Confab - Podcasts

Confab #56

me@richardhuff.com (Richard D. Huff) — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 06:00:00 -0700

Summer is upon us. It was another smallish group of the Confab contingent that spent their evening chatting about a wild array of topics. Leslie and Kevin are expecting in late August/early September, so some of the topics (e.g., names and private school vs. public school) are specific to their life situation. Congratulations are in order, although I've already ordered them both a six month supply of the strongest coffee legally available in Seattle.

This show was recorded during the June 19, 2008 Confab.

Our guests:

You can listen to the show here. (37.9 MB MP3, 57:47 minutes)

Confab #55

me@richardhuff.com (Richard D. Huff) — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 06:00:00 -0700

After an almost five month hiatus, we finally publish a show originally recorded in April. The show is pretty tame. There were just three of us chatting about nothing in particular. It got the ball rolling, though. We have three more shows to publish in the coming weeks, and will continue to record through the summer (which is when we normally take a vacation from podcasting).

This show was recorded during the April 10, 2008 Confab.

Our guests:

You can listen to the show here. (56.8 MB MP3, 56:28 minutes)

Confab #54

me@richardhuff.com (Richard D. Huff) — Sun, 3 Feb 2008 22:00:00 -0700

In a continuation of our discussion about all things food, Confab #54 attempts to consider the ethics of our food culture. Is the production of foie gras (which requires force feeding a duck or goose) worse than the ultimate killing of that same duck or goose for its flesh? Do we over produce food, lending to large-scale food waste? How much are we ethically obligated to know about the food we eat? They are all serious ethical questions that get to the very heart of a universally shared experience, and bring us to the equally serious question about our favorite meals.

This show was recorded during the January 24, 2008 Confab.

Our guests:

Andrew Balazs
Winnie Balazs
Adrianne Young
Erik Cannella
Richard Huff

You can listen to the show here. (54.7 MB MP3, 56:10 minutes)

Confab #53

me@richardhuff.com (Richard D. Huff) — Sun, 27 Jan 2008 22:00:00 -0700

Want to talk about food? We did. The guests for Confab #53 were assembled for their self-proclaimed foodieness or actual, professional food experience. Also, all but two of us were new to the show. That didn't stop us from getting right down to the business of talking food, though. We return to a former format for Confab by spending a bit of time doing introductions. The introductions, however, are not completely monological. This is Confab, after all. The other thing you should know is that this show is in two parts. Check back next week for the second hour.

This show was recorded during the January 24, 2008 Confab.

Our guests:

Andrew Balazs
Winnie Balazs
Adrianne Young
Erik Cannella
Richard Huff

You can listen to the show here. (63.2 MB MP3, 1:05:06 hours)

Confab #52

me@richardhuff.com (Richard D. Huff) — Sun, 20 Jan 2008 22:00:00 -0700

Confab #52 picks up pretty much where we left off at the end of Confab #51. We start with a discussion about the 520 bridge replacement project, and plow into mass, rapid and regional transit. (You decide if we're a wreck.) The topic of local priorities allows us to evaluate the regional economy, law and order, and how concerns about our nation's financial system may translate to concerns about our local lifestyle. The show is extra long, and uncut (to steal a title from the South Park movie title).

This show was recorded during the January 10, 2008 Confab.

Our guests:

You can listen to the show here. (75.2 MB MP3, 1:13:27 hours)

Confab #51

me@richardhuff.com (Richard D. Huff) — Sun, 13 Jan 2008 22:00:00 -0700

Confab #51, the first Confab of 2008, jumps directly into the fray of local issues. (We avoid discussing the presidential politics in favor of saving that discussion until after the primaries.) This show is all about transportation (the S.L.U.T., the Viaduct, buses, I-5, and the 520 bridge), the Washington State initiative process, weak governors, Laurelhurst's hiring of off-duty police to patrol the neighborhood, Shannon Harps' murder on Capitol Hill, and vagrancy vs. homelessness in the City. Rachele and Allie barely get a word in edgewise, as Brian, Gavin, Chris and Richard yap like their on Left, Right & Center.

This show was recorded during the January 10, 2008 Confab.

Our guests:

You can listen to the show here. (57 MB MP3, 55:53 minutes)

Confab #50

me@richardhuff.com (Richard D. Huff) — Sun, 9 Dec 2007 22:00:00 -0700

Confab #50 tackles social networking and social networking Internet sites (e.g., MySpace, Facebook and LinkedIn). Do you actively participate in structured social networking events or use sites such as LinkedIn and Facebook? Does the use of social networking Internet sites develop social networks, or simply manage off-line social networks? What happens to off-line social connections that don't participate in the on-line form? The guests consider all of these questions and more in this show (which also happens to be our first show with a remote, call-in guest).

This show was recorded during the November 29, 2007 Confab.

