Charlotte Talks

A Cup of Christmas Tea | A Charlotte Talks Christmas Tradition

One of our holiday traditions at Charlotte Talks is to share “A Cup of Christmas Tea.” You may have heard this heart-warming story in one of our Christmas shows, but we wanted to share it with you here on the web as well. The story is written by Tom Hegg and read by Mike Collins. Listen to “A Cup of Christmas Tea” here.

Wednesday December 23, 2009 | End of 2009 News Round Up

Join us for a year-end discussion with a panel of journalists about this year’s top local stories. We’ll talk economy, banking and job loss… corruption, scandal, and several stories of changing-of-the-guard in business, education and politics. We’ll talk about budget woes, about promises made and not kept, and about water battles in our region. 2009 – the year that was, on the next Charlotte Talks.
Guests
Simone Orendain – Reporter, WFAE News
Julie Rose – Reporter, WFAE News
Tommy Tomlinson – Columnist for The Charlotte Observer
Rob Boisvert – Weekday morning anchor for News 14 Carolina
Dr. Tony Plath – Assoc. Professor of Finance, Belk College of Business, UNC Charlotte

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Tuesday December 22, 2009 | Scroogenomics

A conversation about spending and the holidays, and why maybe we shouldn’t do it! We’ll meet the author of Scroogenomics: Why You Shouldn’t Buy Presents For The Holidays and hear his theories on why some giving during the holidays is clearly wasteful and actually damages our economy. Join us as we discuss, and even quantify, satisfaction in gift giving and a reprioritization of our gift giving habits.
Guest
Joel Waldfogel – Economist, Professor and Chair of Business and Public Policy at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and author of Scroogenomics

• Amazon  |  Scroogenomics by Joel Waldfogel

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Monday Dec. 21 | 2010 Census: U.S., N.C. & Charlotte

We’ll talk about the upcoming 2010 US Census, and what information we can expect to glean from it, in terms of national and state numbers, as well as more localized information. We’ll talk about why the census information is important and how it affects us on an individual level. And we’ll also talk about what Census offices around the country, like the one here in Charlotte, do when the decennial census is not taking place.
Guest
Wayne Hatcher – Regional Director, Charlotte Regional Office of the US Census Bureau

• Charlotte office for the U.S. Census

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Friday December 18, 2009 | Tech Gadget Gifts for the Holidays

If you’re still shopping for that tech lover in the family, this is your chance to learn about some great tech gadget gift ideas. Our panel of experts will focus on tech items that won’t break your wallet. We will explore items from netbooks, around $300 to those $10 gadgets you see at the checkout stands. Plus a review of new smart phones and we’ll explore some of those thousands of iPhone apps. Join us for a high tech, low cost version of Charlotte Talks.
Guests
Jeff Elder – Social media and tech writer, JeffElder.net
Chris Reynolds – Area Manager, Brookstone
John Herrman – Contributing Editor, Gizmodo.com

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Thursday Dec. 17, 2009 | Finding a Dream Job During the Recovery

We’ll explore finding a job during the recovery… but not just any job, your perfect job, and we’ll talk about how to do it, too. One of our guests will share research that people are now finding great jobs through “weak ties,” ties with people who are acquaintances rather than through their friends. In the days of social networking and a tough economy, we’ll hear about people here in the area who are making this practice work for them, and more.
Guests
Marilyn Carpenter – Charlotte Author and Business Coach
Tim Newman – Chief Executive Officer at the Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority
Steve Partridge – Managing Director, Charlotte Regional Workforce Recovery Initiative

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Wednesday December 16, 2009 | Charlotte’s Energy Initiative

In August of this year, the City of Charlotte was informed by the federal government that they had received a large block grant to study energy efficiency region wide. City leaders went into motion and the result is a months-long study and set of recommendations for greater energy efficiency across Charlotte, from its skyscrapers to neighborhoods and individual homes. We’ll study Charlotte’s Energy Initiative.
Guest
Rob Phocas – Energy Strategy Team Member and Assistant City Attorney
Beth Clark – Charlotte Campaign Director, Sierra Club Clean Energy Solutions Campaign
Tom Warshauer – Community & Commerce Manager, Neighborhood & Business Services, City of Charlotte

