This is an interview I did today (January 19, 2009) with Jason L. Owens, volunteer manager for Volunteers of America - Colorado. I was inspired to check out VOA as part of President-Elect Obama's call to service on Martin Luther King Day. VOA is one of 5,000 organizations where volunteers signed up to help today. Obama himself did some painting today at Walter Reed Army Medical Center.

Jason gave me two volunteer applications, for my wife and I to fill out. We will do so and plan to spend some time learning what volunteer opportunities are nearby our home in Downtown Denver.

My wife and I attended a "house party" organized by the Obama campaign, one of 4,000 such events held across the country this past weekend. Ours was held at the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard and featured an introductory talk by Marshall Ganz.

My college friend Ben Beach, editor of The Wilderness Society's Wilderness Magazine, never misses a Harvard-Yale football game and always holds a tailgate barbecue before the game. In this podcast Ben talks about the hard-to-define pleasure he gets from this regularity, and he and I remember the most famous Harvard-Yale game in the 125-year history of the classic, 1968's version which ended in a 29-29 tie. The podcast contains audio clips from Ben and his wife Carol's 36th consecutive barbecue this year, and also some audio from a showing at a local movie theatre of "Harvard Beats Yale, 29-29," a new documentary out about the game. I highly recommend the movie, which The New Yorker calls "a fascinating feat of cultural archeology."

My wife Darlene, a quilter, today helped me think through the talk I'll give this weekend in Billings, Montana, about Internet technology and the arts. She looks for tools that help her do things, not a lot of personality and ego. Good advice for this podcaster! (She's also looking for a good video podcast about quilting, so please leave her any tips in the comments.)

The workshops are being presented by the Montana Arts Council. Previous sessions were held in Great Falls and Missoula.

Music for my podcast is "Going to the Sun" composed and performed by Montana musicians Christine Dickinson, Janet Haarvig and Matthew Lyon. It's from their Glacier Journey CD.

Phone comments: 206-666-2713 Email: [email protected]

We've seen a lot of Barack Obama here in Colorado in recent weeks. But Sunday's event was the biggest anywhere in the country so far -- well over 100,000 people at Civic Center Park. This episode is a soundscape of the rally and ends with Darlene making yet another phone call in search of volunteers to help get out the vote in this crucial battleground state.

Click here for a video of the last few minutes of Obama's speech. And here's a touching video of an elderly volunteer who had a chance to meet the candidate in Boulder.

Interviews at the Cambridge Boat Club on October 14, 2008, with four leaders of the Head of the Charles Regatta, a massive rowing event on the Charles River in Cambridge this coming weekend. You'll hear from Pete Peterson, the chief referree/umpire; John Romain, cochair manager of the Starting Line; Tom Martin, treasurer, and Mark Bober, cochair of emergency services.

The regatta takes place this coming weekend - don't miss it if you're anywhere close to Cambridge!

Barack Obama this week returned to Colorado for a speech at Mountain Range High School in Westminster. My wife and I arrived at the school at about 5 a.m., which put us in line for a seat upgrade at the last minute and a terrific view of the candidate. His arrival in the arena was delayed by late-breaking events in Washington, D.C., where the House of Representatives shocked everyone by defeating the financial bailout package.

Click here for video of the speech. Click here for text.

This episode of m podcast comprises excerpts from Barack Obama's speech September 16, 2008 at the Colorado School of Mines in Golden, Colorado. I was there with a friend of ours, Tish, from Wyoming, who had an exciting moment at the end of the event. Also included are reactions to the talk by some of those in attendance, including myself.

The New York Times coverage of the Golden speech is here. Full video of the speech is here. Daily Kos has text of advance copy of speech, which Obama followed very closely.

For an intelligent analysis of Obama's economic philosophy, I recommend this piece published August 20, 2008 in the New York Times Magazine by David Leonhardt. Click here for an audio podcast interview with the author.

Music for my podcast is "Going to the Sun" composed and performed by Montana musicians Christine Dickinson, Janet Haarvig and Matthew Lyon, from their Glacier Journey CD.

I welcome your comments at 206-666-274 or [email protected].

Albert Maruggi, my well-connected Republican Twitter friend who lives in St. Paul, Minnesota, has great insights into the convention going on in his hometown this week. Albert was a key GOP staffer when Dan Quayle was chosen as Bush I's VP, so his memories are good preparation for tonight's big speech by Gov. Sarah Palin. In this telephone interview today, he also tells why watching Palin is a NASCAR experience.

You can listen to our other "Utterzly Political" conversations here or here.

The music for my podcast is "Going to the Sun," composed and performed by Montana musicians Christine Dickinson, Janet Haarvig and Matthew Lyon. It's from their excellent Glacier Journey CD.

Chris Lopez, communications director for the 2008 Denver Host Committee, took time out of a VERY busy day today to preview what's ahead in Denver once the Democratic National Convention gets under way this weekend. He seemed remarkably serene, and he was optimistic that the convention's protests will be peaceful and full of the good energy of democracy. Me too!

UPDATE: I forgot to include the following links mentioned by Chris in the podcast:

The Presidential Experience

Click here for information on Convention events at the Denver Convention Center in the mornings.

Dialog:City

Cinemocracy

2008 Rocky Mountain Roundtables