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Recent Comments
  • Martina 8/20/08: "What an amazing interview with John Nichols. I could have listened to his incisive, articulate commentary for hours. He connected the dots other so called experts more often than not fail to do. As far as Bush is concerned, the only thing he is getting 'right' is his hearing the drum beat of history being written as he exits. He and the administration he put in place have profoundly damaged America."
  • David 8/19/08: "With regard to the topic of What Bush Got Right I think this must be one of the world's slimest volumes. His policies have lead to the virtual looting of the country by special interests and perhaps put the country into a process of significant economic and political decline. He has put into place the machinery of police state surveillance and operational precedents for the elimination of individaul Constitutional rights. He has managed to convince the world that the US is both greedly, stupid, and rc.eckless with regard to global interests. On the other hand on a recent visit to Washinto D.C I did occasion to personally see his cute little dog Barney briefly take care of his 'business' on a brief excursion outside the White House under the watchful eyes of several no doubt Secret Service Agents. Good job Barney!"
  • Tsuri 8/19/08: "I am a faithful listener and try to play all your Podcasts. It is quite a feat to be able to put together such interesting programs day in, day out. Your recent program on the Blue Fin Tuna, and the short discussion on the Old Man and the Sea, has prompted me to share with you a communication I had with Hemingway himself back in 1959 when I was living in Israel. I was 16 at the time, and probably quite nerdy. I got into an argument with a Scout Master about the Old Man and the Sea. As only a 16 year old would have the chutzpah to do, I asked the author to referee. Amazingly enough, he got the letter, and responded. He must have gotten a kick out of it. I was correct!!!"
  • Anonymous 8/15/08: "I have been a long time listener and contributor to WPR but was so enraged by the Here On Earth broadcast on the transgender issue that I am withdrawing all support. I am not a self-righteous, pompous ass standing on his soapbox, but Jean and her guest really went over the line. The entire show was so smug and 'Screw you, look how daring we are' that I was actually disgusted."
  • Wayne 8/15/08: "I continue to be an avid listener, though it's often the repeat in the evening that I catch as I'm now located in the San Francisco Bay Area. When traveling overseas, I try to pick up your show whenever possible. Keep up the good work. I might also say that I have noted what seems to be a slight adjustment in your demeanor with respect to certain guests, in that it appears you're challenging them to support their statements a bit more. I appreciate that and feel that it's a constructive shift."
  • Heather 8/14/08: "I'd like to respond to you question about transgenderism gaining acceptance in the U.S. over other countries. Clincially I would be considered a male-to-female transsexual. But I don't care for any of the labels. I'm just living it. The way I see it, I was 'mis-gendered' at birth because of the genitalia I was born with. My true gender has always been female. But to be unconditionally accepted for who I am, let alone as a female in gender, probably won't happen in this country -- deep down and all over -- for a long, long time. So everyday I know what it's like to leave the house never quite knowing how I'll be treated by the people I encounter. Am I a novelty item, nut case, or fellow human being? It might not matter where one lives or under what kind of government. If you're different, you might not be ok, anywhere on the planet. The fact is, most of us are really nice people when you get to know us and what we have isn't catching!"
  • Barbara 8/11/08: "(Regarding the social media show) I could see my grandson listening to WPR, but not wanting his teenage friends and acquaintances to know. He would most likely prefer that they only knew he listened to music on his iPod."
  • Alessandra 8/7/08: "(Regarding the tuna show) I agree with almost everything that Richard Ellis wrote in his book. There was a time that I used avoid eating meat, with the exception of tuna. That is, until I read Mr. Ellis' book. Today, I am going back to other meats, because I too feel this fish is one of the most beautiful and would much rather see it in the continue a life in the wild and not on my plate."
  • Anna 7/30/08: "One very important function of reading global fiction is the ability of the reader to connect with and humanize the foreign subjects. So frequently we hear the characterization of Africa as a devastated, tragic place (a characterization your guest adheres to), but I think that reading fiction in order to experience other cultures should serve as a universalizing rather than distancing or 'Otherizing' experience."
  • Justin 7/23/08: "(Regarding the language camp show) I attended Concordia camps from 6th grade till I was 17. I attended French and Chinese. I live in Japan now and have used both my Chinese and French skills to create opportunities for exchange for local people. We need more programs that not only get children interested in learning languages they are familiar with but also languages very unfamiliar. We also need to get children to apply the skills by going to the countries where the languages can be see in context. It is a very different experience."
  • Jeff 7/22/08: "(Regarding the language camp show) I agree that U.S. residents should learn foreign languages, secondary to a good command of English."
  • Eva 7/22/08: "(Regarding the language camp show) I wish you would have found out about our lovely new Swedish Culture and Language Immersion Camp at Hunt Hill, Sarona (actually, Hunt Hill also offers Spanish immersion camps). Our camp takes place in mid-June at an Audubon Sanctuary (www.hunthill.org). We held our camp for the first time this year and people came from as far as Seattle, Washington, Virginia, Cincinnatti etc."
  • Mercedes 7/4/08: "I grew up in and around Sheboygan, WI, with very Germanic influences. While it remains 'The Brat Capital of the World,' we always had hamburgers as well at every cookout and picnic. When I moved away to college, I discovered to my dismay that while every place has a hamburger, not every place has a 'hard roll.' This is NOT a hamburger bun, nor it is a kaiser roll! A hard roll only seems to be available in Sheboygan and Milwaukee, and only at the small independent bakeries like Sciortino's on Brady Street. It's the only thing to eat a hamburger on (or a brat!)."
  • David 6/29/08: "As a 67-year-old man, I remember Edith Piaf's music from an age when all I cared was her fantastic sounding songs. Knowing no French I required no translation in any case, the sound was everything! She captured me as you also do! The real talent here is Jean and Here on Earth bringing us, in wondrous depth, the finest of the arts! Thank you! You and your show overwhelm with joy its listeners in beauty and insights. You are the treasure presenting treasures to our minds and souls."
  • Elizabeth 6/23/08: "I was shocked and disappointed that during the Summer Solstice Poetry Circle of the Air program rebroadcast on 6/20/2008, that during the reading of the focal poem, 'The Excrement Poem,' that there was some editing done toward the end of the poem. I would think that since the whole theme of the poem is shit, that we could actually use the word. It was referring to the product. It was not being used as a swear word. I think that this was someone being overly politically correct, that we are so 'civilized' that we can't even say 'shit' when we are talking about cleaning out a horse stable."
  • David 6/16/08: "Commenting on Is Peace a Dirty Word?: I'm a card carrying Democrat, a member of a traditional peace church, and a peace activist. I enjoyed the conversation and agree with most of what was said. My critical commment is about subtext. I cringed at the responses to the Republican guest from Minnesota. As much as I disagree with him on the level of the 'text' of his contribution, the subtext of the interchange strangely made his point. The man was simply not listened to. The peace guests were verbally polite, but clearly moving quickly to 'disarm' him. I was intrigued by the stated theme early in the program -- a wish to understand why peace programs scare some people. But as soon as the guest finished his comment, he was simply rebutted. The rebuttal was not obviously brutal, but it dismissed not only the guest, but the whole deep question of why vulnerability frightens people. Peace workers often gloss over this issue and suggest that 'yes, it is as simple as that.' This is the kind of emotional dismissal that is the subtext of much peace activism. The call-in quest that compared it to marriage had a better idea. Peace is hard and it starts with everyone getting heard -- until they feel heard. Besides, the information that might come out of really understanding reactions we don't understand could be very helpful. It might even transform the situation. Instead we jump to analysis, the results of which give us the same old ideas about people which are never nimble enough to make peace out of. I am a quieter peace activist these days, because I'm starting to get this idea that physical violence begins somewhere tiny and secret in the emotional dismissal that is everywhere. I'm just concerned that peace workers are not getting the peace issue on the deep emotional and listening level, and that often the subtext is more or less violent. I'm sure that a talk show is not a very easy place for something more surprising to happen, so I don't mean to jump on anybody, it's just that I think there is another level of peace effort that must be made -- and it's much harder than we think."
