|
Political Interviews --
Dr. Ken Alibek
Soviet Germ Warfare
Bio-Hazard: The Chilling Story of the Largest Covert Biological Weapons Program in the World -- Told From Inside by the Man Who Ran it
Biological warfare is the use of weapons that cause death by disease. The largest and most sophisticated biological weapons program in the world, which cultivated and stockpiled anthrax virus, brucellosis, the plague and genetically altered strains of small pox, employed more than 6000 people at over 100 facilities in the former Soviet Union. For 15 years, ending in 1992, Dr. Ken Alibek, a doctor of medicine and a Ph.D. in microbiology, was the scientific leader of Bio-Preparat, the civilian branch of that secret biological weapons program, masquerading as a pharmaceutical company. In 1992, Dr. Alibek defected to the United States. Several years later, he wrote “Bio-Hazard,” a book detailing the development of biological weapons, the horrors of his former life and why he chose to defect. This is a two-part program with Dr. Ken Alibek, recorded in 1999.
Dr. Ken Alibek recommends "Prevent," by Richard Preston & "Vector," by Robin Cook.
Originally Broadcast: May 11, 1999 & May 18, 1999
Click here to begin listening to Part One.
Click here to begin listening to Part Two.
--------------------------------------------------------
Dr. Elizabeth Allen
Changes in Segregation Since 1952
In May 1954, the United States Supreme Court, unanimously declared, ”segregation in public education is a denial of the equal protection of the law.” This is a two-part discussion about the aftermath of that decision. Our guest is Dr. Elizabeth Allen, a Professor of Nursing at the University of Michigan. As a high school student, Dr. Allen was one of the first African-American students to integrate West Virginia high schools in 1957.
Dr. Elizabeth Allen recommends "The Price of Loyalty," by David Suskind with former US Secretary of Treasury Paul O'Neil.
Originally Broadcast: May 4, 2004 & May 18, 2004
Click here to begin listening to Part One.
Click here to begin listening to Part Two.
--------------------------------------------------------
Tom Allman
The Sheriff and Marijuana
Marijuana, some say, is on the lips of many people here in Mendocino County, California, and likely many other places throughout the world, to some with pleasure and to others with distaste. Nonetheless it doesn’t seem that marijuana will go away. Not withstanding federal laws prohibiting use and possession of marijuana, the people of the state of California adopted the Compassionate Use Act in 1996 and in November 2000, the voters of Mendocino County approved a resolution by a vote of 58% to 42% to decriminalize the personal use of marijuana. In this edition of Radio Curious we visit with Tom Allman the Sheriff of Mendocino County to discuss the enforcement of the many conflicting marijuana laws. Estimates of the value of the crop produced in Mendocino County vary from five to ten billion dollars. We began when I asked the Sheriff to comment on this estimate.
Tom Allman recommends "The Hunt For Red October," by Tom Clancy.
Originally Broadcast: June 19, 2007
Click here to begin listening.
--------------------------------------------------------
Dr. Richard Alston
The Economics of Party Politics
After the Democratic National Convention and the Republican National Convention in 1992, Richard M. Alston, who was then chairman of the Economics Department at Webber State University in Ogden, Utah, sent a political survey to the delegates to that convention. This survey concerned the perceptions of convention delegates regarding economic issues in the United States. As a delegate to the Democratic National Convention I was sent one his surveys, and decided to ask Professor Alston for an interview. In our interview we discussed the survey and what information he hoped to ascertain with it as well as the role of economists in academic institutions in America. This program was originally broadcast in November of 1992, when Radio Curious was called Government, Politics and Ideas.
Originally Broadcast: November 30, 1992
Click here to begin listening.
--------------------------------------------------------
Bruce Anderson
The Reporter Interviewed
The Anderson Valley Advertiser is an iconoclastic newspaper originating weekly from Boonville, Mendocino County, California, edited and published by Bruce Anderson, whose name is merely coincidental with the name of the Anderson Valley. The masthead of the AVA, as it is sometimes called, says, “Newspapers should have no friends,” and “Fan the Flames of Discontent.” After a three-year hiatus, beginning when Anderson sold the AVA and attempted to establish a newspaper elsewhere, he repurchased the AVA and returned to Boonville on July 1, 2007 to write again. We met in the studios of Radio Curious on July 13, 2007 and talked about why he left Mendocino County, what he did while he was gone, how he reckons with the aggravated relationships he created with some people in years past, and what the readers can expect now that he again buys ink by the barrel.
Bruce Anderson recommends books by Rebecca Solnit.
Originally Broadcast: July 17, 2007
Click here to begin listening.
