Jeff Schechtman's "Talk Cocktail"

"To discover to the world something which deeply concerns it, and of which it was previously ignorant; to prove to it that it had been mistaken on some vital point of temporal or spiritual interest, is as important a service as a human being can render to his fellow creatures..." John Stuart Mill, "On Liberty"

Wednesday, May 31, 2017

We Are What We Read

Lately, in the world of journalism, we are seeing that we truly are the news that we consume. It probably defines our politics, our social...

Tuesday, May 30, 2017

Frank Deford was an American treasrue R.I.P.

As a writer, journalist and commentator Frank Deford was a national treasure. He helped us understand so much of what really makes America ...

Monday, May 29, 2017

"Happy Birthday, Mr. President"

Today we mark the 100th birthday of John F. Kennedy. When we do that, our first instinct is to look for the single achievement that defines...

Friday, May 26, 2017

Janesville: A Very Human Story

We are nine years out from the great recession and still the consequences are impacting cities and towns across America. In spite of all th...

Thursday, May 25, 2017

Why Is American Health Care So Sick?

We’ve all heard the old adage that what can be done, can be undone. Well maybe we need to try that with our healthcare system. In just ...

Wednesday, May 24, 2017

A Previous Golden Age of Journalsm

It’s hard to believe today, but there was time when magazines were an important source of news and images and information. LIFE and Time s...

Saturday, May 20, 2017

"There Are No Nations, Only Corporations"

Back in 2010, with the Citizens United decision, we thought we were witnessing a new dominance of corporations and corporate power. But in ...

Wednesday, May 17, 2017

How N.Y.'s Fiscal Crises of the '70s Has Shaped So Much Of Our Politics Today

Many of you may remember that back in the mid 70’s, the City of New York had fallen into a kind dystopian horror...crime and graffiti were...

Monday, May 15, 2017

Criminal Justice Reform and Crime in Black Communities

In spite of everything that Jeff Sessions is doing to stand in the way, reform of our criminal justice system is perhaps one of the most imp...

Friday, May 12, 2017

The Gatekeepers: Why the White House Chief of Staff Matters

I think that we can stipulate that experience and competence matters in most things. And while you may not like all of their decisions or p...

Friday, May 5, 2017

The Rise of A Woman In Hollywood

There was a time, not that long ago, in a galaxy not that far away, when Hollywood made movies that were both entertaining and substantive....

Tuesday, May 2, 2017

Political Malfeasance Is Not Yet A Crime

We are reminded every day of that old political adage that elections have consequences. What we forget sometimes is the predicate of that s...

Monday, May 1, 2017

What Divides Americans from the World and From Each Other

There is an accepted rule of journalism that says that when trying to understand a story, “go there.” In fact with respect to some things, ...

Friday, April 28, 2017

Behaving Badly: The New Morality in Politics, Sex, and Business

If you are listening to this, I suspect you’ve said to yourself, or aloud, many times over the past couple of years, how did we get here? ...

Wednesday, April 26, 2017

Cellular Agriculture, Synthetic Biology, Genetic Editing, Deathless Meat and More. All Part of a Brave New World of Genetic Technology

It has been said that the only way to predict the future, is to invent it. And that is exactly what's happening in labs and companies...

Monday, April 24, 2017

The Afgan war is far from over

It's been sixteen years since the beginning of the post 9/11 US war in Afghanistan. A nation that has often been referred to as the ...

Friday, April 21, 2017

Marcus du Sautoy and an Appreciation of Science

For all the talk today about science and technology, it seems that sometimes the frontiers of science are simply a new app, a new way to sho...

Thursday, April 20, 2017

The Story of a Deranged Narcissist

Imagine a paranoid narcissist who can read a crowd. One who would invent crises to create apprehension among his followers and immediatel...

Wednesday, April 19, 2017

The Cold War, Psychic Phenomena, Psychokinesis and ESP

It’s a little chilling that there is so much deja vu talk these days about the Cold War and even about Nazis and the Third Reich. You ma...

Tuesday, April 18, 2017

How History Has Shaped China's Push for Global Power

Just prior to Nixon’s visit to China in 1972, the then Chinese premier Zhou Enlai, was asked how he thought the visit might turn out. He an...

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About

Jeff Schechtman: Napa, California, United States; I grew up during the Kennedy Presidency. It was a time when the best and the brightest sat center stage in the nation's psyche. I've always remembered the story, that at an arts gala at the White House, Kennedy looked around the room and proclaimed it "the greatest gathering of talent since Thomas Jefferson dined alone." Without the benefit of such trappings, I've had the opportunity, for the past nineteen years, to have a seat at an international banquet of ideas and history. My radio program provided me a unique opportunity to "travel" around the world and speak to thousands of the most imaginative thinkers and leaders in the arenas of politics, religion, journalism, business, popular culture, academics, science, economics, history, and medicine. During these years, I have taken many people with me on this journey. It has been a momentous time. The trauma of politics, the onslaught of technology, the insights of science, and the changes in the human condition make this a period almost unequaled in history. I'm excited that technology has now made it possible for me to take more of you along with me on this journey.

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