  • Randall 6/16/08: "Regarding the re-broadcast segment on PEACE, I believe the premise of the show is incorrect. It is not peace that opponents to "peace legislation" are against, but what is frequently pushed in the name of peace. Presidents Bush's 'peace' for the Middle East is no better than the kind of peace that many in the United Nations advocate -- peace at the expense of personal freedoms and rights. The problem with many advocates of peace is that they fail to recognize the reality of sinful human nature and that so long as sin continues, peace is attainable only by submission to whoever has the biggest stick. Even when the holder of the biggest stick is benevolent, that stick must always be used against those who want to advance their own agendas at the expense of others, for there will always be such people. Advocating and actively working for resolution of differences through non-violent means is laudable, but thinking that we can somehow achieve peace in a sin-filled world is, sadly, unrealistic."
  • Kozelka 6/13/08: "Eating locally is not just about taste, climate, or supporting local economy but also about supporting sustainablility through organic food. When the food travels across the country large corporations like Cargill are making (lots) money off of by just shipping the food. Also, corporations like Mansanto are promoting the use of oil based fertilizers and harmful chemical for use on monoculture crops and its depleting the soil as well as lowering the quality of the food and making farmers dependent on large corporations. local companies like Organic Valley refuse to do business with the large corporations and get a fair return for the food they grow (why local organic costs a bit more). Peasant farmers in other countries do not get a fair return on their crops. Also, U.S. subsidizes crops like corn and takes the ability of subsistence and to make money away from peasant farmers and indigenous communities. Monocultures deplete soil. So much about this topic."
  • Elizabeth 6/10/08: "While I am glad that there is a focus on Africa, I feel that there are some problematic developments under the surface in Rwanda. Ethnic tensions and government supression of dissent are just under the surface in Rwand. For example, the Gachacha courts are convened in such a way that they address only the genocidal acts committed by Hutus against Tutsis; war crimes committed by the Rwandan Patriotic Front are not addressed in any meaningful way. My friends who have spent time living in Rwanda attest that certain people within Rwanda live under threat of arrest and 'disappearance' if they speak. There are many other voices talking about this issue, and I hope that the Author will listen to voices beyond merely the former war-lord who rules Rwanda. While Rwanda's reconstruction has received much attention, Rwanda's development is not without its complications."
  • David 6/8/08: "I am astounded at how entertaining each program is of Here on Earth that I listen to. Today I listened, back-to-back, to finding sanctuary and the mustard program. It is amazing how you can conduct the contemplative-tone interview demanded of the former, and also find the perfect palate-pleasing pitch for the latter. I have no doubt that you could capture my attention on any subject you should choose to present. My only complaint is that, living in Boulder CO, I cannot live stream the program and participate as a call-in member of the audience."
  • Roger 6/3/08: "I am a podcast listener from Pennsylvania. I recently learned of Here on Earth after searching the NPR website for available podcasts. I consider this radio program to be in my Top 5 list of favorite and most informative NPR programs in the country. Keep up the great work and thanks for the wealth of thought provoking issues."
  • Lenona 5/29/08: "Thanks for the show! It's about time the 'Mafalda & Friends' books got a little more publicity in the U.S."
  • Ann 5/23/08: "Thanks to your guest, and the Mustard Museum, I found out about the Joy of Mustard, after 45 years of only eating the regular French's yellow mustard. We visited there on a lark, and have never looked back. I just checked my refrigerator....I have some plain yellow mustard, brown hot horseradish mustard, cherry-honey mustard, 2 kinds of cranberry mustard (one with whole cranberries), a lime mustard, and a beer mustard I made myself, using mustard seeds I got at the Museum."
  • Emily 5/23/08: "I was just preparing a late lunch while listening to your program. Very inspiring since I tossed in some brown sugar and pecan mustard (purchased at the Mustard Museum) to my alfredo and mushroom sauce. Thanks!"
  • Norton 5/22/08: "Absolutely loved the show on Street cries. We also had a rag man with a horse and cart come down our Belgian block street when I was a very young girl in Pittsburgh, PA. Also, when our friends came to visit, they would stand in front of our house and say, 'Calling on Emmie' or whatever name they wanted. I felt like I was going through an ancient maze in my brain to reach these memories. Thanks, Jean!"
  • Nikki 5/22/08: "your Street Cries shows was just excellent and exuberant and so much fun! thanks so much! keep up the great work!"
  • Mark 5/19/08: "Jean, you and your staff do an amazing job in bringing the world straight through our ears and into our minds. As an international business traveler for over twenty years, and a student of language for longer than that, your work always serves up, in quantities sometimes as small as a tidbit, others in bulk, pertinent, engaging, meaningful most importantly useful information that brings about a deeper understanding of each other. Thanks and I hope you continue for years to come the world and especially we US Americans need this. Good Luck."
  • Wayne 5/16/08: "In light of the recent earthquake in China that has resulted in thousands being killed and buried in the rubble of collapsed buildings that do not even meet the building codes of that country, I thought the program featuring the glowing comments of Simon Winchester was extremely biased and wrong-headed. In particular, his remarks extolling its lack of regulatory process, as if that is an example of the virtues of 'freedom,' just so long as you 'don't criticize those in power,' went completely unchallenged by the moderator, Ms. Feraca. ... I know that Here on Earth emphasizes the positives that are evident around the globe and that is a worthy mission, however I sometimes wonder if it isn't possible that you are missing opportunities to educate your listeners by stressing that, often, the positives represent the exceptions, and that there are parallels of the norm to be found in our own society."
  • Ed 5/13/08: "Yesterday's show with Lawrence Malkin was good! Although I'm guessing it was not comfortable for you to do as the host (you described it as contentious), as a listener it was good radio! Normally you have a guest on and it's a predictable love fest. Yesterday's guest pushed you WAY outside of your comfort zone, and it was good for you! I SINCERELY hope that you will INTENTIONALLY schedule some guests who disagree with you or have a view other than your own. A break from the love fests is good for the host and the listeners. It spices things up and keeps them interesting."
  • Curt 5/8/08: "If we're going to solve the food crisis we need acknowledge that we are in a food prodcution and population race, a race similar to that of the nuclear arms race of the Cold War era. For every increase in food surplus we make on one side there is an increase in population on the other side. It's a race we cannot win."
  • Adrienne 5/7/08: "I worked at a year-round academic enrichment program for under-resourced middle-school students, the central goal of which was to enable students to become first generation college students. Several of the students participated in an external program that encouraged them to create community projects to improve communities in their areas using a simple formula: in column 'A' make a list of you favorite things to do, in column 'B' make a list of problems in your local or global community, find a way to alleviate the problems from column B using column A. (An example might be, Gardening and hunger = create a community garden project.) I had students who came up with the most insightful and creative ideas. They produced them with the hope of earning a $1000 grant, but gumball economics would be a brilliant basis for small scale youth engagement. More importantly, when students from under-resourced households engage in social entrepreneurship, they realize that they can be their own agents of change. It really empowers them."
