GUEST: Laurie Anderson--the long-celebrated artist-musician who recently released the acclaimed album, "Homeland," her first new collection in nearly a decade--discusses her lifelong love of dogs (she grew up in a large family, surrounded by a large number of animals); addresses the indomitable spirit of her elderly, frail rat terrier Lolabelle, noting that after going blind, the dog began taking piano lessons (Lolabelle plays piano on the "Homeland" track "Bodies In Motion"); chronicles the genesis, evolution and performance of "Music For Dogs," a piece originally intended to be aimed at the hearing range of dogs (this component ended up being de-emphasized) that Anderson premiered June 5 in Sydney, as part of the Vivid Live Festival, which she curated with her husband, Lou Reed; touches on "Homeland," including the trenchant musical Op-Ed, "Only An Expert," future projects, life with Lou, and more. [www.LaurieAnderson.com]

COMEDY CORNER: Myq Kaplan's "Animal Rights & Wrongs" (www.MyqKaplan.com)

MUSIC: Laurie Anderson's "Bodies In Motion," Florence & The Machine's "Dog Days Are Over," instrumentals

NAME THAT ANIMAL TUNE: Lou Reed's "Animal Language"

GUEST: Alan Rabinowitz--the world-renowned zoologist, conservationist and field biologist, whose latest book, "Life In The Valley Of Death: The Fight To Save Tigers In A Land Of Guns, Gold And Greed" will be issued in paperback Sept. 7-- discusses his dim view of zoos (lifelong, even as The Bronx Zoo played a pivotal, somewhat soothing role in his childhood); addresses how the word "conservation" has become fuzzy in meaning from indiscriminate use, and been co-opted for nefarious purposes; describes the birth, mission and functioning of Panthera, a non-profit devoted to protecting the world's 36 wild cat species and of which Rabinowitz is president and CEO; explains the tally of tigers, captive and free, in the world and outlines the value of genetic corridors to preserving their population; reviews the impact of the severe stutter on his childhood--it made for a lonely, isolated existence--and reconciled that with statements like "Stuttering gave me my life" and touches on how different the childhood of his son with a stutter is unfolding; and comments on the explosive impact of his 2008 appearance on "The Colbert Report," in which recounting his childhood isolation & ensuing life story famously nearly brought Colbert to tears, and more. [www.Panthera.org]

Read Duncan's piece on Alan Rabinowitz in the September issue of The Bluegrass Special, a terrific monthly online magazine that covers not just music, but also books, film, television, cultural figures, environmental issues, farming and more. Link to article: [thebluegrassspecial.com]

COMEDY CORNER: Bill Burr's "Pitbull" [www.BillBurr.com]

MUSIC: Rainstick Orchestra's "Waltz For Little Bird," Crowded House's "Falling Dove," instrumentals

NAME THAT ANIMAL TUNE: Henry Mancini's "The Pink Panther Theme"

GUEST: Thomas French--a Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter, formerly with The St. Petersburg Times, and the author, most recently, of "Zoo Story: Life In The Garden Of Captives"--discusses when and how, in the course of writing articles about Tampa's Lowry Park Zoo for the newspaper, he decided he had the makings of a book; recounts his feelings and experiences with zoos during childhood and adulthood, prior to writing about the Lowry Park Zoo; describes in some detail the management style, vision and other attributes of Lex Salisbury, the Zoo CEO, and the colorful (human) protagonist of French's saga, dubbed "El Diablo Blanco" by his staff; addresses Lowry Park's move--in concert with the San Diego Zoo's Wild Animal Park--to bring elephants from Swaziland, a Salisbury gambit to help elevate the status & profile of the zoo, one that's likely to remain a controversial strategy, noting that exhibiting elephants in zoos has become a very grey issue, and more.

