The Conversation Videos

12:00 p.m. State Route 520 Bridge Replacement There's a new plan for replacing the state Route 520 Bridge. The Seattle City Council gets briefed this morning and we'll brief you at noon. Port of Seattle Lowers Levy The Port of Seattle is reducing its tax rate, but some Port Commissioners think it should have been dropped even more. Copenhagen Climate Report An updated report on climate change assembled for the Copenhagen Summit next month has more bad news. We'll talk to a University of Washington scientist who helped write it. Green Homes, Red Tape KUOW correspondent Tom Banse reports that new energy efficient home building standards are headed for trouble in the upcoming session of the state legislature. 12:20 p.m. 'Good Without God' Harvard University has a Humanist chaplain. He's also an atheist. We'll talk to Greg Epstein about his book Good Without God: What a Billion Nonreligious People Do Believe. 12:40 p.m. Mixology 101 The inventor of the Cosmo and a bartender at New York City's Death & Co. join us in the studio for a cocktail roundtable.

12:00 p.m. State Revenue Down $760 Million A new state revenue forecast is out today. State officials have been bracing for a shock to the system. We bring you the bad news and the good news. New State Math and Science Requirements Superintendent of Public Instruction Randy Dorn announces a change to the state's math and science tests required for graduation. And a delay to the math requirement. We get reactions from the business community. Neighborhood Based Schooling is Back Seattle schools become neighborhood schools again under a new student assignment plan. Phyllis Fletcher reports. 12:20 p.m. Your Winter Olympic Plans The Winter Olympics are right next door in British Columbia next February. Are you going? We'll talk to Seattle Times reporter Ron Judd who's been writing about the difficulties you might have finding tickets and a hotel. Have you been to the Olympics? Share your tales of Olympic triumph or woe. 12:40 p.m. Cornel West on Religion, Academics and Life Dr. Cornel West joins us to talk about how he reconciles his deep belief in Jesus Christ with his love of academic inquiry. The Princeton professor's new book is titled Brother West: Living and Loving Out Loud, A Memoir.

12:00 p.m. Arsonist Caught? Seattle Police have a person of interest in custody in connection the string of arsons in Seattle's Greenwood neighborhood. Hospital Pay The executive of the non profit Valley Medical Center got a $1.7 million retirement bonus. And he's still on the job. John Ryan reports. Sprinkler Blues at Local Clubs A new law requiring expensive sprinkler systems in small performance spaces is causing some local clubs to stop the music. One of them is the popular Capitol Hill nightspot, The War Room. Co owner Brian Rauschenbach joins us. 12:20 p.m. A Different Take on Health Care Reform Harvard Economist David Cutler was on board for the failed Clinton Administration run at health insurance reform. Cutler thinks free market incentives can make doctors and hospitals more effective and more efficient. We'll talk to him about how that would work. 12:40 p.m. Things We Used To Do Once we used clothes lines. Now we have clothes driers. Once the slide rule was the state of art math tool. Calculators have left them in the dust. We'll talk to Anna Jane Grossman, author of Obsolete: An Encyclopedia of Once Common Things Passing Us By about everyday behaviors and apparatuses that are disappearing. We'll also hear from you: What are things or activities some call old fashioned but you call just right?

12:00 p.m. Apples Washington's apple growers are feeling good about sales this year. Early numbers show a strong demand for their 2009 crops. Plus, scientists say they've come up with a better breed of apple that stays fresh for months. John McKay on Marijuana Law Reform Former U.S. Attorney John McKay speaks out on the impact of federal and state marijuana laws. The Electronic Sun The Kitsap Sun has adopted innovative social networking tools for its online readers. We talk with the paper's editor. 12:20 p.m. Ballot Deadline Debate Governor Gregoire and others say Washington needs to update its election day deadline. Instead of making sure ballots are postmarked on election day, they'd like to see ballots in the hands of the state by then. Others say the current system is fine. Secretary of State Sam Reed and Representative Sam Hunt join us to discuss the pros and cons. 12:40 p.m. 'SuperFreakonomics' Four years ago after their groundbreaking book Freakonomics, authors Steven Levitt and Stephen Dubner are back. Their new book, SuperFreakonomics covers everything from drunk driving to prostitution. We talk with the authors.

