Mary J. Blige Has the Best Song in the World Today

Filed under: The Best Song In The World Today

Mary J. Blige knows from miserable, and she knows from glory. She runs down the journey from the former to the latter on her new CD, Growing Pains.

Today, host Alison Stewart taps "Just Fine" from that record as the Best Song in the World Today. Sometimes, Alison says, you just have to look around say, you know, this life thing is all right.

If you'd like to pick the next Best Song in the World Today, drop a line in the comments, please.

Laura Conaway

1:01 PM ET | 12-31-2007 | permalink | comments (2) | e-mail post

 

Hey, 19! Want to Run a Country? Pakistan, Maybe?

Filed under: News

For the record, everyone in the world seems to be saying that Bilawal Bhutto Zardari is not going to be the candidate for prime minister from his late mother Benazir Bhutto's Pakistan Peoples Party.

The 19-year-old did just inherit the party chairmanship, even if his dad is going to be making most of the decisions while Bilawal finishes his studies at Oxford. Whatever role he's going to play, the guy just got handed an awfully big title.

Anyone out there 19 and ready to lay out a plan for Pakistan? OK, anyone of any age? Hit the comments, please.

Laura Conaway

12:07 PM ET | 12-31-2007 | permalink | comments (23) | e-mail post

 

You Decide: The Tug Over the Pug

Filed under: Links From the Show, Media, Sound Off

Imagine if you were at home, just relaxing in front of the TV, when you suddenly see a picture you took of your beloved Fluffy or Fido appear on the screen. Sure, you think your pet is the cutest, but would you really want their image broadcast into thousand of homes without your permission?

One blogger in Maryland says that is exactly what happened to her, and she isn't happy about it. Tracey Gaughran-Perez says a picture of her pug Truman was ripped from her blog and used by Fox in a Holiday Greeting spot without her permission. Let us know what you think -- does that look like the same dog to you?

On the show: Copyright on the Internet.

Caitlin Kenney

11:15 AM ET | 12-31-2007 | permalink | comments (11) | e-mail post

 

The Robo-Rundown for Monday

Filed under: Tomorrow's BPP

Win Rosenfeld

3:34 PM ET | 12-28-2007 | permalink | comments (1) | e-mail post

 

Pakistan Blames al-Qaida, Taliban

Filed under: News

Pakistan's Interior Ministry tells reporters that al-Qaida and the Taliban were responsible for killing opposition leader and former prime minister Benazir Bhutto after a campaign rally on Thursday.

Spokesperson Javed Iqbal Cheema says the ministry intercepted a note of congratulations from an al-Qaida leader after the attack on Bhutto. Cheema goes on to say that Bhutto was killed not by bullets or shrapnel, but by hitting her head on the sunroof of the vehicle she was riding in. As NPR reports:

Chema said she was killed when she tried to duck back into the vehicle, and the shock waves from the blast smashed her head into a lever attached to the sunroof, fracturing her skull.

Meanwhile, an advance copy of Parade magazine featuring Bhutto on the cover has landed in our office. I couldn't help noticing this quote from Bhutto:

"We must be out on the streets, or the terrorists win."

Check it out.

Laura Conaway

12:43 PM ET | 12-28-2007 | permalink | e-mail post

 

Trouble Downloading the Show?

Filed under: Inside The BPP

If you've been having trouble downloading the show -- or getting the podcast, or iTunes-ing it, or whatever -- please know that we're officially on the hunt for whatever gremlins have lately been coming between us.

I'm here to testify that complete shows from yesterday and today have landed in my iTunes. If you've gotten bum ones or no ones, it's probably time to try again.

Or, you could download them straight from the source: today/ yesterday

Sorry for the hassle. Thanks for sticking with us. A fix is on the way. Promise.

Laura Conaway

11:36 AM ET | 12-28-2007 | permalink | comments (6) | e-mail post

 

Rejected: A Jesus Graffiti Cartoon

Filed under: Stuff We Love

As Alison says, it's not that our standards are lower than the New Yorker's. It's just that our sense of humor may be sicker. Below, and on the show, are some of the latest cartoons rejected by the New Yorker. Thanks to Matthew Diffee for giving them a second life.

Two more after the jump.

Continue reading "Rejected: A Jesus Graffiti Cartoon" »

Laura Conaway

11:27 AM ET | 12-28-2007 | permalink | comments (1) | e-mail post

 

Fresh Off the Wires: Bhutto Case Solved

Filed under: News

Our coverage of the Benazir Bhutto assassination continues. This just crossed the wires, as they say, from the Associated Press:

The interior minister says investigators have resolved the "whole mystery" behind the killing, and will give details at a press conference later today.

We'll keep you posted.

Laura Conaway

9:14 AM ET | 12-28-2007 | permalink | e-mail post

 

Wow: NPR Interview Set to Bhutto Video

Filed under: News

Farah Ispahani, a member of Benazir Bhutto's media team, spoke to us Thursday from the hospital where former Pakistani prime minister was declared dead. Now someone has set that interview to the footage above. The result is amazing.

Writes Blogs of War:

One gets the impression that Farah is weeping not only for Benazir but for Pakistan. Who can blame her? It is such a great loss. Is there anyone who can fill this void?

Laura Conaway

8:55 PM ET | 12-27-2007 | permalink | comments (4) | e-mail post

 

Murder and Mayhem: Talking with a Pakistani Blogger

Filed under: News

Interview with a Pakistani blogger

We're still checking in on those blogs coming out of Pakistan and one of the most active ones is the the Pakistani Spectator. They've been updating their site at least every hour or so with breaking news they say is exclusive, hitting the blogs before it goes out on the national TV stations.

They've got 15 bloggers roaming the streets of Rawalpindi, Lahore, Karachi and other cities, filing their tales of murders, looting and fires from their Blackberries. One of those bloggers is actually the founder of the Pakistani Spectator, and we called him up to find out what he's seen today and how his countrymen are dealing with the murder of Benazir Bhutto. He asked us to keep his name confidential for fear of reprisals.

Here's some of his conversation today with the BPP's Alison Stewart and John Fugelsang.

. . . A mob just came out on the street, a very angry mob, and what they did they first set fire to a factory and then they started close firing. And there was an office of PMLQ there- the Musharraf loyalist party. They just start to attack that office and kill all the people that was in there; there was three of them I think.

Continue reading "Murder and Mayhem: Talking with a Pakistani Blogger" »

Angela Ellis

4:17 PM ET | 12-27-2007 | permalink | e-mail post

 

Special Reports: Bhutto's Gone -- Now What?

Filed under: News

Special Report: Bhutto Killed in Pakistan Special Report: Bhutto's Gone -- Now What?

News that Benazir Bhutto had been killed in Pakistan broke about 20 minutes before our show today ended. We stayed on, live on Sirius and prepped here for the Web audience.

The complete podcast of today's show, including these blocks, is available now in iTunes. If the one you got today doesn't include a mention of Bhutto in the Description field, delete it and refresh. We got some amazing interviews today -- you wouldn't want to miss them.

Laura Conaway

3:27 PM ET | 12-27-2007 | permalink | comments (4) | e-mail post

 

Headlines Updated

Filed under: News

Looking back through this morning's Benazir Bhutto headlines, we get a pretty good history of what we thought, as we thought it. Even though the links below take you to updated stories, it's a little freaky to look at their original headlines now.

Pakistani Opponents in Gunbattle; 4 Dead
4 Killed at Pakistan Political Rally
Explosion Heard at Bhutto Rally
Suicide Bomber Targets Bhutto Rally
Bhutto Survives Rally Attack
Bhutto Critically Wounded in Bomb Attack
Pakistan's Bhutto Killed in Attack

Ian Chillag

2:47 PM ET | 12-27-2007 | permalink | e-mail post

 

Bhutto: 'A Tragedy Like No Other'

Filed under: News

With a tip of the hat to Andrew Sullivan, this take on Benazir Bhutto from Adil Najam of Pakistaniat:

At a human level this is a tragedy like no other. Only a few days ago I was mentioning to someone that the single most tragic person in all of Pakistan - maybe all the world - is Nusrat Bhutto. Benazir's mother. Think about it. Her husband, killed. One son poisoned. Another son assasinated. One daughter dead possibly of drug overdose. Another daughter rises to be Prime Minister twice, but jailed, exiled, and finally gunned down.

Laura Conaway

2:30 PM ET | 12-27-2007 | permalink | e-mail post

 

Pakistan Keeps on Blogging

Filed under: News

Global Voices Online is collecting the work of bloggers on the situation in Pakistan after the assassination of Benazir Bhutto. It's worth a look.

