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On Demand

The Brian Lehrer Show

Wednesday, November 07, 2007

Are Writers Being Wronged?

Rene Balcer, executive producer and head writer for Law & Order and creator of Law & Order: Criminal Intent, and Adam Brooks screenwriter for Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason, and member of the Writers Guild East Council, explain why writers are putting down their pencils to strike.

Read about Rene Balcer's library charity

Open Phones: Is the Upper West Side Dirty?

Alec Baldwin called in yesterday to tell us he thinks the Upper West Side is dirty. Listeners tell us whether they think that's true.

Proust Got There First

In his new book Proust Was a Neuroscientist (Houghton Mifflin, 2007) Jonah Lehrer writes about how novelists and other artists intuited knowledge about the brain that scientists are only now figuring out.

Proust Was a Neuroscientist is available for purchase at Amazon.com.

Open Phones: Sexism And Religion

Former Congresswoman and previous candidate for Vice-President Geraldine Ferraro stated that sexism reared it's head in last week's Democrat debate, is that the case? And Pat Robertson endorses Rudolph Giuliani, Charles Dunn, dean of Regent University's Robertson School of Government , analyzes the decision.

The Other "F" Word

Feminists young and old gather at Hunter College this weekend for "Freedom on Our Terms: From Houston 1977 - New York 2007" commemorating the 30th anniversary of the first National Women’s Conference. Liz Abzug, president and co-founder of the Bella Abzug Leadership Institute and Jerin Alam, president of the Hunter Women's Rights Coalition (HWRC) talk about trying to "pass the torch" from one generation of feminists to another.

School Report Cards

Jennifer Medina, education reporter for the New York Times, explains the new School Report Card system and reflects on parents' reactions.

Uncommon Indicators

The Brian Lehrer Show

The Brian Lehrer Show wants to hear how the economy is affecting the little things in your daily life. Share your stories and photos of the downturn.

Just Launched! The Uncommon Economic Indicators Video Contest. All the details here!

The Rocky Road Ahead

The Brian Lehrer Show

Ray Young, the chief financial officer of General Motors, talks about GM’s bankruptcy.

Then, Damon Lester, president of the National Association of Minority Automobile Dealers, and Greg Williams, former owner of the recently closed Huntington Chevrolet in Huntington Station, NY., discusses the effect GM’s bankruptcy has had on dealerships and their employees.

Tweet If You Use Twitter

The Brian Lehrer Show

Farhad Manjoo, Slate's technology columnist and the author of True Enough: Learning To Live in a Post-Fact Society talks about what Twitter means and how different groups use it.

What's your take on Twitter? How do you use it? Comment below!

Don't Say That, Literally

The Brian Lehrer Show

John Flansburgh of the band They Might Be Giants discusses the running list the band keeps of "things we can no longer say." (a few examples: "my bad" "don't go there" "one hundred and ten percent" and "voted off the island")

What would be on your list of banned words or phrases? Comment below!

From Denmark with Love

The Brian Lehrer Show

Jesper Grunwald, senior managing editor with the Danish Broadcasting Corporation, talks about the Danish economy, biking to work, and why the Danes are allegedly the happiest people in the world.

Squatting, Then and Now

The Brian Lehrer Show

As former squats in the East Village make the transition to coops, making homes from abandoned housing is again an issue. Andrew Reicher executive director of Urban Homesteading Assistance Board, Frank Morales an Episcopal priest involved in East Village/Lower East Side squatting and homelessness activism since the late '70s, and Rob Robinson, a leader of the Housing Campaign of Picture the Homeless, discuss the return of squatting.

Video Picks

The Brian Lehrer Show

Check out some recent video clips of interviews with guests and Brian Lehrer's weekly Web video picks.