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George and Frosty from Wind River Pack Goats in Red Canyon, Lander, Wyoming (Karl Schatz)Frontlines
Commentary from the front lines: on Capitol Hill; at a dodgeball tournament for adults; at the Golden Trailer Awards ceremony; and among goats in Cheyenne, Wyoming. On a more serious note, host Dean Olsher considers the cost of war, taking into account the war dead on both sides of the front. Also this week, Dean goes people-watching with illustrator, children’s book author, and designer Maira Kalman.
Dog Comments
Most of the news these days is for the dogs. So perhaps it is fitting that we turn to Lulu, a dog on Capitol Hill, to offer some trenchant analysis. Translation provided by Lulu’s owner, Daniel Pinkwater. Produced by Jill Krauss.
» Daniel Pinkwater's website
Dodge!
From the world of competitive sports, we bring you this report on dodgeball – for grown-ups. Next Big Thing contributor Dave Johns heads to Martin Luther King High School in Manhattan, where participants in the Fourth International Dodgeball Tournament of Champions take the game to a new level. Sort of. Produced by Amanda Aronczyk.
» Dodgeball champions' website
Golden Trailer Awards
You’ve seen the film. Now watch the trailer, or at least look at the people who made the trailer. That’s what Rico Gagliano and Jason Berlin of the Los Angeles comedy troupe "The Ministry of Unknown Science" did. They’ve sent us this report, direct from the red carpet at the Golden Trailer Awards , at Los Angeles’s Orpheum Theater. Produced by Ben Adair.
» "The Ministry of Unknown Science" website
» Golden Trailer Awards website
The Labor of Goats
For those who follow the Chinese calendar, this is the Year of the Monkey. For Karl Schatz and Margaret Hathaway, it’s the Year of the Goat. Last November, the couple left their city jobs to travel across the country visiting places and persons related to goats. We check in with them at their most recent stop, Cheyenne, Wyoming, where they are hanging out with Lani Malmberg, boss to 1250 goats discharged with weed removal.
» You can listen to our previous goat visits with Karl and Margaret in our show archives: January 30 2004 and March 05 2004
» Year of the Goat website
Remembering the Dead
For Memorial Day, we remember those who died in war – our dead. Naturally, the "enemy dead" do not figure into our remembering. Should they? Dean Olsher explores this question with Michael Walzer, a professor at Princeton University’s Institute for Advanced Study who has written extensively about the ethics of war. Produced by Julie Subrin and Emily Botein.
Illustrating Grammar
Artist and designer Maira Kalman is perhaps best known for her children’s books chronicling the adventures of Max the dog. She’s also drawn New Yorker covers and designed watches. Now she’s working on a big project, to illustrate Strunk and White’s Elements of Style, and to that end she’s been doing some sidewalk research. Host Dean Olsher joins her on a people-watching jaunt. Produced by Jamie York.
» Maira Kalman's website
The Best and Brainiest
All students at the Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art in Manhattan get a free college education. In exchange, these aspiring artists, engineers and architects have the daunting task of creating things that will improve the world. Next Big Thing contributor Blake Eskin went to their End of the Year Show, to see what these young people have done with their education and talent. Produced by Emily Botein.
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Click here to see a few models
