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December 2007

The White House Through the Lens and the Pastry Kitchen

* An Encore Presentation: Originally posted for the Week of April 29, 2007

While the White House technically belongs to "the American people," few can hope for a glimpse of its inner workings or of the Presidents that make their home there. These two gentlemen share their personal experiences from the inside.  Roland Mesnier, All the Presidents' Pastries: Twenty Five Years in the White House, A Memoir, and his fanciful pastry creations have been enjoyed by our presidents and their families, and countless world dignitaries.  Dirck Halstead, Moments in Time: Photos and Stories from One of America's Top Photojournalists, was the White House photographer for Time Magazine for over 30 years. He captured many of the defining moments of the 20th century on film – from the attempted assassination of Ronald Reagan, to the public embrace of Bill Clinton and Monica Lewinsky.

"Those people (the press) can eat, I tell you that.  I use to joke, the only thing they won't eat is the wall paper because they couldn't pull it off.  Otherwise, they would eat it too."

- Roland Mesnier

MG Show Christmas Special

The little lady with the big (and beautiful) voice, fifteen year old Opera star Holly Stell, Holly's Christmas sang at the lighting of the National Christmas Tree in Washington DC.

The Gospel of Matthew says that the Holy Family fled to Egypt. But what happened for the nearly 6 years they were there? Filmmaker and best selling author Paul Perry picks up their trail in his documentary Jesus: The Lost Years. See the trailer here: www.lostyears-themovie.com

How did 5 monks from Wisconsin create a $10 million internet business? By selling ink and toner without huge markups and giving the money to those in need. Father Bernard McCoy and Sarah Caniglia, Lasermonks: The Business Story Nine Hundred Years in the Making tell their remarkable story. Btw, need any ink or toner? www.lasermonks.com

Finally, enjoy some music from Andrew T. Miller's Christmas Cantata, The Birth of Christ recorded at Christ Church Cathedral in Dublin. Narration by actor Liam Neeson.

With thanks to Paul Hanna of Follow No Trends Music for the opening piece.

American Heroes

The Iraq War has given us true American heroes. Army Staff Sargeant David Bellavia, House to House: An Epic Memoir of War entered a house in Fallujah and took on six Jihadists alone. He is the only living person to be nominated for the Medal of Honor, the nation's highest award, since the 1970's.  Then... During an ambush in Iraq, Marine Corporal Jason Dunham took a grenade to save the lives of those around him. He was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor on January 11, 2007. Wall Street Journal reporter Michael M. Phillips, The Gift of Valor: A War Story discusses his story.

"The reality hits me. War isn’t glorious. This is horrible. And there’s no way you’re going to leave this. Either you’re going to lose your life, or you’re going to lose your innocence, you’re going to be changed forever. There’s no way you can leave a close-quarter battle like that and be the same person."

- David Bellavia

November 2007

Behind Every Successful Man ...

The American mother of Winston Churchill believed he was destined for greatness. Anne Sebba, American Jennie: The Remarkable Life of Lady Randolph Churchill discusses the life and impact of the most gossiped about woman in London society. Then, historical biographer Alison Weir, Queen Isabella: Treachery, Adultery, and Murder in Medieval England turns her attention to Isabella of France, the wife of Edward II. She seized the throne from her incompetent and unpopular husband and was known as medieval England's most notorious queen.

"So, in 1940 when [Winston Churchill] picked up the reigns of power as Prime Minister, he actually knew that this was his destiny he was fulfilling. And it was his mother Jenny who gave him that confidence and certainty."

- Anne Sebba

Oh What a Tangled Web We Weave

In one of the most stunning cases of U.S. Intelligence failure, Bob Drogin, Curveball: Spies, Lies, and the Con Man Who Caused a War, award-winning journalist with the LA Times, exposes the story of the Iraqi defector who fabricated the existence of Saddam's mobile bio weapons facilities. Then, according to Barry Lando, Web of Deceit: The History of Western Complicity in Iraq, From Churchill to Kennedy to George W. Bush, America’s invasion and occupation of Iraq is just the latest in a series of cynical and duplicitous acts by Western leaders beginning after World War I, when the country was cobbled together by foreign interests. Lando spent 25 years as an award-winning producer of CBS's 60 Minutes.

"In my view, we have never sacrificed so much blood, and treasure and national prestige on chasing a delusion. These trucks never existed. ... To me it's a fascinating story."

