A few months before they swept America, the Beatles recorded a five-song set in front of a small audience for Swedish radio. This is one of the few, high-quality public domain recordings of the early Beatles. Found at the Internet Archive. Turn up your speakers - this is not some crummy wire recording from their Hamburg days...

Songs: 'I Saw Her Standing There', 'From Me To You', 'Money', 'You've Really Got a Hold on Me', and 'Roll Over Beethoven'. Short introduction by host Robert Blevins from Straight Talk

'Now for something completely different...' Have you ever wondered just HOW technology advanced so quickly after World War 2? Perhaps the answer lies in the sci-fi story 'Hole Card', a disturbing tale of a man held prisoner from the rest of the world. Some minor use of profanity makes this story rated 'Teen'.

From the sci-fi anthology 'Dimensions' by Robert Blevins and British author Geoff Nelder.

A science-fiction story from the book 'Dimensions', 'A Smaller Step' is the tale of four astronauts - two Russians and two Americans - who undertake a risky drive over the lunar surface to do a bit of research.

Recently restored with Dolby and other high-tech, the famous film 'The Grapes of Wrath' revealed a secret: Henry Fonda was the SECOND person to swear on an American film. The first was Clark Gable in Gone With The Wind. While crawling under the Joad jalopy to examine a flat tire, Jane Darwell ('Ma Joad') sits down on the front bumper. Fonda is heard saying to her: 'Ma...will you get the hell off there...we're gonna need some slack.'

Audio excerpt played several times during the podcast. The original article from the Newsvine column can be found HERE, with pictures. There is a link there leading back to this podcast.

Two episodes from the infamous Straight Talk column at MSNBC/Newsvine.

'Christina Applegate's Brave Choice - and Why She Did It' - Examines why the Broadway and television star decided to take the radical route in her treatment for breast cancer.

'Meet Joe Biden' - Who the heck IS Barack Obama's running mate, and what does he bring to the table for Democrats? A lot, as it turns out. Thirty-five years of foreign policy experience is just the tip of the iceberg. Find out a lot you didn't know about a guy who works well with people, loves to campaign, and is nearly as good a debater and speechmaker as Obama.

'The Most Evil Website in the World' talks about The Satan Service, a sort-of central clearinghouse for serious evil. Know your enemy, as they say. This podcast is suitable for all, but the site discussed certainly IS NOT. You've been warned.

'What Georgia's President Wants You to Know' - The country of Georgia is currently under attack from Russia. A few days ago, President Mikhail ('Misha') Saakashvili stood on a rooftop in the capital city and gave an interview to Glenn Beck of CNN. Some quotes from the interview, and an overview of the situation. Because of the extensive use of images in this article, we encourage you to drop by Straight Talk and have a look at the original article.

Narrated by host Robert Blevins.

Democrats - Aren't you glad now that Barack Obama didn't rush out and select John Edwards to be his running mate?

Republicans - Don't you wish he HAD?

Host Robert Blevins takes a look at the fall of John Edwards and provides some additional info on his mistress, Rielle Hunter. This article appeared in the August 7 edition of Straight Talk

The official platform on how John McCain and Barack Obama stand on the following issues: The Federal Budget, The Death Penalty, Marijuana, Taxes, Same-Sex Marriage, The Economy, Civil Rights, Gun Control, Health Care, Abortion, and Energy.

Host Robert Blevins begins by listing eight states where either candidate currently has a lead in the polls of five points or more. From the Straight Talk column at Newsvine/MSNBC.

He's endured attacks on his wife, his family, and his race. If he had a cat, some people would attack it as well. He is the butt of thousands of racist images and comments across America. And yet he may still be our next President.

Host Robert Blevins takes a hard look at the candidate and the racism that sometimes surrounds him as he makes his bid for the highest office in the land.

This article appears in the July 20 entry of the Straight Talk column at Newsvine/MSNBC.

'The Burning of the West - Why Wildfires are Spreading' examines the increase in wildfires not only in California, but all over the Western U.S.

'The Air in Beijing Causes Drop-In Only Olympic Games'. The World Health Organization says that particulates in the air at 108,000 parts per liter is considered a 'serious health risk'. The latest air sample taken from Beijing, China registered at a whopping 780,000 parts per liter. Host Robert Blevins pokes a little fun at the 'blanket of death' choking the city picked for this year's Olympic Games - and what the Chinese are doing about it.

These articles also appear at the infamous 'Straight Talk' column over at MSNBC/Newsvine.

Iran's latest missile tests are making Israel nervous and helping to destabilize the situation in the Middle East. Host Robert Blevins takes a hard look at Iran's past and present history - and what may bode for the future of peace in the region.

This article also appears (with images courtesy of The Arizona Rain Man ) at the The Straight Talk Column at Newsvine

Another pair of articles from the infamous 'Straight Talk' column at MSNBC-Newsvine.

