Ray Graf

The Washington County Fiber Tour is celebrating its 20th year this weekend. You can visit alpacas, rabbiits, goats, sheep and lambs, llamas, and more - on several farms in beautiful Washington County. We are joined by Sylvia Graham (Fiber Kingdom in Salem, a breeder of angora rabbits and small business owner), Judy Leon (alpaca farmer and fiber artist - her farm is called Alpacas of Haven Hill) and Karin Kennedy (a sheep farmer from Easton).

The Women's Club of Albany was founded over a century ago and to this day organizes women the Capital District in their civic, literary, and charitable endeavors. We welcome Fran Altshuler (immediate past President), Charlotte Prior (current President), and Monique Wahba (Vice President) to the show to tell us more.

 This past week, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency issued final regulations to require oil and gas drillers to capture harmful air pollutants that escape from wells during drilling operations, and from natural gas storage facilities and pipelines.  The final rule is a first, and it's good news. But the new rules take 2 and a half years to become effective. New York can and should do better.

On the same day community watch volunteer George Zimmerman made his first appearance in court to face murder charges in the death of Florida teen Trayvon Martin, New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman tells WAMC that the case is a good example of what can happen when the public takes an interest in pursuing justice.

Schneiderman appears on this week’s Capitol Connection program, which airs Friday at 10:30 p.m. and Saturday at 1.

We welcome Big Joe Fitz to the show to talk about Blues on the Mountain – a weekend long blues festival at The Mohonk Mountain House in New Paltz, NY starting this Friday.

Read Local Red Hook is a day-long literary event taking place this Saturday with author events in the morning for kids and in the afternoon for adults. The event is presented by the Red Hook Community Arts Network and Oblong Books and Music.

While the Road to Serfdom is paved with good intentions gone awry; the road to self fulfillment—the dream of the modern person—is constructed with freedom stones resembling personal license. What is emerging in the United States, based in part on the empirical data in Charles Murray’s Coming Apart, is a selective version of morality. If it feels good, do it. The constraints inspired by the Judeo-Christian tradition, our genetic inheritance, even our sex, are mere trifles compared to personal choice and desire. To my astonishment, even murder is justified as an act of personal morality.

Matt Tannenbaum and Michael Schiavo from The Book Store in Lenox join us with a fine list of titles.

List:
Monstress by Lysley Tenorio
The Sea is My Brother by Jack Kerouac
The Homemade Pantry: 101 Foods You CanStop Buying and Start Making by Alana Chernila
I'll Save You, Bobo by Eileen and Marc Rosenthal
Not Merely Because of the Unknown that was Stalking Toward Them by Jenny Boully Tarpaulin
Sermons and Lectures Both Blank and Relentless by Matt Hart
Verge by Morgan Lucas Schuldt

John Simon will present "Reminiscences of a Life in Rock and Roll" at Shadowland Theatre in Ellenville,NY on Saturday 4/14.