CommonX Podcast

Ian Primmer & Jared Mayzak

The CommonX Podcast is a Gen-X media platform built for listeners who are done with manufactured narratives and shallow debates. Hosted by Jared Mayzak and Ian Primmer, CommonX explores music, culture, identity, work, resilience, and the systems that shape everyday life—through long-form conversations with people who’ve actually lived it. Past guests include Ivan Doroschuk (Men Without Hats), Rudy Sarzo (Ozzy Osbourne, Quiet Riot), veterans, creators, entrepreneurs, and small-town innovators —voices rarely heard but deeply felt. Balanced. Independent. Human. visit CommonX — A Gen-X Media Platform to learn more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  1. 4D AGO

    What the Media Left Out for a Decade | Emmy Producer Rob Rosen

    Rob Rosen spent decades inside the machine. From KCBS Los Angeles to five seasons producing Reasonable Doubt on HBO Max, he has watched journalism drift from fact-gathering into something closer to activism -- and he has documented exactly how it happened. His new book, Crimes of Omission, makes a case most people already suspect but can't quite articulate: the media's biggest problem isn't outright lies. It's the stories they decide you never need to hear. In this episode, Rob walks us through the cases, the newsroom culture, and the moment around 2012 when legacy media stopped holding up a mirror and started choosing sides. If you grew up trusting Cronkite and Brokaw, this one will hit. TOPICS COVERED: -- The "crimes of omission" concept: bias through silence, not fabrication -- The 2012 inflection point when soft bias became active advocacy -- Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown, Freddie Gray: what the coverage left out -- Tony Timpa: the police killing that was worse than anything you saw on TV -- and that you've never heard of -- Why newsroom monoculture is the structural root of the problem -- What the morning meeting decides about your reality -- Reasonable Doubt: why 3 out of 4 cases they investigated, the convict was actually guilty -- How to protect yourself as a news consumer -- FCC pressure on legacy media and whether the market is the answer -- The vibe shift: is the public ready for objective journalism again? TIMESTAMPS: 0:00 -- Intro and Dead Files tangent (Jared is a fan) 1:17 -- What "Crimes of Omission" means 3:51 -- Why omission is more dangerous than an outright lie 5:01 -- The 2012 inflection point 10:21 -- Newsroom culture and who populates the room 13:30 -- Morning meetings set the national agenda 15:27 -- Behind the scenes during Ferguson and BLM 17:43 -- Where the pressure actually comes from 23:34 -- Reasonable Doubt: a real search for truth on HBO Max 27:46 -- Is there a path back to objective journalism? 35:13 -- Why covering Trump put the media on tilt 38:59 -- FCC and government pressure on legacy media 40:44 -- Why Rob wrote this book now 47:55 -- How to be a better news consumer 53:09 -- Tony Timpa: the case no one covered 1:01:25 -- Jared's Five rapid-fire Crimes of Omission is available for presale now. Out June 2nd. SUBSCRIBE for new episodes and follow us at CommonXPodcast.com. The CommonX Podcast features long-form conversations with musicians, cultural voices, veterans, entrepreneurs, and independent thinkers who bring lived experience to the table. Hosted by Jared Mayzak and Ian Primmer, CommonX explores music, culture, work, identity, resilience, and the systems that shape everyday life—without talking points or manufactured outrage. From iconic artists and creative pioneers to everyday people with extraordinary stories, each episode prioritizes honesty, curiosity, and meaningful dialogue. This is a Gen-X–driven show for listeners who value depth over noise and conversation over clicks. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    1h 8m

