Confab

Confab #67

confab@confabshow.com (Richard Huff) — Mon, 6 Apr 2009 06:00:00 -0700

Local podcasters and bloggers join the conversation to talk about some of the history of this new media and where it fits in the pantheon of old media. Blogging may have gone "main stream", but podcasting is a different beast entirely. Still, there is a surprisingly large number of people self-publishing audio content on the Internet. We wrap up this show with some stories from the Seattle Podcasting Network about who podcasts and why.

This show was recorded during the March 26, 2009 Confab.

Our guests:

You can listen to the show here. (19.7 MB MP3, 29:13 minutes)

Confab #66

confab@confabshow.com (Richard Huff) — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 06:00:00 -0700

Confab #66 is part two of our conversation about Bolivia and Guatemala. We pick up where we left off in Confab #65, with Seth explaining some of the culture shock he experienced. The conversation drifts back to Seattle and the organizations (both the Plymouth Housing Group and the Recovery Cafe) where several of the guests either volunteer or work. We reconsider the homelessness question, general assistance for the unemployable (GAU), harm reduction, and the role art plays in addiction (or the role addiction plays in art).

This show was recorded during the March 12, 2009 Confab.

Our guests:

Heidi Anderson
Liz Coz
Schelley Olhava
Sarah Sausner
Seth Sexton
Richard Huff

You can listen to the show here. (31.6 MB MP3, 49:38 minutes)

Confab #65

confab@confabshow.com (Richard Huff) — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 16:53:14 -0700

We welcome several new guests to the conversation for this show, which is in two parts. This is part one. Seth (a returning guest) is back from Guatemala, and Sarah (new to the show) is back from Bolivia. Liz Coz (new to the show) is a volunteer for Seattle's Recovery Cafe (something you'll learn more about in the next show). The rest of this show's cast are fairly regular guests, but nonetheless appreciated. We all participate in a conversation about Central America and the experience of living and working in that region of the world.

This show was recorded during the March 12, 2009 Confab.

Our guests:

Heidi Anderson
Liz Coz
Schelley Olhava
Sarah Sausner
Seth Sexton
Richard Huff

You can listen to the show here. (31.6 MB MP3, 49:38 minutes)

Confab #64

confab@confabshow.com (Richard Huff) — Sun, 15 Feb 2009 20:00:00 -0700

With the economy so dominate in our current news cycle, we couldn't resist taking a few minutes to agree (conservative and liberal) that a great deal of the "bailout" worries us. What we don't know, and what would make all the difference in our thinking, is exactly how bad things really are. Very few people would agree that some sort of ideology should be important to hold on to in the face of complete economic collapse. How, exactly, does a bailout of all three auto manufacturers make sense, though? Wouldn't it be better to make a one-time, direct payment to a bunch of displaced autoworkers?

This show was recorded during the January 29, 2009 Confab.

Our guests:

You can listen to the show here. (12.9 MB MP3, 20:10 minutes)

Confab #63 (Season Premier)

confab@confabshow.com (Richard Huff) — Sun, 8 Feb 2009 10:07:22 -0700

2009 gets off to a muffled "bang" with a Confab that is all about Confab. That's right,...we're breaking the rule that was established near the beginning in 2005. The one about not talking about podcasting on the podcast. Since far too many podcasts waste everybody's time in a never-ending self-referential cycle, we felt that it wasn't a topic that we needed to weigh in on. This year, however, we've got the opportunity to "up our game" (as it were).

Note: All throughout the show, Richard talks about Confab starting in 2003. That date is incorrect. The very first show was recorded on October 26, 2005. Neither that show, nor the second one (recorded on November 8, 2005), were ever published. The first published show was recorded on November 29, 2005 (which would make Confab just a little more than three years old).

This show was recorded during the January 29, 2009 Confab.