  • Jane 4/29/08: "I look forward each evening to each broadcast. Jean's tantalizing voice; her well researched topics; she does not interrupt the people she's interviewing (which is a rarity in today's media). She allows us an insight each hour into topics unheard of."
  • Tom 4/3/08: "Loved your show today on the Linguists. Where can I get the film??? Keep up the good work!"
  • Stephen 4/2/08: "THANK YOU JEAN! This is the first time I have heard a truly balanced and intelligent discussion of the pros and the cons regarding Tibet. WELL DONE!"
  • Dave 4/2/08: "I'm sure there some implication regarding this issue in Tibet, but there are implications in countries all over the world that affect all of us. The problem is the mindset that says 'we can't have any implications.' War is never going to to end. There will always be violence somewhere whether done from a good heart trying to be free or an evil heart trying to condemn. I do not believe it is the U.S. place to get involved. A great deal of the time getting involved can cause even more unrest."
  • Steve 3/19/08: "As a member of the armed forces stationed in Korea, I am wholly unable to listen to public radio in the conventional way. Because of the time difference, as well as the fact that I work almost exclusively overnight shifts, I find that the podcast format really helps to pass the long watches of the night with the quirky topics that I've really come to appreciate from your program. Thanks, Jean!"
  • Daniel 3/5/08: "I am a regular listener to 'here on earth' and usually find the interchange between the guest(s) and Ms. Feraca to be fair and cordial. Today's program was very different. Professors Lazreg and McCoy were not allowed to develop their thoughts and even were interrupted by Ms. Feraca 'to defend the US'. I don't expect a host on WPR to 'defend the US' unless it is rhetorical in furthering the guest comments. This was an unusual performance my Ms. Feraca."
  • Bill 3/3/08: "(About the restroom revolution show) For decades, toilets in Japan have featured a spigot and basin on the toilet tank, allowing the user to wash his hands with the same fresh water that refils the toilet. This is an inferior alternative to composting toilets, but a drammatic improvement in water conservation over Western toilets."
  • Ellen 2/28/08: "Thank you for the Silver Lining episode, it was just a wonderful change in news. It also several questions I recently pondered as a child of the 70's and 80's. Have birth rates gone down, what are the numerical results of China's single child policy, and why aren't we starving as people speculated in the 70's. It is nice to see that the progress has occurred."
  • Lori 2/27/08: "I listened to your program on Wednesday and was disappointed that food production, farming, in this country was never addressed."
  • Tracy 2/27/08: "(about the food gap program) I was at the local 'regular joe' supermarket, and was behind a mom with two young children. They were buying all processed foods, boxed macaroni and cheese and frozen pizzas. I can't judge a mom who's tired and wants an easy meal for her family, but I'm not sure it's always lack of food choices and availability that make people choose 'poor' foods. Rather, it seems to be shortage of time and lack of knowledge of how to prepare a quick, healthy meal. We don't have to buy all organic produce or peruse the local farmer's market to prepare a healthy, inexpensive meal. How can we teach people that quick and healthy meals don't have to come from a box?"
  • Shoaib 2/20/08: "Freedom is the essence of democracy. There seems to be a clear contradiction in the basic fundamental of liberty of speech and expression and the ban on head scarf, regardless of the geographical location, i.e. Turkey or France."
  • Jim 2/19/08: "In reguards to change, I don't belive that the average american is going to buy into this 'change' until he has been brought into the idea that s/he owns a piece of 'America'."
  • Jan 2/19/08: "Your guest is masterful in his use of language. No judgmental words or accusatory tones. He is an excellent example of how we should talk with each other. This is especially amazing in today’s environment."
  • Brian 2/19/08: "I respect the premise and mission of Here on Earth. We are surrounded by a culture of war and swim in a sea of right wing radio that more than tips the scales to favor doom and gloom. To borrow a phrase from Spiro Agnew, the world is awash in the spin and vitriol from 'the nabobs of negativism.' Keep up the focus on hope and transformation. The stories of little people fighting back and winning is so important in these times. It uplifts my heart and brightens my day every time I hear about issues like micro credit or the efforts or Sara Chase. Kudos to you and your wonderful staff!!!"
  • Richard 2/18/08: "Your shows are great for the depth, the pushing of the envelope on 'presumptions and assumptions' that are in need of some scrutiny, as do so many of WPR and NPR shows. It is a source of some hope for a better informed and more engaged public to question 'authority' as is often badly needed."
  • Tim 2/6/08: "Thank you for the program today on Germany's relationship with the Holocaust history. I was fascinated by it. I am a lawyer from New Richmond and I have dedicated the greater part of my adult life to Holocaust education. I have given a speech called 'The Holocaust -- Its Relevance Today' approximately 800 times over the past 17 years -- mostly to middle and high school students in Wisconsin and Minnesota. In my message, I use the Holocaust history to ask Americans to identify the "flames" of prejudice, racism, bias, and hate in their communities, schools, families and individual hearts. I firmly believe the Holocaust started in the hearts and minds of millions of German citizens who had tiny 'flames' burning in their hearts against Jews, the Romani, gays and lesbians, etc. I firmly believe that's where it could start again. I have had numerous German exchange students hear my message over the years, and nearly all of them have told me that they learn a great deal about the Holocaust in schools in Germany, but it is never taught to them in the way they see my message -- as a catalyst to examine their hearts and minds for elements of racism and prejudice today. In other words, it is taught in Germany as history -- the exchange students tell me it is never used to ask them to think about issues of prejudice in Germany today against foreign workers, asylum seekers, etc. I have often seen the same thing with Holocaust education in America -- I often say we are learing a great deal ABOUT the Holocaust in America, but I don't feel we are learning FROM the Holocaust. I have been to many of the Holocaust sites in Germany and am deeply moved at the extent to which the German government seeks to preserve and convey the tragic lessons of this part of Germany's history. I know of no other nation that has put such effort into sharing its shame that other might learn -- so that history will not repeat. That is why Holocaust education has become the passion of my life -- to do my part to ensure 'never again.' Thank you for a very interesting program."
  • Natalie 2/4/08: "Wow! The lineup for this year, so far, has been just marvelous. I can't think of another program that deals with such in-depth perspective from other countries and cultures. Well met :)"
  • Susan 1/30/08: "Just finished listening to the discussion with Maryanne Wolf and want to add one more idea. I don't know how other people read books but I really need and appreciate the ability to view the work as a whole. I look at the size of the book. I flip back and forth to read citations in the back of the book, the quotation at the front of a chapter, to re-read a particularly interesting passage or one that I discover is important when reading something later in the book. I am constantly disoriented online. I can not find my place and am driven mad with the thought that I am somehow missing a page of importance. I know my way in a book, how to survey, read, and review as I was taught as a method of deep reading and thinking."
  • Karen 1/25/08: "Thank you so much for the program about the Council of the 13 Indigenous Grandmothers. I loved it! It is such an important topic. I would love more programs like this and what we can each do to become involved."
  • Betty 1/25/08: "The program with Satish Kumar was inspiring and oh so true! Thank you--love your programs!"
