Tue, 8 August 2017
If filmmaker Peter Bogdanovich were just a successful Hollywood writer/director and actor, it’d be impressive enough. His list of accomplishments, published work as an author, hit films, and awards makes him worthy of a ton of esteem already. But Peter Bogdanovich is clearly more than even that. His stories reflect a rich life surrounded by creativity and the art of theater and filmmaking. And beyond even that, he is a living link to a classic era in Hollywood. An era of great filmmakers like John Ford, Howard Hawkes, Orson Welles and Alfred Hitchcock. As a young aspiring filmmaker Peter Bogdanovich in his 20s arriving in Hollywood Peter was befriended by all these men and Bogdanovich even goes on to make a documentary about John Ford and write books about Orson Welles. He talks about his beginnings, working for Roger Corman and then vaulting to Hollywood household name status after he directs The Last Picture Show which he co-wrote with Larry McMurtry. The film gets 8 Academy Award nominations wins two Academy Awards, the BAFTA award for best writing and on that film Peter Bogdanovich falls in love with a 21 year old Cybil Shepherd who he goes on to marry. That creates personal complications for him at a time of great professional success and he discusses that. On the professional side, from Steve McQueen to Barbara Streisand, much of Hollywood is wanting to work with him after The Last Picture Show. He goes on to next direct What’s Up Doc? starring Barbara Streisand and Ryan O’Neal. And the comedy is a smash hit. He follows that with another smash hit called, Paper Moon, a depression era comedy starring Ryan and Tatum O’Neal. Peter explains how and why Tatum was cast. The 10 year old Tatum goes on to get the Oscar for her performance. His relationship with the stunning leading ladies of two of his films captured headlines and created personal issues…marriages and divorces. But the most tragic romantic involvement of Peter Bogdanovich’s life had to be with actress Dorothy Stratten. After her brutal murder, Peter entered a dark period and withdrew from making movies for a time. He discusses this along with his eventual marriage to Dorothy’s younger sister, Louise. Peter talks about writing a book on Dorothy and the entire episode. He also talks bout his recent work as a filmmaker and directing an award winning documentary on Tom Petty. We wish Peter could have stayed longer with us. It was a pleasure and an honor to have him in. Writer/comedian Laura House and documentary producer/director and comic J.Elvis Weinstein join Mark Thompson for this conversation with Peter Bogdanovich. Here are links to Peter’s books and movies. |
Fri, 28 July 2017
GOP strategist, John Thomas, joins and explains what’s going on with this most unorthodox and, many would say, faltering presidency and administration. John is a staunch conservative pundit and Mark is, well, not. Mark and John discuss the environment, regulation and the undoing of everything Obama related. Then, Derek Thompson (Editor at The Atlantic) stops by to talk about his new book, HITMAKERS The Science of Popularity in an Age of Distraction. What makes something, an app, a piece of music, anything, break through the cultural noise and become a hit? Derek breaks it down in a fascinating conversation. J.Elvis Weinstein (Josh) and Laura House join Mark for the conversation with Derek.
Direct download: John_Thomas_and_Derek_Thompson_.mp3
Category:Talk & Interviews -- posted at: 3:05pm EDT |
Fri, 21 July 2017
Michael Wood Jr. says reforming the police force is simple. Of course, his view of simple and yours might diverge. Michael is part of a movement that is responding to a broken law enforcement model that has led to innocent civilian deaths and cops who are often afraid to patrol. He walks us through his experience and perspective on how to bring on change. More information on Michael Wood Jr.’s movement to reform policing: http://civilianledpolicing.org/ J.Elvis Weinstein joins Mark Thompson for the conversation with Michael. We start with THE FAST 15 during which Michael Shure spends the 15 minutes reflecting on OJ Simpson's parole, Senator John McCain and getting a urine test for a new job. That leads to urine test stories and questions. Comedian/writer Laura House joins us for the very start of the show..We love Laura.
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Thu, 13 July 2017
Sometimes an expert is in your own backyard. Mark's father is not only a constitutional lawyer but he's written a book with an extensive legal analysis of past presidential impeachment proceedings and even the attempted impeachment proceedings to remove presidents. But worried it was one of those shouting match shows on cable television, Mark's father, Arnie, initially rejected our show's invitation to join the show hosted by his own son! After it was explained that we wanted a civilized conversation to address all the impeachment talk, Mark's dad agreed to give us a bit of history and handicap the reality of any actions rising to the level of "high crimes and misdemeanors". The show starts with a a brief introduction and then The Fast 15 with Michael Shure talking politics, Russia and then making way for impeachment talk. Comedians Laura House and J. Elvis Weinstein join Mark Thompson for the conversation with his father, Arnie. Then they share facts about their own parents including one being eerily near JFK's assassination and the other having tutored Bob Dylan. |
Thu, 6 July 2017
Show open with Mark Thompson and J. Elvis Weinstein Fast 15 with political analyst Michael Shure: Mark plays a bit of the MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN song for Michael. The song debuted on July 4th. Michael offers up a different campaign song from a different former presidential candidate, Rick Santorum. Then the two compare facts about the Declaration of Independence. Then, actor, STEPHEN TOBOLOWSKY is our guest in a conversation with Mark and J Elvis. Stephen is a well known character actor and author whose life has been marked by brushes with death and remarkable stories of intuition, drug purchases gone bad, being held hostage at gun point and even rediscovering Judaism. His stories come from both in show business and out. Mark is a fan of both of his two books, Dangerous Animals Club and My Adventures with God. Stephen is the reason the band RADIOHEAD has their name. It comes out of a collaboration with David Byrne that Stephen goes into on the show. Stephen’s world takes in quite a lot and he passes along a few amazing stories and even life lessons in this hour.
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Mon, 26 June 2017
As a creator, writer, director and producer of television and film, Dave Mirkin has made quite an impact. He’s been behind some of the biggest television comedies both from the standpoint of audience and in terms of the impact on the culture of television comedy and entertainment. From The Larry Sanders Show to The Simpsons and Newhart, Dave takes us through a bit of his world as it emerges through a robust career. He talks about his good friend Carrie Fisher and their adventure together on a cruise ship filled with the best and the brightest from the arts and technology. J.Elvis Weinstein joins Mark for this conversation along with comedy writer, Laura House. Mark starts the show with a 3 minute update from last week's story on the police in L.A. and a community outreach young cadet program that has ended up in an arrest of an officer and cadets.
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Sat, 17 June 2017
The show starts with Mark and an LAPD tale ripped from the headlines. Then, political analyst Michael Shure stops by for THE FAST 15 with some extra time spent on stories of illegal gaming and even an Angela Merkel sighting. Then writer, comedian and performer, Laura House ( Laurahouse.com ) sits in with Mark as they speak with a radio reporter turned podcaster, Jo Kwon (from KFI radio in L.A.) The crew talks about pot (the focus of this season of Jo's podcast) and Jo's podcast generally which is called, Jo Kwon Reporting. Finally, a former NFL cheerleader who is now a leading primatologist and expert on Madagascar, Mireya Mayor, stops in with husband , Phil Fairclough, who produces wildlife shows for television and film. It's just a brief visit but enough to get a picture of the vanishing magical habitat that is Madagascar and why it's a tough fight to save it.
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Tue, 6 June 2017
What do Biff Henderson's Golf Cart of Death, Jerry Seinfeld and David Letterman Have in Common? Spike Feresten
Comedy writer, producer and host, Spike Feresten is involved in many things...He was a writer/producer on both Seinfeld and David Letterman's show. He also had his own successful late night talk show on FOX-TV. How and why that show went away is a story that Spike shares on this episode. Spike also co-wrote Bee Movie, the Jerry Seinfeld film that was a huge success. He talks about the process of writing that film and thinking through the bizarre world of a bee, or at least the bees in the movie. This episode was recorded at Mark's home which is up the road from Spike's. The two neighbors meet though on the wild roads of L.A. as is discussed in this episode. Michael Shure begins the episode with THE FAST 15, 15 minutes of politics and other items. This week, Mark apologizes to Michael for diminishing Michael's NHL fan status. The two also talk London terrorism, animals and Wonder Woman (the Jewish superhero)
Direct download: Spike_Feresten_final_edit_June_6.mp3
Category:Talk & Interviews -- posted at: 5:47pm EDT |
Tue, 30 May 2017
Actress Dana Delany on the Magic and Craziness of Hollywood... Plus, The President Gets Back From His Foreign Trip
Dana Delany rocketed to fame on China Beach, landed on People Magazine's Most Beautiful People issue TWICE, both in 1991 and 2011 (and she comments on how ridiculous that whole thing is on some level). Dana has starred in some of the highest profile movie and television projects of the last 25 years. Promoting those projects, the randomness of events associated with decisions on what projects to take on and and be part of is something Dana talks about. The group talks about Dana's trip to Vietnam during the time she's starring in China Beach, a television show about the Vietnam war. And Mark mentions that he's just returned from a trip there but the group makes fun of him and his trip. We get to the insane, hormonal shoot that was TOMBSTONE. Plus, she also gets into the film EXIT TO EDEN directed by Garry Marshall in which she starred. The episode begins with THE FAST 15: POLITICS AND MORE with Michael Shure, who has just returned from 2 weeks covering Washington in Washington DC. Shure isn't bothered by Trump pushing his way past other NATO leaders for a photo opp. He IS bothered by Jared Kushner's back channel attempt to communicate with the Russians BEFORE the incoming administration is in power and Jared's lying on the disclosure form about his Russian meetings at Trump Tower. Finally, Michael makes a pitch for the NHL Stanley Cup Finals. Heather Ankeny and Josh Weinstein join Mark Thompson for the conversation with Dana Delany.
