Colin's Last Stand: Fireside Chats

Allow me to present Tiana Lowe. Tiana is the co-host of the podcast The Political Pregame, a writer at The National Review, and the Founding Editor of both the USC Economics Review and The Tab at USC, with work appearing in the New York Times and the Washington Post, and on Fox News and Reason. Oh, and she does all of that while studying economics and mathematics (she's only 22!). On today's episode, we discuss Donald Trump, conservatism versus liberalism in America, the degradation of education in the US, gun control, and much more. Buckle in!

Today's guest on Fireside Chats is Jono Pech, an Australian podcaster and author with an optimistic outlook on life. In our nearly hour and a half conversation, Jono and I touch on his positive, work-centric podcast, what it's like to be a published author (he released a novel last year), and how hard work doesn't always pay off... but that it often does. (We talk about Australia and gun control, too.)

Today's episode of Fireside Chats stars my old friend Brian Albert, current Twitch employee and dedicated Destiny nerd. Brian is an interesting guy with an equally interesting story to tell. Today, we delve into his struggle with his weight, how he shed the pounds just to gain them back and then shed them again, and why he (and I) are both challenged by eating too much. (Then, of course, we end up talking about video games.)

With an all-new CLS series (KnockBack) just around the corner, I figured now would be a good time to introduce you to the show's co-host, my brother Dagan. Dagan is the oldest of the four Moriarty kids, and was (and is) a massive influence in my life. In this game of Five Questions, Dagan and I explore what art represents, what it means to live and die, why we're so proud of being from Long Island, how everything changes when you have children, and why skateboarding has been essential to Dagan's happiness.

Meet Matt Patrick. Matt is a 25 year old Colin's Last Stand fan who also happens to be a Methodist Pastor. He reached out to me to see if we could chat about religion on the show, and naturally, I said yes. If you're looking for a deep-diving, philosophical, and thought-provoking chat on modern religion and the nature of faith, look no further.

Destin Legarie is very easily one of the hardest working and most industrious people I've ever known. On today's episode of Fireside Chats, we talk all about that. Why are we driven to work so hard? And what costs come alongside our admitted workaholism? We touch on lots of other issues, too, including online harassment and abuse, the grind of being a creative-minded person, and the unfortunate loss of normalcy in the social space.

Daemon Hatfield isn't only a good friend; he also happens to be one of IGN's longest-tenured employees. I invited him to record an episode of Fireside Chats with me to discuss all sorts of topics, from our shared years at IGN, to how games media is evolving, to how politics is finding its way into every nook and cranny of our lives. As you'll find out when you listen, few professionals in games media have the experience, the knowledge, and the wit of Mr. Hatfield. So lend us your ears!

As a child, I was obsessed with Star Wars. The primary reason for that was because of the influence of my brother Dagan, who was (and is) also a huge fan of the franchise. We sat down for a meaty, nearly-90 minute discussion centered around The Last Jedi, a talk that quickly spiraled into a chat about the other movies, and the Star Wars Universe as a whole.

The calendar just flipped over into a new year, so it only makes sense that we chat about what the best video games of 2017 were. In order to make the conversation great, I invited SIFTD's Shane Satterfield to Santa Monica to talk about what we thought were the cream-of-the-crop titles of the previous 12 months. This is a great companion piece to the Best Games of 2017 video that went live on Side Quest's YouTube channel, and fleshes everything out over a meaty 100 minute chat.

One night over Christmas vacation, while my family was hanging out at my mom's, I set up some audio equipment in a spare bedroom and, one-by-one, asked everyone that was there to come talk to me about New Year's Resolutions. Do they believe in them? Do they think they're worth anything? Do they have one for 2018? 18 members of my family sounded-off, from my parents and siblings to my nieces and nephews. This proved to be a great excuse to introduce my audience to some of the people I love most in this world.

It's once more time to play Five Questions, this time with my good friend Erick Castro, fellow entrepreneur and owner of the James Beard Award-nominated craft cocktail bar Polite Provisions. Today, we focus on deep questions. Do humans have an inherent right to gun ownership? Is God real? Which culture gets it most right? Are dreams meaningful? And what is nostalgia all about, anyway? This is a good one. Strap in!

For years, Alexa Ray Corriea has impressed games enthusiasts with her passion for RPGs and her deep knowledge of the industry. Today, she joins Fireside Chats for a discussion about the games of 2017, the role-playing genre we both adore, and the meteoric success of the Nintendo Switch. We also delve into a chat about games media, and whether it's in as much trouble as it seems to be, and whether many sites' adversarial tone and seeming lack of knowledge will simply drive more lapsed fans to YouTube, Twitch, and podcasts.

Today's episode of Fireside Chats features my old friend from IGN and The Comedy Button, Brian Altano. Brian and I have a frank talk about "The Joke" that spawned CLS to begin with, and discuss our differences over what happened, how it was handled, and its lasting effects. We also find plenty of common ground, particularly when we discuss comedy in the Age of Trump, where sensitivities are at an all-time high, and everyone seems offended by everything. But are they really?

Meet Jane Doe. Jane's job is a little unorthodox: She's paid $7,000 every month to date a much older, gratuitously rich man. Thankfully, Ms. Doe is an open book when it comes to her unusual life. Indeed, it seems no question whatsoever is off limits.

This week, Brandon Jones sits aside the fire for a conversation about... well... lots of things. How's Easy Allies doing? What's it like thinking back on the Game Trailers days? How difficult is it running a successful Patreon? And, of course, what was it like dealing with the entire ordeal surrounding this podcast happening in the first place?