12:00 p.m. Mourning a Seattle Police Officer The Seattle Police Department is holding a memorial service today for slain Seattle Police Officer Timothy Brenton. KUOW reporter Amy Radil updates us live from this somber event. Unemployment Update The U.S. unemployment rate has exceeded 10 percent of the population. Have we reached the high water mark? Also this week, the U.S. Senate approved extending unemployment benefits. In Washington state some people are able to collect payments for 79 weeks. We'll talk to some experts about what's happening both nationally and here in our state. Domestic Partnerships: Making it Real Backers of the everything but marriage act for domestic partners, Referendum 71, are declaring victory. Practically speaking, what will that mean for same sex partners who want to take advantage of these new benefits? Representative Jamie Pederson joins us to provide some nuts and bolts advice. 12:20 p.m. Nathan Myhrvold on the Stratoshield Former Microsoft technology chief Nathan Myhrvold says we could reverse global climate change by pumping liquid sulfur dioxide into the stratosphere. We could use a hose lifted more than 15 miles into the sky using helium filled balloons. It would dim the sun just enough to reduce or reverse global warming. Nathan Myhrvold explains what he calls the Stratoshield. 12:40 p.m. American Muslim Teenager What's it like to be a Muslim teen in the United States? Dilara Hafiz and Imran Hafiz are a mother and son team that has written a guide. They'll join us to share their valuable tips.

Today The Conversation is talking about the election results. Voters chose King County Councilmember Dow Constantine to be the next County Executive. There are new faces on the Seattle City Council and the Seattle School Board. The domestic partners measure Referendum 71 and the Seattle Mayor's race remains undecided.

12:00 p.m. Leading King County Dow Constantine won a tough battle for the office of King County Executive. He takes office in just a few weeks and joins us to talk about what he'll do first. Bipartisan or Not? King County elections are now officially bipartisan, although you never would have known that during the recent election season. To help us understand the dynamics party affiliation played in the election, we have P I reporter Neil Modie in the studio. 12:20 p.m. Mayoral Race Seattleites still don't know who their next mayor will be. Mike McGinn has a one percent lead over Joe Mallahan. KUOW's Deb Wang reports. Welcome Newcomers There are new faces on the Seattle City Council, Mike O'Brien and Sally Bagshaw and on the Seattle School Board, Betty Patu and Kay Smith Blum. We'll hear from the newcomers. 12:40 p.m. Referendum 71 The domestic partners measure referendum 71 has a very narrow lead with many votes left be counted. Do the election results thus far tell us how it's going to go? Chris McCullough, a political consultant, is here to share his prediction. Initiative 1033 By one survey Tim Eyman's tax and spending reduction measure 1033 was ahead by 30 points, but it went down to defeat. Was it bad polling or a reverse in voter sentiment? Scott Whiteaker from the No on 1033 campaign joins us. Seattle City Port The race for Seattle Port Commission centered on the need for reform. How happy are port reform voters today with the results? Brian Slodysko joins us to discuss the future of the Port of Seattle.

12:00 p.m. Boeing Dreamliner to South Carolina Boeing announced yesterday it will build its second 787 Dreamliner production line in South Carolina instead of Puget Sound. KUOW's Deborah Wang reports. School Board Race In the race for school board in South Seattle voters have a choice between UW researcher Wilson Chin and Betty Patu. Chin touts his ability to parse the district's data. Betty Patu worked for the School District for 32 years coordinating dropout prevention. KUOW's Phyllis Fletcher introduces us to the candidates. Seattle Sounders FC to the Playoffs Local soccer fans are over the moon. The Seattle Sounders FC are headed to the playoffs. That's not bad for their very first year as a major league soccer team. We'll check in with the official Sounders Nerd at the Website Publicola. 12:20 p.m. Boeing in South Carolina Boeing's announcement about moving its second 787 Dreamliner production to South Carolina means future jobs will be in Charleston instead of Everett. They'll be nonunion jobs instead of members of the Machinists union. What's the significance of the decision for organized labor, Puget Sound, and Boeing? Is anyone to blame? Is everyone to blame?

Adam Goldberg appeared in Daze & Confused, Saving Private Ryan and Zodiac and this weekend he takes a turn as an artist in (Untited). Adam stopped by our studios to share his Five Favorite Films.

12:00 p.m. Susan Hutchison King County Executive Candidate Susan Hutchison stood by Police Chief Sue Rahr this week to announce she wants to put the county jails under Rahr's control. Hutchison says it will save money. We'll ask her how. 12:20 p.m. SHARE Clients Forced to Protest? Publicola reports that residents of the tent cities operated by SHARE say they're forced to participate in demonstrations or face eviction. We'll talk to a client of SHARE about his experience. 12:40 p.m. Michael Chabon on Manhood Michael Chabon is the author of 11 books, including the Pulitzer Prize winning The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and the bestseller, The Yiddish Policeman's Union. His latest book is a collection of essays titled Manhood for Amateurs: The Pleasures and Regrets of a Husband, Father, and Son. He'll explain why he thinks a father is a man who fails every day.

