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Not Yet Zombies, Not Quite Brains: Jim Findlay and Jay Schober

4 years 3 months ago

Lifelong pals Schober and Findlay are funnier than any roomful of humans put together. KDHX fans will recall their weekly escapade avalanche, St. Louis Brain Sandwich, where a Branschweiger Hut, cheeseballs, The Good Fathers, and timeless tunes like "Never Swat a Fly" helped fix the uniqueness bar for this station from our on-the-fly get-go.

                  

When their conjoined brain left (a yawping hole in) the KDHX airwaves in 2015, a new weekly meetup spawned literary ambitions, drenched in laughs. We Never Got To Be Zombies - Fifty-One Years of Fiddling with Fate is the new memoir output of this duo's commitment to making life lighter.

Their curlique'd CV covers time in the military (can you say "Discipline?"), the movies, on the verge of Catholic priesthood, St. Louis Chase Park Plaza's professional wrestling ring and many more looney niches.

How is this environmental podcast content? How Not! Who can't use a hearty ha-ha to lube the works that keep one doing Green Stuff in this era of humankind (sic). THANKS, Jim and Jay!

Earthworms favorite number from the Colin Sphinctor Band:
River Des Peres Song. gives you an earful of Jim Findlay. Jean Ponzi lives in the R des P watershed; this is my neighborhood river. 

Music: Agnes Polka, performed live at KDHX by Chia Band

THANKS to Jon Valley, engineering this Earthworms edition
Related Earthworms Conversations:  

Joe Mohr - Enviro Poet and Cartoonist (Nov 2015)

Community Radio: Purpose, Values, Insider Insights (Aug 2015)

The New Territory: Traversing the Literary Midwest with Tina Casagrande (May 2017)

Cheers to 30 Years of KDHX with Jeff Ritter, First Voice On-Air (July 2017)

Eagle Days, Raptor Ways with World Bird Sanctuary

4 years 3 months ago

In the woods of west St. Louis County, a haven for  birds of prey has been healing injured raptors and forging bird-to-human bonds of caring since 1986. World Bird Sanctuary is one of North America's largest facilities for the conservation of birds.

        

World Bird takes their talons on the road, generously! For this visit to KDHX, Liberty the Southern Bald Eagle and Jett the Kestral brought along Roger Holloway, WBS Deputy Director, and Field Studies Coordinator Tess Rogers. Liberty didn't have much (that you can hear) to say, yet he contributed splendidly to this Earthworms conversation, focused around our region's annual Eagle Days education events. 

            

Events in Clarksville, MO, and on the Old Chain of Rocks Bridge bring out visitors by the hundreds, despite January cold, but you can enjoy viewing eagles almost anytime during winter months along the Mississippi River. Open water this far south draws Bald Eagles downstream for abundant fishing, giving chill-friendly humans spectacular nature observation time.

Be sure to visit World Bird Sanctuary SOON, and again if it's been awhile. You can catch "Wings Over Water" and other bird shows they provide at events around St. Louis, and beyond. 

Music: Clean Water and Raven Song, performed live at KDHX by The Raptor Project, house band from World Bird Sanctuary.

THANKS to Jon Valley, engineering this Earthworms edition

Related Earthworms Conversations:

St. Louis Legendary Bird Man: Remembering Walter Crawford (Jan 2015)
Wild Bird Rehab: Supporting Songbirds with Joe Hoffman (Sept 2017)

Bluebirds! (June 2019)

Camera Traps: Tools for Conservation (Aug 2016)

'There Is A Lot Of Distress': Local Iranian Americans Discuss Tense International Moment

4 years 3 months ago
The year 2020 is still in its infancy, yet it’s already been marked by a slew of troubling events near and far — from gun violence in St. Louis, to devastating wildfires in Australia, to dramatically escalating tensions between the U.S. and Iran. Many Americans may feel far removed from violence and loss in another part of the world, despite direct U.S. involvement, and everyday life goes on. But for those with loved ones based in volatile, vulnerable places, or who have deep cultural ties to a country such as Iran, the latest round of disturbing headlines can carry a lot more weight. In this episode, host Sarah Fenske hears from three local Iranian Americans, Dr. Bahar Bastani and attorney Javad Khazaeli and librarian Jaleh Fazelian, to get their perspectives.

Wash U Alum Miranda Popkey Discusses Her Novel 'Topics Of Conversation'

4 years 3 months ago
Miranda Popkey’s new novel, “Topics of Conversation,” owes its existence to the MFA program at Washington University in St. Louis. The California native was a student there when she wrote much of it. The novel takes its inspiration from what it’s like to be a young woman in this fraught time. How do we talk about sex and our desires? How do we make sense of our choices, and our lives? In this episode of St. Louis on the Air, Popkey joins host Sarah Fenske to discuss her novel, which was recently named one of January’s 20 “must-read books” by Entertainment Weekly.

Cody Smith

4 years 3 months ago
State Rep. Cody Smith is the latest guest on the Politically Speaking podcast. The Carthage Republican spoke with St. Louis Public Radio’s Julie O’Donoghue about his role as House budget chairman — and his thoughts on overhauling Missouri’s criminal justice system. Smith was first elected to the Missouri House in 2016 to a seat encompassing parts of Jasper County in southwest Missouri. He became House budget chairman after his predecessor, Scott Fitzpatrick, was appointed as state treasurer.

Tuesday, January 14, 2020 - St. Louis Fashion History

4 years 3 months ago
In the late 1800s and early 1900s, St. Louis was America's second fashion capital behind New York City. Today, the city is revitalizing its historic garment district by expanding manufacturing and building a diverse and inclusive community through incubators like the St. Louis Fashion Fund.