COMEDY CORNER: Jim Gaffigan's "Camping" (snippet) (www.JimGaffigan.com)

MUSIC: Hot Club of Cowtown's "Wildcat," Neko Case's "Magpie To The Morning," instrumentals

NAME THAT ANIMAL TUNE: Simon & Garfunkel's "At The Zoo"

GUEST: Alec Baldwin--the Oscar-nominated, Tony-nominated, Emmy-winning actor, currently starring in NBC's "30 Rock," frequent guest host on "Saturday Night Live," and veteran animal rights advocate--discusses his path into animal advocacy some 20 years ago; addresses the appeal and importance for him of organizations with long-term stability of leadership and his relationship with those leaders (Ingrid Newkirk at PETA, Pat Derby & Ed Stewart at PAWS, Neal Barnard at PCRM, etc.), observes the way celebrity presence is a pivotal gambit employed by these groups and how he's happy to oblige when he can; more specifically comments on Newkirk and PETA, for whom he'll host PETA's 30th Anniversary Gala & Humanitarian Awards in Hollywood on Sept. 25; offers an array of impressions and observations about elephants and other animals performing in circuses, various facets of factory farming, the enormously grey and complex issue of meat consumption in this country, and more.

COMEDY CORNER: Jackie Kashian's "Animals" (snippet) (www.JackieKashian.com)

MUSIC: Booker T's version of Tom Waits' "Get Behind The Mule," EELS' "I'm A Hummingbird," instrumentals

NAME THAT ANIMAL TUNE: Al Hirt's version of "Flight Of The Bumblebee"/"Green Hornet

GUEST: Dr. Neal Barnard, M.D.--who in 1985 founded the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM), a nonprofit organization that promotes, among other things, a plant-based diet, preventative medicine, higher standards of ethics and effectiveness in research (and, overlapping that objective, ending animal research)--discusses the impact of President Clinton talking enthusiastically in national interviews about embracing a plant-based diet; outlines a simple, manageable method and three-week timetable for someone to try a vegan diet; reviews the introductory section of his latest book, "The Get Healthy, Go Vegan Cookbook," in which he briefly highlights the importance of employing great care in this realm when using certain terms and language (for instance, why someone "who follows a vegan diet" is preferable over labeling someone "a vegan"); addresses some of PCRM's campaigns, like urging NASA to halt plans for experiments involving the irradiation of live monkeys, and more (www.PCRM.org)

COMEDY CORNER: Myq Kaplan's "Ducks And Vegetarianism" (www.MyqKaplan.com)

MUSIC: Steve Hobbs' "The Woody The Woodpecker Song," Robert Plant's version of Low's "Monkey," instrumentals

NAME THAT ANIMAL TUNE: The Doors' "Twentieth Century Fox"

GUEST: Brian May--the Queen guitarist who's so hugely into animals and animal welfare that he launched his own animal protection campaign (Save Me, after the Queen song), and received a prestigious Animal Action Award Oct. 18 in recognition for his work on behalf of animals from the International Fund For Animal Welfare; he also holds a PhD in astrophysics--discusses his path into animal advocacy. He also addresses the particular challenges of working against fox hunting and its deeply ingrained tradition, including the personal attacks this work and other high-profile animal welfare efforts have elicited. On a related note, he outlined the key components of the controversy surrounding the proposed badger cull being considered in Britain, as a way to eradicate bovine tuberculosis. He also fielded a few listener phone calls, which tended to reflect more interest in Queen issues than animal issues. (www.BrianMay.com, Save-Me.org.uk)

COMEDY CORNER: Paul F. Tompkins' "Alternative Pets" (www.PaulFTompkins.com)

MUSIC: Miles Davis' version of "Bye Bye Blackbird," The Dead Milkmen's "The Badger Song," instrumentals

NAME THAT ANIMAL TUNE: Queen's "Save Me"

GUEST: Nelly McKay--Singer-Songwriter-Activist Nellie McKay, a "Talking Animals" favorite (and our most frequent guest), helps mark the show's fifth anniversary on WMNF with a typically wide-ranging discussion.

