Joe Payne

COVID-19 conspiracy theories are just like any other

We knew it was bound to happen. Today’s conspiracy theorists are always prepared to have a reactionary response to negative news, but the COVID-19 coronavirus crisis has spawned some novel nonsense. As I highlight in this video, conspiracy theories are nothing new, and in some cases, the latest are created by the same cast ofContinue reading “COVID-19 conspiracy theories are just like any other”

Why are conservatives protesting stay-at-home orders?

I grew up (and still live in) a conservative California town, so I’ve always known conservatives and I’ve always been fascinated by their way of thinking. There’s the deep hate and distrust for the government, unless a Republican is in charge. There’s the insistence that their freedom is endlessly being trampled on by Democratic lawmakersContinue reading “Why are conservatives protesting stay-at-home orders?”

What we can learn from the Spanish Flu

For the video I produced this week, I took a dive into the history of the Spanish Flu pandemic of the early 1900s, and what we can learn and apply today. Unfortunately though, there are also several examples of history repeating itself today with how our government officials have responded to the COVID-19 crisis. LackadaisicalContinue reading “What we can learn from the Spanish Flu”

Don’t be a #COVIDIOT

I must have recorded and re-recorded my first YouTube installment of Political Payne at least a dozen times. All respect to most YouTubers who make it look so easy, but I’ll admit, I struggled to find the right balance of news and opinion, the right tone to take, and the length and number of issuesContinue reading “Don’t be a #COVIDIOT”

First YouTube video is up!

There’s a first time for everything, and here it is: my first YouTube video! I just take a couple minutes to introduce myself and what I hope to do with this show, much like my first post to this blog. Here you can see me, my recently-trimmed beard, and a quick guest spot with myContinue reading “First YouTube video is up!”

Recent interview with Jeremy Wirth

A friend of mine since high school, Jeremy Wirth, a very talented photographer and videographer, began the Let It Grow podcast to connect people in our community in the midst of the COVID-19 crisis. He gave me a call and we had an extended interview with his cohost Rion Naus, where we talked about socialContinue reading “Recent interview with Jeremy Wirth”