Our guests:

Heidi Anderson
Andy Boyer
Richard Huff

You can listen to the show here. (39.9 MB MP3, 62:30 minutes)

Confab #62

confab@confabshow.com (Richard Huff) — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 06:00:00 -0700

This show has been in the vault for more than three months. Rachele, Sara, Ben, Melissa, and I tackle James H Kunstler's book, The Geography of Nowhere: The Rise and Decline of America's Man-Made Landscape. You have to ask yourself how a society as advanced as the United States can happily squander our future on a lifestyle that is so obviously unsustainable. Cheap fossil fuels have enabled suburban and rural sprawl to a degree that we may not be able to divest ourselves of it quick enough to survive. Fuel costs have and will increase. Not by 10% or 30%, but by 400% or 10,000%. Yet, we continue to primarily waste the precious resource on commuting between our low-density communities and our necessarily high-density work places.

This show was recorded during the September 18, 2008 Confab.

Our guests:

You can listen to the show here. (33.1 MB MP3, 57:52 minutes)

Confab #61

confab@confabshow.com (Richard Huff) — Mon, 8 Sep 2008 06:00:00 -0700

Two show founders -- Gavin Shearer and Keith Vaitkus -- are back on the couch to talk with Rachele and me about a variety of topics. Do you trust Western medicine more than alternative medicine? Do you think that a job title can define inappropriate office attire, even within a knowledge worker workplace? Do you think you should skip a twenty-year high-school class reunion? We consider all of those topics, and more. It was nice to get some of the original Confab gang back together.

This show was recorded during the August 14, 2008 Confab.

Our guests:

You can listen to the show here. (36.9 MB MP3, 52:41 minutes)

Confab #60

confab@confabshow.com (Richard Huff) — Mon, 1 Sep 2008 06:00:00 -0700

We continue our last show with more history about the guests. As if you care. Either way, we had fun. As mentioned before, this sort of show is just a little bit narcissistic. We promise to get back on-track with some more compelling content in future shows. In fact, we're all reading the same book for a show in September -- even though our last book club show involved a discussion about cannibalism and other very dark matter.

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

Our guests:

You can listen to the show here. (51.5 MB MP3, 56:10 minutes)

Confab #59

confab@confabshow.com (Richard Huff) — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0700

This particular show might seem even more narcissistic than the norm, but we're actually answering a fairly common request. Listeners have repeatedly ask to know more about the guests. The question of how we all ended up in the Pacific Northwest may fulfill some of that inquiry. If nothing else, the conversation highlights how few of us are natives to this region. Seattle may be our home now, but we're from all over this Country. This show is the first part of a two-part conversation. Check back next week for the second part.

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

Our guests:

You can listen to the show here. (41.8 MB MP3, 45:34 minutes)

Confab #58

confab@confabshow.com (Richard Huff) — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 01:00:00 -0700

Rachele relates her recent experience at Culinary Communion, cooking from their local food menu. We also talk about how to fit in when you're on a detox plan (i.e., how to avoid or limit drinking in social situations where drinking is expected). The topics progress from there to a virtual free-for-all. We're just so happy to not be talking about Cormac McCarthy's book, The Road.

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

Our guests:

You can listen to the show here. (37.0 MB MP3, 56:04 minutes)

Confab #57

confab@confabshow.com (Richard Huff) — Sun, 13 Jul 2008 18:18:00 -0700

We've wanted to try another book club show for quite some time. The problem is that we chose a book which contains cannibalism, hopelessness, and little -- if any -- moral redemption. Cormac McCarthy's, The Road, isn't your standard dystopian tale. It isn't intended to serve as a beacon for a civilization whose extrapolated path leads to ruin. No. Instead, it drags you into an alley, beats and rapes you (mentally), and leaves you for dead. Is there anything good that can be said about the trials a father and son face in McCarthy's yarn? You'll have to listen to the show.

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

Our guests:

You can listen to the show here. (26.6 MB MP3, 41:13 minutes)

Confab #56

confab@confabshow.com (Richard 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

confab@confabshow.com (Richard 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

confab@confabshow.com (Richard 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

confab@confabshow.com (Richard 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

confab@confabshow.com (Richard 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

confab@confabshow.com (Richard 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

confab@confabshow.com (Richard 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

confab@confabshow.com (Richard 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

confab@confabshow.com (Richard 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

confab@confabshow.com (Richard 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)

confab@confabshow.com (Richard 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.

confab@confabshow.com (Richard 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

confab@confabshow.com (Richard 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

confab@confabshow.com (Richard Huff) — 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

confab@confabshow.com (Richard Huff) — 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)

Confab #42

confab@confabshow.com (Richard Huff) — Mon, 16 Apr 2007 07:13:00 -0700

Confab #42 opens with a discussion of the new dollar coins and the political forces working behind the scenes to either acccelerate or stymie their adoption. We then segue into a discussion about John edwards and his wife's tragic news, and the concept of 'how much is enough'.