- Bob Drogin

Warrior Spirit

Today's military must protect the sea-lanes, provide disaster relief, contend with the military rise of China, fight the war in Iraq, and craft contingency plans for war with North Korea and Iran, among other responsibilities. Given unprecedented access, Robert Kaplan, Hog Pilots, Blue Water Grunts: The American Military in the Air, at Sea, and on the Ground spent time embedded with elite military missions all over the world. Then, Alex Kershaw, The Few: The American "Knights of the Air" Who Risked Everything to Fight in the Battle of Britain, describes the American pilots who joined the British Royal Air Force (RAF) and fought in the greatest air battle recorded in history. These pilots fought to save Britain and influenced the outcome of World War II.

"The military has evolved into a separate caste that the public knows very little about. So because it knows very little about it, it's suspicious of it on one hand, but holds it in awe on the other hand. And this is a very uncomfortable relationship. ... Upper middle class democracies that are very prosperous lose a fighting spirit because they have more to risk."

- Robert Kaplan

An Exclusive Club

So far, there have been twelve women to win the Nobel Peace Prize. Wangari Maathai, Unbowed: A Memoir was the first environmentalist and the first African woman to win the prize. Her work on behalf of the environment and human rights earned her jail time, beatings and death threats. Then, Judith Hicks Stiehm, Champions for Peace: Women Winners of the Nobel Peace Prize discusses some of the other extraordinary women who have won the Prize including Mother Teresa, Aung Sun Suu Kyi, and Sherin Abadi.

"I remember when the Nobel Peace Prize was announced. For the first few weeks there, I would go into the streets and I would be mobbed by women, especially young women. And they would be crying, because they could not believe that a woman would achieve that. That was for me very satisfying."

- Wangari Maathai

October 2007

The Journey to Jihad

Lawrence Wright, The Looming Tower: Al Qaeda and the Road to 9/11 spent five years writing this Pulitzer Prize winning book. He chronicles the road to 9/11 through the lives of the men that made it happen and those that failed to stop it. Then... Fawaz Gerges, Journey of the Jihadist: Inside Muslim Militancy is an academic who studied jihadism for many years, their origins and their internal rifts. He travels across the Middle East and conducts one on one interviews with jihadists examining the future of the movement. He also describes his own experiences during the Lebanese Civil War.

"It’s my belief that the appetite for carnage that’s so characteristic of Al Qaeda, which really separates it from most terror organizations, was born in those Egyptian prisons."

- Lawrence Wright

Why They Hate Us

What do our enemies believe? What is their vision of victory? What motivates their war against the West? Raymond Ibrahim, The Al Qaeda Reader has edited and translated Al Qaeda documents that he says proves that they are motivated by Offensive Jihad which is deeply rooted in their Islamic faith. Michael Scheuer Former Head of the CIA Bin Laden Unit, says that their war against us is a response to America's presence and foreign policy in the Islamic World.

"There's no evidence in any of the public opinion materials from the Islamic world that there's an interest in supporting Osama bin Laden, or Ayman Al Zawahiri or anyone associated with them in order to install a world-wide Caliphate and destroy Western Civilization."

- Michael Scheuer

Surviving World War II

Award-winning writer Diane Ackerman, The Zookeeper's Wife: A War Story tells the remarkable story of Warsaw Zookeepers Jan and Antonina Zabinski. They turned their destroyed zoo into a secret safe haven for hundreds of Poland's Jews. Then ... 1.1 million people died at Auschwitz untill the camp was liberated in 1945. Author and BBC producer Laurence Rees, Auschwitz: A New History delves into the history of this unique and infamous camp. Auschwitz began as a Nazi prison camp for political dissidents. Then as the Nazi's developed their "final solution," they built gas chambers there for Jewish civilians who were deported from all over Eastern and Western Europe.

"I think this was especially hard for their small child Rys who was five, six, seven, during the War. ... I’m sure he had been told that if he mentioned anything to anyone, his parents would be killed, everyone he knew would be killed, he would be killed. And it would be his fault."

- Diane Ackerman

The Threat to Western Civilization

Washington Times editorial page editor Tony Blankley, The West's Last Chance: Will We Win the Clash of Civilizations? says that the Bush Administration and the American public are underestimating the threat of Islamic terrorism. He says that this may be our last chance to save Western civilization as we know it. This is a re-broadcast of the October 2005 interview. Then ... Lee Harris, The Suicide of Reason: Radical Islam's Threat to the West argues that modern liberal societies are unfamiliar with the nature of mass fanaticism. To prevail, we must change our understanding of the conflict.

"Europe is a necessary ally and we need as strong a Europe as possible to be working with us because this is a struggle that is going to take all of Western civilization and others - the Indians, Asians, this is a worldwide struggle. … All over the world, this is a growing threat."