--------------------------------------------------------
Steven Antler and Keith Faulder
A Lawsuit To Be District Attorney
After District Attorney Norm Vroman died in September 2006 after his name could not removed from the ballot, Keith Faulder, the interim DA appointed by the Mendocino County Board of Supervisors, sued Mendocino County seeking to void the November 8, 2006 general election for DA and to require that a special election be held. Former Deputy District Attorney Meredith Lintott received the most votes in the June primary election and was also on the November 2006 ballot along with Vroman. The California Court of Appeals upheld Faulder's claim which Lintott and the County appealed to the California Supreme Court. This edition of Radio Curious discusses the history and status of this unique case in interviews with Faulder and Steve Antler, Lintott's attorney.
Keith Faulder recommends "Theodore Rex," by Edmund Morris.
Steven Antler recommends "October 1964," by David Halberstram.
Originally Broadcast: November 29, 2006
Click here to begin listening.
--------------------------------------------------------
Bettina Aptheker
The Personal is the Political
Tapestries of Life: Women's Work, Women's Consciousness, and the Meaning of Daily Experience
Political intimacy is closely related to personal intimacy, just as social change is related to personal change. In 1997 Bettina Aptheker, the author of Tapestries of Life: Women’s Work, Women’s Consciousness, and the Meaning of Daily Experience, was a professor of women’s studies at the University of California at Santa Cruz, and a person who is clear and open about identifying herself as a lesbian. When we spoke in February of 1997, we explored the relationship of personal intimacy and political intimacy.
Bettina Aptheker recommends "Ceremony," by Leslie Marmon Philco.
Originally Broadcast: February 17, 1997
Click here to begin listening.
--------------------------------------------------------
John Arquilla
Networks and Netwars
The war that the United States has invoked in what is often called the "War On Terror" is unusual in many ways. One of those ways is that this war is being fought against a network that is spread out in many unsuspecting and obscure places. It is not being fought as many wars have been in the past, directly against another county. Dr. John Arquilla, is a professor of defense analysis and co-director of the justify on Terrorism at the Naval Post-Graduate School in Monterey, California. In this program we talk with Professor Arquilla about the fighting tactics employed by networks as opposed to countries, the threats they pose, and some of the war tactics used against these networks.
John Arquilla recommends "Kim," by Rudyard Kipling.
Originally Broadcast: June 21, 2005
Click here to begin listening.
--------------------------------------------------------
Anthony Arthur
Changing America: Upton Sinclair Style
Radical Innocent: Upton Sinclair
Since I was young I have been intrigued by the work of Upton Sinclair. I remember, as a boy hearing about Sinclair’s books and efforts to change the world. A close friend of my family was the writer for Sinclair’s campaign newspaper when he ran for governor of California in 1934 and, although that was long before I was born, the stories rolled during his later visits. Sinclair is perhaps best know for “The Jungle,” published in 1906 which openly revealed the inhumane conditions of the Chicago stockyards and how the meatpacking industry operated, resulting in the passage of the pure food and drug laws within months after publication of “The Jungle.” "Radical Innocent: Upton Sinclair,” is a biography written by retired professor Anthony Arthur, released in June 2006, 100 years after the publication “The Jungle,” and tells the story of Upton Sinclair’s life and work. Arthur weaves the strands of Sinclair’s contentious public career and his often-troubled private life, which Sinclair at times willingly revealed, into a compelling personal narrative. Anthony Arthur rates integrity as Sinclair’s greatest strength, and claims his eloquence in writing and speech along with his reputation for selflessness as the basis of a ground swell of support for Sinclair and his ideas. When I spoke with Anthony Arthur at the end of August 2006 from his home near Los Angeles, California, Professor Arthur began by describing what attracted him to study and write about Upton Sinclair.
Anthony Arthur recommends “Seven Pillars of Wisdom: A Triumph,” by T.E. Lawrence.
Originally Broadcast: September 6, 2006
Click here to begin listening.
-------------------------------------------------------
Alan Axelrod
FDR as a Leader
Nothing to Fear, Lessons in Leadership from FDR
Alan Axelrod is a writer who has studied the cultural and business dimensions of America. “Nothing to Fear, Lessons in Leadership from FDR,” by Axelrod, focuses on FDR’s unique leadership style and what an effective leader is able to do. We spoke about FDR’s leadership skills in the first part of our discussion and then addressed the leadership style and effectiveness of President George W. Bush.
Alan Axelrod recommends "The Life of PT Barnum," by PT Barnum.
Originally Broadcast: June 3, 2003
Click here to begin listening.