  2. APR 9

    He Kicked ICE Out of a County Building… Here’s Why | Mark Pinsley Interview

    In this episode of the Common-X Podcast, we sit down with Lehigh County Controller Mark Pinsley to break down the controversial decision to remove ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) from a county government facility. This move has sparked intense reactions across the political spectrum — raising critical questions about immigration policy, federal vs. local authority, taxpayer accountability, and leadership responsibility. Mark Pinsley shares the inside story of how the decision unfolded, what he discovered about ICE operating in the building, and why he ultimately chose to take action. Whether you agree or disagree, this conversation dives deep into one of the most polarizing issues in America today. 👉 Topics Covered: ICE presence in local government buildingsFederal vs. local authorityImmigration policy and enforcementGovernment transparency and taxpayer accountabilityLeadership under pressure🎙️ Subscribe for more real, unfiltered conversations with leaders, innovators, and disruptors. The CommonX Podcast features long-form conversations with musicians, cultural voices, veterans, entrepreneurs, and independent thinkers who bring lived experience to the table. Hosted by Jared Mayzak and Ian Primmer, CommonX explores music, culture, work, identity, resilience, and the systems that shape everyday life—without talking points or manufactured outrage. From iconic artists and creative pioneers to everyday people with extraordinary stories, each episode prioritizes honesty, curiosity, and meaningful dialogue. This is a Gen-X–driven show for listeners who value depth over noise and conversation over clicks. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    48 min

  3. APR 7

    The App That Scores Your Politicians Like a Baseball Card

    What would it look like if everyday Americans could weigh in on actual legislation, not just every few years at the ballot box, but in real time, on every bill being debated in Washington or their state capitol? Ramon Perez is a Georgia Tech-educated engineer who changed course after 9/11, became a military intelligence officer, deployed to four combat zones, and lost a friend to a sniper in Fallujah. That experience shaped his understanding of what democracy means and what it costs when it starts to fail. After January 6th and the protests in Portland, Ramon saw the same pattern he'd watched abroad: when people stop believing the system works for them, they start looking for alternatives. His answer was Digital Democracy Project, a nonprofit using blockchain-based mobile voting software to let verified U.S. citizens vote on real legislation and see exactly how their representatives voted on the same bills. The result is a scorecard, like a baseball card, that shows every legislator's alignment with the people who elected them. We get into the structural reasons democracy feels broken (gerrymandering, one-party districts, politicians who write the rules they compete under), why the Princeton study on public opinion vs. legislation passing should make your blood boil, and why Ramon thinks AI and fusion energy are reasons to be genuinely optimistic right now. Also: the best answer we've ever gotten to "what would you tell your teenage self." Visit digitaldemocracyproject.org to verify, vote, and see how your legislators score. CommonX is two Gen X dads talking to people actually doing things in the real world. Subscribe on YouTube and visit CommonXPodcast.com for more. Related episode: E81 -- Thomas Joseph, Main Street Party (directly connected to the structural reform conversation in this episode) The CommonX Podcast features long-form conversations with musicians, cultural voices, veterans, entrepreneurs, and independent thinkers who bring lived experience to the table. Hosted by Jared Mayzak and Ian Primmer, CommonX explores music, culture, work, identity, resilience, and the systems that shape everyday life—without talking points or manufactured outrage. From iconic artists and creative pioneers to everyday people with extraordinary stories, each episode prioritizes honesty, curiosity, and meaningful dialogue. This is a Gen-X–driven show for listeners who value depth over noise and conversation over clicks. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    54 min

