Shows
The Ascendant ProjectAmbushed!!! How to Survive a Surprise Political Conversation
by Brian Smyers
Article by Brian Smyers. Interviewed by Julius Knapp.
You are hanging out at a friend’s house watching your favorite team compete in your favorite sport, and something happens. A few years ago, it might have been someone kneeling during the National Anthem, but usually a political ad comes up or one of your friends brings ups a current event. You are on the opposite side of the political aisle than your friend. What do you do?
Usually the hair on the back of your neck stands straight up, the spine straightens an...2025-06-1457 minThe Ascendant ProjectThe Birth of Bill
by Julius Knapp III
“Birth of Bill” by Julius Knapp III. Interviewed by Brian Smyers
Wooh! You sure gotta climb a lot of steps to get to this Capital building here in Washington, but I wonder who that sad little scrap of paper is.” And so Bill was born, alive as much as any other character, in the minds of a generation of students. From those first few lines, I’m sure many readers will leap with glee, instantly recognizing the cartoon from which it came, the nostalgia becoming almost palpable.
I’m also sure almost all...2025-05-311h 04
Club and Resort TalksLas Vegas Golf: How Anthem Country Club Saved 50M Gallons of Water!Rob Thomas and James Symons, Director of Agronomy at Anthem Country Club, discuss the challenges and achievements of water conservation at the Las Vegas facility. Symons highlights the club’s efforts to reduce water usage by 25% by converting fairways from perennial ryegrass to Bermuda grass, saving nearly 50 million gallons in 2024. Despite member concerns, the transition was successful, with Bermuda grass providing better playability and water efficiency. Symons also mentions the use of advanced irrigation systems, soil sensors, and turf radar to optimize water usage. Looking ahead, Symons expresses concerns about future water scarcity and the need for continued proactive measures to...2025-05-3025 minThe Ascendant ProjectWhat is Truth?
by Brian Smyers
“What is Truth” by Brian Smyers. Interviewed by Julius Knapp.
When I was young and in college, I was part of a Bible Study call the Search of Truth. The series started with a friend of mine, Kelly, reading John 18:36-38 which occurs during Jesus’s trial in front of Pontius Pilate.
36 Jesus said, “My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jewish leaders. But now my kingdom is from another place.”
37 “You are a king, then!” said Pilate.
J...2025-05-171h 05The Ascendant ProjectMy Background and Reasons Why I am a Never-Trumper
by Susan Smyers (guest contributor)
“My Background and Why I am a Never Trumper” by Susan Smyers. Interviewed by Julius Knapp
My point of reference
I was raised in the Evangelical United Brethren Church which later merged with the Methodist church to form the United Methodist Church. My maternal Grandmother was a Godly woman who taught us by example that we were to show love to all. With her encouragement, my cousin and I visited “shut-ins” from our church and brought them flowers. We loved to sing so we practiced songs that we learned from the radi...2025-05-031h 07The Ascendant ProjectOn Cynicism and Skepticism
By Julius Knapp
On Cynicism and Skepticism by Julius Knapp. Interview by Brian Smyers
Modern society is tricky. Massive amounts of information are constantly streaming towards us. Processing that information, making sense of it, evaluating sources, and piecing it all together in real time is practically impossible. For this reason, most of us select just a few streams or only certain information from friends, family, neighbors, coworkers, cable news, or late-night comedy. With the benefit of only having to view the world from a few select perspectives, we can calmly and assuredly navigate society and go about...2025-04-191h 14The Ascendant ProjectAn Unexpected Friendship
By Nick Fischer
An Unexpected Friendship by Nick Fischer. Interviewed by Julius Knapp and Brian Smyers
When Brian first approached me with the idea of the Ascendant Project several years ago, I was hopeful, but also immensely apprehensive about this monumental task. How would we be able to create a space to host differing political views and opinions, while maintaining civility, kindness, and friendships? How could we air our grievances, vocalize our thoughts on such deeply held stances, and break from tribalism while still feeling heard and respected?
As time continued, and pandemics side-lined many...2025-04-121h 05The Ascendant ProjectDiscussion: Hands Off
Julius Knapp and Brian Smyers discuss the Hands Off Protests that occurred on 4/5/25.