- Tony Blankley

Addiction Doesn't Discriminate

* An Encore Presentation: Originally posted for the Week of October 1, 2006

Although William Cope Moyers, Broken: My Story of Addiction and Redemption grew up in a privileged and loving home he fell into drug and alcohol addiction. He dealt with years of relapses, but ultimately triumphs over this disease and is now the Vice president of the Hazelden Foundation, a non-profit treatment center for drug and alcohol addiction. Then ... Frank Vocci, The National Institute on Drug Abuse is responsible for instituting research and development activities for medications targeted for the treatment of drug abuse. He discusses the physiological effects of prolonged drug abuse on the brain.

"When somebody like me experiences the rapture, if you will, of alcohol and other drugs that first time, it often times is an experience that we seek to recapture over and over and over again. And i think that's what separates us from probably the rest of the general population."

- William Cope Moyers

September 2007

International Adoptions

Adopting a child from another country is fraught with emotions on all sides. Beth Nonte Russel, Forever Lily: An Unexpected Mother's Journey to Adoption in China went to China to support a friend who was adopting a little baby girl. She wasn't expecting her friend to reject the baby and ask Beth to take her instead. She tells the remarkable story of going to China as a tourist and returning a mother. Then ... Hollee McGinnis is the Policy and Operations Director of the Evan B. Donaldson Institute. She was adopted from an orphanage in South Korea at the age of three. She has since been united with her birth family and leads trips of adult adoptees to South Korea.

"It blew my heart wide open. I felt that she was so deserving, not just of my love, but of just love in general. ... It was a demarcation in my life from sort of not having that heart engaged, to having it fully engaged. To the point it changed my life totally."

- Beth Nonte Russell

Red Scare

During the McCarthy era, the lives of many people were impacted, sometimes tragically, because they were accused of being Communists.   Mike O'Connor, Crisis, Pursued by Disaster, Followed Closely by Catastrophe: A Memoir of Life on the Run spent most of his childhood never knowing why the family would suddenly have to flee into Mexico. O'Connor is an award-winning investigative journalist. He turns his reporting skills to investigate his parents and what kept them on the run throughout their lives. Then... Kai Bird, American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer is the award winning biographer of physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer.  He led the Manhattan Project which gave the United States the world's first atomic bomb. But after he voiced concern over the bomb's use and the future of nuclear weapons, he was accused of being a communist and eventually lost his security clearance.

Inside the Jihadist Mind

* An Encore Presentation: Originally posted for the Week of November 26, 2006

While studying medicine at Cairo University in Egypt, Dr. Tawfik Hamid joined the terrorist group Gama'at Islamaya. He often prayed with its leader, Osama Bin Laden's deputy, Ayman Al-Zawahiri. As he became disillusioned with their violent Islamist ideology, he began to advocate reform, but was forced to flee to the safety of the West. Then... What makes a young man or woman want to blow him or herself up and kill innocent people in the process? Israeli Filmmaker Pierre Rehov, Suicide Killers talks to suicide bombers themselves - some who have failed in their missions - others who are waiting for the call.

"I want to tell [Muslims] that their religion could be great if they want to understand it in a peaceful manner. And the Quran needs to be understood in a new way different from the traditional ways in order to bring peace, love and harmony to mankind."

- Tawfik Hamid

An American in Afghanistan

It turns out that toppling the Taliban regime was the easy part.  Sarah Chayes, The Punishment of Virtue: Inside Afghanistan After the Taliban was an NPR foreign correspondent assigned to report from Quetta, Pakistan and then from Kandahar.  She gets a close up view of Afghan politics, warlords, and the resurgence of the Taliban.  She has since left reporting to help rebuild the country.  Then ... New York based Film maker Liz Mermin, The Beauty Academy of Kabul tracks the experience of a few American hair dressers who travel to Afghanistan and volunteer to train future hairdressers there.

"There was the bolt from the blue. I was having dinner with President Karzai’s uncle. … I was literally leaving the region. And on my way out of his house, he said ‘wouldn’t you come back and help us.’  And I said ‘yes’. … I answered ‘yes’ before I even processed his question."

- Sarah Chayes

August 2007

Boots on the Ground

While pundits and politicians mull over the war in Iraq and the proper strategy, these two veterans have seen it and lived it. Paul Rieckhoff, Chasing Ghosts : A Soldier's Fight for America from Baghdad to Washington is an Iraq war veteran and now founder of Iraq and Afghanistan War Veterans of America.  He spent ten months in Iraq. He describes the effects of the Bush's administration's policies and execution of the war on the troops and Iraqi civilians. Then ... During his senior year in college and soon after getting married, John Crawford, The Last True Story I'll Ever Tell: An Accidental Soldier's Account of the War in Iraq and his National Guard unit were deployed to Iraq for one year. In his memoir, he describes the horrors of war on the battlefield of Iraq.

