Herb Kauderer and Alan Katerinsky:
Orthopedic Horseshoes

A show where cranky old men discourse
on American Society and media.
2/13/10: TENN TIMES THE KLASS
Philip Klass, who wrote brilliantly as William Tenn, appeared on Orthopedic Horseshoes back in October 2008. On February 7, 2010 Phil passed away. In July 2009 Phil and his warm and wonderful wife Fruma hosted a Koffee Klatsch at the Confluence SF convention, and they were kind enough to let Orthopedic Horseshoes record it. Please join Herb Kauderer and Alan Katerinsky in listening to Phil & Fruma talk about the origins of their writing careers, Phil’s fondness for the novels of Calder Willingham, Fruma’s story “Jennifer’s Turn”, Phil’s book ‘Dancing Naked’ from NESFA Press, how crazy the future turned out, and Phil’s amazing experiences at the end of World War II at Bergen-Belsen. Recorded by Herb Kauderer and Dan Gurzynski, engineered (and much improved) by Dan Gurzyinski. Feedback welcome at orthopedichorseshoes@yahoo.com.
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1/8/10: NEVER PET A BURNING DOG
Herb and Al chat with award-winning authors Mike Resnick and Nick DiChario about their collaborative collection ‘Magic Feathers’ and lots more.  The guys muse on prize-winning collies, aggressive redheads named Thelma, Robert Silverberg, Connie Willis, “The Elephants on Neptune”, the kick of writing, ‘Valley of Day-Glo’, Robert T. Jeschonek, Lezli Robyn, Ray Lafferty and the mystery of the missing Hugo, ‘Duck You Suckers’, mythology of the far future, ‘The Outpost’, ‘A Small and Remarkable Life’, “Mwalimu in the Squared Circle”, “Shaka II”, the ultimate job rejection letter, editorial conviction, endless ideas, and stopping delivery for a week. Recorded by Herb Kauderer & Alan Katerinsky.
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12/13/09: THOSE OLD ACE DOUBLES
December celebrates Al surviving another semester of grad school. Herb sits down and talks with fantasy author S. C. Butler at Albacon 2009. SF fan, and damned fun guy, Frank Halvorsen wanders in to join the conversation about BookScan, e-book sales, loss leaders, the long tail effect of book marketing, why we own books today, our first SF books, those old Ace Doubles, A. Bertram Chandler, moving beyond the need for stairs never happens, on-line books, new entry parameters for publishing, print books at the top of the pyramid, databases for home book collections, e-books on the music industry model, the Pirate Bay trial, “capitalism, if unregulated, will eat itself,” breaking up AT&T, and enough already of “big government is bad.”
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11/10/09: DRUNKEN SQUIRRELS & CATS UNDER THE INFLUENCE
Al & Herb visit the Astronomicon Science Fiction convention in Rochester NY, and sit down with Josepha Sherman and Lois H. Gresh. Lois is the New York Times Bestselling Author of 20 books. Josepha is a renowned folklorist, and bestselling author of many books including the recent ‘Vulcan’s Soul’ Trilogy in the Star Trek universe. What follows is a free-ranging conversation about ‘Alien Nation,’ vampire trends, the thumb theory of story, copy editors and the new comma, cloning really big dinosaurs as a food source, post-zombie fiction, neo-post-zombie fiction, drunken squirrels, cats under the influence, defective glue, the joy of being Mr. Ed, beer as the –cause- of culture, and the sexbad/violencegood media.  The silly meter is on high. Recorded by Herb Kauderer.

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10/10/09: WE ARE THE DWINDLING WITNESSES…
Al & Herb host a virtual con suite with remote guests recorded at WorldCon and Confluence 2009. Connie Willis talks about ‘Blackout’ and ‘All Clear,’ Tom Seay talks about the Alpha Writers’ Workshop, and Walter Hunt talks about ‘A Song in Stone.’ Herb and Al discuss current shadows of World War II; the time before time, or at least before our parents met; history becoming myth with the death of eye witnesses; the moon landing; Alan Bean’s art; and the residences of need and desire.  Pete Grubbs debuts a new song, “Don’t Tread on Me.” Our guests tell us what makes them cranky, including bonus cranks by Michelle Sagara-West and Fruma Klass. Recorded by Herb Kauderer & Alan Katerinsky.