This show was recorded during the April 5, 2007 Confab.

Our guests:

You can listen to the show here. (13.3 MB MP3, 18:59 minutes)

Confab #41

confab@confabshow.com (Richard Huff) — Mon, 9 Apr 2007 06:53:34 -0700

Confab #40 deals with the prospect of a housing crash, and what it will mean for the economy and different members of the population. We also talk about taxes, H1-B Visas and the education problem. It's pretty fast-paced, and gets a little heated midway through.

This show was recorded during the April 5, 2007 Confab.

Our guests:

You can listen to the show here. (26.2 MB MP3, 37:32 minutes)

Confab #40

confab@confabshow.com (Richard Huff) — Mon, 2 Apr 2007 06:44:34 -0700

Confab #40 is a discussion of mass transit in Seattle - what works, what doesn't, and why transit systems have such an uphill battle for public acceptance (hint: it's because people love their cars too much).

This show was recorded during the March 22, 2007 Confab.

Our guests:

You can listen to the show here. (20.6 MB MP3, 29:26 minutes)

Confab #39

confab@confabshow.com (Richard Huff) — Mon, 26 Mar 2007 10:00:00 -0700

Confab #39 kicks off with some laughs about a crazy Russian invention - a sort of gas-powered pogo stick - and then segues into familiar Confab territory - namely, the changing nature of media.

This show was recorded during the March 22, 2007 Confab.

Our guests:

You can listen to the show here. (11.1 MB MP3, 15:47 minutes)

Confab #38

confab@confabshow.com (Richard Huff) — Mon, 19 Mar 2007 10:00:00 -0700

Confab #38 is a Seattle-local political show about the future of the Alaskan Way Viaduct. Seatle voters have been asked to state whether they want a rebuild of the Viaduct, a new tunnel, both, or neither, and our group discusses the political ins and outs of the situation.

This show was recorded during the March 8, 2007 Confab.

Our guests:

You can listen to the show here. (17.2 MB MP3, 24:37 minutes)

Confab #37

confab@confabshow.com (Richard Huff) — Mon, 12 Mar 2007 10:00:00 -0700

Confab #37 has two main segments: the first is a discussion of whether union jobs are a good or bad thing, and eventually segues into a discussion of public schools; the second deals with the economic prospects of blue collar vs. white collar jobs, and satisfaction at work.

This show was recorded during the March 8, 2007 Confab.

Our guests:

You can listen to the show here. (23 MB MP3, 32:52 minutes)

Confab #36

confab@confabshow.com (Richard Huff) — Mon, 5 Mar 2007 11:00:00 -0700

Confab #36 continues our new-media conversation from last week, taking on Apple TV & iTunes vs. Comcast cable TV, the importance of fiber to the home, whether or not consumers want "just one bill" for their TV, phone and Internet service, and how the Net is killing entrenched monopolies across the economy.

This show was recorded during the February 22, 2007 Confab.

Our guests:

You can listen to the show here. (44.4 MB MP3, 1:03:44 minutes)

Confab #35

confab@confabshow.com (Richard Huff) — Mon, 26 Feb 2007 11:00:00 -0700

Confab #35 is a blast, a fast-and-furious back-and-forth between the six of us that starts with Keith's tale of woe about the Equifax web site, moves into the video game market (read: rave about the Nintendo Wii), right-tuns into a discussion of business models, and ends up with a chat about digital downloads, Wal-Mart, and Apple TV.

This show was recorded during the February 22, 2007 Confab.

Our guests:

You can listen to the show here. (33.7 MB MP3, 48:20 minutes)

Confab #34

confab@confabshow.com (Richard Huff) — Mon, 19 Feb 2007 11:00:00 -0700

Confab #34 is a short-and-to-the-point discussion of homelessness, panhandling, and how to handle social ills found in urban centers.