  4. APR 2

    Your Parents Are Getting Older and Nobody Has a Plan

    Raymond Lavine has spent 16 years helping families prepare for one of the most emotionally brutal — and financially devastating — things that can happen: a parent, spouse, or sibling needing long-term care. He's an author, podcast host, and financial services professional. He's also watched his own family navigate it — his mother used a long-term care policy for 18 years and lived to 103. He gets it from both sides. In this episode, Raymond breaks down what long-term care actually means (hint: it's way more than diapers), why Gen X is uniquely squeezed between raising kids and caring for aging parents, and why "I'll figure it out when it happens" is the most expensive plan you can have. He also admits something most people in his industry won't say out loud: he doesn't enjoy being a caregiver. And that's exactly why he plans for it. If you've been avoiding this conversation — this one's for you. 🎙️ Guest: Raymond Lavine — Co-author of Empathy and Understanding in Business, host of Planning with Purpose and The Caregiver's Blueprint 📌 Topics covered: → What long-term care planning actually means for a regular family → Why caregiver burnout causes real mental health crises → How LTC insurance works (and what it actually pays for) → The "sandwich generation" squeeze on Gen X → Why self-insuring is a bigger gamble than most people realize → How to start planning even on a tight budget 🌐 CommonXpodcast.com 📺 Subscribe on YouTube | 🎧 Listen wherever you get podcasts The CommonX Podcast features long-form conversations with musicians, cultural voices, veterans, entrepreneurs, and independent thinkers who bring lived experience to the table. Hosted by Jared Mayzak and Ian Primmer, CommonX explores music, culture, work, identity, resilience, and the systems that shape everyday life—without talking points or manufactured outrage. From iconic artists and creative pioneers to everyday people with extraordinary stories, each episode prioritizes honesty, curiosity, and meaningful dialogue. This is a Gen-X–driven show for listeners who value depth over noise and conversation over clicks. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    51 min

  5. MAR 31

    You Don't Actually Pick Your Congressman — Here's Who Does

    Your congressman probably wasn't picked by you. Tom Joseph — founder of America's Main Street Party — breaks down the machinery that decides who even makes it onto your ballot, why gerrymandering is less about drawing lines and more about burying opposition votes, and how he found a legal loophole that lets a political party run a free, moneyless nomination contest completely outside the reach of the FEC. If you've ever felt like the process is rigged — that the real decisions happen before you ever see a name on a ballot — this one's for you. 🌐 mainstreetparty.org | wilsonsfountain.us 📋 Sign the petition at mainstreetparty.org —— 🕐 CHAPTERS 0:00 — Intro: politics as a group text nobody can leave 2:07 — Meet Tom Joseph, founder of America's Main Street Party 2:14 — What is gerrymandering, actually? 4:52 — The COVID breaking point that started all this 7:05 — How the people's primary app works 9:10 — Getting nominees onto the actual ballot 10:17 — The ideologically neutral Super PAC 12:25 — When did Tom realize the whole nomination process was broken? 15:49 — How this cuts the cord between candidates and donors 16:40 — Operating inside the current legal system without changing it 18:49 — What a people's primary looks like for an everyday citizen 21:18 — Local committees and keeping them incorruptible 22:28 — The term limits debate 24:03 — The Digital Democracy Project (Ramon Perez is coming on the show) 25:20 — Keeping it non-ideological: equal red and blue districts 26:42 — Reaching younger voters who've already checked out 27:44 — Can this actually break gerrymandering? 28:40 — Public response so far — and why mainstream media won't cover it 30:04 — James Wilson and the "fountain of democracy" 31:59 — Who's most threatened by this idea (the answer will surprise you) 33:08 — To the skeptics: someone will just corrupt this too 34:44 — A system from 1929 that hasn't caught up with technology 37:31 — What's kept Tom going when everyone said it couldn't be done 38:52 — What America looks like in 5–10 years if this works 40:20 — A message to the politically homeless 41:32 — Mobile voting security: blockchain, face ID, and Carnegie Mellon 42:38 — Jared's Five: movies, cartoons, and collecting John Lennon's autograph 49:10 — Outro —— CommonX is two Gen X dads talking to people actually doing things in the real world. New episodes weekly. 🎙️ CommonXPodcast.com 📺 Subscribe on YouTube 📝 X-Files Blog: CommonXPodcast.com The CommonX Podcast features long-form conversations with musicians, cultural voices, veterans, entrepreneurs, and independent thinkers who bring lived experience to the table. Hosted by Jared Mayzak and Ian Primmer, CommonX explores music, culture, work, identity, resilience, and the systems that shape everyday life—without talking points or manufactured outrage. From iconic artists and creative pioneers to everyday people with extraordinary stories, each episode prioritizes honesty, curiosity, and meaningful dialogue. This is a Gen-X–driven show for listeners who value depth over noise and conversation over clicks. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    51 min
  6. You're Not Informed — You're Being Played | Kira Shishkin of informed.now

