Ira's Everything Bagel

Author, SHEMP!: The Biography of The Three Stooges’ Shemp Howard, The Face of Film Comedy

This week, Ira spoke with Burt Kearns, author of SHEMP!: The Biography of The Three Stooges’ Shemp Howard, The Face of Film Comedy. In this slapstick episode of “Ira’s Everything Bagel,” Burt talks about why Shemp was put in a very thankless role in The Three Stooges; why he decided to write the book on Shemp; why what most of what we know about The Three Stooges isn’t true; how Moe and Shemp started out as a vaudeville act; how it became violent comedy; why Shemp was the star of the show; why Moe disparaged Shemp; how kids watching TV in the 60’s never took to Shemp; Shemp as a versatile actor; why he feels that Moe was responsible for Curly’s death and Shemp’s death; and the most surprising thing he found about Shemp while doing research.

Burt Kearns is an author, journalist, and “show business and pop culture savant” (Vanity Fair). His books include Lawrence Tierney: Hollywood’s Real-Life Tough Guy,  The Show Won’t Go On and Marlon Brando: Hollywood Rebel. Burt has broken major stories as a television and print journalist. As an Emmy-winning television and motion picture producer, director, and writer, he’s written and produced dozens of nonfiction television series (“Conspiracy Theory with Jesse Ventura” and “Kardashian: The Man Who Saved OJ Simpson”), documentaries (“Death of a Beatle” and “Bin Laden’s Escape”) and, with Academy Award winners Albert S. Ruddy and Gray Frederickson, the motion picture comedy, “Cloud 9,” starring Burt Reynolds. He lives in Pacific Palisades, California.

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Author, Be The Weight Behind The Spear

This week, Ira spoke with Colonel Joshua M. McConkey, M.D., author of Be The Weight Behind The Spear. In this leading episode of “Ira’s Everything Bagel,” Joshua talks about why the book title is his personal leadership ethos; how he worked with people in the military who are the tip of the spear; why the weight behind the spear is important ; his concern with the “Covid” generation, which has problems communicating with people on a face-to-face basis and has a sense of “entitlement”; why they lack leadership skills; how it’s important to get everyone engaged in the community; the mental health crisis in the United States; why his kids don’t have any social media accounts: how he won the lottery (literally); how his time in Iraq changed him as a person; how holding kids accountable in essential; why teachers need to be empowered; why he advocates one-on-one mentorship for that Covid generation; and how it’s free to teach accountability, integrity and leadership.

Colonel Joshua M. McConkey, M.D. has served in the military for more than two decades, been an ER doctor for over 20 years, run for Congress, taught at Duke University, and has written an award-winning and best-selling book, Be The Weight Behind The Spear. His message is about hope for America to help infuse our nation’s youngest generation with the leadership skills and attitude this country will need to succeed.

Joshua presently is the Commander for the 459th Aeromedical Staging Squadron and overseas the training of 122 medical professionals. He is credited with saving many lives and was awarded the Air Medal and Army Commendation for his deployment in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Further, he has served for three years on the Air Force association Council, helping to make legislative and policy recommendations to Congress regarding quality of life, equipment modernizations, and military construction issues that impact the Air Force Reserve.

Joshua has logged more than 90 rotor wing combat hours of medical evacuation and air assault support as well as providing aeromedical evacuation support as a critical care transport team flight surgeon. He has earned several distinctions, including Chadron State College Distinguished Alumni Award, Alliance Public Schools Hall of Fame, Winner of the Daughters of the American Revolution History Award, Independent Press Award, and numerous military decorations, including Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medal, Army Commendation Medal, and an Air Medal.

He has been interviewed or featured on dozens of news media outlets, including Newsmax, Breitbart, Kirkus Reviews, NPR.org, iHeartRadio, Patriot XM Radio, War Room with Steve Bannon, The Daily Mail, The Independent, Yahoo Finance, CBS-TV, ABC-News, and The News Observer.

Joshua holds multiple FEMA certifications and is board certified in Emergency Medicine and EMS/Disaster Medicine, both through the American Board of Emergency Medicine. 

He was a professor and adjunct faculty member for a combined six years at Duke University. Joshua received his Doctor of Medicine from University of Nebraska in 2003 and a Bachelor’s of Science in Biological Science in 1999.

Born in Renton, WA, Joshua was raised in Nebraska. He has also lived in Omaha, NE; Akron, OH; Georgetown, TX, New Zealand, and Australia. With his wife and three children, he resides in Apex, North Carolina. 