Laura Conaway

2:27 PM ET | 12-27-2007 | permalink | e-mail post

 

Bhutto Assassinated During Attack on Rally

Filed under: News

Pakistani opposition leader Benazir Bhutto is dead following a suicide bomb attack on a campaign rally near the capital. We spoke with Kamil Siddiqui of News International about her legacy:

Win Rosenfeld

1:20 PM ET | 12-27-2007 | permalink | comments (1) | e-mail post

 

Tomorrow: A Punk's Perspective on Pakistan

Filed under: News

Tomorrow on the BPP, we'll hear about the situation on the ground in Lahore, Pakistan, from journalist and blogger Basim Usmani. He writes for The Daily Times and Guardian Unlimited. Basim is also a part-time punk rocker with the band The Kominas, and he sums up the scene in Lahore like this:

You know that song "Riot" by the Dead Kennedys? It's kinda like that.

The lyrics of "Riot," if you're curious.

Ian Chillag

12:43 PM ET | 12-27-2007 | permalink | comments (1) | e-mail post

 

Photo: Pakistan Is Burning

Filed under: News

Images of protest and rioting are filtering in from Pakistan, after the assassination of opposition leader and former prime minister Benazir Bhutto on Thursday. After the jump, a pair of images rewind the action.

Continue reading "Photo: Pakistan Is Burning" »

Laura Conaway

12:36 PM ET | 12-27-2007 | permalink | e-mail post

 

After Bhutto: 'They Murdered Bibi'

Filed under: News

Got this e-mail from Farah Ispahani, a member of Benazir Bhutto's media team who was with Bhutto when the campaign was attacked after a rally in Rawalpindi, Pakistan. Ispahani was running for a parliament seat as part of Bhutto's Pakistan People's Party.

Ispahani gave a tearful report from the hospital where Bhutto died, and later sent us this message:

i am okay but they murdered bibi - people were so cynical about her. i knew her as a mother, as a freind and as a leader. she did not need to come to this country - she knew every minute of every day what she was facing. she really believed that pakistan was in peril.

NPR: Full coverage of the Benazir Bhutto assassination.

Laura Conaway

12:07 PM ET | 12-27-2007 | permalink | comments (1) | e-mail post

 

Bhutto Before Return to Pakistan: "I Do Not Know What Awaits Me"

Filed under: News

On Sept. 20, four weeks before she returned to Pakistan from an eight-year exile, Benazir Bhutto wrote an op-ed piece for The Washington Post entitled "When I Return to Pakistan." Here's an excerpt:

Extremism looms as a threat, but it will be contained as it has been in the past if the moderate middle can be mobilized to stand up to fanaticism. I return to lead that battle...When my flight lands in Pakistan next month, I know I will be greeted with joy by the people. I do not know what awaits me, personally or politically, once I leave the airport. I pray for the best and prepare for the worst. But in any case, I am going home to fight for the restoration of Pakistan's place in the community of democratic nations.

Read the entire piece here.

Dan Pashman

11:00 AM ET | 12-27-2007 | permalink | comments (1) | e-mail post

 

Sound Off: Bhutto Killed. Feeling Queasy?

Filed under: News, Sound Off

First the news said there had been a bomb blast at a Benazir Bhutto campaign rally in Rawalpindi, Pakistan. Then it said the former prime minster had been hurt. And then it said Bhutto had been killed.

Don't know about you, I couldn't help feeling a little queasy in the newsroom -- if I'm not sure yet exactly why. You?

Laura Conaway

10:09 AM ET | 12-27-2007 | permalink | comments (74) | e-mail post

 

News From the Ground: Pakistani Blogs

Filed under: News

Bloggers out of Pakistan are posting the latest on the aftermath of Benazir Bhutto's assassination. We put together some links for the blogs we're following by Pakistani journalists and citizens as this story continues to break. One blogger for the Pakistani Spectator describes grief and protest in the former prime minister's home town and surrounding areas . . .

In Larkana, the birth place of Benazir Bhutto, all the homes are fully covered in gloom and misery. Karachi is fully choked. There are reports from Lyari that armed people doing aerial firing, and tires are burning on the roads. Shahrah-e-Faisal is fully jammed, and same is the case on other roads of Karachi.

Let us know if you have a blog out of Pakistan you think we should add to the list.

The Insider Brief

Metroblogging Karachi

Pakistani Bloggers

Angela Ellis

10:08 AM ET | 12-27-2007 | permalink | comments (1) | e-mail post

 

Photo: Moments Before Bhutto Attack

Filed under: News

Former prime minister Benazir Bhutto of Pakistan was killed today, and we're cranking away on coverage. The first interview is up, from the brilliant Kamal Siddiqi, editor of the Karachi News.

Laura Conaway

9:43 AM ET | 12-27-2007 | permalink | e-mail post

 

Confirmed: Benazir Bhutto Is Dead

Filed under: News

This just crossed from Reuters:

Benazir Bhutto is dead.

We'll fill this in as we learn more. Bhutto had been seriously injured in a suicide bombing today in Pakistan. A report from 8:23 this morning said at least 20 people had been killed. Now it appears the former prime minister of Pakistan, who returned from exile this fall and was making another run, was also killed.

Right now, we're crashing together a segment on it for the show.

UPDATE: Kamal Siddiqi, editor of the Karachi News, is on the air right now. He says it's not clear whether Bhutto was killed by the blast or was hit in the neck by a bullet.

NPR's first full report is up.

Laura Conaway

8:26 AM ET | 12-27-2007 | permalink | e-mail post

 

Wanted: Your Xmas Gift Horror Stories

Filed under: Sound Off

Can you tell we want you to send us your Xmas gift horror stories? Stuff like this YouTube testimonial, except shorter. And in audio or written form. E-mail it, or comment to this post.

Pauline Bartolone

4:03 PM ET | 12-26-2007 | permalink | e-mail post

 

Thursday's Rundown

Filed under: Tomorrow's BPP

Senior producer Matt Martinez takes a minute to expound on how tomorrow's BPP broadcast is shaping up:

Win Rosenfeld

2:54 PM ET | 12-26-2007 | permalink | comments (1) | e-mail post

 

Bush Signs Bill for Whole Lot of Billions

Filed under: Iraq, News

This just in from the Associated Press:

"President Bush on Wednesday signed a $555 billion bill that funds the Iraq war well into next year and keeps government agencies running through next September."

AP says Bush had big reservations about the more than 900 "earmarks" for special interests, but signed anyway. The bill includes $70 billion for the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Laura Conaway

1:14 PM ET | 12-26-2007 | permalink | e-mail post

 

Vacuum Salesman Loses Sale, Saves Life and Makes a New Best Friend

Filed under: Video

Paul Sucher was dying and his medical bills were piling up. His kidneys were in such bad shape that he was on dialysis three times a week and the doctors didn't seem optimistic. But just as time was running out, a new beginning would come for Paul in the form of a door-to-door vacuum salesman. A while back, the former strangers dropped by the BPP to share their remarkable tale of generosity.

You heard the short version on the show today. Click below for the full interview:

Win Rosenfeld

9:47 AM ET | 12-26-2007 | permalink | e-mail post

 

Running the Iditarod: 350 Snowy Miles in Sneakers

Filed under: Biking the Iditarod

Geoff Roes lives in Alaska with his semi-famous girlfriend, Jill Homer, who's planning to bike the Iditarod. Jill has been blogging about her training for the 350-mile race through the Alaskan wilderness. It'll be a lonely trip, dark and cold and about as hard as a human can stand.

Geoff knows how scary the human-powered Iditarod must seem to Jill, because he's also in the race -- in the runners division. On today's show, we played a couple of clips from Geoff, who says he's planning to run in a pair of oversized sneakers with plenty of socks and a neoprene cover. He'll carry his gear in that sled you see up there, bought for a few bucks at the drugstore.

Continue reading "Running the Iditarod: 350 Snowy Miles in Sneakers" »

Laura Conaway

9:31 AM ET | 12-26-2007 | permalink | e-mail post

 

What a Face: NPR's Pet Bat Feeling Better Now

Filed under: City Living

Remember that silver-haired bat living in the wall in Washington, D.C.? Weekend All Things Considered sends this picture of Bat Mitzvah (aka Beautiful) recovering from dehydration in a bat hospital. Come spring, she'll get the chance to fly free again.

Laura Conaway

9:21 AM ET | 12-26-2007 | permalink | comments (2) | e-mail post

 

A Holiday Multimedia Roundup

Filed under: Stuff We Love

Nothing like some good multimedia to get you in the holiday spirit.

Today's the first day of Kwanzaa, a seven-day cultural holiday celebrating African commonality. The Baltimore Sun did a Web package this month. Check out the clever quiz designed to give a primer on the under-covered holiday.

For those of you still in the Christmas mood, check out the Magnum Group's breathtaking photography. December 25 in black and white.