--------------------------------------------------------
Christina Baldwin
Creating Community through Stories
Storycatcher: Making Sense of Our Lives though the Power and Practice of Story
Story, the heart of language. Story moves us to love and hate and can motivate us to change the whole course of our life. Story can lift us beyond the borders of our individuality to imagine realities of other people, times and places, to empathize with other beings, and to extend our supposing far into the universe. Storytelling, both oral and written is the foundation of being human. In this edition of Radio Curious we visit with Christina Baldwin, author of "Storycatcher: Making Sense of Our Lives though the Power and Practice of Story." This is being done in Ukiah, California, with the idea of capturing "what is the story of Ukiah," as a part of "what is the story of Mendocino County, California," to be used in the development of the Ukiah Area Plan that is now under consideration by the Mendocino County Board of Supervisors.
Christina Baldwin recommends "Turning To One Another: Simple Conversations to Restore Our Hope for the Future," by Margaret J. Wheatley.
Originally Broadcast: April 17, 2006
Click here to begin listening.
-------------------------------------------------------
Peace and Freedom Candidate for Congress, 1992
Our guest in this program was the 1992 Peace and Freedom Party candidate for the 1st Congressional District in California, Phil Baldwin. We spoke about the differences between the Peace and Freedom Party and the Democratic and Republican parties. Particularly of interest in this discussion are the differences between Mr. Baldwin and the final victor of the 1992 election, former Democrat Dan Hamburg.
Originally Broadcast: December 16, 1991
Click here to begin listening.
--------------------------------------------------------
Benjamin Barber
Don't Buy It!
Consumed: How Markets Corrupt Children, Infantilize Adults, and Swallow Citizens Whole
When we purchase and consume what we believe is necessary for our individual lives, do we obtain what we need or do we end up with what the forces of 21st century capitalism tell us we need? In this edition of Radio Curious we visit with Benjamin Barber, author of “Consumed, How Markets Corrupt Children, Infantilize Adults, and Swallow Citizens Whole.” The concepts of dumbing down the consumer and the development of brand devotion in the early years of a person’s life are, among many other considerations, explored in this book. I spoke with Benjamin Barber from his home in New York City in early April 2007 and began our conversation by asking him to discuss how consumers are infantilized and targeted in way that there will never be enough shoppers.
Benjamin Barber recommends “The March,” by E.L. Doctorow..
Originally Broadcast: April 11, 2007
Click here to begin listening.
--------------------------------------------------------
Conversation with an Earth First! Leader
Until the mid-1990s, the Redwood Industry dominated much of North Coast economy. In the mid-1990s, due to a number of circumstances particularly involving Pacific Lumber Company and Charles Hurwitz, industry advocates collided with environmentalists in a final hurrah. Few figures among the environmentalists carry as much name-recognition and power as did Judi Bari. In this program, recorded in March of 1995 at the height of the conflict, Judi Bari and I discussed the position of Earth First!
Judi Bari recommends "J. Edgar Hoover," by Kurt Gentry.
Originally Broadcast: March 27, 1995
Click here to begin listening.
--------------------------------------------------------
Annie Barnes
Racism in America
Everyday Racism: A Book For All Americans
Racism has too long been a part of the American experience. The Civil War and the Constitutional amendments that followed, the Supreme Court decisions ordering the desegregation of schools, and the Civil Rights movements did not end racism in America. Annie S. Barnes, holds a Ph.D. in Social Anthropology from the University of Virginia and is a retired Professor of Sociology and Anthropology at Norfolk State University in Virginia. She is the author of “Everyday Racism, A Book for All Americans,” a book based on the racist experiences suffered by 146 black college students. Professor Barnes describes effects of racism on black people and what black people and white people can do to combat it.
Annie Barnes recommends "Driving While Black," by Kenneth Meeks.
Originally Broadcast: February 27, 2001
Click here to begin listening.
--------------------------------------------------------
P.T. Barnum & Doug Mishler
The Something of Humbug
PT Barnum, sometimes known as the Prince of Humbug, was born in Connecticut in 1810. In many ways, he personified the American character that Frenchman Alexis De Tocqueville described in his book, “Democracy in America.” Barnum delighted in making money and telling the truth, as he saw it. Some truths were told in the political arena, where he was twice a member of the Connecticut legislature and, in the interim, Mayor of Bridgeport, Connecticut. Some of his truths were lies when they were told to other people, like the history of some of his circus performers. Other truths were told in his newspapers. PT Barnum, ‘PT’ as he liked to be called, was best known as the creator of the ‘Best Show On Earth,’ the Barnum and Bailey Circus. I spoke with PT Barnum, personified by Doug Missler, in the studios of Radio Curious in July of 1996 when this program was originally broadcast.