Josh McConkey for America   Website

Weight Behind The Spear       Website

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Author, Behind Closed Doors: In the Room with Reagan & Nixon

This week, Ira spoke with speechwriter, confidant and strategist Ken Khachigian, author of Behind Closed Doors: In the Room with Reagan & Nixon. In this inside episode of “Ira’s Everything Bagel,” Ken talks about why he decided to write the book (including information nobody else had); how he kept diaries and meticulous records; how Nixon and Reagan jointly ended the Cold War; how he had the discipline to write notes on his meetings with the two presidents despite his grueling schedule; how he gained the trust of two dissimilar presidents; why they both felt comfortable with him; why he took Reagan at his word; how he felt he was part of history with both Nixon and Reagan; how there was internal disloyalty in the Reagan administration; why power is a terrible addiction; what he regrets; the technology at the time; how he unearthed a “very significant piece of information in the Reagan archives that on one else saw; how he avoided becoming jaded working in that high-level environment; and the big historical takeaway from the book. 

Ken Khachigian served as a trusted speechwriter, confidant, and strategist to Presidents Ronald Reagan and Richard Nixon, witnessing some of the 20th century’s most pivotal moments from the Oval Office, Air Force One, and beyond.  Known as Reagan’s favorite speechwriter, Ken crafted iconic speeches, including Reagan’s 1985 address at Bergen Belsen, described as the “best speech of his career.” Joining Reagan’s 1980 campaign, Ken played a key role in his White House victory and later helped shape Reagan’s economic recovery messaging.  His close partnership with Reagan continued through major speeches, including State of the Union addresses, foreign policy remarks, and Reagan’s 1988 Farewell Address to the Republican National Convention.

ReaganandNixon  Website

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Award-winning teen documentarian who installs hydroponic gardens in places of need

This week, Ira spoke with Steven Hoffen, an award-winning teen documentarian who installs hydroponic gardens in places of need. In this growing episode of “Ira’s Everything Bagel,” Steven talks about how he developed an interest in hydroponics; why he decided to do a documentary on the subject; how he started a non-profit to fund and place hydronic equipment in areas of food need; using a sustainable technology to supplement or alleviate food insecurity; how his film project led him to great partnerships; how he set up the Growing Peace Foundation; expanding chapters to others states; receiving awards for his work; and what he wants for the future of the organization.

Steven Hoffen, a New York City high schooler, was inspired to take action after visiting Israel, where Arab and Jewish women often collaborate in hydroponic gardening. During the early COVID-19 pandemic, Steven documented their efforts through remote interviews, highlighting meaningful collaboration despite their cultural differences. Without prior experience, he created the award-winning documentary, “Growing Peace in the Middle East,” which was recognized at over 100 film festivals worldwide. To further his mission, Steven founded the nonprofit Growing Peace Inc., in 2021 to help marginalized communities gain access to healthy produce through hydroponic gardens. The organization has installed hydroponic gardens in Israel and New York City, helping food pantries, correctional facilities and other organizations, including Hope House in NYC.

Growing Peace    Website

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Photographer, Educator and Creative Explorer

This week, Ira spoke with photographer, educator and creative explorer Benita VanWinkle, who photographs and documents America’s vanishing movie theaters. In this celluloid episode of “Ira’s Everything Bagel,” Benita talks about how she started on her road to capturing theaters on film; how beautiful theaters that couldn’t sustain as film venues could be preserved and repurposed to meeting venues, etc.; how she maps out a trip to photograph 65-90 movie houses in small towns; why she never knows whether she will get inside a theater or not; the wide variety of design elements in movie houses; the best camera she recommends to her students; how she has photographed 1,100 theaters; why she’s partial to small-town theaters; and what they represent in American culture.

Benita VanWinkle is an associate professor of art at High Point University, in High Point, NC. Benita’s work has been exhibited and recognized with awards in numerous international and nationally juried art exhibitions. 

Benita received her MFA from Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, IL.  She continues to work with many non-profit organizations in NC and is a former youth director at Brookstown United Methodist Church in Pfafftown, NC.  She lives with her husband, two rescued dogs, and her neighbor’s horses and free range chickens over the back fence.  