Love Shouldn't Hurt - Domestic Violence Against Women

The statistics on domestic violence against women are shocking. A panel discusses why men abuse their partners, the effects on children, and what women can do about it. The panel also discusses Battered Wife Syndrome.

Venona Norman, Assistant Coordinator at Fairfax County, Virginia Women's Shelter
Emilio Viano, Professor of Justice, Law and Society at American University
"Nancy", A survivor of domestic violence, currently at a women's shelter

Then, combat experience, PTSD (Post-traumatic Stress Disorder), and the unique culture of military life all contribute to the problem of domestic violence in the military. We'll discuss this with Jacquelyn Campbell, former member of the US Department of Defense Task Force on Domestic Violence.  **The phone number for the National Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-799-7233.

Radical Conversions

What causes people to change their beliefs and lifestyles so radically and sometimes so suddenly?   Brian "Head" Welch, Save Me From Myself: How I Found God, Quit Korn, Kicked Drugs, and Lived to Tell My Story was a hard-partying, drug addicted rock star. As Korn's lead guitarist, he had every material comfort he could imagine. But in 2005, he walked away from all of it to become a Christian. He's never looked back. Then, Colin Beavan, No Impact Man became frustrated with waiting for legislators and corporations to make changes to save the environment. So, he decided to make some radical changes himself. He and and his family are spending one year making no net impact on the environment.

"I just think that God places things inside of us that only He can fill. I believe that. I just thought that I was going to have this satisfaction when I got that dream. And when I got it, I didn’t have that satisfaction. And it didn’t make sense to me."

- Brian "Head" Welch

July 2007

My kinda Town - Entertainment DC-Style

Washington DC is a unique town known for its beautiful monuments and world-class museums. But DC's unique entertainment is sure to please as well. Sweet Honey in the Rock, Soundtrack: "Raise Your Voice" is a Grammy award winning African American, all female a cappella group. They'll perform live in the studio and discuss their music and its roots in the civil rights movement. Then ... Why listen to politicians and public figures when you can listen to the Capitol Steps make fun of them? The Capitol Steps are a group of congressional staffers turned political satirists.  Elaina Newport is the group's co-founder and producer.

"I think if the world is going crazy around you, you have to be able to make fun of things and laugh a little. I think it’s one of the things we actually value. You couldn’t do this in Taliban Afghanistan, I don’t think. Or maybe you could do it once and that would be it."

- Elaina Newport

The Brady Bunch Revisited - Divorce and Remarriage

With the divorce rate hovering at 50% in this country, many adults choose to remarry, with their children in tow. In this hour we discuss the impact of divorces and remarriage on the children. Ten years after her divorce, Wendy Swallow, The Triumph of Love Over Experience: A Memoir of Remarriage, had become comfortable in her life as an independent single mother. Then Charlie, a divorced father came along and the two decided to marry. She discusses the challenges and triumphs of remarriage, and creating a new blended family. Elizabeth Marquardt, Between Two Worlds: The Inner Lives of Children of Divorce conducted a study of the adult children of divorced parents. She takes an in-depth look at how divorce re-shapes children's lives and the fallacy of the "good divorce."

"I suddenly realized, when they're both sitting there at the kitchen table crying that, basically the other shoe had dropped. That, the first shoe was the divorce ten years earlier and the second shoe was this (her remarriage). And I had no idea it was going to have that power."

- Wendy Swallow

Inside Political Prisons

Repressive regimes use prisons and torture to control and instill fear into their populations. In this show, we'll get a glimpse at political prisons from the inside.  Marina Nemat, Prisoner of Tehran: A Memoir was arrested, along with thousands of other youngsters by Khomeini's Islamic regime in Iran at the age of 16. She was sentenced to death but was saved at the last minute by one of her jailers. Then, Simon Schorno, Spokesperson, International Committee of the Red Cross describes his experience visiting political prisons around the world and the mission of the ICRC.

"When you're in a place like Evin, there is no future. There's only the present and then you only have the past. So you really rely on your good memories from your home and the way your life use to be before here. And I would have done anything to protect that idea of home."

