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There's no getting around it--sometimes we have to fight. Conflict and friction are sometimes inevitable, both in our politics and our relationships. How should we conduct ourselves when our communications turn hostile? How do we achieve victory for 'our side' without destroying ourselves in the process?In this episode, we'll take a look at the literary masterpiece "The Art of War", by Sun Tzu. We'll learn when to fight, how to fight, and how to turn enemies into allies. This book is a true gem!Tzu, Sun. “The Art of War.” The Internet Classics Archive, translated by Lionel Giles, classics.mit.edu/Tzu/artwar.html. Accessed 3 Sept. 2022.Questions? Comments?Send them to podcastburythehatchet@gmail.comCredit to https://www.FesliyanStudios.com for the background music.

How deep do you have to dig to really grasp someone's point of view? Today we discuss the concept of visions, a powerful way to gain insight into why we tend to differ so vehemently on so many things. Based on Thomas Sowell's excellent book, A Conflict of Visions, a vision goes deeper than an opinion or a moral value--it is a fundamental belief in human nature and how the world works.  Together with my wife and co-host, Emily, in this episode we'll explore how the assumptions we make about the world and about mankind can set us at each other's throats--often without even knowing why!Sowell, T. (1987). A conflict of visions. New York: W. Morrow.Questions? Comments?Send them to podcastburythehatchet@gmail.comCredit to https://www.FesliyanStudios.com for the background music.

Big Oil: Love 'em? Hate 'em? Whatever your views, there's no denying that our world depends on petroleum products and the people who make them.But who are these people? Why do they do what they do? Is there a human side to the oil industry--or just an impersonal bottom line?In this episode, we sit down with Derek Krieg, co-founder of Oilfield Basics, an education and outreach subsidiary of American Energy Partners, Inc. Derek shares what drew him to the industry and what he's learned from the people that work in petroleum.I learned a lot from Derek; a truly enlightening experience! If this episode piqued your interest in petroleum, check out the wealth of information at Oilfield Basics.Questions? Comments?Send them to podcastburythehatchet@gmail.comCredit to https://www.FesliyanStudios.com for the background music.

It's just a fact--we don't all grow up the same way. Our first years of life have such a profound impact on our worldview and our expectations. But we can also choose our own path.In this episode, Erik Martinez shares with us his experiences growing up in an impoverished community, and how and why he decided to live differently. Trust me--you'll love this one!Questions? Comments?Send them to podcastburythehatchet@gmail.comCredit to https://www.FesliyanStudios.com for the background music.

What even is freedom anyway? Does it matter?We'll get some insight from two guests with very different takes on economic freedom: 1)    Zach Zelnio of the Iowa State University chapter of Young Americans for Freedom (YAF)2)    Andrei Jenots of the Iowa State University Marxist Organization.Maybe you've never encountered this controversy before. Maybe it makes your blood boil. Wherever you stand, you won't want to miss this one!Questions? Comments?Send them to podcastburythehatchet@gmail.comCredit to https://www.FesliyanStudios.com for the background music.

Sometimes it seems that there is no crisis so dire that we can't fight about it and make it worse. The United States is torn by disputes over how to handle the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Some are calling for stricter mandates on mask-wearing and social distancing, while others oppose them.Are we doomed to endless bickering while the virus has its way with us, or can we learn from each other to find real solutions? Join me and my good friend and co-host Erik Martinez, as we explore the divisions over the mask mandate, and how to reconcile them. There is a path forward--let's blaze it together.Questions? Comments?Send them to podcastburythehatchet@gmail.comSources: "Bioethicist On Libertarian Views Toward Face Mask Laws" (NPR), https://www.npr.org/transcripts/892855760 NBC's "Today" Show, July 3 2020, https://www.today.com/video/surgeon-general-jerome-adams-if-you-go-out-for-july-4-wear-a-mask-86960709789 Credit to https://www.FesliyanStudios.com for the background music.

Welcome back!If you think American politics today is too divisive, then it's time for a little perspective from some folks who lived through an actual civil war. Along with my wife and special guest, Emily, we're going back through time to the days of the American Revolution--a war that was far more complicated, high-strung, and gut-wrenching than most of us realize.In this episode, we dive into the minds of some American Loyalists--those who were loyal to Great Britain during one of the longest wars in American history. Why did they do it? And what happened to them after the war was over? I think you'll be surprised by the stories they have to tell.Sources:  Maya Janasoff, Liberty's Exiles: American Loyalists in the Revolutionary World (2011) http://silvie.tripod.com/HesKrain.html (The story of Conrad Krain) https://www.lagis-hessen.de/en/subjects/index/sn/hetrina (Regimental records of Hessian soldiers during the American Revolution) Questions? Comments?Send them to podcastburythehatchet@gmail.comCredit to https://www.FesliyanStudios.com for the background music.

For Episode 3, we're shaking things up! If you think American politics today is too divisive, then it's time for a little perspective from some folks who lived through an actual civil war. Along with my wife and special guest, Emily, we're going back through time to the days of the American Revolution--a war that was far more complicated, high-strung, and gut-wrenching than most of us realize.In this episode, we'll explore the compelling stories of patriots you've probably never heard of. Along the way, we'll discover an important truth: being all on the same side doesn't make you all the same.Questions? Comments?Send them to podcastburythehatchet@gmail.comSources: David McCoullough, 1776 David McCoullough, John Adams William Cooper Nell, The Colored Patriots of the American Revolution Sergeant R___. “The Battle of Princeton.” The Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography, vol. 20, no. 4, 1896, pp. 515–519. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/20085717. Accessed 27 June 2020. Boston 1775. History, analysis, and unabashed gossip about the start of the American Revolution in Massachusetts. https://boston1775.blogspot.com/2007/12/snowball-fight-in-harvard-yard.html Wikipedia articles on: John Dickinson, James Armistead Lafayette, Joseph Louis Cook Credit to https://www.FesliyanStudios.com for the background music.

This time we're de-polarizing politics. We dive right into the thick of it with representatives from two student organizations at Iowa State University:1) Ryan Hurley (President) & Kim Zavoski (Secretary) of the College Republicans2) Sehba Faheem (President) of the College DemocratsTurns out Democrats and Republicans are people too!Questions? Comments?Send them to podcastburythehatchet@gmail.comCredit to https://www.FesliyanStudios.com for the background music.

The show kicks off, and we hear from two Iowa State University students with very different opinions on God and religion.1) James Sanford, President of the ISU Atheist and Agnostic Society2) Monica Moylan of the ISU Catholic Student CommunityYou won't want to miss this one!Questions? Comments?Send them to podcastburythehatchet@gmail.comCredit to https://www.FesliyanStudios.com for the background music.