Comments by Lu Olkowski

Comment for "Death's Footprint"

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Death's Footprint

Do you want a solid African mahogany casket with “Bolero” red interior or do you want to compost your body in a big old worm bin? That pretty much sums up this Chicago Matters piece about people’s changing views about what we want done with our bodies after we die. Includes a great description of resomation: a process I’d never heard of in which a body is boiled in a “non-toxic” chemical brew until it becomes dust. Dust, they say, safe enough to use as fertilizer. I don’t know about the actual feasibility of composting oneself or whether I’d want to use human remains as fertilizer, but interesting none the less. Listen. Air it.

Comment for "Radiolab, Show 102: Stress"

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Review of Radio Lab, Show 102: Stress

fresh – thoughtful – playful – the very best kind of radio. "Radio Lab" tackles big ideas, brings them down-to-size to show us how they effect us all and follows it up with truly gripping human stories.

This show about "stress" captures a wide range of emotion – from abject horror to complete amusement with an intimacy that seems all too rare.

The rapport between Jad and Robert is so warm and so genuine that I wish I were sitting down with them over a beer, listening, laughing and whiling away the hours.

Thanks and big, big congrats to Jad, Robert, Ellen and your tribe of contributors. Thanks, too, to the execs at WNYC who encouraged this to happen – please make any deal with the devil you must - secure the funding and make more!

Stations... snap it up!

Comment for "StoryCorps: Sam Harmon"

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Review of StoryCorps: Sam Harmon

This tiny piece from StoryCorps is a real gem.
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Comment for "This American Life: After the Flood" (deleted)

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Review of This American Life: After the Flood (deleted)

While many have become fans of TAL for its stars Ms. Vowell and Davids Rakoff and Sedaris, it is equally shows like these that keep me coming back.

Be they stories about Elian Gonzalez, American contractors in Iraq, or now this, the disaster in the Gulf, the folks at TAL have a remarkable and consistent ability to get straight to the heart of the matter.

Thank you, and...

More, please.

Comment for "A Tribute to Spalding Gray"

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Review of A Tribute to Spalding Gray

"One of the hells I suffer is that I am in the past a lot of the time because I don’t have boundaries. Because if the past is fuel for your stories, then you’re not going to draw boundaries on what part of the past you want to go to – that’s the painful part for me... ...it’s having to let that stuff flood in."

This little moment, a bit buried in the piece, speaks volumes about Spalding Gray, his work and why many who are drawn to him, are drawn to him. The value Spalding put on raw emotion and re-feeling events is remarkable and rare in this world. Most of us prefer to put the past far behind us because we can’t risk the pain we may feel. It is the rare few, like Spalding Gray, who cannot do that. And that is truly a great gift to the rest of us.

Comment for "The Lord God Bird"

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Review of "The Lord God Bird"

A beautiful piece - it's really is a love note to the town of Brinkley and a hymn to the bird that the residents hope will save them.

I've often thought that reverence for the land (that God or chance created) is a place where red staters and blue staters might find common ground - this piece subtly but certainly encourages that idea.

Perfect as a Saturday or Sunday morning drop in when someone might have an extra minute or two to sit and contemplate.

Comment for "Buster & SpongeBob in Love"

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Review of Buster & SpongeBob in Love

"Good designers (and writers and artists) make trouble." - Tibor Kalman, M&Co.

As do good radio producers!

One of the reasons this is so successful is not only because it is funny and naughty, but because it is a social commentary about an issue that is now very, very visible in the media.

This is so good precisely because it is opinionated and timely.

Jonathan should take these three pieces (Terminally Blonde & The Sopranos in the West Wing) to "On the Media" - I can think of no better place to use popular media to do social commentary. Although they will probably not take "Buster and SpongeBob," it would be a great series for them to do on a regular basis - I hope Jonathan is working on a snappy title for the series and has another in the works.

Really, I don't know why OTM hasn't snatched these up already!

Also seriously consider taking to XM or Sirius. Because it’s a subscription service (like cable TV), they can often air what broadcasters cannot.

Comment for "The Whistler"

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Review of The Whistler

a happy little radio moment with a truly genius whistler.

the piece is emblematic of the kinds of small and sweet stories that I remember hearing peppered throughout ME and ATC oh, so long ago...

would be an excellent addition to any weekend or evening newscast - I imagine listening while driving on a beautiful summer evening, the open road, a cool breeze blowing, and me desperately trying to whistle half as well as Jeff Hannon.