Genetics counseling is blowing up. A field with origins in baby-protecting

parents has exploded across medicine. With last week’s announcement of the

first ever FDA-approved gene therapy for existing cancer patients creating

a whole new industry in which generic counselors are best positioned to

help hundreds of millions of new patients, Jim, Peggy and John welcome

their long-standing friend and important voice in genetic counseling,

Shelly Cummings.

Two prominent progressive voices, Eli Kaplan, election expert and founder

of Rising Tide Interactive, and Yvanna Cancela, Nevada’s rising-star State

Senator join regulars Jim Gentile, Peggy Bennett and John Heintz in a look

at what’s next for the Democrats. Topics include sexism, economics, vision,

messaging, turnout, money and the soon-to-be-smoking-gun of the next

decade, redistricting.

The largest city in the world has a new guest. Two Guys’ co-founder John

Heintz reports on his first thirty days in Big Red, and that’s not the

chewing gum. Jim and Peggy quiz John on all things Far East from the newest

Shanghai metro lines to international hamburgerization and John’s new

friends. A day in the life of an outspoken, gay, artsy Shanghai ex-pat

includes bike sharing, intellectual property and home deliveries. As the

super-hot and humid days of summer switch to rainy typhoon-type weather,

John connects with his old friends in a casual chat about life in a city

where high rises and construction ladders fill a 360 view from almost

anywhere in the city. The 34 million folks in John’s neighborhood will love

to hear this episode.

A voice of her generation, Grand Rapids high school student Maddie Vonk won

a best new writer award at last summer's prestigious Interlochen gathering

of up-and-coming artists. Maddie gets to be the voice of her generation

while being quizzed by Jim, John and her Aunt Peg. She whisks past issues

including global climate change and the persistent annoyances she feels

from the current US president to present a witty and upbeat vision of a

wired, global future. Maddie's funny, thoughtful and personal stories span

her time on the east coast surrounded by liberals through her move to the

midwest and peers at the other end of the political spectrum. It was

Peggy's idea to bring Maddie on the show as the voice of her generation,

and Maddie provides a fun view of life under voting age. 

Maddie's program and award are from Interlochen, and her

middle-class-boring-lifestype-be-damned uncle in New York works with the

Upright Citizen's Brigade. Jim, Peggy and John had more fun making this

show than Maddie's parents will have saving the $60k per year for

Interlochen tuition.

How historically significant is Charlottesville? What is the importance of

the President’s response to Charlottesville? Does Charlottesville make us

more hopeful or less hopeful about the future of the United States? John

Gentile from New York joins Peggy and John in a new format for the podcast.

Jim moderates a discussion from the Nation’s capital to New York to the

Midwest to the Far East and ranges from violence to speech to power.      

   

Reach out to Jim, Peg and John with a comment, question or complaint by

going to www.twoguysinsearchofanargument.com/contact or at

#twoguysinsearch on Twitter.

Nurse Peggy Bennett has helped children with cancer in Michigan, women

giving birth in Darfur, multi-drug-resistant tuberculosis patients in

Uzbekistan and Russian helicopter pilots flying her out of a South Sudan

war zone. Jim and John talk with Peggy Bennett about her career, adventures

and values. Note: We are still working out the technical aspect of the

podcast, and we will admit Jim's voice is particularly hard to follow.

Peggy sounds great, however, and we wanted to put up the podcast to be sure

you could hear her.

Do you prefer film or live theatre? Jim and John keep it all in the family

in this lo-fi summer vacation episode.  New York film and theatre fans John

Gentile, diversity expert, William Gentile, aspiring filmmaker and Fiona

Grouazel, actress, discuss with Jim and John the draw of movies and live

productions. Film's permanence and theatre's transience are contrasted with

these young professionals' experiences of democracy, community,

entertainment and genius.

Summer travel is here. Jim and John discuss the value of travel for

leisure, work and world peace. They also discuss the point of this podcast.

Here is the book and movie they reference. This is an abbreviated podcast

It’s the summer Pride months, and while numbers attending Pride celebrations are greater than ever, an increasing number of voices inside the LGBTQ movement worry queer culture is losing its edge. In this episode of Two Guy in Search of an Argument, Jim and John discuss what’s next for the gay movement looking at three articles from the New York Times.