Talking Animals

In a truly unusual edition of “Talking Animals,” I presented an interview with Temple Grandin. Actually, that in itself isn’t all that unusual.Indeed, over the years, Dr. Grandin—probably the best known and most accomplished autistic person in the world, professor of animal science at Colorado State University, prolific author and speaker—has been a guest four times on “Talking Animals.” But this is different: On Feb. 7, I interviewed Grandin onstage at the 1200-seat Paramount Theatre in Austin, representing my first in-person, extended conversation with her. That conversation was recorded, and I aired the first half of it in this show. This part of the talk touches on a host of topics, including how to help kids who are autistic and elsewhere on the spectrum, some of the intricacies (and seeming paradoxes) of the way Dr. Grandin “thinks in pictures,” the importance of mentors and how to identify/recruit them, and, “Temple Grandin,” the Emmy-winning HBO movie about her life, starring Claire Danes. The conversation is lightly laced with questions for Dr. Grandin I had invited audience members to submit prior to Feb. 7, through the Paramount Theatre website. (Photography: Mandy/Birdsong Imaging)    (www.templegrandin.com, www.grandin.com)

ALSO: We spoke briefly with Lynda Shehan about not one but two events taking place in Gulfport, FL on Feb. 28—“Get Rescued” and “Tails At Twilight”—designed to raise funds for participating animal rescue groups. (http://gulfportsgetrescued.com)

COMEDY CORNER: Jim Gaffigan’s “Whales” (portion) (www.jimgaffigan.com)

MUSIC: Rebekah Pulley’s “Talking Animals Theme,” instrumentals

NAME THAT ANIMAL TUNE: Peter Gabriel’s “Shock The Monkey”

AUDIO ARCHIVE:

Listen Online Now: http://www.talkinganimals.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/TAFeb18.mp3 | Open Player in New Window

Eric Ristau—co-director with his wife, Geneva, of “Sit Stay Ride: The Story of America’s Sidecar Dogs,” a documentary about motorcyclists with sidecars, and the dogs who ride in ‘em—discusses the genesis of the film, which came about by happenstance, how at first they were thinking the topic probably constituted a short, but in conducting more interviews with sidecar dog devotees, realized they had a feature length doc on their hands. Ristau acknowledges that while the 18 people onscreen clearly have a shared passion, they otherwise have no discernible connection, noting he found most of them through online forums. And agreeing that there’s a strong adoption/rescue theme coursing through the film, Ristau explains that this wasn’t by design, and they were a bit surprised by the preponderance of rescue dogs present onscreen, even though they personally have always had rescue dogs. He also responds to the observation that what might be expected to merely be an entertaining tour of a colorful subculture blossoms into a surprisingly poignant film, propelled by themes of freedom, joy, friendship, love, rescue, companionship and redemption. As just one example of how affecting “Sit Stay Ride” can be, Ristau describes how one of the riders, JD Whittaker, bturned his motorcycle’s trunk lid into a painted dedication to the late Lance Corporal Colton Rusk, an explosive detection dog handler who was so effective at his job, he was assassinated by the enemy. Whittaker and his dog, Hercules, have logged thousands of miles, telling Rusk’s story, and urging people to take pictures of the trunk as much as of Hercules and the sidecar, and post those photos on Facebook and other social media. Whittaker is, Ristau observes, “Riding with his dog for a higher purpose.“ (www.sidecardogs.com)

ALSO: We spoke briefly with Dr. Steven Tauber, Chair of the Department of Government and International Affairs at the University of South Florida, who that night was to deliver a lecture in Tampa, entitled “Law, Politics And Animal Rights.” (http://gia.usf.edu/faculty/stauber/)

COMEDY CORNER: Nick DiPaolo’s “Animal Activists” (www.nickdipaolo.com)

MUSIC: Rebekah Pulley’s “Talking Animals Theme,” Stolen Idol’s “Monkey Mayhem,” instrumentals

NAME THAT ANIMAL TUNE: Prince’s “When Doves Cry”