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09/08/09:  VIRTUAL COMMUNITIES AND THE LIQUID PSYCHE
Al & Herb ramble about the badge of old age, grad school, and Confluence. Michelle Sagara-West talks about upcoming books. John Scalzi talks about the ideal length for a novel, Subterranean Press, other projects, and his next book. Scalzi cranks about writers’ attitudes about awards, especially the Hugo Award.  Later he actually accepts a Hugo. Sagara-West cranks about the difference between publicity and an on-line community as exemplified by John Scalzi. Al and Herb debate virtual versus physical communities, the quality of experience, talking with voices versus keyboards, tribal cues, and finger gestures. Recorded by Dan Gurzynski and Herb Kauderer.
to listen (31:08) or click here
08/04/09:  SAY NEBULA NOVELLA NOMINEE THREE TIMES FAST
Three time Nebula nominee Bud Sparhawk joins Herb & Al at the Confluence SF convention to talk about the spiral rack at the drugstore, those messages that you’re really a writer,  ‘Dangerous Visions’ as negative inspiration, a writing career interrupted, supply side vs demand side publishing, Analog stories, netbooks, the steam-driven laptop, Antaeus and the Bull Calf, zero-balance writing, writers’ chairs, the epic journey of the sale and publication of ‘Vixen,’ agentable ages, copy-editors, the patience to sell novels, an active community, the growth of centenarians, and the ramifications of the fact that the “don’t trust anyone over 30” crowd is 60. Recorded by Herb Kauderer.
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07/09/09: TOUCHING AIR IS A LITTLE VAGUE FOR ME (31:12)
Herb & Al, along with special guest Shannon Kauderer talk gaming and more. They cover the recent E-3 gaming convention, Project Natal the controller-free game, the Bushmen of Africa, a virtual metal detector for the living room, the art in electronic arts, bobbing for French fries, the evolution of typing & video games, the virtual game cubical as locked room mystery, the approach of holodeck techonology, Loren D. Estleman as typist, a virtual trailer park, Hulu vs YouTube, cola wars, Tales of Symphonia 2: Dawn of the New World, the long tradition of fantasy time wasting, Gilligan’s Island, D&D, and the next thing in gaming. Recorded by Dan Gurzynski.
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BADNESS ON THE INTERNET (28:13)
June celebrates Al’s completion of an amazing semester of grad school. Herb & Al discuss the information society, Shmoocon, that nobody does fraud like the Rumanians, and D-Day. The representatives of FireEye (Alex Lanstein & Julia Wolf) talk with Al about how a botnet works, bringing down the bad guys, distribution of IP addresses, drive-by stone throwings, FBI limitations, Estonians in southern California, spamming services, where the internet branches actually plug into each other, carrier hotels, the economic reality of spam, spam selling Viagra & Rolexes, and all other elements of the Srizbi Case. Recorded by Dan Gurzynski & Alan Katerinsky.
to listen (28:15) or click here
05/10/09: WHEN CONVERSATION IS REPLACED BY CERTAINTY, WE’RE DOOMED
May features the completion of Alan Katerinsky’s interview with James Morrow. They talk about ‘The Philosopher’s Apprentice’, artificial intelligence and ‘The Zombies of Montrose’, David Chalmers and ‘The Conscious Mind’, zombie twins, phenomenological life, SF writers of faith and the atheist tradition in SF, and Comenius’ grand dialogue of life. To complete the episode Herb Kauderer interview voice actor and audio scripter Michael McAfee about new radio theater, Dr. Demento, Firesign Theatre, Red Shift: Interplanetary Dogooder, The Fantastic Fate of Fredrick Farnsworth V, and Cerebus the voiceman. Recorded by Alan Katerinsky and Herb Kauderer.
