Synopsis
Tangentially Speaking is dedicated to the idea that good conversation is spontaneous, organic, revelatory, and free to go down unexpected paths with unexpected people. Come hang with comics, porn stars, bank robbers, drug smugglers, scientists, authors, and world travelers.
Episodes
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418 - WMTBG? "What You Can't Say," by Paul Graham
04/05/2020 Duration: 01h23minA reading and discussion of "What You Can't Say," a very powerful essay by Paul Graham, that shows the importance of tolerating thoughts and statements that may be "offensive," "inappropriate," and/or "heretical." More importantly, Graham shows how to find wisdom in our taboos and prohibited speech and thoughts. This episode sponsored by nobody at all. Find me on Instagram or Twitter. Please consider supporting this podcast. This Amazon affiliate link kicks a few bucks back my way. Music: “Brightside of the Sun,” by Basin and Range; “Bill Lee,” by Warren Zevon. Get full access to Tangentially Speaking with Chris Ryan at chrisryan.substack.com/subscribe
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417 - Bryan Callen (Comedian, Actor, Podcaster, Bon Vivant)
28/04/2020 Duration: 01h13minBryan Callen is an American actor, comedian, and podcaster. He is most known for his recurring role as “Coach Mellor” on ABC’s Schooled and The Goldbergs; which he has played since 2014. Callen has also appeared in such TV and films as Kingdom, 2 Broke Girls, Ride Along, Hangover 1 & 2, Sex and the City, Old School, MADTv, Entourage, Californication, and many more. Callen performs in theaters and comedy venues across the world, but most often can be seen at The Comedy Store in Los Angeles. His third one-hour comedy special, “Complicated Apes”, topped the iTunes charts upon its release in March, 2019, and is also available on Amazon. Callen is co-host of the top-rated iTunes podcast, The Fighter & The Kid alongside Brendan Schaub. Bryan is also a regular on The Joe Rogan Experience and Fight Companion podcasts. This episode sponsored by people who send me money! Find me on Instagram or Twitter. Please consider supporting this podcast
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416 - WMTBG? - Cat Person (Part II)
19/04/2020 Duration: 52minMy discussion of "Cat Person," by Kristen Roupenian. The story offers a subtle, nuanced look at power, eroticism, and the confusion that often results when a man and a woman try (and fail) to understand each other, taking us inside the heads of people who share physical space -- but are miles apart. This episode sponsored by nobody at all. Find me on Instagram or Twitter. Please consider supporting this podcast. This Amazon affiliate link kicks a few bucks back my way. Music: “Brightside of the Sun,” by Basin and Range; “Mean Flower,” by Joe Henry. Get full access to Tangentially Speaking with Chris Ryan at chrisryan.substack.com/subscribe
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415 - (WMTBG?) Cat Person - by Kristen Roupenian
19/04/2020 Duration: 01h06min"Cat Person" offers a subtle, nuanced look at power, eroticism, and the confusion that often results when a man and a woman try (and fail) to understand each other, taking us inside the heads of people who are together -- and yet miles apart. This episode sponsored by nobody at all. Find me on Instagram or Twitter. Please consider supporting this podcast. This Amazon affiliate link kicks a few bucks back my way. Music: “Brightside of the Sun,” by Basin and Range; “Wicked Little High” by Bird York; “Lost Cause,” by Beck. Get full access to Tangentially Speaking with Chris Ryan at chrisryan.substack.com/subscribe
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414 - (Icey) Mike Imber (Reality Kings & Kimbo Slice's Manager)
14/04/2020 Duration: 01h32minMike had a tennis scholarship to college, but things went a different way. Within a few years, he was helping to run Reality Kings, one of the biggest Internet porn companies in the world, and managing the career of Kimbo Slice, who Rolling Stone called "The King of the Web Brawlers." Find me on Instagram or Twitter. Please consider supporting this podcast. This Amazon affiliate link kicks a few bucks back my way. Music: “Brightside of the Sun,” by Basin and Range; “Uluaki Fepaki” by Joel Havea Trio; “Smoke Alarm,” by Carsie Blanton. Get full access to Tangentially Speaking with Chris Ryan at chrisryan.substack.com/subscribe
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413 - WMTBG? (The Liar, by Tobias Wolff)
