Nerd Farmer Podcast

Latest Episodes:

The Movies of 2024 – Chase Hutchinson, Film Critic – #223 Jul 22, 2024

Show notes

Chase Hutchinson is a Tacoma-based freelance journalist and movie critic. He came on the show to talk about the year in movies. For our conversation, we tried to focus on films not based on pre-existing IP or sequels. So we’re mostly discussing smaller films — a mix of wide release, some available via video on demand (VOD), and others on various streaming platforms.

You will find trailers for each of the films we discussed below:

Do Not Expect to Much from the End of the World

The Feeling That The Time for Doing Something Has Passed

X / Pearl / Maxxxine

Going Further

Follow Chase on Letterboxd and on Bluesky

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The Nerd Farmer Podcast is available on Apple Podcasts and Spotify

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The Attempted Assassination of Donald Trump and the Political Fallout Jul 16, 2024

Show notes

In today’s irregular edition of the podcast, we discussed Saturday’s attempted assassination of former President Trump and the political fallout from it.

I was joined in studio by Producer Doug and Evelyn Lopez, host of Channel 253 Podcast Crossing Division.

BBC Reporting on the Shooting

The (Worrying) State of the Sounders: On-the-field and Off — Dave & Carol, Hands-Free Footy — #221 Jul 08, 2024

Show notes

Dave and Carol are longtime Seattle Sounders season ticket holders and former hosts of the Hands-Free Footy podcast. They decided, for a host of reasons, this would be their last year with season tickets. I asked them to join me for conversation about the state of the football club and its changing relationship with their fanbase.

This is a two-part discussion:

In segment one, we talked about our beloved Seattle Sounders and the troubles they seem to be experiencing off-the-field and in the stands with some of their core supporters and long-time fans.

In segment two, we talked about the recent run of success the Sounders have had on the field, and potential moves they can make in the summer transfer window.

Going Further

Time to Build for Club World Cup is Now – Dave Clark @ Sounder at Heart
Mentioned in Intro: Tacoma Neo-Nazi Sentenced to Four Years in Federal Prison for Violent Hate Crime – John Murphy, Tacoma Against Nazis – #185
Direct download link

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The Vibes Are Off, For Sure—But the US Economy is Doing Better Than You Think — Cameron Harwick, SUNY Brockport — #220 Jun 17, 2024

Show notes

Cameron Harwick is a professor at State University of New York Brockport. He previously joined us in 2022 for a conversation about the causes and impacts of the inflationary crisis in 2022.

My goal in this episode was to help listeners better understand the various economic data and indicators that we encounter on a daily basis. There’s often a gap between the story these indicators tell us about the economy and the popular sentiment among the public.

This discrepancy has significant implications for the upcoming elections and beyond.

Cast of Characters

Cameron Harwick – Website

Going Further

Cameron’s Inflation Explainer – YouTube
Should Inflation Measures Include Borrowing Costs
Direct download link

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How Corporate Landlords are Driving Up Rents — Emmett O’Connell, Olympia Time — #219 May 27, 2024

Show notes

Emmett O’Connell is a recovering journalist, who writes the blog Olympia Time and hosts the podcast Olympia Standard. He recently published an article examining the hoovering up of homes by corporate and institutional landlords and the impact this is having on communities.

Cast of Characters

Emmett O’Connell – Olympia Time & Olympia Standard

Going Further

Emmett’s Article – Re-examining the out-of-town (or just corporate) real estate investment in Thurston County
Blackstone Video – from show intro
This Machine Kills, #207 – Rent High? Blame Bob

Going Even Further: Prior Nerd Farmer Episodes about Housing

Everything in Real Estate Just Changed — Jasmyn Jefferson, Designated Broker and Co-Owner of Windermere Abode Lakewood — #217
A Call for a Tenant Bill of Rights — Zev Cook and David Galazin, Tacoma 4 All — #193
Understanding the Housing Market in Pierce County — Marguerite Martin, Move to Tacoma — #183
The US Housing Market is Not Okay – Nicole Beauchamp, Engel & Volkers NYC – #180
Why We Need Regional Housing Solutions – Rep. Jessica Bateman, Washington State Legislature, 22nd District – #154
The Bottom End of the Housing Market Has Been Destroyed — Will James, Special Projects Reporter, KNKX FM — #150

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The Nerd Farmer Podcast is available on Apple Podcasts and Spotify

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

Navigating the Moral Minefield of AI — Randy Girdner, Artist & Filmmaker — #218 May 13, 2024

Show notes

In this episode, we are joined by Randy Girdner, an educator, filmmaker, and the comic artist creator of the web comic Maurice the Beaver.

