Here we are, at the penultimate episode of Fireside Chats. Since we're so close to the end, it makes sense that our final proper interview should occur with someone young, someone fiery, someone with a Carpe Diem attitude. Someone, in short, th

Fireside Chats, Episode 114: Writing A Book

Nov 13th, 2019 1h 14m

For many people, writing a book is a dream, one that goes unfulfilled by plenty of capable would-be authors the world over. But some especially talented and hard-working people are able to make this dream a reality, many on a part-time basis. T

Fireside Chats, Episode 113: The Strategy Gamer

Nov 6th, 2019 54m 40s

Today's guest is named Darren MacNally, and Darren has been on a pretty interesting voyage these past few years. One day a little over a decade ago, he fell in love with Creative Assembly's long-running Total War gaming franchise, and even parl

Fireside Chats, Episode 112: Massage Therapy

Oct 30th, 2019 1h 5m

It might be easy to poke a little fun at massage therapy, what with the easy Happy Ending jokes and all. But in reality, the art of relaxation is a serious endeavor, especially here in the 21st century, as people around the world become more aw

Fireside Chats, Episode 111: Infertility

Oct 23rd, 2019 55m 4s

For many married couples, having children is a huge part of The Plan. But what happens when biology doesn't cooperate, and you're left unable to have kids like you counted on? This week's guests -- The Mayberrys -- have special insight into an

Fireside Chats, Episode 110: The Gay Experience

Oct 16th, 2019 1h 4m

John Shehan is a 24 year old man who first realized he was gay when he was six, but only came out to his friends and family very recently. Today's episode of Fireside Chats is dedicated to his story, and how he found himself after years of self

Fireside Chats, Episode 109: Space Travel

Oct 9th, 2019 59m 51s

If you didn't know, I'm obsessed with space and space travel, and obviously, Fireside Chats couldn't possibly end without having someone from the space industry on our show. Let's call today's guest John Doe, an engineer who works at a major Am

Fireside Chats, Episode 108: The Game Designer

Oct 2nd, 2019 1h

At Boise State University in Idaho, a small group of college students in a program called Games, Interactive Media, and Mobile Technology work quietly on prototypes and projects that could very well be The Next Big Thing in gaming. To represent

Fireside Chats, Episode 107: American Farming

Sep 25th, 2019 1h 5m

Virtually every culture in the world has a tradition of agriculture, but America takes it to the next level. In fact, the United States takes farming so seriously that, even in a country of 330 million people, the country exports around $150 bi

Fireside Chats, Episode 106: The Comic Creator

Sep 18th, 2019 52m 34s

Over the last two and a half decades, the Internet has revolutionized the free market, and not just when it comes to cheap consumer goods. For artists, writers, musicians, and other creative types, the Internet has been nothing short of a life-

Fireside Chats, Episode 105: Sleep Paralysis

Sep 11th, 2019 1h

Today's guest -- Eric Dominguez -- suffers from an inexplicable ailment that only strikes when he slumbers. The affliction is aptly named Sleep Paralysis, and for thousands of years, it has left people in civilizations around the world and thro

Fireside Chats, Episode 104: Questioning Faith

Sep 4th, 2019 2h 14m

A common theme throughout Fireside Chats has been religion. Talking about it, thinking about it, debating it. Today's guest -- Paeter Fransden -- is a knowledgeable, evangelical, friendly, and determined believer in Christ, and out of all of t

Fireside Chats, Episode 103: Top Chef

Aug 28th, 2019 1h 24m

Meet Jose Horrach, a New York City-based professional chef with a ton of experience, loads of interesting stories, and a whole lot of insight. Our Fireside Chat, not surprisingly, revolves around cooking, eating, and drinking, but for as fun as

Fireside Chats, Episode 102: Special Effects

Aug 21st, 2019 1h 13m

Legions of great films have relied on stellar special effects over the decades, but it's the ones that utilize practical effects that really stand the test of time. Today's guest -- Damon Weathers -- is Studio Coordinator at Legacy Effects, an

Fireside Chats, Episode 101: The Pushbroom Philosopher

Aug 14th, 2019 1h 6m

There are only a few questions that have truly consequential answers. "What's for dinner?" is a far more common (and certainly useful) inquiry than "what's the meaning of life?" It's just that one seeks a constantly-changing answer in pursuit o

Fireside Chats, Episode 100: A Conversation With Colin II

Aug 7th, 2019 1h 21m

50 episodes ago, we flipped the script here on Fireside Chats. Instead of being the interviewer, I (Colin!) became the interviewed. Episode 50 quickly went down as a fan-favorite, and with that in mind, I thought I'd do something similar for Ep

Fireside Chats, Episode 99: Metalhead

Jul 31st, 2019 59m 17s

Things tend to lean in a serious direction here on Fireside Chats, and that's all well and good. We often delve deep, get real, and challenge ourselves. But today's episode veers in a decidedly more lighthearted direction. Collin Sparling is a

Fireside Chats, Episode 98: The Addict's Wife

Jul 24th, 2019 1h 10m

Back on Episode 80 of Fireside Chats, we welcomed Kris Hall to the show, a man who was willing to openly talk about his battle with alcoholism, how adversely it affected his life, and how it almost cost him everything, including his children an

Fireside Chats, Episode 97: The Future is Now

Jul 17th, 2019 1h 28m

Meet Jeremy Goldman, an expert in computer learning algorithms and AI who has worked for some of the world's biggest tech companies. And boy, does he have a ton of insight into what's going on with Google, Uber, and many others who rely a great

Fireside Chats, Episode 96: Dog World

Jul 10th, 2019 57m 36s

People either get dogs or they don't. Heck, sometimes a person doesn't get dogs, and then suddenly, they do (like yours truly). But one way or another, they're an essential part of human life, and have been for thousands and thousands of years.

Fireside Chats, Episode 95: Trading Toys

Jul 3rd, 2019 1h 23m

Toys are an integral part of childhood, but for quite a few of us, they remain relevant in some way, shape, or form long after they probably should. Then again, that's what's so fun about toys as we get older: They're plastic encapsulations of

Fireside Chats, Episode 94: Judaism

Jun 26th, 2019 1h 40m

We've spent a lot of time on Fireside Chats discussing the ins and outs of Christianity, but we never ventured into the territory of its sister religion -- or perhaps parent religion, more accurately -- until right now. Judaism is a fascinating

Fireside Chats, Episode 93: The Anorexia Gambit

Jun 19th, 2019 1h 21m

It's incredibly uncommon for people to hurt themselves out of the clear blue sky and for no reason whatsoever. Even if we can't comprehend why, or understand someone's motives, or make sense of any of it whatsoever, people inflict pain on thems