Colin's Last Stand: Fireside Chats

Who is Mike Honcho? Well, for starters, he doesn't exist. See, Mike Honcho is a pseudonym for a US Army officer who asked to come on Fireside Chats so we could talk candidly about America's current foreign policy situation. What's going on overseas from the perspective of those on the ground? How do our servicemen and women feel these days about the conflicts they're asked to fight on our behalf? And what's the future hold for an American military in a state of perpetual war? Will we ever emphasize peace and prosperity over endless agitation? Probably not... but we can always hope.

A few months ago, a 21 year old college student reached out with an idea for Fireside Chats, and his pitch was simple: He's an American who, because of his father's military service, pretty much grew up entirely in Germany. In one of his e-mails to me, he wrote, in part: "My experience at home was weird and still mostly American... but in all other aspects I grew up as just a regular German kid, despite not having German citizenship." That alone is a fascinating enough pitch for me, and so we built an episode entirely around it. What's it like calling two places home? What's it like calling two cultures yours? And, perhaps most pivotally, what's it like to hail from a country you don't know nearly as well as the one you adopted? Can you ever go back? Do you ever want to go back? Where do you belong? Let's jump in and find out.

In life, few things are as physically permanent as tattoos, and obviously, they're not for everyone. But they're most certainly for today's guest, Jordan. Jordan isn't only a tattoo enthusiast; he's exceptionally enthusiastic about the traditional method of Japanese tattooing, which is all done with hand tools in the most excruciatingly exact fashion possible, in accordance with some old, well-worn techniques. His goal is to one day be covered neck-to-toe, and he's well on his way. So let's chat about tattoos, what they mean to us, why we get them, and why they may or may not be something you want to investigate, whether in the eastern or western style.

You may have noticed that Fireside Chats and religious talk go together like peanut butter and jelly, and thus, today's episode of the show delves back into questions surrounding God, belief, faith, and more. My guest is Micheal Bourdeaux, a Catholic-turned-Southern Baptist. Bourdeaux is a Southern Baptist minister, active in the church, and extremely knowledgeable about his craft. So I thought I'd pick his brain, challenge him with some inquiries, and get to know his beliefs better, too. If you're a fan of Fireside Chats' religious conversations -- and many of you are -- well, this one is right up your alley.

I love hockey. It's my favorite sport, and -- having grown up playing it -- it's the one I relate to the most. You also may have noticed that I love Japan. So when it comes to today's episode of Fireside Chats, you'll have to indulge me. Meet Chase Matteo. Chase is a college kid from Maine, and he's a talented collegiate hockey player, too. But he doesn't play for UMaine, or UNH, or even my beloved Northeastern University. Instead, he plays for Waseda University in Tokyo, Japan, and he's the only westerner on the team. Today's episode is about his journey from west to east, about what it's like to live and go to school in Japan as a westerner, and about hockey as a growing sport in parts of the world you may never have thought possible.

Every week, CLS gets messages from could-be guests of the show, and when I received one such inquiry, I knew I had to make this conversation happen. Meet Tyler Bello. Tyler is an everyday kinda guy from South Dakota, but what makes Mr. Bello notable for the purposes of our chat is that he's black. He's pretty much the only black guy in his community, in fact. And what makes his particular story so interesting is that, according to him, he's never experienced a lick of racism in his entire life. Raised (and still living) in a rural America often maligned as being racist (sometimes deeply so), here's one story that's... well... off the beaten path, as it were. Mr. Bello's experience doesn't discount the racism people in America withstand each and every day, of course. His story merely adds texture to an already every complicated social tale.

When it comes to Fireside Chats, we don't focus nearly enough on art. Let's change that. Today, we welcome Daniel Vail to the show. Mr. Vail is an amateur (and very talented) woodworker, and he has a serious passion for it. So let's pick his brain. How does someone get into this unique form of art? What kind of tools do you need? What resources are out there for you to learn from? How expensive of a hobby is it? And how do the amazing results of woodworking (from furniture to fine art) help shape our culture, and the world around us?

