Straight Talk

Who has the best chances of making it to the general elections and White House? Weigh in with your thoughts or listen to our panel of pundits share theirs.

Legal privacy protections for email and other cloud-stored data are weak—and could get weaker. Fundamentally, this is a legal and policy issue—not a technical matter--yet it has dire business implications.  In a September 2015 U.S. Court of Appeals hearing, Microsoft challenged the U.S.’s request for private data held in Ireland because the U.S. government asserted its right and that of other nations to access data beyond national borders. The growing threat of privacy and confidentiality intrusions not only erodes trust in technology, but as people lose confidence in their right to privacy it will also impact small and medium businesses who provide cloud computing solutions to clients. Further, as other nations begin to build their own cloud solutions because ours cannot be trusted to protect their citizens' privacy, American companies operating at the global scale will suffer catastrophic results. The Law Enforcement Access to Data Stored Abroad Act—or LEADS—will help restore trust in tech by ensuring th

Puget Sound Energy (PSE) has a complicated history on Bainbridge Island. There are frequent power outages and a need for more infrastructure, but push back from a community with an interest in reducing its carbon footprint, concern about aesthetics, and a new desire via the Island Power initiative to own and control its own nonprofit electric utility. Andy Wappler is vice president of Corporate Affairs for Puget Sound Energy, and leads groups that are charged with coordinating customer/community outreach and enhancing data capability. He is also chairman and president of Puget Sound Energy Foundation, dedicated to promoting safety and emergency preparedness within PSE’s service territory. Join a conversation about PSE's history with the island, plans for the future, and what's being done to prevent the number of outages.

Girls Can Do (GCD) provides positive role models who are everyday yet extraordinary women talking about choices, determination, hardships, failure, resilience, and success. The Girls Can Do event series started with a single speaker and a small idea in January 2014. Since then, it has quickly grown into a movement with a big vision and big plans to match. Its mission is to inspire a generation of possibility thinkers, and to encourage young women to have big dreams and pursue them. After all, what you want to do in life is always your best option, and anything is possible if you expect it. GCD hosts events around the country and the world, at low to no cost for young women and girls. These events are special days where girls come to engage, connect, and share experiences with amazing women speakers who are pursuing their dreams. They also partner with local organizations focused on girls programming to provide “next steps” for newly inspired Possibility Thinkers. Ashby Fiser of Bainbridge Island is an Outrea

Should it come down in South Carolina? Has the recent vote gone too far? Are there costs to censoring history, or was this long overdue? Does it represent heritage, or hate?Join the conversation.

Global Innovation Exchange (GIX) is being funded and built in collaboration with Microsoft. It will pair UW students with international students to form teams. Those teams will work to solve real problems for real partner businesses. Microsoft, which has provided $40 million in initial funding, will be the first lead partner. Join us as we talk about this new game-changing international tech institute in Bellevue which will redefine the region.

Bainbridge Island citizens have the opportunity to own and control its own nonprofit electric utility, as do more than 50 other Washington communities. Consumer owned utilities, from the City of Blaine to Seattle City Light, provide lower cost, cleaner and more reliable power than Puget Sound Energy (PSE). In 2008, Jefferson County (Port Townsend) voted to give electric authority to their public utility district, Jefferson PUD, and buy out PSE.  Today they have their own 100% carbon-free, locally controlled, nonprofit power system. Is it possible on Bainbridge Island?What are the pros and cons?How much will it cost?Who will run it?What about hydropower and droughts?Why not partner with PSE's Green Power initiative? Join us as we answer these questions and more with Jane Lindley and Steve Johnson of Island Power.

What are some of the programmes, initiatives, and opportunities to prepare our children for the future workforce - or help existing workers and retiring veterans to reinvent themselves and prepare for another career? Join us as we explore and discuss what's available and on the horizon.

We've had some doozies in the headlines. Join us as we deliver a fast-paced, informed discussion of the top news.

We're bombarded with books, articles, conferences, quotes, consultants, and workshops about leadership: what it is, what it isn't, and ways to become better and stronger when inspiring our teams. What does leadership mean to you?What tools and best practices have you deemed successful - or not - in developing your skillset and success?Is there such a thing as bad leadership, and what does it look like?What lessons have you learned on your path of growth and discovery? Join us in a live interactive exchange on this much discussed issue as we explore these questions - and more. We want to hear from you!

Storytelling nights are gaining popularity nationwide. Many of them are monthly or weekly events where standing-room-only crowds gather to hear stories from strangers and friends alike. Seen by some as a backlash against digital overload, storytelling is reconnecting communities in an entertaining yet poignant way. Join us as we chat with Steven Gardner, creator of Story Night in Kitsap, a fun, colorful and entertaining night of TRUE stories told by the area's best (or at least the most willing) storytellers.

