http://theinterviewpoint.com/ITP/Interviews/Interviews.html Smart talk with interesting people. iWeb 1.1.2 http://theinterviewpoint.com/ITP/Interviews/Interviews_files/Huckabee.png http://theinterviewpoint.com/ITP/Interviews/Interviews.html 60 The Interviewpoint The Interviewpoint contact@theinterviewpoint.com Smart talk with interesting people. Smart talk with interesting people. http://theinterviewpoint.com/ITP/Interviews/1E468135-B7D5-4CB0-87B2-47B8E74C8E6C.html http://theinterviewpoint.com/ITP/Interviews/1E468135-B7D5-4CB0-87B2-47B8E74C8E6C.html Mon, 21 Jan 2008 08:01:08 -0500 <a href="http://theinterviewpoint.com/ITP/Interviews/1E468135-B7D5-4CB0-87B2-47B8E74C8E6C_files/world%20by%20road.mp4"><img src="http://theinterviewpoint.com/ITP/Interviews/Images/world%20by%20road.jpg" style="float:left; padding-right:10px; padding-bottom:10px; width:130px; height:130px;"/></a>In the last year, plenty of commuters have put 25,611 miles on their odometers but none have chewed up that mileage quite like Steve Bouey and Steve Shoppman. Those miles took them from New Zealand to The Interviewpoint 00:11:08 In the last year, plenty of commuters have put 25,611 miles on their odometers but none have chewed up that mileage quite like Steve Bouey and Steve Shoppman. Those miles took them from New Zealand to In the last year, plenty of commuters have put 25,611 miles on their odometers but none have chewed up that mileage quite like Steve Bouey and Steve Shoppman. Those miles took them from New Zealand to Prague, where I hooked up with them in a car dealership as one of their two trucks were repaired after a smash-and-grab incident in Kazakhstan. The Steve’s are attempting to travel The World by Road, and midway through their two year journey they remain on pace to celebrate New Years 2009 in New York. First there are stops in Europe, Africa and South America on the itinerary. In this conversation they discuss why they went, what they’ve found, and what they hope to accomplish. http://theinterviewpoint.com/ITP/Interviews/8BC56D12-A9F9-4CAF-992E-8F2FAEEAD4A7.html http://theinterviewpoint.com/ITP/Interviews/8BC56D12-A9F9-4CAF-992E-8F2FAEEAD4A7.html Mon, 7 Jan 2008 08:01:17 -0500 The assassination of Benazir Bhutto leaves Pakistan and its embattled president in a complicated situation. Gone with Bhutto is the likelihood of coalition between her PPP party and President Pervez M The Interviewpoint 00:14:29 The assassination of Benazir Bhutto leaves Pakistan and its embattled president in a complicated situation. Gone with Bhutto is the likelihood of coalition between her PPP party and President Pervez M The assassination of Benazir Bhutto leaves Pakistan and its embattled president in a complicated situation. Gone with Bhutto is the likelihood of coalition between her PPP party and President Pervez Musharraf. Philip Oldenburg lays out the dynamics at play ahead of the scheduled elections there February 18, which he says are likely to be tampered with. “Virtually every Pakistani election except 1970 has been rigged,” Oldenburg says. He also presents an interesting explanation for why Pakistan has done so little to control their border with Afghanistan. “They would very much like to see the Taliban come back to power,” he says. So why is America so reliant on Pakistan? Oldenburg says its logistic as much as political. “Pakistan has leverage over the U.S,” Oldenburg says. “It’s a crucial logistical piece of the Afghanistan struggle. Almost all the big equipment goes through Pakistan.” You can compare this conversation with one we had with Oldenburg three months prior as President Musharraf declared emergency rule. http://theinterviewpoint.com/ITP/Interviews/51C5B6D3-483F-4F47-9230-2CECE7103BFA.html http://theinterviewpoint.com/ITP/Interviews/51C5B6D3-483F-4F47-9230-2CECE7103BFA.html Mon, 31 Dec 2007 08:00:25 -0500 If you’re not worried if they’re true or not, Langhorne Slim provides some interesting tales from a life of music. We found him in Brooklyn at Christmas time just before he transplanted to the west co The Interviewpoint 00:04:52 If you’re not worried if they’re true or not, Langhorne Slim provides some interesting tales from a life of music. We found him in Brooklyn at Christmas time just before he transplanted to the west co If you’re not worried if they’re true or not, Langhorne Slim provides some interesting tales from a life of music. We found him in Brooklyn at Christmas time just before he transplanted to the west coast. http://theinterviewpoint.com/ITP/Interviews/1288F74B-F99C-4810-8598-369700CB50A1.html http://theinterviewpoint.com/ITP/Interviews/1288F74B-F99C-4810-8598-369700CB50A1.html Mon, 21 Jan 2008 08:00:21 -0500 <a