- Marina Nemat

Get Outta Here Kid - Teens Aging Out of Foster Care

* An Encore Presentation: Originally posted in November 2006

The current foster care system does practically nothing to prepare older children and teens for life beyond the system. Betsy Krebs and Paul Pitcoff, Beyond the Foster Care System: The Future of Teens founded the Youth Advocacy Center to teach teens advocacy skills and to prepare for the future as successful adults. They discuss the challenges faced by older children in the system and solutions. Then, an alliance of the five Casey organizations and the Center for Study of Social Policy commissioned an analysis on the overrepresentation of racial minorities in the foster care system, and their treatment.  Dr. Robert Hill, Senior Researcher, Westat, discusses the results. Finally, Martin Sepulveda was two when he entered into the foster care system. He aged out of the system when he turned 18. He discusses his personal experiences in and out of the system.

Shias on the Rise

The difference between Sunni and Shia Muslims is bewildering to many Americans. Yet every night our television screens are filled with images of a bloody civil war in Iraq--with American soldiers caught in the crossfire. Vali Nasr, The Shia Revival: How Conflicts within Islam Will Shape the Future argues that by toppling Saddam Hussein’s Sunni-led government and empowering Iraq’s Shiite majority, the Bush administration triggered a Shiite revival that will upset the balance of power in Iraq and the Middle East for years to come. Then, Augustus Richard Norton, Hezbollah: A Short History says that American policymakers have got it wrong. Too eager to dismiss Hezbollah as simply a terrorist organization, he says that they often miss the complexities and paradoxes of an organization that is more popular and more powerful than ever.

"The Sunnis have never reconciled to having lost power. The fundamental issue is that they have not reconciled to the fact that they're twenty percent of Iraq, and most likely they will have only twenty percent of the share of power and resources in the best of circumstances."

- Vali Nasr

June 2007

Mother Dearest - Stories of Separation and Healing

* An Encore Presentation: Originally posted in June, 2006

The relationship between mothers and daughters is one often fraught with both pain and tenderness. This is the story of two of those relationships.  The first is June Cross, Secret Daughter: A Mixed-Race Daughter and the Mother Who Gave Her Away. She is an award winning journalist and former TV producer. In her memoir, she discusses race relations in America from the experience of a mixed race daughter, and her white mother's decision to have her raised by a black family. Then, Devyani Saltzman, Shooting Water : A Memoir of Second Chances, Family and Filmmaking who, after her parents' divorce, chooses to live with her father. In her memoir, she describes the healing of her relationship with her mother, internationally acclaimed filmmaker Deepa Mehta, during the shooting of the controversial film, "Water."

What's a Nice God Like You Doing in a Place Like This?

God and religion are invoked in many areas of American society. Including US foreign policy. Madeleine Albright, The Mighty and the Almighty: Reflections on America, God, and World Affairs was Secretary of State during President Clinton's second term. She explains the role of faith in international relations. Francis Collins, The Language of God: A Scientist Presents Evidence for Belief is one of the nation's leading scientists and a devout believer. He discusses his own spiritual journey and the relationship between science and spirituality. Finally, when you think of Las Vegas, you probably don't think of God. Neither did Jud Wilhite, Stripped: Uncensored Grace on the Streets of Vegas when he left LA to become senior pastor of the city's largest church.

"Every American President has invoked God is some form or another. President Bush, however, I think, has made his belief much more a part of American policy than any other - except maybe for President McKinley...."

- Secretary Albright

Spies, Terrorists and the Communists Next Door

Ana Montes may be the most famous spy you’ve never heard of. Known to her coworkers as the Queen of Cuba, she was the U.S. government’s top analyst on Cuban affairs. But throughout her sixteen-year career, Montes sent Castro some of America's most closely guarded secrets. Her arrest in September 2001 was overshadowed by the terrorist attacks on New York and Washington.  Scott W. Carmichael, True Believer: Inside the Investigation and Capture of Ana Montes, Cuba's Master Spy, senior investigator with the Defense Intelligence Agency, led the investigation. Then, Peter Kornbluh, Senior Analyst, The National Security Archive discusses admitted Cuban terrorist Luis Posada Carriles who was implicated in an attack that brought down a civilian airliner, killing everyone on board. He is a free man and living in Miami, Florida.

Space - The Final Frontier

President Bush has articulated a new vision for the nation's space program. NASA is moving forward with a new focus for the manned space program: To return humans to the moon, to go to Mars and beyond.  Michael Griffin, Administrator, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, discusses the return of humans to space for the purposes of exploration and discovery. Then, in 1972, Eugene Cernan, The Last Man on the Moon: Astronaut Eugene Cernan and America's Race in Space left the last human footprint on the moon. He reminisces about America's heyday in space.

"I started to climb up the ladder, looked down at my footprint down there (on the moon), and I wanted to stay, we couldn’t, but I wanted to stay. I’ve equated it to sitting on God’s front porch. That’s where I had been for three days of my life."

