sex is like travel; The therapeutic aspects of dominance and submission. Music: "Vim and Vigor," by Carsie Blanton. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit chrisryan.subst...

Wednesday Martin is the real deal. Her memoir, Primates of Park Avenue is a hilarious, touching, and insightful look into the exotic world of Manhattan motherhood. Stepmonster , a finalist for the prestigious Books for a Better Life Award, is widely considered the “go-to” source for stepmothers, adult stepchildren, therapists and others who seek a uniquely candid, interdisciplinary, cross-cultural...

I came across Wil's blog years ago, while researching primate penises, and have been a fan of his insightful, comic take on life ever since. What more do you need to know? This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit chrisryan.substack.com/subscribe

Tony was our door into Terlingua, Texas. Thanks to his quick response to an Instagram, we met all the good folks of that town, and ended up staying way longer than we'd planned. If you get out that way, drop in at his bar: TABC (Terlingua Adventure Beer Company), and give him a big hug from us. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus ep...

Cyrus believes in creating films which promote curiosity and ecological literacy. He's been directing documentary films for fifteen years since his award-winning surf film Riding Waves in 2003. He won a Southwest regional EMMY when he was 23 and has directed hundreds of short films since. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes...

These dudes are smart, funny, and talented. I caught up with them on tour, after their show in San Diego. If you like to have fun, catch them if they come to a town near you! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit chrisryan.substack.com/subscribe

Lisa Menna uses the wonder provoked by her magic tricks to trigger real magic: the kinds of thoughts that can make the world a better place. Having performed in over 40 countries, Lisa and her organization ( Cause to Wonder ) are working to show people around the world that good things come to those who respect and protect women and girls. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this wi...

I caught up with Oscar-nominated director Josh Fox in New Orleans (Gasland, How to Let Go of the World and Love All The Things Climate Can't Change), where he's doing his Josh Fox things: writing, organizing political protests against a fracked gas power plant, playing music, creating art (paintings), and eating a lot of crawfish. His cat Sandy joins us to rub her face on the microphones. This is...

Diana is the founder of a boutique LGBTQ family law and mediation firm based in New York City and Frankfurt, Germany, serving primarily same-sex couples and non-nuclear families. Diana is about supporting  healthy, stable families, whether between same-sex couples, platonic co-parents, polyamorous families, or different-sex couples, by facilitating conversations that support the creation of clear...

Like millions of people, I first became aware of Jeff Leach when I read about his attempt to transfer a hunter/gatherer's fecal matter to his own colon as a way to study the human microbiome. Little did I know I'd find myself sitting at the table with him in rural Texas a few years later or that he'd agree to share his insights with me on a podcast. Jeff's published in Science , Nature and everywh...

Cassie and I met John Duarte at a highway rest stop in Dateland, AZ. He was riding his bike from El Paso to San Diego, which is a short "training run" for him. Join us for this spontaneous conversation in the van. #vanthropology2018 This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit chrisryan.substack.com/subscribe