The US and Iran have seemingly been in conflict for as long as I've been alive.  I've been taught to hate Iran because they're a terrorist state, and is responsible for the deaths of hundreds of American's.  However, I've always been somewhat of a contrarian, so my need to know "why" the animosity between these two nations exists, and will there ever be a change.

As I began researching I was surprised to learn that we weren't always at war with Iran, cold or otherwise. In this podcast I wanted to dig into the history between this relationship, and just how it went sour. Who was at fault? Is this a case of "both sides bad" or is there clearly a bad actor that's responsible for this unrest?  

I'm not a foreign policy expert, but I was lucky enough to find one for this episode.  Morgan Huston is a college professor who works in the national security sector.  As an Airforce veteran he has experience in the Middle East, and is very aware of how we got to where we are today.  Morgan has his own podcast on YouTube that you can find here https://www.youtube.com/@WhiskeyMO. He also has a substack where he publishes articles, and you can find that here https://substack.com/@whiskeymo. Finally, here's a link to all of his social media feeds https://linktr.ee/morganhuston

It hasn't been great watching once storied news organizations fall victim to this current authoritarian swoon the country finds itself under. When shows like venerable 60 Minutes become compromised it should serve as a five alarm fire warning, but many of us are left sleep walking from home to work, then back home again just trying to get  by.  We still need informative, truthful news, but how do we get it with in this legacy media malaise? Enter independent media.  It turns out that many of the personalities you've watched over the years are now doing they're own thing, most of them forming their own companies to bring you the truth without the propaganda.  

In this episode I list my top 3 independent news sources. I provide a quick bio of each person, then I give you my reasons for why they made my top three. I hope you enjoy it! Be safe until next time!

Jamie

I hope this finds you all in good health and spirit.  As each day passes following the death of Charlie Kirk, it seems that the process of taking over the media has been put on an accelerated time table.  Media companies are getting snatched up by Trump friendly billionaires with each passing day, and soon there will be no dissenters remaining to speak truth to power.  Our freedom of speech will be severely threatened, and while the internet has become the home of free thinkers, even that won't be entirely safe much longer if this trend continues.  

Imagine your social media feed getting moderated for content? Imagine your podcast, or blog being shut down because of your anti government speech.  I never thought any of this would touch our shores, but more and more I'm realizing this could actually happen here.  

I'll continue to publish this podcast for as long as I can, and I will never bow to a dictator or authoritarian.  

Peace and love,

Jamie H. 

Unless you find yourself flush with cash, credit is something you're going to need at some point in your life.  You want to buy that house for $146,000? Well, unless you have that kind of cash lying around you're going to need to apply for a home loan, which is credit.  In the market for a new car? You're probably going to need credit to buy it, and the list goes on and on.  For something that's as important as credit, I'm shocked that so little time is spent educating ourselves on what it is, and how best to manage it. 

This episode of The Point of It All focuses on consumer credit, what goes into calculating your credit score, why your credit score is important, and some does an don'ts as you attempt to manage it. 

Dan Rodgers of Escape The Clock is based in Seattle, Washington where he runs a non-profit that educates folks just like you and I on how to manage debt in hopes of retiring early.  Dan also wrote a book of the same name Escape The Clock, and he offers free consumer counseling via Zoom for anyone with questions regarding they're financial health.  You can find all of the links below! 

I hope you enjoy  this episode, and I'd like to than Dan for coming on the show!

www.escapetheclock.com

Escape The Clock Book

Schedule An Appointment with Dan

We're at a crossroads in our country where political speech is either tolerated, or extinguished with violence.  While I'd love to tell you there are brighter days ahead, the death of Charlie Kirk yesterday feels different.  There's almost certainly going to be a retaliation of some type, even as we learn the identity and motives of the assailant may have been steeped in Alt-Right culture and memes.    

In this episode I talk with my nephew Patrick "PJ" Hunter about the death of Kirk and the direction of our country. I hope you enjoy it, and please hug your loved ones close!   Peace and love!

Long after I'm gone from this Earth the fate of this country will rest in the hands of people like my nephew, PJ Hunter.  He's in his early 30's, doing his best to live his version of the American dream, and he has concerns about the direction of our country.  We get into current events, the direction of the nation, and where we believe it will go from here.  I wouldn't be surprised if PJ had his own podcast at some point, as he has a great deal of knowledge on national and world events. 

I hope you enjoy this episode as much as I did recording it! Peace!

I've often wondered what made the conditions in our politics such fertile ground for someone like Donald Trump to rise to power. In this episode of the podcast I attempt to answer that question with the help of Perry Constantine. Perry was born and raised in Chicago, Illinois but now lives in Japan, and works as a teacher. 

Perry's insights into American politics proved he was the perfect person to have this discussion with, as he effortlessly goes through our history of some of our Presidents from Nixon to Biden, and how they all played a part in our finally landing on Donald Trump. 

Perry has his on podcast, and is also a writer. If you're interested in checking out his work you can find the links below on his Link Tree page. 

https://linktr.ee/percivalconstantine?utm_source=linktree_profile_share<sid=256148e6-7733-4fe5-a759-ff53a43ccb0b

Until the next episode, be well!  

How many times have you heard that relationships and politics don't mix, or that you shouldn't discuss politics at work? Well, I'd love to say these are both tenets that I live by, or advice that I take, but I'm a glutton for punishment! 

If you've every questioned your sanity while talking politics with family members, friends, or mates you are not alone. In this episode I have a conversation with Abby of the YouTube channel Political Psych With Abby which you can check out here. Is it just me or does Abby sound a lot like Dalia Lithwick? Either way, she has a great podcast voice, and her videos are very entertaining, so please check them out! 

I hope you guys enjoy this episode as much as I did recording it with Abby! 

Stay safe and please share The Point of It All podcast! 

I recorded my last episode just before the Presidential election in November. In the days immediately following November 6th I was already planning to record my next show to talk abut the election results, when I began to fall ill. This wasn't your run of the mill cold or flu. This was something I'd never faced before. After countless visits to the doctor, the ER, and even specialists I finally began to feel better after 2 months. 

You can ear all about my struggle in this episode before I dive into the train wreck that is this administration. I'm blessed to be among the living, and I'm ready for season 6 of The Point of It All! Thanks for listening!

In December of 2020 I contracted COVID-19. Because I'd managed to evade this disease for so long, I assumed I'd some how be immune. I won't say I was near death, but I've never been as sick in my entire life. Little did I know that I'd still be dealing with these symptoms 4 years later! Long COVID is real, and it affects millions of people world wide. In this episode I talk with Lisa from PA. Her form of long COVID is Mast Cell Activation Syndrome or MCAS. 

I hope you guys enjoy this episode, and a special thanks to Lisa for sharing her story! I hope this finds you well! 

Jamie