href="http://theinterviewpoint.com/ITP/Interviews/1288F74B-F99C-4810-8598-369700CB50A1_files/year%20ender.mp4"><img src="http://theinterviewpoint.com/ITP/Interviews/Images/year%20ender.jpg" style="float:left; padding-right:10px; padding-bottom:10px; width:130px; height:130px;"/></a>As the flying bubble promises, we’ve ranged from politics to sports; music to media. As the calendar flips we look back at our first three months attempting “smart talk with interesting people.” The Interviewpoint 00:06:44 As the flying bubble promises, we’ve ranged from politics to sports; music to media. As the calendar flips we look back at our first three months attempting “smart talk with interesting people.” As the flying bubble promises, we’ve ranged from politics to sports; music to media. As the calendar flips we look back at our first three months attempting “smart talk with interesting people.” http://theinterviewpoint.com/ITP/Interviews/874468A2-15E2-414C-A995-CC62F44CD47B.html http://theinterviewpoint.com/ITP/Interviews/874468A2-15E2-414C-A995-CC62F44CD47B.html Mon, 24 Dec 2007 01:25:26 -0500 In most places around the country, John Edwards is running third for the Democratic nomination for president. But in Iowa its closer to a three way tie with Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama and Team E The Interviewpoint 00:10:35 In most places around the country, John Edwards is running third for the Democratic nomination for president. But in Iowa its closer to a three way tie with Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama and Team E In most places around the country, John Edwards is running third for the Democratic nomination for president. But in Iowa its closer to a three way tie with Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama and Team Edwards hopes their intense work in the state can spur a win on January 3 and catapult the lagging campaign into more serious contention. In this conversation, Newsweek’s Suzanne Smalley discusses her cover story on Edwards, which focuses on some surprising elements of Edwards’s past. “One thing we did find that hasn’t really been reported on much and is somewhat surprising because of his self crafted image of looking out for the little guy is that he really did almost no pro bono work as a trial lawyer,” Smalley says. More flattering are reports of his high school leadership to improve race relations and his talents as an athlete. “He was a good enough football player to go to Clemson and make the team,” Smalley says. Edwards went to Clemson largely to please his father but when he failed to earn a football scholarship and couldn’t afford tuition he transferred out without making much of a mark. “None of the coaches remembered him. Players I talked to remembered him as very quiet and withdrawn…It was definitely not one of the better times of his life,” Smalley says. “He of course—being Edwards—immediately bounced back and transferred to N.C. State and did fine.” http://theinterviewpoint.com/ITP/Interviews/45B4AFB2-FF67-468D-99D6-4256A2280CF0.html http://theinterviewpoint.com/ITP/Interviews/45B4AFB2-FF67-468D-99D6-4256A2280CF0.html Mon, 24 Dec 2007 01:25:25 -0500 Nearly two months into the Writers Guild strike, negotiations have broken down and the television landscape is contorting to the new reality of talk shows without monologue writers and primetime calen The Interviewpoint 00:10:31 Nearly two months into the Writers Guild strike, negotiations have broken down and the television landscape is contorting to the new reality of talk shows without monologue writers and primetime calen Nearly two months into the Writers Guild strike, negotiations have broken down and the television landscape is contorting to the new reality of talk shows without monologue writers and primetime calendars devoid of new episodes. New York Times media reporter Brian Stelter tries to sort through the causes and effects of the work stoppage but stops short of identifying who is to blame for the heated rhetoric and stalled negotiations. “I wish I knew the answer to that. It’s been very hard to tell,” Stelter says. “You could argue that the writers are having a really hard time using the tactics they’re using to their advantage. You could make an equally efficient case that the studios...have their heads stuck in the mud and are unwilling to face reality. You could make an argument, I think, in either direction and maybe that’s why both sides are not coming back to the table.” http://theinterviewpoint.com/ITP/Interviews/19C568DA-4D6F-4526-8FAC-46E11A5663CC.html http://theinterviewpoint.com/ITP/Interviews/19C568DA-4D6F-4526-8FAC-46E11A5663CC.html Mon, 21 Jan 2008 08:11:10 -0500 <a href="http://theinterviewpoint.com/ITP/Interviews/19C568DA-4D6F-4526-8FAC-46E11A5663CC_files/hafvenstein.mov"><img