AUDIO ARCHIVE:

Listen Online Now: http://www.talkinganimals.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/TAFeb11.mp3 | Open Player in New Window

Jennifer Chatfield—an animal safety monitor with Movie Animals Protected—traces her history of loving and caring for animals, extending back to her childhood and into young adulthood, when she worked as a racehorse groom. She recounts how, after deciding to leave the horse racing world behind, she began her career as an animal keeper at the Los Angeles Zoo: it began with a gorilla named Caesar, with whom she forged a long, singular relationship—her tenure at the Zoo spanned 30 years, much of which was devoted to caring for gorillas, though she ultimately worked with a wide array of species. After retiring from the Zoo, Chatfield explains, she put in a three-year stint with the American Humane Association’s L.A.-based Film & TV Unit, the controversial and often-criticized enterprise known for conferring the “no animals were harmed” phrase in the end credits of movies or TV shows. Responding in part to a summary of the 2014 Hollywood Reporter expose—calling attention not just to lapses in reporting onset animal injuries by AHA employees, but also noting they systematically hid animal deaths to preserve relationships with powerful Hollywood producers—Chatfield describes how Movie Animals Protected, a new entity and AHA competitor, seeks to employ a different approach to monitoring the safety and humane treatment of on-set animals (www.movieanimalsprotected.com)

ALSO: We spoke briefly with Dr. Will Tuttle, educator, speaker, author of “The World Peace Diet: Eating For Spiritual Health And Social Harmony”—and past guest on “Talking Animals”—about the lectures he was slated to deliver in the coming days in Tampa, Sarasota and Clearwater. It.” (www.worldpeacediet.com)

COMEDY CORNER: Andy Ritchie “Balthazar” (http://andyritchiecomedy.com)

MUSIC: Rebekah Pulley’s “Talking Animals Theme,” Dandelion Collective’s “The Bear Who Wanted To Fly,” instrumentals

NAME THAT ANIMAL TUNE: Heart’s “Barracuda”

AUDIO ARCHIVE:

Listen Online Now: http://www.talkinganimals.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/TAJan28-.mp3 | Open Player in New Window

Vegan Black Metal Chef— the YouTube culinary sensation who offers instructional cooking videos, specializing in vegan dishes, delivering the lessons over a soundtrack of black metal while wearing body armor and KISS-like make-up, and laced with no shortage of humor (“Hail Seitan!” and so on)—provides an update on his career since he appeared on “Talking Animals” in 2011.As part of that update, he addresses the status of the professional possibilities and opportunities that were looming then, in the wake of his first cooking YouTube video quickly generating two million hits and media interest from the likes of The Washington Post and “Nightline,” including his own cooking television show, which had a few false starts and is still pending, and a cookbook which has an imminent publishing date. Vegan Black Metal Chef also describes “Do-Able Veganism,” a series of vlog episodes that eschews the intricate production of his cooking videos while demonstrating how simple, delicious, and inexpensive preparing vegan dishes can be. (He includes a cost analysis with each entry.) He also discusses his new Patreon campaign by which fans of Vegan Black Metal Chef am elect to pay a monthly fee in exchange for videos and other content ok made available only to his Patreon subscribers. He mentions particularly excellent restaurants and meals he’s enjoyed everywhere from Orlando to Australia. (http://veganblackmetalchef.com)

ALSO: We spoke briefly with Robert Cheeke, a vegan bodybuilder and author who was gearing up for the then-imminent lecture, book signing and workout he was holding the following Sunday, tied to his new book, “Shred It.” (http://www.veganbodybuilding.com/?page=robert_cheeke)

COMEDY CORNER: Shane Mauss’ “Mushroom, Vegan” (www.shanemauss.com)

MUSIC: Rebekah Pulley’s “Talking Animals Theme,” Antibalas’ “Elephant,” (excerpt), instrumentals

NAME THAT ANIMAL TUNE: The Rolling Stones’ “Monkey Man”

AUDIO ARCHIVE:

Listen Online Now: http://www.talkinganimals.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/TAJan21-.mp3 | Open Player in New Window