Also, my geeky side loves timelapse slideshows. Check out Gail Jewel and her husband Richard Murphy setting up their Christmas decorations in 1:40 minutes. Thanks, Washingtonpost.com.

Pauline Bartolone

9:03 AM ET | 12-26-2007 | permalink | comments (1) | e-mail post

 

Guess What Song This Man is Performing

Filed under: Stuff We Love

This one's even cooler than the four-handed guitar work. Just give it a minute, it pays off...

Dan Pashman

8:34 AM ET | 12-26-2007 | permalink | comments (3) | e-mail post

 

Four-Handed Guitar Playing

Filed under: Stuff We Love

This is cool:

Dan Pashman

8:19 AM ET | 12-26-2007 | permalink | comments (1) | e-mail post

 

Got a Bad Gift? Calling All Complaints

Filed under: Links From the Show

Call me a grinch, but I hate Christmas presents. Most of the time, I don't need them, and I have a chochka-free rule in my apartment. What's more, the thought of wasted time and money makes me feel guilty. Yet, I must open the darn things with a smile on my face.

Apparently, I am not alone. According to this article in the UK's Daily Telegraph, four out of five people get presents they either don't want or need. Unwanted presents are so widespread that this year, over half of gift givers are expected to include receipts with some of their presents, according to the National Retail Federation.

Here's where you come in: We want to hear your holiday gift horror stories. Yes, HEAR them. Send us an mp3 of your audio testimonies about what you got, why it didn't work for you and what you're going to do with it. That's right, get out your digital audio recorders and let loose into the mic. But keep it to two minutes or less, and send them in by Friday. Be sure to start with your first name and where you're calling from. We'll air some of your grievances on New Year's Eve.

Pauline Bartolone

7:53 AM ET | 12-26-2007 | permalink | comments (2) | e-mail post

 

Worm Up! A Good Year for Parasites

Filed under: Links From the Show

Today on the BPP, we heard how more people are getting parasitic worms than we thought. A little more digging tells us that in addition to being more widespread than expected, worms are also way, way grosser than we had thought.

December has been a good month for parasites. That usually means a bad month for humans, but our friend ampulex compressa does us a favor by turning COCKROACHES INTO ZOMBIES, and scientists have just figured out how.

Also, it looks like the good folks at Science Made Cool have taken Christmas week off from their Friday Parasite series, but there's a deep archive of things you should be really worried about.

And, this being the season of "best of" lists, your year-end wrap-up is not complete until you check out this compilation of 6 Horrifying Parasites. I could only look at it for a second, but I still caught the words "festering," "foster-tongue," and the phrase "carting your genitals off to the elephantiasis clinic."

Ian Chillag

5:19 AM ET | 12-26-2007 | permalink | e-mail post

 

Wednesday: The Rundown

Filed under: Tomorrow's BPP

We're outta here for today -- hope everyone has a great holiday. Here's what we got tomorrow:

Win Rosenfeld

9:45 AM ET | 12-25-2007 | permalink | comments (3) | e-mail post

 

America's Next Top Santa

Filed under: Video

Some call him Kris Kringle, some call him Father Christmas - but this Santa also goes by the name Jonathan Meath. When he's not checking his lists, Jonathan is a TV Producer who specializes in children's programming. He recently made the front cover of Boston Magazine, and we think he qualifies as America's Next Top Santa. But as always, the BPP will let you decide for yourself:

Alison and host-Emeritus Luke Burbank talk to the man in red right here:

Win Rosenfeld

9:08 AM ET | 12-25-2007 | permalink | e-mail post

 

Krulwich Realized: Marathons Save Lives

Filed under: Links From the Show

Today the esteemed Robert Krulwich shared some Merry Christmath with us: the number of good things that happen is greater than the number of bad things, so on the whole, things are looking up for us humans. A study this week in the British Medical Journal about marathons seems like a microcosm of what Mr.Krulwich talked about.

People die running marathons. It happens to good runners, it happens to bad runners. You get 40,000 people doing something that some would say humans just shouldn't be doing, and bad things sometimes happen.

But! It turns out eliminating marathons wouldn't save lives. You gotta close streets to host a marathon, which means fewer auto-related deaths, and the number of runners who die is more than offset by the number of drivers who would have. For every runner who drops dead while running a marathon, 1.8 drivers are saved. Marathons mean more net living humans.

Ian Chillag

9:07 AM ET | 12-25-2007 | permalink | e-mail post

 

The Gift of Music on Christmas

Filed under: News

He was an amazing musician who left us so many gifts.

Goodbye Mr. Oscar Peterson (1925-2007) and thank you.

Alison Stewart

5:50 AM ET | 12-25-2007 | permalink | e-mail post

 

The Rundown: Yule Love It!

Filed under: Tomorrow's BPP

Win Rosenfeld

1:25 PM ET | 12-24-2007 | permalink | comments (2) | e-mail post

 

Tonight: Rudolph the Red Planet

Filed under: The Dagobah System

Summer Ash, astrophysicist to the (radio) stars, sends this shot of eggnog from the heavens, where the galaxy is staging a Christmas Eve special. Or something.

Special to the BPP from Summer Ash:

Last Monday, we had our closest approach to Mars. However, orbital mechanics gives us something else to celebrate this holiday season as Earth, Mars, and the sun will all align on Christmas Eve. If the holiday weather is in your favor for a clear night, you should be able to see it fairly high in the sky, somewhat near the just past full moon, glowing reddish-orange. And you shouldn't have to look to hard, because it will easily outshine the stars.

This alignment is called "opposition," as Mars will be directly opposite in the sky from the sun with respect to Earth, or more simply Earth is directly between the sun and Mars, and it happens roughly once every two years. Tonight's date between Mars and Earth happens because both planets take a different amount of time to orbit the sun. Earth takes 365+ days and Mars takes approximately 687 days. Therefore, Earth moves faster in it's orbit and gradually "laps" Mars in the race around the sun. The approach and subsequent passing of Mars is what occurs every two years.

Continue reading "Tonight: Rudolph the Red Planet" »

Laura Conaway

12:02 PM ET | 12-24-2007 | permalink | comments (1) | e-mail post

 

Goodwill 2.0: Get Hip or Die Trying

Filed under: Video

The Goodwills of Washington, D.C., were bordering on bankruptcy until they embraced the Internet and re-invented themselves as fashion tastemakers.

Pairing powerful name recognition and thrift-store hipness, they've seen sales surge and a new online market emerge. The stores have hired Em Hall, a stylish 20-something blogger who posts about trendy Goodwill bargains in an effort to draw people to their stores. They've also redoubled efforts to get people to understand what the core mission of Goodwill is...here's a hint: It's not about their stores.

Rachel Martin reports for the BPP:

Win Rosenfeld

11:41 AM ET | 12-24-2007 | permalink | comments (5) | e-mail post

 

Lift Your Spirits: A Liquor for the Last Minute

Filed under: City Living, Stuff We Love

Everybody is on an absinthe kick, it seems, happy to sip a drink on its passage back from the Dark Side and into the mainstream. That's great -- but there are two liqueur-type herbals -- or herbal-type liqueurs -- I'd like to see get more props, as well.

The first, Fernet Branca, was a fave of Hunter S. Thompson, who claimed it to be the way out of the thorny woods of a hangover -- sometimes the only way.

And I probably don't need to tell you, but if this stuff could clear out Hunter's hangover, yours should be no problem.

Continue reading "Lift Your Spirits: A Liquor for the Last Minute" »

Bill Chappell

10:58 AM ET | 12-24-2007 | permalink | comments (3) | e-mail post

 

The History of Goodwill Industries: A Slideshow

Filed under: News

Despite being around for almost a hundred years, Goodwill Industries' mission has been almost universally misunderstood. So check out this slideshow for a glimpse into the past of this famous charity, and then watch Rachel's report on how Goodwill's future is shaping up.

Win Rosenfeld

8:50 AM ET | 12-24-2007 | permalink | e-mail post

 

Ron Paul Fans Meet Up at Huckabee Sermon

Filed under: Election 2008

GOP presidential candidate Mike Huckabee spoke at a San Antonio, Texas, megachurch this Sunday. Outside the Cornerstone Church, supporters of rival Ron Paul campaigned for their man. We pulled a bit of sound from the clip above for the show, but the whole thing's worth seeing.

Ian Chillag

8:40 AM ET | 12-24-2007 | permalink | comments (3) | e-mail post

 

For Micro-Miniaturist Willard Wigan, Less is More

Filed under: Video

On today's BPP, you heard about this very very little Bible. Well, if very very little things float your boat, check out the amazing work of Willard Wigan:

Earlier this year, the collected works of sculptor Willard Wigan sold for over 11 million British Pounds ---22 million U.S. dollars.

