Here’s a place for everyone to put in their two cents, ask me questions, engage with each other, etc. I’m not 100% sure how this works, but let’s figure it out together. Everyone and every idea is welcome, as long as we’re keeping it friendly and relaxed.
Hey all. I'll leave this open so conversations can continue here, but I'll be moving my attention to the May Open Thread that I just opened (paying subscribers only). Please come say hi over there if you're looking for me. As always, thanks for your input and attention.
I sent this to the email linked on your website but thought I might post it here for good measure:
I know you don't know me, but your podcast has had a major impact on me over the years. For example, hearing you talk about Spain was one of the major contributing factors that influenced my decision to move there in 2016 (and the Trump administration, it seems). You actually responded to one of my intro snippets about this many episodes ago. Since then, I've returned to the US; however, I'll be in Madrid May 12 - June 1 visiting friends.
In your most recent episode you mentioned that you are currently in Madrid too. I know it's a longshot, but I'd love to buy you a beer and talk literature (I'm a composition and literature teacher at a small community college), travel, the downfall of Western civilization, psychedelics, and more.
Hope you are well. I'm not sure if it's possible to message me directly here, but feel free to email me at cpunkosdy@gmail.com if you're available to meet up in Madrid.
Hey Chris. Long time listener, first time commenter. Actually that's only half true, you've kindly responded to one of my emails way back in 2015 (the Colin Craveiro episode).
Since then I've travelled in Asia, gotten married in America, had two kids, returned to Sweden, and a whole bunch of other things. I honestly doubt any of that would have happened without Tangentially Speaking, so thank you Chris and everyone else for making this podcast a possiblity. It's a true gem.
Unfortunately, because of bureaucratic cruelty, my wife's residency here in Sweden has been denied and we are looking at anywhere from 6 to 15 months on the road with the kids because of this. There's no way we are accepting being apart while we wait to the new application, so it's going to be an interesting puzzle ahead of us.
Anyway, I don't really have anything useful to contribute with unfortunately, just wanted to drop by and say thank you. All the best to everybody.
Hey everybody, I was just wondering, to send a listener intro in, do we just email it to chrisryanphd@gmail.com?
I have sent a couple emails to Chris to that email in the past and I remember I got a response, but I wasn't sure if things have changed because of Substack?
Thanks,
Andrew
EDIT: I just looked down and saw that Chris had already addressed this in a previous post. You've gotta' send it to: introsnips@gmail.com
I’m wondering if you have any advice for a teacher attempting to guide kids through the climate crisis. I teach Grade 5 and am constantly struggling with how I should approach it. I often weave climate change and other environmental issues into my lessons, but have avoided talking about it with too much doom and gloom. I figured if we’re on a sinking ship anyway, there’s no point in getting them worried. I’d at least like for them to enjoy their childhoods as much as possible before they have to deal with this.
But recently I realized they already know how bad it is. I’ve given them some fairly open projects where they could pick their own topic, and many of them chose climate change and deforestation. From their work I realized they’re terrified for their futures and very aware of how this will impact them.
Knowing this, how can I help them, if at all? I’ve done work with them around how to reduce our carbon footprint, political activism for the environment, etc. but I often wonder if there’s any point. It really resonated with me when you talked about how things will probably have to get worse before they get better. Part of me wants to give them hope and encourage them to take action (this is also what I’m expected to do as per the curriculum). But as you’ve said before, sometimes giving hope in a situation that is pretty hopeless can hurt more than it helps. So if I opt not to give them false hope...what else can I do?
I’d be curious to hear your thoughts on this. Sending love and gratitude for everything you do and the positive impact you’ve had on my life. And Hi to the TS community!
I'm a long time listener from Bristol UK and just wanted to express my gratitude to you for creating such a wholesome podcast and community. Your podcast has helped me through some important life moments, from giving me the confidence to go travelling and in the past 6 months both a relationship coming to an ending and my father passing away. I have really enjoyed all the music and art suggestions so I thought I would post my own if anyone wants to listen to it :) https://soundcloud.com/karmsounds
I’m in Vancouver and just got to my hotel room went looking for ice (I’m running a marathon tomorrow) no damn ice! I was complaining to myself and then listen to the last ROMA... Life’s kind of funny sometimes haha
Has anyone seen the new documentary Legacy, on amazon? Narrated by Sting, it tells the story of the earth through the perspective of energy. It starts with the evolution of life in the ocean, trees and animals. From there it continues to follow humanity mostly through the lens of energy. It ends up heavily covering the story of fossil fuels and what it has allowed us to do with it (massive overpopulation, globalization, climate change, 6th mass extinction, deforestation). It looks like it was mostly shot by drone. There is such a combination of beautiful and heartbreaking shots. It hit me pretty hard. I've been thinking about it all week.
Hello everyone. I am scheduling a listener meet-up in Fresno CA and am extending this invitation to anyone and everyone who may want to go. I thought it would be a nice way for those of us in California's Central Valley to connect with one another. It will be on May 28, 2022 at Summer Fox Brewing Company in Fresno at 3:00 PM. I have included a link to the brewery (the meetup will be at the Fresno location). If you have any questions or suggestions feel free to respond to this post. I look forward to meeting up with those of you who may be able to make it. Cheers. https://summerfoxbrewing.com
I have been following Steven Donziger’s saga ever since his episode with you. Thanks for bringing his story to light. For me it is one of the most important issues of the day for its intersection of environmental contamination, big oil, and the capture of the justice system by corporations. For those who aren’t familiar I encourage you to explore it. For those who have not followed, Steven was just released after 993 days of detention for a misdemeanor contempt of court where, as an attorney he refused to provide his client privileged data to Chevron. The longest sentence for such a “crime” by a factor of 10 orchestrated by a corporate court after the justice department declined to prosecute. He is a hero in my eyes for how he has endured this with such grace all for the greater good.
