Hi, this is Alonzo Bowden with episode 120 on my podcast, Who's Paying Attention?

Last week was a live podcast from the LA Podcast Festival with a couple of

guests. People seem to like that, so I will do it again. And, well, I'll do guests again.

I don't know when I'll do the LA Podcast Festival again. Maybe next year when they have it again.

But anyway, that was fun. I am recording from Salt Lake City.

I'm here working at a great club called Wise Guys, and I have to say, Salt Lake City, this is a beautiful place.

I mean, the landscape, the mountains, the clouds coming over the mountains.

Granted, Salt Lake City's dominant Mormon culture makes for a few strange things,

but overall, I got to say this is a beautiful place, and I'm having a great weekend,

and some people are coming out to shows, and I really appreciate that.

And what better place than the Mormon city to start with this podcast, because we're going to

talk a little about religion, just a little, because the Pope's been here. The Pope has visited the

United States this week, and it has been a very interesting visit. And what I mean by interesting

is there's been some crazy reactions. First of all,

the conservatives who are mad at the Pope, that fascinates me. That fascinates because he's the Pope.

And they're mad at him for saying things like, we need to work on climate change in the environment and protect the planet.

We need to help refugees from various wars around the world. We need to do something about the

income and quality on a global basis where some are so rich and others are so poor and starving.

And, you know, just basically Pope stuff, right?

That's papal to say that we need to help poor people and protect refugees, help those who can't help themselves,

and protect the planet, save the Earth. Like, that's what the Pope's supposed to say. And they're mad at him because of his liberal agenda. Now, granted, the Catholic Church is not without sin. We all know about the numerous sex scandals between priests and kids and how rich the Vatican and the Catholic

church is. And some say that money was stolen through various wars, et cetera.

...