Nerd Farmer Podcast

Armenia and Azerbaijan: A Lasting Peace? – Sevinc Osmanqizi – #250

This week we welcome back Azeri dissident journalist Sevinc Osmanqizi, joining us for her third appearance on the show. Sevinc is one of the most prominent independent voices covering Azerbaijan and has a massive Azeri language YouTube Channel with over 600k followers. When news broke that Armenia and Azerbaijan had reached an agreement many see as the formal end to their decades-long dispute over Nagorno-Karabakh, Sevinc was the first person I wanted to hear from. In this conversation, she helped me unpack what the deal actually means on the ground, how it’s being received in both countries, and where the region might be headed from here. But most passionately she talked about the destructive role of Russia in region. Tap in. Cast of Characters Sevinj – YouTube – Instagram Going Further & Related Episodes Understanding the Conflict Between Azerbaijan and Armenia over Nagorno Karabakh — Sevinc Osmanqizi — #188 The End of the Conflict Over Nagorno-Karabakh? – Sevinc Osmanqizi – #205 A Baku Travelogue Subscribe to my newsletter, Takes & Typos!  Consider supporting the podcast by joining Channel 253 as a member

Community Natural Hazard Preparedness – Dave Clark, Factal – 249

In July, a flood ripped through Kerr County, Texas, killing at least 104 people and leaving the community devastated. Federal emergency assistance was nowhere to be seen and then feckless when it finally arrived, a small-scale replay of Katrina. The response was further hampered by a fragmented media environment that left communities scrambling for reliable information, and by the Trump administration’s politicization of the disaster. Local officials gave angry press conferences while F.E.M.A., weakened by budget cuts, wasn’t up to the task. Given the twin pressures of climate change and political dysfunction, this is likely our future.  That is the impetus for this conversation about community-based natural hazard preparedness. Note that intentional language choice. As our guest, Dave Clark from Factal, points out, people in emergency management are increasingly pivoting to this framing. The idea is that incidents like these should no longer be treated as unforeseeable disasters, but as hazards we all need to prepare for. And as a reminder for folks in Tacoma, our city sits on a fault line and in the shadow of a volcano. Cast of Characters Dave Clark – Connect with Dave Factal Going Further & Related Episodes Social Diversification, Blogging is Back, and How to Combat Disinformation – Dave Clark – #212 Subscribe to my newsletter, Takes & Typos!  Consider supporting the podcast by joining Channel 253 as a member

Chris Langston, Proof – Tacoma Small Biz Series Vol. 6 – 248

We’re closing out the summer with another edition of the Tacoma Small Business Series. This episode features Chris Langston of Proof, a new-ish cocktail lounge in Old Town. Chris was previously the mind behind en Rama, Hilltop Kitchen, and 1022 South J. Chris is a great dude. He brings an apothecary approach to cocktails and has been serving up premium hooch in the city for nearly twenty years. In this conversation he talks about the origins of Proof and some lessons learned from his time in the service industry. Proof is located at 2312 N 30th in Old Town. Cast of Characters Proof on Instagram Proof website Going Further & Related Episodes NYT review of 1022 South J Small Biz Series Vol. 5 – Balcon X Vol. 4 – Campfire Coffee  Vol. 3 – Love by the Slice Vol. 2 – ETC Vol. 1 – Doyle’s Subscribe to my newsletter, Takes & Typos!  Consider supporting the podcast by joining Channel 253 as a member

“How to Stand Up to a Dictator” Bookclub – Halley Knigge & Trayton Otto – 247

Halley returned as our most frequent guest, joined by Trayton for his third book club appearance, to take on How to Stand Up to a Dictator by Nobel Peace Prize winner Maria Ressa. We started with our entry points: what drew each of us to the book, what readers should know about Ressa’s career and work, and why her story felt urgent in this moment. Trayton gave a concise overview for those who hadn’t read it, and from there we compared first impressions—where the book was most effective and where it came up short. The discussion then turned to the details: the passages that stayed with us, the impact of Ressa choosing memoir as her form, and the ways her ideas connected to our own lives. We also explored the limits of the text and pointed listeners toward other works worth reading alongside it for anyone concerned with disinformation, democracy, and resisting authoritarianism.  It is a thoughtful conversation about the stakes of truth and the courage required to defend it. Cast of Characters Halley Knigge  Trayton Otto Going Further  A Thousand Cuts – PBS Frontline How to Stand Up to a Dictator How Civil Wars Start: And How to Stop Them Next Book Club Pick: Careless People Subscribe to my newsletter, Takes & Typos!  Consider supporting the podcast by joining Channel 253 as a member

A Peek Inside the School Board – Lisa Keating, Tacoma School Board Director – 246

Lisa Keating is an advocate for student well-being and making sure schools in Tacoma are welcoming to all students. This fall she is running for re-election. In this conversation, we looked back on her first campaign, how the pandemic has shaped the last half decade of schooling in Tacoma, the $30 million shortfall the district faced in the spring, and the work ahead for the school board. Keating was elected to the Tacoma School Board in 2019.  Cast of Characters: Lisa Keating – Campaign Website Going Further & Related Episodes:  Lisa Keating, candidate for Tacoma school board – Citizen Tacoma Back to school with Director Lisa Keating, Tacoma Public Schools – Citizen Tacoma Subscribe to my newsletter, Takes & Typos!  Consider supporting the podcast by joining Channel 253 as a member