Zoe Kazan, writer/star of “Ruby Sparks” and the new play “Trudy & Max in Love,” uses our show to save a chihuahua… bestselling author Jackie Collins kidnaps our etiquette segment… Actor Sam Harris remembers the little people on his rise to stardom… all about an American who was big in Japan… New software monitors if ‘retail therapy’ actually works… Oscar-nominated documentarian Jeffrey Karoff goes underground … And we hear a killer “Kong” song. Plus: the best pizza box in the world.
“Actors on Lightbulbs” – Sam Harris
If You're Happy and They Know It, Here's an Ad
The latest innovation in consumer targeting: facial recognition software used by retailers to record a customer's psychological state while shopping.
Sumo-Sized History and a Trans-Pacific Cocktail
This week back in 1993, Chad Rowan became the first foreign-born athlete in 2000 years to reach yokozuna – the highest rank in sumo wrestling.
Songs for a Quiet Night with Jeremy Jay
After working on his darkly dreamy new album in nigh-reclusion, we asked indie synth-pop musician Jeremy Jay for songs to play at a party.
Jackie Collins Knows What All Women Want
Nobody is prepared to answer our listeners' devious, steamy, and terribly glamorous etiquette questions quite like Jackie Collins.
Sam Harris Will Not Be Upstaged by a Child
Singer, actor, all-around show-biz ham Sam Harris - now the author of "Ham: Slices of a Life, Essays, and Stories" - is forced to share the spotlight with a young ham-in-training.
Designing the World's Best Pizza Box
Most of us would be more interested in what is inside a pizza box, but Scott Wiener is obsessed with innovation in the design of the box itself.
'Cavedigger' Explores the Underground Life of Artist Ra Paulette
"Cave Digger" is a documentary by producer/director Jeffrey Karoff about a quixotic sculptor in New Mexico who creates elaborate, beautiful caves carved into the natural landscape.
Zoe Kazan's New Play Wrestles with the Muscular Side of Love
Zoe Kazan has recently premiered "Trudy and Max in Love," a play she wrote about a complicated affair between two writers.
The Notwist Continue Their Evolution
The Notwist started out, as so many German bands do, by playing heavy metal. Nine albums and 24 years later, they've evolved into electronic pop musicians.
Playlist: Episode 237
Music from this week's show.