Direct download: Dana_Delaney_Memorial_Day_final_final_final.mp3
Category:Talk Show -- posted at: 4:25pm EDT |
Mon, 22 May 2017
Tyler Cowen is a noted economist and professor at George Mason University in Washington. He has published many books on economics and our culture. His latest is: The Complacent Class: The Self Defeating Quest for the American Dream His book breaks down this moment in time in economic terms. We are not as inventive, entrepreneurial, versatile, daring or even productive as past generations. But within this cultural and economic moment in time there ARE members of society who take chances and make positive economic change happen. J. Elvis Weinstein (Josh) and Heather Ankeny join Mark Thompson for this conversation. Before that, Mark walks us through an Apple lawsuit, Elon Musk's day and a fact about millennials. You can buy Tyler Cowens books by clicking here.
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Thu, 11 May 2017
It's been an eventful period in Washington. Because of that Michael Shure and Mark have a lot to chew on to start the show during THE FAST 15 Then the master of voices and madness, Josh Robert Thompson, explains his new dominance on Facebook Live. Josh has turned that platform into a moneymaker and he's done it quickly. That doesn't stop him from making fun of some of his viewers but they seem to like being the butt of the joke. JRThompson also recounts a bit of his old world with Craig Ferguson as the voice of Geoff the Robot and the other characters on the show. J. Elvis Weinstein (Josh) joins Mark Thompson Editors note: Since this conversation, Josh has actually moved onto the Youtube Live platform. |
Mon, 1 May 2017
One of Mark's favorite podcast hosts is Dan Carlin who does a show called Hardcore History. Mark pumps him for some historical perspective on what's happening today. Is the USA a Fading Empire? How Close Are We to War? How will this moment in time be seen in the view of history? Dan is a clear mind with a keen historical vision. We start with THE FAST 15: Michael Shure who is, oddly perhaps, a fan of how United Airlines handled their PR mess after they threw a passenger off one of their flights. The two also talk Instagram, High Tech Casino Gaming and Famous Amos cookies. |
Sat, 22 April 2017
We start this episode with a quick Earth Day message from Mark. Then, Michael Shure shares the political truth about the "flip the 6th" race in Ga. Plus, he and Mark talk about fishing, whale watching and more. Heather and Josh then join. First they beat up on Mark for Steve Martin retweeting him. Then the crew meets an Uber driver who, months before starting his Uber driving, was a successful lawyer. Why would anyone give up an accomplished legal practice to move to Vegas and drive for Uber? He explains.
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Tue, 11 April 2017
Jimmy Dore is back and he wants to burn down the whole Democratic party. A party that he feels has let down the working class it claims to represent. Jimmy was an advocate for Donald Trump beating the corporatist (as Jimmy puts it) that is Hillary Clinton so Mark asks him if he's happy with the way things have turned out. Also, Michael Shure stops in with THE FAST 15, we read a negative e-mail, talk Sean Spicer, cellphone fingerprint technology that apparently isn't secure & Pulitzer Prize winning political cartoonist and columnist, David Horsey, visits too. Link to David Horsey columns: http://www.latimes.com/opinion/topoftheticket/ Link to Jimmy Dore: http://www.jimmydorecomedy.com/
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Thu, 30 March 2017
Andy Kindler is back with a free form conversation that J.Elvis Weinstein (Josh) helps along the way. Josh and Andy are best friends and so the two play a comedic, verbal ping pong that makes for a fun hour. Before Andy, we spend time with political analyst, Michael Shure. This week Michael talks about Jared Kushner, the president's son-in-law and how he's been given a wealth of responsibility for extremely important things but he has virtually no record of accomplishments in the spheres he's been charged with navigating. Also, how the White House is being run like a family business. Mark talks about how that's not surprising if one looks at the way Trump runs his other holdings. Before anything, Michael and Mark talk about the newest entry into the plant based food world: The Beyond Burger. Michael is over the moon for it. The episode is broken down with the first 22 minutes devoted to everything that's not Andy Kindler and after 22 minutes it's everything that IS Andy Kindler. J.Elvis Weinstein and Heather Ankeny join Mark Thompson for the conversation with Andy. Happy listening.
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Thu, 23 March 2017
Carol Leifer has been involved with a remarkable number of hit comedy shows. From Seinfeld to the Academy Awards to her own show which was critically heralded as one of the best shows in primetime television. The crew asks Carol about some of the shows she’s been involved with a special eye on Seinfeld. Having come out as a lesbian late in life and after having been married to a man, Carol’s story is both interesting and extraordinary. The crew quizzes Carol about her wedding and Mark asks Carol about what he calls, “Lesbian World”. Mark’s a fan of her books and asks her about her latest book, HOW TO SUCCEED IN BUSINESS WITHOUT REALLY CRYING. All of Carol's stand-up dates and links to buy her book can be found on her website CarolLeifer.com Heather Ankeny and J.Elvis Weinstein join Mark Thompson for the conversation with Carol Leifer. The show starts with THE FAST 15: Politics and more with Michael Shure. It’s a 15 minute conversation covering the Washington scene and this time Mark and Michael get into the evolution of the ticket broker.
Direct download: Carol_Leifer_march_23_2017.mp3
Category:Talk & Interviews -- posted at: 10:08pm EDT |
Sat, 25 February 2017
Inside the IBM Watson Team...Also, Looking Back on 17 Years in Prison and Activism in America: Does It Do Anything?
IBM Watson is leading the pack in artificial intelligence. Nish Parekh from the Watson team joins us to bring us up to speed on how the technology is finding it's way into more and more aspects of business and daily interactions. Plus, Nish's father may have one of the great immigrant stories. So great that he starts with nothing and his story culminates with him being a high stakes baccarat player. Mark of course cannot resist asking Nish about that. Then, Jeff, talks about his 17 years in prison. Why was he there and what happens behind bars? We know Jeff because Heather's boyfriend spent 5 years in prison and met Jeff during his time there. The show starts, as it frequently does, with THE FAST 15 with analyst Michael Shure (this time it's closer to 25 mins). Mark and Michael talk about politics and get around to the confusion of a misplaced Michelin star that ends up bringing a huge crowd to a beer joint in France.
Direct download: Shure...NIsh_plus_Prisoner_Jeff_FINAL.mp3
Category:Talk Show -- posted at: 5:52pm EDT |
Thu, 9 February 2017
Leading a global movement to protect the world’s oceans is no easy task but Captain Paul Watson has been doing it for 40 years. |
Sun, 15 January 2017
If you live on the west coast you may be aware of the dominance of The John and Ken Show. The show is on KFI radio and is top rated on the most listened to talk station in America. It's known for being a nasty spot to end up if you are a politician and the guy with the nastiest bite in the John and Ken duo is our guest, John Kobylt. John describes his background and ascent through the ranks of sports journalism to radio dominance. Mark Thompson is joined by political reporter, analyst and regular contributor Michael Shure for the conversation with John. |
Thu, 29 December 2016
As we finish the year there are titanic changes in the U.S. for the year ahead and beyond. On this show we ask INTERNATIONAL BEST SELLING AUTHOR and TRENDS ANALYST, Gerald Celente, to put it all in perspective. Gerald is OPTIMISTIC about the effect DONALD TRUMP and his administration may have on the economy. On other issues besides the economy, the picture is bit less clear. You can get more information on Gerald Celente here: http://trendsresearch.com/ Before Gerald Celente, Mark Thompson welcomes Michael Shure with THE FAST 15. They discuss jailing people in India for not honoring the national anthem by standing. Then Mark and Michael discuss marijuana legalization and it’s positive and negatives. J. Elvis Weinstein (Josh accompanies Mark for the conversation with Gerald Celente) |
Fri, 16 December 2016
This episode starts with J. Elvis Weinstein having just wrapped up serving as foreman of the jury on a murder trial. He'll review the facts and what happened in that deliberation room. Then, Tim Atkins joins us. Tim was wrongly accused and convicted of robbery and murder and ended up in prison for 23 years before he was exonerated. What's it like in prison? What's it like to be there as an innocent man? How does he survive? What's the future hold for Tim Atkins and is the state of California ever going to compensate him for the mistaken imprisonment? Mark Thompson is joined by J. Elvis Weinstein and Heather Ankeny |
Thu, 1 December 2016
Bobby Slayton has had a rough year, with the death of his wife of 30 years. What's happened since? Bobby fills us in on his new girlfriend who he met--at a funeral. Then it's dinners with Woody Allen and more. Josh Weinstein (J Elvis Weinsten) and Heather Ankeny join Mark Thompson |
Fri, 11 November 2016
What do Bruno Mars, Flo Rida, Ke$ha & Selena Gomez have in common? They are just a few of the artists who have in common our guest, Aaron Bay-Schuck. Aaron is the President of A & R at Interscope Records and has signed and developed some of the biggest names in music. He's been a co-writer on some of the biggest hits of the last five years. The crew discusses how Aaron found Bruno Mars and what goes into building the careers and the creative expressions of so many of our favorite artists. Also, how is the music industry changing? Aaron grew up as the son of actor John Schuck and actress Susan Bay. Bay then remarried, Leonard Nimoy. So Aaron grew up as the step-son of Leonard Nimoy and talks about his step-dad and the family since Nimoy's passing. It's a great hour about music, creativity and a ride through what happens in the new world of the music business. The show starts with THE FAST 15: Political reporter and analyst Michael Shure owns the fact that he may be wrong about THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE and not just because of the election result. Heather Ankeny joins Mark Thompson for the conversation with AARON BAY-SCHUCK
Direct download: aaron_bay_schuck_Oct_24_FINAL_FINAL.mp3
Category:Talk Show -- posted at: 9:18pm EDT |
Fri, 11 November 2016
The smoke has barely cleared. It's less than a day after the polls closed and Emmy and Murrow award winning ABC White House and Senior National correspondent, Jim Avila reflects on what happened. Why were the media pollsters so wrong? Jim shares an insider's look and even talks about a memo that was circulated at ABC by the pollsters explaining what went on. Avila talks about false equivalency and the notion of "fair" reporting in the run up to election day. Was the media complicit in running down one candidate over in favor of the other. Plus, a listener who had written to the show in the comments section of our website joins by phone to share a few minutes on why he voted for Donald Trump. Heather Ankeny joins Mark Thompson
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Thu, 3 November 2016
Frying the Political System While Getting a Decent Martini Guests, Jimmy Dore and Michael Shure THE FAST 15 with Michael Shure: We catch political analyst, Michael Shure, between road trips to cover the PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN. Of course, the conversation is diverted almost immediately when Michael goes nuts over the Jonathan Gold Best Restaurant List which has just come out. Then it' on to the electoral college, which is both explained and defended by Michael Shure. Mark Thompson is not a fan. Jimmy tells us about the perfect martini and torches the American political system. He loathes Clinton and Trump and everyone else who has a whiff of being part of mainstream politics. It's been a long, nasty political season and this is our big finish.