  • Jim 1/24/08: "Thank you for the wonderful show today with Satish Kumar. We have lost so much of our original relationship with nature, and I was thrilled to hear someone speaking so forcefully for it's value. While it has taken many years for me to appreciate the ability to live in the moment with nature, such moments have become the source of peace and restoration for me. What I have also found is that the closer you can come to being in nature, the less you need travel to find those special places to experience the wonder."
  • Renee 1/23/08: "I was riveted with your interview last night with Carol Schaefer and the other women talking about the grandmother's counsel. I was driving home after spending an evening with my grade school friends and got chills (not from the frigid temps!) when Agnes told how her grandmother gifted her with the 13 talismans for her future."
  • Ruth 1/21/08: "Here On Earth is genuine treasure on Wisconsin Public Radio. The programs are consistently thoughtful and the interviews are brilliant, sensitive and timely. Today's program on International Community School in Atlanta was simply another example. And you didn't have enough time!!"
  • Susan 1/19/08: "I just listened to your program on family meals (yes, I am far behind!). It was delightful and I hope you encore it some rainy day. It reminded me of raising my only daughter. Tuesday was family night. My friend, a single woman who took on the auntie role for my girl, always came with ice cream, a treat I never bought. My daughter helped me prepare dinner, setting the table at age six, making the salad by age 10. We ate and talked about everything from gossip and the environment, from politics to sex. My husband, who can not cook, did the clean-up. There was not time for this every night but that really isn't necessary. Any consistent pattern for the family to converse, to value each other, to enjoy the primal satisfaction of good food together is very good for the family and very good for children."
  • Ryan 12/25/07: "I'd like to thank you for the piece on Primo Levy. I had goosebumps throughout the entire broadcast, and everything stopped to just listen to the program. The package sent to Primo gave an updated sense of what gifts can mean to others. Thank you for such a meaningful Christmas story that brought out such a strong sense of humanity."
  • Ray 12/14/07: "Regarding Primo Levy program: This was a true masterpiece!"
  • Michelle 12/14/07: "I listen to your show while I work in my studio, and I can't imagine afternoons without it. I just wanted to say that you Jean, are one of the most graceful women, and hosts that I have had the priveledge to experience! I am listening to the Primo Levy program, and when your reader or guests cry or become tearful, you answer with your heart, with kindness, thank you! Happy Holidays!"
  • Mary 12/10/07: "Regarding the show about Literary Role Models for Young Girls: There is no shortage of laudable books for teens and preteens, but there is a shortage of children who want to read, and much resistant to reading of any kind. If anything, it is difficult to find short, interesting books for those children who are reading much below grade level. Deborah was correct when she said, in effect, that reading is more important than the quality of material read. Parents and schools should be less concerned with 'safe' books, and more concerned with creating an interest in reading per se. Our public library systems are golden in that regard, and as one listener explained, almost any book is available through interlibrary loan."
  • Anne 12/13/07: "I had the pleasure of being on your show on November 26, and wanted to clarify something for your audience that may have confused them. Mohamed Hassan Osman, the Somali man who was interviewed in the last half of the hour, criticized my film, Rain in a Dry Land, as being 'dramatized' and therefore untrue. In fact, the film is pure documentary and tells the true, undramatized story of two Somali Bantu families who are now in America. Like many Somalis, Mr. Osman wants to deny the rampant oppression of the Bantu in Somalia. In fact the Bantu's third class social status, lack of access to education or enfranchisement, and their history as descendants of slaves are simply historical facts; the families in the film experienced these things in Somalia before fleeing from attacking militias during the 1991 civil war. Even in the refugee camps where the lucky ones managed to escaped, the Bantu were attacked and discriminated against by other Somalis. There are many Somalis in America who have been generous and helpful to the arriving Somali Bantu, but Mr. Osman's attitude of denial is neither helpful nor true."
  • Barb 11/20/07: "I thought your guest Annie Rachele Lanzillotto was wonderful! Such raw talent!! I thought you Jean, you were very mean to the guest. At one point you mentioned that Annie didn't know what you were talking about--'and don't say that you do--because you don't' or something very close to that. What is that about? Who is the guest? I was taken aback on many occasions. Annie had a lot! of very powerful things to say..were you really listening to her? You mentioned the Christ in Concrete idea--interesting I had just been reading about that book on Amazon..and now have ordered it. Annie is not stupid--and many ways I believe she was spoken to, corrected, and interrupted too many times."
          Jean's reply: "Dear Barb, I couldn’t agree with you more –- Annie Lanzillotto is an amazing talent. My whole purpose in putting her on my show was to celebrate how great I think she is and to share her with as many people as possible. I am aggrieved that you mistook my very Bronx way of interacting with her as 'mean.' Mean it was not. A colleague of mine who was also from a Manhattan borough once gave me a tee-shirt that said, 'I AM being nice –- I'm from New York.' There are very distinctive cultural differences between the Midwest and New York City. People from the Bronx have a more spirited, more colorful way of communicating. Sometimes they insult each other as a way of expressing appreciation. What you heard as 'mean' was what Annie and I understand as loving and deeply appreciative. I was showing her off for your benefit and hers, and celebrating my own Bronx roots at the same time. Thank you for writing, and thank you for loving Annie as I do. I hope you’ll come back to Here on Earth where you’ll be hearing more from Annie Lanzillotto, and people like her, people of the heart."
  • Sean 11/18/07: "Thanks for such a great show. I am not as regular a listener as I used to be, but I am now back for the long haul. I caught your interview with Annie Lanzillotto. I loved the way you and she presented Italian Americans as well as her style and passion. I also just heard your piece on Cuba. You do a great job of presenting sides and being respectful of guests. Thanks for the tour around the globe with each new show."
  • Emma 11/17/07: "I listen to your show often and really enjoy it. This program 'When languages die' really cought my attention. My ancesters came from Cornwall and that language nearly died. The good news is they are teaching it again in the schools in Cornwall. This is exciting to me to hear that more people care about this issue."
  • Jerome 11/14/07: "Compelled to comment about today's show. 42 and divorce 8 years ago. Frustrated through dating over the years, reoccuring issue, weight. Women are very sadly driven by our society to be obsessed about the issue. Not attracted to stick figures seen in all advertising. Trying to convince an intimate partner of this at this age causes difficulties beyond explanation. Self perception trumps all flattery that can bestowed by others. When a woman feels she is overweight and unattractive, no amount of love or support can change. Really puts a strain on a relationship."
  • Cheryl 11/14/07: "Regarding today's show: Why are we celebrating people who are killing themselves with obesity? The women in the photos are not going to live a long life because of the effects of being severely overweight. We wouldn’t celebrate the 'beauty' of smokers. The body is not just to look at -– it keeps us alive."
  • Mary 11/9/07: "Thanks for having a show about cheese. I love to make (and have had many compliments) mac & cheese, but after listening to this show, will I am sure make it even better."
  • Mountaga 11/7/07: "Regarding the FGM show: I'm from Mali where 94% of women are excised! Congratulations for your good advocacy job."
  • Zach 11/7/07: "One danger of FGM that often isn't discussed is that the scar tissue that's left is less flexible than the original vaginal skin, and often a smaller vaginal opening is left as well. As a rural health education Peace Corps volunteer in Burkina Faso, I helped with many childbirths that became crises as the woman's vagina simply didn't stretch to allow the baby to exit. Extreme episiotomy was often necessary, and nevertheless the childbirth process lasted much longer than it should have. I'm sure FGM has caused a higher death rate in childbirth in Burkina Faso."