This show was recorded during the February 8, 2007 Confab.

Our guests:

Richard Huff
Will Kelley-Kamp
Don Lee
Jeff Smith

You can listen to the show here. (13.5 MB MP3, 19:17 minutes)

Confab #33

confab@confabshow.com (Richard Huff) — Mon, 12 Feb 2007 11:00:00 -0700

Confab #33 is a more subdued, in-depth show about health care in the United States. The Confabbers discussed the current US system, contrasted it with the system used by the Canadians, and then talked about alternatives such as a "cap and trade" system.

This show was recorded during the February 8, 2007 Confab.

Our guests:

Richard Huff
Will Kelley-Kamp
Don Lee
Jeff Smith

You can listen to the show here. (42.5 MB MP3, 1:00:18 minutes)

Confab #32

confab@confabshow.com (Richard Huff) — Mon, 5 Feb 2007 11:00:00 -0700

Confab #32 is 45 minutes about innovation and the automotive industry. We kick things off talking about Ford's recent, $12Bn+ loss, segue into "Who Killed The Electric Car?" and discuss a bit about how successful organizations often become resistant to making important changes, and in turn fumble their future.

Due to a technical glitch, Richard's audio has waaaay too much reverb reverb. We regret the error.

This show was recorded during the January 25, 2007 Confab.

Our guests:

You can listen to the show here. (31.5 MB MP3, 45:18 minutes)

Confab #31

confab@confabshow.com (Richard Huff) — Mon, 29 Jan 2007 11:00:00 -0700

Confab #31 is a raucous half-hour about - believe it or not - jaywalking. First-time Confabber Adrian managed to uh, "cross against the light" and got slapped with a $42 fine. This then led us in to an amusing thread about the law - when to obey, when not to, and whether or not citizens should interpret statutes as they see fit.

Due to a technical glitch, Richard's audio has a lot of reverb -- he sounds like he's coming from the PA system in a stadium. We apologize to him - and to you, dear listener.

This show was recorded during the January 25, 2007 Confab.

Our guests:

You can listen to the show here. (23.5 MB MP3, 33:45 minutes)

Confab #30

confab@confabshow.com (Richard Huff) — Mon, 22 Jan 2007 11:00:00 -0700

Confab #30 is one of our shorter shows (a half hour); we talk about the new Apple iPhone - whether it'll be successful, if it's priced too high, and so on - and then segue into Britney Spears' photographic problems and finally end on Iraq.

This show was recorded during the January 11, 2007 Confab.

Our guests:

You can listen to the show here. (18.1 MB MP3, 25:59 minutes)

Confab #29

confab@confabshow.com (Richard Huff) — Mon, 15 Jan 2007 21:55:00 -0700

Confab #29 jumps feet-first into a discussion about about the food supply, vitamins and minerals - and specifically "Omnivore's Dilemma" (which none of us have actually read) and "Fast Food Nation."

The bulk of the show, however, was spent talking about whether you can "have it all", tradeoffs in adult life, happiness, and satisfaction. (Adrianne recommended the New York Times article "Happiness 101".)

This show was recorded during the January 11, 2007 Confab.

Our guests:

You can listen to the show here. (33.8 MB MP3, 48:32 minutes)

Confab #28

confab@confabshow.com (Richard Huff) — Mon, 8 Jan 2007 21:54:00 -0700

Confab #28 gets a bit introspective (and a bit boozy -- particularly for poor, poor Richard). We spent time talking about 2006, and looked forward into 2007 to see what people are planning to do.

We also discussed travel destinations (if resources were no object) and how we prioritize our time and efforts to focus on things that matter.

This show was recorded during the December 28, 2006 Confab.

Our guests:

You can listen to the show here. (39.3 MB MP3, 56:12 minutes)

Confab #27

confab@confabshow.com (Richard Huff) — Mon, 1 Jan 2007 21:52:00 -0700

Confab #27 is a contentious, racuous, nearly-hour-long conversation, triggered by a New Yorker article called, "Can't Get No Satisfaction" about burnout at work.