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Tue, 25 October 2016
Our conversation with Illeana Douglas is broken into two episodes because of it's length. This is part two. Illeana Douglas has starred in films from Goodfellas and Cape Fear to To Die For and Alive and TV shows like Six Feet Under. Plus, she created and hosted her own successful comedy and breakthrough TV show that took place in an IKEA store which she discusses. Right now, she's hosting a TV series on the TCM network. Her life in and around movies makes for a world that you just can't hear enough about. Illeana's grandfather was a two time Oscar winner and yet she grew up going hungry many days in a family that had no money (discussed in the first episode). Why is Dennis Hopper to blame for this? Illeana told us about that in the last episode. Here, she discusses going hungry on the movie, ALIVE and doing a talk show in an real IKEA store Her book is I Blame Dennis Hopper And Other Stories From a Life Lived In and Out of the Movies. Josh Weinstein (J.Elvis Weinstein) joins Mark Thompson for the conversation. |
Mon, 17 October 2016
Illeana Douglas has starred in films from Goodfellas and Cape Fear to To Die For and Alive and TV shows like Six Feet Under. Plus, she created and hosted her own successful comedy and breakthrough TV show that took place in an IKEA store. Right now, she's hosting a TV series on the TCM network. Her life in and around movies makes for a world that you just can't hear enough about. Illeana's grandfather was a two time Oscar winner and yet she grew up going hungry many days in a family that had no money. Why is Dennis Hopper to blame for this? Illeana tells us. The conversation with Illeana Douglas is broken into two episodes because of it's length. This is part one. Josh Weinstein (J.Elvis Weinstein) joins Mark Thompson for the conversation. As always, we begin with THE FAST 15: Politics and more with Michael Shure sharing thoughts on what's happening with the GOP during this tumultuous time and a story of an Arab Prince who's a reformer but a decadent one.
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Tue, 11 October 2016
Dr. Armaiti May, DVM is a veterinarian in Los Angeles whose award winning activism on behalf of animals has made her an expert witness in many animal cruelty court trials. She’s involved in one of the highest profile animal rights trials in recent history, in which a woman who offered water to pigs being taken to slaughter. Our crew of Mark Thompson, J. Elvis Weinstein and Heather Ankeny start with learning about a religion they didn’t know about. Then, they talk with her about confronting euthanizing a loved pet…How soon is too soon? How long do you wait? Dr. May’s activism has led her to create an organization to work for more humane changes within the veterinary profession and their teaching protocol. The conversation is wide ranging and our crew of Mark Thompson, J. Elvis Weinstein and Heather Ankeny. For more information on Dr. Armaiti May and her work both as a vet and an advocate for animals, check out these websites: The show starts with the FAST 15: Political expert Michael Shure gives us the low down on a wild political season and Walmart tries to revolutionize the grocery business |
Mon, 3 October 2016
Political Expert Michael Shure and Trump Cheerleaders, Diamond and Silk Debate veteran journalist and political analyst, Michael Shure takes us into the Presidential Debate press pool during the FAST 15. We also get caught up with Heather Ankeny and J.Elvis Weinstein. Then.. Trump super fans Diamond and Silk finish off the show. Mark Thompson hosts.
Direct download: Shure_Heather_Josh_Diamond_Silk_Oct_2nd.mp3
Category:Talk Show -- posted at: 2:37am EDT |
Fri, 23 September 2016
Days from the first presidential debate, political analyst Michael Shure tells us what to expect. Then, Emmy Award winning comedy writer, David Feldman, is getting a divorce and talks about the dirty business of mediation and why his divorce lawyer fired him and charged him for the letter dismissing him as a client.
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Fri, 16 September 2016
The show starts with the FAST 15 with Mark and Michael Shure. Mark and Michael discuss credit cards and then play the game, HOW MUCH DO YOU KNOW ABOUT YOUR CREDIT CARD? Then.. DIANE LADD has a free form talk with Mark and Josh (J Elvis Weinstein) about her life in theater and film. Diane is an actress/writer/director and author and a winner of over 35 international awards, nominated for three Emmy Awards® and three Academy Awards® for the films Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore, Wild at Heart and Rambling Rose. She starred with her daughter Laura Dern in Rambling Rose and made Academy Award® history as the first mother/daughter duo to earn nominations for the same film. Ladd’s most recent movie is Joy from Director David O. Russell She joins us to talk about her most television project, the very popular, CHESAPEAKE SHORES on The Hallmark Channel |
Sat, 10 September 2016
The show starts with THE FAST 15: 15 mins with political analyst, Michael Shure. Michael offers some thoughts on the COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF FORUM and the failing of Matt Lauer. Then our guest, Bill Reiter. Bill is a journalist whose frankness and honesty has been rewarded as he moved into sports, He talks about cornering President Clinton for an interview at a urinal in Little Rock Arkansas. He also reflects on his days as a beat sports reporter in Miami, where he got into a toxic back and forth with Lebron James at the height of his stardom there. His bad blood with Chris Paul continues even today. As you can tell, Bill is used to speaking his mind. The crew touches on the Colin Kaepernick/national anthem controversy as well. Bill's new show can be found on the CBS Sports app, ROKU, APPLE TV and at CBSsports.com J. Elvis Weinstein and Heather Ankeny join Mark Thompson for the talk with Bill Reiter.
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Mon, 5 September 2016
Trump, charm school, Dodi Fayed and more... Model and actress, Sandi Taylor has been around some of the most powerful people in the jet set world. She tells stories of a life out of a movie. Did Donald Trump really give her a copy of his book ART OF THE DEAL? Did he tell her to change her name? Did he really track her down after seeing her on the cover of a magazine? First, CBS Sports host and writer Bill Reiter weighs in on the Colin Kaepernick controversy. Mark Thompson is joined by Heather Ankeny and J. Elvis Weinstein
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Fri, 26 August 2016
COMIC, ACTOR, HOST AND CHELSEA HANDLER BUDDY, BEN GLEIB
A free form conversation with comedian, host, actor and producer Ben Gleib.
ESQUIRE magazine calls Ben one of the comedians most likely to be the NEXT BIG THING in comedy. Ben is an improv force of nature.
Heather, J.Elvis Weinstein and Mark Thompson knock around on subjects from asking permission to kiss to Johnny Carson memorabilia and late night comedy generally.
Ben’s talks about his hot game show IDIOT TEST on GSN and his newest Showtime special, NEUROTIC GANGSTER.
Did Ben ever try to hook up with best friend Chelsea Handler? How did he win thousands from Chelsea in ping pong? These are a couple of questions answered in this episode.
Mark claims he’s been inviting Ben to come to the show for some time but Ben proves him wrong.
