Soybeans Meet Soy Lattes

Saturday, March 24th is the March for our Lives.  We have been overwhelmed and impressed by the students of Parkland who refuse accept complacency rather than action in the fight for gun control measures.  For part two in our Gun Rights series, we sat down with educators Tom Tichy, Milcah Hawk and Steve Lange, to hear their thoughts on mass school shootings, teachers with guns and efforts to keep their students and themselves safe. Everyone agreed the most important thing we can do is vote.

As promised we started talking to folks in our area about guns.  Do they have guns in their home?  Do they feel safe on the street in their towns?   Do they trust that law enforcement can protect them and their property?  We've once again split this topic into parts.  Our first episode explores two perspectives we may be more familiar with, the rural hunter and someone who experienced an act of random violence in the big city.  Both John and Chris give heartfelt and thorough explanations as to why they believe as they do about gun rights.  In Part 2, we will sit down with some teachers in our areas to hear what they think about school safety and mass shootings.

Jessica and Kyler ask a small group of people about where they get their news.  Our hosts assumed that your age might determine where you find out about current events.  So they decided to ask the same questions to three age groups: those in their 20's,  30-40's, and 50 and above.  Take a listen to see how Twitter, fake news, and a free press all shape the group's thinking of the media.

Part 3, of our #MeToo series, is a discussion between our hosts about what they have gathered from talking to women about the movement. Kyler states that his interview gave him an understanding of the issue that he could never have understood before. They agree that their conversations instilled that this problem is a cultural reckoning that has seeped into greater issues of power, morality and gender roles. Listen in as they break down what their guests agreed upon and how they saw the issue slightly differently.

Kyler interviews Wendi Seger, a  local restaurateur and business consultant in the small town of Alamosa, Colorado. Wendi shares how personal experiences led her to join the many women exclaiming #metoo on facebook. The reaction she received on social media and in the local beauty shop surprised her a little. This moment of national discussion has made her want to grow the conversation in her community and hopefully that starts now by speaking on the pod.

The siblings try to unpack the #metoo movement that has gripped the nation for the last four months.  Each sat down with some local women to listen to what they thought about the moment and how the energy behind it has informed their thoughts on sexual harassment. In Part 1, Jessica asks her book club, which is comprised of four professional women from a variety of fields (tech, sales and education), to share their experiences with harassment and if the movement has struck a cord.  Please excuse the clinking glasses.  As with most book clubs, there's always wine.

After their pilot podcast, Jessica and Kyler are back to debate what ended up being in the 2017 Tax Bill.   The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act was actually finalized in conference, passed through Congress, and signed by the President.  The siblings talk about what surprises were put in and left out. The two also tease their next episode topic and what ticklish feelings it cause cause.

For their pilot podcast Jessica and Kyler seek to find out what people think about the tax bill the Republicans are pushing through Congress.  The one thing everyone seems to agree on is that taxes are super confusing and no one really knows what is in the bill.  Jessica speaks with Kara Krasnoff, a California tax preparer, on the proposed changes to the tax code.  Kara describes these changes as drastic.  Then Kyler sits down with Grant Mattive, whose family operates a potato packing operation and farm. Together they mull over what the new tax bill would mean for business owners.  It seems that both parties are in agreement that the new plan will not improve our tax system or help middle class families. Take a listen.

A brother and sister find themselves living in two different bubbles - one in rural conservative Colorado and the other in liberal urban Los Angeles. Join these two as they talk about current issues that pop up in the news with their local friends and neighbors. Together they try to find common ground among these groups who might have more in common than they think.