D-Minus Diaries Podcast

In this D-Minus Diaries essay, I reflect on a recent visit to the Lorraine Motel in Memphis and the long American journey from Elihu Embree’s abolitionist newspaper in Jonesborough to Martin Luther King Jr.’s assassination. I explore how freedom has been handed down as an inheritance from one generation to the next—and what kind of country we are leaving to our children and grandchildren today. So...

A shredded truck tire, a DIY bumper repair, and a “Freedom to Fix” directive from the White House spark a deeper question: who really controls the things we think we own? Jim Jones explores modern ownership, from cars and HOAs to digital goods and money, and asks whether we bought property or just bought permission to use it under someone else’s rules. This is a public episode. If you would like t...

Birth determines where we begin. Belonging determines where we end up. In this week's D-Minus Diaries, I explore what it means to be from somewhere, and what it means to truly belong. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit dminusdiaries.substack.com

On a 2,700-mile motorcycle trip from Tennessee to Quebec City, a simple lobster roll in Maine turned into an unexpected lesson on “ability” and attitude. I start with Karl Marx, the Parable of the Talents, and Ayn Rand, but the real punchline comes from a friend’s off-hand comment over a 95-dollar lunch. This D-minus Diary looks at how our abilities, and the abilities of others, shape not just wha...

At every fork in the road, the real price tag is usually hidden. In this week’s D‑Minus Diaries, I look at tractors, condos, kids, and dogs—and the costs we don’t see until it’s too late. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit dminusdiaries.substack.com

In this episode, we explore Cory Doctorow's "enshittification ", which is what happens when a company gets you hooked, then makes the product worse, adds fees, and calls it innovation. From TVs to GPS to printers to smartphones, the pattern is always the same: pay more, own less. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, vis...

Thirteen Minus 250 Years: The Good, the Bad, and the Possibilities Which president did General George Washington actually report to? In this D‑Minus Diaries episode, I walk the road from the Continental Congress to Washington’s presidency, from Kings Mountain and Yorktown to the Treaty of Paris, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights. Then I connect that history to today: what government was sup...

A Memorial Day reflection on who our wars really claim: service members, civil servants, contractors, and the families who live with the knock at the door. A day off is a gift of their sacrifice. This piece explores the cost and the people we too easily forget. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit dminusdiaries.su...

This is what my friends call a "Jones Story". What starts as pulling weeds can quickly turn into a full-scale war against chaos. In this episode of D-Minus Diaries, I explore how thermodynamics, homeownership, faith, and one very expensive tractor all reveal the same truth: left alone, everything falls apart. From clogged gutters to personal discipline, “Mechanical Things Don’t Fix Themselves” is...

A little 888‑square‑foot starter home in Elizabethton just got treated like a mini McMansion by Tennessee’s new CAMA/IMPACT tax software. In this D‑Minus Diaries, I walk through how a $120,000 house becomes a $180,000 “asset” on a screen, why that means a 50% jump in your property tax bill, and how city and county budgets quietly ride those numbers. More importantly, I show you how to appeal your...

D-Minus Diaries Episode 25: The Great Migration dives into why so many Americans are packing up and heading to Tennessee in search of lower taxes, greater freedom, and a different way of life. From Tennessee’s frontier roots and fierce independence to modern migration, politics, culture shock, and the growing tension between preserving tradition and managing explosive growth, this piece explores w...

In this D‑Minus Diary, I start in the back of an MH‑53 on a dark training night and end in an old church pew. Along the way, I look at stress, loss, childhood faith, and why sometimes being grounded is better than falling apart. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit dminusdiaries.substack.com

As we approach the midterm elections, I use storytelling to show why elections matter and why they often feel confusing by design. Between primaries, media noise, and now AI-driven influence, most voters never get a clear picture of what’s really at stake. In this piece, I break down how the system works, why local races matter more than you think, and how to cut through the noise to understand wh...

What happens when the tools we create start to look, think, and act like us? In Part 2 of Created in Our Image , Jim Jones moves from a simple Appalachian conversation about distance into a much bigger question about identity, technology, and purpose. From the early days of robotics to today’s rapidly evolving AI, this piece explores the moment when machines stop being tools and start becoming ref...

Created in Our Image (Part 1) by Jim Jones, D-Minus Diaries. What started as an argument about whether something was “over by” Krispy Kreme turned into something much bigger. Somewhere between donut shop directions and a simple AI question, my wife and I realized something has changed. We are no longer just using technology, we are starting to relate to it. We name it, we talk to it, and we trust...

Other people’s drama is costing you peace you can’t afford. In this D-Minus Diaries entry, I break down “Other People’s Problems,” how emotional fires start and spread, and why learning to say “not my problem” might be the most important survival skill you develop this year. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit dm...

Regret doesn’t shout, it whispers. It sounds like “I’ll go next time,” “when things slow down,” or “maybe next year.” I learned the hard way that one day, the invitations stop. This is a story about a missed dive, a hard lesson, and the rule that changed how I live. Say yes… while you still can. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bon...

From Eden to Tehran, I trace how ancient religious divides, oil, and Shia theocracy converge on one frontline: the bodies and lives of Iranian women and girls. If Epstein turns your stomach, wait until you see what’s written into Iran’s laws. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit dminusdiaries.substack.com

“Messy Democracy” isn’t a typical D‑Minus story; it’s a rant about war, protests, and what we choose to be outraged about. From a fight behind a grocery store to Iran’s decades of “Death to America,” paid protest industries, AI‑polished outrage, and the quiet risk of fishermen and soldiers, this piece asks a hard question: in a world where others chant for our death, why are we screaming at the pe...

In this D-Minus Diaries piece, I explore how grief and fear are often confused, and how that confusion shapes us mentally, spiritually, and physically. When loss or change hits, the body reacts before the mind understands. What feels like anxiety may actually be grief for what is shifting in our lives. Sometimes the tight chest, restless sleep, and unsettled thoughts are not signs of danger, but s...

Part 3 of “For What It’s Worth” zooms in on the other side of the counter at Jim’s Donut Shop: wages. Jim is caught between rising minimums, benefit rules, and AI‑driven cost pressures, all of which quietly push donut prices higher while squeezing his payroll decisions. Through Worker A, Worker B, and returning characters Bob, Susie, and Larry, the episode shows how minimum wage can act as both fl...

If Part 1 exposed the hidden costs bending the economy, Part 2 explains why the squeeze feels personal. In this second half of the D-Minus Diaries series, we step back inside Jim’s Donut Shop and follow the money through AI pricing, digital surveillance, tipping screens, subscription creep, credit card interest, and the quiet friction that turns a simple donut into a financial lesson. This episode...

Why does the economy look “great” on paper while your wallet says otherwise? In Part 1 of this two-part D-Minus Diaries series, I walk through the hidden costs that have quietly worked their way into our wallets, largely without being reported. Using Jim’s Donut Shop as a guide, we start at the penny and follow the trail through inflation, cards, fees, and convenience. By the end of the series, my...

A small group of officers stood watch as civilians gathered nearby. The civilians insulted the officers and began throwing snowballs, ice, and debris. In the chaos, one officer was struck and either slipped or was jostled, causing his weapon to discharge. Other officers, believing a firing order had been given, fired into the crowd. Five civilians were killed. Several others were wounded. This was...

Multipliers and Dividers (Maxim Part II) — D-Minus Diaries, Episode Eleven Some decisions multiply what we build. Others quietly divide it. In this episode, Jim Jones looks at how choices in life, relationships, work, and community compound over time, and why doing nothing is never neutral. The math doesn’t rush, but it always adds up. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this wi...