  • Jason 11/1/07: "As much as I have my doubts about the validity of claims of neutrality from any large news organization that derives it's income from mass advertising companies, I am all for BBC World Service America!"
  • Don 10/31/07: "Thanks for your program and especially for the interview with Michael Ratner. I'm reminded that Article VI of the US Constitutiion states that 'this constitution, and the Laws of the United States...and all Treaties made...shall be the supreme Law of the Land....' The US signed the 1984 Convention against Torture, so this, too, is the supreme law of the land, no matter what Pres. Bush might wish, or his Atty. General might contrive to justify."
  • Peggy 10/28/07: "we just returned from a trip to Tuscany and Sicily. We totally agree with Patrick...grill on the wood fireplace with a little olive oil, lemon, and garlic and you have perfection. When we got down to Sicily, we often ate with the family.....ariancini, speidini, mellanzane, gorgeous icecream desserts (purchased). It was all magic. My favorite new discovery, though, was in Taormina when I ordered pasta alla Norma. My husband will have all winter to perfect it and I just found the necessary ricotta saldata at the new Fresh Foods in Brookfield. Thanks for an excellent show that was packed with great memories for us."
  • Kevin 10/26/07: "I very much appreciated your show warning us about the loss of so many of the world's languages. The topic is an important one and Jean managed her four guests and the program's callers in a remarkable way. She seems to elicit from everyone just the right amount of knowledge and topical commentary. Education in an entertaining and companionable fashion."
  • Michael 10/15/07: "Regarding the impact of podcast show: I listen to Here on Earth over the realaudio live streaming. I wish I could afford to receive podcasts, but as an older disabled man who cannot afford a new computer or an iPod I am profoundly aware of the 'digital divide' that seperates the rich who can afford to every new technology up-grade and the poor who can't. I am stranded on the 1998 technology island, and hardly a day goes by that I don't find my island more and more isolated from access to the modern world. I ask -- why are people, even in Public Radio -- so willing to embrace the latest and greatest technology that in the end turns them into just another marketing tool of the companies who benefit most from making older computer technology obsolete."
  • Melissa 10/8/07: "A belated appreciation of your show on The Zookeeper's Wife. My boyfriend and I enjoyed the show so much and felt horribly when you were confronted about your music choices. We so respect your quest for equality and reverence to all cultures that it seemed almost comical that you would be criticized for being insensitive. You and your producers are so conscious of each aspect of the show you deserve only praise. Thank you for a wonderful show about how two people can stand up against the immorality of many."
  • Cynthia 10/6/07: "I listen to your show by podcast. Since I drive at least 2.5 hours to and from work every day, having something interesting to listen to makes a world of difference. Your show is absolutely the best! I subscribe to around 50 podcasts, so when I say yours is the best it really means something. Jean, your enthusiasm and compassion make it a pleasure to listen to you. When I'm not feeling so enthusiastic about what the day has in store for me, listening to your show always perks me up. Thank you so much for everything you contribute to public radio, and to the well-being of those who listen."
  • Anonymous 10/5/07: "I loved Jean's show yesterday with Satish Kumar. I would like a copy and wish I could buy enough of them to send to all of my friends and to everyone running for president! People have to wake up! His message is so important."
  • Nan 9/25/07: "Thank you, thank you, thank you! What a lovely show you just had with one of my favorite singers and human beings, Pete Seeger. It was just great. I will probably listen to it again tonight."
  • Bill 9/13/07: "Loved your show on Pavoratti. What a great ride home."
  • Tod 9/13/07: "(About the show on Pavoratti) The last time he was in minneapolis about 5 or 6 years ago, I was blessed with the oportunity of attending. The feeling I will remember is the oportunity we all had to join in a sing along. I can still hear all the people around us. All relishing our moment to sing with an opera great."
  • Bob 9/12/07: "(About the Mr. Pip show) I grew up in a labor class home where literature was non-existent. I found a collection of classics, The Illiad, Either-Or, Dickens etc. which my folks had used to decorate a bookcase, before it became filled with 'knick-knacks.' I ended up with Ph.D. in Psychology. My parents were mystified. Thanks for that resonance."
  • Cynthia 9/4/07: "(About the show on peace) It was so obvious while listening to your program and hearing the tension in the voices of those opposing the peace movement and the calm, peacefulness in the voices of those who were promoting peace. My final thought was in agreement with your guest, that peace is just that easy. It does come from within and when shared can multiply twofold. Maybe in a million years, if our planet still exists, those of us with a peaceful heart, (women of course :) will finally be in charge of the world and a peaceful resolve to all conflicts will prevail. Jean, I thank you for always being that 'peaceful, calming voice' on the radio."
  • Jane 9/3/07: "(About the show on peace) I think that a 'Department of Peace' has such bad conotations because many connect this type of talk with the hippies of the 1960s. There appear to be many of that 1960s generation who want to relive their "glory days" and who just can't seem to grow out of that ideological fantasyland that was the 1960s. It reminds us of the radicals of that day, the free love that has gotten our society into so much trouble, and the kumbayah attitude of the hippie drug culture. Peace is a wonderful thing -- who wouldn't want it? However, the idea of a 'Department of Peace' is just so yesterday."
  • Barbara 8/28/07: "I listened to your interview (about family meals) today. Bravo. You did so well. The whole show was so interesting. I never realized that the issue of family dinner had so many dimensions and ramifications. This should be recommended listening for the parents in your school."
  • Tim 8/21/07: "The problems with vertical farming: where do I get an heirloom tomato that has true flavor? Has the price of New York real estate dropped that much that a farmer can build a skyscraper green house on a city block? Do they really think they can keep mother nature away from our food crops, what about the bees??? Can this planet really support the number of humans we are talking about in 50 years, this is a social dilemma that will only be worsened by factory farming in skyscrapers."
  • Jim 8/16/07: "Thanks for your show today (and always). I have walked away from two well-paid positions because I knew success in them would result in personal failure for me. Living a life in ballance is harder in this country then it needs to be, but there are no better options."
  • Milan 8/15/07: "Thank you for standing your ground on unacceptable aspects of cultural relativism in today's program about taboos."
  • Diego 8/12/07: "An American teacher in Turkey was a very interesting program because there are many of us, EFL teachers, around the world who for one or many reason decided to go elsewhere and teach or exchange culture with the country where we reside."
  • Pete 7/23/07: "(regarding the World Eskimo-Indian Alaska Olympics show) Boozhoo Jean, Chi Miigwech (great thanks) for selecting the Inuit/Indian games for your eclectic program. Native people of North America have much to offer contemporary urban society. However our voices are seldom heard and what little "native news" is covered by print and airwave media is usually derogatory. So it is a pleasure to finally hear some positive coverage of Native American traditional activities. Apane minoseyan omaa aking = 'always go along well here on earth' Mii iw (thats it)."
  • Jill 7/19/07: "I sat in my car hoping and waiting for some balance to the program on the Running of the Bulls. I was just disgusted with the direction of the piece. There was the slightest mention of Peta's stance against this torture of animals and there was also a caller who was offended. However the host brushed off all of this and only spoke of the excitement and great fun. I am really tired of one sided programming on this particular program, Here on Earth. This continues to be the reason that I will never donate to NPR."
  • Shaun 7/18/07: "Your show continues to amaze and delight me. Thank you. I would like to contact the people today about their work with Google Earth and Amazon Conservation team ... I am so in admiration of you and your show."
