It was the blog post heard ‘round the world. When Charles Johnson wrote Why I Parted Ways With The Right in the space of a few minutes and posted it on his popular Little Green Footballs blog, he had no idea the firestorm it would set off. Nasty denunciations, death threats and a New York Times magazine feature article later, Charles Johnson joined me for a lively discussion about what happened to him, the Darwin-hating, know-nothing Creationists and the frenzied insanity (and racism) of the anti-Obama right. Part one of two.
 

Dr. James Hansen, the nation’s leading scientist on climate issues speaks out with the full truth about global warming. His new book is titled Storms of My Grandchildren: The Truth About the Coming Climate Catastrophe and Our Last Chance to Save Humanity. One day there will be statues in honor of James Hansen. Let’s just hope they don’t end up like the Statue of Liberty did in Planet of the Apes. Dr. Hansen is an adjunct professor at Columbia University and director of the NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies.
 

Multi-disciplinary artist Rachel Rosenthal is one of America greatest living creators, truly a national treasure—although she chided me for saying this! For much of the past decade, we haven’t heard much from her, but now she has a new book, The DbD Experience (about her unorthodox teaching methods) and starting this weekend, Rachel Rosenthal is unveiling her new company, TOHUBOHU! Extreme Theater Ensemble in Los Angeles for three totally improvised performances on the 19th, 20th and 21st. Monthly performances after that.
Tickets at www.rachelrosenthal.org.

The Harvard Psychedelic Club: How Timothy Leary, Ram Dass, Huston Smith, and Andrew Weil Killed the Fifties and Ushered in a New Age for America. Original and necessary scholarship, one of the best books of the season. An in-depth interview with author Don Lattin.

Jon Reiss has been a pioneer of DIY film-making since the punk era and he shares what he’s learned in his new book, Think Outside the Box Office: The Ultimate Guide to Film Distribution and Marketing for the Digital Era.