2025-04-091h 01The Ascendant ProjectJoe Manchin Reconsidered
(In Defense of Joe Manchin)
Article by Brian Smyers. Interviewed by Julius Knapp
Joe Manchin was a United States Senator representing the State of West Virginia. He came into office November 15th 2010 and was able to maintain his office until January 3rd, 2025. A member of the Democratic Party but representing a conservative state, he was viewed as a centrist and moderate. Some even called him a conservative Democrat.
Being forced to straddle his constituency and his party loyalty was not an issue when the Senate was not evenly divided. However, in years where the Senate was...2025-04-0352 minThe Ascendant ProjectNo Post this week (3/29)
Unfortunately there will be no post this week. However, please enjoy these photos of our camping trip we recently had. Also please enjoy this humorous video of a popcorn malfunction at the campfire which resulted in first degree burns on my wrist!
2025-03-3000 minThe Ascendant ProjectUnaffiliated
Unaffiliated by Julius Knapp. Interviewed by Brian Smyers
I registered to vote when I turned 18. I remember being so excited to practice what I felt was my civic duty. Being able to finally participate in American democracy, in “the great experiment”, was an honor. So few people before me (historically speaking) or globally had the option to experience that honor. And so I went to the MVA (Maryland’s Motor Vehicle Administration) updated my license and selected “Democrat” as my party.
For many years afterwards, I was a casual supporter of the Democratic Party. At the time, it was eas...2025-03-221h 11The Ascendant ProjectDueling Visions
“Dueling Visions”. by Brian Smyers. Interview by Julius Knapp. Recorded 3/15/25.
As I have mentioned in previous posts and interviews, it has been a long time since I’ve been able to see out of my left eye. The lens with the cataract was removed 4 weeks ago, but the cataract had spread to the capsule around the lens. However, as the inflammation has lessened, now I’m beginning to see images, and lines on the road are becoming visible. I can see the fingers on my hand with my arm extended.
However, my retina doctor told me months ago to be ca...2025-03-151h 07The Ascendant ProjectThe Constitutional Crisis
“Constitutional Crisis” by Julius Knapp. Interviewed by Brian Smyers
Written and Recorded 3/1/25
It’s difficult, verging on impossible, to articulate all the feelings of the past several weeks. President Donald Trump was inaugurated on January 20 and has been hard at work stretching the limits of executive authority and power. Among the more alarming executive orders are:
Implementing the Presidents “Department of Government Efficiency” cost efficiency initiative
Commencing the reduction of the federal bureaucracy
Ensuring lawful governance and implementing the President’s “Department of Government Efficiency” deregulatory initiative
Ensuring Accountability for All Agencies
Establishment of the White House...2025-03-0859 min
You Get What I'm SayingYou’re Not a Real Podcast Until You Buy a Billboard to Land a Guest | with Zak Kuhn (Host, The Zak Kuhn Show) | Ep 77It’s rare… like REALLY rare… that I’m BLOWN AWAY by someone’s podcast content – but The Zak Kuhn Show immediately stopped me in my tracks. Everything about Zak’s show is top-notch: his cover art, his audio quality, his writing skills, his intentionality behind the content, his marketing strategy, the caliber of guests – but most impressive of all is Zak's thoughtfulness in the prep he does before each interview, resulting in honest and vulnerable conversations you won’t hear anywhere else. In this conversation, Zak shares: how he was able to get 5k+ subscribers for his newsletter in just 2 years, the...2022-12-191h 03
Get Real with Caroline HobbyGet Real -w- Caroline Hobby TrailerEach week on the podcast, Caroline Hobby sits down and talks to the wives of your favorite country artists. In every episode, she gives you an inside look of what it’s like to be married to Luke Bryan, Tyler Hubbard and Brian Kelley of Florida Georgia Line, Kane Brown, Dan Smyers and Shay Mooney from Dan and Shay and more! Being married to front man Michael Hobby of chart topping band A Thousand Horses, she really is able to connect on a soul level with the stories of her guests. She also sits down with female entrepreneurs, influencers and...2019-04-1001 min