P.T. Barnum recommends "My Toils and Struggles," the autobiography of PT Barnum. Doug Mishler recommends "The Culture of Complaint," by Robert Hughes.
Originally Broadcast: July 24, 1996
Click here to begin listening.
--------------------------------------------------------
Israeli Human Rights Attorney
Yael Berda is a young Israeli lawyer, born in New York and raised in Jerusalem. At the age of 14, she became involved in a struggle to free her parents from debtors’ prison and the experience changed her life. She has since become a leader of a non-violent movement for reconciliation and understanding among the Israel and Palestinian populations.
Yael Berda recommends "Fields of Protest," by Roca Ray.
Originally Broadcast: November 30, 2004
Click here to begin listening.
--------------------------------------------------------
Self-Styled Outlaw Lesbians
Terminal Velocity
The concept of memoir versus fiction leads many authors to transform their personal experiences and life to fiction. Blanche Boyd is a native of South Carolina and a Professor of Literature at Connecticut College. She is also the author of the book entitled, “Terminal Velocity.” This is a book about a group of self-styled lesbian outlaws in the 1970s. We discussed the relationship of memoir and fiction, and how it applies to her work.
Blanche Boyd recommends "Cathedral" & "To the Waterfall," both by Raymond Carver.
Originally Broadcast: August 19, 1997
Click here to begin listening.
--------------------------------------------------------
William Boyer
The Rights of Our Children
America's Future: Transition into the 21st Century
William Boyer, a Professor Emeritus and the former Chairman of the Department of Educational Foundations at the University of Hawaii, is the author of a book called “America’s Future: Transition into the 21st Century.” In this program, we discussed the rights of future generations, how to protect those rights, what they are, and what right we have to determine the rights of future generations. This program was originally broadcast in March of 1993, when Radio Curious was called Government, Politics and Ideas.
Originally Broadcast: March 30, 1993
Click here to begin listening.
--------------------------------------------------------
Clinton's Foreign Policy
New Forces, Old Forces and the Future of World Politics
The relationship of the US to Russia and the other members of the former Soviet Union is a major issue in the world today. The Clinton administration claimed one of its best foreign policy achievements was the way it handled the Russian situation and the disbanding of the former Soviet Union. Dr. Seyom Brown has, for the past 40 years, studied that relationship, as a foreign policy analyst, advisor and author. He is currently a Professor of International Relations and the former Chairman of the Department of Politics at Brandeis University, near Boston, MA. Our discussion about Clinton’s foreign policy resulted in this two-part program.
Originally Broadcast: August 28, 1995 & September 11, 1995
Click here to begin listening to Part One.
Click here to begin listening to Part Two.
--------------------------------------------------------
Lester R. Brown
The Earth and Economy in Crisis
Plan B: Rescuing a Planet Under Stress and a Civilization in Trouble
Our earth is in big trouble. The environment and our economy are in crisis. Essentially, we have created a bubble economy in which we are over-consuming the earth’s natural resources. In this program, we will visit with Lester R. Brown, the author of “Plan B: Rescuing a Planet Under Stress and a Civilization in Trouble.” Lester Brown is the president of the Earth Policy Institute, a nonprofit interdisciplinary research organization based in Washington DC.
Originally Broadcast: October 7, 2003
Click here to begin listening.
--------------------------------------------------------
Life After the Presidency
The Virtues of Aging
Considering the alternatives, growing older is really not all that bad. The frame of mind that we develop and carry with us as we age controls much of how we feel and behave. James Earl Carter Jr., more often known as Jimmy Carter, the 39th President of the US, is the author of a book called, “The Virtues of Aging.” President Carter’s book covers issues from Social Security and medical expenses to the importance of staying active and involved. I spoke with President Jimmy Carter by phone, in the fall of 1998, and I asked him what prompted him to write the book.
President Jimmy Carter recommends "The Age Wave: How the Most Important Trend of Our Time Can Change Your Future," by Ken Dychtwald.
Originally Broadcast: December 4, 1998
Click here to begin listening.
--------------------------------------------------------
How Will China Survive?
The Coming Collapse of China
Approximately 20% of the world’s population lives in the People’s Republic of China. According to Chinese-American lawyer Gordon G. Chang, China appears from the outside to be politically stable and economically strong. Chang, however, argues that China is in social, cultural, economic and political turmoil. He claims that China’s pending entry into the World Trade Organization will trigger social and political collapse. Gordon Chang has lived and worked in China for almost 20 years, most recently in Shanghai. He is the author of a new book entitled “The Coming Collapse of China.”
