Is it really "darkest just before the dawn?" And if things need to get worse before they get better, isn't a step in the wrong direction actually a step in the right direction? Wouldn't an optimist hope things get worse so they can then hit rock bottom and start the process of getting better? Isn't "hope" the thing that keeps the losing gambler at the table until all is lost? I discuss these and other uplifting questions in the 50th ROMA episode. Pour yourself a beer and join me. Music: "Civilized to Death," by Jack Stafford; "Carefree Highway," by Gordon Lightfoot. This episode is sponsored by OMGYes, your source for smart, science-based information about women's sexual pleasure. Click  here for 10% off, or go to www.omgyes.com/chrisryan.  Ponderosa Millworks Michael (with the busted Achille's) who makes incredible things from trees. Find me on Instagram or Twitter. Please consider supporting this podcast.  This Amazon affiliate link kicks a few bucks back my way. 

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511- ROMA 50

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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. Let me know what you think. Is this a good format? Should I do more?  

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Audio: A Few Things ENM is Not.

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 mountains — 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 who’d 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 I’d like to introduce you to yet another fascinating Crestonian. You can learn more about Mateo and his exploits at modernexplorer.me. Intro music “Brightside of the Sun,” by Basin and Range. “Forest,” by David Beckingham; Outro: “Smoke Alarm,” by Carsie Blanton. 

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607 - Gone Squatchin' with Mateo Argüello

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 “Brightside of the Sun,” by Basin and Range. “A Way Back Home,” by Give Me Motion; Outro: “Smoke Alarm,” by Carsie Blanton. 

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

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* Can/should we slow down the development of AI? * Frans de Waal: “Because the role of sex in society is such a loaded and controversial issue, scientists have tended to downplay this side of bonobo behavior…. Sexual encounters of the bonobo kind are strikingly casual, almost more affectionate than erotic.” * Andrew…

605 - ROMA 72

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 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 I’m 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. 

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

511- ROMA 50

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