Nerd Farmer Podcast

The show’s roots are local but it wanders wherever my interests happen to lead. 

Since moving to Abu Dhabi, I have had the opportunity to visit several countries I never would have considered visiting prior. For example, this fall I went to the Republic of Georgia and this past February I continued exploring the Caucasus with a trip to Baku, Azerbaijan. I documented this trip in my weekly newsletter.

I enjoyed my trip to Azerbaijan. One of the topics that came up several times while talking to Azeris was the ongoing conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia over control of Nagorno-Karabakh. This is a disputed territory claimed by both states that has been the subject of two wars. At one point, while visiting the Presidential Museum, it became clear to me that I was being propagandized about the conflict. So I did a deep dive that night at the hotel but the more I learned about the dispute, the more questions I had. 

When I returned home, I put up the Bat Signal and listener Dr. Joanne Lisosky, from our friends at Pacific Lutheran University, connected me with an expert. Her name is Sevinj Osmanqizi. Sevinj is a journalist and author and best known for being on the other side of interviewers with political figures. She is one of the most critical journalistic voices about events in Azerbaijan and was labeled a “traitor” by the regime for opposing the 2020 Karabakh War. I invited her on to get the lowdown on this complicated conflict. 

Sevinj is knowledgeable and passionate about her homeland and events there. I really enjoyed learning from her and hope you do too.

Cast of Characters & Going Further

• Sevinj – YouTube – Instagram
• Takes & Typos – on Azerbaijan

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The Nerd Farmer Podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, and Google Podcasts and is brought to you by Libro FM 

Please consider supporting the podcast by joining Channel 253 as a member

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This is our long awaited conversation about Dopesick by Beth Macy. Dopesick is the story of the orign and rise of the opioid crisis and the actions of pharmaceutical companies in flooding our communities with drugs. The opioid crisis, a uniquely American problem, was manufactured by capitalism and our market-based health care system. 

In the book, Macy looks at how a black market pill crisis became a heroin crisis, and has now become an overdose crisis that claims nearly 100k lives each year.

Dopesick generated more conversation of the Channel 253 Member Slack than any topic we’ve ever discussed. The book and this episode is worth your time.

Cast of Characters & Going Further

• Halley Knigge – Twitter
• Trayton Otto – Twitter
• Ingrid Walker – Twitter
• Buy Dopesick  from Kings Books

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The Nerd Farmer Podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, and Google Podcasts and is brought to you by Libro FM 

Please consider supporting the podcast by joining Channel 253 as a member

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Eli Cranor is an Arkansas based writer. His debut novel, Don’t Know Tough, is about a troubled young man named Billy Lowe, who is taken under his wing by the new football coach, Trent Powers, newly arrived arrived from California. It’s a southern noir novel, so you know it’s more complicated than that.

He joined us to talk about his novel, his influences, and what it’s like to write about the people and places you grew up around.

Don’t worry, this is spoiler-free conversation of Don’t Know Tough.

Cast of Characters & Going Further

• • Eli Cranor – Twitter
  • Eil’s website (warning: cute dog photo)
  • Don’t Know Tough – NYT Review

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The Nerd Farmer Podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, and Google Podcasts and is brought to you by Libro FM 

Please consider supporting the podcast by joining Channel 253 as a member

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Tacoma Against Nazis (TAN) was founded in 2017 to warn the community about the presence of a violent neo-Nazi cell operating in the city of Tacoma. A member of that cell, Jason “Gravy” DeSimas, was recently sentenced to four years in federal prison for a violent hate crime in Edmonds, WA. While TAN’s anti-fascist protests drew the ire of local media, the arrest and conviction of Gravy for a violent assault drew near-zero local coverage. 

So we invited John Murphy, an organizer of TAN, to talk about the sentencing, what happened to Gravy’s co-minglers, and how this story fits into other events we’re seeing, in particular the federal sedition trials in Washington DC of the Oathkeepers and Proud Boys. 

It’s worth noting, Gravy was sentenced to 48 months in prison but credited with time served since his arrest, He will be back on the streets and likely back in Tacoma in two years.

Cast of Characters & Going Further

• • Tacoma Against Nazis – Twitter
  • TAN – Website & Blog
  • DOJ statement on Gravy’s sentencing
  • John’s Prior Appearance on the Show – The Seattle Sounders, MLS, and the Need for Courage Against Fascism 
  • Brandi Buchman – Reporter from Daily Kos covering sedition trials – Mastodon

Subscribe to my newsletter, Takes & Typos!

The Nerd Farmer Podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, and Google Podcasts and is brought to you by Libro FM 

Please consider supporting the podcast by joining Channel 253 as a member

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS

Last night (Gulf Time), as Auckland City and Egypt’s Al Ahly were kicking off in Morocco, we jumped on with Dave Clark, founder and writer at Sounder at Heart. Dave knows more about football in the Arab world and Sounders youth development than any writer covering the team, so he was the ideal guest for the conversation. We talked about the Sounders upcoming match against Egyptian giants Al Ahly on Saturday and the prospects for the upcoming season, which Dave thinks may be the final run for the core of the team.