- Eugene Cernan

May 2007

The Seduction of Radical Islam

How do educated, once reasonable, and peace-loving people become radical Islamists? What's the draw? Daveed Gartenstein-Ross, My Year Inside Radical Islam, A Memoir is currently a counter-terrorism expert. But, as a convert to Islam, he became increasingly radicalized. He discusses his journey into and then out of, radical Islam. Then, Peggy Lowe, a reporter for the Orange County Register wrote a series of articles on the radicalization of Adam Gadahn, aka "Azzam the American." The first American to be charged with treason in over 50 years, he is currently the "spokesperson" of Al Qaeda.

"There’s a common perception that people who come to (radical Islam) are simply distorting the faith for political gain or they’re ignorant. And that’s not always the case. And if we don’t understand the pull of the ideology, we won’t be able to do a good job of combating it."

- Daveed Gartenstein-Ross

Peter Galbraith, The End of Iraq: How American Incompetence Created a War Without End
A former U.S. Ambassador to Croatia and expert on national security strategy talks about the failure of U.S. intentions in Iraq. He asserts that Iraq has disintegrated into three parts, Kurdistan in the north, Shiites to the south, and a chaotic Sunni dominated center. Then ...

Kayla Williams, Love My Rifle More Than You: Young and Female in the U.S. Army
Kayla Williams spent one year as an Arabic language specialist in Iraq and offers the unique perspective of being a female in a male dominated Army.

Women and Islam


Does Islam condone and institutionalize the oppression of women? Or does it liberate and elevate them? Ayaan Hirsi Ali, Infidel came to international fame following the shocking murder of Theo Van Gogh in Holland. She grew up in a devout Muslim family, but when she fled to Holland, she became increasingly disillusioned with Islam's treatment of women. As a member of the Dutch parliament, she fought for the rights of Muslim women. But, Asma Barlas, Professor of Politics at Ithaca College in New York says that the Koran could and should be interpreted and Islam practiced in a way that creates equality between the sexes.

"Each and every time, after the 11th of September when I got engaged in these debates and I would say, 'please let's look at our own faith, let's reflect on it, let's change it,' my fellow Muslims would call me an infidel. And I thought it’s just high time to accept that as a title."

- Ayaan Hirsi Ali

The White House Through the Lens and the Pastry Kitchen

While the White House technically belongs to "the American people," few can hope for a glimpse of its inner workings or of the Presidents that make their home there. These two gentlemen share their personal experiences from the inside.  Roland Mesnier, All the Presidents' Pastries: Twenty Five Years in the White House, A Memoir, and his fanciful pastry creations have been enjoyed by our presidents and their families, and countless world dignitaries.  Dirck Halstead, Moments in Time: Photos and Stories from One of America's Top Photojournalists, was the White House photographer for Time Magazine for over 30 years. He captured many of the defining moments of the 20th century on film – from the attempted assassination of Ronald Reagan, to the public embrace of Bill Clinton and Monica Lewinsky.

"Those people (the press) can eat, I tell you that.  I use to joke, the only thing they won't eat is the wall paper because they couldn't pull it off.  Otherwise, they would eat it too."

- Roland Mesnier

April 2007

What Would Muhammad Do? (WWMD)

Many Muslims around the world take the example of Muhammad as their personal code of conduct. A lively panel discusses the actions and legacy of Islam's founder, and the impact of that legacy today. Did he espouse peace and tolerance, or embrace violence and revenge?

"I don't see any reason why he would not approve of violence directed by Muslims against non-Muslims by al Qaeda and similiar groups since he himself taught that non-Muslims should be invited to accept Islam or to accept second-class status within the Islamic social order and if they refuse both, then Muslims should go to war with them... ."

- Robert Spencer

Guests: Robert Spencer, The Truth About Muhammad: Founder of the World's Most Intolerant Religion, and Daniel C. Peterson, Muhammad: Prophet of God.

Michael Lewis, The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game
Michael Oher was born to play left tackle, but he had barely touched a football by his sixteenth birthday. Raised by a crack addicted mother, his future looked bleak until a wealthy, loving family took him in and set him on a path leading to NFL greatness. Then...

Ken Jennings, Brainiac: Adventures in the Curious, Competitive, Compulsive World of Trivia Buffs
Ken Jennings, the longest-running champion on the television quiz show, Jeopardy!, discusses his experience on the show and explores the purpose of retaining so much seemingly meaningless knowledge.

Dying to Speak Out

Ian Buruma, Murder in Amsterdam: The Death of Theo van Gogh and the Limits of Tolerance
Film maker Theo Van Gogh was murdered in cold blood in the streets of Amsterdam. Mohammed Bouyeri, an angry young Muslim, shot him then slit his throat for making a movie that "blasphemed" Islam. Dutch journalist Ian Buruma attempts to make sense of the murder that shocked Holland and the world. Then...