to listen (31:21) or click here
04/09/09: THE SADO-MASOCHISTIC THEORY OF STORY
For April, Orthopedic Horseshoes looks at the nature of story. Alan interviews James Morrow about the faith gene, Edward Harrison and ‘The Masks of the Universe,’ this demon-driven universe, a critique of modernity, and the ‘Principia Mathematica.’ Herb talks with Mary Turzillo and Geoffrey Landis about famous openings, falling asleep on ‘Jaws’, consequences, romance around the grill, Marlowe, Nietzsche, the appeal of horror, story engagement, the limitations of words, ‘The Crazy Years,’ the need for coherent narrative, the disintegration of political parties, and average citizens creating story. Recorded by Alan Katerinsky and Herb Kauderer.
to listen (28:46) or click here
03/09/09 BIOMOLECULAR CRYPTOLOGY: A WHOLE LOT OF MONKEYS DOING A WHOLE LOT OF STUFF
Herb & Al continue to celebrate Darwin Day discussing Al’s experiences at Shmoocon, the computer hacker’s convention. They cover Al Capp; hacking vs. being hacked; Carl Fredrick, Paul Levinson, hacking the genome; and interdisciplinary synthesis. Then Al interviews Shmoocon presenter, cell biologist Dr. R. Mark Adams about what happens when cryptography meets biology. They muse on Reginald Punnett and his squares; Gregor Mendel; G. H. Hardy; HacDC; simulating the genome; lousy lab technique; genetic transfers; Radio Free Genome; beer; curing cancer; and cornering HIV  The show closes with genomic music, “The Little March of the Fruit Flies.” Recorded by Dan Gurzynski and Alan Katerinsky.
to listen (31:58) or click here
02/09/09 THE SQUISHIEST SCIENCE
Dr. Ron Eskew joins Herb & Al to celebrate Darwin Day by talking about evolutionary psychology; philosophy’s debt to vintners; Dawkins, Persinger and electromagnetically induced analgesia; Ralph the sheepdog and Wile E. Coyote; self-domesticating dogs; a science of why is it? rather than what is it?; ‘Sperm Wars;’ what misshapen sperm does; practical uses for paranoia; psychology losing and finding its mind; middle-aged insomnia; the added-on-modules model of the mind; the mind as home entertainment center; the real reason guys think about sex so much; ‘Dr. Tatiana’s Sex Advice to All Creation;’ experiments that will get you locked up; and Descartes’ ideal person with Freud’s answer. Recorded by Dan Gurzynski.
to listen (52:38) or click here
01/09/09 PAM ANDERSON IS IMPOSSIBLE (30:35)
Dr. David DeGraff returns to talk with Herb & Al about multitasking, Escape Pod SF podcasts, audio drama, changing perceptions, your inner 12 year-old boy, relearning math, potato sticks, physicists vs chemists, remembering names & recognizing faces, weird hair, memories of college, creationism, wrong turns in science, the impossible becoming commonplace, daring the universe, evolution, bird flu, gravitation, Sir Isaac Newton, and more. Recorded by Dan Gurzynski. .
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12/09/08: THE ROVER’S STUDDED SAND TIRES (30:11)
Herb & Al are back on the road.  They talk with scientist/author Diane Turnshek about teaching young writers, first conventions, ‘Here Come the Brides,’ and other bad singing. Al talks with World Fantasy Award winning author James Morrow about epiphenomenon, really cool titles, The Philosopher’s Apprentice, and The Last Witchfinder. Herb talks with NASA scientist and Hugo Award winning author Geoffrey A. Landis, and poet Mary Turzillo about the nature of thought, Marvin Minsky, Joyce, Beckett, David Ives, rocket science, and memories of Hal Clement.  James, Geoff, and Mary have all won the Nebula Award for writing short fiction. Recorded by Alan Katerinsky & Herb Kauderer.
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11/09/08: IT TAKES TWO MURDERS TO MAKE A STRAIGHT LINE (31:56)
Against the background of the presidential election, Herb & Al discuss ugly old white guys and politics. They reminisce about meeting Sue Grafton, Lawrence Block, Margaret Atwood, and Jose Latour at mystery conventions. Arthur Upfield scholar jan howard finder expounds on Upfield's aboriginal detective Boney. Ethicist Dr. Gordon Snow speaks on security, the future of detection and of detective fiction. Herb and Al ramble on science fiction mysteries, especially those of Robert J. Sawyer. And Holmes scholar Carl William Thiel explores why we love Sherlock Holmes. Recorded by Dan Gurzynski and Herb Kauderer..