Gordon Chang recommends "The Tipping Point," by Malcolm Gladwell.
Originally Broadcast: September 11, 2001
Click here to begin listening.
--------------------------------------------------------
Alston Chase
Who is Ted Kaczynski?
Harvard and the Unabomber: The Education of an American Terrorist
"Harvard and the Unabomber: The Education of an American Terrorist” is a book by Alston Chase, former Chair of the Philosophy Department at Macalester University in Minnesota. After studying the life and experiences of Theodore Kaczynski, who came to be known as the Unabomber, Chase characterizes him as product of the post World War II angst. Our discussion on Kaczynski continued through two parts.
Alston Chase recommends "Pity of War," by Nile Furgeson.
Originally Broadcast: July 1, 2003 & July 8, 2003
Click here to begin listening to Part One.
Click here to begin listening to Part Two.
--------------------------------------------------------
Da Chen
Life in China Under Mao
Colors of the Mountain
The Chinese Cultural Revolution of the 1960s, led by Mao Zedong, imposed a major change to the nation where one in every four people in the world live. Da Chen was born in 1962 in southern China to a once wealthy family, by that time despised for its capitalist past. At the age of 23, after graduating with top honors and serving as an assistant professor at the Beijing Language Institute, Da Chen came to America with $30 and a bamboo flute. He won a full scholarship to Columbia University Law School, and later settled in the Hudson River Valley. His book, “Colors of the Mountain,” tells the story of his childhood, his life and experiences.
Da Chen recommends "The God of Small Things," by Arundhati Roy.
Originally Broadcast: July 18, 2000
Click here to begin listening.
--------------------------------------------------------
Terrence Cheng
Two Chinese Brothers
Sons of Heaven
In June of 1989, in Tienamin Square, in the justify of Beijing, China, one of the largest student protests ever to occur in that country took place. The “Sons of Heaven,” by Terrence Cheng, is a novel about three major players in this drama, Deng Xiao Ping, the leader of China at the time, and two brothers, one a soldier in the Red Army in Teinamin Square at the time, and the other the man who stood in front of the tanks.
Terrence Cheng recommends "Ghost Written," by David Mitchell.
Originally Broadcast: August 1, 2002
Cick here to begin listening.
--------------------------------------------------------
Does President Bush Lie?
The Lies of George W. Bush, Mastering the Politics of Deception
According to David Corn, the author of “The Lies of George W. Bush, Mastering the Politics of Deception,” all American Presidents have lied, but George W. Bush has relentlessly abused the truth. Corn, the Washington editor of The Nation, offers a scathing indictment of Bush, as he reveals and examines the deceptions at the heart of the Bush presidency.
David Corn recommends "Roscoe," by William Kennedy & "All the King's Men," by Robert Penn Warren.
Originally Broadcast: November 25, 2003
Click here to begin listening.
--------------------------------------------------------
Paul Coverdale
Peace Corps Priorities, 1991
This program’s guest is Paul Coverdale, at the time the Director of the Peace Corps, appointed by the first President Bush. He later became a Senator from Georgia. Our discussion concerned the nature of the Peace Corps and Coverdale’s role as the agency’s director.
Originally Broadcast: August 19, 1991
Click here to begin listening.
--------------------------------------------------------
Susan Crane
Blood on a Nuclear Submarine
Civil disobedience often precedes most social or political change. The American political tradition has deep roots in civil disobedience. The Boston Tea Party, the Underground Railroad of the Civil War period, the Suffrage Movement, the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s, and the Vietnam War protests are well known examples. Symbolic destruction of the tools of war is an act of civil disobedience currently carried out by religious and faith based war protesters. Susan Crane, once a Peace Corps volunteer and a former Ukiah teacher, hammered on a nuclear submarine in Maine and then poured blood on it. As a result, she was sentenced to two years in federal prison. I met with her in the studios of Radio Curious at the end of February 1999, the day after she was released from prison.
Susan Crane recommends The Bible.
Originally Broadcast: March 9, 1999
Click here to begin listening.
--------------------------------------------------------
Catherine Crier
Are Lawyers Really That Bad?
The Case Against Lawyers
The control and influence lawyers have in American society has grown enormously in the past 75 years. The influence was foreseen in the 1830s by Alexis de Tocqueville and described in his book, “Democracy in America.” Catherine Crier discusses and critiques this influence in her book, “The Case Against Lawyers.” Crier, herself a former lawyer, district attorney, and judge is now a commentator on Court TV,
Catherine Crier recommends "Pigs at the Trough," by Arianna Huffington & "The Rule of Lawyers," by Walter Olson.
