Matt & Phil Letten—siblings known as The Vegan Bros, and co-authors of “VODKA IS VEGAN: A Manifesto for Better Living and Not Being An Ahole”—recall their formative years, growing up “on the wrong side of the tracks” in Michigan, noting their family was far from vegan.  As one measure of this, Phil recalls the period during which, after going out to dinner—even at wonderful, interesting restaurants, even while on vacation in Puerto Rico, he insisted on eating afterwards at McDonald’s. Indeed, fast food constitutes something of a running theme in the Vegan Bros’ pre-vegan era: Matt recounts his freshman year of college, during which, he says, it was not uncommon to have three or four fast food meals in a given day, sometimes capped off by a “Slurpee from 7-11.”  Matt explains why he thinks he was inclined to eat that way back then, noting he grew up battling obesity, and how—deciding to make a change—asked an athlete friend for some guidance in the then-foreign territory of working out at a gym…overlapping his initial steps in embracing a vegan diet. Phil addresses his path from shy, socially awkward kid to college grad vegan who spent his days talking with people about factory farming and handing out leaflets  (initially, on the Warped Tour), while working for Vegan Outreach. Matt observes that in these earliest days, Phil was a sanctimonious, preachy vegan—exactly the sort of “Ahole” Matt found off-putting, and they both now caution against in their book. They summarize some of the incremental steps people might take toward veganism that are detailed in “VODKA IS VEGAN.” (http://veganbros.com)
ALSO: I spoke with Marilyn Weaver, executive director of the Florida chapter of the League of Humane Voters, about the effort afoot to persuade Florida’s Gov. Scott to re-assign the case of Dewey Brewton, the Ocala teacher who drowned two raccoons and an opossum, in front of a group of his students—to a different state attorney, since the initial state attorney refused to file charges against the teacher. Weaver explained the case, urging people to call Gov. Scott’s office—850-717-9337 or 850-488-7146—and politely ask him to re-assign the case. (http://lohv-fl.org)
COMEDY CORNER: Julio Torres’ “I Am Vegan” (http://spaceprincejulio.tumblr.com)
MUSIC: Rebekah Pulley’s “Talking Animals Theme,” instrumentals
NAME THAT ANIMAL TUNE:  We didn’t play Name That Animal Tune today.
AUDIO ARCHIVE:
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Matt & Phil Letten, The Vegan Bros, co-authors of “VODKA IS VEGAN: A Manifesto for Better Living and Not Being An A**hole”

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Matt Hamilton–writer-director of “Raptors: A Fistful of Daggers,” an unusual two-part edition of the PBS series, “Nature,” which premiered April 10, while the second episode debuts on April 17—recalls the impetus for creating this double-shot of cinematic raptor mania. Part of his explanation involved not having seen a documentary that delved deeply into the realm of raptors. Let’s just say that, with “Raptors: A Fistful of Daggers,” Hamilton definitely filled that void. Noting that one theme that emerges from these two films is that– owing to harsh habitats and/or dangerous prey–raptors face enormous day-to-day challenges, I ask Hamilton about parallel challenges he may have faced as a filmmaker seeking to capture footage of these birds in action. His response amounted to an emphatic Yes, citing circumstances ranging from areas where the temperatures dangled at 40-50 degrees below zero, while another location was beset with a cyclone, relentless rain, then Hamilton recounted, that same place was hit by an earthquake. But, he noted cheerfully, such are the vagaries of natural history filmmaking, where you often need to “put a smile on your face” and forge ahead. We engaged in a philosophical discussion about how the work of natural history filmmakers may be shaped by the general feelings about a species they’re profiling—meaning, how a decidedly charismatic animal, like a lion or elephant, may be handled or depicted onscreen differently than, say, raptors, which are decidedly not charismatic. Hamilton explains how he selected the birds featured, among the some 500 species of raptors. As part of this, we also discussed some of raptors that constitute the film’s second installment, subtitled “Extreme Lives,” including The Florida Snail Kite, whose story involves a tale of adaptation and evolution worthy of a sci-fi anthology. Deliberated, too, were the Honey Buzzards (whose predatory practices align more with a horror flick), and the Secretary Bird. [Photos by Matt Hamilton]  (https://www.pbs.org/show/nature/, https://www.facebook.com/PBSNature/, https://www.instagram.com/pbsnature/)
COMEDY CORNER: Matt Braunger’s  “Owls”  (https://www.mattbraunger.com/)
MUSIC: Rebekah Pulley’s “Talking Animals Theme,” instrumentals
NAME THAT ANIMAL TUNE:  George Harrison’s “Dark Horse”
AUDIO ARCHIVE:
Listen Online Now: https://talkinganimals.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/TAApril10Final.mp3 | Open Player in New Window