We also discussed Erin Brockvich and what we'd do if we each won $50M in the lottery.

This show was recorded during the December 28, 2006 Confab.

Our guests:

You can listen to the show here. (38.9 MB MP3, 55:46 minutes)

Confab #26

confab@confabshow.com (Richard Huff) — Fri, 22 Dec 2006 21:50:00 -0700

After a month of Confab cancellations over Seattle's crazy weather (heavy snows on 11/30, and high winds on 12/14), we finally managed to get the gang together on an 'off week' to sit down and catch up.

We welcomed Tony Cota and Andrea Waldron to Confab tonight, while regulars Gavin and Richard found themselves drinking wine and eating crackers during the show (we didn't have enough headphones to go 'round).

Our guests this week:

Tony Cota
Allie Gerlach
Will Kelley-Kamp
Khan Klatt
Jeff Smith
Keith Vaitkus
Andrea Waldron

Topics included:

Experiences in Seattle's recent high windstorms.
Emergency preparedness.
Urban forestry.
How 'freaking cool' big storms are
Accountability in Washington, DC for disastrous policy decisions.

You can listen to the show here. (40.5 MB MP3, 58:01 minutes)

Our next confab will be December 28, 2006! (The New Year's show!)

Confab #25

confab@confabshow.com (Richard Huff) — Fri, 17 Nov 2006 21:48:00 -0700

Tonight's show was another small one, with five of us sitting around and talking about politics (naturally), but we quickly segued into a conversation about how people learn life lessons - in this case, what it takes to convince people to stop smoking.

We welcomed Mattew Price to Confab tonight, and missed regular Keith Vaitkus, who couldn't make it.

Our guests this week:

Chris Bushnell
Matthew Price
Richard Huff
Gavin Shearer
Jeff Smith

Topics included:

A wrapup and armchair analysis of the midterm elections
A discussion of how people really learn lessons and internalize information so they act on it.

You can listen to the show here. (29.6 MB MP3, 41:56 minutes)

Our next confab will be November 30, 2006! (Our one-year anniversary!)

Confab #24

confab@confabshow.com (Richard Huff) — Fri, 3 Nov 2006 21:46:00 -0700

Returning guests Chris Bushnell and Adrianne Young joined show regulars for a veritable bacchanal. In all honesty, most of us were on our deathbed with this nasty cold that's been making the rounds in Seattle. We were lucky to even pull off a show. The congestion you hear in most of our voices isn't a new audio filter -- it's real congestion. Despite our health challenges, the show should entertain and educate.

Our guests this week:

Topics included:

Food and Michael Pollan's book, The Omnivore's dilemma
US Citizenship
The politics of property rights
How Bush will be regarded by future generations.

You can listen to the show here. (33 MB MP3, 58:12 minutes)

Our next confab will be November 16, 2006!

Confab #23

confab@confabshow.com (Richard Huff) — Fri, 20 Oct 2006 20:38:00 -0700

What do you get when a show has two Confab virgins? I can tell you that it doesn't involve appeasing the god of some volcano. (We never treat our new guests like burnt offerings.) We do, however, tend to get them a little tipsy with alcohol, at which point they spill intimate details that they otherwise might have reserved for a weekend in Las Vegas. The rest of the evening is spent begging to have those segments edited from the show.

Our guests this week:

Elizabeth Carbajal
Melissa Frank
Richard Huff
Schelley Olhava
Keith Vaitkus

Topics included:

The Ethics of "Bodies, The Exhibition".
Malcolm Gladwell's book, Blink and Women's intuition.
Changes in the dating ritual as you age.

You can listen to the show here. (32.8 MB MP3, 59:39 minutes)

Our next confab will be November 2, 2006!

Confab #22

confab@confabshow.com (Richard Huff) — Thu, 5 Oct 2006 16:07:00 -0700

Last Thursday's Confab was a blast - two-plus hours of rock-solid, lively conversation. The problem came later, when we had to decide what to put in to the final cut. (Honestly, a hard choice - it was one of those evenings!) Our guests this week:

Topics included:

Rachele's efforts to start a financial consulting firm
Saving for retirement and private accounts
Insurance & incentives in Canadian health care
Bounded choice theory
The idea of outlawing inheritance

You can listen to the show here. (38.6 MB MP3, 48:10 minutes) Our next confab will be October 19, 2006!

