Hacking the Afterlife with Jennifer Shaffer, Luana, Robert Redford, Kobe, Robert Towne, Amelia

This is another milestone. We only had a half hour, so I began by asking a specific question. The video that I posted, that Jennifer had not seen - was of footage of Saipan in 1944. I asked Amelia if this footage featured the Electra? She said it did but the "wrong date." (She says year, but Jennifer later said that meant date to her).

The video was 3/4's correct.

Because the footage shows three planes in a hangar on Saipan - two Japanese Zeros and another plane covered by camouflage. Amelia confirms that this was her Electra - which they found "the next day." And is part of the book SHE WAS NEVER LOST: THE AMELIA EARHART SAGA. Read it to give this comment context.

Then we invited Robert Redford to speak to us. It happens sometimes where I feel like "someone is bugging me" and two days ago that happened. So I asked him all the questions that I could muster about his family and friends.

I know the family asked for privacy and apologies for asking him for messages for them - but we've been doing this weekly for ten years now. I've learned that even if a person doesn't believe that we're speaking to their loved one, eventually they come to realize it's accurate.

Jennifer revealed she did a reading with Jean Smart, the Emmy winner of "Hacks" - and while not revealing anything they talked about, described the process of their getting together. And then throughout the podcast, she had other things come to mind - working on Robert's daughter's fiancee's case in Colorado - something she hadn't thought about in ten years, but came to her the night before he passed.

Jennifer has been working with members of Kobe's family (they've allowed her to say that) - and other folks. The point isn't about celebrity - it's about the fact that Jennifer has the ability to just say whatever comes to mind.

I asked Robert how it was he was aware of our class, and Kobe showed Jennifer that it was his introduction that made him show up.

We've interviewed a number of his pals, Sidney Pollack's daughter wrote to me that everything we reported was accurate about her, about him turning his chair around and packing his cigarettes while he answered questions. Sidney confirmed a latter he'd written to my pal Phillip Noyce before he passed. We've been doing this for awhile.

So I dove into the interview. He had messages for his pals, I asked for them by first names, but anyone could figure out who he's referring to.

So Jane Fonda, Barbra Streisand, Dustin Hoffman, Bob Woodward, Meryl Streep, Rod Lurie - he has a comment for all of you. It doesn't matter if one believes it's him speaking to them or not - eventually we'll realize the process.

Jennifer can be reaches at JenniferShaffer.com, I can be reached at RichardMartini.com

He gives some sage advice about politics, and lowering the political temperature.