Apr 27, 2022·edited Apr 27, 2022Liked by Chris Ryan
So, just wanted to add my 2 cents. I haven't been much engaged in online posting since Reddit became more mainstream, so it's been a few years of not much activity on my part. However, I do miss feeling connections with kindred spirits, so here I am.
Chris, thanks for everything you do. My friend Ryan introduced me to you some good 6 years ago or so.. time flies. You've been the "fatherly" voice I never had, which I know it's not a new thing to you. Thanks for having been that voice in my life.
Anyways, in the off chance there's a lesbian or bi woman who'd like to talk to a fellow woman who's into women, who's a 4 or 5 on the Kinsey scale, and who'd be open for a "monogamish" relationship down the line, feel free to reach out to me however that happens on this app. Thanks!
Hey im facing a similar situation you faced in your 20s where you had to break up with your girlfriend because she wanted kids and you didn't..
I'm 28 and in the same boat right now. I genuinely dont know what to do. I love her but I don't want kids any time soon if at all. Does that mean I don't truly love her since I wouldn't do *everything* for her?
If that woman didn't want kids would you still be with her? Sometimes the idea of settling down scares me more than being alone. Why is that? Why don't I want kids? Is it just my age or do I fear my own creations?
We're compatible in every other way for the most part but being a father isnt something I feel I need to do. Do I have kids and sacrifice my own desires for hers? Is that true love?
How do I navigate this painful process of assessing my love and future? I fear that the answer isn't determined by right or wrong but something more akin to a spectrum of acceptance of pain? I'm too close to this and can't accurately understand my own positions it feels like. I seek your guidance and ty for the podcast I've been listening for years now.
In one or two old episodes you have mentioned you're a big fan of Star Trek (TOS), which always struck me as odd, seeing your attitude with regards to modern civilization and technology --at the risk of falling into stereotyping, most of the Trekkies I know love getting all the new electronic gadgets and dream of one day traveling into space.
So, how do you reconcile that? Or were you into ST mainly because of Uhura and the Orion slave girls? ;)
Do you follow Yanis Varoufakis at all? I think you'd have a great conversation. I'm just finishing his book "Another Now". Excellent comparison of our current reality and one that could have happened beginning with the 2008 financial crisis.
Who remembers the name of the walking tour guide from Galway, Ireland? Can't find the podcast and forgot to find it before I got to Ireland... Help a brother out...
Nearly every day my local mainstream news webpage likes to publish a new story of male infidelity of some kind told by an aggrieved female party. I acknowledge it's possible, even probable that men are more unfaithful on average than woman but reporting like this leaves a very uneven impression of infidelity in relationships imo. And even if they are interested in printing stories about unfaithful women I feel men in general would be way too embarrassed to inform the world that their partner cheated on them. One things for sure though, advertising that you've left your unfaithful partner on such a large platform is a good way of letting the world know your back on the market again :) P.S. Thanks for all the entertaining content Chris, you're one of my favorite people
I am looking for a poem (by Walt Whitman perhaps) that was referenced in a long ago episode where the author goes down to the water in contemplation and vulnerability and there he hears his name for the first time: his poetic identity, is revealed to him by the water itself.
What is the name of this poem and is it by Whitman?
Letter to everyone! I just started a discord to talk about all things art. If you want to join, kick back, and talk about all things art, here’s the place: https://discord.gg/cJrX2VhE
A very random input here, but I just thought some people might enjoy this. A jazz band called Snarky Puppy did a session with a Dutch symphonic orchestra and the result is a journey of absolute musical bliss.. And it's even more enjoyable to watch because the musicians are so clearly doing what they love. Not sure if it suits more "mainstream" musical tastes.
Your thoughts on the obsessive nature of the American with longevity specifically? Most people are obsessive or are a true fanatic with some sort of thing here in the states….
Could you talk about your decision not to have kids? Was it actually a decision you can pinpoint to a moment or timespan in your life, or did things just sort of workout that way? How did you navigate relationships in your 30s and 40s as someone childfree? Was it ever the kicker that ended an otherwise great relationship? (Bonus: as a 31-year-old man, where the heck do you meet women who also don't want kids?)
What do you think about having Alex Epstein (author of “The Moral Case for Fossil Fuels”) on your podcast? Two great minds pursuing the same purpose, human flourishing.
I recently became aware of DALL-E 2 (https://openai.com/dall-e-2/), an AI technology that can create amazing artwork based on text inputs. It blows my mind! 🤯
Good idea hope it works. Hey Chris you know those car bumper stickers that say “baby on board” or it might be a yellow caution triangle with a drawing of a baby on it. I saw a bumper sticker the other day that said “ kids off in this bitch” LMAS 😂
Hey everyone. I saw a sign yesterday that said "Everyone wants to talk, few want to think, and no one wants to listen." Love the idea of this new format and opening it up for friendly discussion and community. Already seems to be kicking off.