Cast of Characters

• Dave Clark – Full Moon Storytelling & Mastodon

Going Further

• Dave’s 3 Deep Sounders Depth Chart
• The history Al Ahly

Subscribe to my newsletter, Takes & Typos!

The Nerd Farmer Podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, and Google Podcasts and is brought to you by Libro FM 

Please consider supporting the podcast by joining Channel 253 as a member

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This week we are joined by the founder and proprietor of Move to Tacoma, Marguerite Martin, to talk about what’s happening in the housing market in Pierce County. This conversation is a continuation of the discussion we had with NY based real estate consultant, Nicole Beauchamp, in December. 

Marguerite, as ever, was fascinating and insightful and this conversion is worth your time.

Cast of Characters

• Marguerite Martin – Move to Tacoma & LinkedIn

Going Further

• The US Housing Market is Not Okay – Nicole Beauchamp, Engel & Volkers NYC – #180
• My AI Is Sexually Harassing Me’: Replika Users Say the Chatbot Has Gotten Way Too Horny – Vice 

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The Nerd Farmer Podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, and Google Podcasts and is brought to you by Libro FM 

Please consider supporting the podcast by joining Channel 253 as a member

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS

On December 22, Channel 253 hosted the first Adult Civics Happy Hour since the start of the pando. This is the second of two panels from that evening.

Cast of Characters

• Rep Elect Sharlett Mena – 29th LD – Twitter
• Rep Jessica Bateman – 22nd LD – Twitter
• Sen Yasimn Trudeau – 27th LD – Twitter 

Subscribe to my newsletter, Takes & Typos!

The Nerd Farmer Podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, and Google Podcasts and is brought to you by Libro FM 

Please consider supporting the podcast by joining Channel 253 as a member

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS

On December 22, Channel 253 hosted the first Adult Civics Happy Hour since the start of the pando. This is the first of two panels from that evening.

Cast of Characters

• Kari Plog – KNKX FM
• Jared Brown – TNT

Going Further

Prior podcast coverage of the Troyer case: here, here, and here.

Subscribe to my newsletter, Takes & Typos!

The Nerd Farmer Podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, and Google Podcasts and is brought to you by Libro FM 

Please consider supporting the podcast by joining Channel 253 as a member

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS

As we did when then Mayor Strickland left her position, this week’s episode is an Exit Interview with Pierce County Council Chair, Derek Young. Young’s career in public service began in 1997, when he was elected to the Gig Harbor City Council, he will leave elected office in January for a gig TBD.

We spoke about the unfortunate Troyer verdict, the ways he feels he’s left the county better than when he entered office, his relationship with Executive Dammeier, what it was like to serve on the council with Pam Roach, and what’s next for him.

Cast of Characters

• Derek M. Young – not that Derek, this one

Going Further

• Derek’s first appearance on the pod – Stop Worrying About Trump and Get Active Locally
• #NerdFarmReads – Dopesick – LibroFM and Kings Books
• Direct Download Link

Subscribe to my newsletter, Takes & Typos!

The Nerd Farmer Podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, and Google Podcasts and is brought to you by Libro FM 

Please consider supporting the podcast by joining Channel 253 as a member

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS

Housing is a topic we return to with regularity. This is largely thanks to its roots and association with the Pod Auntie’s Move to Tacoma Podcast. With rising interest rates (and inflation) shrinking folks’ buying power, I thought it was time for another check-in on the housing and real estate markets. This episode has a national focus, with the intent to do a locally focused follow-up in the coming weeks.

This week’s show guest is Nikki Beauchamp. Nikki is a real estate advisor. She is based in New York City but has a reach across the country and the globe. She was dope! This is my favorite episode we’ve had in a minute and she’s agreed to come back on the pod for a Part 2 down the road.

Mentioned in the show intro: Here’s a link to my new weekly newsletter, Takes & Typos.

Cast of Characters

• Nikki – Insta and LinkedIn 

Nerd Farmer Housing & Real Estate Conversations

• The Housing Market and the Ethics of Real Estate – Jasmyn Jefferson – #107
• A Protest Movement to End Homelessness – Rebecca Parson, Tacoma Housing Now – #113
• How Homeowners in Rising Housing Markets Can Fight Displacement – Marguerite Martin – #117
• The Missing Middle in Housing – Joseph Tovar, American Planning Association – #153
• Why We Need Regional Housing Solutions – Rep. Jessica Bateman – #154
• Direct Download Link

The Nerd Farmer Podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, and Google Podcasts and is brought to you by Libro FM 

Please consider supporting the podcast by joining Channel 253 as a member

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS