Nerd Farmer Podcast

A reminder our #NerdFarmReads Fall Book is “We Gon’ Be Alright” by Jeff Chang. Buy it, read it, tweet about it using #NerdFarmReads. We’ll record in the fall.

The World Cup is the biggest sporting event on the planet. Every four years billions of people worldwide tune in to watch their national teams (adopted or otherwise) compete for the most important title in sports. The month-long tournament just wrapped up. On this episode, Nate sat down with Steven Ketelsen and Kevin Zamira, two of the hosts of the Flounders B Team. Flounders B Team is a South Sound soccer podcast on the Channel 253 Podcast Network.

We discussed the cultural divisions within US soccer: “suburban & mainly white (cargo shorts)” versus “urban & mainly Latinx and African immigrant” and how it harms the growth and development of the sport in our county.

We also discussed the US failure to qualify for this World Cup. Coaching is the number one reason, but there are problems at the core. Future pod guest Matt Pentz’s Own Goal is required reading for this conversation.

We then discussed problems with player development and what Nate dubbed “the Lost Generation of USMNT Players.”

We wrapped up a discussion of about the final. 

Extra Credit & For Reference

Panama Announcers at World Cup — just watch the pride

American Fiasco by Roger Bennett — a podcast series about the 1998 World Cup mentioned by Steve

Matt Pentz’s Own Goal on the Ringer — Why we didn’t qualify in 2018

America’s Youth Development Gap

The Socials

Steve on the socials

Kevin on the socials

The Flounders B Team on the socials

*Note: During the 5 Nate didn’t have the heart to tell Steve on-air that @SoccerByIves is Jersey-based, but follow him for good Peruvian food recs anyway

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Housekeeping: Buy the fall #NerdFarmReads Book, We Gon Be Alright: Notes on Race and Resegregation by Jeff Chang

Kent is a school district located south of Seattle that serves 26,000 students and employs 3,400 people. Layoffs were announced this spring and teachers are fleeing in droves. It may be summertime, but we decided to get to the bottom of the sitch in Kent.

Guests: KNKX Youth and Education Reporter, Ashley Gross and 2018 Puget Sound Regional Teacher of the Year and 15-year teaching veteran, 6th Grade Teacher, Denisha Saucedo

5:00 Nate kicks off the show with an anecdote he’s heard about the laying-off of Kent’s entire I.T. department

10:00 What is the McCleary Decision? What is a Title I School? And what do they have to do with all of this?

19:00 Kent’s finances are especially messy. Ashley Gross explained, how unusual is it to borrow from the Capital budget and/or the Rainy Day fund?

23:00 Denisha discusses the impact of the budget situation on her students, especially her level of access to technology.

28:00 Denisha and Ashley bat around their perspectives on the level of culpability of the School Board versus the Superintendent

32:00 **Nate conflict of interest disclaimer** re: The Broad Foundation

34:00 What’s the “Geographic Footprint of Kent Schools”?

38:00 What are some solutions (spoiler: there aren’t many)?

41:00 Who should the audience follow if they want to know more about what’s happening in Kent?

The 2:

1. Denisha: Where is that necklace from?
2. Ashley: Favorite Pho Joint? (Mekong Bar, 4th & Vine)

The Socials

Ashley Gross Twitter

Denisha Saucedo Twitter

Going Further

Channel 253 Memberships

Broad Foundation

Paige Cornwell, Seattle Times

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This week’s guests are local experts on books, films, and music. We hear from Katy Evans who works for The Grand Cinema (the local arthouse theater.) We get music recs from hip hop head, local podcaster, realtor, and ex-educator Dave Jones. And we learn what we should be reading from our only four-time-show-guest Kenny “I have a lot of opinions” Coble of King’s Books.

We started the show with a reminder about the fall #NerdFarmReads Book Club: We Gon’ Be All Right by Jeff Chang: buy it, read it, tweet about it using #nerdfarmreads

Katy on Flicks

9:30 The Rider from Chloé Zhao

21:00 Sorry To Bother You

33:00 God’s Own Country

35:00 The Handmaiden

43:00 Atomic Blonde

Dave Jones on Music

15:00 Phonte, If you like Jay-Z 4:44

26:00 Khruangbin

31:00 Black Panther Hot Take

38:00 Stimulator Jones

Kenny Coble on Good Reads

18:00 Things That Make White People Uncomfortable by Michael Bennett

18:00 So You Want To Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo

28:00 Who Fears Death by Nnedi Okorafor

39:00 There, There by Tommy Orange

46:00 Pachinko by Min Jin Lee

The Hot Take 5:

1. What’s the first thing you read in the morning? (Dave Jones)
2. Found Adult Read? (Kenny Coble)
3. Best Brunch in the city? (Katy Evans)
4. Are you messing with Kanye’s new album? (Dave Jones)
5. Favorite Action Flick? (Kenny Coble)

Going Further

What did Kanye do?

Ralph Marston Daily Motivator

Alma Mater

Black Panther IMDB

Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell

Socials:

Katy Nicoud Twitter

iDaveJones Twitter

Tha Deacon Twitter

Kenny Coble Twitter

Tha Deacon IG

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Dr. Holliman Douglas is a Washington transplant by way of Tennessee to Kentucky. She holds degrees from Western Kentucky and Murray State University as well as a doctorate in Ed Leadership and Policy Studies from Eastern Kentucky University. She is the first person to hold this position at the college because the students wanted it, needed it, and asked for it.  She completely believes in a liberal arts education and wholeheartedly believes her (currently unborn) child will attend one, when the time comes.

12:00 What is happening in K-12 that isn’t happening in college? A discussion surrounding equity gaps, female students, historically marginalized students teach them about their future and possibilities.  How should K-12 and Secondary Ed have a conversation?

16:00 Given what’s happening with demographics, how should university prepare for the new generation of students?

21:00 Why is it so difficult for universities to create spaces?

22:00 What should the university role in helping shape our political future moving forward?

28:00 A deep dive into student retention at the college level and the factors that impact it.

33:00 What is service learning and where is it shown in Evergreen and Washington, as a state?

38:00 A conversation surrounding the ratio of faculty of color to students of color.

The 5.1

1. Solid Book Recommendation?
2. Favorite Restaurant in town?
3. If you had absolute freedom, what crazy, kooky program would you put together?
4. Netflix Recommendation of the moment?
5. Give me a TV you enjoy?
6. How did you fall in love with New Edition?

Books

The Chief Diversity Officer: Strategy, Structure, and Change Management

Don’t Touch My Hair!  

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Congressman Denny Heck is a Greener, author, film-buff, and the representative of the 10th Congressional District. His top priorities are growing jobs, growing economy, and feeding the American Dream. He serves on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence and has strong thoughts about housing policy.

5:00 What are the primary  concerns of your constituents?

10:00 What message do the national Democratic Party have for places like Elkhart, IN and Shelton, WA?

13:00 When we vote for a Republican we get a tax-hating, abortion restricting, deregulating, gun-loving conservative. What do we get when we vote Democrat?

16:00 A realistic view of what could or might happen after midterm elections…

17:00 How housing affordability and experiencing homelessness are influencing the country and economic turns.

23:00 Do you think there’s hope for an actual bipartisan infrastructure plan soon or in the long-term?

26:00 What does tribal sovereignty look like in 2018 and the future?

29:00 Regarding recent moves by the Trump Administration: is it odd to pull out of a negotiated deal with Iran on the eve of an impending negotiation with North Korea?

32:00 What do Republicans say to you (when no one else is listening) about say about the current state-of-affairs?

34:00 Opinions on reducing the role of Gerrymandering.

Listener Questions

35:00 What should happen between now and November to prevent foreign intervention in our elections?

38:00 Why is the disposition with the house? What’s up with David Nunez?

43:00 What’s the worst case scenario/long term trajectory with respect to the tax bill and the wealthy?

48:00 Where are we nationally on the issue of marijuana?

51:00 What’s your philosophy on engaging with constituents?

53:00 Thoughts on Net Neutrality? How do you think the FCC and the courts will handle it?

The 5 (ish)

1. Greatest Movie Ever Made?
2. If you weren’t a member of congress, what would you be doing?
3. How do you pass the time on flights?
4. What was your first book about?
5. Is there a teacher out there you’d like to thank from your childhood?
6. Do you have a favorite summer break memory?

