The mountainmen of the early American West are, in my opinion and as is consistent the presentation here, the true heroes of the era. Their rightful place at the peak of the hierarchy of heroes was usurped by a strange, not entirely intentional, conspiracy involving pulp fiction novellas, Hollywood and, perhaps, convenience.
After an extended opening homage to what might be the greatest single knife ever made--the Winkler Operator, we launch into the background and lives of Jim Bridger and Kit Carson, making the case that in these two men are exemplified not only the known and accepted qualities that arise around and within the hero, but also here we can can intuit something more rare yet---an interiority focused by time and severity of demands to result in a giftedness beyond the men themselves. We close the hour by taking not-quite-vicious-but certainly-painful swipes at a few celebrities.
In hour two we examine further this gift: what is its nature, can we access it today, what would be the route thereto? We discuss the value in building and altering routines with respect to the Trivium, and posit an imaginative exercise involving a crossroads, a witch, and personal power. Predation, preparation, prepackaged presumptions--dealt with. As well, on offer is another prime exercise within the expanding folder labeled Criminal of Purpose. And as a countermeasure, we talk a glimpse into the state of what is, with derogation, referred to as flyover country. Is it diminishing, is it any better off than the cities?