Confab #21

confab@confabshow.com (Richard Huff) — Sat, 23 Sep 2006 20:20:00 -0700

Friday was our second Confab employing the new and improved format. (It'd be a bargain at twice the price!) We began the show with a laughter bit about Tom Cruise and Scientology, which led immediately into some chatter about faith and religion. Luckily, we dumped all that serious stuff for some lighter fare: the ol' abortion debate. If you stick around long enough, you'll get to the good part about Rachele's recent breakup.

Our guests this week:

Topics included:

Faith and Religion
When life begins
The strangest breakup, ever.

You can listen to the show here. (48.1 MB MP3, 66:18 minutes) Our next confab will be October 5, 2006!

Confab #20

confab@confabshow.com (Richard Huff) — Fri, 8 Sep 2006 10:00:00 -0700

Based on a lot of reader e-mail and feedback, we've made a number of big changes to the show this week, which we collectively refer to as "Confab 2.0". The show now makes use of edits and fades between topics, and we've changed up a number of other things as well. We'd love to know what you think.

Our guests this week:

Topics included:

Dating dealbreakers
Does memorization = learning?
"Toxic Mortgages" and financial education
StrongBad
Piledriver!
Those stupid hydroplane races at baseball games
Getting all your news off the Internet.

You can listen to the show here. (32.3 MB MP3, 41:05 minutes)

Our next confab will be September 21, 2006!

Confab #19

confab@confabshow.com (Richard Huff) — Fri, 25 Aug 2006 21:12:00 -0700

On the couch this week: Brian Gaither, David Goldstein, Richard Huff, Schelley Olhava, Gavin Shearer, Keith Vaitkus.

Topics include: Bloggers: living your life in a glass box, is it a good thing for politics when everyone has a video camera?, bad bosses, getting jobs through social networks, office politics, "9 to 5" for creative workers, Richard's online dating update.

You can listen to the show here. (46.1 MB MP3, 57:43 minutes)

Our next confab will be September 7, 2006!

Confab #18

confab@confabshow.com (Richard Huff) — Fri, 11 Aug 2006 21:11:00 -0700

On the couch this week: Rachele Cawaring, Elaine Chu, Richard Huff, Nick Onken, Gavin Shearer, Keith Vaitkus

Topics include: "Girls that are sort of like guys," dressing up for the theater, online dating, buying a house in Seattle.

You can listen to the show here. (37.6 MB MP3, 53:51 minutes)

Our next confab will be August 24, 2006!

Confab #17

confab@confabshow.com (Richard Huff) — Fri, 28 Jul 2006 21:10:00 -0700

On the couch this week: Richard Huff, Jill Novik, Gavin Shearer, Jeff Smith, Keith Vaitkus

Topics include: Blogger payola, The Richard Huff Technology Hand-Me-Down Programtm, why get a dog?, infants in bars, online dating, "the moment of truth", Myers-Briggs & personality tests.

You can listen to the show here. (37.4 MB MP3, 53:29 minutes)

Our next confab will be August 10, 2006!

Confab #16

confab@confabshow.com (Richard Huff) — Fri, 14 Jul 2006 21:09:00 -0700

On the couch this week: Andy Boyer, Allie Gerlach, Richard Huff, Gavin Shearer.

Topics include: 2006: The Golden Age of TV?, "Everything Bad Is Good For You", Working startups vs. larger firms, "The Millionaire Next Door".

You can listen to the show here. (40.4 MB MP3, 57:41 minutes)

Our next confab will be July 27, 2006!

Confab #15

confab@confabshow.com (Richard Huff) — Fri, 30 Jun 2006 21:08:00 -0700

On the couch this week: Chris Bushnell, Richard Huff, Will Kelley-Kamp, Keith Vaitkus.

Topics include: Broadband Internet in Seattle, Net Neutrality.

You can listen to the show here. (38.6 MB MP3, 1 hour, 4 minutes)

Our next confab will be July 13, 2006!