  • Ryan 7/13/07: "I got a chance to hear the last 30 minutes of your segment on Vodka and thought that you might be interested to know that Wisconsin has an award-winning distillery that manufactures/distills premium vodka and gin. Great Lakes Distillery is the first and only distillery in Wisconsin since 1920 (start of prohibition)."
  • Erika 7/13/07: "I'm a minister, preparing a sermon about peace. I used your April program, Is Peace a Dirty Word? to find a balance of arguments, oppositions, and aspirations that would allow me to speak prophetically about the hard, but rewarding, task of creating conditions that lead to peace in our communities and in our world. Thank you for a wonderful mix of guests. I'm glad that I discovered your program!"
  • Allison 7/6/07: "Regarding the show on Kiva.org, I have traveled extensively and often wanted to help. Thanks so much for letting us know about this awesome program. Jean, you remind me that there is GOOD out there and I am very grateful."
  • Jeff 7/6/07: "We've been on Couchsurfing for about 4 years. We have had dozens of people surf our house with nothing but great results. Our daughter traveled completely around the world 2 years ago (age 21) with nothing but a 30 pound pack and her couchsurfing reputation. She spent on average $3.50/day (not counting air travel). Couchsurfing is the greatest thing on the net!"
  • Marco 7/5/07: "I just listened to your wonderful program about Couchsurfing. I would just like to mention a similar organization called BeWelcome, www.bewelcome.org. Keep up the good work!"
  • Alan 7/4/07: "(Regarding the CIA's Family Jewels show) The best way to celebrate the 4th of July is to call us to uphold our ideals. We need to re-read the Declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights. We must remind ourselves of the ways we fall short by electing a president who disdains human rights and terrorizes other countries. It is un-American to say 'I don't want to know what the CIA does.' Our leaders are our servants. That is the American way."
  • Diego 6/28/07: "I'm Colombian and live in Rome, Italy. I found here on earth on the net by mistake as I was searching for podcasts that would really get my attention as I have to commute for an hour and ten minutes to go to work every day. Commuting is not quite the most exciting thing to do but since I've been able to download your podcasts,your podcasts make my commuting enjoyable to the point that I often miss the stop where I have to get off because I'm so immersed in all the inspirational, informative, analytical and interesting topics you bring on the show. your show is indeed a window to a wide world full of people with amazing stories or opinions and all this has helped me have a better understanding of life and people. Keep the good work up!"
  • Scot 6/23/07: "Thank you for the show. I listen to it regularly here in Germany. Keep up the good work."
  • Diane 6/19/07: "I listened to the live feed [of Kiva program] this afternoon and it was EXCELLENT! Very inspirational, especially that serviceman who pulled off the road to gush over what a fantastic idea it was, and how in his experience this is exactly the sort of thing needed by people who live in war-torn regions like Iraq."
  • Doug 6/16/07: "Regarding your show Harry Potter Mania. Last November I went to the Philippines to meet my sponsor child through Save The Children. As a gift I took along 65 books (2 changes of clothes completed my luggage) as a donation to his school library. Included was a complete set of hardcover Harry Potter books (1-6) along with Dr. Suess, Curious George, Laura Ingalls Wilder etc. After finally reaching the end of a boulder strewn road and arriving at Quilling Elementary School I found their library consisted only of mimeographed papers. No books with pictures. Not even a paperback book. Needless to say the books were a great hit. However the biggest surprise was when Paul (my sponsor child) grabbed the complete set of Harry Potter books and while dancing around exclaimed 'I always wanted to read Harry Potter!' I still do not know how Harry Potter was so well known in a remote area on an island in the Philippines. Talk about Harry Potter mania!"
  • Jerry 5/31/07: "Regarding One Perfect Day in the History of Marriage, I am a regular listener to all the hosts of the Ideas Net. This is one of the best shows I've ever heard. Informative, upbeat, analytical, contemporary, important, spontaneous, and extremely well done. I listened to it at 3 and then again at 9 and I'm hoping to get others to listen to it on line. I'm a retired college professor who is a bit ashamed of how many times he got married before finding my perfect mate and she founding hers. This is not to say that marriages don't require effort and readiness. But to add that they also seem to require a good fit to be successful. Even so I've no idea how to explain this to prospective brides and grooms. I might start by suggesting they listen to this show."
  • Frank 5/30/07: "There are too many broadcasts -- too many podcasts which I have yet to listen to. But that's ok, keep them coming because the program is absolutely fabulous. Merci (from France)."
  • Ingrid 5/21/07: "I am listening to your (Armenian Genocide) program, Jean. I was on a tour, with all Americans, in 2000, to southeast Turkey, to the Van region, to towns along the Black sea, and then with return to Istanbul. We were advised never, that is absolutely never, to speak of the Armenian massacre. This tour was prefaced by a reading list; we were readers and prepared to learn the history. There was a 'scholar' accompanying our tour, who gave a couple of lectures, and our group, was told directly by him, that this was not a topic to discuss, he to us, or among ourselves. I found this astonishing and shocking. But even today, there is little known about this massacre. Your program is so important."
  • Roberta 5/18/07: "When visiting Cajun country, the best thing a visitor can do is to stop and talk with the people who live there -- the clerk at the store, the folks at the table next to them in the restaurant, the volunteer manning the local museum. It's the best way to truly experience Cajun culture. I spent a week in the Eunice area several years ago and just by being open to these conversations wound up with invitations to Cajun music jams and a backyard crawfish boil, as well as the idea for a screenplay and several friendships I cherish to this day."
  • Sherry 5/18/07: "I live in Thailand for the last 15 years after starting out in Wisconsin where I listened to you on WPR in the morning, I think. Since mastering the ipod I can now enjoy your daily programs and the one I wish to comment on is the Water for Elephants. ... As for being wonderful, sensitive creatures, I worry that we are Disneyfi-ing things."
  • Brian 5/17/07: "Professor Grandin on your Hugo Chavez program said that Chavez is renegotiating a better deal for Venezuala and private investors still have a place in his scheme. To which I'll point out that it's not negotiation if you're told 'take this deal or I'll steal you blind' as Chavez is doing. And that a private investor would be a fool to invest in such a climate."
  • Judy 5/17/07: "I listen via podcast in Maryville, TN. Love the program!! I'm always a week behind so just listened to the open line comments. My two cents: Love the positive world aspect of the program. Would like to see more joy, more young people, more spiritual ideas and/or info on other religions. I don't listen to 'The News' so you are my only peek at the world happenings and I appreciate the positive strand as there is a lot more good stuff happening than bad stuff in our world."
  • Lane 5/5/07: "I'm trying to catch up on the podcasts and recently listened to the Hybrid Fever and New Breed of Cars. I loved both (as well as Evangelicals Go Green) and would love to hear more shows on sustainability, solar and other ecological trends that don't get enough press. So much advancement in the technology has happened that I think a lot of listeners would be astounded to hear more! Thanks for everything you do!"
  • Barb 5/4/07: "I love the show. Perhaps not every program equally, but that's impossible. The hour on the Thailand Project was breath-taking. I also fondly remember the hour about tomatoes. Keep it up! Thanks."
  • Shavonne 5/2/07: "I want to express how important your show is to me. It is one of my favorite times of the day. I stop everything at work, to open up Media Player and tune in. Your personality and sincerity about your work really shine as you work with your guests to inform your listeners. I've learned so much tuning in to your show. Thank you for what you do!"
