The Troubadour Podcast

Send us a text"An essential text for anyone who seeks to understand the United States Social Democracy from the years 2022-2034."-Christopher Billings, The Afternoon Telegraph "In this historical labor of research, the Jefferson Group has rescued the voices of the untold number of young boys from the grave."- Robert Spindler, The Soloist"He has mastered this distressing material and convincingly tells the terrifying truth about the U.S.S.D terror."-Greg Thick, The Caller

Send us a textIf we've ever had a conversation, or if you've ever heard me have a conversation, you may notice that I will not accept as an argument a "study" you cited. I've even been made fun of for saying that I don't trust "stats." (Yes I'm using scare quotes on purpose).The reason for this is simple. Stat and studies and research papers may be well done. Just as easily they may be inaccurate, false, misleading and untruthful. Creating a truthful and rigorous scientific study is complex and difficult. Darwin dedicated his entire life to not only proving his own theory but DISPROVING his own theory. He wanted to make sure he was correct. Throwing out a "study" that "proves" your case is inappropriate and destructive.In this podcast (originally a video on my youtube channel) I dig into a particularly pernicious study done by the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) about rape and sexual assault. Their study, the National Crime Victimization Survey is quoted and used as evidence for such claims that the vast majority (63% or more) of women do not report rapes and that only 2-10% of rape accusations are false.Find out what this source actually says and how to be cautious of accepting magic words like "studies," "Stats," or even "science."Here are the urls for all the websites that I refer to in this episode. It may be useful to go to my youtube page and watch the video. There I show the articles as well as talk about them. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdmjldJNAsOzI50kfzOHyLADr. Ben Bayer, The Sniff Test:https://medium.com/@benbayer_62236/the-sniff-test-cb5727f319a6Washington post article: https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/false-accusations-of-rape-which-are-rare-should-not-be-the-priority/2018/10/05/969910ce-c820-11e8-9c0f-2ffaf6d422aa_story.html?noredirect=on&utm_term=.3e03c579b678NSVRC overview: https://www.nsvrc.org/sites/default/files/Publications_NSVRC_Overview_False-Reporting.pdfBJS Review:https://www.bjs.gov/content/pub/pdf/rsarp00.pdfThe Cut Article: https://www.thecut.com/article/false-rape-accusations.htmlNCVS Report 2015 https://www.bjs.gov/content/pub/pdf/cv15.pdfNCRVS About page: https://www.nsvrc.org/about/national-sexual-violence-resource-centerNational Academies report https://www.nap.edu/read/18605/chapter/11

Send us a textToday I'll be speaking with my friend Hernando Arce about a controversial issue: the evil of "the other side" of the aisle. We tend to think "Those guys over there are the bad ones!" "The lefties are destroying free speech," I commonly hear. Today, we will be conversing about free speech and how to keep our country united, despite our differences.Controversial Conversations is a new show where I will be discussing hot topic issues with those with whom I disagree. Which, is pretty much everyone!

Send us a textOn this new show Kirk Barbera sits down with guest Eric Robert Morse to talk about a very controversial issue: abortions. Eric is a Catholic and Kirk is a non-believer. Tune in and comment along with us!

Send us a textDuring the Senate hearings Senator Chris Coons used a phrase that I think is correct. After having received numerous messages from female friends who said that they too had been sexually abused, he said it is clear that we are in a "nation of pain." We are. And like any kind of pain, we should ask what causes it. Rather than blame individual actors or patriarchal structures, I claim there are other cultural causes. The only way forward is to understand the true causes of our national pain.

Send us a textToday my guest is Faris Virani, the President of The San Antonio Young Professionals: http://sayp.us/ As you may know, I've decided to sell my stuff and go around talking to people about controversial topics. One reason for leaving is the opportunity to be more flexible and stretch my abilities as a writer and media producer. But another reason I'm leaving is I just don't like San Antonio. Faris gives a good defense of San Antonio. And I admit it's a big city with a lot to offer, just not for me. We discuss: Dating in San Antonio Meeting People here Starting a business Growing a business Family life and more In the end we came to some understanding of what is the culture of San Antonio as opposed to other places in America. And, I hope it helps you decide if it is a place for you... or, like me, not.

Send us a textDan is that unusual creature, the C-level exec who loves poetry. Or, perhaps he is not. Perhaps, there are many more individuals in corporate jobs who spend their evenings amongst great poets and scholars. We tend to think of life as having a series of crossroads: go down the corporate path and leave behind the artistic path. Be a scholar, or an athlete. A mom or a business owner. But, often, the best the greatest lives come from the greatest combinations. And Dan is a perfect example of that. Today we will be discussing not only The Road not Taken by Robert Frost, but why poetry is something that everyone should add to their lives, and how poetry can help you in your corporate job, in your business, with your spouse, and really just... well... live a life worth living! Dan is a c-level executive for a major Canadian corporation, Telus. He's an accomplished Ted speaker and has written 2 books about building better organizations and finding your purpose. In his latest book he tackles the subject of thinking and how to slow down, think creatively, and make better decisions. You can find his work at danpontefract.com.

Send us a textAmerica is no longer a country of immigrants. This unfortunate situation has nothing to do with borders or immigration policies, but the death of the spirit that made this country great. The word immigrant has been ruined by politicization. When we think of immigrant we tend to see the poor and the wretched. many immigrants in fact are poor and wretched—that's why they're immigrating. On the political left we hear about the tragedies of immigrants as they came to America and on the political right we hear about the criminalities of immigrants as they come to America. On this episode I'll be attempting to rejuvenate that spirit for you through poetry. Our two poems today are both by the Kipling of America, Berton Braley. "Opportunity" And "The Pioneers." And although we are no longer the nation of immigrants, in this episode, through the story of one of Americas most important modern immigrants, I will show you how to instill the spirit of a true emigrant and pioneer.

A 17-year-old girl named Sarah is fixated on an abandoned house in town, planning to kiss a mysterious boy in the basement. The story explores themes of transformation and defiance as Sarah embarks on a journey towards change. Tragedy strikes with a fatal incident, introducing a mysterious figure with a vial of purple liquid. A dark revelation unfolds as Sarah discovers the consequences of her connection with Freddy.

Send us a textCan you unravel the success paradox in Napoleon Hill's favorite poem "Success" By Berton Braley? Philosophers both ancient and contemporary go to great lengths to create problems they hope that no one can solve. One of their favorites is the paradox.  Simply put, a paradox is a seemingly absurd or self-contradictory statement or proposition that when investigated or explained may prove to be well founded or true. This will be our goal today: to explore an ancient paradox first applied to physics. Now, I will apply that paradox to success.