TEH Realty Troubles Spur City, Tenant Action In St. Louis

4 years 3 months ago
A newly published Riverfront Times piece by Ryan Krull delves into the experiences of various TEH Realty tenants, detailing many miserable living conditions. In this episode, Krull joins host Sarah Fenske to discuss his reporting. Also joining the conversation are St. Louis Post-Dispatch reporter Jesse Bogan, who has also been following the developments surrounding TEH Realty, and Sunni Hutton, a volunteer grassroots organizer with Homes for All St. Louis.

Bad Landlord? Attorney Shares Rights, Legal Advice For Tenants

4 years 3 months ago
Kalila Jackson joins host Sarah Fenske to discuss how tenants can exercise their rights without escalating the situation. She’s a staff attorney at the Metropolitan St. Louis Equal Housing and Opportunity Council, better known as EHOC. Also joining the conversation is Sunni Hutton, a volunteer grassroots organizer with Homes for All St. Louis.

Rasheen Aldridge

4 years 3 months ago
Missouri House Rep. Rasheen Aldridge represents the 78th district in St. Louis, which includes Hyde Park, Old North St. Louis, Carr Square, downtown, Soulard, Benton Park and LaSalle. At 25, he's one of the youngest elected officials in the statehouse.

How Low And No-Proof Cocktails Are Fomenting A Drinking Revolution

4 years 3 months ago
Some of the area’s most buzz-worthy bars are focused on drinks that won’t get you buzzed — drinks that have the rich mouthfeel of a Manhattan without all the booze. That includes Elmwood in Maplewood. In this episode, Sarah Fenske talks with Elmwood beverage director Dave Greteman about how the low and no-proof ABV (alcohol by volume) options on Elmwood’s menu are changing the dynamic at its bar.

Congressman Clay Blasts Trump, Airport Privatization Effort

4 years 3 months ago
U.S. Congressman William Lacy Clay Jr. (D-St. Louis) is issuing a dire warning when it comes to President Donald Trump’s actions regarding Iran. “If we don’t reign in this president’s recklessness, we will commit young men and women to a war zone in the Middle East, and the results will be a catastrophe,” he says in this episode of the talk show. “I’ve seen this before,” he continues. “And apparently no one in this president’s family has ever served in the military or ever gone to war, so it probably doesn’t faze him. He doesn’t realize what the damage will be to Americans in a war zone. It’s so cavalier.” In his conversation with host Sarah Fenske, Clay also has harsh words for the city of St. Louis’ aborted exploration of airport privatization. Months before Mayor Lyda Krewson pulled the plug on the costly effort, Clay had called for a public vote on any deal to lease St. Louis Lambert International Airport.

Two Physicians, Two Different Takes On Medical Marijuana

4 years 3 months ago
Thousands of Missouri residents have received medical cannabis cards, and dispensaries are gearing up to begin sales of the product later this year, likely in the spring. Physicians have the ability to prescribe medical marijuana to patients via the state’s certification form, although they are not obligated to do so. Sarah Fenske talks with two physicians, who are also sisters, to get a sense of how they are preparing for implementation of this new law, and why they react differently when patients request their signatures on a medical marijuana certification form.

St. Louis Police Chief John Hayden On Violence Prevention In 2020

4 years 3 months ago
St. Louis Police Chief John Hayden says his crime-fighting strategy in north St. Louis, known as “Hayden’s Rectangle,” is working to curb violence in the city. In this interview, he talks with Sarah Fenske about this strategy, as well as the recent spate of violence on New Year’s Eve, the biggest impediments to officer recruitment and his goals for the coming months.

New Culture Walk And Airbnb Retreat Offers Ways To Meet East St. Louis

4 years 3 months ago
For those interested in learning more about East St. Louis’ rich cultural legacy, a new “music and history walk” is one route to consider. Treasure Shields Redmond, daughter of East St. Louis Poet Laureate Eugene Redmond, is organizing opportunities for hipsters, jazz nerds and genuinely curious minds alike. Host Sarah Fenske talks with Shields Redmond how opportunities like the Historic Jazz & Poetry Excursion is showing the world a different East St. Louis than what you might see on the evening news.

Missouri's New Medical Marijuana Industry Puts Banks In A Tough Spot

4 years 3 months ago
Missouri has collected more than 2,000 applications for medical marijuana business licenses - but who will bank those businesses? Many are not willing to take on the risk for something that is illegal at the federal level. St. Louis Public Radio reporter Corinne Ruff talks with Sarah Fenske about her exploration into the challenges facing banks hoping to get involved in this new industry.

Thursday, January 9, 2020 - Mental Health First Aid

4 years 3 months ago
Mental health first aid is gaining popularity throughout the United States. Like traditional first aid, it teaches people how to recognize problems and help people having a crisis. Local courses aim to help people understand mental health issues and offer empathy and care, not judgment and stigma.

‘Two Trains Running’ Brings August Wilson Back To The Black Rep

4 years 3 months ago
This weekend, the Black Rep premieres its production of playwright August Wilson’s “Two Trains Running,” which tells the story of regulars at a Pittsburgh diner grappling with the civil rights movement, eminent domain and the threat of an urban renewal program that will change their neighborhood. In this segment, Sarah Fenske talks about the production with the Black Rep’s founder, Ron Himes, as well as the director for the Black Rep’s production of “Two Trains Running,” Ed Smith.