src="http://theinterviewpoint.com/ITP/Interviews/Images/hafvenstein.jpg" style="float:left; padding-right:10px; padding-bottom:10px; width:130px; height:130px;"/></a>Joel Hafvenstein betrayed no culture shock when his 36 hour trip from Afghanistan deposited him in New York and we shared a Central Park bench to discuss “<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Opium-Season-Year-Afghan-Frontier/dp/1599211319">Opium Season</a>,” his account of good intentions The Interviewpoint 00:17:11 Joel Hafvenstein betrayed no culture shock when his 36 hour trip from Afghanistan deposited him in New York and we shared a Central Park bench to discuss “Opium Season,” his account of good intentions Joel Hafvenstein betrayed no culture shock when his 36 hour trip from Afghanistan deposited him in New York and we shared a Central Park bench to discuss “Opium Season,” his account of good intentions and bad consequences at the intersection of the war on terror and the war on drugs. In 2005 he was part of a group of aid workers tasked with bringing alternative job opportunities to the many poor Afghans who count on poppy cultivation--and by extension Heroin production--for their income. He eventually fled the country when his group came under attack but has since returned. In this conversation Hafvenstein relays his impressions of the largely failing poppy eradication effort and the wider issues at play in Afghanistan. “The troop numbers and the aid dollar numbers are not what’s going to make the difference,” he says. What is most important is providing basic security by retraining the failing police. “Its going to be hard to get people who will go out on the front lines like that. That is a dangerous job. But that is the kind of troop increase we need in Afghanistan.” The danger of failure? “If we just pull out of there it will go back to being Al Qaeda’s playground and we feel the effects of that,” Hafvenstein says. “The troops job there isn’t done. Its an important job. And what we really need to be focusing on is providing security in Afghanistan, however long that may take.” http://theinterviewpoint.com/ITP/Interviews/4879762C-3383-491B-AF73-431640B64F29.html http://theinterviewpoint.com/ITP/Interviews/4879762C-3383-491B-AF73-431640B64F29.html Mon, 26 Nov 2007 08:00:14 -0500 <a href="http://themusicslut.com/">Jen Kellas</a> introduces us to Tim Derricourt and Dave Rennick as <a href="http://www.dappledcitiesfly.com/">Dappled Cites</a> wraps up six months in New York to return to Sydney, Australia. Their recent release <a href="http://www.myspace.com/dappledcitiesfly">“Granddance”</a> earned raves on the heels The Interviewpoint 00:03:58 Jen Kellas introduces us to Tim Derricourt and Dave Rennick as Dappled Cites wraps up six months in New York to return to Sydney, Australia. Their recent release “Granddance” earned raves on the heels Jen Kellas introduces us to Tim Derricourt and Dave Rennick as Dappled Cites wraps up six months in New York to return to Sydney, Australia. Their recent release “Granddance” earned raves on the heels of 2006 showcases at SXSW and CMJ. They returned to Austin in March for another session of SXSW and motored throughout North America this year spreading their “jangley, well-crafted, indy music.” Unfortunately for us they were back in Australia by the time we realized one of the tapes from our interview required great patience and imagination. http://theinterviewpoint.com/ITP/Interviews/ED363CB6-238D-4849-B17C-BD7203636719.html http://theinterviewpoint.com/ITP/Interviews/ED363CB6-238D-4849-B17C-BD7203636719.html Mon, 26 Nov 2007 08:01:10 -0500 No one is saying Mark Twain’s never-performed play is cursed, but 109 years after he wrote “Is He Dead?” the farce is still waiting for opening night. Twain hoped it would open in London’s Lyceum Thea The Interviewpoint 00:10:39 No one is saying Mark Twain’s never-performed play is cursed, but 109 years after he wrote “Is He Dead?” the farce is still waiting for opening night. Twain hoped it would open in London’s Lyceum Thea No one is saying Mark Twain’s never-performed play is cursed, but 109 years after he wrote “Is He Dead?” the farce is still waiting for opening night. Twain hoped it would open in London’s Lyceum Theater a century ago but a fire put an end to that. Earlier this month two preview performances hit the stage at New York’s Lyceum Theater before the ongoing theater strike darkened Broadway and nixed a planned November 29 opening night. Shelley Fisher Fishkin did get to see one of those preview performances. Five years ago she unearthed the long-forgotten play in a sea of Twain archives. In this conversation she explains