Happy to help with the new process. As a bonus, I'll ask a question:
You know the quote by Mark Twain that says: "Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts." With that in mind, where would you recommend people travel to, and why, so that they can experience something to the effect of Mark Twain's quote? Maybe give two options where money really isn't an issue for the traveler, and another where budgetary constraints are a variable for the traveler.
Hello Chris, all the way from Sydney Australia. Would it be possible if you could do a movie, documentary or TV series for one of your "What makes this thing great" segments? I would love to check out what kind of cinema you are into. I know you have spoken about how music is a huge part of your life (I think it ranks somewhere between shitting and sex in your list of life appreciations/priorities) along with literature, but it would be cool to pick some movies that you consider great and do some episodes on that.
Hey Chris, I’m curious how many times a week yourself and everyone deems appropriate amount of days to drink during a week. When I’m traveling I drink about 5 times a week (beer and wine) and sometimes beat myself up for enjoying it so much
Hey Chris, I'd love to subscribe to substack, but they only accept credit card payments. I've tried to avoid getting one, but I geuss I'll need one now! Well, might be a good idea anyway for future travels, but I wish they would accept paypal as well.
Before I start, let me admit that marriage does work sometimes. We all know couples who stay together and enjoy each other’s company their whole lives.
But marriages often fail. A man finds a girl who is beautiful and who is devoted to him. Then the years go by, and the beauty fades. Just look at any website or magazine that features beautiful girls. Beautiful girls are nearly all under 25, or maybe 35 at most.
Worse, children come along and the wife is no longer so devoted to him. That’s as it should be. Children are helpless, they need a mother’s care and devotion. But the man may feel let down.
In Oprah magazine, see the article “4 Reasons Husbands Feel Like They Hate Their Wives:” The main reason is, “her role as a Mom may leave you feeling neglected.” (August 1, 2019).
Of course, there are many other reasons why marriages don’t work, but these are the two inherent ones which must be dealt with in every marriage.
Our genetic heritage is important too. For tens of thousands of years, we humans have lived in tribes. Civilization has only been around for maybe six thousand years.
When a modern girl comes to the time for a baby, she first has to find a man, not only to get pregnant but so he will look after her in the difficult job of having and caring for the baby. At least, that’s the norm.
(This is the part that I get from Chris’s work.) A tribal girl, however, never had to worry about such things. The tribe would look after her and help care for the baby. The tribe members knew very well that in fifteen or twenty years they might be dependent on the babies of now.
The young woman’s main job was to provide those babies, so she would mingle with the men freely. She would share herself and make love all around. The baby would thus have many fathers to depend on.
An echo of this in our times is the fact that woman tend to be noisy in sex. The noises are called copulative cries. She is advertising to other men around that she is ready for sex.
Sharing is the most important thing in a tribe. If a young woman limited herself to one man, there might be resentment and division.
It may seem strange to modern people to think of a girl sharing herself, but there are many reverberations of it in modern times. Girls like to show off. They like to wear sexy clothes and act sexy. Parents and schools may call it bad, but girls still perform freely.
In a high school play, there are generally three times as many girls as guys who want to be in it. A model loves to show herself off to a crowd of admirers/customers. At a strip club, a girl performs happily to attract many men.
Marriage is an awkward adaptation to civilization, a world where people no longer live in tribes. When we all settled down and began agriculture, people had property (homes, fields, livestock) and inheritance began. It became important for a man to know who his children were. Hence marriage.
It has never worked very well. The girl longs to play around. So do the guys. As they did in the tribe.
What’s the answer?
I think men are attracted mainly to young women. Even men who are married are attracted to girls.
In my ideal world, girls would be applauded for being sexy and providing sex to many men. Strippers, porn models, prostitutes – they are all providing a worthwhile and enjoyable service. They are in the mainstream of our genetic heritage.
Men are overwhelmingly attracted to sex with young women, and we would all be better off if we admitted it and stopped trying to label it as bad. Marriage is an awkward adaptation to modern civilization, and many of us would be better off with girls.
Be married if you want to, and have kids. Make your girl friend into a MOM – which stands for marriage, offspring, and mortgage.
For my part, I think marriage is better avoided. Better to work hard and save your money. Then, as you get older, you’ll be able to inspire a continual stream of girls under 25. It’s good for your health. They make you feel young.
Thanks Chris. I just started my account, found yours, and am (sic) humbled. I like your writing style and intelligent views. Mine is more country. After years of offering my opinions even without requests I decided it was time. I have been against social media for a couple of decades but Substack is a good fit. Keep up the good work brother.
First time user here from Brooklyn;) coming from a much needed respite from the island of Turks … waiting to here of a sabbatical got approved so I can hit the road!
Hola Chris, I have a random question for you - about the situation in Venezuela, after having heard the subject crop up occasionally in your podcasts - most recently an early episode with the great Daniele Bolelli.
I'm currently in Peru which is full of Venezuelan migrants, about 1.3 million of them have come here for a better life - and if you speak to over 95% of them they will tell you the 'official narrative' concerning the situation in their home country: Maduro is a dictator, Socialism has failed, the govt are buying votes from the poor, the elections are rigged and so on ... but if I then ask the same people about the effect of the US economic blockade / sanctions / embargo, they rarely know anything about it. Or, if they do, they brush it off as a minor factor.