John W. James— founder of the Grief Recovery Institute and co-author of newly-published “The Grief Recovery Handbook for Pet Loss—recalls the personal circumstances that led him into this field more than 35 years ago. Noting he wrote his first book dealing with grief recovery in 1984, he addresses some of the so-called Grieving Myths most germane to pet loss, including “Give It Time” and “Replace The Loss.” Particularly in expounding on the latter, he notes that each griever—say, in a family—has a unique relationship with the animal that has died, so each of them will grieve differently, and be ready (or not ready) to welcome a new animal into the family at different times. Whatever the rate, the fundamental tenet of recovering from grief, James notes, is becoming complete with the relationship of the animal that one has lost, referring to Grief Recovery Method measures—creating the Pet Loss History Graph, Reviewing Your Relationship, writing the Completion Letter—to help accomplish that completion. (www.griefrecoverymethod.com)

ALSO: We spoke briefly with Matt Ellerbeck, a salamander advocate who discussed a deadly salamander fungus that is rapidly spreading across Europe, and the petition created to halt the import of salamanders into the U.S., unless screened for the fungus. The petition is available on the Save The Salamander Facebook page. (www.facebook.com/SaveTheSalamanders)

COMEDY CORNER: Maria Bamford’s “Vegetarian Oscar Schindler” (www.mariabamford.com)

MUSIC: Rebekah Pulley’s “Talking Animals Theme,” Andrew Bird’s “Frogs Singing,” instrumentals

NAME THAT ANIMAL TUNE: Al Stewart’s “Year Of The Cat”

AUDIO ARCHIVE:

Listen Online Now: http://www.talkinganimals.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/TAJan14-.mp3 | Open Player in New Window

William Nimmo— founder of Tigers In America, a New York City-based nonprofit that seeks to help mitigate the captive-bred tiger crisis in the U.S.—explains how a guy in the midst of career in banking and brokerage got started rescuing tigers in 2011. He recalls how, having stepped into that world, by way of intervening at a tiger facility in San Antonio, TX, he and his wife quickly became steeped in the scope of the problem: Although one routinely hears there are 5000 tigers in captivity (more than exist in the wild in the rest of the world), Nimmo places that figure closer to 7000. Nimmo also traces the history of this situation—and the now-rampant tiger breeding—back to 1963, and lays out a timeline that acknowledges the supreme influence of Siegfried & Roy’s Las Vegas performances, seen by an estimated 10 million people over their 40-year run. He also outlines the economics behind the business enterprises that have primarily fueled the explosive growth in the captive tiger population, notably the businesses offering opportunities to pet tiger cubs and/or have their pictures taken with them. Nimmo describes the process by which Tigers in America evaluated the tiger sanctuaries in this country, and the criteria employed, to arrive at the 13 facilities they recommend on their website. (www.tigersinamerica.org, www.facebook.com/TigersInAmerica)

 

ALSO: We spoke briefly with Gracie Grieshop, of Pet Pal Animal Shelter, about the Shelter’s initiative, The Pit Project, intended to educate people about pit bulls—with the ultimate aim of generating more adoptions of the dogs. (www.petpalanimalshelter.com)

COMEDY CORNER: Erin Foley’s “Dogs” (http://erinkfoley.com)

MUSIC: Rebekah Pulley’s “Talking Animals Theme,” Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks’ “Tigers,” instrumentals

NAME THAT ANIMAL TUNE: Jefferson Starship’s “Ride The Tiger”

AUDIO ARCHIVE:

Listen Online Now: http://www.talkinganimals.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/TAJan7-.mp3 | Open Player in New Window