  • Andy 5/3/07: "What I get out of the show is the opportunity to listen to diversity of thought and experience. It is presented in an intimate, personal and congenial manner, and it allows me to hear things on the radio that I will hear nowhere else. It allows me to become educated in a very direct way about other people's culture and customs. It feeds my desire to know how other people live, and to a certain extent, how that shapes their thoughts. I can't stress this enough -- you have things that no one else has on the radio, and I consider that a very good thing. ... It is worth noting that Here on Earth is not your usual call-in policy debate show. ... It is a story-telling show of discovery. ... I don't think Here on Earth is intended for people who view the world through a narrow lens, so to speak. It is intended for open minds and thirsty brains. I think if that is its mission, it has certainly met it for me."
  • Leslie 5/3/07: "I am a long time listener to your program. I love the focus of your program and have found the dialogues very compelling and informative. I love hearing from people all around the world doing such wonderful things! I wish there was more of it! Sometimes when you have more than one person on, it feels like they aren't utilized to the fullest, like the surface is just scratched. It seems to me that when the guest gets into something, then it's time to hear some music, or a sound bite or an announcement. I find myself holding the thought during the interruption and sometimes I make it to the other side and sometimes not. I'd love to hear more of the speaker or speakers. This aspect is what I miss most about your previous style of interviewing when you were on in the mornings. I love to hear the depth of the subject, the heart of it. When you ask for responses from the audience with questions, I find that to be a distracting interruption, also. I find it distracting and hard to hear when music is played on top of talking, when the interludes are to happen. I find your speakers very easy to understand! Thank you so much for all your creative effort and wonderfully insightful program! It's a breath of fresh air!"
  • David 5/3/07: "I think you do a good job. You are interesting, articulate, and a breath of fresh air ... I liked the program on Cuban health care, except I was a bit exasperated by the guest biography rather than the actual workings of their system."
  • Karen 5/3/07: "I think it would be nice to reach a level of intellect and education where the only people one can converse with are of world renown. It would be nice to be above the ordinary. That is one form of extraordinary. This, however, excludes most of us. A radio audience that consists only of other professors is probably not enough to sustain a show. Plus the word 'snobbery' keeps coming to mind. It feels as though you are having a very important conversation and we should get out of the way. So we do. We get out of the way. We do something else. We turn the tuning knob. We go where we can feel happy instead of feeling bad about ourselves."
  • Diane 5/3/07: "I have listened to you forever and I fully support your 'Here on Earth' mission. I remember your show after 9-11 and you were really trying to make sense of it all and bring reason into play. I love your new show and felt some of the comments on your 'open line' were very self-serving. I think it was a way for some of the commentors to promote their own agendas, i.e. animal rights, legalizing heroin... You never used to have many shows on books! The xenophobic comments make it doubly important to keep going with your wonderful show. YOU ARE MAKING A HUGE DIFFERENCE IN THIS WORLD!! Peace on earth."
  • Wayne 5/2/07: "I was a consistent listener to Jean's former program during it the entirety of her 13-year tenure. ... I had a friend in southern Wisconsin who would tape the show's rebroadcast during the evening. The tapes would then be sent to her daughter residing in Santa Fe, New Mexico. After she listened to them, they would be sent on to me. I would listen to them in my car, as I was traveling a great amount for business. ... As I recall many of those programs, it strikes me that every author/guest/expert was challenged to establish a certain level of credibility, not only with Jean, but with the listeners as well. ... I do not see that happening with as much frequency in the present format. ... To a degree, the quality that I sorely miss in your present programming, is what so distinguished the first 13 years in the previous format: the intimacy the listener felt while listening, whether participating directly in the discussion, or not. Your real strength is in that ability to make the listener feel that she or he a true participant, not simply a spectator. ... I know that what I've suggested is not easily accomplished. Knowing how difficult it is to coordinate even the most rudimentary communications internationally, crossing time zones, language differences and cultural/political perspectives, I can appreciate that the task you have set for yourselves is daunting. ... Good luck and keep working to improve your effort."
  • David 5/2/07: " I think your positive enlightening subjects are a great value to the airwaves. A lot of Americans could stand to be exposed to different ideas and cultures, whether they like them or not. We have a tendency to be very myopic on this side of the world, and Here on Earth is a great counter to that. Keep up the great work!"
  • John 5/2/07: "As I have mentioned to you in the past, I think Here on Earth is one of the finest, eclectic, intelligent, topical, etc. radio programs I have ever listened to. I am a radio geek who has been listening to the radio for over 50 years. Unfortunately, I have been unable to listen to your fine program for at least a year or so because some moron decided to remove it from WHHI in Highland, Wi."
  • Carol 4/30/07: "I am a First responder with a rescue squad and we are have difficulty getting manufacturers to get specifics of their vehicles to groups who need to make the rescues. We are VERY reluctant to work on hybrids in crashes. They can be lethal to the rescuers. How can we get them to be more cooperative? I'd love a hybrid, but not until their is more cooperation with the rescurer groups."
  • James 4/26/07: "I was intrigued by your Is Peace a Dirty Word? program. I was struck by how inclusive the female guest was, correcting the host that those who disagree with her and her peace club were not their 'enemies.' She then went on to say that those who disagree with her were 'good, decent folks,' who have the same goal, but just approach reaching that goal differently. She advocates proactively addressing violence; the male guest wanted to fight; both wanted 'peace.' To me (also a male), her approach seemed the more well-reasoned and effective approach. Thanks for an entertaining show."
  • Loretta 4/24/07: "In order to understand Cuba's health care system, you need to understand its founding. Che Gueverra has not been mentioned so far on the program. He, if you recall, was a medical physician. The first act he took after Castro took over the Cuban government was to begin to reorder the health care and health care training system of Cuba. If folks can set their cynicism aside for a bit and understand that Che Gueverra, as a very young person, took a tour around the continent of South America and was apalled by the health condition of poor people. The culminating part of this motorcycle tour, memorialized in his journal and the movie 'The Motorcycle Diaries', was a lengthy visit to a leper colony during which he provided medical care to the patients. He emerged from this experience with the resolve to relieve the suffering of the poor people of South and Central America. In reordering the medical training in Cuba, Che Gueverra established free training for doctors with the condition that they must serve in the Cuban provinces for a couple of years. Later, the policy of providing health care was extended to poor developing nations throughout the world."
  • James 4/13/07: "(Regarding the culinary tourism show) My girlfriend and I went on a trip to the west of Ireland, one year ago this month, with Fabulous Food Trails and had a wonderful time. We laughed and learned about Ireland, about food and wines and their preparation, about oysterbeds at an early hour on a raw Irish morn, about fishing from a fishing boat off Clifden, and much more. Our guides were knowledgable and full of mischief Every day was interesting and joyous. The hotels were first class and the food even more so. Everybody had a ball and, after a few days together, were 'friends for life.' In a word, it was a 'hoot'."
  • Carolyn 4/11/07: "(Regarding the culinary tourism show) I do adore looking at things in foreign supermarkets and when I moved from Ohio to Australia I had to learn the new names for things (bologna is devon) and things available here not common in Ohio. There is so much Asian food widely available in the mass market supermarkets but some things do just not exists here. The seafood and fresh produce are outstanding. But nearly every cut of meat has a different name here which I had to learn and to cultivate a butcher to get what I needed. No bratwurst! No crispy bacon!"