J. Timothy Hunt, The Politics of Bones: Dr. Owens Wiwa and the Struggle for Nigeria's Oil
"We find it most intolerable that we who sit on oil should be one of the poorest, if not the poorest , people in the country ... We, on the contrary, are chased out of our land by oil-prospecting companies and left to languish in poverty." - Nigerian activist Ken Saro-Wiwa, executed by the Nigerian dictatorship in 1994.

John Kelly, The Great Mortality: An Intimate History of the Black Death, the Most Devastating Plague of All Time

A third of the world's population, some 75 million people died during the 14th century plague. Author John Kelly discusses the devastation wrought by the plague and how the survivors managed to keep society running. Then ...

Andrew Burstein, Jefferson's Secrets: Death and Desire at Monticello
A conversation with historian Andrew Burstein about Thomas Jefferson's retirement years - his relationship with his slave Sally Hemings and his views on race and religion.

March 2007


Louise Richardson, What Terrorists Want: Understanding the Enemy, Containing the Threat
Louise Richardson examines terrorism, its origins, its goals, what can be expected in the future, and what can be done to prevent further attacks. She says that often times terrorists are seen as "one-dimensional evildoers and psychopaths" when in reality, many of them are rational political actors. Then...

Alex Kershaw, The Few: The American "Knights of the Air" Who Risked Everything to Fight in the Battle of Britain
Alex Kershaw describes the American pilots who joined the British Royal Air Force (RAF) and fought in the greatest air battle recorded in history. These pilots fought to save Britain and influenced the outcome of World War II.

Addiction is a family disease, but what can a family do to help an addict – especially one who doesn’t want any help? Families struggling with an addicted loved one say that they are lost, angry, confused and frightened. We explore the impact that addiction has on families and look at ways that they can find help. Andrew Wainwright, It's Not Okay to Be a Cannibal: How to Keep Addiction from Eating Your Family Alive discusses how families can intervene to get the addict on the road to recovery. Then, Kathy Kleinschmidt discusses how her family successfully confronted her sister who was addicted to alcohol.

"I remember, when we were waiting for her decision ... the third son just squeezing his eyes shut and his hands in a praying position and his mouth saying 'please, please, please' because they wanted (their mother) to get help so badly."

- Kathy Kleinschmidt

Tony Blankley, The West's Last Chance: Will We Win the Clash of Civilizations?
Washington Times editorial page editor Tony Blankley says that the Bush Administration and the American public are underestimating the threat of Islamic terrorism. He says that we are in a clash of civilizations and this may be our last chance to save Western civilization as we know it. Then ...

"The best way to resolve this is within Islam; for the radicals to be supressed and defeated by the will of a vast majority of peace loving Muslims."

- Tony Blankley

Suketu Mehta, Maximum City: Bombay Lost and Found
As villagers in India stream into the cities, the population of Bombay has swelled to over 19 million. Author and journalist Suketu Mehta discusses the world's most populous city.

Bruce Feiler, Walking the Bible: A Photographic Journey
Bruce Feiler takes a journey through 5 countries to "walk the bible." He discusses his trip to the land of the old testament, including where Abraham went to sacrifice Isaac, the route of the Israelites out of Egypt and where Moses received the Ten Commandments. Then ...

Jan Karon, Light from Heaven (A Mitford Novel)
This bestselling novelist has garnered a large following of devoted readers. Her books center around the fictional small town of Mitford, North Carolina and the good works of Father Timothy Kavanaugh. We'll discuss the ninth and last of the series.

February 2007

Cop Stories

Ivy League graduate Edward Conlon, Blue Blood, became a New York City rookie cop. He discusses life walking the beat in the Brooklyn projects, cultivating informants and making drug busts. Then, William Queen, Under and Alone: The True Story of the Undercover Agent Who Infiltrated America's Most Violent Outlaw Motorcycle Gang. Billy Queen - ATF agent became Billy St. John - Mongol gang member for nearly two and a half years. He rose through the ranks and eventually became the gang's treasurer, which gave him unprecedented access to their illegal activities.

"I had to say 'Tophat, it’s not him, it’s me.  Tophat, my name is not Billy St. John, my name is Billy Queen. I'm a special agent with the Bureau of Alchohol, Tobacco and Firearms.' The phone was silent for about 10 to 15 seconds and then it went dead.  Boom."