how she identified the “zany, cross-dressing farce” amid a dusty collection of inferior theatrical attempts by Twain. http://theinterviewpoint.com/ITP/Interviews/1585EF71-9031-4B0A-A1D9-3512BC5EC92C.html http://theinterviewpoint.com/ITP/Interviews/1585EF71-9031-4B0A-A1D9-3512BC5EC92C.html Mon, 19 Nov 2007 08:02:34 -0500 As a junior at UCLA Adam Sterling wanted to do something about the atrocities in Darfur, the conflict-ravaged western region of Sudan. In the process he became a driving force in the effort to divest The Interviewpoint 00:15:22 As a junior at UCLA Adam Sterling wanted to do something about the atrocities in Darfur, the conflict-ravaged western region of Sudan. In the process he became a driving force in the effort to divest As a junior at UCLA Adam Sterling wanted to do something about the atrocities in Darfur, the conflict-ravaged western region of Sudan. In the process he became a driving force in the effort to divest from Sudan. Divestment aims to starve an offending government of foreign investment income and Sterling’s Sudan Divestment Task Force has helped convince 22 U.S. state governments and dozens of other organizations (such as universities) to divest from the “worst actors” enmeshed in Sudan. In this conversation one of the stars of the new documentary “Darfur Now,” explains how divestment works and discusses the larger challenges in Darfur. http://theinterviewpoint.com/ITP/Interviews/1A629FCD-306E-4713-88A9-D0AF98AE6AED.html http://theinterviewpoint.com/ITP/Interviews/1A629FCD-306E-4713-88A9-D0AF98AE6AED.html Mon, 21 Jan 2008 08:09:31 -0500 <a href="http://theinterviewpoint.com/ITP/Interviews/1A629FCD-306E-4713-88A9-D0AF98AE6AED_files/Revkin.mov"><img src="http://theinterviewpoint.com/ITP/Interviews/Images/Revkin.jpg" style="float:left; padding-right:10px; padding-bottom:10px; width:130px; height:130px;"/></a>With an impending population of nine billion and a growing consensus that climate change posses significant dangers, Andrew Revkin has tackled the question of global sustainability with his New York T The Interviewpoint 00:17:47 With an impending population of nine billion and a growing consensus that climate change posses significant dangers, Andrew Revkin has tackled the question of global sustainability with his New York T With an impending population of nine billion and a growing consensus that climate change posses significant dangers, Andrew Revkin has tackled the question of global sustainability with his New York Times blog Dot Earth. In this wide-ranging discussion of climate concerns Revkin says many experts point to political leadership as a key solution but Revkin cites research that makes such political action problematic. “If we all jumped in Hummers and drove in circles and jerked up the thermostats or if we sat like the Buddah and didn’t use any fossil fuels, the climate system which is this huge bank of energy has so much momentum it won’t notice for 20 years. So that adds a horribly politically inconvenient time scale to this problem,” Revkin says. “Because you can’t cut a ribbon, fix it, and then get reelected based on that really smart choice you made.” http://theinterviewpoint.com/ITP/Interviews/4F5D9307-4540-41F3-8EEC-D8B77622C7F9.html http://theinterviewpoint.com/ITP/Interviews/4F5D9307-4540-41F3-8EEC-D8B77622C7F9.html Mon, 21 Jan 2008 08:05:55 -0500 <a href="http://theinterviewpoint.com/ITP/Interviews/4F5D9307-4540-41F3-8EEC-D8B77622C7F9_files/Garneau%20fix.mov"><img src="http://theinterviewpoint.com/ITP/Interviews/Images/Garneau%20fix.jpg" style="float:left; padding-right:10px; padding-bottom:10px; width:130px; height:130px;"/></a>New York music blogger <a href="http://www.themusicslut.com/">Jen Kellas </a>takes us to Williamsburg to meet <a href="http://www.chrisgarneau.com/">Chris Garneau</a>, whose January debut “Music For Tourists” is expected to surface on many Best of 2007 lists next month. But Chris is a The Interviewpoint 00:06:27 New York music blogger Jen Kellas takes us to Williamsburg to meet Chris Garneau, whose January debut “Music For Tourists” is expected to surface on many Best of 2007 lists next month. But Chris is a New York music blogger Jen Kellas takes us to Williamsburg to meet Chris Garneau, whose January debut “Music For Tourists” is expected to surface on many Best of 2007 lists next month. But Chris is already looking forward to the early-’08 release of an EP and follow-up LP. After all, the tunes on “Tourists” are several years old thanks to the extremely very drawn out production schedule of the first album. We caught up with Chris under the Williamsburg Bridge where he was playing a show we were allowed to tape as long as we didn’t say exactly where it was.