'Intervention in Oil Addiction' examines our current energy situation, including the little-known 'Enron Clause' that was included (and still exists) in President Bush's first term energy policy. The 'Enron Clause' has made energy speculators rich, because it allows the purchasing of energy futures 'on margin'. This means an investor only needs to put up a fraction of the value of the stock in cash, and can go 'on margin' with the remainder, hoping the stock will go up. If enough people invest...it does. And then gas prices go higher.

'DNA Collection at Birth - Big Brother's Ultimate Database' - Bet you didn't know Congress just passed a new bill that Bush signed into law recently that allows the government to take DNA samples from newborn babies at birth. Host Robert Blevins takes a hard look at the building of a database that is ripe for abuse by our government. And not only does the government want to TAKE a sample of your infant's DNA, they want to do RESEARCH on it too.

From the Straight Talk column at Newsvine, a tribute to the journalist of his generation - Tim Russert of NBC.

Host Robert Blevins presents the article What Tim Russert Means to Me. Commentary and a song at the end. There are a couple of minor glitches in this episode, probably because the staff has been upset today over Tim's untimely death. Our condolences go out to his wife and son, and to his friends and colleagues from NBC. He will be missed greatly.

'An Idiot's Guide to the Real Motives of Terrorism' takes a hard look at suicide bombers in the Middle East and what REALLY motivates them.

'Disaster Preparedness Made Easy' is a no-nonsense guide to increasing your chances of survival in a natural disaster or national emergency.

Hosted by Robert Blevins

From the infamous 'Straight Talk' column at Newsvine/MSNBC, host Robert Blevins presents two articles dealing with skyrocketing fuel prices.

'Road Idiots' takes a no-prisoners look at those Ricky Racer commuters you love to hate, and why they are helping to drive up gas prices.

'1969 Subaru' compares Subaru of America's early imports and their extreme gas mileage (up to 66 miles a gallon) and asks why Detroit still can't come up with something similar almost forty years later. Host Robert Blevins also reveals his personal adventures in this strange little car.

An intense look at the death penalty in America by host Robert Blevins. This article was picked up by several major news organizations, and when you hear it you'll understand why.

'Ten Strange Things About Rich People in America' takes a look at how the priorities and habits of wealthy folks probably differ from yours.

This article appeared on the Straight Talk column at MSNBC in June of 2007.

'How Beer and a Pair of Pliers Saved My Life - Host Robert Blevins tells his strange story of survival after wandering too far off road in Death Valley and smashing his car into a fallen tree.

This article also appeared at Straight Talk in June of 2007.

'Mars - Answering the Ultimate Question' - Water has been discovered on Mars. Does this mean we should try for a manned mission to the Red Planet?

'Lisa Nowak and Julie Payette' - Straight Talk takes a look at two female astronauts, Lisa Nowak from NASA and Julie Payette of the Canadian Space Agency. Two astronauts, two very different stories.

'Who is Ron Dante?' - He's had a few hit records you know, and has been touring, playing, and producing music since 1968. But if you passed him on the street, you probably wouldn't recognize the guy.

'T.C. and the Alien Invasion Shelter' - TC's latest Church of Sci-Fi-Ology project is a strange one. He thinks aliens are coming to invade the Earth, and he's getting ready for them...

Two short episodes from the famous 'Straight Talk' column at MSNBC/Newsvine.

'Military Magnetics' examines how our troops in Iraq are actually a magnet for terrorists. This article was published in the Seattle Times newspaper on March 15, 2007.

'Am I Drunk, or Just Dead Already'- The unbelivable, yet true story of a former King County Detective who broke all the records for driving while intoxicated.

Presenting two episodes from the Straight Talk column:

'The Five Basic Goals of the Iraq War Have Been Reached' and

'America's Ugly Legacy - Grooming Our Children for Violence'.

Image credit: 'AZrainman' /Creative Commons/Flickr

Tonight's episode -

'The Self-Perpetuating Entity of America's Prison System'

Mr Blevins examines the justice system in America, and shows how it keeps expanding by feeding on itself - and he offers some solutions.

Two articles from the 'Straight Talk' column at Newsvine/MSNBC

'How the Brain Boys in Detroit are Missing the Point' - talks about the recent Detroit Auto Show, and how automakers are not meeting the REAL needs of consumers.

'Ten Things the Next U.S. President Must Address - and Quickly' -Our next President has to do damage control from the last Administration.

From the 'Straight Talk' column of September 29, 2007:

'How Barack Obama Beat Hillary Clinton on the Internet' compares the websites of Obama and Clinton.

'The Manson Girls Reach 60 and Counting' - The infamous Manson Girls keep coming up for parole every two years - and they are continually denied. If you had to pick ONE of them for eventual release, who would it be?