His subjects include the Titanic hitting the iceberg, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and the Statue of Liberty. But Wigan brings a remarkable perspective to these subjects...his work is all very small. Very very very small. In fact, many of Wigan's sculptures aren't visible to the naked eye. Starting with a grain of sand or rice, he carves away for months with a diamond shard before a piece is completed. And because the scale is so minute that he can only see what he's doing by using a microscope, Wigan can lose months of work by accidentally inhaling a sculpture or sneezing one away.

Win Rosenfeld

7:16 AM ET | 12-24-2007 | permalink | e-mail post

 

Mr. Pesca's Neighborhood

Filed under: Inside The BPP

Win Rosenfeld

8:27 PM ET | 12-21-2007 | permalink | comments (6) | e-mail post

 

UPDATED: Pet Bat Rescued by Bat Doctor

Filed under: City Living

I have it on good sources that NPR's Weekend All Things Considered -- or WATC, as we say around here -- is planning a segment tomorrow on the rescue of that silver-haired bat in Washington, D.C.

The bat seemed to have gone missing a few days ago, but apparently it was in good hands all along. The good folks from WATC had gone with a bat expert to see it, and the expert decided the bat was dehydrated. They took it to a bat hospital, and now it's doing much, much better. When the weather warms, I'm told, they intend to turn the bat loose again.

And what do you know, the bat's a she. I'm hearing from WATC that the bat is now going by the name of Beautiful, though I'm still holding out for Bat Mitzvah.

UPDATE: The new segment is online -- very cool.

Laura Conaway

1:42 PM ET | 12-21-2007 | permalink | comments (8) | e-mail post

 

'Twas the Rundown Before Christmas...

Filed under: Tomorrow's BPP

...And all through the station, folks were abuzz with BPP creation
Bill's banter with Alison had all of us in stitches,
While Tricia and Matt scoffed at bad Ramble pitches
Monday brings politics, NASCAR and more
Here's your video rundown for twelve twenty-four:

Win Rosenfeld

11:15 AM ET | 12-21-2007 | permalink | comments (2) | e-mail post

 

Snow Biker Checks In: Man, Is It Dark Up Here

Filed under: Biking the Iditarod

Jill Homer, the intrepid snow cyclist, checks in to say that it's awfully, awfully dark up there in Alaska. Homer sounds grateful for the time she spends training to bike 350 miles of the Iditarod, even it's hard dragging herself out there sometimes. She writes:

These are dark days. And with the winter solstice at hand, they don't get much darker. The sun rises late in the morning, hangs low on the horizon for a few hours, and sets early in the afternoon. The remaining hours are shrouded in darkness, and it seems to have a negative effect on the moods of people in Alaska.

Ms. Homer, we wish you a happy solstice.

Bonus: Jill Homer's blog, Up in Alaska

Laura Conaway

9:28 AM ET | 12-21-2007 | permalink | e-mail post

 

The End of Our Ron Paul-valanche

Filed under: Links From the Show

After something like 4,000 comments, blogging genius Anil Dash dug us out of the Ron Paul-valanche this morning. Thanks, man.

Laura Conaway

9:07 AM ET | 12-21-2007 | permalink | comments (43) | e-mail post

 

Solstice 101: Scientist Misses Her Seratonin

Filed under: The Dagobah System

Greetings, Earthlings trapped in darkness. Summer Ash, astrophysicist to the (radio) stars, has generously lent us her smarts. Ash is hanging out at a little college in Cambridge, England, where they know from the winter solstice.

Ash shares this lesson from her blog, Newtonianism for the Ladies.

-- Special to the BPP from Summer Ash:

The winter solstice comes tonight. The shortest day and the longest night of the year. I, for one, am ready for daylight to make a comeback.

Did you know that the word solstice come from the Latin for sun (sol) and standing still (sistere)? The solstice is when the sun stands still.

Well...that isn't exactly what happens, but I can see how the ancients might have seen it that way.

The sun actually moves a lot in our sky. In addition to tracing out a path across the sky from sunrise to sunset, the height of the sun at midday also changes throughout the year. The winter solstice, in the general sense, marks the day when the sun is the lowest in the sky during midday. However, in astronomical terms, the winter solstice is the exact moment when Earth's axis is tilting farthest away from the sun.

From Astronomy 101, you may remember that our axis is tilted 23.5 degrees from vertical with respect to the plane of the Solar System. You may also be familiar with the North Star, right?

Continue reading "Solstice 101: Scientist Misses Her Seratonin" »

Laura Conaway

8:54 AM ET | 12-21-2007 | permalink | comments (3) | e-mail post

 

Friday's Rundown Cometh

Filed under: Tomorrow's BPP

Tomorrow is the shortest day of the year, but the BPP will still be two awesome hours long. Be there:

Win Rosenfeld

5:36 PM ET | 12-20-2007 | permalink | comments (6) | e-mail post

 

BPP Safety Record: 5 Krulwich-Free Days

Filed under: Inside The BPP

Here's a little-known BPP secret: We're a live radio show.

Sometimes things happen. Bad things. Guests go AWOL or drop out at the last minute. Phone numbers are wrong. Leaving us in danger of dead air.

That's when we deploy our emergency Krulwich.

An emergency Krulwich is a radio piece, any radio piece, by esteemed NPR science correspondent Robert Krulwich. Krulwiches are always fascinating, amazingly well-produced, thought-provoking, and...long.

Matt keeps our emergency Krulwiches locked in a secret bunker beneath BPP world headquarters. He's the only one with the code and the weighty responsibility of deciding when to deploy.

Let me make plain at this point that we don't only use our Krulwiches in emergency situations. Sometimes they make perfect thematic sense and we use them on purpose. Sometimes we just can't resist using them because they're so good.

But sometimes, it's an emergency.

Tricia McKinney

3:17 PM ET | 12-20-2007 | permalink | comments (14) | e-mail post

 

Girls Toys Bring New Meaning to "Ho Ho Ho"

Filed under: City Living

On the show today, we talked about the toy choices available out there for girls and how a lot of them are...how can I put this? Skanky.

My husband has declared a moratorium on Bratz in our home. We'll see how long that lasts. In the meantime, I decided to try to find some clothes for my daughter's Barbie doll (given to her by a classmate last Christmas; I gritted my teeth and said "thank you"). My goal? The least skanky possible outfits.

The pickings were slim. Here's what I came up with.

At first the outfit on the right seemed great--a long-sleeved top, long pants. Hooray! Then I saw the shoes. Platform boots with a heel that would be four to five inches on a real human being.

Next up....

Continue reading "Girls Toys Bring New Meaning to "Ho Ho Ho"" »

Tricia McKinney

3:04 PM ET | 12-20-2007 | permalink | comments (2) | e-mail post

 

To the Rescue: Anil Dash on the BPP

Filed under: Tomorrow's BPP

Anil Dash, one of the world's very very very first bloggers, is coming on the show tomorrow to talk about the Ron Paul-valanche. (Anil, man, thank you.)

If you've never read him, start now. He's seriously smart, and he's seriously got style. Here's Mr. Dash on Google:

Theory of mind is that thing that a two-year-old lacks, which makes her think that covering her eyes means you can't see her. It's the thing a chimpanzee has, which makes him hide a banana behind his back, only taking bites when the other chimps aren't looking.

Theory of mind is the awareness that others are aware, and its absence is the weakness that Google doesn't know it has. This shortcoming exists at a deep cultural level within the organization, and it keeps manifesting itself in the decisions that the company makes about its products and services. The flaw is one that is perpetuated by insularity, and will only be remedied by becoming more open to outside ideas and more aware of how people outside the company think, work and live.

Laura Conaway

2:15 PM ET | 12-20-2007 | permalink | comments (3) | e-mail post

 

The Fight for the New/Old New Orleans

Filed under: City Living, News

Ten Months Post-Katrina from Editor B on Vimeo.

New Orleans is moving to tear down a bunch of its old public housing. The New York Times says that's an architectural shame. Activists in New Orleans say it's worth fighting over.

And this guy, Bart Everson, a guy determined to stay in the city, has this to say:

Some people want to tear all the public housing developments down to build mixed income developments, and some people think that's a nefarious plan for "ethnic cleansing." Emotions run high around this issue. Shrill rhetoric abounds, and civil discourse is in tragically short supply.

That's a Bart Everson video project up top. Day in, day out, Everson's blog provides one of the best keyholes into the Katrina recovery.

Laura Conaway

12:42 PM ET | 12-20-2007 | permalink | e-mail post

 

Black Reporter Deals with 'Turning White'

Filed under: Links From the Show

Lee Thomas was at a breakthrough point in his career as a TV reporter when he was diagnosed with vitiligo--a disorder that eats away at the pigment of his skin. We interviewed him this morning on the BPP about his decision to go public and write about his experience. For more information, check out the National Vitiligo Foundation and the Turning White Foundation, which he started.