Going Further

Denny Heck Online

Find Your Representative

The Socials

Twitter

Email Denny Heck

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Aaron Artman: President of Rainers and Sounders FC2

Casey Catherwood: Creative Director (Ringmaster) Rainers and Sounders FC2

Aaron is a tech and marketing dude who loves sports and has found a home in Tacoma. Casey is a musical journalist turned event planner, now Executive in Charge of Chicanery, Nonsense, and Tomfoolery for Sounders FC 2 and the Tacoma Rainiers. 

2:00:  How in the world did y’all end up here?

12:00: Cheney Stadium, sunsets, forming community, switching to the R logo, and working with great partners in Tacoma.

15:00: The science behind when people will go to soccer versus when they will go to baseball. Ownership? Contracts?  How does all this work? How much does it cost to transform the stadium?

23:00: Where are we getting new players? Are these kids really 15-20 years old?

28:00: The purpose of minor league team is to develop talent. The people that watch and come to wins would like to see wins. How do you navigate these two interests?

33:00: S2’s move to Tacoma happened faster than anyone expected. One of the reasons is that NASL (RIP) was involved in a lawsuit (it’s complicated). Cheney provides a higher capacity than Starfire. What are the opportunities you’re excited about exploring? 

35:00 What is your favorite ‘What the hell is Casey Doing?!” moment? and what’s up with the pineapples?

41:00 What is the proposed stadium location? There’s a rebrand coming! What should we do? [Warning: this is some deep South Sound soccer nerdery].

The 5

1. What’s the best or your favorite live sporting event?
2. Is there a soccer stadium you’re looking to for inspiration?
3. Best athlete you ever saw in person?
4. If you had to listen to one song on repeat, what would it be?
5. What’s the best concession value that which people don’t take advantage?

Going Further

Nate’s Top World Stadiums ~5000 capacity

Tacoma Kraken

Video of Epic Sax Gorilla

Twitter

Casey Catherwood

Sounders FC 2

Tacoma Rainers

Websites

Sounders FC 2

Tacoma Rainers

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Neal Morton: Seattle Times K-12 Reporter, School Finance, and Ed Lab Baller, Nevada Native and PNW Explorer

Sean Robinson: Pierce County Council, Government, Crime, Justice, Investigative Super-Sleuth Gumshoe Reporter

Sinclair Broadcasting is the number one owner of media and is shaping our perceptions. We are in a period of transition. The Internet is ascendant. Radio is full of awful conglomerates. Newspapers are struggling. Our story begins here.

5:00 Sean discusses reporting on crime. More lasting than other kinds of stories

6:00 Current State of Affairs in Media? How does it compare with other parts of the country?

8:30 Discussing the Mike Rosenberg Tweet: The Times cut 24 jobs. KOMO cut 10 jobs. NBC shut Seattle based breaking news. Seattle PI is down to 6 people.

12:00 How are reporters evaluated? How is your effectiveness as a  journalist measured?

16:00 What is it about the Times that you do community engagement events all the time? Readers have a relationship with the paper.

24:00 A discussion of consolidation within US and local media.

Questions:

37:00 Who are some talented up and coming newsroom persons of color?

40:00 What does the future look like for journalism students?

44:00 Comparing Teacher salaries versus Journalist Salaries.

49:00 How can we support local papers?

51:00 How do we get quality, credible news online without a paywall?

The Five:

1. Whose byline excites you?
2. Give a letter grade to the national media.
3. (Two part question)
4. What is a story you wish you could cover (given infinite time and resources?)
5. What is one book every listener should read?

Videos

Sinclair Media

John Oliver Sinclair Media

Subscribe

Seattle Times

Tacoma News Tribune

Going Further

Seattle Times: Newsroom is Shrinking

Mike Rosenberg Tweet

The Making of an American Nazi by Luke O’Brien

Bylines

Ryan Clark

Dahlia Bazzaz

Corinne Chin

Erica L Green, NY Times

Luke O’Brien, The Atlantic

Books We Discussed

In the Garden of Beasts: Love, Terror, and an American Family in Hitler’s Berlin by Eric Larson

Hitlerland: American Eyewitnesses to the Nazi Rise to Power by Andrew Nagorski

Richard II by William Shakespeare

Next #NerdFarmReads Selection

We Gon’ Be Alright: Notes on Race and Resegregation by Jeff Chang

Contact:

Neal Morton Twitter

Neal Morton Email

Sean Robinson Twitter

Sean Robinson Email

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In the days following our #nerdfarmreads discussion of “Evicted” by Matthew Desmond, two of our most popular guests, News Tribune columnist Matt Driscoll and Rep. Laurie Jinkins, reached out separately about continuing the conversation. Matt wanted to talk about the impact of systemic-racism on housing and its role in the disproportionately high number evictions of black women. Laurie had similar thoughts and also wanted to discuss policy solutions.