"Talking Animals" fave Nellie McKay--whose new album is "Home Sweet Mobile Home"-- makes her fifth appearance on the program, discussing how her activism and opportunities to speak out on a given issue have shifted as her career has blossomed and she's been operating in wider realms (theatre, film, writing, etc). She also addresses what has become a particularly pivotal animal issue for her--opposing the effort by the National Institutes of Health to press otherwise retired chimpanzees back into research at a New Mexico facility--and notes the Great Ape Protection Act, will significantly solve this problem, provided the bill passes. She also speaks about some animal welfare organizations, the importance of lobbying and legislation, how the dogs she was fostering around the time of the last visit on the show had become permanent residents of her home, and more. (www.NellieMcKay.com)

COMEDY CORNER: Matt Braunger's "Owls I/Dalmatians" (www.MattBraunger.com)

MUSIC: Django Reinhardt's version of "Tiger Rag," Nellie McKay's "Bluebird," instrumentals

NAME THAT ANIMAL TUNE: Rolf Harris' "Tie Me Kangaroo Down Sport"

GUEST: Craig Pittman, an award-winning staff writer for The St. Petersburg Times, discusses manatees and assorted related issues, politicians and other figures explored in his latest book "Manatee Insanity: Inside The War Over Florida's Most Famous Endangered Species."

Craig Pittman, an award-winning staff writer for The St. Petersburg Times, who, since 1998 has covered environmental issues for the paper, discusses various aspects of his latest book "Manatee Insanity: Inside The War Over Florida's Most Famous Endangered Species," including the motivation for writing the book, notable for its uncommon achievement in both breadth and depth. He also spoke to the feelings he had about manatees prior to beginning the project, as both an accomplished journalist and native Floridian. Pittman commented on the gigantic cast of colorful characters who populate the book, from Henry Flagler to Jimmy Buffett to a manatee master of longevity named Snooty. And then there was the story of the guy in the gorilla costume. By way of a listener phone call, Pittman addressed the singular situation in Crystal River, the only area in Florida where it's legal to swim with--and touch--manatees, resulting in a debate akin to that surrounding swim with dolphin programs. (www.ManateeInsanity.com)

COMEDY CORNER: Brian Regan's "Animals" (www.BrianRegan.com)

MUSIC: Les Paul's version of "Chicken Reel," Eric Stone's "The Manatee & The Jellyfish," instrumentals

NAME THAT ANIMAL TUNE: King Crimson's "Elephant Talk"

GUEST: Dr. Nicholas Dodman, the noted veterinarian and author or editor of several books, discusses various elements of the latest book he edited, "Good Old Dog: Expert Advice For Keeping Your Aging Dog Happy, Healthy, and Comfortable."

Dr. Nicholas Dodman, veterinarian, internationally-recognized animal behaviorist and author/editor of several books, discusses his latest book project, "Good Old Dog: Expert Advice For Keeping Your Aging Dog Happy, Healthy, and Comfortable"--for which he served as editor--and a number of the notable points and facts raised in the book. For instance, when faced with their dog's decline or medical problems, how frequently their humans are inclined to do the wrong thing or draw the wrong conclusion (like declining a surgery or important procedure for fear of subjecting the dog to anesthesia). Dr. Dodman also explained about the need for people with elderly dogs who may get an unpleasant diagnosis to re-calibrate their expectations (and what constitutes good news) when something like chemo may extend a dog's life 6-12 months--and how that should be viewed as a tremendous amount of additional time with that dog. He noted that people who put their dogs on a vegetarian diet can be doing them a great disservice, including the instances where a vegetarian diet caused heart disease in some dogs. He addressed several other topics, and fielded questions from listeners. (http://www.tufts.edu/vet/facpages/dodman_n.html)

COMEDY CORNER: Derick Lengwenus' "Animal Lover"
(www.Derick-Lengwenus.com)

MUSIC: Bela Fleck's "Snakes Alive," Jamey Johnson's "Dog In The Yard," instrumentals

NAME THAT ANIMAL TUNE: The Beatles' "And Your Bird Can Sing"