• More information  |  Public Involvement in the City’s Energy Strategy

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Tuesday December 15, 2009 | Local Holiday Cooking

It will soon be time to think of ways to put together a fabulous holiday meal. It’s always a challenge to find fresh ingredients, but what if you want to cook a meal made from only locally-grown or produced fare? Our panel of experts, led by Chef Peter Reinhart, will teach us how to make a holiday meal – that’s every ingredient from the meat to the herbs and spices, wine and beer – from local products. Join us for a holiday meal with a local twist.
Guests
Peter Reinhart – Chef on Assignment, Johnson & Wales University
Chris Hastings – Chef and Co-Owner of Hot and Hot Fish Club, Birmingham, AL
Kathleen Purvis – Food Writer, The Charlotte Observer
Susan Dosier – Director of Public Relations, LKM Inc, Advertising Agency

• Charlotte Talks  |  From Farm to Fork
• Charlotte Talks  |  Holiday Parties and Planning

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Websites and Producers mentioned:

• Hot and Hot Fish Club Cookbook
• Peter Reinhart’s Artisan Breads Everyday
• Know Your Farms – North Carolina based resource
• Charlotte Observer – Farmer’s Markets listings
• Visit NC Wine.com – Experience North Carolina Wine Country

• Piedmont Distillers – (Legal) Moonshine
• Happy Cow Creamery (Pelzer, S.C.) – Milk, butter, cheese, meats, etc.
• Bosky Acres – Local cheeses, available at farmers markets and Earth Fare
• Goat Lady Dairy (Climax, N.C.) – Goats milk and cheeses
• Chapel Hill Creamery (Chapel Hill, N.C.) – Cheeses
• Tucker Adkins Dairy (York, S.C.) – Raw Milk. 7245 Park Place Road, York S.C. 29745
• The Bradford Store (Huntersville) – Produce, milk, eggnog, Amish butter, etc.
• Grateful Growers Farm – Organic meats. Chicken, duck, pork, shiitake mushrooms
• Harvest Moon Grill (Uptown Charlotte) – Gourmet Food Cart
• Fischer Farms – Locally-grown produce, available at farmers markets
• Bost Grist Mill – Grits, corn meal
• Charlotte Tailgate Farmers Market – Produce, prepared foods, etc. from local farms
• Harris Teeter – Local Honey
• Shelton Vineyards (Yadkin Valley, N.C.)
• Childress Vineyards (Lexington, N.C.)
• Flint Hill Vineyards (East Bend, N.C.)
• Total Wine, Harris Teeter, Earth Fare, Trader Joes – Local wines available

Monday December 14, 2009 | The Politics of Farming

Most of us think of local farms as peaceful, green places of refuge amidst a growing region, but the world of farming in North Carolina is deeply complex and political. Farmers face more than weather and blight. They face regulations, restrictions and challenges to the simple notion of growing food and bringing it to market. Our experts will help us navigate the politics of farming.
Guest
Ray Starling – General Counsel, NC Dept. of Agriculture and Consumer Services
Roland McReynolds – Executive Director, Carolina Farm Stewards Association
Aaron Newton – Co-Author, A Nation of Farmers: Defeating the Food Crisis on American Soil

• Charlotte Talks  |  A Nation of Farmers

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Friday December 11, 2009 | Spelling

We’ll have our own little Speling Spelling Bee today. We’ll talk about the history of how we spell certain words in the English language, why sometimes our words break the rules, and why spelling in English is just so darn hard. We’ll also take your comments and maybe have a little spelling quiz of our own.

Guests
Dr. Cynthia Lewis – Professor of English at Davidson College
Dr. Ralf Thiede – Assoc. Professor of Linguistics, English Dept. at UNC Charlotte
Ellen Levine – Co-Author of So You Think You Can Spell?
David Grambs – Co-Author of So You Think You Can Spell?

• Amazon  |  So You Think You Can Spell? by David Grambs and Ellen Levine
• Quiz  |  Can you spell these words correctly? (Click below to see answers)

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