We set a date to have a conversation in my classroom the evening of Mayor Woodard’s State of the City Address. This was an experiment, the first ever pop-the-trunk-addendum-episode of the podcast.

If you haven’t done so already, cop a copy of evicted by Matthew Desmond.

Heads up: our fall #nerdfarmreads selection will be “We Gon’ Be Alright” by Jeff Chang. It’s available at your local bookseller; if you’re in Tacoma hit up King’s Books.

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Dahlia is a graduate from the University of Oregon (booo!). She works as an engagement editor and occasional reporter for the Seattle Times’ Education Lab. She and her family have always been interested in foreign affairs; this led Dahlia down the path of journalism. Her commitment to promoting the voices of students, teachers, and educators is inspiring. Education Lab is a team in the Seattle Times newsroom that looks for education solutions in the Puget Sound.

6:00 Dahlia discusses her path to journalism, her family life, and how she got to Seattle Times.

9:00 Dahlia re-caps a few of her favorite and/or more notable stories.

13:00 The state-of-affairs in education in Washington state is?

16:30: Dahlia and Nate discuss Ignite Seattle, 5 minute talks from persons in the education system, which (let’s face it) everyone has either been in the system or is currently a part of it.

23:00 Black Hair Matters

32:00 I Called a Student An Idiot

45:45 How Plants Saved My Life

53:00 What is Ignite Seattle looking for in submissions? How can you participate?

56:00 Try To Be Normal. Fix Yourself.

The Five

1. Who do you read first thing in the morning?
2. What’s your favorite non Nerd Farmer podcast?
3. What is the last book you read? Is there a book every person should?
4. What qualities would look for in a new Seattle Schools Superintendent?
5. When you think about the work you do, how do you know you’ve made it?

The Socials:

Seattle Times Byline

Twitter

Books:

We Were 8 Years in Power by Ta-Nehisi Coates

A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini

Where can I watch footage of Ignite Seattle?

Here! (Hint: This is also an article she’s written!)

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Matt Driscoll: Columnist for The News Tribune, Decent Dude: “What I gathered from Evicted are the Stories.”

Candice Ruud: Government Beat Writer of News Tribune, Former New Yorker: “We all come from different places and we could all end up experiencing homelessness.”

Halley Knigge: Professional Communicator, Astute Reader, Cancer-Beating Bad Ass, Raconteur : “This book is perspective changing.”

Evicted is a book of our times, the tales of vulnerable families, living on the brink, and sometimes going over the edge into poverty.

4:30: As the relationship between tenant and landlord becomes more transactional, It makes people living in rentals more vulnerable. Sharina, the landlord in Evicted, is such a landlord. The book gives perspective on both the harsh reality and necessity of the character, her job, and her lifestyle.

11:30: Halley shares her personal struggle with cancer and how this book both impacted her and brought to light all the “what-ifs” and “maybes” that could have broken her and her family with recent developments in her life.

16:30: Is there an eviction epidemic in Tacoma? If so, how are we  handling it, if at all? We do have a waitlist for Section 8 housing that is not much more than a lottery.

21:00: The panel discusses not their favorite, but most resonant passages of the text. 

30:00: Once you have an eviction, the difficulty increases. An eviction severely limits one’s ability to get good housing, as well as the location of the housing. Some persons would like to argue that is is our choices to lead us to the lives we live. But what are the choices?  

34:00 How can we make connections from Evicted to Tacoma Current State of Affairs? How do we define affordable housing and what is it?

38:00: Why is there so little political energy guided toward this problem?

43:00: Where are the points of light and hope in the book?

48:00: Advice from the panelists about why listeners should read this book?

“This book is about you and it’s about your neighbors.”

Twitter

Halley Knigge

Matt Driscoll

Candace Ruud

Author Matthew Desmond

Books!

Evicted by Matthew Desmond

We Gon’ Be Alright by Jeff Chang   

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