Originally Broadcast: March 18, 2003
Click here to begin listening.
--------------------------------------------------------
John Darnton
Who is Charles Darwin?
The Darwin Conspiracy
Who was Charles Darwin and what led him to describe what we now call “the theory of evolution?” These curious questions are ones that I have been following since I was about ten years old. In 1978 I had the good fortune of visiting the Galapagos Islands, 600 miles west of Ecuador in the Pacific Ocean. Charles Darwin visited the Galapagos Island in 1831 for month as part of a five-year voyage around the world. There he saw birds and animals that helped him formulate some of his ideas about evolution he published “The Origin of the Species,” 22 years later in 1853. And the world has not been the same since. Now, at a time when concepts of evolution and natural selection are attacked certain from theological and political perspectives, a novel called “The Darwin Conspiracy,” has been written by John Darnton, a writer and editor for the New York Times. “The Darwin Conspiracy,” although fiction, is said by John Darton to be 90% accurate, and covers Darwin’s life and thinking before and after the publication of “The Origin of the Species.” I spoke with John Darton from his home in New York City at the end of October 2005. He began by describing who Charles Darwin was, in his time and place.
John Darnton recommends "Snow," by Orhan Pamuk.
Originally Broadcast: November 29, 2005
Click here to begin listening.
--------------------------------------------------------
Kenneth C. Davis
Independence, Where Does It Come From?
Don't Know Much About History, Everything you Need to Know About American History But Never Learned
"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. --That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, -- That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security." These words may sound radical today, but in fact come from the Declaration of Independence drafted in 1776. In this edition of Radio Curious, broadcast during Independence Week of 2005 we talk with Kenneth C. Davis, author of "Don't Know Much about History," and review some of the issues of 1776 from our perspective now. This interview was recorded on July 2, 2005 with Kenneth C. Davis from his home in southern Vermont. He began by commenting on the role religion played the declaration of the Independence.
Kenneth C. Davis recommends “Diane Arbus, A Biography” by Patricia Bosworth.
Originally Broadcast: July 5, 2005
Click here to begin listening.
--------------------------------------------------------
Is it Safe to Say … ?
Blue Streak: Swearing, Free Speech and Sexual Harassment
Certain words, said at the wrong time or place, may get a person into a heap of trouble. The laws surrounding freedom of speech do not permit us, for example, to shout out “fire” in a theater or advocate the immediate and violent overthrow of the government. There are also limits on the time and place where a person can use swear words or language with sexual innuendos or suggestions. Richard Dooling, an attorney and writer living in Nebraska, joined us in June of 1997 to talk about his book, entitled, “Blue Streak: Swearing, Free Speech and Sexual Harassment.”
Richard Dooling recommends "Emotional Brain," by Joseph La Due.
Originally Broadcast: June 4, 1997
Click here to begin listening.
--------------------------------------------------------
The Pentagon Papers
Few moments in American history have held the tension of the early 1970s. The nation was fundamentally divided between the jaded counter-culture and Nixon’s ‘silent majority,’ a rupture particularly connected to the still-escalating Vietnam War. The release to the public of the Pentagon Papers by Daniel Ellsberg in 1971 focused national attention on US foreign policy and on our right as individual citizens to freedom of the press.
Daniel Ellsberg recommends "Our War," by David Harris.
Originally Broadcast: March 19, 1997
Click here to begin listening.
--------------------------------------------------------
Eve Ensler
Meet the Author of the Vagina Monologues
The Vagina Monologues
The Vagina Monologues, created and produced by Eve Ensler, tell the stories of women, their relationships, feelings, and, in some cases, abuse. In this edition of Radio Curious, we spoke with Eve Ensler about the origin of the the Vagina Monologues and the film, “Until the Violence Ends.”
Eve Ensler recommends "Bush in Babylon," by Tariq Ali.
Originally Broadcast: January 27, 2004
Click here to begin listening.
--------------------------------------------------------
Dr. Ron Epstein
Genetically Modified Food
Genetically engineered food products are an issue that concerns many. In more recent years, Mendocino County has gone so far as to pass a resolution legally prohibiting their growth in the county. My guest in this program, recorded in the late summer of 1995, is Ron Epstein, a philosophy professor at both the Buddhist University in Talmage, CA and San Francisco State University. He has given considerable consideration to the problems of genetic engineering of the plants and vegetables that we eat.
Dr. Ron Epstein recommends "Algeny," by Jeremy Rifkin.