- Billy Queen

Mideast Meets West

Bestselling author Michael Oren, Power, Faith, and Fantasy: America in the Middle East: 1776 to Present reveals how American history is surprisingly intertwined with the Middle East – from the first Middle Eastern hostage crisis (in 1785) to the creation of the state of Israel in 1948. From George Washington to George W. Bush, Americans have influenced the Middle East and have been changed in the process. Then, According to Barry Lando, Web of Deceit: The History of Western Complicity in Iraq, From Churchill to Kennedy to George W. Bush, America’s invasion and occupation of Iraq is just the latest in a series of cynical and duplicitous acts by Western leaders beginning after World War I, when the country was cobbled together by foreign interests. Lando spent 25 years as an award-winning producer of CBS's 60 Minutes.

Irmgard Hunt, On Hitler's Mountain: Overcoming the Legacy of a Nazi Childhood
Irmgard Hunt grew up in the shadow of Adolf Hitler's alpine headquarters in Berchtesgaden, Germany. As a child she watched the rise and fall of the Third Reich, joined the Hitler Youth and lost her father in the war. Now as an adult, she looks back on her childhood and the crimes of her country. Then...

Bob Edwards, Edward R. Murrow and the Birth of Broadcast Journalism
Bob Edwards anchored National Public Radio's flagship morning program "Morning Edition" for nearly 25 years. Currently he hosts the daily program called "The Bob Edwards' Show" on XM Satellite. He's written a new book about the "patron saint" of his profession, and discusses the tremendous impact Murrow had on radio and TV newscasts.

The Power of Forgiveness

What happens when people forgive others? Archbishop Desmond Tutu led the people of South Africa in a time of racial hatred, violence and injustice. But rather than encourage more violence and revenge, he preached forgiveness and reconciliation. John Allen, Rabble-Rouser For Peace: The Authorized Biography of Desmond Tutu, was Desmond Tutu's press secretary and long-time associate. Then, forgiveness on a personal level. Katy Hutchison, Walking After Midnight: One Woman's Journey Through Murder, Justice & Forgiveness, discusses the murder of her husband and how she was able to forgive the drunken teen who killed him.

January 2007

The Mysteries of Autism; Causes and Treatments

The CDC states that as many as 1 out of 166 children are born with autism or autism spectrum disorders (ASD); and not much is known about the causes. Dr. Serena Wieder, Engaging Autism : Using the Floortime Approach to Help Children Relate, Communicate, and Think, explains the symptoms and describes an innovative treatment approach. Then, Dr. Paul Offit, Chief of Infectious Diseases at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, sheds light on the disorder, its prevalence, and the controversy surrounding its link to vaccines. Finally, Patricia Stacey, The Boy Who Loved Windows: Opening the Heart and Mind of a Child Threatened with Autism, tells the story of her son, Walker.

Life (and Death) on Planet Earth

Senior paleontologist at the Natural History Museum in London Richard Fortey, Earth: An Intimate History, takes a tour of the world's most interesting geological sites. From Pompeii to Hawaii to the Alps, he describes how mountains are made, and how islands can disappear. Fortey shows how human culture and natural history are rooted in our deep geological past. Then, Author Mary Roach, Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers offers a guide to what your body could do after you die. She describes all the surprising things that human cadavers have done in the past and continue to do to make the lives of the living better.

The Monastic Life

The BBC television series "The Monastery" involved five non-monks living the monastic life for forty days while TV cameras tracked their progress. It was a surprise hit in the UK. The series host, Abbot Christopher Jamison, Finding Sanctuary: Monastic Steps for Everyday Life says that although the rule of St. Benedict was written 1,500 years ago, its wisdom is still applicable to modern issues and troubles. Then, an American monk and anthropologist, Father Mark Gruber, Journey Back to Eden: My Life and Times Among the Desert Fathers spent a year in Egypt's deserts studying Coptic Christian monasticism for his doctoral dissertation. His research became more of a pilgrimage as he was deeply moved and affected by the intense spirituality of the monks and Christians of Egypt.

Philanthropy from the Heart

Daughter of oil magnate H.L. Hunt, Swanee Hunt, Half Life of a Zealot became a philanthropist, and later U.S. Ambassador to Austria during the Clinton administration all while attending to the critical needs of one daughter who suffers from mental illness. She is the founding director of Harvard’s Women and Public Policy Program, chair of the Initiative for Inclusive Security, and president of the Hunt Alternatives Fund. Then, Valerie Sobel, Andre Sobel River of Life Foundation lost her teen age son to brain cancer. She was able to get through it because her family support and resources allowed her to be with him around the clock. She became determined to help single caregivers of children with life-threatening illnesses care for their children full time by relieving their financial burdens.

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