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Fri, 19 August 2016
SHEENA EASTON She is one of the most prolific music makers in pop music history. She drops in for a conversation about music, creative process working with Prince, performing the theme to a James Bond film and now, raising a family. For Southern California listeners, Sheena is performing on Sunday, August 21st in a special show that the crew talks about: GET TICKETS HERE Heather Ankeny and J. Elvis Weinstein join Mark Thompson
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Wed, 10 August 2016
THAT GUY FROM WANG CHUNG IS HERE That guy from Wang Chung!! Jack Hues created some of the biggest songs of the decade: DANCE HALL DAYS, EVERYBODY HAVE FUN and TO LIVE AND DIE IN L.A. to name just three. Jack joins us from England and talks about riding the 80s wave of Wang Chung and about his new project. Mark Thompson and J. Elvis Weinstein ask about how it was then, how Wang Chung ended up scoring the film To Live and Die in L.A. and how Jack’s latest project has come together. Here’s the link to get Jack Hues' new stuff: And here’s a link to his classic 80s Wang Chung stuff: BUT BEFORE JACK HUES ON THE SHOW: A quick shot of politics with political analyst and correspondent, Michael Shure… Then Jack from Wang Chung .. Finally Mark invites his sister into the studio during her recovery to tell her story of being pulled from a burning car right before it exploded in pieces. J. Elvis Weinstein (Josh) joins Mark Thompson |
Wed, 3 August 2016
Michael Shure and Jimmy Dore Fresh off covering both American political conventions, Michael Shure stops by with a jumbo blast of insider political analysis and stories from the road. (But the show begins with a digression about the product BREATH ASSURE) Then... Jimmy Dore (who also has just returned from both conventions) lights up the Democrats for ignoring the potential of Bernie Sanders, and laments the loss of liberalism in a Hillary Clinton candidacy. Then he blasts the media for normalizing everything from Donald Trump For all the places you can find Jimmy Dore go to JimmyDoreComedy.com For the conversation with Jimmy Dore, J. Elvis Weinstein (Josh) joins Mark Thompson |
Mon, 18 July 2016
Heather gets a TV show but it’s gonna end after this season and she gets trolled on Instagram. J. Elvis Weinstein has lunch with a crime reporter. Mark officiates at the wedding of Dateline NBC’s Josh Mankiewicz and The New York Times gets a key detail about the whole thing wrong. Then it’s fun stories from REALITY TELEVISION with a REALITY TV PRODUCING KING, Cris Abrego. Cris is recognized globally as pioneering a new genre of unscripted programming with the breakout celebreality series The Surreal Life and for riding herd over the mega-hits BIG BROTHER, BIGGEST LOSER, MASTER CHEF and many more. He is co-CEO of Endemol Shine North America. But has great stories of the beginnings of reality TV from his days on MTV’S ROAD RULES and THE REAL WORLD. Cris Abrego's rise from the working class LA suburb of El Monte, California to become prominent in the Television industry is nothing short of amazing. In his book MAKE IT REALITY, Chris offers up lessons he learned from almost twenty years in Television—How to visualize your goals and attain them, dealing with risks and having no limits on what can be achieved. Mark Thompson, Heather Ankeny and J.Elvis Weinstein join in for the entire episode |
Mon, 11 July 2016
We start with a 10 minute blast of politics from political analyst and journalist Michael Shure talking with Mark Thompson. Then our guest, Amy Povah… When Federal Drug agents burst into her home, Amy Povah was confronted at gunpoint. Amy was sentenced to two decades in prison and spent 10 years behind bars because her husband was dealing drugs. She was not part of his drug dealing. By the way, the husband pleaded his time down to 4 years. It was her husband agents were after. His overseas ECSTASY drug operation had grown to the point that he was something of a kingpin. Amy explains to Mark and Josh that she was not part of that operation but was faced with the specter of wearing a wire and becoming an underground informant anyway. The Feds said that if she didn’t cooperate in that way they’d send her away for a mandatory 24 year sentence. Worried about the danger etc. she didn’t cooperate in that way and they indeed sentenced her to two decades behind bars. How she got out after 10 years and how she’s working to help others, often girlfriends and spouses or other family members in jail for sometimes something as little as taking a phone message for a known dealer, is part of what she talks about with Mark Thompson and J.Elvis Weinstein. Her outreach and clemency program is CAN-DO, a 501(c) 3 nonprofit foundation that advocates Clemency for All Non-violent Drug Offenders. There’s more information at candoclemency.com
Direct download: Amy_Povah_Clemency_Prison_July_11.mp3
Category:Talk & Interviews -- posted at: 6:05pm EDT |
Thu, 23 June 2016
Ed Begley Jr. is an actor with a long, long list of credits like, St. Elsewhere (6 Emmy nominations) to features and stage productions and even back to the small screen, BETTER CALL SAUL and a hit Netflix series, LADY DYNAMITE. Ed is also a monument to sustainability. He's been on the cutting edge of living a sustainable life for decades. www.edbegleyjr.com Now, he's building a house which is dedicated to conserving energy and keeping the smallest carbon footprint possible. Ed has enlisted the help of Scott Harris. Scott is a builder with an impressive and high profile client list: Paul Allen, Taio Cruz, Kevin James, Kevin Costner, John Paul DeJoria, Neil Patrick Harris, the Sultan of Brunel and the Savoy Hotel-London. http://www.buildingcgroup.com/content/ The guys talk about little things we can all do to help the cause of sustainability and of course they talk HOLLYWOOD and more. The episode kicks off with 10 minutes of political talk with regular contributor, Michael Shure.
Direct download: ed_begley_jr._scott_harris_june_13.mp3
Category:Talk Show -- posted at: 12:53pm EDT |
Wed, 15 June 2016
Our newest regular contributor is political analyst, Michael Shure. We’ll spend 10 minutes talking with Michael regularly about the unfolding political season and how the fast moving events of the world shape the respective presidential campaigns THEN, the documentary film, The Best Of It and the filmmaker, SCOTT PEARSON EBERLY… Scott talks about the characters that inhabit his film. They are four people who make their sole living from betting on sports. One of them, “Dink”, calls in during the show. It’s a subculture that’s fascinating, exhilarating and maybe even a bit unsettling. You don’t need to be a gambler for this episode…but if you want to see his film here’s the link to THE BEST OF IT. Heather Ankeny and Josh Elvis Weinstein join Mark Thompson for the conversation with Scott.
Direct download: The_Best_of_It_Scott_Pearson_Eberly_FINAL2.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 2:23am EDT |
Mon, 6 June 2016
COURTNEY THORNE-SMITH is one of the most successful actresses in television. From Melrose Place and Ally McBeal to According to Jim and Two and A Half Men, her talents have been spread across many years in a career that’s going strong. You will hear Mark fawn over her and J.Elvis Weinstein chime in along with the KING OF TV, PAUL GOEBEL who joins by phone. Courtney tells us about the process of auditioning, getting high profile role and working family into the world of a successful acting career. Here’s the King of TV website: http://www.thekingoftv.com/ THEN.. SANGITA IYER, who has made the documentary film GODS IN SHACKLES, talks about her campaign of awareness to stop the abuse of Asian Elephants in India, a country which claims to revere and celebrate elephants but actually has institutionalized their torture and abuse. For information on the GODS IN SHACKLES movie and campaign against this cruelty: http://www.godsinshackles.com/ and … to attend the red carpet premiere in L.A click here! |
Fri, 27 May 2016
Academy Award Winning Documentary Filmmaker...Racing Extinction..Also..A Report from Trump and Bernie Rallies
He's won an Academy Award for his documentary, THE COVE, and now Louis Psihoyos has a new film that is both breathtaking and powerful. RACING EXTINCTION is about the coming mass extinction unfolding across the planet, during which at least half the species on earth will vanish. The film deals with examples of the of the Anthropocene extinction, in other words, the effects of the unbridled appetites of human beings(literal and figurative) causing the greatest mass extinction since the KT event, 66 million years ago. And despite the bleak realities, the film is hopeful, exciting, beautifully photographed and empowering. The movie takes you undercover to Asia to witness the demand for endangered animal parts in exotic elixirs and culinary preparations and goes from there... Composer J Ralph, who scored this movie and the Academy Award winning documentary film, MAN ON WIRE (along with CHASING ICE and other high profile documentary projects of late) joins us also. But before the guests arrive Jimmy Dore reports to us from from the presidential campaigns of Bernie Sanders and Donald Trump. There are no two campaigns with more momentum than Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders and Jimmy contrasts the two stump speeches and rallies. For more information on the film RACING EXTINCTION and related subjects go to http://racingextinction.com/ Heather Ankeny and J.Elvis Weinstein join Mark Thompson
Direct download: Louis_Psihoyos_2_Racing_Ext_FINAL_1.mp3
Category:Talk & Interviews -- posted at: 3:29pm EDT |
Mon, 23 May 2016
Sam Rubin reports entertainment on the top morning news program in L.A. Sam talks show business and life and generally slops around with Josh, Heather and Mark |
Fri, 13 May 2016
Two guests… The crew of Mark Thompson, J. Elvis Weinstein (Josh) and Heather Ankeny discuss a few things before the guests arrive...Including Heather’s most recent relationship drama and along the way they change gears and welcome BROOKE BURKE-CHARVET and then DAN HARRIS to the conversation. Brooke Burke-Charvet explains a career path that has taken her around the world, made her a substantial star and helped her manage significant family obligations as a mother. The blog that she writes can be found at ModernMom.com The star of DANCING WITH THE STARS talks about her new book in which Brooke stresses simplicity and de-cluttering our lives of STUFF. The book is called THE JOY OF LESS - 101 STORIES ABOUT HAVING MORE BY SIMPLIFYING OUR LIVES. Brooke shares a bit of her high flying life with us and fills us in on how to say “no” and how to reorganize, prioritize and downsize.