Mark Feldstein— author of “Last Stop Before Rainbow Bridge: True Animal Rescue Stories,” a compendium of tales about a wide array of animals that have been rescued at facilities across the country—discusses how the book was inspired by his stepfather, the late Al Feldstein. Al was a key editor and leading creative force at MAD Magazine from 1956-1985, who after his retirement from the pioneering publication, operated a 270-acre animal rescue ranch in Montana for more than two decades. Mark Feldstein recounts how, following his most recent visit to his dad’s place, Deer Haven Ranch, he felt compelled to do what he could to advance the cause of animal rescue, navigating around the time constraints of a very demanding day job and raising a family. Still, he explains, he began contacting rescue facilities, they responded with tidbits and anecdotes, which Feldstein fashioned into the stories that appear in “Last Stop Before Rainbow Bridge.” Feldstein describes the story that affected him the most profoundly (the horse who became the friend and confidante of sorts for a sexually abused girl who otherwise wasn’t talking with anyone), outlines how proceeds from the sale of the “Last Stop Before Rainbow Bridge” are earmarked to be donated to the rescues that participated in the book, and notes that work is already underway on a follow-up book. (www.laststopbeforerainbowbridge.com)

ALSO: We spoke briefly with Jackie Beiro, of Saving Shelter Dogs, Inc., about the “Empty The Shelter” event that was to be held the following weekend at what used to be called the Hillsborough County Animal Services—the adoption fees were to be waived, so as to galvanize massive end-of-the-year adoptions.

COMEDY CORNER: Jeremy Hotz’s “Bronx Zoo” (www.jeremyhotz.com)

MUSIC: Rebekah Pulley’s “Talking Animals Theme,” The Sun Society’s version of “Octopus’s Garden,” instrumentals

NAME THAT ANIMAL TUNE: The Chipmunk’s version of “Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer”

AUDIO ARCHIVE:

Listen Online Now: http://www.talkinganimals.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/TAdec17.mp3 | Open Player in New Window

Terry Simons— a veteran, internationally-recognized dog agility trainer who founded the CLEAR (Canine Lymphoma Education Awareness & Research) Foundation—recalls how he initially stepped into the world of agility training. He mentions some of the dogs that have lived with Simons and his wife over the years—and the ones they lost to lymphoma. In describing two of their dogs passing within a nine-month period, and then another dog named Reveille—with whom Simons had forged a particularly profound bond—being diagnosed with lymphoma, he notes that, reeling from cumulative grief, propelled him along the path of starting CLEAR. He concurs with the observation that as much as the “Research” portion of the CLEAR acronym is enormously important, the “Education” and “Awareness” parts stand as absolutely vital—for example, how readily dogs diagnosed with lymphoma can respond to treatment. These points dovetail with a discussion of the documentary film, “My Friend: Changing The Journey,” both how it came to be and key components of the movie’s format: a number of veterinarians, veterinary oncologists and other experts—as well as folks who’d lost dogs to lymphoma—and case studies of different dogs who’d received a diagnosis of some form of lymphoma, depicting their varying medical treatments, responses by their humans, etc. Simons outlines the possible venues where “My Friend: Changing The Journey” might screening, making it clear that eventually the film will be posted on the CLEAR website to be watched for free. (www.clearcaninecancer.com)

ALSO: We heard a brief conversation with Daniel Sambu, of Big Life Foundation, a Kenya-based NGO that helps coordinate the Maasai Olympics, an inventive gambit that involves young Maasai warriors to compete in sporting events, as an alternative to their traditional rite-of-passage of killing lions. (https://biglife.org, www.maasaiolympics.com)

COMEDY CORNER: Eddie Izzard’s “Horse Whisperer” (www.eddieizzard.com)

MUSIC: Rebekah Pulley’s “Talking Animals Theme,” John Hiatt’s “My Dog & Me,” instrumentals

 NAME THAT ANIMAL TUNE: Weather Report’s “Birdland”

AUDIO ARCHIVE:

Listen Online Now: http://www.talkinganimals.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/TADec10-.mp3 | Open Player in New Window

