funny, brave, moving, and illuminating, this is really one of the best Moth editions I've ever heard. The second and third stories made tears run down my face.

My hat is off to WFHB's Joe Crawford for his dogged and intelligent pursuit of straight answers and reasoned logic from the local police chief on new policing efforts - and expenses. Diekhoff is either in denial or being disingenuous in his insistence that more quality-of-life patrols won't lead to more homeless arrests and that the deployment of surveillance cameras won't incur any costs because they've already been bought. This standard of reporting, this dedication to the public interest (on the part of the reporter, not the police chief) is tragically rare. Bravo!

I found this very powerful. Justin speaks with great clarity and I congratulate his public honesty. I like this piece because it reminds me there are many inner obstacles children and teenagers face in fulfilling their everyday responsibilities. I think grownups tend to forget this and, in doing so, forget to show the compassion kids deserve. Beneficial for all audiences!

The only technology used in the classroom by Mr. Mason is PowerPoint. It is laughable that the narrator considers presentation software representative of teacher tech-savvy and student exposure to technology. Rejecting the textbook, Mr. Mason doles out "packets" with Web site URLs for students to use for research, which cannot be done in the classroom for lack of computers.

This is not a case study on the application of technology to facilitate and enrich classroom learning, which is a very important, controversial, complicated subject that has to be examined in a myriad of sociological, economic, and demographic contexts.

What would have made this piece compelling would have been to hear Mr. Mason's interactions with his students, his thoughts on how to engage their interest and how to apply discipline, and his perspective on the state of technology in schools. Unfortunately, the narrator talks over almost everything, offering no value.

"Before you adopt a pet, make sure you can afford the ongoing expense." That's almost all that is to be gleaned from these two shows combined. No costs are ballparked so people who hadn't considered the aspect of money still have no clue as to how much money can be involved. I would have thought this would offer at the very least a range of actual dollars spent each month.

People tend to far underestimate the cost of pet food. One money-saving tip: Cats (I don't know about dogs) don't need canned food but are generally perfectly healthy and happy with just dry, which is far less expensive.

Toys are astonishingly expensive - up to $5 for a couple of small balls or a cloth mouse - as are scratching posts, which are a must-have, I think. Then there are claw-cutters, brushes, and lint removers for the owner's own clothes!

I did not hear any mention of annual or semiannual check-ups and booster shots. Also important is the aspect of chronic disease such as diabetes, which is not uncommon in cats and can develop at any time, and chalks up huge costs (insulin, syringes ...).

For these medical expenses, one can buy pet insurance - BEFORE the pet has a "pre-existing condition." Some vets also offer pre-paid cards, which is actually great for budgeting because that way the owner has already squared something away for the future.

While you mention micro-chipping, you omit the monthly subscription fee for the service. It's not a one-shot purchase.

I would also have included the cost of euthanasia and disposal, which can amount in New York to more than $300 for a cat.

I think this passionate, reasoned opinionating is something horribly missing from regular radio fare. It is an audio blog post, where the context is NOW and the audience constitutes people not living under a rock. I really like that Ochry does not waste time explaining whom he refers to, like Wilson, and I like the immediacy of his reactions. I can only recommend more concise and accurate titles.