Our guests:

Rachele Cawaring
Jeff Layton
Will Kelly-Kamp
Christy Layton
Richard Huff
Jeff Smith
Sara Andrews

You can listen to the show here. (61.2 MB MP3, 1:14:27 hours)

Confab #49

me@richardhuff.com (Richard D. Huff) — Sun, 11 Nov 2007 22:00:00 -0700

Confab #49 takes a rare opportunity to question a guest about their recent trip to and through China. China has been a long-standing fascination for Confab, and we'll take any chance we can get to learn more. Some have even suggested that we put together a group tour of China sometime during 2010. Let's all just hope that the almighty US dollar is worth enough in 2010 to make such a trip even possible. Also, does anyone know how to write, "Will work for food," in Mandarin?

This show was recorded during the November 1, 2007 Confab.

Our guests:

You can listen to the show here. (42.6 MB MP3, 51:51 minutes)

Confab #48

me@richardhuff.com (Richard D. Huff) — Sun, 4 Nov 2007 22:00:00 -0700

Confab #48 examines the state of financial planning for twenty- and thirty-something. It's evidently the show you get when you mix a financial planner, a financial planner's assistant, an MBA, an entrepreneur, an IT Manager of financial systems (e.g., Oracle/PeopleSoft), and someone that "gave it all up" years earlier to escape the 9-to-5 grind. Of course, it could have a little to do with the good wine and food we all shared prior to the show. That's what gets the conversation flowing.

This show was recorded during the November 1, 2007 Confab.

Our guests:

You can listen to the show here. (38.7 MB MP3, 47:15 minutes)

Confab #47

me@richardhuff.com (Richard D. Huff) — Mon, 29 Oct 2007 00:00:00 -0700

Confab #47 brings back the familiar topic of online dating. We're not a broken record -- it's just that many of the guests are unmarried, and the dating stories are entertaining. The fact that Confab guests tend to be far too educated makes the online dating conversation more of an analysis. Andy wants to know if online dating sites (a la, Match.com) are going to be surpassed by niche social networks maintained through Facebook applications.

This show was recorded during the October 18, 2007 Confab.

Our guests:

You can listen to the show here. (40.4 MB MP3, 49:03 minutes)

Confab #46 (Season Premier)

me@richardhuff.com (Richard D. Huff) — Mon, 22 Oct 2007 00:00:00 -0700

Confab #46 picks up pretty much where the show left off last May (before the summer break). Heidi joins the show as a first-timer, but the rest of the guests are regulars. Andy kicks off the conversation with a question about spending public money on private enterprise. Although he prefers to avoid it being just a debate about the Seattle Sonics' attempt to extort ~$220 million from the City of Seattle for a new arena (Wikipedia: KeyArena), there's no doubt that the Sonics are an excellent case study (see: Citizens for More Important Things and Save our Sonics). The show eventually morphs into a conversation about urban culture and transplants to the Seattle region.

This show was recorded during the October 18, 2007 Confab.

Our guests:

You can listen to the show here. (46.5 MB MP3, 56:19 minutes)

Summer Vacation.

me@richardhuff.com (Richard D. Huff) — Thu, 14 Jun 2007 12:47:24 -0700

The show will be taking a summer vacation. All of the producers are otherwise occupied with new jobs, a wedding, house building, marathon training, and cycling training. The combination of those special events, and general summer activities, has made a summer show schedule virtually impossible. Come October, the show will return with new, improved capabilities (including remote caller support), and a regular schedule.

Confab #45

me@richardhuff.com (Richard D. Huff) — Mon, 28 May 2007 10:00:00 -0700

Confab #45 deals with Rosie O'Donnell's recent departure from The View, and the attack by Elisabeth Hasselbeck's that lead to her departure. We also discuss recent developments in French politics (as if we're some sort of authority on French politics), the expected immigration legislation, and the root of most American problems: racism.

This show was recorded during the May 24, 2007 Confab.

Our guests:

You can listen to the show here. (26.5 MB MP3, 48:54 minutes)

Confab #44

gavin@gavinshearer.com (Gavin Shearer) — Mon, 30 Apr 2007 06:10:00 -0700

Confab #44 deals with women in the workforce, pay equality, having a career vs. having a family, and the price of having children. The conversation then moves to talk about what criteria, if any, are permissible for hiring or retaining employees. A show photo is available here.

This show was recorded during the April 19, 2007 Confab.

Our guests:

Tim Baccus
Rachele Cawaring
Elaine Chu
Melissa Frank
Allie Gerlach
Richard Huff
Bethany Rentz

You can listen to the show here. (27.4 MB MP3, 39:02 minutes)

Confab #43

gavin@gavinshearer.com (Gavin Shearer) — Mon, 23 Apr 2007 06:44:00 -0700

Confab #43 opens with a discussion reality-tv transformation shows like "The Swan" and "Extreme Makeover", segues into a conversation about the advantages of being good-looking at work, and closes on how new technology is transforming our social interactions.

This show was recorded during the April 19, 2007 Confab.

Our guests:

Tim Baccus
Rachele Cawaring
Elaine Chu
Melissa Frank
Allie Gerlach
Richard Huff
Bethany Rentz

You can listen to the show here. (32.8 MB MP3, 46:50 minutes)