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10/9/08: PUTTING LIPSTICK ON A SCIENCE FICTION CONVENTION (30:01)
Herb & Al try to capture the flavor of a Science Fiction convention by bringing clips from Confluence 2008. They discuss filking, science, socializing, the hospitality suite, "Betelgeuse Bridge," and NESFA Press. The episode features Anne Cecil about starting a convention, William Tenn (Philip Klass) talking about Theodore Sturgeon, and Mary Turzillo about her poetry collections Your Cat & Other Space Aliens, and Dragon Soup. Herb & Al also crank on the presidential election, the Olympics, and more. Recorded by Dan Gurzynski and Alan Katerinsky.
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9/9/08: BEYOND OUR SOLAR SYSTEM
Alfred State's Dr. David DeGraff once again joins Al & Herb, this time to talk about big moons, icy bodies, easy ways to find life, habitable zones, organic gases, detecting life on Mars & Europa, the problem with naming exo-planets, making science sexy and profitable, the new Battlestar Galactica, and the internet as vehicle for email, music, & porn. closing music by Mari MacNeil. Recorded by Dan Gurzynski.
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8/10/08 Growing Up as Part of Losing Your Originality (29:04)
Herb & Al, talk with author James Alan Gardner about multiple intelligences, kinesthetic learning, the Forbes richest list, brain function and braintech, Persinger & the god engine, electro-pharmocology, bellum pater omnia, Wayne Gretzky, robber barons, functional MRI and lining up for a religious experience. Recorded by Dan Gurzynski.
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7/10/08 The Devil is in the Details (32:07)
Herb, Al, and horror writer Edo van Belkom discuss people who are full of themselves, what a writer looks like, a tradition of pornography, social skills and fan conventions, feeling like Jesus, the Silver Birch Award, the long tail, self-judgment, and what the writer’s job should be. Recorded by Dan Gurzynski.
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6/9/08 On the Front Lines of Teaching Science (27:00)
Herb & Al chat with Dr. David DeGraff, the head of Astronomy at Alfred University about teaching the scientific method, student mis-priorities, cell phones, physics envy, sorting out the sciences, unnoticed stars, self-selecting planets, and the key question: are we weird? Recorded by Dan Gurzynski.
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5/9/08 The American Century is Dead (30:30)
Herb, Al, & guest Robert J. Sawyer discuss gas prices & red herrings, a national vision for all mankind or at least for energy policy, loving America, the military draft, JFK’s legacy, Uncle Sam and the Tar Baby, and who really puts money in your pocket. Recorded by Dan Gurzynski.
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4/9/08 Cows in the Living Room (34:00)
Farmer/musician Pete Grubbs kicks off a discussion of cows that tramples political correctness, and provokes PETA. Pete, Herb & Al try explaining American food, who hired Bush, and who should be shooting whom in America. Includes Pete's live performances of "From Bakersfield to Compton" and "Hellhound" Recorded by Dan Gurzynski.
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3/9/08 We were not the first to misbehave romantically. (25:26)
Herb & Al beat up the nature of aging, the hypocrisy of "Just Say No", extended adolescence, looking younger than our parents, Diogenes the Cynic, agenda theory, Drunken Tribal Council, and the Death of Humor. Guest crank by Bear Acks. Recorded by Dan Gurzynski. .
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2/9/08 Potter is a comfort food & other fantasies (26:05)
Herb, Al, & Bear Acks crank through the myth of the ideal family, the creative process, and Terry Pratchett. They thumb their noses at sleep deprivation, over-scheduling, and product drop-ins. Join the rebellion. Recorded by Dan Gurzynski.
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1/9/08 Kevork, as a verb (27:06)
Herb & Al, ramble, discourse, and laugh at what it means to be 40 something, Paris Hilton, TV news, legal drugs, presidential candidates and more. Guest cranks by Bear Acks, closing music by Pete Grubbs. Recorded by Dan Gurzynski.
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