THE FINAL TAXI ..and so it goes........

Direct download: Various
deaths...... and so it goes..

In the book Slaughter House 5, "So it goes" is a phrase used every time a passage deals with death, dying or mortality.
I felt it appropriate to use it this week as we have had so many to take that Final Taxi....
Kurt Vonnegut famed author,
Johnny Hart, creator of the comic strip "BC" and "Wizard of Id"
Marshall Rogers, comic book artist who help bring Batman from his 'camp' era,
Roscoe Lee Brown, famous character actor and voice talent,
Barry Nelson, actor who played many roles including the Hotel manager in "The Shining",
and Stan Daniels writer and producer of TV's Mary Tyler Moore and Taxi.

This is just a handful as there was so many this week.... and so it goes........

Books and Ideas Podcast #10 An American Living in France

Guillestre in the French Alps

Show Notes

This episode of Books and Ideas is a conversation with writer Kirk Mcelhearn , a native New Yorker, who has lived in France for over 20 years. We talk about the challenges of learning a second language, and what it is like to live in France after 9/11. McElhearn is able to bring some interesting historical perspective to current events. Unfortunately there is some echo in the second half of this interview, which was recorded using Skype™ and Audio Hijack Pro™.

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Additional Links:

Kirkville is Kirk McElhearn's excellent blog where you can find Mac™ and iTunes™ hints, as well as commentary on books and digital music.

Here is a list of his books from Amazon.com

The Killer Angels: A Novel of the Civil War by Michael Shaara This is an excellent novel that I talked about briefly on an earlier podcast. It is also available in audio download format from Audible.com. Kirk said he has this book coming from BookMooch.

BookMooch started by the founder of Magnatune, this is a great place to exchange books

Final Taxi - #69 : I Triple Dog Dare Ya- Bob Clark

Direct
Download: A Christmas
Story's Bob Clark

"You'll Shoot Your Eye Out," "I Triple Dog Dare Ya!" "Fra- Jee- Lee; Must be Italian." All these are phases we know and love because of Bob Clark.
Bob Clark, the director of film classics 'Porky's and 'A Christmas Story', has taken his Final Taxi, alongside his 22-year old son Ariel.

Clark, who was 67, specialised in horror films and thrillers. His other titles include the likes of 'Children Shouldn't Play With Dead Things', 'Murder by Decree', 'Breaking Point' and 'Black Christmas'.

But he was most famous for 'Porky's', which is often cited as one of the first "gross-out" teen sex comedies, while 'A Christmas Story' has become something of a seasonal tradition in the US with 24 hour marathons.

Brain Science #9: The Future of the Brain

Show Notes for Episode 9

This episode is a discussion of The Future of the Brain: The Promise and Perils of Tomorrow's Neuroscience by British neuroscientist, Steven Rose. Unlike most episodes of the Brain Science Podcast, the emphasis of this episode is on asking what kind of ethical dilemmas might be posed by our increased knowledge of how the brain works.

Topics discussed:

• why the Mind is more than the Brain
• why the Mind is more than genetics and biochemistry
• how we still have a long way to go before we can fully understand how the brain-body generates the mind
• problems and dangers of reductionism
• implications for freedom and personal responsibility
• examples from the history of science that demonstrate why these concerns are valid
• the "Paradox of Memory"
• some email from listeners

One issue I only mention briefly on the podcast is Rose's attack on evolutionary psychology. If you are interested in learning more about this you might want to read the transcript of a debate between Steven Rose and Stephen Pinker, which was held in 1998. It is on the Edge website, which is an interesting website even though it lacks an RSS feed.

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The Final Taxi : Larry Bud- Doom Patrol & Podcamp

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Larry 'Bud' Melman, Arnold Drake & Podcamp

Calvert DeForest, the white-haired, bespectacled nebbish who gained cult status as the oddball Larry (Bud) Melman on David Letterman's late night television shows has taken his Final Taxi.

Also famous comic book writer Arnold Drake who wrote comics for Star Trek, Twilight Zone, Batman and X-men and created the Doom Patrol and Deadman has also died.

Brain Science #8: How Neurons Communicate

From Neuron to Brain: A Cellular and Molecular Approach to the Function of the Nervous System, Fourth Edition

A. Robert Martin

The latest episode of the Brain Science Podcast is more technical than most. It deals with neurotransmitters. One of the key things that makes the brain different from a digital computer is that most of the signaling between neurons is actually chemical. Neurotransmitters are the chemicals released by one neuron that then interact with the receptors on another neuron or target cell (like a muscle). It turns out that it is the properties of the receptor, which is a membrane protein, that determines the effect of the neurotransmitter. This means that the same neurotransmitter can have very different effects in different parts of the brain and body.

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Go to The Brain Science Podcast website for more detailed show notes.

Books and Ideas Podcast #9 Challenging Nature with Lee M Silver

This week's podcast is a discussion of the book Challenging Nature: The Clash of Science and Spirituality at the New Frontiers of Life, with author Lee M. Silver of Princeton University. I am also putting this episode into the Brain Science Podcast feed.

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Click here to visit Lee M Silver's website

Final Taxi #66 John Inman & Brad Delp- Served in Boston

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Brad Delp & John Inman take their Final Taxi.

 

This week
Ron Nastie talks about Brad Delp who was lead singer of the classic rock band
Boston. Also we remember the comedy of John Inman,. His show "Are You Being
Served?" has been on PSB TV for years and has become a staple of their
programming. John Inman played the campy Mr. Humphries for 13 years on that TV
show.

Brain Science #7: Bonobos with Dr. Stuart Shanker

Kanzi and Sue Savage-Rumbaugh

This is the first interview episode of the Brain Science Podcast. As a follow-up to #6, I had the opportunity to interview Stuart Shanker, PhD, one of the co-authors of The First Idea: How Symbols, Language, and Intelligence Evolved From Our Primate Ancestors to Modern Humans .

I really wanted to talk about the implications of primate research, but he also tells us more about his work with autistic children and how he thinks what we are learning about brain development will enable early intervention and improved outcomes for children with autism and other learning disabilities.

The Brain Science Podcast feed is available here.

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Links of Interest:

What are Bonobos?

More about Kanzi

Sue Savage-Rumbaugh-pioneer primate researcher

More on Bonobos

I was a little hesitant to choose a controversial book, but after I read President Carter's new book, Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid, I felt the ideas were too important not to share. I also feel that anyone who reads the book for themselves will agree that Jewish Americans are being unfair when they accuse President Carter of taking sides. It is true that he highlights the plight of the Palestinians in the occupied territories, but this hardly makes him biased.

This podcast is only an introduction to the book. You will have to read it yourself to make your own decision.

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Here are some links you might find interesting:

The Carter Center

CNN's coverage of the resignation of the Jewish members of the Carter Center

Some information about the Wall Israel is building around its settlements