Some proceeds from his book, Turning White: A Memoir of Change, will go to both organizations.

Alison Stewart

10:11 AM ET | 12-20-2007 | permalink | comments (8) | e-mail post

 

Linkfest: Ecoboat Powered By Human Fat

Filed under: Links From the Show

Ramble this -- we did:

Scientists discover why female monkeys shout during sex/ Lynn Spears book on parenting delayed after announcement that her 16-year-old daughter is pregnant/ Cowboys wide receiver T.O. tells Jessica Simpson: Stay away from my man/ Ecoboat powered by the captain's liposuctioned fat to attempt to break round-the-world record -- seriously, I couldn't make this stuff up

MJ Davis

8:57 AM ET | 12-20-2007 | permalink | comments (1) | e-mail post

 

Scientists Turn Fruit Flies Gay, Straight Again

Filed under: Links From the Show

Don't blame us, you clicked on them. It's the BPP staff picks for the Most.

Russian tennis player bound, robbed in her home/Al Qaeda invites journalists to submit questions/ No surprise here, "Don't tase me, bro" tops the Yale Book of Quotations 2007 top ten list/ Scientist figure out how to turn male fruit files gay and then straight again within hours

MJ Davis

8:48 AM ET | 12-20-2007 | permalink | comments (2) | e-mail post

 

Listener Sends Greetings from Midtown Memphis

Filed under: Where I Live Now

Lindsey Turner, not quite 26, moved from a farm in Saltillo, Tenn., to the Midtown neighborhood of Memphis. Turner has spent the past year blogging at least a picture a day with Project 365, and now she sends this slideshow about life there.

Check out more of Turner's work on her blog, Theology and Geometry. My personal favorite: Watch what happens to the tiles when you scroll down.

P.S. If you'd like us to feature your town in a slideshow, drop us a note in the comments.

Laura Conaway

7:28 AM ET | 12-20-2007 | permalink | comments (1) | e-mail post

 

20 Years Later: Ex-A/V and Drama Club Presidents Now Running National Radio Show

Filed under: Tomorrow's BPP

On tomorrow's show: Tim Burton adapts Sondheim and a re-disembodied voice speaks again from the host mic.

Win Rosenfeld

2:07 PM ET | 12-19-2007 | permalink | e-mail post

 

The New Jibjab Is Here!

Filed under: Stuff We Love

My colleague Angela Ellis pointed this out, but I beat her to the blog! Click here to enjoy!

Tricia McKinney

1:22 PM ET | 12-19-2007 | permalink | comments (1) | e-mail post

 

Blogger: Neil Gaiman Sends Comics to Iraq

Filed under: Iraq

A blogger we follow at our house says he just got a box of free comics through an unusual regift. The military "Man from Missouri" is serving in Iraq, and he writes:

So Neil Gaiman gets alot of free comics sent to him (being a famous dude in the comics world it makes sense). He does not have time for them all, so he boxed up a set and sent them to a friend of his who happens to be serving in Iraq. She has no use for them and has such passed them on to me.

This turned out pretty cool.

Neil Gaiman, of course, is the graphic novelist who wrote The Sandman and American Gods, among other classics.

Laura Conaway

10:07 AM ET | 12-19-2007 | permalink | e-mail post

 

Want to Rent a Dog for a Day?

Filed under: City Living, Sound Off

Wish you had a dog but don't want the responsibility of full-time pet ownership? FlexPetz has a plan for you. Sign up for the company's "flexible dog ownership program" and a pooch can be yours -- for as long as you want, and not a minute longer.

FlexPetz rep Chris Haddix came on our show today to talk about the business and to defend it against people saying that part-time pets are bound to have problems.

Personally, I could use a part-time dog -- especially when I'm out there walking our family's full-time terrier in the predawn -- but I've got my questions about actually getting a part-time dog. You?

Laura Conaway

9:20 AM ET | 12-19-2007 | permalink | comments (8) | e-mail post

 

Moby Previews New Album for the BPP

Filed under: Music, Video

Moby's new album, Last Night, doesn't drop until March, but we got a special sneak preview when he dropped into our studio for an interview. He talked to Alison about his new album, the crack-infested 1980's New York that he loved so much, and why so many people have him wrong.

Click the listen link above to hear the whole interview, which includes the sneak preview of two new tracks. And to watch Moby discuss his creative process, check out this video from Win Rosenfeld:

Dan Pashman

6:29 AM ET | 12-19-2007 | permalink | comments (2) | e-mail post

 

Moby's BPP Playlist and Commentary

Filed under: Inside The BPP, Music

On today's show, recording artist Moby was the BPP's first ever guest DJ! So what does that mean? It means every song you heard, besides show and segment theme music, was hand-picked by Moby for our show. When he was in our studios for an interview the other day, he took the time to discuss some of the songs he picked, and to explain his obsession with songs that conjure eras he didn't experience.

So click the listen link above to hear Moby's playlist commentary. It's chock full of stories, insights, song clips and a sneak preview of one song off his new album "Last Night," which comes out in March.

And in case you missed some of it, here's Moby's entire BPP playlist, taken straight from his iTunes, in the order he gave them to us:

"Hyenas" - Moby
"Incense and Peppermint" - Strawberry Alarm Clock
"Hurdy Gurdy Man" - Donovan
"Led Zeppelin" - Going to California
"Live for Tomorrow" - Moby
"Only the Lonely (Know the Way I Feel)" - Roy Orbison
"Always Crashing in the Same Car" - David Bowie
"Convoy" - C.W. McCall
"Sweet Apocalypse" - Moby
"Memories Can't Wait" - Talking Heads
"Sister Europe" - The Psychedelic Furs
"Satellite of Love" - Lou Reed
"Ooh Yeah" - Moby
"Just A Little Lovin' " - Dusty Springfield
"Falling" - Julee Cruise
"Boom Boom" - John Lee Hooker
"Europa and the Pirate Twins" - Thomas Dolby
"Trash" - The New York Dolls
"Boogie Chillun' " - John Lee Hooker

Dan Pashman

6:08 AM ET | 12-19-2007 | permalink | comments (1) | e-mail post

 

Best Song in the World Today

Filed under: Inside The BPP, The Best Song In The World Today, Video

A double-entendre-laced burlesque ditty is honored by BPP editor Trish McKinney.

Win Rosenfeld

4:46 PM ET | 12-18-2007 | permalink | comments (3) | e-mail post

 

The Rundown: Rent-a-Pets and Joe Biden

Filed under: Tomorrow's BPP

Joe Biden's hometown reputation and the ethics of part-time pet-ownership are on the docket tomorrow.

Don't take my word for it. Trust these people:

Win Rosenfeld

4:40 PM ET | 12-18-2007 | permalink | comments (5) | e-mail post

 

CLOSED: Who Are Ron Paul's Supporters?

Filed under: Election 2008

Greetings, Ron Paul fans. You've been an incredibly civil, thoughtful, well-spoken and engaged crowd. Thing is, you're also an incredible crowd -- so much so that we can't keep up with turning on all your comments. As of 8:10 or so a.m. Eastern, we're going to turn off commenting on this thread. If time permits, we'll circle back and post comments that were filed earlier.

And we do hope you'll keep hanging around the Bryant Park Project. You've become part of the show, and we'd really miss you.

Laura

---

Bennett Roth of the Houston Chronicle gave the home view of GOP candidate Ron Paul today. Roth says it's hard to tell where Paul's supporters are coming from, but he argues the most ardent backing is not in Texas but in places like California and Florida.

Roth thinks Paul has become such an Internet phenomenon in part because he connects with a demographic that finds a natural outlet online:

"He appeals to a certain group of people that I'm guessing are a little bit younger, a little bit more male, and certainly very disaffected, who maybe don't get their news from the mainstream papers."

Ron Paul supporters, we'd love to hear who you are.

Laura Conaway

9:49 AM ET | 12-18-2007 | permalink | comments (3979) | e-mail post

 

Who Should Be 'Person of the Year' ?

Filed under: Media

OK, our reign is almost over. Time magazine dubbed "you" and me, and the guy next you as Person of the Year for 2006.

Will another "concept person" earn the honor in 2007, or will it be a flesh-and-blood newsmaker who has made a significant impact on the world? It's an 80 year old tradition and the '07 list of contenders is out. The winner will be announced tomorrow morning. Al Gore? Vladimir Putin? Steve Jobs?

Your thoughts on the list? Your suggestions for other candidates? Mine: A child chewing on the bottom of a painted toy wearing a T-shirt that's the Chinese flag.

Alison Stewart

9:30 AM ET | 12-18-2007 | permalink | comments (4) | e-mail post

 

Listener Wants Luke's Last Advice

Filed under: Inside The BPP

Luke Burbank offers parting words.