Women's Land Rights This week the Seattle based Rural Development Institute launches an initiative to secure land rights for women. Sara Vowell Sarah Vowell talks about her literary history of the Puritans, The Wordy Shipmates. Ruling on Referendum 71 Some gay rights advocates want to publish names of those who signed the petition to get Referendum 71 on the ballot. A group called Protect Marriage Washington sued to block the state from releasing the names. Today the 9th circuit court of appeals heard the case.

WTO and the Right to Protest Ten years ago next month downtown Seattle was shut down by street demonstrations against the World Trade Organization meeting. Downtown Seattle was declared a no protest zone. We'll look at the issue of free speech in a mass protest zone. Highlights from 'The Corner: 23rd and Union' This summer Conversation producer Jenny Asarnow led a multimedia project about the corner of 23rd and Union in Seattle's Central District. It's a corner that has been plagued with problems, but it's also an emotional touchstone for a neighborhood in transition. Last week Mayoral Candidate Mike McGinn stood in front of a restaurant with a bullet hole in it to talk about crime. Today, we'll hear one of the stories she created from neighbors testimony. Nicholas Kristof on Women in Developing Nations Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn were the first husband and wife team to win a Pulitzer prize. Their new book is called Half the Sky after a Chinese proverb: women hold up half the sky. They write that in the 21st century the paramount moral challenge is gender equality in the developing world. Nick Kristof talks about the global problem and a school in Western Washington working on a solution.

12:00 p.m. New Taxes? Governor Gregoire says the door is open for new taxes. We talk to KUOW's Austin Jenkins. Ranked Choice Voting The voters of Pierce County used ranked choice voting to elect their County Executive, County Council and other county officers in 2008. But county officials claim it was expensive, complicated and confusing. So they've put Charter Amendment 3 on the ballot this November, which would eliminate ranked choice voting. We talk to an expert at the University of Washington. Flu Shots Required for Nurses? The Washington State Hospital Association is now considering asking the state to make flu shots mandatory for hospital workers. The association's board is meeting October 14 to consider the idea. 12:20 p.m. Exploring Polyamory Polyamory: The Next Sexual Revolution? asks Newsweek magazine. Polyamory isn't casual dating, it isn't polygamy and it isn't promiscuity, though it's been long construed as each of those things. We want to know if you've been involved or are considering getting involved in Seattle's poly community. Maybe you've experimented with it and it has or hasn't worked out. Call and tell us your experience with it. 12:40 p.m. Troops in Afghanistan President Obama is meeting with Gen. Stanley McChrystal, the U.S. commander in Afghanistan, today. McChrystal says if we don't get 40,000 more troops soon we will likely lose the war. What's the balancing act for President Obama in trying to decide what to do next in Afghanistan?

12:00 p.m. 'Condo Glut' KUOW's Deborah Wang reports on the surplus of condominiums in Seattle. Fred Meyer Expansion Blogs are buzzing about the Greenwood Fred Meyer expansion. We talk to the PhinneyWood blog. Disaster Fair! Auburn's Disaster Preparedness Fair is happening this Saturday. We'll find out what they've got planned. 12:20 p.m. Communes in the Northwest In the early 1970's an estimated 750,000 people lived on tens of thousands of communes across America. The Pacific Northwest was a hotbed. One of the best known was Seattle's Love Israel family commune. Historian Charles LeWarne tells their story. Were you involved with Love Israel, or another commune? Share your story. 12:40 p.m. Puyallup Postcard The Conversation does the Puyallup and brings back stories of prize winning cattle, hypnotism and corn dogs versus churros.

12:00 p.m. Mike McGinn on Nightlife Mayoral candidate Mike McGinn is out with a position paper on Seattle's nightlife. Smooth jazz or punk rock? We'll find out. Carbon Disclosure Most of the biggest businesses in Washington state don't publicly report their greenhouse gas emissions. KUOW's John Ryan reports. 12:20 p.m. Curse of the Good Girl Rachel Simmons, founder of the Girl's Leadership Institute argues that we've idealized girls who are always polite, modest and selfless. Simmons argues the good girl identity is not only impossible to achieve, it also curtails girls' power and potential. Is she right? What's your experience? 12:50 p.m. Senator Cantwell on Health Care KUOW's Derek Wang talks to Senator Maria Cantwell about her position on the health care reform bill being debated in the Senate.