Confab #14

confab@confabshow.com (Richard Huff) — Sat, 17 Jun 2006 21:07:00 -0700

On the couch this week: John Costello, John Hayes, Richard Huff, Jeff Smith, Keith Vaitkus,
Leslie Wagner, Kevin Wagner.

Topics include: The appropriate use of dot-com vs. dot-net and dot-org; the experience of new fatherhood; US/Canada/Mexico relations; in praise of Otter Pops; the launch of Ethicurean.com (and how the food we eat is killing us); terrible American cuisine; local, organic foods from Helsing Junction; "Diet For A Small Planet."

You can listen to the show here. (38.5 MB MP3, 1 hour, 5 minutes)

Our next confab will be June 29, 2006!

Confab #13

confab@confabshow.com (Richard Huff) — Fri, 2 Jun 2006 21:06:00 -0700

On the couch this week: Elaine Chu, Gavin Shearer, Richard Huff, Char Popp, Kevin Wagner

Topics include: Char's new job, interviewing at Microsoft, car companies and innovation, Starbucks' freaky new products, "Garbage Land: On The Secret Trail Of Trash", "Left Behind" first-person shooters, local philanthropy, how to pick charities.

You can listen to the show here. (44.2 MB MP3, 1 hour, 3 minutes)

Our next confab will be June 15, 2006!

Confab #12

confab@confabshow.com (Richard Huff) — Fri, 19 May 2006 21:03:00 -0700

On the couch this week: Allie Gerlach, Schelley Olhava, Richard Huff, Gavin Shearer, Jeff Smith.

Topics include: A terrible "Irish pub" in Kirkland, returning to graduate school, the durability of computer file formats & media, keeping documents from childhood, the resurrection of Al Gore, the myth of Seattle rain, Michael Jackson's money problems.

You can listen to the show here. (34.4 MB MP3, 58:05 minutes)

Our next confab will be June 1, 2006!

Confab #11

confab@confabshow.com (Richard Huff) — Fri, 5 May 2006 21:02:00 -0700

On the couch this week: Brian Gaither, David Goldstein, Richard Huff, Gavin Shearer, Jeff Smith.

Topics include: "An Inconvenient Truth" (global warming, and what to do about it), game theory & fisheries, public schools & funding.

You can listen to the show here. (36.3 MB MP3, 53:39 minutes)

Our next confab will be May 18, 2006!

Confab #10

confab@confabshow.com (Richard Huff) — Thu, 13 Apr 2006 20:58:00 -0700

On the couch this week: Mollie Bradley-Martin, Brian Gaither, Richard Huff, Sara Lingafelter, Will Kelley-Kamp, Gavin Shearer, Keith Vaitkus.

Topics include: Forrester research's report on podcasting, Confab's origins, human resources law, Seattle's Viaduct controversy, the immigration debate, health care, "The Two Percent Solution."

You can listen to the show here. (38 MB MP3, 56:21 minutes)

Our next confab will be April 26, 2006!

Confab #9

confab@confabshow.com (Richard Huff) — Fri, 24 Mar 2006 21:56:00 -0700

On the couch this week: Danika Dreslin, Brian Gaither, Allie Gerlach, Richard Huff, Gavin Shearer, Jeff Smith, Keith Vaitkus.

Topics include: Anticipating a new baby, "Date of Birth", Global warming, "Snakes on a Plane", people's ability to think long-term, ready.gov, parenting styles & quirks.

You can listen to the show here. (52 MB MP3, 56:45 minutes)

Our next confab will be April 13, 2006!

Confab #8

confab@confabshow.com (Richard Huff) — Fri, 10 Mar 2006 21:55:00 -0700

On the couch this week: Elaine Chu, John Kaufmann, Will Kelly-Kamp, Richard Huff, Gavin Shearer, Keith Vaitkus, Adrianne Young.

Topics include: "Ask A Ninja", Chuck Norris Facts, Blog readership & audiences, Sims v. Hutcherson, Seattle's Town Hall, "What's The Matter With Kansas?", email & Internet privacy, the $200M for Key Arena, Harborview's Dept. of Spiritual Care, Chinese podcasts.