Got a letter from Roberto Eder, of Public Radio & TV Stations in Utah, yesterday. Eder listens to the show on St. Lake City's KCPW, and he wanted to know why Luke Burbank's big farewell cut out midway through:

Hi I have a question regarding Luke Burbank's adieu last Friday. I complained vociferously to my local FM station KCPW in SLC that it had cut off LB before he was finished. The station claims LB was trying to parody the ending of The Sopranos where things just go dark and end. If that is true, I must ask what is the matter with Burbank? I took some interest in him, enjoyed listening to him, expressed my disappointment that he was leaving. Is it possible that he just dissed his listening audience including me by intentionally cutting off his goodbye in mid-sentence? KCPW is claiming it was not the station's fault. What happened?

An answer, after the bump.

Continue reading "Listener Wants Luke's Last Advice" »

Laura Conaway

9:10 AM ET | 12-18-2007 | permalink | comments (10) | e-mail post

 

Linkfest: The Truth About Lunch-Hour Boob Jobs

Filed under: Links From the Show

You click 'em, we pick 'em. It the BPP staff picks for the Most.

Dirt bike park gets extreme make-over/ There's no such thing as too much Pam Anderson/ The truth about lunch-hour boob jobs -- people, seriously, you can't really believe that's possible?/ Nice people give the best autographs/ NJ's abolition of capital punishment means a Megan's Law criminal will escape the death penalty/ Video game boosts vocabulary and U.N. donations

MJ Davis

7:14 AM ET | 12-18-2007 | permalink | e-mail post

 

Congratulations, Salt Lake City!

Filed under: Links From the Show

Jewel of Utah named America's vainest city. From today's Ramble:

Lifelong Steeler's fan's ashes spread on the field at Sunday's game/ Here's your year-end bonus, now go spend it on someone else/ Forbes breaks down the vainest cities in America -- congrats, again, Salt Lake City/ Kaka, you're so dreamy on the soccer field

MJ Davis

7:10 AM ET | 12-18-2007 | permalink | comments (5) | e-mail post

 

'Boat Arrest' Guy Found Guilty, But May Come Home

Filed under: News

On Friday we had Justin Taylan on the show -- the young American WWII historian held captive on his boat in the Solomon Islands since November 6. We talked to him the day after his trial started for illegal entry into the island nation and the verdict just came in today . . . guilty!

Though the verdict carries a maximum penalty of up to three years in prison, he's not going to be thrown in the tropical clinker he described on the show as one he "could smell before he could see." He and his three shipmates will have to pay a fine of about $108 each before they can get their confiscated passports back. But even then it may not be smooth sailing back to the States.

Continue reading "'Boat Arrest' Guy Found Guilty, But May Come Home" »

Angela Ellis

4:15 PM ET | 12-17-2007 | permalink | comments (1) | e-mail post

 

Argyle and Ivory: Tuesday's BPP Rundown

Filed under: Tomorrow's BPP

Hark! Matthew and Tricia speak sooth regarding tomorrow's BPP, right here:

Win Rosenfeld

3:29 PM ET | 12-17-2007 | permalink | comments (2) | e-mail post

 

Gender Bias? Editor Defends the Clinton Pick

Filed under: Election 2008, Sound Off

For the longest time, newspaper editorial boards were all-male, and so were presidential fields. This election cycle, the Des Moines Register's editorial board is largely female, and the presidential field features a senator from New York named Hillary Clinton.

Who, it should be noted, just won the Register's endorsement on that side of the ticket. Executive editor Carolyn Washburn came on our show today and talked about the process of making the pick--followed by the process of defending it. The editor says Clinton just blew the group away.

"We all had our shields up, to be honest, in the same way that many, many Americans have their shields up about her," Washburn remembers. "We finished an hour and a half with her and came out and looked at each other and went, 'Wow.' She's just extremely impressive."

Laura Conaway

1:14 PM ET | 12-17-2007 | permalink | comments (7) | e-mail post

 

Guest Host Toure Checks In

Filed under: Inside The BPP

Music writer, TV personality and all-around great guy Toure is guest-hosting the show today and tomorrow -- part of our audition process for filling the shoes of one Luke Burbank.

Toure sends this note after his first day behind the mic:

This morning I drove into NPR from Brooklyn at 4.45 a.m., which was lovely because there wasn't a stitch of traffic. I was all but alone on the road. It was very I Am Legend-ish. If only New York were like that more often.

That early road peace contrasted starkly with the hyperspeed that was the first few minutes of doing the BPP with the awesome Alison Stewart. It was all happening so fast and yet so much was going on it seemed to last a long time and there were so many verbal fumbles and feelings of being lost, and it seemed to take forever. I assumed an hour had gone but then I looked at the clock and it was only 7:12. What? Just 12 minutes have passed? I couldn't believe it.

Continue reading "Guest Host Toure Checks In" »

Laura Conaway

12:49 PM ET | 12-17-2007 | permalink | comments (5) | e-mail post

 

Middle School Kids Write Story on Twitter

Filed under: The Dagobah System

If you know about Twitter already, skip to the next graph. If you don't, take this on faith: Twitter's a website that lets an infinite number of people make really small contributions to a never-ending stream of content. And that's the best way I can describe it today.

Check out this story being written on Twitter by -- so it says -- middle schoolers. Latest addition, as of 12:43 Eastern:

I see a light turn on in a window. My eyes lock with a young woman holding a baby. She screams and I start to run.

Bonus: BPP Twitters.

Laura Conaway

12:41 PM ET | 12-17-2007 | permalink | comments (3) | e-mail post

 

NPR's Pet Bat: AWOL -- or Worse?

Filed under: City Living

I'm sorry to report that the little silver-haired bat tucked into a wall in Washington, D.C., has gone missing. Right now, it's a mystery, with people leaning toward one of these two explanations:

1). The bat fled very strong winds (gusts of more than 40 mph) and freezing temperatures that hit D.C. this weekend.

2). Somebody lame did something bad, which resulted in the bat being hurt or forced to leave.

I prefer to think it was the weather, or simply time for a bat-change. But will try to find out if the building staff knows anything.

It's also possible that, with people calling the little critter Luke Burbat, it chose to move on Friday, in a simpatico moment with our own Luke Burbank.

Ed. note: We announced the results of our bat-naming contest on the show today.

Bill Chappell

11:23 AM ET | 12-17-2007 | permalink | comments (3) | e-mail post

 

Des Moines Register Backs McCain, Clinton

Filed under: Election 2008

The Des Moines Register has issued its endorsements for the 2008 Iowa caucuses, slated for Jan. 3. On our show today, executive editor Carolyn Washburn talked about the process of making a pick.

In the Republican field, the nod goes to John McCain.

In the Democratic race, the paper goes for Hillary Clinton.

The Register describes Sen. McCain as a hero:

McCain would enter the White House with deep knowledge of national-security and foreign-policy issues. He knows war, something we believe would make him reluctant to start one. He's also a fierce defender of civil liberties. As a survivor of torture, he has stood resolutely against it. He pledges to start rebuilding America's image abroad by closing the Guantanamo prison and beginning judicial proceedings for detainees.

The Register says Sen. Clinton is ready for the job:

In the Senate, she has earned a reputation as a workhorse who does not seek the limelight. She honed knowledge of defense on the Senate Armed Services Committee. She has proactively served rural and urban New York and worked in the national interest, strengthening the Children's Health Insurance Program. Clinton is tough. Tested by rough politics and personal trials, she's demonstrated strength, resolve and resilience.

Laura Conaway

9:38 AM ET | 12-17-2007 | permalink | e-mail post

 

Battles Gives the BPP an Inside Look at 'Tonto'

Filed under: Music, Video

British collective United Visual Artists have been stunning critics and audiences for years with their cutting-edge approach to art installation, architecture and performance. So it's no surprise that when the time came for the math-rock phenomenon Battles to create the video for their song "Tonto," UVA came to mind.

For the video, UVA created a unique LED installation in an abandoned Welsh slate mine. They synchronized the lights with the band's various instruments, programming them to glow with each note against the black rocks of the mine. Battles set up their instruments at sundown, and performed for 11 hours through the night.The result is one of the most stunning videos of the year.

The band was nice enough to watch it with us.

Win Rosenfeld

9:12 AM ET | 12-17-2007 | permalink | comments (1) | e-mail post

 

How to Rack Up an $83K Cell Phone Bill

Filed under: Links From the Show

Ramble this -- we did:

Celine Dion waves goodbye to Vegas after 717 shows/ Christmas card delivered in Kansas 93 years too late/ Canadian man racks up $83,000 cell phone bill downloading movies/ Check out these mega hotel perks/ Hey Romo, stop bringing your girlfriends to the game

MJ Davis

8:31 AM ET | 12-17-2007 | permalink | e-mail post

 

Nazi Uncle Sam Protests BPP Guests In San Francisco

Filed under: News

Rob Tannenbaum and David Fagin, known to BPP faithful as Good For the Jews, stopped by our studios a couple of weeks ago at the outset of their "Putting the Ha! in Hanukkah" tour. Turns out that wasn't the most distressing encounter the pair had this December.

