The Nicole Sandler Show

My guest today is a new friend, though someone I've kind of known for over 30 years. Erin Riley and I led parallel lives for a while, both rising in the world of rock radio and loving life. Erin worked at KROQ in LA when I was at WPLJ in NY. As I traded the east coast for the west coast and moved to LA, Erin moved back east to become music director at WMMR in Philadelphia.  We finally met some 35 years after we were both at the same event with Yoko Ono celebrating the release of the documentary "Imagine" about John Lennon back in 1988... It's a small world.  Though I'm sure we'll wind up talking music at some point, that's not the subject of today's interview.   Instead, we'll talk about how Erin's life took a sharp turn from the sex and drugs and rock and roll life to the point where she wrote a book -- not a memoir of those music filled years, but A DARK FORCE: 20 YEARS WITH A COVERT NARCISSIST.  But we'll begin, as usual, with the latest and yes, shocker, there is breaking news. An arrest was made in the case of the huge Pentagon classified documents leak and, go figure, it was a 21 year old gamer in a chatroom. South Florida has been hit with torrential rains and biblical flooding, resulting in the closure of Fort Lauderdale Airport yesterday-- and all day today! Jury selection began today in Delaware for the Dominion Voting Systems vs Fox (not) News. The trial is expected to begin on Monday. And  Trump is back in NYC for another deposition before NY AG Letitia James.... and that will bring us to the topic of a narcissistic sociopath...

A bit of what's news for now

Eli Merritt [http://elimerritt.com/] is a political historian, and an MD and psychiatrist. At Vanderbilt University, he's served as a professor and visiting scholar in three departments: History, Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences and the Center for Biomedical Ethics and Society. He's written and/or edited a few books, including the newly released HOW TO SAVE DEMOCRACY: INSPIRATION AND ADVICE FROM 95 WORLD LEADERS [https://bookshop.org/a/1630/9798987295229]. He's our guest today. Given his wealth of areas of expertise, I have lots of questions for him. Perhaps we will get the answer to the question of how to save democracy! And we'll share some listener mail too.. it's been a while!

A bit of what's news for now

She's back! Well, GottaLaff is still in Canada, but with us this week, and there's no shortage of news to discuss, some of it truly ridiculous and even sickening. Like the Dalai Lama, asking a young boy to suck on his tongue! Really. That's just wrong on so many levels, as is much of the rest of the news today. But we'll manage to have some fun and a bit of laughter, which is always the goal when we get together on these alternate Tuesdays..

A bit of what's news for now

The title of Jeff Sharlet's must-read new book is THE UNDERTOW, the subtitle is SCENES FROM A SLOW CIVIL WAR.  They both work. Jeff has been a favorite author and guest of mine since he gave us THE FAMILY back in 2008, and has been pulling the curtain from around the Christian nationalist movement and the many offshoots of what I call insanity, though Jeff is far more charitable. He gets out among these people and gains insight into what brought them to these points in their lives, so perhaps has a greater understanding of concepts that I believe are impossible to understand.  This is the eighth book that Jeff Sharlet has written or edited and he knows the subject better than most of us. His challenge is in sharing all he's learned with the rest of us who resist being pulled under by the very strong undertow that appears to be growing exponentially each year.  Strap in... Jeff tells some very uncomfortable stories ... they're stories we all need to hear and understand if we are to put up any kind of defense to the forces that are threatening to undercut life as we know it.

A bit of what's news for now

I couldn't be happier that today is Friday. As for the Good part, I don't participate in any organized religion, especially Catholicism (sorry)... And frankly, the story behind this weekend's religious holidays is about as far-fetched as they come. But that the beautiful thing about the US -- we're all free to worship whatever religion we choose, or none at all.  At least, that's the premise on which this nation was founded. And today's Republicans are trying to rewrite history. We cannot allow that to happen. Exit Opposite World.  Today, my guest is an old friend. Barry W Lynn is a minister in the United Church of Christ, and he understands that I have as much a right not to worship as he has to worship. And he's worked most of his career to ensure those rights for both of us, and more.  When I met Barry, he was executive director of American United for Separation of Church and State, from which he retired in 2017.  I love talking with Barry Lynn, and he's welcome here any time. But today, the occasion is his new book... actually a trilogy of books under the heading of PAID TO PISS PEOPLE OFF! Book 1 is PEACE, Book 2 PORN, Book 3 PRAYER.  It's actually the perfect conversation for this Good Friday/Easter/Passover/Ramadan convergence...    If people who claimed to follow the teachings of their religious leaders -- whether that's Jesus, Moses, Mohammed, Buddah or the Flying Spaghetti Monster (yes, I am an ordained minister in the Rasta church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster with the card to prove it), everyone would be a whole lot more accepting of people who are different than they are. Just saying...

A bit of what's news, for now