Matt Hamilton–writer-director of “Raptors: A Fistful of Daggers”

Deborah Howard—founder-president of the Companion Animal Protection Society (CAPS), self-described, you may recall, as “the only national nonprofit organization dedicated exclusively to protecting companion animals from cruelty in pet shops and puppy/kitten mills”—returns for a conversational sequel to our January interview, because we didn’t have time to discuss the ways CAPS has broadened its mission in recent years.  Being careful not to assume everyone listening this time had also heard the January conversation, we spent the initial moments addressing CAPS’ core mission, engaging in a lightening round of Puppy Mills 101. This led to Howard issuing cautionary tales about pet shops, pet store chains, and online puppy sales, about which CAPS has produced a documentary, slated to be available on YouTube, Vimeo, and the organization’s social media pages.Howard makes it clear that the dark problems with puppy mills—weak, often sick dogs, bred incessantly in vile, stinky, caged circumstances, devoid of human interaction or socialization—have been exacerbated in the internet age, with websites displaying idyllic settings from which these pooches-for-purchase ostensibly emerge. Heck, even Craig’s List is a problematic source of puppy mill dogs in this way, Howard notes. In what may constitute a natural outgrowth of this work combatting puppy mills that Howard has been doing since 1989, CAPS has moved into animal shelter reform in California—producing a short documentary on this topic. A focus of these efforts has been Kern County Animal Services (KCAS), in Bakersfield, which sounds like a facility that’s really jumped the rails: metal buildings (it can get blazing hot there), no regular spay/neuter procedures, dramatically low save rate, overcrowded, often filthy enclosures, riddled with urine and feces…When Howard is asked what led the Kern County Animal Services to stumble so far astray—I suggest possible explanations might involve budget problems, leadership issues, shelter &/or county policies—she speculates that it’s likely a combination of those factors. She adds that given its Central California location, she was surprised to find that none of KCAS’ handouts or literature were offered in Spanish. Howard underscores how important she feels—as another element of CAPS’ widening mission: pursuing national Latino outreach—that important documents, PSAs, spots for radio & TV, should be produced in both English and Spanish. To that end, CAPS enlisted Jacqui Pinol, the animal advocate and bilingual actress, to record spay/neuter PSAs for TV and radio, in English and Spanish. (https://www.caps-web.org/, https://www.instagram.com/caps_web/, https://www.facebook.com/CompanionAnimalProtectionSociety)

ALSO: I spoke briefly with Spencer Conover, Assistant Director of Pasco County Animal Services (PCAS), discussing the Shelter Slumber Pawty they’re throwing this weekend—part of a national coalition of shelters offering a sleepover event at their facilities on April 6-7, though he notes Pasco County is the only Florida shelter participating. Conover explains The Pawty functions fundamentally as a fundraiser for PCAS—there’s a fee charged to attend—while providing the Slumber Party People an array of opportunities and activities, including settling in for the evening at the Shelter with the adoptable animals currently housed there, catered dinner and breakfast, a movie, games and more. He added PCAS will be taking reservations through Friday evening. (https://www.pascocountyfl.net/services/animal_services/index.php, https://www.facebook.com/groups/507994392606451)
 
COMEDY CORNER: Eddie Izzard’s’ “Horse Whisperers”  (https://www.eddieizzard.com/en)
MUSIC: Rebekah Pulley’s “Talking Animals Theme,” instrumentals
NAME THAT ANIMAL TUNE:  We didn’t play “Name That Animal Tune” today.
AUDIO ARCHIVE:
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Deborah Howard, President of Companion Animal Protection Society (CAPS)