This afternoon, I got an e-mail from Good for the Jews' publicist saying that a concert by the band had drawn a Nazi protest.

I just got off the phone with Rob, who confirmed. He says that Good for the Jews were setting up for their show at the Great American Music Hall in San Fransisco's Tenderloin District on Wednesday night when the club's promoter came up and told them, "Well, boys, you've made the big time. You have a protester outside."

Continue reading "Nazi Uncle Sam Protests BPP Guests In San Francisco" »

Jacob Ganz

2:01 PM ET | 12-14-2007 | permalink | comments (2) | e-mail post

 

More Marnie Stern

Filed under: The Best Song In The World Today

Yesterday on the show, we had a Best Song in the World Today segment from Will Gerhardt, a BPP listener and Marnie Stern fan. "Every Single Line Means Something" is a great song, the big hook on her record In Advance of the Broken Arm and a good sample of Stern's monster guitar chops. But it's not the Marnie Stern song I listened to most this year.

That honor goes to "Absorb the Lip Gloss," which is really only half a Marne Stern song. It's a mashup (yes I know, they're soooo over) of Stern's "Absorb Those Numbers" and "Lip Gloss" by teen phenom Lil Mama. The remix comes courtesy of The Hood Internet, a site that's been the source of much amusement to me since my friend Mark obsessively played their first mixtape while driving around DC this summer.

You'll only barely hear Stern's voice on this track, but those guitar skills are evident, even chopped up.

Jacob Ganz

1:12 PM ET | 12-14-2007 | permalink | e-mail post

 

Dance Dance Rundown-lution!

Filed under: Tomorrow's BPP

Win Rosenfeld

12:12 PM ET | 12-14-2007 | permalink | comments (2) | e-mail post

 

MySpace Mom's Lawyer Checks In

Filed under: News

Lori Drew is off the hook with prosecutors for her part in creating a fake MySpace persona to woo and then turn on Megan Meier -- but the social consequences for Drew (and her family) continue to roll in.

Meier, 13, killed herself in October 2006 after the fictitious "Josh Evans" told her the world would be better off without her. This month, St. Charles County, Missouri, prosecutors announced they'd looked at the case and decided no crime had been committed. Federal prosecutors have likewise decided not to press charges.

Even so, Drew's lawyer says the fallout continues.

Continue reading "MySpace Mom's Lawyer Checks In" »

Laura Conaway

12:08 PM ET | 12-14-2007 | permalink | comments (1) | e-mail post

 

From the Island of Rejected Cartoons

Filed under: Links From the Show

You know what you can do with a cartoon the New Yorker won't take?

Give it to us! Cartoonist Matthew Diffee stopped by again today with another frame the New Yorker wouldn't buy, and he brought along another victim of the ax, Carolita Johnson.

We welcome any printable thoughts on why these got the bounce.

Laura Conaway

11:38 AM ET | 12-14-2007 | permalink | comments (5) | e-mail post

 

UPDATED: Name NPR's Pet Bat

Filed under: City Living

Now that we've fallen in love with this silver-haired bat, perched in a crevice in Washington, D.C., we've decided to give it a name.

Listeners, drop suggestions in the comments. Should we call the bat Rover? Wanda? Benjamin Franklin? Hmmm.....

Ed: The results of the naming contest are in / and the bat is GONE.

Laura Conaway

7:48 AM ET | 12-14-2007 | permalink | comments (54) | e-mail post

 

Top 10 Tips for Biking in Snow

Filed under: Biking the Iditarod

Got a care package from Jill Homer, who's training to bike 350 miles in the human-powered Iditarod. If you're a nutty urban cyclist in a cold climate (hello, Salt Lake City), take heed. Except for the parts about moose tracks and sled dogs, her advice could apply to you. (Interview excerpts on our show page.)

Top 10 Tips for Biking in Snow

Special to the BPP from Jill Homer in Juneau, Alaska

People sometimes say, "Wow, riding a bike on snow -- that's great. But how does it work?" Snow-biking can be different from regular cycling, so I've compiled a list of 10 tips for riding a bike on snow.

1. Think surface area. If you've ever used snowshoes before, you know that all that mass at the bottom of your feet can mean the difference between coasting atop power or wading knee-deep in it. Snow bikes work they same way. They incorporate wide tires with a flat profile in order to distribute bulk (you) as evenly as possible, allowing for maximum flotation.

2. Fat is the new skinny. As long as there have been bicycles, there have been weight-weenie types trying to shave grams off wheels. Nowadays, it's not uncommon to see a spoke-free wheel sporting tires as thin as razors. But once you slice into snow, skinny tires might as well be razors. Snow-bikers know that fat means float, and have been developing bicycles to accommodate increasingly larger wheels for years. I predict that not too far in the future, someone will build a bicycle frame with room for motocross tires. Look for it.

Continue reading "Top 10 Tips for Biking in Snow" »

Laura Conaway

7:36 AM ET | 12-14-2007 | permalink | comments (3) | e-mail post

 

Marnie Stern's "Every Single Line Means Something"

Filed under: The Best Song In The World Today

Listener Will Gerhardt brought the bring on Marnie Stern's "Every Single Line Means Something" yesterday.

Will G., hearts to you. And to Ms. Stern.

Laura Conaway

5:38 AM ET | 12-14-2007 | permalink | comments (2) | e-mail post

 

Luke Burbank Counts the Hours

Filed under: Inside The BPP

The trainers are over by the bench now, working on Luke Burbank, getting the Bryant Park Project host ready for his last two hours on the show. Mr. Burbank sends the above photo essay of one image, and the following caption:

This is the look on my face at 3:45am this morning...realizing that this my last day of getting up at 3:45am.

Laura Conaway

5:34 AM ET | 12-14-2007 | permalink | comments (26) | e-mail post

 

The Rundown: Begging the Question

Filed under: Tomorrow's BPP

BPP Senior Producer Matt Martinez and Editor Trish McKinney insist that tomorrow's show will air during the twenty-four hour period after midnight tonight.

Win Rosenfeld

9:41 PM ET | 12-13-2007 | permalink | comments (5) | e-mail post

 

Help Blog the Mitchell Steroids Report

Filed under: Sports

We'll drop one more excerpt from the Mitchell report on steroids in baseball, this one also from the chapter, on page 109, titled "Unreported Incidents." We invite you to read the report and nominate bits for excerpting in the comments.

Now, a last excerpt from us:

At the end of the 2004 season, a clubhouse employee was cleaning out the Detroit Tigers locker room when he found a black toiletry kit that was locked. He and another Tigers employee opened the bag and found unused syringes and vials that they determined were anabolic steroids. They did not report the incident. The employee said that he could not remember who the bag belonged to.

Bonus: NPR draws conclusions from the Mitchell report.

Laura Conaway

2:38 PM ET | 12-13-2007 | permalink | comments (1) | e-mail post

 

Excerpts from the Mitchell Report on Steroids in Baseball

Filed under: Sports

Sen. George Mitchell's report on steroids in baseball is out (and you can read it). On page 109, there's a fascinating chapter called "Unreported Incidents." We'll drop one instance of steroids in baseball here, and a couple after the jump:

In 1999, Barry Waters, the director of team travel for the Houston Astros, received a telephone call from an employee of a hotel where the Astros had just stayed, reporting that a package had arrived at the hotel addressed to an alias that was used by Ken Caminiti, who then played for Houston. The hotel forwarded the package to Waters, who opened it and found glass vials containing a white liquid that he believed to be anabolic steroids and pills that he believed to be vitamins.

Waters did not deliver the vials to Caminiti, but believing incorrectly that there was no policy requiring him to report the incident, he did not report the matter to anyone else with the Astros or to the Commissioner's Office. Caminiti later admitted that he had used steroids during his playing career in a widely read Sports Illustrated article that was published in June 2002.

Continue reading "Excerpts from the Mitchell Report on Steroids in Baseball" »

Laura Conaway

2:26 PM ET | 12-13-2007 | permalink | e-mail post

 

Three Hundred Grim Pages: the Mitchell Report

Filed under: Sports

Former Sen. George Mitchell is on television now, his voice hammering out the bad news: Steroids are in baseball -- and how. Mitchell sounds very sure of his investigation, somber, confident, unshakable, really. He's proposing changes to the way Major League Baseball now deals with performance-enhancing drugs.