Then DAN HARRIS joins… DAN HARRIS is an award winning journalist and co-anchor of ABC’S NIGHTLINE. He’s reported from war zones, inside the prison system and far flung villages in Congo. We ask him about some of those places and stories. Dan Harris also regularly files reports for “World News Tonight with David Muir,” “20/20” and “Good Morning America”. In 2014, Harris published the book, 10% Happier: How I Tamed the Voice in My Head, Reduced Stress without Losing My Edge and Found Self-Help That Actually Works. It went to #1 on the New York Times Bestsellers List and then became an app, designed to teach meditation to skeptics. As an anchor on GOOD MORNING AMERICA Dan had a panic attack that led to revelations about his life and the power of the mind. He shares some of his story with our group. To get more Dan Harris related material, check out these links: 10% Happier app website: percenthappier.com (The app offers a free 7-day trial)
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Fri, 6 May 2016
One of the most famous voices in television and radio takes us through a life onscreen and off. As the voice and creator of some of the highest profile and innovative advertising campaigns, Shadoe Stevens had doors opened and Hollywood calling. What happened next is a story of triumph, addiction and re-emergence. More Shadoe at his website http://www.shadoe.com/ J. Elvis Weinstein joins Mark Thompson |
Thu, 28 April 2016
Mark's co-host, Josh, grew up in Minneapolis and has some thoughts on Prince. Music critic Michael Snyder also joins to reflect on and add a story or two about the Purple One. Plus, Heather tells of dating a gay man and not realizing it until... Mark Thompson, Heather Ankeny and J.Elvis Weinstein
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Mon, 25 April 2016
HOW NOT TO DIE is the new NY Times bestselling book from world renown medical doctor and researcher, Dr. Michael Greger. Greger discusses how simple diet and lifestyle changes can extend our lives and actually roll back the damage done by years of dietary and environmental abuse, allowing us to live longer and better lives. Dr. Greger has testified before congress and his work is meticulously well documented and presented. You can get HOW NOT TO DIE and other books by Dr. Michael Greger by clicking here. Plus, Dr. Greger does daily short videos discussing a number of issues and sorting through research. You can get access to those videos and a bunch of other great information at nutritionfacts.org J.Elvis Weinstein (Josh) and Heather Ankeny join Mark Thompson |
Tue, 19 April 2016
Tavis Smiley is a successful broadcaster, best selling author, lecturer and political commentator. His world is populated by a who’s who of modern life and a his mind has a keen sense of the past with a view toward the future. Much of his life philosophy is in his new book: 50 For Your Future…Lessons From Down The Road Tavis’ take on life, future and opportunity may offer insight for many of us. Josh Weinstein joins Mark Thompson
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Mon, 11 April 2016
Radio's champion morning team of Kevin and Bean have dominated since they arrived in L.A. in 1990..They've stared down the best radio shows in the country from Howard Stern on and they're still going. Bean joins us to tell us about their ride and to make fun of Mark.
Heather Ankeny and J. Elvis Weinstein join Mark |
Sun, 3 April 2016
We are fans of the work of Garry Shandling. This episode of THE EDGE looks back at his professional life, both personal and professional. It’s a pretty deep dive. We include some clips from Garry and we talk primarily about his two groundbreaking shows: IT’S GARRY SHANDLING’S SHOW and THE LARRY SANDERS. Our guests are two people who knew him. Jay Kogen joins us to talk about having started as an errand boy on IT’S GARRY SHANDLING’S SHOW in the 80’s and rising to the role of writer and ultimately going on to become an Emmy winning producer, given the Emmy by, Garry Shandling. Also, we are joined by Linda Doucett, who was Garry’s fiancé and was with him for 7 years. She talks about her years at THE LARRY SANDERS SHOW and her world around him. Linda is still raw from the news of Garry’s death, having just spoken to him a week before he died. |
Sat, 26 March 2016
Neil Strauss, the author of THE GAME (penetrating the secret world of pick-up artists) joins us in an unvarnished conversation about love, relationships and sex (some of which is pretty bizarre and out there) On his website Neil says his new book, THE TRUTH: An Uncomfortable Book About Relationships, is "an attempt to figure out where so many people go wrong, again and again, when it comes to relationships and marriage—and if there’s a better way to live, love, and make love." He also says, "this, however, is not a journey that was undertaken for journalistic purposes. It is a painfully honest account of a life crisis that was forced on me by the consequences of my own behavior" And his journey is both fascinating and literally unbelievable. Heather Ankeny joins Mark Thompson and they both share some adult stories along the way. WARNING for adult themes |
Mon, 14 March 2016
JRT is Back…Talking about his latest TV creation -- Josh Robert Thompson is the man of voices and ideas… From access TV stardom as a kid to network television and performing voices on Family Guy and feature films, Josh Robert Thompson is a packed warehouse of talent. He talks about some of what he’s doing and his latest project. Josh is a great friend of the show so it’s always fun when he visits. You can find more information on Josh at jrtvoices.com Heather Ankeny joins Mark Thompson for this episode of THE EDGE |
Fri, 4 March 2016
It’s a jumbo episode...
A quick conversation with YouTube and internet sensations (and our favorite Donald Trump supporters), DIAMOND AND SILK.
Then we are interrupted in studio by "MORGAN FREEMAN" (who supports Hillary Clinton). But "Morgan Freeman" seems more concerned with the just concluded Oscars ceremony than just politics.
Then in another brief conversation, Lisa Joyner’s talks about her NEW show on TLC, LONG LOST FAMILY. The show reunites loved ones who have been separated often times for their entire lives. Unrehearsed and real, everyone here at THE EDGE was incredibly moved by this emotional series and we highly recommend it.
Here's a teaser for the premiere season of LONG LOST FAMILY.
Finally, DOCUMENTARY FILMMAKER CHRIS BELL:
Mark has followed Chris for years and is a huge fan of his work.
Chris’ latest film is called PRESCRIPTION THUGS which discusses prescription drug abuse in the U.S. but also reveals a stunning bombshell that occurred during the making of the documentary.
He’s also done TROPHY KIDS and BIGGER, STRONGER, FASTER
Note: THANKS to friend of the show Josh Robert Thompson for bringing the voice of Morgan Freeman to life.
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Thu, 25 February 2016
When Mark calls Marilu a “multi-threat” he’s not kidding. |
Mon, 15 February 2016
After seeing the wildly popular, 10 part Netflix series MAKING A MURDERER, you walk away thinking the man at the center of the trial, Steven Avery, and his nephew, Brendan Dassey, are arguably wrongly accused men, potentially innocent and certainly not deserving of a conviction for the murder of a woman who came to the Avery property to photograph for AutoTrader. The series leads you to believe the cops railroaded a conviction for any number of reasons. Among them, Steven Avery was involved in a civil suit against the department for having been wrongly arrested and convicted for rape (having served 18 years) But Dan O’Donnell’s series REBUTTING A MURDERER — on iHeartRadio — there’s a link to it here tells the WHOLE story of the trial and evidence and it’s that evidence that you never see in the 10 hours of the Netflix series. We review many details and give listeners a sense of the series and the more complete picture. J.Elvis Weinstein (who didn’t see the show), Heather Ankeny (who believes Avery should have been found “not guilty”) join Mark Thompson (who, after hearing Dan’s reports, thinks Avery is 100 percent guilty) We start with another quick visit to the world of Donald Trumps’s most fervent new supporters: DIAMOND AND SILK. Then we finish with Heather’s story from the Super Bowl in San Francisco. |
Thu, 4 February 2016
Diamond and Silk are two women who have exploded on the internet with robust support of Donald Trump. YouTube videos and stump speeches have made them such favorites of his campaign that they’ve joined him on the stump and they are among the few he’s following on Twitter. We’ll hear excerpts of their impassioned support and talk to them about where the fire for Trump came from. Then, Jimmy Dore stops by and shares stories of a great life moment --meeting Dick Van Dyke, Sam Elliot, Randy Newman and Don Rickles—all with different outcomes and reactions. A couple of key moments from THE GOLDEN GLOBES AWARDS…Bernie Sanders and the Iowa caucuses… What makes a person happy, universal vibrations and more. Mark Thompson is joined by J.Elvis Weinstein to talk with comic, Jimmy Dore.
keywords: Trump, election, vibration, psychic, black, republican, democrat, Iowa Sanders, Clinton, Cruz, Awards
Direct download: Diamond_Silk_And_JimmyDore_Feb_2016.mp3
Category:Talk Show -- posted at: 4:57pm EDT |
Thu, 28 January 2016
To call the future “uncertain” would be the understatement of the new year. Someone who has been looking into the future for decades now joins us in this episode to give us a sense of at least one perspective on the future. Gerald Celente is a future trends expert who has a team that THE ECONOMIST says has a “range of specialties (that) would rival many university faculties.” Gerald talks world markets and gives us a window on what he does. Then, Heather has an amazing, true life story of HUGE secret kept for years. Heather Ankeny and J.Elvis Weinstein join Mark Thompson. |
Thu, 21 January 2016
Arguably the top dog in fantasy football is Matthew Berry. The ESPN Senior Fantasy Football Analyst has turned his expertise into a robust industry. That industry includes a popular podcast and website for starters, called RotoPass.com. Of course, the world of fantasy sports has never been hotter and Matthew walks us through it all.
He has a dizzying command of statistics and performance strategies. That’s made Matthew a highly sought after consultant to some huge celebrities from other worlds.
For example, he takes us inside being the fantasy football buddy of Jay-Z's and sitting in on Jay-Z’s draft alongside other stars of the NBA and the hip hop world.
Plus, Matthew is expanding the reach of fantasy sports to another area completely and sucks the whole group into that new project.
Before the world of ESPN and fantasy sports blew up for him, Matthew had a career as a screen writer and producer and he takes the crew through some memorable moments from his most notable film pitch.
Heather Ankeny is also someone with a deep fantasy football knowledge and sandwiched between them is J. Elvis Weinstein who is a newbie to the game.
Funny, smart and relevant: Matthew Berry joins Mark along with Heather Ankeny and J. Elvis Weinstein.