    MAR 26

    You're Not Informed — You're Being Played | Kira Shishkin of informed.now

    Most of us are drowning in content but starving for actual facts. This week, Jared and Ian sit down with Kira Shishkin — 4-time entrepreneur, investor, and CEO of informed.now — to talk about why the news media stopped serving readers and started serving advertisers, how misinformation is manufactured at scale, and what a genuine "information diet" actually looks like. Kira built TurboTax Full Service at Intuit, evaluated 600+ venture deals, and grew up across Ukraine, Israel, and the U.S. — giving him a front-row seat to information warfare in three different cultures. He's not just complaining about the problem; he built a solution: news by SMS, no accounts, no ads, no data collection, just facts from primary sources. Whether you still watch cable news or you've checked out entirely, this one will make you rethink how you consume information. Check out Kira's company: https://informed.now 📌 CHAPTERS 0:00 — Ian's overcooked intro 0:43 — Meet Kira Shishkin 1:46 — Why he left Intuit and TurboTax Full Service 2:51 — How informed.now works: news by SMS 4:15 — Sourcing only from primary sources 6:46 — How news became an advertising business 9:44 — Are people waking up to media manipulation? 12:09 — AI in journalism: useful tool or dangerous shortcut? 21:46 — The coming era of information overload 25:54 — What a healthy information diet actually looks like 28:51 — Growing up in Ukraine, Israel, and the U.S. 33:42 — SMS, anonymity, and radical privacy 36:16 — Will the world be more or less informed in 10 years? 38:19 — Evaluating 600+ venture deals — does informed.now pass its own test? 41:42 — Are we living in truly unique times? 43:21 — Is America's division real, or manufactured by media? 45:26 — Jared's 5 rapid-fire questions 51:02 — Outro 🎙️ CONNECT WITH US CommonX Podcast | Two Gen X dads talking to people actually doing things in the real world. #CommonXPodcast #MediaLiteracy #Misinformation #InformationOverload #GenX #NewsMedia #informed #KiraShishkin #FactsNotOpinions #MediaBias The CommonX Podcast features long-form conversations with musicians, cultural voices, veterans, entrepreneurs, and independent thinkers who bring lived experience to the table. Hosted by Jared Mayzak and Ian Primmer, CommonX explores music, culture, work, identity, resilience, and the systems that shape everyday life—without talking points or manufactured outrage. From iconic artists and creative pioneers to everyday people with extraordinary stories, each episode prioritizes honesty, curiosity, and meaningful dialogue. This is a Gen-X–driven show for listeners who value depth over noise and conversation over clicks. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    53 min

  7. MAR 24

    He Drove Across America to Prove We're Not as Divided as You Think | Adam Mizel

    What if America isn't as divided as the news makes it look? Adam Mizel left a successful finance career to find out — hitting the road in a purple and white pickup truck, talking to thousands of everyday Americans from parking lots to state fairs, and filming a documentary along the way. Adam is the founder of Us United, a national unity movement built around one core idea: you can't sympathize with a label, only a person. In this conversation, he shares what he actually found on the road (spoiler: people are more united than you think), why Generation X needs to stop sitting on the fence, and the surprisingly simple things each of us can do to change the culture starting today. We also dig into his unlikely friendship with Sheriff Chris Swanson — the Flint, Michigan sheriff who famously took off his body armor and walked arm-in-arm with protesters in 2020 — and how that moment sparked the creation of Us United. -- Chapters: 00:00 — Intro & welcome 01:00 — Why Adam walked away from finance 03:00 — Meeting Sheriff Chris Swanson & the Flint march 06:00 — How Us United was born 08:00 — Sheriffs as community unifiers 13:00 — The cross-country road trip 16:00 — What Adam found: America isn't that divided 20:00 — Gen X needs to get off the fence 22:00 — What's fueling the divide (it's not just politics) 28:00 — The power of storytelling: the redlining conversation 32:00 — Shaq's one-word definition of unity 33:00 — National Unity Day, December 13 38:00 — Simple things every American can do right now 41:00 — If you were president for a day... 45:00 — Jared's Five 50:00 — Adam's personal story: success built from collapse -- Learn more about Us United: https://www.usunited.org Find all CommonX episodes at CommonXPodcast.com If this episode resonated, please like, subscribe, and share — it helps more people find conversations like this one. #CommonX #Unity #AdamMizel #UsUnited #GenerationX #America #Podcast The CommonX Podcast features long-form conversations with musicians, cultural voices, veterans, entrepreneurs, and independent thinkers who bring lived experience to the table. Hosted by Jared Mayzak and Ian Primmer, CommonX explores music, culture, work, identity, resilience, and the systems that shape everyday life—without talking points or manufactured outrage. From iconic artists and creative pioneers to everyday people with extraordinary stories, each episode prioritizes honesty, curiosity, and meaningful dialogue. This is a Gen-X–driven show for listeners who value depth over noise and conversation over clicks. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    55 min