One time I was on a long taxi drive out of Lima and was lucky enough to have an extremely intelligent and politically engaged Venezuelan as my taxi driver. He was a civil engineer in Caracas and had to move to Peru in order to support his family - a familiar story - but he did not hate his country's government and proceded (over our 45 min journey) to tell me about his take on the political and economic situation there. Everything he told me correlated exactly with what I had read in books, articles and documentaries I had seen over the years by investigative journalists & intellectuals whom I follow (John Pilger, Chris Hedges, Noam Chomsky, Matt Taibbi, Glenn Greenwald, Aby Martin, Max Blumenthal, Ben Norton, Aaron Mate... among others).
In a nutshell, his take went something like this ... Maduro's government aren't perfect, neither was Chavez's before him - but which government, anywhere in the world, is perfect? But, even if they were perfect, even if the entire government was full of the most intelligent, economically astute, incorruptible, empathic, strong and trustworthy people you could imagine ... it wouldn't matter, because you can't do shit when you've got a global hegemon for a neighbour who are strangling your economy with sanctions - the modern equivalent of the medieval siege. They have all that oil but they can't sell it for dollars or euros, they can't import equipment to maintain their refineries and ports, they couldn't even import medicines to help their population during the pandemic. My own country, the UK, which has basically become a proxy / vassal of the US Empire since WW2, recently seized billions of dollars worth of Venezuelan gold held in the Bank of England - refusing to release it when the govt asked for help with pandemic relief efforts.
In addition to the sanctions, if they weren't enough, they also have the CIA and all its myriad of fake NGOs and think tanks, actively working to sabotage the country from within - working with international corporations and also the Venezuelan elite who detest their own government and have been wanting the US to help them return Venezuela to the good old days when most Venezuelans couldn't read or write, and no one got healthcare - ever since Chavez took over and began what he called the 'Bolivarian revolution'.
As a result of the sanctions of Russia, the US recently sent a delegation to Venezuela asking them to denounce Russia in exchange for an easing of sanctions and an end to the ridiculous attempt to proclaim Juan Guiado as president ... a laughable scheme dreamt up by the Trump administration. Venezuela refused to denounce Russia but it seems that they did manage to secure a lifting of some of the sanctions because their economy is now beginning to recover and inflation is lowering - what a surprise! The US needs its cheap oil from somewhere, and the Gulf states are refusing to increase production to reduce oil prices.
The gall and the chutzpah of the US govt never fails to amaze me ... after all the devastation they've inflicted on the Venezuelan people, they expect their govt to forgive and forget and join them in geopolitical games against Russia.
Anyway, rant over... I just wondered if/how your perspective has changed on the situation in Venezuela over the years - and if you've read the book 'The Open Veins of Latin America' and /or seen the documentaries 'The Revolution Will Not Be Televised' and 'The War on Democracy' which give a great overview of the recent history of the country with the largest proven oil reserves on the planet, as well as the history of South America in general.
FINALLY got around to subscribing after an insane month at work. Congrats on the move to SubStack Chris. Looking forward to being an active member of the community. Working on getting my BW bus fully outfitted. Once done I Would love to meet up on the road with Scarlett JoVanson and other road Tangentialists. Until then, keep up the good work.
Hey Chris loving the switch to Substack, seems to be the perfect platform for you. Loving all the new content, but don’t kill yourself my man. Hope all is well with you and Anya!
Much love, Jack (we met briefly in Vegas)
Also if there’s any tangentialists in Dallas, beers on me!! ✌🏻
I have a question, or more like a hopeful request, but first want to give some personal context so that you might be able to imagine where I'm coming from:
I am a 31 year old "American" guy who's single, without children, and living on his own (so lots of freedom of choice); and I thankfully have no financial burdens that render me "stuck" in my current life situation.
Since I (hopefully) have many years ahead of me, I see so many different potential iterations for the not-yet-lived future of my life. And I certainly still am getting to "know myself" and to understand what things I even truly LIKE in life!!
And I seem to think about this so often, and often wish that I didn't...
Of course, I'm not about to ask you to advise me on what to "do with my life" ...
Instead, what I'm most interested to hear are some of the Reflections and Insights you can share about some of the numerous visions you may have had for your future while you were still in your early adulthood, and how those may have narrowed.
You're obviously a really bright guy, capable of most anything, so I can only assume during early adulthood you had a long list of potential versions of You in your mind.
Or put differently and more vaguely: In what meaningful ways has your relationship to the future, and thinking about your personal future, changed over the years? In what ways have you honed your personal decision-making process so as to cut out the superfluous visions?
There's likely a better and more succinct way to get at the point I'm trying to reach, but regardless, I still think hearing you ROYA a bit about whatever reflections this may bring up for you could be interesting and helpful!
Aloha Chris & the TS tribe,
Am working on holding a psychedelic conference in Hawaii.
This was the last ( and only ? ) one . http://www.levity.com/eschaton/allchemicalsplash.html
Anyone attend or know someone who attended this one ?
Chris, I promise you'll like this one better than the LV one you spoke at recently :-)
Let's work on bringing Dr. McKenna, & Paul Stamets over.
Hey all. I'll leave this open so conversations can continue here, but I'll be moving my attention to the May Open Thread that I just opened (paying subscribers only). Please come say hi over there if you're looking for me. As always, thanks for your input and attention.
Hi Chris,
I sent this to the email linked on your website but thought I might post it here for good measure:
I know you don't know me, but your podcast has had a major impact on me over the years. For example, hearing you talk about Spain was one of the major contributing factors that influenced my decision to move there in 2016 (and the Trump administration, it seems). You actually responded to one of my intro snippets about this many episodes ago. Since then, I've returned to the US; however, I'll be in Madrid May 12 - June 1 visiting friends.