Benita VanWinkle     Website

Author, Icebergs to Iguanas: Photographic Journeys Around the World

This week, Ira spoke with award-winning photographer, TV host, conservationist and National Geographic photographer Jason Edwards, author of Icebergs to Iguanas: Photographic Journeys Around the World, a large format series of books illustrating his National Geographic imagery. In this wide-angle episode of “Ira’s Everything Bagel,” Jason talks about his early years as a drawing and painting artist; experiencing the influence of two German curators as an eighteen year old; forming his own style; starting out with film and eventually converting to digital photography (but somehow still carrying the same weight); how he keeps in shape for his globe-trotting adventures; viewing the world as a photo; what he views in the camera that the rest of us do not; seeing the “rectangle” in everything he does; why he is paid to make images, not excuses; how the book project came into existence; why story telling in the book is essential, along with the stunning images; the “behind the scenes” perspective; how the photos and text were curated for the book; and why it will become a series of books.

Jason Edwards has been at the forefront of natural history photography for more than three decades. His image portfolio ranks among the largest of any photographer in the Society’s long history. Based in Melbourne Australia, a passion for wildlife and the environment has been with him over his extensive career that began as a zookeeper at the Zoological Board of Victoria. Jason has since been recognized globally for his contributions to Science, the Environment, and the Arts. 

Jason’s accolades within the photographic industry stretch over 25 years and include among others; two times winner of the Eureka Prize for Science Photography, four times winner of Communications Art Photography Annual, two times winner of the ProMax Golden Muse, POYi Pictures of the Year International, and Travel Photographer of the Year. He was awarded the Australian Geographic Society Pursuit of Excellence Award, and also honored as one of the world’s ‘100 Photography Heroes’ by Professional Photographer Magazine, London. 

Through his commissioned assignments and as the face of National Geographic Channel’s Pure Photography, Jason has taken his story telling to television and streaming networks in dozens of countries and to every continent. His imagery has appeared in hundreds of publications including National Geographic Magazine, BBC Wildlife, Australian Geographic, Sports Illustrated, Conde Nast Traveler, and The New Yorker.

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Author (with Jeffrey Abugel), Extreme Overvalued Beliefs: Clinical and Forensic Psychiatric Dimensions

This week, Ira spoke with FBI consultant and forensic psychologist Tahir Rahman, M.D., author (with Jeffrey Abugel) of Extreme Overvalued Beliefs: Clinical and Forensic Psychiatric Dimensions. In this believable episode of “Ira’s Everything Bagel,” Tahir talks about why he decided to specialize in this work; how he developed a new and better classification system for criminal behavior involving mass shootings, terrorism, etc.; why people have extreme overvalued beliefs; the cultural reinforcement of these beliefs; copycat behaviors; why he is an amateur historian; the thinking behind the behavior; binary simplistic thinking; learning about these behaviors; the role of media; coming up with solutions; how to evaluate a threat; establishing a probable cause; the role of substance abuse, grief, and financial losses; the underutilization of crisis response teams; who the book was written for; delusions vs. belief systems; and what he wants readers to take from his book.

Tahir Rahman, M.D. is an award-winning author and physician-scientist at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri. He led the development of utilizing three cognitive affective drivers in threat assessment (Obsessions, Delusions and Extreme Overvalued Beliefs). He is a passionate educator of students, psychiatrists and a lecturer at the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law as well as the Association of Threat Assessment Professionals. He has authored or co-authored numerous articles in peer-reviewed psychiatric and psychological journals and textbook chapters. Dr. Rahman has collaborated with noted scholars in the fields of psychiatry, psychology and behavioral threat assessment. He has consulted on criminal and civil cases for the past 25 years and he is a guest lecturer at the elite FBI Behavioral Analysis Unit, Quantico.

Dr. Rahman was born in Saskatchewan, Canada and he grew up in Kansas. His parents were from Pakistan and his father was a British trained psychiatrist. He attended Haysville Campus High School and then he attended the University of Kansas for his undergraduate and medical school degrees. Dr. Rahman next completed his residency in psychiatry at Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore in 1999. He was a private practice clinician and psychiatric consultant for the Kansas City Chiefs and later pursued an academic and research career at the University of Missouri and now at Washington University. He is an avid aviation and space enthusiast, historian, lecturer, father, memorabilia collector and dog owner.

Science of Extremism   Website

Author, Transfigured Sea

This week, Ira spoke with marine biologist Sally Ann Hunter, author of Transfigured Sea. In this oceanic episode of “Ira’s Everything Bagel,” Sally talks about becoming a marine biologist; why she decided to write a novel; her style of writing, which is “nature writing”; her writing regime; moving from her short story to writing a book; her story of two women who explore the sea and their personal growth; how she balanced writing between the creatures and the two characters in the book; how her writing came out of her subconscious; why most of the people in her novel are based on people she knows; how she combined her scientific education with her emotional connection with the sea; why the edge of the sea is the most fascinating place of all; how whale sharks are not dangerous to humans; where magic happens in estuaries; why the ocean seems to be alive; how humans can help protect the ocean; and learning about self-development and growth. 