  8. MAR 17

    Why Hackers Don't Hack Anymore — They Just Log In | Robert Siciliano on the Human Firewall

    Most organizations are throwing millions at firewalls and security software — but the real vulnerability isn't the tech. It's the people using it. In this episode of CommonX, we sit down with Robert Siciliano — bestselling author, cybersecurity expert, and the architect of the Strategic Human Firewall framework. He's appeared on CNN, Fox News, CNBC, and Anderson Cooper 360, and been featured in the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, and The New York Times. We break down: → The "human blind spot" — why we're biologically wired to trust, and how criminals exploit it → Why denial is the #1 driver of data breaches (not hackers) → AI deepfakes, voice cloning, and how a fake Zoom call cost one company $25 million → The Strategic Human Firewall — how to build a security culture that actually works → Why 15 billion compromised passwords are sitting on the dark web right now → The real reason your IT team still uses default passwords This conversation could literally save your business — or your bank account. 🔗 Find Robert: ProtectNowLLC.com 📰 Full X-Files article: CommonXPodcast.com ⏱️ Chapters: 00:00 – Intro: Why humans are the real security risk 06:30 – The Human Blind Spot explained 10:00 – Denial, trust, and the 3–6% predator problem 17:00 – Making security personal (the key that's being missed) 22:00 – Pig butchering & wrong-number crypto scams 28:00 – How to build a Strategic Human Firewall 31:30 – The $25M AI deepfake Zoom call 40:00 – Dark web, passwords, and 2FA 47:00 – Jared's 5 rapid fire #CyberSecurity #HumanFirewall #RobertSiciliano #CommonXPodcast #ScamPrevention The CommonX Podcast features long-form conversations with musicians, cultural voices, veterans, entrepreneurs, and independent thinkers who bring lived experience to the table. Hosted by Jared Mayzak and Ian Primmer, CommonX explores music, culture, work, identity, resilience, and the systems that shape everyday life—without talking points or manufactured outrage. From iconic artists and creative pioneers to everyday people with extraordinary stories, each episode prioritizes honesty, curiosity, and meaningful dialogue. This is a Gen-X–driven show for listeners who value depth over noise and conversation over clicks. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    55 min
See All (89)

Trailers

About

The CommonX Podcast is a Gen-X media platform built for listeners who are done with manufactured narratives and shallow debates. Hosted by Jared Mayzak and Ian Primmer, CommonX explores music, culture, identity, work, resilience, and the systems that shape everyday life—through long-form conversations with people who’ve actually lived it. Past guests include Ivan Doroschuk (Men Without Hats), Rudy Sarzo (Ozzy Osbourne, Quiet Riot), veterans, creators, entrepreneurs, and small-town innovators —voices rarely heard but deeply felt. Balanced. Independent. Human. visit CommonX — A Gen-X Media Platform to learn more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Information

  • Creator
    Ian Primmer & Jared Mayzak
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    89
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Ian Primmer & Jared Mayzak
  • Show Website
    CommonX Podcast

You Might Also Like