In your most recent episode you mentioned that you are currently in Madrid too. I know it's a longshot, but I'd love to buy you a beer and talk literature (I'm a composition and literature teacher at a small community college), travel, the downfall of Western civilization, psychedelics, and more.
Hope you are well. I'm not sure if it's possible to message me directly here, but feel free to email me at cpunkosdy@gmail.com if you're available to meet up in Madrid.
Hey Chris. Long time listener, first time commenter. Actually that's only half true, you've kindly responded to one of my emails way back in 2015 (the Colin Craveiro episode).
Since then I've travelled in Asia, gotten married in America, had two kids, returned to Sweden, and a whole bunch of other things. I honestly doubt any of that would have happened without Tangentially Speaking, so thank you Chris and everyone else for making this podcast a possiblity. It's a true gem.
Unfortunately, because of bureaucratic cruelty, my wife's residency here in Sweden has been denied and we are looking at anywhere from 6 to 15 months on the road with the kids because of this. There's no way we are accepting being apart while we wait to the new application, so it's going to be an interesting puzzle ahead of us.
Anyway, I don't really have anything useful to contribute with unfortunately, just wanted to drop by and say thank you. All the best to everybody.
Hey everybody, I was just wondering, to send a listener intro in, do we just email it to chrisryanphd@gmail.com?
I have sent a couple emails to Chris to that email in the past and I remember I got a response, but I wasn't sure if things have changed because of Substack?
Thanks,
Andrew
EDIT: I just looked down and saw that Chris had already addressed this in a previous post. You've gotta' send it to: introsnips@gmail.com
Hi Chris!
I’m wondering if you have any advice for a teacher attempting to guide kids through the climate crisis. I teach Grade 5 and am constantly struggling with how I should approach it. I often weave climate change and other environmental issues into my lessons, but have avoided talking about it with too much doom and gloom. I figured if we’re on a sinking ship anyway, there’s no point in getting them worried. I’d at least like for them to enjoy their childhoods as much as possible before they have to deal with this.
But recently I realized they already know how bad it is. I’ve given them some fairly open projects where they could pick their own topic, and many of them chose climate change and deforestation. From their work I realized they’re terrified for their futures and very aware of how this will impact them.
Knowing this, how can I help them, if at all? I’ve done work with them around how to reduce our carbon footprint, political activism for the environment, etc. but I often wonder if there’s any point. It really resonated with me when you talked about how things will probably have to get worse before they get better. Part of me wants to give them hope and encourage them to take action (this is also what I’m expected to do as per the curriculum). But as you’ve said before, sometimes giving hope in a situation that is pretty hopeless can hurt more than it helps. So if I opt not to give them false hope...what else can I do?
I’d be curious to hear your thoughts on this. Sending love and gratitude for everything you do and the positive impact you’ve had on my life. And Hi to the TS community!
Hey Chris and Tangentalists!
I'm a long time listener from Bristol UK and just wanted to express my gratitude to you for creating such a wholesome podcast and community. Your podcast has helped me through some important life moments, from giving me the confidence to go travelling and in the past 6 months both a relationship coming to an ending and my father passing away. I have really enjoyed all the music and art suggestions so I thought I would post my own if anyone wants to listen to it :) https://soundcloud.com/karmsounds
Much love
Rhys
I’m in Vancouver and just got to my hotel room went looking for ice (I’m running a marathon tomorrow) no damn ice! I was complaining to myself and then listen to the last ROMA... Life’s kind of funny sometimes haha
Chris, Aloha from Kona.
Let's have a meet up here someday.
Please write your erotic memoir.
Consequences be damned. Provoke the cxl cult with thought provoking literature.
Thx for all U do.
Hope to C U soon.
Sian
Has anyone seen the new documentary Legacy, on amazon? Narrated by Sting, it tells the story of the earth through the perspective of energy. It starts with the evolution of life in the ocean, trees and animals. From there it continues to follow humanity mostly through the lens of energy. It ends up heavily covering the story of fossil fuels and what it has allowed us to do with it (massive overpopulation, globalization, climate change, 6th mass extinction, deforestation). It looks like it was mostly shot by drone. There is such a combination of beautiful and heartbreaking shots. It hit me pretty hard. I've been thinking about it all week.
Free will.... Do we have it or is it just an illusion?
It seems to me that all of our thoughts just "arise" of themselves into consciousness. We have no idea what out next thought will be.
That in the same way the ocean is "waving", our minds are "thinking".
Curious to hear everyone's thoughts...whether you choose them or not 😂
Hello everyone. I am scheduling a listener meet-up in Fresno CA and am extending this invitation to anyone and everyone who may want to go. I thought it would be a nice way for those of us in California's Central Valley to connect with one another. It will be on May 28, 2022 at Summer Fox Brewing Company in Fresno at 3:00 PM. I have included a link to the brewery (the meetup will be at the Fresno location). If you have any questions or suggestions feel free to respond to this post. I look forward to meeting up with those of you who may be able to make it. Cheers. https://summerfoxbrewing.com
I have been following Steven Donziger’s saga ever since his episode with you. Thanks for bringing his story to light. For me it is one of the most important issues of the day for its intersection of environmental contamination, big oil, and the capture of the justice system by corporations. For those who aren’t familiar I encourage you to explore it. For those who have not followed, Steven was just released after 993 days of detention for a misdemeanor contempt of court where, as an attorney he refused to provide his client privileged data to Chevron. The longest sentence for such a “crime” by a factor of 10 orchestrated by a corporate court after the justice department declined to prosecute. He is a hero in my eyes for how he has endured this with such grace all for the greater good.