Ed Stewart, co-founder, president and CEO of the Performing Animal Welfare Society (PAWS)—which blazed a trail in animal rescue, welfare, education, and legislation, and this year, marks its 40th anniversary—recalls what she and co-founder Pat Derby were doing in the earliest days of PAWS. Stewart notes that Derby, his longtime partner who died in 2013–and an eloquent, red-headed dynamo, who was not to be trifled with—had long rescued animals before they joined forces in forming PAWS. He points out that animal rescue and advocacy characterized their formative years, but so, too, did efforts early on assisting in the formulation of California legislation, including a law that helped mitigate the ivory trade as well as the bull hook ban (a collaborative campaign with the Oakland Zoo and the Humane Society of the United States)—a critical regulation in that it precluded circuses and other entities with performing elephants (which use bull hooks to “control” them) from plying their trade in California. At my urging, Stewart offered a rapturous remembrance of Derby (and I added my own affectionate recollection of her), enthusing about everything from her deep familiarity with great literature, to her immensely articulate statements as a high-level animal advocate, to her supreme talents in helping traumatized elephants heal. We talked about ARK 2000, the glorious 2300-acre sanctuary PAWS operates in San Andreas, CA, housing 11 elephants, as well as big cats, bears, capuchin monkeys, and more, noting the newest resident is a skittish bobcat, and other animals are on the horizon, but Stewart said he couldn’t discuss those because they’re part of court cases where those critters have been seized. Stewart says the annual cost to feed and care for an elephant there, not counting additional medical costs, is about $70,000. PAWS welcomes donations: https://www.pawsweb.org/donate_online.html The broad intention of this conversation was to urge Stewart to reflect on the 40 years of PAWS, including key developments, challenges and milestones across those four decades. I also asked him to look ahead a bit to PAWS’ future, to which he chiefly replied by mentioning that he’s 73, and had his own battle with cancer a couple of year ago. So a succession plan centers around Stewart ceding leadership to Dr. Chris Draper, currently Chief Operations Officer, and whose experience includes serving as Head of Animal Welfare & Captivity at the Born Free Foundation. [Photo Credits: Courtesy PAWSweb.org] (https://www.pawsweb.org/, https://www.facebook.com/pawsweb.org, https://www.instagram.com/pawsark2000/)
ALSO: I spoke briefly with George Heinrich, the field biologist and environmental educator who specializes in Florida reptiles, who on April 6, is slated to deliver a lecture entitled “Conserving Wildlife and Wildlands: Building a Career in Herpetology,” at Brooker Creek Preserve Environmental Education Center, in Tarpon Springs. Heinrich explains that this lecture, along with other endeavors—very much including his summer nature camps—are intended to cultivate in kids an interest in reptiles, echoing how his lifelong passion for amphibians and reptiles began during his childhood in New England, where he observed salamanders and turtles in the local woods there. All these years later, it’s worked out pretty well: He has his own related company, Heinrich Ecological Services, and serves as the Executive Director of the Florida Turtle Conservation Trust. (https://www.ftct.org/, https://www.heinrichecologicalservices.com/)
COMEDY CORNER: Paul F. Tompkins’ “Alternative Pets”  (https://paulftompkins.com/)
MUSIC: Rebekah Pulley’s “Talking Animals Theme,” instrumentals
NAME THAT ANIMAL TUNE:  We didn’t play “Name That Animal Tune” today.
AUDIO ARCHIVE:
Listen Online Now: https://talkinganimals.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/TAMarch27Final.mp3 | Open Player in New Window

Ed Stewart, co-founder, president and CEO of the Performing Animal Welfare Society (PAWS)

In what might be called The Sequel, this represents the second portion of the interview I conducted on Feb. 12 with Temple Grandin, onstage at the Paramount Theatre in Austin. We covered a wide range of topics last week, though that discussion featured a preponderance of autism talk, hardly surprising given Grandin’s expertise, personal experience and the audience assembled to hear this conversation. Again, this interview wasn’t designed for “Talking Animals”—it was created for a conversation to be conducted onstage at the Paramount, in front of an audience of about 1200 Grandin admirers–but I do feel it was worth sharing on the show. And  today’s installment is a good deal more animal-oriented than last week’s, and also more varied, as we’re additionally presenting the audience question-and-answer segment, which inherently was characterized by a mishmash of subjects. So, this portion of the conversation ranged from her lamenting that she no longer rides horses (at 76, she says she’s worried that she might fall), to confessing that before our talk, she Googled me and read some of my old Washington Post pieces, to describing her favorite ways to spend a rare day off. The audience question-and-answer segment included queries from folks on the spectrum—including a young girl whose classmates think autism is weird, and she was seeking guidance for how to handle this (Grandin responded, in part: “Tell them Einstein was autistic…he had a pretty good career”—the parent of an autistic child, and a woman who had been a student of Grandin’s in one of the first years of her longtime stint as a professor of animal science at Colorado State University. (https://www.templegrandin.com/, https://www.grandin.com/, http://www.tgecautismfund.org/)
ALSO: I spoke briefly with Courtney Scott, Elephant Consultant with In Defense of Animals, who first provides an overview of the animal protection organization that’s been toiling in this field for some 40 years. Scott filled us in on the disturbing development of the Bay Area Renaissance Festival in Dade City, Florida now featuring a live elephant, named Lady Essex, performing tricks and, apparently, offering elephant rides. She outlines the harm—from a skeletal and physiological standpoint—done to an elephant providing rides to humans on its back. Scott recommend steps people can take to urge Festival organizers to halt this elephant action–ideally well before the Festival is slated to end on March 31—offering a phone number (352-999-5946) and an email: info@bayarearenfest.com to contact those organizers.
 