Join us as we remember Leonard Simon Nimoy (March 26, 1931 – February 27, 2015), an actor, film director, poet, singer-songwriter, and photographer who was also known for as Mr. Spock of the Star Trek franchise.[1]

Using social media to punish strangers is continually on the rise. Join us in a lively discussion with examples of unwise choices resulting in unexpected, severe and sometimes irreversible consequences.

“The persistent achievement gap between haves and have-nots in our society is chiefly a verbal gap. There is no greater practical attainment in the modern world than acquiring a bellyful of words. A large vocabulary is the single most reliable predictor of practical, real-world competence…” - Professor E.D. Hirsh Over one third of our middle school readers are struggling. Vocabulary is the key. The single most accurate predictor of how well a reader understands text is general vocabulary knowledge. Studies show it can grow to a disparity of 30,000 words by eighth grade when intentional, rigorous intervention is not applied. Additionally, these studies confirm there is a direct correlation between “word bank” size and success in school. Word Lab Web, a vocabulary based reading program for the middle grades, is teacher created, affordable, and in the cloud. It provides personalized, self-paced learning so students can gain authentic word knowledge and practice a variety of comprehension skills. Three half-hou

In January 2014, Professional Options hosted a Wounded Warrior Project (WWP) meeting at Poulsbo City Hall so area veterans could learn about how to benefit from WWP. Attendees hear about successes and challenges our veterans and their families face after serving and sacrificing for our country, and how the services provided by WWP allow them to move forward with their "new normal." WWP provides support and services to post-Sept. 11 veterans such as college scholarships and stipends; cash grants to service providers to cover basic needs like food, rent and utilities; physical and psychological rehabilitation; combat stress recovery; benefits assistance; peer support; and career development and training. In 2012 alone, it spent $114 million to aid wounded veterans, their families and their caregivers. The meeting was WWP's first time in Kitsap, and a Wounded Warriors in Kitasp (WWIK) group (no affiliation with WWP) was loosely formed and communicates via a Facebook page. Join us as we talk with regional WW

When singer-songwriter, I Heart Kitsap TV owner and former MTV Italy producer Mike Barnet speaks, people listen. Join us as he shares invaluable tips about how businesses can use videos, YouTube, SEO and other tools to be found and ranked well in Google and across the internet.      

Brawls in the aisles over reclining seats, crying babies, and incorrectly served macadamia nuts. Passenger evictions over Christmas greetings. Emergency landings and arrests for mouthing off at flight attendants or seat-hopping. As the airlines industry shoves more people into metal tubes like cattle, are we losing our patience and civility? Are employees overreacting? Join our cheeky discussion about the current state of air travel.

Whether it's knowing how to write code, being articulate about the impact of technology on the 21st century economy, or ensuring today's students are versed in important STEAM (Science, Technology Engineering, Art, and Math) subjects and skillsets, it's long been clear that the days of geeks hiding in dark rooms and coding away from the rest of the world is an outdated notion. Not only will the simplest coding languages help you understand and use the Web with its many games and apps, but many jobs use a computer. According to Code.org,  two-thirds of open computing jobs fall outside of the tech sector in fields such as journalism, finance, medicine, and entertainment. Understanding coding and technology can also offer a level of  mental exercise that helps you adapt to many different career options. Charles Keating, president of West Sound Technology Association and president of his own technology consulting corporation, Keating Consulting Service, Inc., will join us and others in discussion about Hour of

On December 3, 12-year-old Ronin Shimizu, a former 6th grader enrolled at Folsom Middle School, committed suicide after schoolmates had bullied him for being a cheerleader. According to the CDC, suicide is the third leading cause of death among young people, resulting in about 4,400 deaths per year. Bully victims are between 2 to 9 times more likely to consider suicide than non-victims, according to studies by Yale University. A study in Britain found that at least half of suicides among young people are related to bullying10 to 14 year old girls may be at even higher risk for suicide, according to the study aboveAccording to statistics reported by ABC News, nearly 30 percent of students are either bullies or victims of bullying, and 160,000 kids stay home from school every day because of fear of bullying Anonymous Alerts® is a tool whichenables students to quickly report bullying, cyberbullying, depression, family problems, drug and alcohol abuse, gang-related issues, sexual harassment, guns/weapons in schoo

After years as management in the corporate world, David Mitchell blazes his own trail to start a coaching and consulting business, write a book, and speak at seminars and business events on the Building Blocks of Business.