So, just wanted to add my 2 cents. I haven't been much engaged in online posting since Reddit became more mainstream, so it's been a few years of not much activity on my part. However, I do miss feeling connections with kindred spirits, so here I am.
Chris, thanks for everything you do. My friend Ryan introduced me to you some good 6 years ago or so.. time flies. You've been the "fatherly" voice I never had, which I know it's not a new thing to you. Thanks for having been that voice in my life.
Anyways, in the off chance there's a lesbian or bi woman who'd like to talk to a fellow woman who's into women, who's a 4 or 5 on the Kinsey scale, and who'd be open for a "monogamish" relationship down the line, feel free to reach out to me however that happens on this app. Thanks!
Hey im facing a similar situation you faced in your 20s where you had to break up with your girlfriend because she wanted kids and you didn't..
I'm 28 and in the same boat right now. I genuinely dont know what to do. I love her but I don't want kids any time soon if at all. Does that mean I don't truly love her since I wouldn't do *everything* for her?
If that woman didn't want kids would you still be with her? Sometimes the idea of settling down scares me more than being alone. Why is that? Why don't I want kids? Is it just my age or do I fear my own creations?
We're compatible in every other way for the most part but being a father isnt something I feel I need to do. Do I have kids and sacrifice my own desires for hers? Is that true love?
How do I navigate this painful process of assessing my love and future? I fear that the answer isn't determined by right or wrong but something more akin to a spectrum of acceptance of pain? I'm too close to this and can't accurately understand my own positions it feels like. I seek your guidance and ty for the podcast I've been listening for years now.
In one or two old episodes you have mentioned you're a big fan of Star Trek (TOS), which always struck me as odd, seeing your attitude with regards to modern civilization and technology --at the risk of falling into stereotyping, most of the Trekkies I know love getting all the new electronic gadgets and dream of one day traveling into space.
So, how do you reconcile that? Or were you into ST mainly because of Uhura and the Orion slave girls? ;)
Chris, thanks for setting this up!
Do you follow Yanis Varoufakis at all? I think you'd have a great conversation. I'm just finishing his book "Another Now". Excellent comparison of our current reality and one that could have happened beginning with the 2008 financial crisis.
D
Headed to Antigua and Lake Atitlan Guatemala next week, Any recommendations from anyone on what to make sure to see? Thanks Fam
Who remembers the name of the walking tour guide from Galway, Ireland? Can't find the podcast and forgot to find it before I got to Ireland... Help a brother out...
Nearly every day my local mainstream news webpage likes to publish a new story of male infidelity of some kind told by an aggrieved female party. I acknowledge it's possible, even probable that men are more unfaithful on average than woman but reporting like this leaves a very uneven impression of infidelity in relationships imo. And even if they are interested in printing stories about unfaithful women I feel men in general would be way too embarrassed to inform the world that their partner cheated on them. One things for sure though, advertising that you've left your unfaithful partner on such a large platform is a good way of letting the world know your back on the market again :) P.S. Thanks for all the entertaining content Chris, you're one of my favorite people
I am looking for a poem (by Walt Whitman perhaps) that was referenced in a long ago episode where the author goes down to the water in contemplation and vulnerability and there he hears his name for the first time: his poetic identity, is revealed to him by the water itself.
What is the name of this poem and is it by Whitman?
Keep on keepin' on.
Letter to everyone! I just started a discord to talk about all things art. If you want to join, kick back, and talk about all things art, here’s the place: https://discord.gg/cJrX2VhE
A very random input here, but I just thought some people might enjoy this. A jazz band called Snarky Puppy did a session with a Dutch symphonic orchestra and the result is a journey of absolute musical bliss.. And it's even more enjoyable to watch because the musicians are so clearly doing what they love. Not sure if it suits more "mainstream" musical tastes.
I hope links work in here..
https://youtu.be/jLRw-Ahq22k
Your thoughts on the obsessive nature of the American with longevity specifically? Most people are obsessive or are a true fanatic with some sort of thing here in the states….
This is Rad. Still doin those voicemails? If so, how does one contribute? Cheers,
Could you talk about your decision not to have kids? Was it actually a decision you can pinpoint to a moment or timespan in your life, or did things just sort of workout that way? How did you navigate relationships in your 30s and 40s as someone childfree? Was it ever the kicker that ended an otherwise great relationship? (Bonus: as a 31-year-old man, where the heck do you meet women who also don't want kids?)
Hey Chris,
What do you think about having Alex Epstein (author of “The Moral Case for Fossil Fuels”) on your podcast? Two great minds pursuing the same purpose, human flourishing.
Thank you.
Thanks for opening up this space, Chris.
I recently became aware of DALL-E 2 (https://openai.com/dall-e-2/), an AI technology that can create amazing artwork based on text inputs. It blows my mind! 🤯
This YouTube video is good intro: https://youtu.be/U1cF9QCu1rQ
A long time ago, you did a podcast with Neil Strauss. Any chance of another happening at some point?
Good idea hope it works. Hey Chris you know those car bumper stickers that say “baby on board” or it might be a yellow caution triangle with a drawing of a baby on it. I saw a bumper sticker the other day that said “ kids off in this bitch” LMAS 😂
When are we getting another Shrimp Parade?