  • Bruce 4/6/07: "My wife and I just got time to listen to the program with John Nichols on the French election. we go to France for a month every year and I read Le Monde every day on the web, and John is poorly informed about France. He doesn't know what he doesn't know, and he talks anyway. The most dangerous kind of ignorant person. I recommend that you get better informed guests."
  • Carolyn 3/30/07: "(Regarding the family cooking show) We have discovered upon returning from a foreign venture that the best way to share the flavor of the places we have visited is not with trinkets or souvenier gifts. We purchase wines, oils, seasonings, Vino Santo, edible rice paper, Yucatan achiote, and prepare a feast representative of Asia, Italy, Denmark, Poland, Latin America for our family to enjoy. Even the youngest enjoy the vicarious cultural, culinary experience. We have also learned that scouring the supermarkets, markets and shops, and exhibiting a genuine interest in the culinary life style of a country is a great way to get to know the local people who are most pleased that an American respects, enjoys and becomes participatory in their life style. There is a saying that in order to enter the home of another, one must speak their language. We believe it is more related to entering the kitchens of the world and appreciating the cooking going on there."
  • Kay 3/22/07: "My sister just recently sent me your radio broadcast about Oaxaca, Mexico and I just wanted to tell you how much I thoroughly enjoyed it! Listening to your broadcast, I relived my time there with the foods and customs and traditions and it made me miss Oaxaca even more than I do now."
  • Matt 3/21/07: "'The church of Goth is a broad house.' Yeah, I guess most people need some kind of church. Too bad. Much rather spend my time with happy anarchists. No time to wallow in depression and navel gazing introspection when the times demand action. Grab even a small handful sand from the earth at your feet, which exists in such great abundance that even the poorest of the poor can have as much as they desire, and toss it with glee into the gears of the machinery of institutional (artificial, hierarchal) society. And then take a moment to rejoice and celebrate the self-organizing, 'progressive' tendencies of man free of the yoke of coercive collectivism."
  • Paul 3/19/07: "The devastating impact of the Iraq war on the Baghdad Zoo is one of a thousand examples of the indirect costs of war that are never tallied in monetary-based estimates. I appreciate that your guest has been able to make some lemonade out of the lemons of war. But more importantly, I appreciate that your guest and your program increase our awareness of the peripheral consequences of war. I think we are incapable of understanding the many aspects, and the true cost."
  • Paul 3/16/07: "Regarding the Irish importing the American custom of St. Patrick's Day celebration: Although I live now in Wisconsin, I am a native Chicagoan of entirely Irish descent. One of my elderly Irish American friends had been a Chgo police Captain with a brood of nine children, all of whom entered city service as cops, firemen, or city work--involving one son who came to oversee the dyeing green of the Chicago River. He was hired ten years ago by the Dublin County Council to go to Ireland to teach them how to dye the River Liffey green, since the Irish had never tried it before. A Chicago-born fellow, like me, of entirely Irish descent. What a wonderfully strange world!"
  • Linda 3/7/07: "I have been practicing Yoga for over 30 years. ... Because I have had the opportunity to travel to places like Hawaii, Australia and Stevens Point WI to share in yoga with people all over the world, I have found there is a peaceful presence surrounding people whoever practice Yoga. Yoga is opening up all over the world bringing more self-confidence, better balance, and so much more. Thank you so much for this very interesting hour of WPR on radio."
  • Pete 2/26/07: "Finally, a whole hour WPR program devoted to our Indiginous People, notably in the Pre-American civilization era."
  • Ronn 2/26/07: "I heard your intro to Craig Childs and the part where you asked listeners if they liked looking for arrowheads and other artifacts. Please remind your listeners that removing ANY found items (even fragments of pots) from an historical site is considered to looting, and a person can be fined and/or jailed for doing so. It might also be desecration of a holy site.There are resources (mainly through the University of New Mexico) to volunteer to work on archaeological digs if you are into the hunt. But if you want a pot, go to a reservation and buy one from the potter. You will be helping an artisan and will not be breaking the law. Thanks for an interesting show. Chaco Canyon is truly awe-inspiring."
  • Carol 2/13/07: "Enjoyed the program about citrus. Having lived in the true citrus state (Florida) and I can attest to the heaven of driving thru grove in bloom. Here in Australia growers have been ripping up their trees because the US has flooded our markets with cheaper fruit. Maybe too soon? I also share a favourite recipe for honey-lemon jelly: 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice, 2 1/2 cups honey and Certo liquid pectin (the brand is important as it won't set with other brands). Australian eucalypt honey is to die for."
  • Ruth 2/13/07: "Today's program on Evangelicals and environmental concerns was wonderfully revealing of the twisted logic Evangelicals go through to view everything through the Bible. Precious!"
  • Andre 2/13/07: "(About the Evangelicals Go Green show), I'm a sceptic who sees this as a plot to bring certain scientists back into deitism or keep them in deitism for the god-users to keep social controllatism alive and well!"
  • Sara 2/13/07: "I left the evangelical church after the 2000 election. The final straw was the claim that Al Gore was not a Christian. Joining the green movement is great. But unfortunately, it is another example of the evangelicals being pulled by culture instead of being a leader."
  • Eva 2/12/07: "Thanks so much for the program about Thomas Merton with Parker Palmer. It is shows like this that made people arrange their days around her program time slot. To hear about the world is grand but not at the exclusion of our own happenings and people, not movie stars and superstars, not nit picking politicians or another struggling single mom but the ones that make us think deeper in order to understand and have the patients for the rest."
  • Linda 2/4/07: "Jean, your show makes me feel fully alive and connected. Thank you for being out there and bringing us the world in a way only you can."
  • Harini 1/29/07: "I am happy to note that there is some, albeit minimal, media coverage being devoted to understanding the role of India as an important democratic ally for the US, perhaps the only one in the region. I hope to see more media coverage in the American media that highlights the new India which is committed to the peace process with Pakistan as well as nuclear non-proliferation rather than the outdated view of India as the land of the caste system and the Kama Sutra."
  • John 1/26/07: "Enjoying the show on Potato. As a transplanted Canadian who grew up in Quebec with the ubiquitous chip shops on every corner. The one thing I miss is REAL FRESH CUT FRENCH FRIES (patate Frites). In fact the first thing our family almost always does when crossing the border to Canada is to head to the closest chip shop. Quebec created a wonderful concoction called a poutine, which is fresh cut fries with cheese curds and sauce. Delicious but no doubt goes straight to the coronaries (good reason to drink more red wine). I've been constantly in search of real fries in Northern WI where I live. There are 3 places the make fresh cut fries, A bright yellow chip shop in Ashland (next to the Mcdonalds that serves YUCK econsitituted mash potates which they call french fries), The Log Cabin Restaurant in Crandon and Hoggie Doggies in Minocqua. Sadly none serve poutine..... enjoy your show."
  • Carol 1/12/07: "I share your pleasure in achieving the spirit of your program in today's Oaxaca topic. I too was discouraged from travelling to Oaxaca but after hearing today's program I'm eager to make plans."
  • Iddi 1/9/07: "Words cannot express my joy listening ton the professor relate the stories in South Africa. I was born in Northern Ghana and this hour has transported me back the hazy lazy days of the dry hamattan season between September and March when farm work was done and the work left in the home… mainly shelling peanuts and corn from the cob. As little boys, we would roam the village and look for the house with the best story tellers in the evenings. In front of a roaring fire and food, the story teller would regale us with stories of our history and we would shell away. We did this every evening throughout the hamattan season. Thank you for transporting me home."
 

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