In the Pickle Barrel - All Week Long!

Last summer, I appeared (most) every Tuesday on my friend Bill Pickle's daily podcast, In the Pickle Barrel, which airs Monday through Friday on American Patriot Radio.  I haven't been able to make my "Tuesdays with Tyler" segment this summer, and I've really missed the opportunity to wax political on the air.

 Get a good brine going.

(Image Source:  http://www.inthepicklebarrel.com/)

So when Bill contacted me a couple of weeks ago about guest-hosting while he's at the Republican National Convention in Cleveland, I jumped at the chance.  This whole week (18-22 July 2016) I'll be hosting In the Pickle Barrel.  I've filled in for Bill before for a day here and there, but never for five days.  I feel like a less talented, less funny version of Mark Steyn.

Join me on air!  Call (605) 562-3140 and enter PIN 263151 all this week, M-F 8-10 AM. Listen LIVE at www.americanpatriotradio.com/apr-live.

What's on the agenda for the next week?  Here's a rough outline (subject to change):

- Monday - Let's learn about Mike Pence!  Also, who might show up in a Trump cabinet?  What's going down at the Republican National Convention?  In the second hour, we'll discuss the latest round of terror attacks in France, the recent shootings in the United States, and the coup in Turkey.  If you wish hard enough, Bill Pickle himself might call in with an update from Cleveland.

- Tuesday - We'll kick off the show discussing some core American values.  At 8:30, special guest Iva Reed joins the program to talk about her world travels, as well as her upcoming book on the impact of the War on Drugs.

- Wednesday - What's going down at the RNC?  We'll discuss during the first hour.  At 9 AM, we're joined by one of my former students, Jacqueline Lawson, who will discuss faith and missionary work in New York City.

- Thursday - Margaret Thatcher said that "Europe was created by history.  America was created by philosophy."  What does this mean?  We'll unpack this important quotation during the first hour.  ***UPDATE:  At 8:30, singer-songwriter Frederick Ingram joins the program to discuss music and politics.***  During the second hour, we'll go over the latest news from the convention and the world at large.

- Friday -  It's a Bill Pickle tradition:  Anything Goes Friday!  Call in at (605) 562-3140, then enter PIN 263151 to join the conversation.  We'll also review Trump's nomination speech.

So, there you have it.  I'll be back Wednesday with a full blog post about the Republican National Convention.

A Portly Politico Two-Minute Update: Talk Radio

I neglected to mention in my last post that, despite having listened to very little talk radio lately, I recently called in to a talk radio program for the first time ever. I was very tempted to say, "Hey, Keven, first time caller, long-time listener." The program was hosted by Keven Cohen and the topic was space exploration because it was the fortieth anniversary of the moon landing. I just happened to be driving through Columbia when the show began and I knew I had to call in.

My main point was that the United States should attempt to establish lunar colonies--or at the very least another moon landing--before China has a chance to get to the moon, mainly because the United States will make sure that the moon remains open for the whole world to visit, to enjoy, and to business upon. I also argued that the moon is a possession of humanity and should therefore be treated unilaterally.

One point I wish I had made was that the future of lunar exploration might lie with private enterprise. Space exploration requires huge resources and coordination, but if commercial value could be demonstrated on the moon, on Mars, or beyond, private corporations might pick up some of the slack for the government. In times like these it might seem questionable to spend money on the space program, so projects like the Google Lunar X Prize might hold the key to future private ventures into space.

Corporations aren't the only entities that can get involved. Non-profit organizations could make substantial contributions to additional research.

Regardless, I have written an essay on lunar exploration that I have never published, so I might run it as a four-part series over the next few days. Stay tuned for more.