03/04/2020 Duration: 01h22minThis first episode of What Makes This Book Great (WMTBG) features "The Liar," one of my favorite short stories, by Tobias Wolff. Music: "Home Again," by Michael Kiwanuka; "Lovely Day," by Bill Withers. Find me on Instagram or Twitter. Please consider supporting this podcast. This Amazon affiliate link kicks a few bucks back my way. Get full access to Tangentially Speaking with Chris Ryan at chrisryan.substack.com/subscribe
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412 - ROMA 36 (COVID 1)
29/03/2020 Duration: 01h08minUnhinged opening rant from the good people at Profit-Driven Pharmaceuticals, followed by a mention of this very funny animation of Joe Rogan and I having a picnic together, this article about the parallels between the fall of Rome and right here right now. Then a mention of Kyle Thiermann's chat with his dad, this conversation with psychologist Dan Ariely, a few Tiny Desktop Concerts I really enjoy, and the beauty of Tobias Wolff's writing and Dispatches, by Michael Herr. Music: Watch It Fall, by Billy Strings 8 Años, by Hermanos Guitierrez How the West Was Won (And Where it Got Us), by REM Time After Time, covered by Miles Davis (written by Cindy Lauper) Find me on Instagram or Twitter. Please consider supporting this podcast. This Amazon affiliate link kicks a few bucks back my way. Get full access to Tangentially Speaking with Chris Ryan at chrisryan.substack.com/subscribe
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411 - Eli Marienthal (Back to Earth)
18/03/2020 Duration: 01h54minEli and his buddy, Jesse, run Back to Earth, an organization created to take groups of boys and young men into the wilderness for ten days and nights. What happens is powerful, magical, and utterly natural. Eli is trained through The Tracking Project in Corrales, New Mexico, a non-profit led by John Stokes devoted to peacemaking, nature awareness and cross cultural respect. He is a NOLS alumnus and a certified Wilderness First Responder. In addition to his work at Back to Earth, Eli is PhD candidate in Geography at UC Berkeley, working on a dissertation about public space and the politics of belonging in Oakland. He has previously conducted research in Haiti and India, and holds a double bachelor's degree and a master's degree in international development studies from Brown University. Eli is also a poet, dancer, songwriter and spoken-word performer. He was a first generation Youth Speaks poet, and was (maybe still is) the youngest member of a winning Brave New Voices National Slam Team, as well as the younge
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410 - Jody Armour (Race, Justice, Law)
09/03/2020 Duration: 02h21minJody Armour is the Roy P. Crocker Professor of Law at the University of Southern California and author of Negrophobia and Reasonable Racism: The Hidden Costs of Being Black in America, but don't think this dude is some dry, boring, law professor type. Hell no. Jody's father taught himself law in prison and Jodi struggled to get where he is today. There's no chance of his ever forgetting where he came from. We talk about race, language, justice, shame, and redemption. Zero fluff in this one. Jody's Twitter. Find me on Instagram or Twitter. Please consider supporting this podcast. This Amazon affiliate link kicks a few bucks back my way. Music: “Brightside of the Sun,” by Basin and Range; “Nothing to My Name” by István Varga-Roman; “Smoke Alarm,” by Carsie Blanton. Get full access to Tangentially Speaking with Chris Ryan at chrisryan.substack.com/subscribe
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409 - Zofia (Motorcycle Adventurer)
27/02/2020 Duration: 01h40minI caught up with Zofia in Patong, Phuket (Thailand), along her journey from Poland on her motorcycle. She's a fascinating woman, who's been riding bikes -- with and without motors -- all over the world for years. Her courage and hunger for life are inspirational. Plus, she's a lot of fun to hang out with! This episode sponsored by listeners like you. Come see me at Meetdelic! Find me on Instagram or Twitter. Please consider supporting this podcast. This Amazon affiliate link kicks a few bucks back my way. Music: “Brightside of the Sun,” by Basin and Range; “American Kid,” and “Smoke Alarm” by Carsie Blanton. Get full access to Tangentially Speaking with Chris Ryan at chrisryan.substack.com/subscribe
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408 - Richard Bandy (Near Death or Death?)