Hey everyone. I saw a sign yesterday that said "Everyone wants to talk, few want to think, and no one wants to listen." Love the idea of this new format and opening it up for friendly discussion and community. Already seems to be kicking off.
Happy to help with the new process. As a bonus, I'll ask a question:
You know the quote by Mark Twain that says: "Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts." With that in mind, where would you recommend people travel to, and why, so that they can experience something to the effect of Mark Twain's quote? Maybe give two options where money really isn't an issue for the traveler, and another where budgetary constraints are a variable for the traveler.
Hello Chris, all the way from Sydney Australia. Would it be possible if you could do a movie, documentary or TV series for one of your "What makes this thing great" segments? I would love to check out what kind of cinema you are into. I know you have spoken about how music is a huge part of your life (I think it ranks somewhere between shitting and sex in your list of life appreciations/priorities) along with literature, but it would be cool to pick some movies that you consider great and do some episodes on that.
Hey Chris, I’m curious how many times a week yourself and everyone deems appropriate amount of days to drink during a week. When I’m traveling I drink about 5 times a week (beer and wine) and sometimes beat myself up for enjoying it so much
I do not have anything important to say. I just wanted to jump in the conversation and say hi to everyone I look forward to everyone's future posts.
Glad to see such rapid lively discussion!
We have not had the pleasure.
Hey Chris, I'd love to subscribe to substack, but they only accept credit card payments. I've tried to avoid getting one, but I geuss I'll need one now! Well, might be a good idea anyway for future travels, but I wish they would accept paypal as well.
Why Marriage Doesn’t Work
Before I start, let me admit that marriage does work sometimes. We all know couples who stay together and enjoy each other’s company their whole lives.
But marriages often fail. A man finds a girl who is beautiful and who is devoted to him. Then the years go by, and the beauty fades. Just look at any website or magazine that features beautiful girls. Beautiful girls are nearly all under 25, or maybe 35 at most.
Worse, children come along and the wife is no longer so devoted to him. That’s as it should be. Children are helpless, they need a mother’s care and devotion. But the man may feel let down.
In Oprah magazine, see the article “4 Reasons Husbands Feel Like They Hate Their Wives:” The main reason is, “her role as a Mom may leave you feeling neglected.” (August 1, 2019).
Of course, there are many other reasons why marriages don’t work, but these are the two inherent ones which must be dealt with in every marriage.
Our genetic heritage is important too. For tens of thousands of years, we humans have lived in tribes. Civilization has only been around for maybe six thousand years.
When a modern girl comes to the time for a baby, she first has to find a man, not only to get pregnant but so he will look after her in the difficult job of having and caring for the baby. At least, that’s the norm.
(This is the part that I get from Chris’s work.) A tribal girl, however, never had to worry about such things. The tribe would look after her and help care for the baby. The tribe members knew very well that in fifteen or twenty years they might be dependent on the babies of now.
The young woman’s main job was to provide those babies, so she would mingle with the men freely. She would share herself and make love all around. The baby would thus have many fathers to depend on.
An echo of this in our times is the fact that woman tend to be noisy in sex. The noises are called copulative cries. She is advertising to other men around that she is ready for sex.
Sharing is the most important thing in a tribe. If a young woman limited herself to one man, there might be resentment and division.
It may seem strange to modern people to think of a girl sharing herself, but there are many reverberations of it in modern times. Girls like to show off. They like to wear sexy clothes and act sexy. Parents and schools may call it bad, but girls still perform freely.
In a high school play, there are generally three times as many girls as guys who want to be in it. A model loves to show herself off to a crowd of admirers/customers. At a strip club, a girl performs happily to attract many men.
Marriage is an awkward adaptation to civilization, a world where people no longer live in tribes. When we all settled down and began agriculture, people had property (homes, fields, livestock) and inheritance began. It became important for a man to know who his children were. Hence marriage.
It has never worked very well. The girl longs to play around. So do the guys. As they did in the tribe.
What’s the answer?
I think men are attracted mainly to young women. Even men who are married are attracted to girls.
In my ideal world, girls would be applauded for being sexy and providing sex to many men. Strippers, porn models, prostitutes – they are all providing a worthwhile and enjoyable service. They are in the mainstream of our genetic heritage.
Men are overwhelmingly attracted to sex with young women, and we would all be better off if we admitted it and stopped trying to label it as bad. Marriage is an awkward adaptation to modern civilization, and many of us would be better off with girls.
Be married if you want to, and have kids. Make your girl friend into a MOM – which stands for marriage, offspring, and mortgage.
For my part, I think marriage is better avoided. Better to work hard and save your money. Then, as you get older, you’ll be able to inspire a continual stream of girls under 25. It’s good for your health. They make you feel young.
Have you heard of the Mandela effect? Research it and let me know if you are interested in a discussion.
Thanks Chris. I just started my account, found yours, and am (sic) humbled. I like your writing style and intelligent views. Mine is more country. After years of offering my opinions even without requests I decided it was time. I have been against social media for a couple of decades but Substack is a good fit. Keep up the good work brother.
Thanks for your posts, Chris!
First time user here from Brooklyn;) coming from a much needed respite from the island of Turks … waiting to here of a sabbatical got approved so I can hit the road!
Hola Chris, I have a random question for you - about the situation in Venezuela, after having heard the subject crop up occasionally in your podcasts - most recently an early episode with the great Daniele Bolelli.