Originally Broadcast: September 18, 1995
Click here to begin listening.
--------------------------------------------------------
Dr. Ron Epstein
Genetically Modified Food, Part Two
Not so long ago in human history, wars were fought with sticks, slings and rocks. Now, with the ability to modify the DNA of disease causing organisms, war is very different. Evidence is appearing that genetically engineered war has, in fact, been used in our world. With this program, Radio Curious will begin a series of discussions on environmental and social effects of genetically engineered war. This program’s guest is Dr. Ron Epstein, a research professor at the Institute of World Religions in Berkeley, California, and a lecturer in the Philosophy Department at San Francisco State University in San Francisco, California. We discussed the scientific and ethical dangers of genetic engineering.
Dr. Ron Epstein recommends "The Cobra Event," by Richard Preston & "Biotech Century," by Jeremy Rifkin.
Originally Broadcast: September 4, 1998
Clck here to begin listening.
--------------------------------------------------------
Rep. Sam Farr (D)
A Visit with Congressman Sam Farr, July 2002
Sam Farr is a member of Congress from Carmel, California, representing the central coast of California, as well as a former Peace Corps Volunteer, having served in Columbia from 1964 to 1966. He is one of a few former Peace Corps Volunteers to serve in Congress. At the time of the celebration of the 40th anniversary of the Peace Corps, in late June, 2002, Congressman Farr and Senator Dodd of Connecticut introduced legislation to increase the size of the Peace Corps.
Rep. Sam Farr (D) recommends "Coast Redwoods, a Natural and Cultural History," by Sam Liden.
Originally Broadcast: July 16, 2002
Click here to begin listening.
--------------------------------------------------------
Rep. Sam Farr (D)
A Visit with Congressman Sam Farr, June 2003
This interview’s guest was my old law school friend, Congressman Sam Farr, who represents Monterey and Santa Cruz counties. In this interview, we discussed the USA Patriot Act, the Freedom to Read Act of 2003, and the influence that the Democrats, the minority party, have in both houses of Congress.
Rep. Sam Farr (D) recommends .
Originally Broadcast: June 10, 2003
Click here to begin listening.
--------------------------------------------------------
Rep. Sam Farr (D)
A Visit with Congressman Sam Farr, April 2004
This edition’s guest was Rep. Sam Farr (D-CA). We spoke about the access that the Democrats as the minority party have to the microphone in Congress. We also discussed the 9/11 Commission and its investigation, the Patriot Act, the then upcoming Democratic and Republican National conventions, and the election of 2004.
Rep. Sam Farr (D) recommends "Two Americas," by Stanley Greenberg.
Originally Broadcast: April 13, 2004
Click here to begin listening.
--------------------------------------------------------
Rep. Sam Farr (D)
A Visit with Congressman Sam Farr, July 2004
Rep. Sam Farr (D-CA), who has appeared on the program several times before, discussed the elections of 2004.
Rep. Sam Farr (D) recommends "Sarge: The Life and Times of Sargent Shriver," by Scott Strossel.
Originally Broadcast: July 20, 2004
Click here to begin listening.
--------------------------------------------------------
Mark Feeney
Nixon at the Movies
Nixon at the Movies, A Book About Belief
Richard Nixon, and the movies he watched while he was president... On his third night in office, January 22, 1969 Nixon saw The Shoes of the Fisherman in the White House movie theater. From then until August 1973, when he resigned the presidency Nixon watched over 500 movies in the White House, at Camp David, and other places he frequented. This is an average of 2½ movies per week during his presidency. The book, Nixon at the Movies, A Book About Belief, by Boston Globe journalist Mark Feeney examines the role movies played in forming Nixon’s character and career, and the role Nixon played in the development of American film. Ronald Reagan may have been the first movie star president, but Feeney argues that Nixon was the first true cinematic president. In this program, recorded in January 2005, Mark Feeney begins by commenting on the effect that the 500 plus movies that Nixon watched had on him and his presidency.
Mark Feeney recommends "The Whole Equation," by David Thompson.
Originally Broadcast: February 22, 2005
Click here to begin listening.
--------------------------------------------------------
Charles Ferguson
Will This War Ever End?
The Endless War
“The Endless War,” a movie released in late July 2007, written, directed and produced by Charles Ferguson, depicts the blunders and ill-prepared manner in which the United States initiated and carried out the war against Iraq. This full-length feature film juxtaposes the statements and actions of the Washington leadership of the war, which at the outset failed to include President Bush, the Commander-in-Chief, with the leadership’s actions and grievous consequences that followed. Charles Ferguson holds a Ph.D. in political science from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, has extensive experience in foreign policy analysis and lives and works in the San Francisco Bay area. When I spoke with him on July 20, 2007 we began with his explanation how the war and the occupation of Iraq were shaped by an extremely small group of people IN Washington D.C., with limited foreign policy and post war occupation experience.