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Sat, 16 January 2016
Andy Kindler is the comic's comic and his reflections on what he's done and what he's doing make this one of those conversations you just sit back and enjoy. Andy talks EVERYBODY LOVES RAYMOND, THE TONIGHT SHOW, THE LATE SHOW WITH DAVID LETTERMAN and the standup world in general. J. Elvis Weinstein (Josh) is Andy's good friend so the two have a conversational shorthand that's fun to be in on. Heather is away so it's just Mark and Josh and Andy. |
Fri, 8 January 2016
Discovery Channel premiered its first-ever true crime series titled KILLING FIELDS …Taking viewers inside an active criminal investigation as it unfolds. The series follows the hunt for the killer of a Louisiana woman. It's a case that went cold nearly two decades ago in the small community of Iberville Parish, Louisiana, just 15 miles from the state capitol, Baton Rouge. In June 1997, Louisiana State University student Eugenie Boisfontaine was last seen near LSU’s lakes. Two months later, her body was found nearby in a watery ditch with evidence of blunt force trauma to her head.
Who did it and why? Was her murder part of a much bigger string of killings? Between 1997 and 2003, there were 60 cases of missing and murdered women in the area that went unsolved. And to make it even more complicated, the Baton Rouge area had multiple serial killers operating at the same time with two of the their victims living on the same street as Eugenie. Could these murders be connected? Detective Rodie Sanchez was assigned to the case in 1997 and hasn’t stopped thinking about it since. He makes the bold decision to come out of retirement and gets permission to re-open the case. Rodie is determined to solve the mystery and make good on a broken promise to Eugenie’s mother: to find the person (or persons) responsible for killing her daughter. Joining Rodie is a young hot-shot detective, Aubrey St. Angelo, who has a knack for reading people and isn’t afraid to ask the tough questions. The two work in conjunction with top detectives. With advancements in forensic science and DNA analysis, a lot has changed since 1997. But will this be enough to crack the case for good? And will Rodie be able to finally rest and move beyond the case that has forever haunted him? KILLING FIELDS airs on DISCOVERY CHANNEL Detectives Sanchez and St. Angelo join us in this episode of THE EDGE. Hosts: Mark Thompson, Heather Ankeny and J.Elvis Weinstein
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Thu, 31 December 2015
Heather, Josh and Mark talk about some of their favorite moments on our show from the last year and beyond... Clips and highlights make for a great jumbo sampler of THE EDGE-- |
Wed, 16 December 2015
Bobby Slayton is known as the pitbull of comedy for his acerbic, take no prisoners style on stage. Bobby talks holidays, media, his famous daughter and tells us about meeting Alice Cooper and how he saved Bobby's life. Bobby Slayton is a fan favorite and ours too. Heather Ankeny joins Mark Thompson |
Thu, 10 December 2015
Mansoor Shams is a Muslim who enlisted in the Marine corps before 9-11 and who wanted to go into combat when the Twin Towers came down. Now, even though he’s out of “the Corps” he maintains close ties to many in the Marines. As the climate in America has taken a decidedly anti-muslim tone, he feels the need to try and stop the flow of bad information. His frequent periscopes and forays into social media attempt to do that Heather Ankeny and J.Elvis Weinstein join Mark Thompson |
Tue, 1 December 2015
He's pioneered a revolutionary part of the law, been a coke addict and a top morning radio personality... KFI morning radio personality Bill Handel's irreverent, almost reckless style has made him a few enemies along the way but mostly has contributed to the kind of success in the fickle business of broadcasting that most can only dream of. His place at KFI atop the morning radio ratings goes essentially uncontested. But what he has done away from radio may be an even better story... Bill Handel joins Mark Thompson, Heather Ankeny and J. Elvis Weinstein (Josh) |
Sun, 22 November 2015
Our guest is Billy Ray. He's fresh off the writing and directing of SECRET IN THEIR EYES, starring Julia Roberts, Nicole Kidman and Chiwetel Ejiofor. Billy talks about this film as we approach it's opening weekend, screenwriting in general, his perfect/favorite movies, film writing and directing, upcoming projects and more. If it sounds like a lot, that's because it is. A great episode with award winning writer/director Billy Ray. Heather Ankeny and J. Elvis Weinstein (Josh) join Mark Thompson |
Wed, 11 November 2015
The term “whale”, when used in Las Vegas casinos, refers to someone who gambles a lot of money— A LOT of money. Casino hosts make their livelihoods on how many gamblers they bring into the casino and how much those gamblers put in play. So the hunt for “whales” is critical to those hosts surviving. When casino superhost Steve Cyr got to the scene, the competitive hunt for those big gamblers and the rules to bring them in changed. His life in Vegas has taken him though the many changes in Vegas. The crew talks about the changing face of Vegas and the extent to which Cyr has gone to bring in gamblers to the various casinos he has called home. The book Whale Hunt in the Desert: Secrets of a Vegas Superhost - Confessions of a Vegas Superhost is all about superhost, Steve Cyr’s Vegas world. Heather Ankeny and J. Elvis Weinstein (Josh) join Mark You can pick up a copy of the book Whale Hunt in the Desert: Secrets of a Vegas Superhost here |
Sun, 1 November 2015
When 33 Chilean miners were trapped in a horrible mining accident, the prospects of their rescue looked bleak. The new film THE 33 tells the story of how the world came together to make that miraculous rescue happen. The writer of that film is our guest. Mikko Alanne is not only a gifted screenwriter but he's a student of a wide variety of subjects and, of course, films. What's the challenge of bringing a true story to life in the movies...? The crew asks him about both THE 33 and then about other true stories that have made it to film. Heather Ankeny and J.Elvis Weinstein join Mark Thompson
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Thu, 22 October 2015
Ivy League graduate and former Wall Street investment banker, Sonia Faruqi leaves the business world in the 2008 shake-out. Then, in an effort to do something totally different ends up at the door of an organic dairy farm. What happened next would change her life and vault her into the spotlight of food issues for the next generation. Her adventure takes her on a journey around the world. A remarkable experience that is chronicled in the new book PROJECT ANIMAL FARM: An Accidental Journey Into the Secret World of Farming and The Truth About Our Food. From dairy farms in Canada to chicken farms in Indonesia to factory farms in Malaysia, she was not only witness to so much but she turns her business mind loose on what she's seen. Then she comes up with a cost efficient alternative way to farm while also perhaps being more humane to millions of creatures. At the end of the show Angela Daun fills us in on her project. She is starting a new television show. The show takes a look around the world at the state of animals (endangered and others). Angela has a Kickstarter campaign going which you can join by going to Kickstarter and entering the name ANIMAL EMPIRE. J. Elvis Weinstein joins Heather Ankeny and Mark Thompson
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Wed, 14 October 2015
Simpsons Co-Creator Sam Simon's Trust Is Now Battling Over Money Needed For The Dog Left Behind... With no mention of his dog in his trust, Sam Simon has left behind some bizarre questions about how money is going to be distributed to the causes he cared most about. Those are likely going to be worked out. But the oddest and seemingly most straight forward question of all still goes unanswered. Where is the money to support and maintain the high maintenance dog that Sam loved so much, Columbo. The Sam Simon trustee says there is none provided for Columbo in any of the documents. Will Sam's dog go more or less orphaned by the estate? It's a question we try to answer in this episode. Columbo's trainer and Sam Simon friend, Tyson Kilmer joins us with his wife, Allison. He describes in detail the communications he’s had with the estate. We are also joined by a leading estate and trust lawyer, Jeff Condon. Jeff explains that the trustee may have legal high ground to leave Tyson and Columbo out in the cold financially. Jeff Condon has written extensively on subjects of trusts and estates and his books have been heralded as the best books in the field. Finally, we share a statement from the Sam Simon estate that attempts to set the record straight on this subject but it may leave you with more questions than answers. Heather Ankeny joins Mark Thompson
Direct download: Tyson_Kilmer_Alt_The_Edge_10-13-15.mp3
Category:Talk & Interviews -- posted at: 12:36pm EDT |
Wed, 7 October 2015
The new documentary is called MICHAEL DES BARRES-- WHO DO YOU WANT ME TO BE. It's directed by our own J.Elvis Weinstein and it chronicles a remarkable life in rock music and acting. DesBarres is a descendent from royalty, raised in England. But his upbringing was a far cry from any royal palace. He was raised among prostitutes and pederasts before embarking on an astonishing career in theater, film and music. Michael DesBarres has worked with the biggest names in the history of music, film and television. The crew just lets him unwind the stories from all those worlds. A fascinating charmer: Michael DesBarres |
Wed, 30 September 2015
THE POPE'S VISIT AND POLITICS He might have once been a devoted Catholic altar boy in Chicago but Jimmy Dore seems more about rebellion now. He’s a comedian and author who is a regular and welcome guest. Rebelling against religion and mainstream party politics, Jimmy always shakes up the conversation. He tells the story of being chased by a molesting priest and how that priest was ultimately handled by the community and the church. It’s religion and politics for sure but the crew gets to a lot of other things as well…Like the psychology of success and jockeying for position in life. Plus, now that Heather’s inmate lover is out (he was serving 5+ years in a federal penitentiary for a white collar crime), Jimmy is updated on her situation and shares some tough love with Heather. Josh gives Mark and Jimmy a hard time over their affections for the app PERISCOPE. You can find more Jimmy at jimmydorecomedy.com Heather Ankeny and J.Elvis Weinstein (Josh) join Mark Thompson |
Fri, 18 September 2015
WE TALK PRESENT AND FUTURE WITH THE WATER GENIUS— PETER GLEICK is a water expert who has written several books about the world's water situation. He is also, by any yardstick, a genius. In this episode, he shares insights and thoughts on our world’s water problems. And, Peter has written a book about bottled water as well. So we also discuss our obsession with bottled water and whether or not bottled water really is any better. Here’s a link to Peter Gleick’s books including BOTTLED AND SOLD THE STORY BEHIND OUR OBSESSION WITH BOTTLED WATER ALSO IN THIS EPISODE: NBC has just announced that Arnold Schwarzenegger has taken up the role left by Donald Trump on Celebrity Apprentice. Arnold calls us with a preview of what he’d like to see on the show. J.Elvis Weinstein and Heather Ankeny join Mark Thompson |
Sat, 29 August 2015
Gladiator, Pirates of The Caribbean and X-Men all share one thing, the music of KLAUS BADELT. Klaus has worked with the best directors in the business from Ridley and Tony Scott and Kathryn Bigelow to Steven Spielberg, Sean Penn and John Woo. Klaus was asked by the Chinese Olympic Committee to compose the music for the closing ceremonies at the Beijing Olympics in 2008. He tells us about the wild, unorthodox process that led up to that event. We’ve included only a sliver of Klaus’ music. A more complete sample is available through Klaus’ website: klausbadelt.com Heather Ankeny joins Mark Thompson |
Sun, 23 August 2015
Daniele Watts, an actress from Django Unchained, and Chef BeLive aka Brian Lucas www.ChefBeLive.com should be sampling the best of what L.A. has to offer. They are artists with a strong hand in the creative community. Daniele was educated at USC and the British American Drama Academy in London, and they are both people in the center of an ongoing controversy that’s going back to court in just a few days.