I'm currently in Peru which is full of Venezuelan migrants, about 1.3 million of them have come here for a better life - and if you speak to over 95% of them they will tell you the 'official narrative' concerning the situation in their home country: Maduro is a dictator, Socialism has failed, the govt are buying votes from the poor, the elections are rigged and so on ... but if I then ask the same people about the effect of the US economic blockade / sanctions / embargo, they rarely know anything about it. Or, if they do, they brush it off as a minor factor.
One time I was on a long taxi drive out of Lima and was lucky enough to have an extremely intelligent and politically engaged Venezuelan as my taxi driver. He was a civil engineer in Caracas and had to move to Peru in order to support his family - a familiar story - but he did not hate his country's government and proceded (over our 45 min journey) to tell me about his take on the political and economic situation there. Everything he told me correlated exactly with what I had read in books, articles and documentaries I had seen over the years by investigative journalists & intellectuals whom I follow (John Pilger, Chris Hedges, Noam Chomsky, Matt Taibbi, Glenn Greenwald, Aby Martin, Max Blumenthal, Ben Norton, Aaron Mate... among others).
In a nutshell, his take went something like this ... Maduro's government aren't perfect, neither was Chavez's before him - but which government, anywhere in the world, is perfect? But, even if they were perfect, even if the entire government was full of the most intelligent, economically astute, incorruptible, empathic, strong and trustworthy people you could imagine ... it wouldn't matter, because you can't do shit when you've got a global hegemon for a neighbour who are strangling your economy with sanctions - the modern equivalent of the medieval siege. They have all that oil but they can't sell it for dollars or euros, they can't import equipment to maintain their refineries and ports, they couldn't even import medicines to help their population during the pandemic. My own country, the UK, which has basically become a proxy / vassal of the US Empire since WW2, recently seized billions of dollars worth of Venezuelan gold held in the Bank of England - refusing to release it when the govt asked for help with pandemic relief efforts.
In addition to the sanctions, if they weren't enough, they also have the CIA and all its myriad of fake NGOs and think tanks, actively working to sabotage the country from within - working with international corporations and also the Venezuelan elite who detest their own government and have been wanting the US to help them return Venezuela to the good old days when most Venezuelans couldn't read or write, and no one got healthcare - ever since Chavez took over and began what he called the 'Bolivarian revolution'.
As a result of the sanctions of Russia, the US recently sent a delegation to Venezuela asking them to denounce Russia in exchange for an easing of sanctions and an end to the ridiculous attempt to proclaim Juan Guiado as president ... a laughable scheme dreamt up by the Trump administration. Venezuela refused to denounce Russia but it seems that they did manage to secure a lifting of some of the sanctions because their economy is now beginning to recover and inflation is lowering - what a surprise! The US needs its cheap oil from somewhere, and the Gulf states are refusing to increase production to reduce oil prices.
The gall and the chutzpah of the US govt never fails to amaze me ... after all the devastation they've inflicted on the Venezuelan people, they expect their govt to forgive and forget and join them in geopolitical games against Russia.
Anyway, rant over... I just wondered if/how your perspective has changed on the situation in Venezuela over the years - and if you've read the book 'The Open Veins of Latin America' and /or seen the documentaries 'The Revolution Will Not Be Televised' and 'The War on Democracy' which give a great overview of the recent history of the country with the largest proven oil reserves on the planet, as well as the history of South America in general.
Cheers,
Rob.
FINALLY got around to subscribing after an insane month at work. Congrats on the move to SubStack Chris. Looking forward to being an active member of the community. Working on getting my BW bus fully outfitted. Once done I Would love to meet up on the road with Scarlett JoVanson and other road Tangentialists. Until then, keep up the good work.
Hi Chris! I love when you read and talk about poetry and books! Can you do more please?
Hey Chris loving the switch to Substack, seems to be the perfect platform for you. Loving all the new content, but don’t kill yourself my man. Hope all is well with you and Anya!
Much love, Jack (we met briefly in Vegas)
Also if there’s any tangentialists in Dallas, beers on me!! ✌🏻
Hi Chris!
I have a question, or more like a hopeful request, but first want to give some personal context so that you might be able to imagine where I'm coming from:
I am a 31 year old "American" guy who's single, without children, and living on his own (so lots of freedom of choice); and I thankfully have no financial burdens that render me "stuck" in my current life situation.
Since I (hopefully) have many years ahead of me, I see so many different potential iterations for the not-yet-lived future of my life. And I certainly still am getting to "know myself" and to understand what things I even truly LIKE in life!!
And I seem to think about this so often, and often wish that I didn't...
Of course, I'm not about to ask you to advise me on what to "do with my life" ...
Instead, what I'm most interested to hear are some of the Reflections and Insights you can share about some of the numerous visions you may have had for your future while you were still in your early adulthood, and how those may have narrowed.
You're obviously a really bright guy, capable of most anything, so I can only assume during early adulthood you had a long list of potential versions of You in your mind.
Or put differently and more vaguely: In what meaningful ways has your relationship to the future, and thinking about your personal future, changed over the years? In what ways have you honed your personal decision-making process so as to cut out the superfluous visions?
There's likely a better and more succinct way to get at the point I'm trying to reach, but regardless, I still think hearing you ROYA a bit about whatever reflections this may bring up for you could be interesting and helpful!
Thank you for what you do, wise Uncle! :)
-John
Hi Chris thank you for writing C2D and SAD changed my life. Reached me where traditional medicine and therapy couldn’t.
Please can you debate Steven pinker live PPV on the nature of humanity? It will be a sell out!