NPR: Where Are We?

Where Are We?

In short: Arizona, California, Ireland and Croatia.

We're taking this holiday week off before we have to really settle in and get this show up and running. (Not that we haven't been working hard already.)

No 'Morning Meetings' this week, we'll all be back and will commence regular posting again on July 9.

I wanted to send out a big "Thank You!" to everyone who commented on our pilot. In all honesty, I thought it was going to be a disaster. What we ended up with exceeded all expectations, but we have lots more work to do. We'll keep doing pilots, refining them and listening to what you have to say.

I'm almost sure that the pilot we did last week will not sound at all like the show we debut with this Fall. And that's the point of what we're doing here. We're experimenting -- and sometimes what we do won't work and we'll throw it away. But we'll strike gold every once in a while and, hopefully, we'll strike gold enough over the next couple of months that we'll be able to give you a brilliant show.

Thanks for tuning in. We'll talk with you very soon.

Matt Martinez

12:40 PM ET | 07- 2-2007 | permalink

Comments (Send a comment)

Ideas for show topics:
-The Bald Eagle is Back! -- but, has anyone seen one
-Live Earth concert-- great music, but will it lead to action? start a count on who has changed their lightbulbs to CFLs
-Congress long 4th of July recess( 9 days), oh, i mean long weekend, where do Democrats and Republicans vacation, $ comparison
-vegetarian and meat eating couples-- bigger ? than religion, what to do about the kids?
-Listen up college grads-- pastimes that could turn into your career--- how about making puzzles? crossword puzzle maker, is there a word for that, ha
-Nat'l zoo's panda is not pregnant-- celebrity animals that get knocked up
-Student loans controversy-- what is going on with that?

Sent by Elyse (e) | 8:59 AM ET | 07-09-2007

2 of Elyse's ideas involve college....

Actually I would like it if Bryant Park does not cater to the college crowd. (So far it hasn't.) Sorry college folks, but its true: college is elitist, dull, and has nothing to do with real life.

Those of us in our 20s who ain't the college type do tons of cool sh...stuff.

Sent by Brian | 12:34 PM ET | 07-09-2007

Great Brian, I'm sure you do a lot of cool stuff. But, just so you know -- according to the US Census Bureau more than 1/2 of 18 to 21 year olds attend college so someone may want to know a little something about student loans
-e

Sent by Elyse (e) | 8:54 PM ET | 07-09-2007

This is where I'm coming from. I am a college drop out. Seriously, it was a huge waste of my time and money. The whole ordeal was rediculously lame, and it's not the time of environment people like me thrive in. If I ever do go back it would be out of a necessity rather than a stronge lust to re-spark my college experience. (Necessity being cultural forces... and in America cultural forces means money for a decent standard of living... especially as our economy continues to dive.)

More and more people go becuase they they HAVE to. To compete... to make it in our bold 21st century America. And people shouldn't feel they must go to college just to have a good life. And I've met waaaay to many people who went/go to college becuase they felt they must, had no other option... trapped if they don't.

For example: Why does one need a college diploma to make games and puzzles? It's certainly the type of hobby one needs a lot of smarts for, but if you are really into puzzles and games, you probably read and self-teach yourself a lot anyway... Right? Right. Of course.

I understand there's certain jobs that require a college and post-college education: doctor/nurse for example.

But Lit Major? Art Major? Music Major? Puzzles and Games Major? Every aspect of life has been turned into a Major. So instead of just tinkering on one's own, getting into apprenticeships (trade schools are okay), etcetc.... more and more young Americans have to go into debt, overwork themselves trying to juggle school and job(s), etcetc to pay for college. Because more and more facets of society are being Major-ized.

Colleges don't have some godly knowledge. Their seal of approval (a degree) should mean less than it does. I'm the type of person who had a better handle of the subject matter than 70 percent of the profs I'd met. It should mean less to be titled a Professor than it currently does. And a lot of teachers I've met had a strong personal world view that they used their classrooms as soapboxes for. (How much of what you were taught is actually accurate? Who knows.)

Computers (and other tech) and textbooks
can really jack up the expenses. Are the two issues part of the same cultural compulsion? (Yep.) As a culture we need to ask ourselves if it's really necessary to be so tech dependent, especially since it ain't cheap (for the student nor the college). And also we need to ask ourselves why we have this zeal for republishing (almost every year) the exact same information in flashier and more expensive ways.

Colleges, and industries related to them, are more about making money instead of making leaders. Business first... education and personal growth second.

Sent by Brian | 1:08 AM ET | 07-10-2007

I don't disagree, Brian, but liberal arts, tech, associate, and standard universities all have their place, just as the choice of not going to them. I've got two cohorts here at work who never finished college doing just as well in the long term as the Ph.D. holders.

However, the path for the doctorate holders is in some ways a lot easier...as long as the degree fits what they want to do with their life.

Sent by Drew | 11:30 AM ET | 07-10-2007

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