Historical Diversions

History Over Drinks: Episode 13. Dr. Angela Cooper is the Lead Interpreter at the Cahokia Mounds State Historic site. For her it was a dream job that became a reality! In this episode we detail how she became fascinated by Cahokia, how she became an archeologist, studying the Mississippians and Hopewell, and how she became the Lead Interpreter at the Cahokia site! We also discuss the misconceptions that people have of Cahokia, and the necessity of a broad and contextual education about Native American sites. Check out the Cahokia official website and social media pages for the latest happenings and research that goes on at the Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site!

Dr. Jeffrey Meldrum is synonymous with legitimate Sasquatch research, but there is much more to his story. In this episode, he details how his interest in Bigfoot began at a young age, how it dovetails into human evolution, how he determines hoaxes vs the genuine article, and how he combats confirmation bias. He also details controversies throughout his career in academia, how he compares teaching with fieldwork, and much more! Check out his book for a popular audience, Sasquatch: Where Legend Meets Science, and the scholarly journal, The Relict Hominoid Inquiry.

Craig John was a quartermaster on board the USS John S. McCain from 1993 to 1997, even being part of its commissioning! He details his journey into the Navy, being part of the navigation crew on a destroyer, traveling the world, his life post-service, and much more! Examples of his work as a Principal Architect can be found through Baker Associates, at www.bakermn.com/

Chris John was a torpedoman on the USS Nimitz in the 1990’s, but more recently he was a former candidate for Burnsville City Council. In this episode, he tells us about how he became active in local government by serving on the Burnsville Economic and Development Commission, and chairing the Planning Commission in Burnsville. We then discuss his 2022 City Council campaign (and how he enjoyed it), and his future plans to run in 2024. He also talks about the differences between local and federal government, misconceptions that many of us have about local government, and answers some tough questions from your host! Chris John’s platform can be found on his website at www.chrisjohn4burnsville.com

Chris John was a torpedoman on the USS Nimitz in the 1990’s, and he has fascinating stories to tell. In this episode he details his deployment in 1993-1997 on board the USS Nimitz. He discusses the fallout of the Gulf War, and how the US wasn’t done with Iraq after 1991. What was life on an aircraft carrier like? He tells us all about it! He discusses promotions, living in close quarters, serving on a ship with women on board (what?!), never getting to Australia, and how the Nimitz Carrier Group got sent to Taiwan as a show of force to China! He also talks his one Navy regret, why he left active duty, and what it was like for him after leaving the service. Chris John is also running for Burnsville City Council in 2024; check out his platform on his website at www.chrisjohn4burnsville.com