09/02/2020 Duration: 01h16minRichard survived the surgery -- or did he? When he regained consciousness, his memory was wiped clean. Nothing remained of his life before that day. No memory of his wife, children, friends ... nothing. His life was effectively over, but another was just beginning. You can read a book about this experience (from his wife, Sonya's perspective): Wondering Who You Are. You can also hear Sonya discuss the experience on this previous episode of Tangentially Speaking. Find me on Instagram or Twitter. Please consider supporting this podcast. This Amazon affiliate link kicks a few bucks back my way. Music: “Brightside of the Sun,” by Basin and Range; “Green Grass” by Cybelle; “Into the Mystic,” by Van Morrison. Get full access to Tangentially Speaking with Chris Ryan at chrisryan.substack.com/subscribe
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407 - Georgy Gusev (Cellist Extraordinaire)
27/01/2020 Duration: 02h11sGeorgy Gusev is a graduate of the famed Moscow Tchaikovsky State Conservatory and Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia in Rome. He performs at major music festivals and events around the world. He does things with a cello that are unimaginable until you hear/see him perform. This episode is sponsored by Lelo - makers of the world's most elegant sex toys. Georgy's on Instagram and Facebook. Find me on Instagram or Twitter. Please consider supporting this podcast. This Amazon affiliate link kicks a few bucks back my way. Music: “Brightside of the Sun,” by Basin and Range; “Smoke Alarm,” by Carsie Blanton. Get full access to Tangentially Speaking with Chris Ryan at chrisryan.substack.com/subscribe
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406 - Tom Sewell and Tao Ruspoli (80 Years of Finding Beauty in Unexpected Places)
20/01/2020 Duration: 01h27minTom Sewell is a multi-media artist, designer, photographer, filmmaker, sculptor, environmental visionary; self-proclaimed "Master of mischief, maker of dreams". Tao Ruspoli is a filmmaker, musician, bohemian visionary, and soul-connector. This is one of my all-time favorite conversations. Tom on Instagram. Tao on Instagram. Find me on Instagram or Twitter. Please consider supporting this podcast. This Amazon affiliate link kicks a few bucks back my way. Music: “Brightside of the Sun,” by Basin and Range; “Op 130, Alla danza tedesca; Allegro assai” by Beethoven (performed by the Tokyo String Quartet); “Smoke Alarm,” by Carsie Blanton. Get full access to Tangentially Speaking with Chris Ryan at chrisryan.substack.com/subscribe
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405 - Matt Holloway and Michelle Davis (Thug Kitchen)
10/01/2020 Duration: 02h08minMatt Holloway and Michelle Davis put the thuggery into Thug Kitchen, a multi-media empire built around the idea of eating like you give a f*ck and writing like you don't. These two came from nowhere with nothing but a great idea and the courage to stick to their guns. Now look at them! Social Media: @thugkitchen Find me on Instagram or Twitter. Please consider supporting this podcast. This Amazon affiliate link kicks a few bucks back my way. Music: “Brightside of the Sun,” by Basin and Range; “Stay Here” by Manna Ray; “Smoke Alarm,” by Carsie Blanton. Get full access to Tangentially Speaking with Chris Ryan at chrisryan.substack.com/subscribe
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404 - Michael Trainer (Peak Mind Podcast)
05/01/2020 Duration: 02h04sMichael Trainer is a traveler, thinker, and innovator. One of the co-creators of Global Citizen, Michael hosts a podcast called Peak Mind. Social Media: @michaeltrainer Find me on Instagram or Twitter. Please consider supporting this podcast. This Amazon affiliate link kicks a few bucks back my way. Music: “Brightside of the Sun,” by Basin and Range; “I Don't Want to Be a Billionaire” by Theo Katzman; “Smoke Alarm,” by Carsie Blanton. Get full access to Tangentially Speaking with Chris Ryan at chrisryan.substack.com/subscribe
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402 - ROMA 35 (From Chiang Mai, Thailand)
26/12/2019 Duration: 54minThoughts on returning to Chiang Mai 30 years after my first visit. Why it's hard to be young. How long should we linger when we travel? Why do people say such nasty s**t online? Thoughts on ambition. This episode sponsored by Lelo. Find me on Instagram or Twitter. Please consider supporting this podcast. This Amazon affiliate link kicks a few bucks back my way. Music: “Brightside of the Sun,” by Basin and Range; “Long Roads” by Neil Sorsby; “N Dey Say,” by Nelly. Get full access to Tangentially Speaking with Chris Ryan at chrisryan.substack.com/subscribe
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402 - Ramesh Srinivasan (Technology's Effects on Politics, Economics, and Culture)
22/12/2019 Duration: 01h01minRamesh Srinivasan has been a faculty member at UCLA since 2005 in the Information Studies and Design Media Arts departments. He is a surrogate for Senator Bernie Sanders’ 2020 presidential campaign on issues of technology policy and the founder of the UC-wide Digital Cultures Lab, and studies technology’s impact on the lives of people across the world. He is an author as well. His most recent book, Beyond the Valley (MIT press), explores the the relationships between new technologies and our political, economic, and social lives. This includes such themes as tech’s relationship to democracy, social movements, and elections; automation, the gig economy, and worker futures; algorithmic bias and AI; and the relationship between tech and the nations and peoples of the global South. Find me on Instagram or Twitter. Please consider supporting this podcast. This Amazon affiliate link kicks a few bucks back my way. Music: “Brightside of the Sun,” by Basin and Range; “Frohmut
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401 - ROMA 34
02/12/2019 Duration: 50minWhat's the word for your ex-wife's husband, who you love more than a brother? How is "never enough" different from "never too much?" Music by Sail Cassady, Gypsy Chicken, and Bimini Road. Get full access to Tangentially Speaking with Chris Ryan at chrisryan.substack.com/subscribe
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400 - Simon Rex (Nervous Rex Podcast)
25/11/2019 Duration: 01h43minSimon Rex is utterly unique. Actor, fashion model, MTV personality, rapper, social media star, intellectual, spiritual seeker, goofball, #vanlifer.... There's nobody like him -- or even similar. No category broad enough to contain him or his unlikely career. He's my brother, and I love the dude. Check out his new podcast here or wherever you get your podcasts. Simon's hilarious Instagram feed is here. This episode sponsored by Lelo. Use discount code "chrisryan" at checkout for 15% off all full price items. Find me on Instagram or Twitter. Please consider supporting this podcast. This Amazon affiliate link kicks a few bucks back my way. Music: “Brightside of the Sun,” by Basin and Range; “The Logical Song” by Supertramp; “Smoke Alarm,” by Carsie Blanton. Get full access to Tangentially Speaking with Chris Ryan at chrisryan.substack.com/subscribe
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399 - Jon and Cassie Walker (Formerly of Panic! at the Disco)
18/11/2019 Duration: 02h09minJon and Cassie met in high school. Jon played guitar and wrote some songs. One day, he was invited to join a band. That band blew up, and the next thing he knew, he was on stage before tens of thousands of screaming teenagers. Money, fame, pressure, and confusion soon followed. Then Jon and Cassie decided to jump off the train of "success" and head down to Costa Rica for a while. Cassie wrote a book about all this, called, Everything is Moving. Link to Anya's podcast episode mentioned in the intro. Follow Jon and Cassie at: http://www.instagram.com/cassiewalkermindbody/ http://www.instagram.com/iamjonwalkersphotos/ http://www.twitter.com/iamjonwalker www.jonwalkermusic.com Find me on Instagram or Twitter. Please consider supporting this podcast. This Amazon affiliate link kicks a few bucks back my way. Music: “Brightside of the Sun,” by Basin and Range; “Everyone but You” by Jon Walker and The Young Veins; “Smoke Alarm,” by Carsie Blanton. Get full access to Tangenti