Certainly, the questioning and subsequent arrest of Daniele Watts seems as though it was a situation that blew up into more than it should have. She admits in this conversation she had a hand in that as well. The incident, in which police responded to a call about Daniele and her boyfriend having a sexual encounter in a parked car on an L.A. street, became a high profile case about race and policing. We ask her and Brian what was going on in the car that day.
Ultimately the story involved an audio tape recorded by Sgt. Jim Parker (the responding officer). The tape gave listeners an idea of what went on during the exchange between officers and Daniele and Brian.
The tape was leaked to TMZ apparently to clear the reputations of the cops who were taking on ugly charges of racism around the arrest both in published reports and internet postings worldwide.
The now famous tape seems to reflect an exchange that, indeed, has nothing much to do with race.
But in this conversation, Daniele Watts explains the emotion and history that’s coming to the exchange and how the encounter with police officers was a flashpoint for her.
While not explaining away her emotion, the conversation certainly helps the listener understand what’s in her head.
Heather Ankeny and J. Elvis Weinstein (Josh) join Mark Thompson and press Daniele about why the whole thing turned into such a mess. And ask her about the now controversial, court ordered APOLOGY LETTER (the full text below). The court ruled it insufficient and ordered the letter rewritten.
We also don’t think it’s much of an apology and we ask Daniele why the apology is so difficult.
It’s a spirited and enlightening conversation with two people who we haven’t heard in a long form conversation since the incident.
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Wed, 12 August 2015
THE BROTHERS MANKIEWICZ Dateline NBC”s Josh Mankiewicz and Turner Classic Movies' and The Young Turks' Ben Mankiewicz Josh and Ben Mankiewicz grew up in and around politics but are from show business royalty, as the grandsons of Herman Mankiewicz. Herman is the man who wrote the classic film CITIZEN KANE. In fact,members of the Mankiewicz family have produced, written and created some of the biggest entertainment franchises on TV and film. In this hour...everything from politics to show business. This episode: Puling apart The Trump phenomenon…The Classic Murder Movie, Double Indemnity, as it would be reported on Dateline NBC. The stars and starlets that connected with the Mankiewicz family in Hollywood…and...The new kind of kidnapping.
Heather Ankeny joins Mark |
Wed, 29 July 2015
He's one of the more entertaining and honest figures in all of television, film, music and even Periscope. Regardless of the medium Andy has enjoyed great popularity His credits include THE BEN STILER SHOW, NEWS RADIO, LESS THAN PERFECT and more recently DANCING WITH THE STARS and the film DANNY ROANE: FIRST TIME DIRECTOR His stints in various rehabs never really "took" but he talks about his latest experience in a different way. One that he seems to be happy with. J.Elvis Weinstein and Heather Ankeny join Mark Thompson for Andy's visit.
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Fri, 24 July 2015
From the mind and mouth of friend of the show, Josh Robert Thompson. Check out his work at jrtvoices.com |
Tue, 14 July 2015
What's it like to have your life turned into a movie? The film FOXCATCHER is based on Mark Schultz’s life story and he says it's not exactly what he'd expected. Together with his brother Dave, Mark Shultz built an unprecedented wrestling record. The Schultz brothers won more NCAA, US Open, World, and Olympic titles than any American brother combination in wrestling history. In fact, Mark and Dave are the only two brothers ever to both win an Olympic and a World gold medal. FOXCATCHER was the name given to the wrestling compound that the paranoic, uber-wealthy John DuPont created to “coach” wrestlers although DuPont knew NOTHING about wrestling. Mark Schultz’s brother Dave was ultimately murdered by DuPont and the depiction of that murder in the film is eerily accurate. What else is true and what was altered for the film? Mark Schultz tells his story to Mark Thompson, Heather Ankeny and J. Elvis Weinstein on THE EDGE Here is a link to the website Mark Schultz talks about during the conversation.
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Thu, 9 July 2015
If you watch TV, go to the movies or see commercials anywhere in the world, you have likely heard the voice of Josh Robert Thompson. You may even have heard him as the voice of some very famous people. Josh uncorks Schwarzenegger, Morgan Freeman, his fundamentalist preacher and more. Our own J. Elvis Weinstein was the original voice of Servo the robot on Mystery Science Theater, and Josh Robert Thompson was the voice of Geoff the robot on The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson. Now these two great robot voices meet on The Edge. More of Josh Robert Thompson is here at http://www.joshrthompson.com/ |
Wed, 1 July 2015
There's something odd about this call... Warning for language-- Mark Thompson speaks with and about The Terminator movie on THE EDGE |
Sat, 27 June 2015
While most of Hollywood comes and goes, Jackie Collins flourishes. Having had 29 New York Times best sellers and countless movies and television series come from her writings, Jackie Collins knows how to spin a yarn...a true Hollywood insider who has stood the test of time. Jackie talks to the crew about her new novel, THE SANTANGELOS and she also dishes with the crew of THE EDGE (Mark Thompson, Heather Ankeny and J. Elvis Weinstein) about celebrities, royalty and what it takes to write some of the hottest best sellers in history. Jackie’s latest book is available here and her website is jackiecollins.com WARNING: SOME EXPLICIT SEXUAL REFERENCES |
Wed, 10 June 2015
Comic/Weather Guy Fritz Coleman FRITZ COLEMAN is here and we talk about almost everything EXCEPT weather. Fritz has become a local news institution in L.A. as the weather guy on KNBC-TV. All the while, he’s been a writer and comedian who has opened for top performers and and has been a regular at clubs nationwide. Fritz shares stories and reflections on Ray Charles, James Brown, Johnny Carson and David Letterman. Before Fritz arrives the crew talks the death of U2’s manager and gets an update on Heather’s fiancé prisoner, his upcoming freedom and his birthday gift to Heather which was a portrait painting of her. Plus, an update on J. Elvis Weinstein's documentaries, one of which is making into the festival circuit. Hang out for the conversation |
Sat, 30 May 2015
Aron Ralston’s harrowing experience trapped under an 800 lb. boulder in Utah was portrayed by James Franco in the film directed by Danny Boyle, 127 Hours. The movie was nominated for 6 Academy Awards.
That the real Aron Ralston survived amputating his own arm with a crude cutting tool is remarkable in itself but to think there are other rich details, involving his mother’s role in miraculously locating him and the kind of unmitigated luck that prevailed to help him survive, that had to be left out of the film brings the discussion to another place.
Ralston talks with Mark and Heather about what actually happened and what it’s like to have your own near death story told on screen.
How did they decide on James Franco? Who else was being considered? How involved was Aron with the creative aspects of the film?