Sally Ann Hunter is a biologist and environmental policy officer. She also is a published writer. 

As a biologist, she worked for the CSIRO and the Waite Campus-of the University of Adelaide. As an Environmental Policy Officer, she worked at the Department for Water Resources and Conservation SA. She also did considerable voluntary work for the environment. Previously, Hunter worked for the Commonwealth Employment Service at several locations and the Hahndorf Nursing Home.

Sally obtained a Bachelor of Science in biology at Flinders University and as a biologist she worked for the CSIRO and the Waite campus of the University of Adelaide.

She also obtained a Masters of Environmental Studies through the University of Adelaide and as an environmental policy officer worked at the Department for Water Resources and Conservation SA.

Sally was involved in Poetry Studio at Writers SA and the festival of nature writing in Port Adelaide 2022. In 2017, she was a participant in Manuscript Incubator, a 10-month course in writing a novel. She founded the Mt Barker Tree Planting Group in the early 1980s and was president of the Mount Lofty Ranges Association and later the President of Southern Districts Environment Group and recently participated in the “our patch” Bushcare group in Blackwood and received a gold medal as part of the Australia Day honors.

She lives in the Adelaide Hills of Australia with her cat, Francis. 

Sally Ann Hunter  Website

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Author, Nuclear Weapons and International Law: Existential Risks of Nuclear War and Deterrence through a Legal Lens

This week, Ira spoke with Charles J. Moxley Jr., author of “Nuclear Weapons and International Law: Existential Risks of Nuclear War and Deterrence through a Legal Lens.” In this explosive episode of “Ira’s Everything Bagel,” Charles talks about what the risks are in eliminating nuclear weapons; how can the  law apply “lawless” nations; why it’s in everyone’s self-interest to adhere to notions of international law; the enduring legacy of MAD (mutual assured distruction); the fallacy of using low-yield nuclear weapons; how to deal with irrational leaders; why the need to harness the potential for survival; how we have chemical and biological conventions; the danger of a “nuclear winter”; why our policies are misguided; proportionate response; and being optimistic about progress.

Charles Moxley teaches nuclear weapons law at Fordham Law School and has written and spoken extensively on the subject.  He is author of the 2000 book, Nuclear Weapons and International Law in the Post Cold War World, the first edition of this book, and co-author of the 2011 article, Nuclear Weapons and Compliance with International Humanitarian Law and the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, in the Fordham International Law Journal. He was faculty lead for the 2020 conference, Nuclear Weapons and International Law, the proceedings of which were published by the Fordham International Law Journal and is faculty lead for the 2023 conference, Nuclear Weapons and International Law, the Renewed Imperative in Light of the Ukraine War, the proceedings of which will be published by the Georgetown Journal of International Law. 

Charles J. Moxley, Jr.  Website

Author, Farm Family: A Solo Mom’s Memoir of Finding Home, Happiness, and Alpacas

This week, Ira spoke with Jane Lee Rankin, author of Farm Family: A Solo Mom’s Memoir of Finding Home, Happiness, and Alpacas. In this sheared episode of “Ira’s Everything Bagel,” Jane talks about when she first fell in love with the mountains and rural living; first meeting an alpaca at the Kentucky State Fair; her dream of raising alpacas; shearing them once a year; why her farm is considered a fiber farm; the importance of agritourism (“farms plus people”); having a sense of humor to survive; how the book derived from customers’ questions during tours of the farm (Apple Hill Farm); why what started out as a story of the farm became a memoir; why a lot of her farm team are students; how alpacas have a spiritual energy; why there’s a heartbeat to a farm; and what she wants people to take away from her book (hint: real life on the farm).

Jane Lee Rankin is a farmer and the founder of Apple Hill Farm, an award-winning first-generation farm in the Appalachian Mountains of North Carolina. Lee is an advocate for farmers through her leadership and involvement in the North Carolina Agritourism Networking Association. She frequently speaks about farm tourism and the benefits of diversifying farm portfolios at conferences locally and nationally. In 2021, Lee won runner-up for North Carolina Small Farmer of the Year.

Jane Lee Rankin  Website