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PODCAST

Talk Cocktail

Jeff Schechtman

Jeff Schechtman talks with authors, journalists, newsmakers and opinion shapers, and sheds light on the issues of the day, from local stories to national and international headlines and ideas. jeffschechtman.substack.com

news & politics

All Episodes

23:28

If Twinkie's were outlawed....

Talk Cocktail ·

2014/01/07

As we continue to debate health care in America, as more people come into the system, the single most significant effort is now to figure out ways to reduce cost. Perhaps the best place to start, is with the one epidemic that accounts for no less than 10% of all health care costs. That epidemic is obesity. It is our number one public health issue. Its causes go to the limits of self control and human nature, but most of all to the reality and excess of our current food environment. Dr. Deborah

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29:11

No Pryor restraint

Talk Cocktail ·

2014/01/06

Richard Pryor would become be the single most influential performer of the second half of the Twentieth Century, and certainly he was the most successful black comedian ever. Controversial always and enigmatic throughout his lifetime, Pryor’s performances opened up a new world of possibilities, merging fantasy with angry reality in a way that wasn’t just new—it was heretofore unthinkable. David and Joe Henry have captured the essence of Pryor in their new book Furious Cool: Richard Pryor and the

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25:47

Dorothea Lange

Talk Cocktail ·

2014/01/03

Long, long after the death of LIFE and LOOK, we once again live in a world of images. Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest all cater to that proverbial idea that a picture is worth a thousand words. Yet perhaps it's because we have too many images, or that they are coming at us to fast, few truly capture the essence of any particular moment or ethos. However when we look back at the work of famed photographer Dorothea Lange, it’s different. Her striking black and white images taken during the

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19:59

Belated justice for Alan Turing

Talk Cocktail ·

2014/01/02

Alan Turing, the great British mathematician who cracked Nazi codes, set the stage for our digital age and later killed himself after the government chemically castrated him for being gay, received a posthumous royal pardon last week, 61 years after his conviction on the "gross indecency" laws of the time. Turing's life will soon be the basis for the film The Imitation Game, starring Benedict Cumberbatch. Last year I spoke with technology historian George Dyson about his book Turing's Cathedral:

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22:42

Will the Rocky Mountain high be spreading?

Talk Cocktail ·

2013/12/31

Recently reports proliferated that in the House of Representatives, during the government shutdown, while meeting late into the night, the smell of booze was rampant. Perhaps if they had been smoking pot, instead of drinking alcohol, the government would never have been shut down and there might be a whiff more bipartisanship. Sound ridiculous? Well if it had been the Colorado or Washington legislature, it might very well be the case. In fact the legalization of marijuana seems to be an idea whose

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22:21

Do statins do more harm than good?

Talk Cocktail ·

2013/12/29

Recently you’ve probably heard that the American College of Cardiology and the American Heart Association are seeking to expand the use of statins. Cholesterol lowering drugs, that some have said should be put in our water supply. But really how safe are these drugs? Are their benefits all they are cracked up to be and what’s the nexus with the fact that they also happen to be the worlds best selling drug and the biggest tool in enhancing big pharma's profits? Why have doctors, even those that

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17:12

It is more dangerous than ever to be a war...

Talk Cocktail ·

2013/12/27

We often hear career counselors and teachers talking to young people about following their passion. Obviously good advice. But for some, that passion comes with a price. For esteemed war correspondent Marie Colvin, that passion, her desire to bear witness to the horrors of war would cost her her life. The same is true for British reporter and photographer Paul Conroy. He was with Colvin in Syria in early 2012 when they would come under fire in the city of Homs A rocket would kill Colvin and

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22:53

Why are we so Social?

Talk Cocktail ·

2013/12/26

Why is it that the pain of rejection in High School often stays with us for life? Not being asked to the prom, not making the team, or that first broken heart. All seem to imprint us in ways that scar us for life. And what is the connection between those experiences and our seeming insatiable appetite for social networks? As we look at the evolution of technology, from cave paintings to the printing press to the telephone to Facebook and Twitter, all are advancing the effort to connect. Maybe,

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18:12

What the very tough taskmaster can still teach us

Talk Cocktail ·

2013/12/24

Today it seems that every piece of evidence supports kinder and gentler parenting, a more cooperative workplace and a stress free education that supports deeper learning. Tiger moms, and Tiger teachers and the excessively tough boss seem to be interesting, but outliers. But are we missing something? Does it have to be a zero sum game? Can the tough taskmaster, the dispenser of tough love teach out something about persistence, character, and resiliency that will serve us well later in life? Joanne

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21:14

Can anyone be a Superhero?

Talk Cocktail ·

2013/12/23

Audiences flock to see them. What’s the appeal? When we hear about real life heroes like Sully Sullenberger, or Wesley Autrey, who who jumped onto NY subway tracks to save man from an oncoming train, we are captivated. Perhaps our fascination is because we can’t ever imagine ourselves exercising such a degree of selflessness. We might fantasize about being hero, but don't think we have the right stuff. Today science, genetics, and social psychology tells us we all, under the right circumstances

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23:07

Unemployment - is it personal or systemic?