Aron is a lot of fun and he discusses it all with Heather and Mark. |
Fri, 22 May 2015
Fat to Fit: The Bizarre, Remarkable Life of Rich Roll-- One of the Fittest Men in the World Rich Roll had the American dream. Still he found himself overweight, hooked on alcohol and unable to perform simple physical tasks without being winded. Rich resolved to make a change. His transformation has been so amazing that Rich has gone from huffing and puffing as he climbed stairs to being named as one of the fittest men in the world. In May 2010, he tackled an unprecedented feat of insane endurance, THE EPIC 5 CHALLENGE - completing ironman-distance triathlons on 5 islands of Hawaii in under a week. Rich Roll also has a podcast which is wildly popular and Mark is a fan. Here on our podcast, Rich discusses his life turnaround, some tips for all of us who want to consider even modest changes in our life routines and his new book: The Plantpower Way: Whole Food Plant-Based Recipes and Guidance for The Whole Family
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Wed, 13 May 2015
Set sail for LOVE—It’s our dating and romance show. We speak with two dating experts who help navigate the often tricky and scary romantic waters of a first date, attraction and online meet ups. Dating after a divorce and how to meet people when you are afraid of rejection.. Miss Solomon is in the dating advice biz and regularly offers up practical and easy techniques for the dating world through website thedatingtruth.com. And details some of what she talks about on the show on her site. Suzie A. also joins the discussion with additional thoughts and advice which she regularly shares on her website singledatingdiva.com/ask-sdd/ Mark Thompson is joined by Heather Ankeny. |
Wed, 6 May 2015
Today we have 3 guests with very different backgrounds and very different experiences with the oil and natural gas business. 5 years after the Deepwater Horizon disaster in the Gulf of Mexico (the worst and biggest oil spill in human history), we talk with documentary filmmaker Stephanie Kovac, who has just completed the new film LUBE JOB about Louisiana's relationship with big oil. She discusses the lasting effects of the BP oil spill for the entire Gulf region. Then Roger Cooper joins the group. As someone who represented the natural gas industry in Washington for decades, Roger gives us a sense of what regulations and exploration goes on. Roger is open and honest about the limitations and compromises that oil and gas production requires. Finally, Nanette Barragan, Mayor of Hermosa Beach California discusses her battle to keep "big oil" from fracking in her seaside neighborhood just south of Los Angeles. Comedian and documentary filmmaker Josh Weinstein joins Heather Ankeny and Mark Thompson for much of this show. |
Wed, 22 April 2015
Born into a show business family, Jon Cryer is a multi-threat. He made his name as an actor, tracing his roots back to stage work but his nose for comedy is undeniable. His show Two and a Half Men is now legendary having run 12 seasons and having included one of the highest profile derailing of a star in history. Now Jon has a book, So That Happened: A Memoir in which he details much of his remarkable life. Jon talks about Charlie Sheen and life on the show after Sheen as Ashton Kutcher took over, Hollywood romance and more. Heather Ankeny and Paul Goebel (the King of TV) join Mark Thompson.
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Sun, 19 April 2015
Sergeant Frank Woods is the character that drives the action in CALL OF DUTY: BLACK OPS. Woods is acted by James C Burns, our guest today. While Burns has been part of huge films and television shows in the past, it's CALL OF DUTY: BLACK OPS that's created a cultish following around him. He’ll detail how the game has exploded in popularity and the fan base that has grown around this highly successful entertainment franchise. Mark also asks Burns to comment on Heather’s performance in the CBS show BATTLECREEK which we hear a clip of. Here’s a link to the Sgt Frank Woods Youtube channel that James C Burns mentions during his visit. Then, we talk to someone who was so obsessed with CALL OF DUTY: BLACK OPS that he had to go to extreme measures to put the game out of his immediate reach. World famous professional poker player, Phil Laak joins us for the second part of the show and talks of his obsession. Mark Thompson is joined by Heather Ankeny and Paul Goebel.
Direct download: James_C_Burns_Edge_edit_4-19-15_FINAL2.mp3
Category:Talk & Interviews -- posted at: 8:01pm EDT |
Sun, 12 April 2015
Chris Rubio operates a specialized clinic for young football players to learn the art of getting the football back to punters and place kickers during a game (also called "snapping the ball") It's a specialized position in football that Mark, Heather and Paul suggest may be the best position on the field. Also, is NCAA athletics so awash in money and operating so independent of the academic system that it should not be part of the colleges it claims to represent? Pulitzer prize winning writer Michael Hiltzik reviews his controversial proposal. Michael Hiltzik article on NCAA athletics
Paul Goebel and Heather join Mark Thompson
Direct download: Chris_Rubio_Long_Snap_Paul_marries_Hiltzik_FINAL1.mp3
Category:Talk & Interviews -- posted at: 3:00am EDT |
Fri, 3 April 2015
Marilu Henner is like some kind explosion of intellect and positivity. Her involvement in classic television shows like Taxi and Evening Shade would be enough for us to fill two or three shows. But Marilu’s work in the area of health and wellness and her extraordinary memory makes her some kind of perfect storm of conversation. We could have gone on for hours. She’ll be back. Enjoy Marilu Henner: Actress, broadcaster, author and advocate. Note: Heather is away so Laura House and Paul Goebel join Mark.
Direct download: MariluHenneredit_final_4-3-15.mp3
Category:Talk & Interviews -- posted at: 11:54pm EDT |
Thu, 26 March 2015
Comedians Jimmy Dore and Stef Zamorano join Heather and Mark in a wild conversation that starts in the political realm with a report on CPAC from Mother Jones writer Sam Brodey. From there the crew talks about it all..wild rock n' roll sex stories (Mark tries to get Heather to confess a wild story), grammer questions for English teacher Stef. Then it's baldness cures and libido and interpreting the ending of the movie Birdman. Jimmy and Stef are always the best. WARNING FOR SOME ADULT THEMES AND LANGUAGE |
Thu, 19 March 2015
Two notable friends of the show died this week. Simpsons creator, Sam Simon whose meteoric rise producing classic television comedy propelled him to the heights of the industry at an unprecedented early age. And classic TV and film creator and Exec. Producer, Harve Bennett. The crew looks back at these two men and talks about the way they were memorialized with help from Sam's close pal, Emmy-winning comedy writer, Merrill Markoe. King of TV and pop culture maven, Paul Goebel joins Heather and Mark. |
Tue, 3 March 2015
Show biz talk and also the attempt to live a life of commitment to a cause... Alexandra Paul had a successful acting career long before BAYWATCH and her activism in the world of animal rights has become in many ways just as high profile. Mark, Heather and (King of TV) Paul Goebel ask her about film and television projects that she’s part of and then the conversation turns to activism. Many say the secret weapon in Alexandra’s family from an activism standpoint is her brother Jonathan whose efforts to liberate animals and close down some of the most brutal slaughterhouse operations in the world, landed him in prison. He is widely recognized as one of the most committed activists in the history of the modern animal rights movement. Here, his gentle sound and thoughts reflect a heart touched by that world.
Jonathan talks about his time in prison and his life trying to make a difference in a world in which there is so much injustice. |
Thu, 19 February 2015
Heather visits her prisoner on Valentine's Day. Then ABC News White House and National Correspondent Jim Avila helps break down the Brian Williams mess. What happened and why? How could this trusted journalist suffer such a horrible fall? Has he mortally wounded his career? Jim Avila has operated at the highest levels of both NBC and ABC News and can offer a perspective that is otherwise hard to come by. Avila is also a straight talking guy who's not one to sugar coat things so he's the perfect one to comment. He joins the group via Skype. Josh Weinstein joins with Heather. WARNING FOR EXPLICIT MATERIAL
Direct download: Edge_Avila_Brian_WilliamsThu.mp3
Category:Talk & Interviews -- posted at: 3:22am EDT |
Sat, 14 February 2015
He moves from appearances on late night talk shows to exclusive conferences at Google and United Airlines.. John Collins holds the World Record Holder for designing a paper airplane that has gone further than any in history. He’s a published author of three books and his latest project is trying to bring money for science programs to underfunded programs nationwide through paper airplanes. If you want to see John Collins’ World Record distance throw 226ft 10” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wedcZp07raE and here’s a link to John’s Kickstarter campaign (deadline is coming up so give him a hand) https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/paperairplane/the-national-paper-airplane-contest
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Wed, 4 February 2015
Bobby gives us our checkup on marriage, comedy, the road, family life and even Bill Cosby. Heather joins Mark. |
Fri, 30 January 2015
Doc Paskowitz led the family that's been called the First Family of Surfing...featured in Vanity Fair and publications worldwide. Tommy Hilfiger named a line of beachwear after them, saying "there's no one more cool and credible than the Paskowitzes.” Sal Paskowitz joins us to remember the leader of that family, his father, Dorian “Doc" Paskowitz who has just died. Sal talks about his father who threw away a lucrative medical practice, packed his wife and nine children into a van and took them on a continuing surfing odyssey. While there may be people who drop out of mainstream society and take their family traveling to surf, Doc Paskowitz is the only one who did it his entire life. Sal remembers his father’s life which included working as a doctor in far flung locations and then quickly returning to the best waves whenever he could. Doc pioneered the surfer life founding surf camps around the world (he is credited with bringing surfing to Israel and donating surf boards to Palestinians as recently as 2007—feeling passionately that surfing could help bridge the gaps between people) Growing up in a small van with 11 people presented huge challenges for the family of course and Sal talks about some of those. Salvador Paskowitz joins us to talk about his remarkable father just a few weeks after his father’s death. There are clips in the show from the movie Surfwise available at Amazon.com Sal joins Heather and Mark in this episode |
Thu, 22 January 2015
Esther the Wonder Pig has a rock star following on Instagram and Facebook and has changed the way the people she lives with look at life.
Sit back and listen to the story of how this pig made it's way into the lives of the people she lives with and into the hearts of people around the world. Meet Esther the Wonder Pig. Mark Thompson and Heather Ankeny talk to Esther's adopted family. The the harrowing research facility that is funded with tax payer dollars and is trying to build the more "perfect beast" at a horrible price. And Heather and Mark close out with talk of The Bachelor.
Direct download: EstherTheWonderPigEditfinalfinalpost.mp3
Category:Talk & Interviews -- posted at: 2:22am EDT |
Fri, 16 January 2015
Aaron Cohen, with a background in the Israeli Defense Force in anti-terrorism, hostage rescue and security, has returned to the U.S. and applied those skills here. He talks about anti-terrorism policy in the U.S. and launching security details in the homes of Hollywood stars like Brad Pitt. Josh Weinstein joins Mark. |