You can listen to the show here. (44.9 MB MP3, 1:05:59minutes)

Our next confab will be March 23, 2006!

Confab #7

confab@confabshow.com (Richard Huff) — Fri, 24 Feb 2006 21:49:00 -0700

On the couch this week: Elaine Chu, John Costello, Dave Geraghty, Richard Huff, Gavin Shearer, Keith Vaitkus.

Topics include: Interviewing with Google, interviewing with Amazon, "How Would You Move Mount Fuji?", "The Geography Of Thought", Iraq.

You can listen to the show here. (37.4 MB MP3, 56:19 minutes)

Our next confab will be March 9, 2006!

Confab #6

confab@confabshow.com (Richard Huff) — Fri, 10 Feb 2006 21:47:00 -0700

On the couch this week: Elaine Chu, Brian Gaither, Allie Gerlach, Richard Huff, Gavin Shearer, Keith Vaitkus.

Topics include: Podcasting for profit, the relationship between big companies and thier blogging employees, Googling yourself - and what you find, the Academy Awards (Brokeback Mountain, Crash), Tom Cruise: crazy or dangerous?

You can listen to the show here. (24.5 MB MP3, 38 minutes)

Our next confab will be February 23, 2006!

Confab #5

confab@confabshow.com (Richard Huff) — Wed, 25 Jan 2006 21:45:00 -0700

On the couch this week: Patrick Broemeling, Richard Huff, Gavin Shearer, Keith Vaitkus, Kevin & Leslie Wagner.

Topics include: Attacks in Iraq during 2005, why people delay solving problems until the crisis point, alliances between evangelicals and environmentalists, property rights, "Date Of Birth", creating props for theater, hacking in your garage, the Disney/Pixar buyout.

You can listen to the show here. (38.5 MB MP3, 58 minutes)

Our next confab will be February 9, 2006!

Confab #4

confab@confabshow.com (Richard Huff) — Wed, 11 Jan 2006 21:43:00 -0700

On the couch this week: Elaine Chu, Richard Huff, Seth Sexton, Gavin Shearer, Keith Vaitkus.

Topics include:

Pat Robertson's batshit-crazy proclamations, American religious diversity, the artistic relationship between intimacy and technology, "Fast, Cheap and out of Control", Segways, the futility of political protest.

You can listen to the show here. (51.7 MB MP3, 1 hour, 21 minutes)

Our next confab will be January 24, 2006!

Confab #3

confab@confabshow.com (Richard Huff) — Wed, 28 Dec 2005 21:41:00 -0700

On the couch this week: Elaine Chu, Brian Gaither, Richard Huff, Gavin Shearer, Keith Vaitkus, Adrianne Young.

Topics include: Renting The Duck, annual passes to the Space Needle, Amazon's 2005 year-end sales data, New Year's resolutions, parentheses in the Bible, "Fast Food Nation", "Everything Bad Is Good For You".

You can listen to the show here. (62.3 MB MP3, 1 hour, 39 minutes)

Our next confab will be January 10, 2006!

Confab #2

confab@confabshow.com (Richard Huff) — Wed, 14 Dec 2005 21:39:00 -0700

On the couch this week: Elaine Chu, Richard Huff, Gavin Shearer, Jeff Smith, Keith Vaitkus.

Topics include: Making money on domain names, "the end of phone numbers", the job of a taxonomist, technology use among the elderly, bankruptcy for companies vs. citizens, "creative destruction."

You can listen to the show here. (56.7 MB MP3, 1 hour, 28 minutes)

Our next confab will be December 27, 2005!

Confab #1

confab@confabshow.com (Richard Huff) — Wed, 30 Nov 2005 21:35:00 -0700

On the couch this week: Elaine Chu, Richard Huff, Khan Klatt, Gavin Shearer, Keith Vaitkus.

Topics include: Terrible names for businesses; genetically modified food; fluoride in the water; Wal-Mart, General Motors & Delphi; politicians who want lower gas prices, but don't care about hunger; "The End Of Suburbia".

You can listen to the show here. (60.7 MB MP3, 1 hour, 34 minutes)

Our next confab will be December 13, 2005!