This is a conversation about AI and my trepidation about its mainstreaming. I don’t have many answers but I have a ton of concerns. At the same time Randy and I are both regularly using AI programs despite our shared reservations about the technology, its creators, and the place it may come to occupy in our society.

Cast of Characters

Randy Girdner – Website

Going Further

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The Nerd Farmer Podcast is available on Apple Podcasts and Spotify

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

Everything in Real Estate Just Changed — Jasmyn Jefferson, Designated Broker and Co-Owner of Windermere Abode Lakewood — #217 Apr 23, 2024

Show notes

In this episode, we dove into recent shifts in real estate with Jasmyn Jefferson, Designated Broker and co-Owner of Windermere Abode Lakewood. Jasmyn gave us her take on the Tacoma Housing market and the low-down on the recent NAR settlement. She talked about its impact on commission structures and what’s to come in the industry as a whole.

Jasmyn is a realtor but she sees the field through a different lens than most folks in the biz and I think that comes across in this conversation.

Cast of Characters

Jasmyn Jefferson

Going Further

The Case of the Missing $64,000 Homes – Takes & Typos
The NAR Settlement Explained – Yahoo! Finance
Jasmyn’s prior appearance on the show: The Housing Market and the Ethics of Real Estate, Part 1 — Jasmyn Jefferson

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The Nerd Farmer Podcast is available on Apple Podcasts and Spotify

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Muslims Around the World Are Fasting: A Ramadan Reflection – Jasmine El Shear – #216 Mar 31, 2024

Show notes

This month observant Muslims around the world are fasting in observance of Ramadan.

Jasmine El Shear is an Egyptian-American school counselor in the Gulf, advising Emirati students in navigating an American school system. She joined us for a wide-ranging conversation about the holy month of Ramadan, life for Muslim students in US schools, and her recent Umrah trip to Mecca.

Cast of Characters

Jasmine Elshear

Going Further

What Everyone (Especially Teachers) Should Know About Ramadan – #160
Experiencing Ramadan in the Gulf – Takes & Typos

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The Nerd Farmer Podcast is available on Apple Podcasts and Spotify

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Revolutions Take Generations – Nathan Perl-Rosenthal, University of Southern California – #215 Mar 11, 2024

Show notes

Nathan Perl-Rosenthal is an historian of the eighteenth and early nineteenth-century Atlantic world. He focuses on the political and cultural history of Europe and the Americas in the age of revolution, with a emphasis on the transnational influences that shaped modern national politics.

He’s the author of the recent article Revolutions Take Generations in the Atlantic and the book The Age of Revolutions. He joined us to talk about the lessons we can learn from the series of revolutions that took place in the 18th century and the lessons we can learn from them today.

Cast of Characters

Nathan Perl-Rosenthal – USC

Going Further

Revolutions Take Generations – The Atlantic
The Age of Revolutions

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The Nerd Farmer Podcast is available on Apple Podcasts and Spotify

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

“Should Biden Step Aside?” and Constitutional Issues Around the 2024 Election – Michael Artime, PLU – #214 Feb 26, 2024

Show notes

We invited Professor Michael Artime from Pacific Lutheran University back on the show to discuss the upcoming election. In this conversation we covered several topics:

Ezra Klein’s suggestion that Biden step-aside as the Democratic nominee
The 14th Amendment challenges to DJT for along insurrection grounds
The state of our ever more fragile norms
The mainstreaming of Dominionist Christian-Nationalism, with the rise of Speaker Mike Johnson

Cast of Characters

Michael Artime – PLU

Going Further