The American Southwest

I was looking to get an overview and understanding of the ancient puebloans and wow, this guy really knocks it out of the park. He does a great job of relaying on the latest scientific consensus while also infusing his own logic based take on their history. And he does so in a great story telling style that really pulls you along with him and let’s you visualize the places he’s talking about.

I absolutely loved this podcast due to the creator’s detailed research and his passion for the history of this beautiful region of our country. However, the recent episode on how to fix the National Park Service took a really dark turn near the end. The views expressed certainly do no reflect my values. I was almost ready to purchase a subscription to support the podcast but can no longer do so with a good conscious. The content was very interesting and informative prior to this episode. I definitely would have awarded 5 stars but am dropping to a 3. The host openly stated he would lose listeners due to his extreme views. He was right.

Some good overviews of Southwest history, but the host can’t help himself from peppering in climate denialism, gun fetishism, half-baked politics. The image that comes to mind is of a rich kid wearing an Indiana Jones hat as an affectation.

Thomas Wayne Riley is the reason that I would rather meet a bear than a man when I’m in the back country camping in a national park. Leave your gun and entitlement at home. Instead try carrying an extra water bottle, small snack, and first aid kit. If you don’t need them before you get back to the parking lot, give them to one of those overweight visitors. Presto! You just made someone’s visit to a national park better. Most of the rangers I know have tough jobs, and aren’t overweight. I agree with him about the camping fees, though …