Brian Gongol Show

Advice to the incoming freshmen of the Class of 2021

Part 3 of a conversation with Arthur Rizer about predictive policing

Part 2 of a conversation with Arthur Rizer about predictive policing

Part 1 of a conversation with Arthur Rizer about predictive policing

What a children's book about Irish immigrants hints about dealing with job upheavals in the 21st Century

People react differently to things they already have (and then lose) than to things they never had in the first place. Cedar Rapids is about to give us a prime example.

If there's one thing that could make breaking a fluorescent bulb even worse, it's having to do the cleanup in a toddler's bedroom

We get feedback!

Anonymous jerks on social media are a real menace to polite society, but regulating them would be a big mistake

A lot of people feel disrespected -- but the answer isn't to compound the disrespect. Also: Why I loathe CFLs, whether the government should regulate anonymous accounts on Twitter, and an honest conversation about being black and white in America.

A one-on-one conversation between two old friends who were long overdue for an honest talk about what it means to be black and white in America

Too many Americans feel disrespected -- in politics, in commerce, in culture, and in daily life. The solution isn't more disrespect. We need constructive things to do, alone and together.

If American companies want into China, they have to play by certain rules. Is it worth the compromise?

It might not be time to panic yet, but you may need to give a second look to your antivirus programs. One of the best may also have a previously unknown risky side.

A manuscript that's later than anything you ever turned in as a student

The clock is ticking for our country -- our fiscal situation is a time bomb, and we can only fix it through some newfound discipline and some speedy economic growth. Both of those take some self-control that we haven't shown lately.

Some takeaway thoughts from the movie "Dunkirk" and how they apply to our choices about what to do today with opponents like North Korea

Consciously or not, we're always setting the stage for what prosperity (or poverty) comes later. So we ought to be conscious about it.

As the government reacts to the opioid crisis, we need to treat people as assets to be enhanced, not liabilities to be locked away.

A walk through the model railroad exhibit at the Iowa State Fair causes me to wonder: How will the next generation of entrepreneurs and proprietor-capitalists make their mark?

How will the next generation of proprietors survive? "Dunkirk" and the modern meaning of honor. Treating people like assets to be enhanced, not liabilities to be hidden. And coverage of the Charlottesville terrorist attack as it was breaking.

Why was it so hard for the President to condemn an act of terrorism? It was clear even in the midst of the breaking news that day that it was a terrorist act.

There's a very good argument to be made for simplifying our tax code. Maybe it goes hand-in-hand with radically simplifying our welfare system, too. Maybe.

It's more than a little cynical to think that immigrants are only worth their earnings potential.

He's reportedly hired a pollster -- but that doesn't mean Zuckerberg wants to be POTUS. But it could very well mean he wants a hand in picking the next one.

Russia is banning VPNs -- the only really safe way for someone to use the Internet under a snooping government.

Does the Federal government get dibs on a prime piece of downtown real estate?

An exercise in surviving change -- in business and beyond

With so much anxiety about how angry and extreme our politics have gotten, who's ready to put back the guardrails of democracy?

What would it take to re-erect the "guardrails of democracy"? Is Mark Zuckerberg running for President? What's an immigrant worth? Should the Federal courthouse take a prime Des Moines riverfront spot?

Short-term thinking is going to come back to haunt the USA. To put it frankly, we're being inexcusably stupid about debt.

Our biggest mistake may be in thinking we're dealing with a rational leader

We're not doing ourselves any favors if we run and hide from the world economy

There are many paths to a good ear of sweet corn. But there's only one perfect way.

The Boston Globe published a truly bizarre story about Mitt Romney going waterskiing while the Republicans debated health care. So what? He had as much responsibility for ACA repeal as Michael Dukakis had to push the "Contract With America" in 1994.

Technology itself is neutral -- neither inherently good nor bad. What's good or bad is in how people use it, and we have lots of reason to beware the way that Russia's government is trying to use it against us (and our allies). We need to get smarter about how we defend ourselves.

When the President tried to turn police brutality into a punchline, he demeaned the policing profession -- one that deserves far better than to be treated as a stereotype of bullies with badges.

While he was there (with his wife), he found one of my favorite books of 2017: "The Vanishing American Adult" by Sen. Ben Sasse

The President is clearly unhappy with the lack of progress on his agenda. He fired Reince Priebus, but it's really James Madison who's standing in the way. (And I side with Madison.)

It's a serious question: The President tweeted about his plans to kick transgender service members out of the military, but is the Department of Defense obliged to follow that tweet as if it's an order?

Brian Dean makes a guest appearance as we talk about one of the most unpredictable weeks in political history. The President fired his chief of staff, went to war with his Attorney General on Twitter, and trained his fire on Republicans in the Senate. Meanwhile, North Korea launched an ICBM.

About one in five American adults uses the Internet but skips out on social media. How come? Is it all about privacy? Security? Not wanting to be bothered? A few callers weigh in.

I want to thank my friends who have used social media to give me a perspective on the things that matter to them. Those glimpses help us gain a little bit of empathy -- something everyone could probably use in light of the recent police shooting in Minneapolis.

Donald Trump. Kid Rock. Caitlyn Jenner. Al Franken. Should celebrity status be a key factor in deciding whether to run for office? Only if their fame was earned in a way that reflects some kind of virtues we want to see in the office itself.

In fact, it's not even lukewarm. If you're only getting 1.2% on your money, then you're losing buying power.

A CEO who thinks it's a good test to pester job candidates on Sunday mornings is just tormenting people.