Charles Ferguson recommends "The Lives of Others," a movie about life in East German under the communist regiem.
Originally Broadcast: July 25, 2007
Click here to begin listening.
--------------------------------------------------------
Mel Fiske
Radical Reporter
Radical: A Memoir of Wars, Communists & Work
Political philosophy and one’s education, both formal and informal, can lead a person on unimagined paths that are woven into stories in that person’s life. The book, “Radical: A Memoir of Wars, Communists & Work,” was written by Mel Fiske, our guest in this edition of Radio Curious. Mel was radicalized after a 15,000 mile journey across America during the Depression. That trip opened his eyes to a life he never knew existed growing up in New York City.
Mel Fiske recommends “Bayou Farewell,” by Mike Tidwell.
Originally Broadcast: January 17, 2006
Click here to begin listening.
--------------------------------------------------------
The People's Right to Know
Legal Notebook: How to Keep Open Meetings Open and Public Meetings Public
The right of the public to know how our government acts is basic to our American system of democracy. Most states and the federal government have enacted laws requiring public meetings to be open, with minimal secrecy provisions. There are also laws guaranteeing access to public records kept and maintained by the government. The California First Amendment Coalition recently published a book called, “Legal Notebook: How to Keep Open Meetings Open and Public Meetings Public.” Terry Francke is an attorney who is the general counsel for the California First Amendment Coalition and author of this book.
Terry Francke recommends "Who Killed Homer? The Demise of Classical Education and the Recovery of Greek Wisdom," by Victor Davis Hanson & John Heath.
Originally Broadcast: October 16, 1998
Click here to begin listening.
--------------------------------------------------------
Benjamin Franklin
Ralph Archbold
Visit with Benjamin Franklin
This conversation with Benjamin Franklin, as portrayed by Ralph Archibald who shares a birthday with Benjamin Franklin, was recorded in the summer of 1994 in two parts. The first was recorded on a walk to where Benjamin Franklin lived and worked, and the second was recorded at the City Tavern, both Philadelphia landmarks in Franklin’s life and now. Benjamin Franklin is, perhaps, the most noteworthy and animated of the Founding Fathers. His contributions to science, common sense, and, most importantly, this nation of ours set him apart from most other figures in American history.
Originally Broadcast: July 18, 1994 and July 25, 1994
Click here to begin listening to part one.
Click here to begin listening to part two.
--------------------------------------------------------
The History of Feminism
No Turning Back — The History
of Feminism and the Future of Women
Estelle B. Freedman, a Professor of History at Stanford University in Palo Alto, California, specializing in feminism, is the author of “No Turning Back—The History of Feminism and the Future of Women.” She addresses many of the issues in her book in this edition of Radio Curious.
Estelle Freedman recommends "The Blind Assassin," by Margaret Atwood & "The Vagina Monologues," by Eve Ensler.
Originally Broadcast: April 2, 2002
Click here to begin listening.
--------------------------------------------------------
Nestle J. Frobish
Fair Play For Frogs, Part 1
Frogs play an important role in ecology of the world and are their occasional demise is sometimes noted as an impending ecological disaster. In 1961, a newly elected member of the California State Assembly, Jerome R. Waldie, introduced a bill that read in full, “frogs may be taken using slingshot.” Little did he know that this bill would plague him through out his political career in the California Legislature, in the United States Congress, and as a candidate for governor of California. Our guest is Nestle J. Frobish, the Chair-Creature of the World Wide Fair Play for Frogs Committee, an organization founded in Berkeley, California soon after what became to be known as the “frog murder bill.” “Fair Play for Frogs, The Waldie – Frobish Papers,” the collected correspondence between Nestle J. Frobish and former Congressman Jerome R. Waldie was published as political spoof in 1977. Around that time some misinformed people, including Congressman Waldie accused me of being Nestle J. Frobish, something I am not now, nor ever have been. I spoke with Nestle J. Frobish by phone while he was lurking near a pond at Frog Central in northern Vermont on May 21, 2007, so this rather preposterous story could be told. Jerome Waldie is also a guest and his interview may be found on this web-site.
Nestle J. Frobish recommends "State of Denial" by Bob Woodward.
Originally Broadcast: May 21, 2007
Click here to begin listening.
--------------------------------------------------------
You Can't Hide
Spy World: Inside the Canadian and Amer | 
