Richard Huff's Seattle Social Blog

All four Confab founders (Gavin Shearer, Jeff Smith, Keith Vaitkus and me) introduce neophyte Confabber, Jill Novik, to the world of podcasting. Jill had originally been invited to the June 29, 2006 Confab as a representative of the City of Seattle's broadband initiative, but had to cancel at the last minute. This was her first chance to make good on that original invitation, even though we never got around to having a follow-up discussion about Seattle's broadband situation during this show. Instead, we ramble on about barely connected topics, until I commit myself to a potentially embarrassing participatory research study on online dating.

Listen to the show for more details: www.confabshow.com.

The demand for photos of Tapas (a.k.a., the "cutest dog in the world") far exceeds my ability to catch him on film, but I took a little time over the weekend to shoot some photos while we played. Only about 10% of the exposures result in a photo of Tapas. The remaining 90% are "parts of Tapas" or just blurs. He's a fast, little dog.

Due to a technical problem (that I take responsibility for) during our regular Tuesday recording of Podcasting Liberally at Seattle's chapter of Drinking Liberally, I get to be a guest on a re-recording held the following Wednesday. Mollie Bradley-Martin and Will Kelley-Kamp graciously indulge my opinions about the recent 5-4 Washington Supreme Court decision upholding the ban on same-sex marriage, and the issue of vagrancy in downtown Seattle. Our official conclusion: both are bad.

Listen at: www.podcastingliberally.com.

The two days of mid- to high 90^oF weather preceding TrailsFest had me a little concerned. (For those of you not from Seattle, 75^oF is our average high temperature for the month of July.) It's good to have nice weather, but extreme weather could result in low attendance. I'm happy to report that, although very warm, the temperature was not as extreme as the prior two days. Overall attendance was excellent this year.

We arrived at Rattlesnake Lake for my 7:00 am shift as the exhibitor guide. (Exhibitors unload their wares and set up their booths between 7:00 am and 9:00 am.) My 9:00 am to 11:30 am shift at the visitor information booth gave me a chance to meet visitors as they arrive. The rest of the day was spent visiting each of the booths, kayaking, and touring the Cedar River Watershed Education Center (adjacent to Rattlesnake Lake).

All the staff and volunteers of Washington Trails Association, the exhibitors and sponsors deserve commendation for their outreach efforts.

New Confabber, Andy Boyer, joins returning pop-culture guru, Allie Gerlach, and show co-hosts, Gavin Shearer and me, for an evening of seemingly random topics. After some celebrity dirt talk, we launch into a "stream of consciousness" that covers everything from how the Internet is becoming television to how bad people look on HDTV (because of how clearly you can now see their blemishes). I'm glad to say that we end the show on a much more intellectual conversation about the differences between working for a startup and a large company.

Listen to the show at www.confabshow.com.

Saturday, July 22nd, I will be volunteering for the fourth consecutive year at Washington Trails Association's TrailsFest. TrailsFest is WTA's annual celebration of, "Getting out and Playing [Outdoors]." The event combines a sort of open-air tradeshow with activities (e.g., hiking, kayaking, cookoff, etc.) at Rattlesnake Lake. Exhibitors include REI, MSR, Outdoor Research, Green Trails Maps, Tiger Mountain Gear, and many other leaders in the hiking and camping world. There will be a climbing wall, pack llamas, kayaks, and one of the best hikes (Rattlesnake Ledge) in the area. (The photo was taken from Rattlesnake Ledge during TrailsFest 2003. Click on it to enlarge the picture.)

TrailsFest is a family friendly event. At a mere 32 miles out of downtown Seattle via I-90, it's also easy to reach. I encourage everyone considering outdoor activities this summer to kick off the season by attending TrailsFest. I'll be at the information booth for most of the morning.