Millennial in the Middle

The Olympics are here! A year later than expected the world will arrive in Tokyo ready to compete. This isn’t the first time a Tokyo Olympics has been delayed or canceled. Tokyo was set to host the 1940 Olympics, which obviously didn’t happen.

In today’s episode, Connor tells a story involving the Japanese samurai culture, Hitler, POWs, and an American hero you should know. Connor points out how forgiveness might be key to our current divide.

Today’s guest has personal experience being behind the scenes on the campaign trail and understands the media. She has made headlines herself and has been victim to what she claims is “fake news.” It’s not every day Connor gets to interview a close friend of Roger Stone’s.

So who is Karyn Turk?

She is the former Mrs. Florida, is an outspoken activist, and political commentator, whose life is both provocative on and off-camera.

She is the host of the weekly show “Behind the Headlines,” airing on I-Heart Radio, YouTube, and everywhere you listen to your podcasts.

She prides herself on a unique brand of authenticity and cutting-edge journalism that allows her to delve deep into the inaccuracies, conspiracies, and factual errors that otherwise seem to elude contemporary media. This is why she is known as “the truth bomber.”

While she may be a fixture at Mar-a-Lago, Karyn isn’t your typical socialite. She is extremely open about her history as an adopted child and is working tirelessly with organizations raising awareness for guardianship reform. She became a freedom fighter for reform after her rights were stripped and her mother was placed in guardianship. In a story that resembles the Netflix hit movie "I CARE A LOT," Karyn fought back against a predatory legal system, ultimately finding herself strung up in the #fakenews headlines.

We hear about China all the time in the news, but is the country as big of a threat to the US as we so often hear? Is China our enemy? Is communism as bad as it sounds? Connor interviews Jason Szeftel, who is political and economic writer focused on all things China. His podcast called "China Unraveled" has charted the history and economic growth of China, the Hong Kong protests, the origin of the pandemic, and more.

Find him on social @JasonSzeftel or listen to his podcast "China Unraveled" wherever you get your podcasts.

At 33 years old, Thomas Jefferson took the lead in drafting the Declaration of Independence. This document gave birth to a new nation comprised of united states. Connor tells the story of how Jefferson found himself in this position as the “millennial” founding father and had a little help from Ben Franklin “the boomer.”

Happy 4th of July! 

Connor recently visited Peru and was fascinated with the history of the Incas and the story of Machu Picchu's discovery. In 1911, Hiram Bingham took an expedition to Peru searching the untamed Andes for the "Lost City of the Incas." In today's episode Connor tells his story and and why it matters.

Connor also shares the his biggest takeaways from the trip and draws some important parallels from the history of the Spanish colonization of Peru.

What is Juneteenth? Today's episode answers that question and dives a little deeper into Abraham Lincoln's views on slavery. The Great Emancipator's track is messier than you might think. So do we cancel Honest Abe? Can we find the middle?

Today we welcome Jeff Kallay back to the show. Jeff first appeared on Episode 41 and established himself as our show’s Generational Theory expert.

In this conversation we dive deeper into major events that affect society (crisis, awakening, etc.). Connor asks Jeff some thought-provoking questions responded to by drawing parallels from history and some informed speculation.

How will the pandemic change the world? What can our country’s reaction to 9/11 teach us about our current issues? Who is America’s biggest enemy? Will individualism prevail or will the government become more powerful?  This episode is guaranteed to make you think!

On June 6th, we commemorate the 77th anniversary of the Allied troops storming the beaches of Normandy on D-Day. June also happens to be the time we celebrate Gay Pride and Diversity across the world. In today's episode Connor connects these two events by telling the story of Alan Turing.  Turing's remarkable innovations and tragic end to his life should give us motivation to be better and more accepting of all. Connor also tells an urban legend surrounding Turing's death that might change the way you look at an everyday part of your life. You don't want to miss this story!

Today we celebrate Memorial Day and the graduating class of 2021. In this special episode, Connor speaks directly to Gen Z and tells the story of a group of graduating seniors from the class of 1940. The class of 1940 had no idea what life would throw at them, but how they responded to their circumstances is what earned them the title of the "Greatest Generation."

May we always remember and honor those who sacrificed so much to pave the way for the life we all enjoy! Happy Memorial Day!

What do you do when two people you respect and trust disagree with each other on a topic? They both have  more experience and knowledge surrounding an issue, but have drawn two completely different conclusions. We are constantly finding ourselves in the middle of heated debates and we all face the pressure to pick a side. This is when we get the chance to become more informed, think critically through the issue and make an opinion independent of labels or teams.

In today's episode, Connor walks through how we went through this process forming an opinion of his own on South Africa's messy and ugly history with apartheid (which literally means "apartness" in the language of Afrikaans). He discusses the colonizing of the nation, how apartheid started, and the life and legacy of Nelson Mandela. If you feel you don't know very much of that topic- good! Bring you unbiased perspective to this issue, see if you can find the middle, and learn some fascinated history along the way.  Maybe one day you'll "bless the rains down in Africa" too!