COMEDY CORNER: Beth Stelling’s “Beth’s Pests”  (https://bethstelling.com/)
MUSIC: Rebekah Pulley’s “Talking Animals Theme,” instrumentals
NAME THAT ANIMAL TUNE:  We didn’t play “Name That Animal Tune” today.
AUDIO ARCHIVE:
 Listen Online Now: https://talkinganimals.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/March6FINAL.mp3 | Open Player in New Window

Temple Grandin, autistic animal scientist and author–The Sequel

Temple Grandin–sometimes referred to as the world’s most famous autistic person, amidst several ways to describe her, including expert on animal behavior, prolific author, longtime professor of animal science at Colorado State University, fervent activist for autistic people, and tireless lecturer—sat with me onstage at the Paramount Theatre in Austin for what became a truly wide-ranging interview. I began the conversation describing the first of two hypothetical situations I introduced, involving my fictional three-year-old son, with behavior and communication issues, and an appointment yesterday with the doctor, who told my wife and me that our child is on the spectrum. I asked Grandin about the first steps we should take. Her response included immediately getting the child into therapy, and and other measures, including playing games and engaging in other activities that involve taking turns. Grandin outlines the virtues of taking turns, citing the way it cultivates impulse control and other longstanding educational benefits. In this part of the conversation, we touched on one of uber-prolific-author Grandin’s latest books, “Autism and Education: The Way I See It: What Parents and Teachers Need to Know,” which she explained is aimed at the teachers and parents of young, newly-diagnosed autistic children. The second “hypothetical” I raised inquired about adults—say, in their 30s, 40s, 50s—who come to realize (or loved ones do) that they’re on the spectrum. This seems potentially vexing, given the urgency of intervening rapidly on behalf of a newly-diagnosed child. But Grandin suggests undertaking a therapeutic measure may not be paramount, but rather these latter-day autistics may be relieved to place their social awkwardness or certain unsuccessful relationships in a new context. We discuss Mr. Carlock, her high school science teacher and enormously important mentor—and the significance of mentors for autistic kids, plus how to identify a potential mentor. We also discuss her mother, Eustacia Cutler, who was instrumental in Grandin developing socially, personally, and professionally—often by giving her choices, but narrowly designed ones. For example, Grandin recalled that just before the summer she spent at her Aunt’s ranch in Arizona, she was scared to go, so her Mom gave her the choice of going for two weeks or for the summer; there was no option to not go to the ranch at all. Turns out she loved it, sparking her lifelong interest in horses and cattle. (https://www.templegrandin.com/, https://www.grandin.com/, http://www.tgecautismfund.org/)

ALSO: I spoke briefly with Tasha Cohen-Glynn of Achieva Credit Union, which—in partnership with Feeding Tampa Bay– is collecting pet food at all of their branches in Pinellas, Hillsborough and Pasco Counties, with both Achieva employees and clients contributing the pet food. This “PAWS-for-a-Purpose” campaign started Friday, March 1, and runs thru March 13. The collected pet food—which Achieva has committed to match, up to 500 pounds–will be distributed to pet owners in need. That process, Cohen-Glynn explained, will be overseen by Feeding Tampa Bay. She goes on to note that “PAWS-for-a-Purpose” will culminate with a March 15 event at the credit union’s own dog park, Achieva Paw Park (1659 Achieva Way, Dunedin, FL 34698). All of this is rooted in an effort to recognize National Puppy Day, on March 23. (https://www.achievacu.com/events, https://www.feedingtampabay.org/)
COMEDY CORNER: Mike Vecchione’s “Vegetarian Chicken”  (DS edit) (https://mikevecchione.com/)
MUSIC: Rebekah Pulley’s “Talking Animals Theme,” instrumentals
NAME THAT ANIMAL TUNE:  The B-52s’ ”Rock Lobster”
AUDIO ARCHIVE:
Listen Online Now: https://talkinganimals.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/TAFeb28Final.mp3 | Open Player in New Window

Matt & Phil Letten, The Vegan Bros, co-authors of “VODKA IS VEGAN: A Manifesto for Better Living and Not Being An A**hole”

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