Around the world, millions upon millions of people suffer from addiction. It can be an addiction to pills, or heroin, or even sex. But this week's guest -- Kris Hall -- suffers from one of the most common, timeless addictions there is: Alcohol. Today, Kris tells his story, a story that begins normally enough, and then takes some fascinating (and harrowing) turns as he ultimately (and thankfully) finds his way to sobriety. But it was an arduous, uphill battle for him. Indeed, it's an arduous, uphill battle for almost everyone who finds him or herself in Kris' position. So, this is his story, one that will hopefully act as a cautionary tale to many of you, while providing insight into the help that's out there if you, too, are suffering in silence, hurting yourself, and injuring those around you.

There's good news for gamers: We're on the precipice of a new console generation, and the possibilities are seemingly endless. But, as many of you know who have been following me for years, I loudly proclaim my technical ignorance, which is where today's episode of Fireside Chats comes in. Joseph Bateh is a computer scientist who is completely plugged-in (pardon the pun) to the world of technological shifts, particularly when it comes to computers and consoles. So, I picked his brain. What does he think these consoles will look like? What will be inside of them? What will they be able to do? What will they cost? We cover all of that -- and much more -- over the next hour. After all, in a vacuum in which there's little-to-no information, what's better than conjecturing?!

Here in America (and elsewhere on the planet), we have a really terrible habit of sending our brave men and women to fight in dangerous conflicts, but not sufficiently being there for them when they return home. Today's guest, Zack Gobie, has dedicated his life to trying to bridge this unfortunate divide, and he's doing so with The Salvation Army, the world famous, 150+ year old charity that does one thing, and one thing only: Helps the down-and-out. Zack was once such veteran that needed assistance, and the Salvation Army's Veteran Employment Service came to his aid. Now he works on their behalf to help those who find themselves in a similar position he was in, seeking educational and job opportunities for people who risked their lives on our behalf. Seems there's some good in this world, after all.

I've always had an immense fascination with and respect for the British people. Their history, their customs, and the Special Relationship we here in America share with our kindred spirits across the pond. But what's it like actually being British? What is it like growing up there and living there? What do British people think of the rest of the world, and what do British people think about what the rest of the world thinks of them? (Got all that?!) To get some insight, I invited my Brilliant British Buddy Paul Joyce onto the show. He was visiting the States a while ago, so we went and grabbed dinner, had some drinks, joked around, and ended up recording this show, too. I hope you find it as enlightening as it is self-deprecating.

Please welcome Sean Clinton back to the show. Last time Mr. Clinton came by, we talked about his history growing up as an American soldier's son in Europe, and how that painted his life both personally and politically. Today's episode is quite different, though, because Sean is a professional personal trainer, and when we met the first time, I told him I wanted to pick his brain about that. This episode of Fireside Chats is dedicated to said inquiry. What's it like to help people get and stay fit? And how does one navigate the world of health, with so many options, often conflicting? Turns out, there's much to discuss.

Max Baril is a film buff with a movie podcast called Classic Movie Musts, but instead of having him on Fireside Chats to talk about the silver screen, we wanted to talk about... well... podcasting! How do you get into the world of podcasting? What kind of equipment is necessary? How do you publish your work, find an audience, and sustain interest? How do you make a living doing it? This episode of Fireside Chats is dedicated to the so-called art of podcasting, how we found our way to a craft we love, and how you might find success, too, whether you measure that in listeners, money, or simply knowing you're connecting with an audience that cares about the same things that you do. So throw on your headphones, step in front of the mic, and let's chat about chatting.

Today's guest -- Chris Wilson (who likes to go by "Wilson") -- is a 36 year old man who openly suffers from a number of mental ailments, ranging from bi-polar and manic depression to OCD and anti-social behavioral disorder. And he's perfectly open to talking about what it's like; especially when it comes to the bad stuff. In discussing his childhood, his teen years, and his nearly two decades as an adult, Chris' candor is both exemplary and cautionary: Exemplary in its openness and cautionary in what happens when your mind is wracked by issues you simply have little control over. Relationships can be adversely affected, education and employment can become perilous, and normalcy can be hard to find. Let's chat, shall we?

Wanna get into the games industry? Sometimes you just have to put yourself out there. Today's guest is Chase Williams, a producer in the gaming industry who has worked at a couple of studios during his few years as a professional (including at Sony San Diego). Mr. Williams just took a job as a games producer in Germany, but before he left the States, he wanted to swing by to not only talk about what he does, but how he got his job, and how you may be able to meander your way into making games, too. The latter half of our conversation delves into the philosophy behind creating and playing games, as well, giving this episode a two-part kind of feel. We hope you enjoy.