Talk Cocktail ·

2013/12/20

The unemployment rate still sits at a around 7%. Million of Americans, blue and white collar workers, have experienced long term unemployment. But the 2008/2009 recession didn’t just impact the US. Unemployment in many other Western nations is even higher. What’s different, is how unemployment and job seeking varies from country to country. Who the unemployed blame for their problems, the self help industry that continues to grow and a different approach by employers, are all areas of extreme

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17:57

Mitch Albom's "The First Phone Call from Heaven"

Talk Cocktail ·

2013/12/19

Each day life gets more complex. There are more pressures on our time, we are pulled in more and more directions. To ground us, we look for the universal in everyday life. Those things that create order out of the chaos and cynicism of daily existence. We seek comfort in the memories of loved ones, in routines we used to appreciate, like that regular weekly phone call, perhaps from a child away at school or to an aging parent. Often, even if we are not at all religious, we look for a a

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21:23

Peter Max

Talk Cocktail ·

2013/12/18

There is an old saying about popular culture, that if it’s popular, it can be good. This philosophy has at various times permeated music, film, literature, and especially the world of art. Sometimes it's no doubt true. But there are also profound exceptions. In the world of art, maybe the most unique exception is the work of Peter Max. Few artists can be considered more American than Max. His work, often referred to a pop or psychedelic art, has come be respected for its optimism, its boldness

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25:39

North Korea has long been an outlaw nation

Talk Cocktail ·

2013/12/17

With the execution of an uncle of Kim Jong Un, we saw another example of the brutality of the North Korean regime. Perhaps more than any other nation, North Korea is disconnected from the norms of civilization. This has been the case for some time, and it’s why most efforts to bridge the divide have failed. This was the case all the way back in 1968 when the USS Pueblo, a rag tag American spy ship set out to find radar stations along the coast of North Korea. On a January morning the Pueblo was

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26:26

American Healthcare: Spending more is getting us less

Talk Cocktail ·

2013/12/13

It’s amazing sometimes how simple ideas get lost in the big picture. Back in 1923, President Warren Harding proposed a federal department to look after the nation's health, education and welfare. The department was finally created by Eisenhower in 1953. In 1979, Education was spun off and we created the department of Health AND Human Services. Clearly as a nation, we’ve long understood the connection between health and human services. Yet the way our health care system has evolved, preventive

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19:24

The Triumph and Tragedy of Israel

Talk Cocktail ·

2013/12/12

Even looking at the broad sweep and scope of history and change in the 20th century, it’s arguable that the dynamics of Israel, its relationship to its neighbors and the meaning of the Zionist project remain one of the most vexing and truly complex issues of our time. For events that began at the end of the 19th Century, clearly and directly link to the issues being talked about and dealt with this very day in Tel Aviv, Tehran and Washington. But how did it all get this way? How did the desire for

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22:39

Why low income equals low trust

Talk Cocktail ·

2013/12/11

Back in 1996 welfare as we knew it was forever changed by President Clinton. But while public policy can address issues like food stamps, child care, Medicaid, and many other aspects, it can never address issues of trust. We know from Civil Rights legislation that no matter what the policy prescriptions, you can’t address what’s in the human heart. In the panoply of issues surrounding welfare you might not think that trust was paramount. In fact, Temple University Professor Judith Levine,

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27:15

To Sell is Human

Talk Cocktail ·

2013/12/10

Perhaps it's our popular culture, but the business of selling has gotten a terrible reputation. Whether it’s Willy Loman trying to be “well liked,” or Harold Hill hoodwinking people from town to town, or Alec Baldwin's character of Blake in David Mamet's’ Glengarry Glen Ross, we've seen selling portrayed as as one of the least trustworthy endeavors. Even lower on the scale than members of congress. Selling in the 21st century is very different. No longer is it about sleaze and closing. Today

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22:59

Angry White Men

Talk Cocktail ·

2013/12/09

The number of angry white men in America is on the decline, just as talk radio, that panders to and inspires them, is also aging and declining. Yet their continued presence tells us a lot about change in America and the divides that separate race, gender and class. Perhaps it all started back in 1969 when Richard Nixon tried to obscure the difference between working class and affluent voters, particular men, by portraying them all as a part of a silent majority. He portrayed them as both heroes and

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31:41

After Mandela

Talk Cocktail ·

2013/12/06

Nelson Mandela stands as one of our greatest symbols of the struggle for freedom. His shadow will always infuse the politics and culture of South Africa. Yet almost one half the county is under 25 and doesn’t know or remember their nation in anything but it’s post apartheid period. How does and will this disconnect shape the future of the country? How can it deal with its historical context and at the same time, the seemingly mundane issues health, welfare, justice and jobs. Douglas Foster, a

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1,369 results

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