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The Brian Lehrer Show

Wednesday, July 02, 2008
  • George Carlin on The Brian Lehrer Show
    George Carlin on The Brian Lehrer Show

    Highlights

    As the Brian Lehrer Show staff heads west for the Aspen Ideas Festival, we bring you some highlights from recent shows, including an interview with the late great George Carlin and a new interview looking at preparations for this fall's political conventions.

Convention-al Thinking

Bob Hennelly, WNYC senior reporter, and Chuck Samuelson, executive director of the ACLU of Minnesota, discuss the extent to which St. Paul and Denver are using New York in 2004 as a model for this summer's political conventions.

Before There was Stephen Colbert, There was George Carlin

The late George Carlin spoke with Brian just a few months before he died. It's an open, warm and funny conversation that covers a lot of ground - not the least of which is political.

Hard to Remember

Dominic Carter has stared down politicians during debates--as well as his own past. In this AP award-winning interview, he discusses his book, No Momma's Boy: How I let Go of my Past and Embraced the Future .

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.