12:00 p.m. Inmates Get a Refund A judge has ordered Pierce County to refund a fee they collected on inmates at a county jail. Net Neutrality The head of the Federal Communications Commission is proposing new rules to insure net neutrality. For those of you who don't play volleyball, what does that mean. And what does it mean to you? 12:20 p.m. Washington State Lands Commissioner Peter Goldmark Peter Goldmark sets policy for 3 million acres of publicly owned land and 2.6 million acres of shorelines and tidelands. Revenue from his department funds public schools and universities. He also runs the state's largest fire department and sets regulations for private timber harvests. 12:40 p.m. The Future of Washington State's Public Lands We continue our conversation with Commissioner Peter Goldmark and take your calls. Two Seattle Geniuses The MacArthur Foundation has awarded two genius grants to Seattleites. Poet Heather McHugh and documentary filmmaker James Longley, whose work includes Iraq in Fragments. We talk to Elizabeth Austen who covers the poetry beat for KUOW about Heather McHugh. And we hear a poem.

12:00 p.m. State Tax Revenue to Drop Washington is forecasting a state revenue drop by $238 million over the next two years. We talk to KUOW's Olympia Correspondent Austin Jenkins about why, and ask what the Governor plans to do about it. Green Grades for Cruise Ships How green are the cruise ships that dock in Seattle? We find out from an environmental group that's out with a new report. And we'll check in with the Seattle Port Commission to find out what being done here. 12:20 p.m. Health Care Reform A powerful Senate committee has advanced their version of health insurance reform. They've dropped the call for a government insurance option for all Americans. Congressman Jim McDermott and other special guests help us parse the plan. 12:40 p.m. Graduating With a D Average In Seattle schools you have to get a C average to graduate. But the school district wants to drop that requirement to a D average. The district says it's not lowering standards. We'll find out why and take your calls.

12:00 p.m. WSU Flu Outbreak More than 2,000 Washington State University students have reported flu symptoms since classes began. The school is taking precautions and treating all cases as the H1N1 virus. KRKO Radio Towers Toppled Vandals topple two radio towers in Snohomish County. We talk to the station's general manager. Bye Bye Ballot Box? Pierce County is the last county in the state where people can vote in person, but that may end. County Executive Pat McCarthy wants to get rid of polling places and hold elections entirely by mail. 12:20 p.m. Compulsive Computers This summer a clinic to help people with internet addiction opened in Fall City. We'll talk to the director. Is your internet or computer use excessive? 12:40 p.m. 100 Years of Freud A century ago a little known Viennese neurologist named Sigmund Freud came to the U.S. to lecture on how the human mind works. Freud's theories were enormously influential in the last century, but what's his legacy today?

(yes, my side of the screen is supposed to be silent) this one has a bit of a story behind it. 5 years ago, we came out here to the Comox Valley for six months so I could finish writing a novel that i'd already been working on for a year. it was about a young wannabe director who goes to America, visits movie locations and starts to lose the line between fantasy and reality. it was pretty funny - and I had a great agent - and everybody thought it was going to be a massive hit - and i fucking BLEW IT i came back from Canada with the book unfinished and started working for my dad's aluminium company. i blamed this on a car accident, which i said had stopped me writing. really though... (i've never admitted this before) i could've finished it if I'd just fucking knuckled down and applied myself. but there you go. 18 months and multiple thousand quid down the bog. RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA then we had Amy, three years passed. the aluminium company went bust, and i went freelance (same thing, more or less). but before i got properly lost in freelance hell (see this video for evidence) i gave the book one last shot. i flew out to San Francisco by myself in november 2006 to revisit the movie locations i'd been writing about. the idea was that i'd write and videoblog while i was there - the sights and sound would fuel a reimagining of the story - and i'd return with a vision of how to tie together all my unfinished fragments. instead i just lost the line between fantasy and reality. so these clips have been sitting unwatched and unedited on my hard drive - a bit too guilt-inducing to open - until now. life is a bit more back on track, we're back in canada, i have a good steady job working for someone i like and i'm starting to feel like i can write again... so i reopened the box.i haven't looked at them all again yet, but i have clips from movie locations all around the san francisco bay area. if you like this, let me know and i'll hack them together. i've also just installed the AddThis plugin at http://twittervlog.tv, something i've been meaning to do for a while. so if you like a video, you can easily add it to a social bookmarking site like StumbleUpon or Delicious so other people can find it, too.and the answer is Yes, this really was shot in Room 773 of the Cathedral Hill Hotel(map), formerly the Jack Tar Hotel, spinetinglingly unchanged 32 years later. and if you haven't seen Coppola's (and Murch's) The Conversation, then what are you doing still reading this? you should be on Amazon or Netflix buying or renting it.