Michele Raffin— founder and CEO of Pandemonium Aviaries, a Northern California conservation organization dedicated to saving birds—recounts how rescuing an injured dove she spotted on the side of the road some 15 years ago launched her on the long, winding road she traveled moving Pandemonium from seat-of-the-pants rescue operation to internationally prominent breeding facility for avian species facing extinction due to the destruction of their natural habitat. Author of the recently-published memoir of sorts, “The Birds of Pandemonium: Life Among The Exotic & The Endangered,” Raffin also addresses the challenges of stepping into the quirky, colorful sub-culture of bird rescuers and breeders, where its denizens generally aren’t keen to share information and tend to be leery of newcomers (particularly, female newcomers.) She allows that those folks did not make it easy—definitely made her earn her stripes—but she turned a huge corner when she managed to breed a bird none of them had been able to. She talks in some detail about the evolution of Pandemonium Aviaries from rescue operation to conservation-minded breeding facility, having selected six species of birds to breed that come from New Guinea and the Philippines—and are on the brink of extinction. A particularly vital conversation, given that so many animal organizations co-opt the term “conservation” in ways that are nefarious and phony, and when most sanctuaries and comparable facilities housing abused or abandoned animals say they allow breeding, it waves a big red flag—both standing in sharp contrast to Pandemonium’s philosophy and mission. Raffin also sprinkles the conversation with a number of wonderful anecdotes about some birds living at Pandemonium. (www.pandemoniumaviaries.org)

ALSO: We had a brief conversation with Darlynn Czerner, founder of Darlynn’s Darlings, the Polk City sanctuary housing some 200 animals, predominantly pigs. They need a new well—200 animals require a lot of water!—and Czerner describes their GoFundMe campaign underway to finance replacing the well. (http://darlynnsdarlins.webs.com)

COMEDY CORNER: Ellen DeGeneres’ “Birds Mating” (http://www.ellentv.com)

MUSIC: Rebekah Pulley’s “Talking Animals Theme,” EELS’ “I Like Birds,” instrumentals

NAME THAT ANIMAL TUNE: The Beatles’ “And Your Bird Can Sing”

AUDIO ARCHIVE:

Listen Online Now: http://www.talkinganimals.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/TADec3-.mp3 | Open Player in New Window

Ryan Tate—co-founder and president of Veterans Empowered to Protect African Wildlife (VETPAW), which employs military veterans to combat poaching of elephants and rhinos in African nations—discusses growing up in Tampa in a family that prized animals, and later enlisting in the Marines as a teenager. He recalls that after completing his stint in the Marines—including a tour in Iraq—he was feeling uncertain about his next career move. The answer, Tate continues, came one day when Tate was profoundly affected by seeing a TV documentary about the ongoing slaughter of elephants and rhinos in Africa at the hands of poachers. A light bulb moment. Tate describes navigating the long and winding road of bureaucratic obstacles and diplomatic channels before getting permission to proceed in pursuing his vision for VETPAW. Acknowledging that the process necessarily moved slowly—and that a VETPAW objective is protecting the lives of the rangers who work in the parks against the threat of the poachers, as well as the animals who live there—Tate explains that they plan to place a VETPAW team on the ground within the next few months. He also outlines the traits or qualifications he’s looking for in VETPAW candidates, beyond, of course, being military veterans. (http://vetpaw.org)

ALSO: We had a brief conversation with Michelle La Fleur, co-founder of ThanksVegan, the vegan potluck extravaganza held each Thanksgiving Day at Unitarian Universalist Church of Tampa. On the eve of the ninth ThanksVegan, La Fleur recounts the history of the event, including the surprise she and her fellow co-founders felt at the first one drawing some 150 attendees. She notes that this year they expect upwards of 300 ThanksVegan celebrants. (http://tampavegthanksgiving.com)

COMEDY CORNER: Hannibal Buress’ “Pigeons Get Murked,” (http://hannibalburess.com)

MUSIC: Rebekah Pulley’s “Talking Animals Theme,” Adrian Belew’s acoustic version of “The Lone Rhinoceros,” instrumentals

NAME THAT ANIMAL TUNE: Henry Mancini’s “Baby Elephant Walk”

AUDIO ARCHIVE:

Listen Online Now: http://www.talkinganimals.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/TANov26.mp3 | Open Player in New Window