That will have its place, but for now, for fans of the game, it's a matter of absorbing the charges of which star players now stand accuse of using steroids to excel at the nation's pastime. Roger Clemens, Miguel Tejada and Andy Pettitte are among the big stars Mitchell names. And so, no surprise, is Barry Bonds.

Mitchell addressed the issue of naming alleged steroid users. He said he considered the question of whether to include the names of particular baseball players very carefully. "I concluded that it's appropriate and necessary to include them in this report," he said. "Otherwise, I would not have done what I was asked to do."

For now, here's the report.

Bonus:

An Olympian's view of steroids

Full coverage from NPR

Laura Conaway

2:09 PM ET | 12-13-2007 | permalink | e-mail post

 

Snow Makes Trouble for Ron Paul Blimp

Filed under: Election 2008

The Ron Paul presidential movement may be unstoppable on the Internet, but in the real world a few snowflakes can ground it. Winter weather up and down the East Coast is likely going to scuttle plans to send a blimp emblazoned with Ron Paul's name to Boston for a large rally this weekend.

We talked about the campaign stunt on the show this week, and like much of Paul's presidential run it had that "so crazy it might just work" vibe. The blimp features the message "Google Ron Paul" and was going to participate in a re-enactment of the Boston Tea Party by dumping some Earl Grey over the side.

(The symbolism is too complicated to explain here but it involves the U.S. Dollar going off the gold standard and the Federal Reserve or something like that.)

But all of that required clear skies. So now there's a Plan B. Paul supporters will probably send the blimp to South Carolina in search of voters who, let's be honest, are more likely to be swayed by political messages on a UFO.

The blimp may still have to weather the crap-storm of regulation. In order to put the thing in the air, Paul supporters have been taking unlimited contributions. They argue that they are just renting advertising space to individuals and so are not subject to federal election regulations. If the FEC doesn't shoot it down (and the Paulites have hired big name lawyers to keep it afloat), then I can imagine the airspace over New Hampshire will get a little crowded with competing balloon, blimps and dirigibles come January.

Robert Smith

12:49 PM ET | 12-13-2007 | permalink | comments (8) | e-mail post

 

Let's Go on a Shopping Adventure--Not!

Filed under: City Living

As the parent of a 4-year-old at the height of Christmas shopping season, my response to the toy choices out there is not unique. But, boy is it heartfelt. The messages we're sending our children with some of the toys out there are not very....progressive. Ok, they're horrible.

Take this Dora the Explorer purse. I can sort of deal with the fact that Dora, one of the few somewhat positive role models for girls, is being used to shill a traditionally feminine accessory. But that's not the worst part. There's this little plastic talking Dora head that goes with the purse (Why? That's a question for a separate post). It says things like, "Let's go on a shopping adventure!" and "We look like two stylish explorers!"

Click to hear for yourself:

Tricia McKinney

12:41 PM ET | 12-13-2007 | permalink | comments (2) | e-mail post

 

The All-Drug Olympics

Filed under: News

All this talk of steroids in the news reminds me of a classic (and cartoonishly gory) Saturday Night Live moment...

All Drug Olympics - The funniest movie is here. Find it

Dan Pashman

7:33 AM ET | 12-13-2007 | permalink | comments (1) | e-mail post

 

Scene in Iowa: Photo Blogging the Next President

Filed under: Election 2008

Four photographers decide to blog the politicking in Iowa this year. They rent a house in Des Moines and start taking pictures of the scene behind the scenes. Some they sell to wire services, and some they post on a daily photo blog, The Stumping Grounds. The Stumpers came on our show today to talk about the camera's eye view.

Full gallery: Scene in Iowa: Photo Blogging the Next President

Laura Conaway

7:04 AM ET | 12-13-2007 | permalink | comments (1) | e-mail post

 

Video: World's Cutest Bat (UPDATED)

Filed under: City Living

Name NPR's pet bat/Video by Bill Chappell and Wright Bryan

If you were a little bat spending December alone in the city, you would probably be more than capable of finding ways to enjoy your solitude. Eating at irregular hours; sleeping all day; not shopping for a whole colony's worth of Christmas presents -- all these things could easily become rewards in themselves.

But let's say that hasn't worked out that great for you -- and you're feeling a little ignored in all the holiday bustle. Would it help if a group of people kept an eye on you, and reported on your daily activities? No? Too stalkerish? How about we throw in a camera crew?

Yes, it has come to this.

Continue reading "Video: World's Cutest Bat (UPDATED)" »

Bill Chappell

6:02 AM ET | 12-13-2007 | permalink | comments (14) | e-mail post

 

The Rundown with Matt and Trish

Filed under: Tomorrow's BPP

Nobody knows what tomorrow will bring. Except these two nerds:

Win Rosenfeld

3:56 PM ET | 12-12-2007 | permalink | comments (1) | e-mail post

 

Look Who Came Down Our Chimney This Morning

Filed under: Video

Some call him Kris Kringle, some call him Father Christmas. But this Santa also goes by the name Jonathan Meath - and when he's not checking his lists, Jonathan is a TV Producer who specializes in children's programming. He recently made the front cover of Boston Magazine, and we think he qualifies as America's Next Top Santa. But as always, the BPP will let you decide for yourself:

Win Rosenfeld

1:59 PM ET | 12-12-2007 | permalink | e-mail post

 

No, Really, I Didn't Search for Ryan Gosling's Home Address

Filed under: The Dagobah System

Ask.com could be the obsessive-compulsive searcher's best friend. The fifth-largest search engine is trying to carve out a niche by using--gasp!--privacy as a marketing tool. The company is introducing AskEraser a feature that will let you get rid of your search history. The engine also says it only holds on to IP addresses or cookies that might possibly be used to link them back to searches for 18 months.

Some note, it's not a perfect system, but it seems for now you can go ahead and search for stores that carry Kwell. Your secret is safe.

Alison Stewart

12:45 PM ET | 12-12-2007 | permalink | e-mail post

 

California Town Splits over Blackwater Camp

Filed under: News

A plan by security contractor Blackwater U.S.A. to build a law enforcement training camp in Potrero, Calif., has split the small border town.

In Iraq, Blackwater has provided extensive services to the U.S. military. Its guards opened fire in September at a Baghdad traffic circle while escorting a diplomatic convoy. Seventeen Iraqis died in the incident. Blackwater says its guards shot in self-defense, but an FBI probe declared the shootings unprovoked.

Opponents of the training facility in Potrero cited practical concerns about noise and traffic, while proponents talked about jobs and a greater police presence. This week, five members of the planning board who backed the proposal were voted off; they were replaced by five new members who are against it. As the San Diego Union-Tribune reports, the local balloting was colored by national concerns:

"It should send a loud and clear message that Potrero does not want Blackwater in the community," said Carl Meyer, a leader in the recall campaign and an anti-Blackwater candidate.

Laura Conaway

11:50 AM ET | 12-12-2007 | permalink | e-mail post

 

Maybe the Very Most Famous Dancing Cop

Filed under: Stuff We Love

Found him, the dancing cop of Providence, Rhode Island:

Laura Conaway

11:48 AM ET | 12-12-2007 | permalink | comments (1) | e-mail post

 

Dancing Cop from the Philippines

Filed under: Stuff We Love

Still trying to find that guy from Providence. Meanwhile, the Philippines check in:

Laura Conaway

11:44 AM ET | 12-12-2007 | permalink | e-mail post

 

Dancing Cop in Convenience Store

Filed under: Stuff We Love

Went looking for a YouTube clip of Providence, Rhode Island's famous dancing cop, and brought back this guy instead. Still looking.

Laura Conaway

11:36 AM ET | 12-12-2007 | permalink | e-mail post

 

Chinese Food on Christmas

Filed under: City Living, Personal/Private

We've done a couple of segments with Rob Tannenbaum and David Fagen, who together form a hilarious musical act called Good For the Jews. Today we played their song "It's Good To Be a Jew At Christmas," and there's a great line about Jews eating at Chinese restaurants on Christmas Day. How perfect is it that my good friend Lai Ling (a Chinese woman whose last name just happens to be Jew) sent me this video last night?

Angela Ellis

8:14 AM ET | 12-12-2007 | permalink | comments (2) | e-mail post

 

Lucy Southworth-a-lot

Filed under: Links From the Show

If you go on Google and type in "world's most eligible bachelors" and Larry Page's name still comes up, somebody's got some updating to do. The Google co-founder got hitched this weekend in a super-private, super-expensive ceremony on Richard, excuse me, SIR Richard Branson's private island in the Caribbean.

Rumors about when and where Page and Lucy Southworth would marry have been circulating on the blogs for the last few weeks. But one blog in particular had the biggest scoop, getting a tip that the wedding took place on Sunday AND a photo of the newlyweds sealing the deal with a kiss. We had Valleywag.com managing editor Owen Thompson on the show Tuesday to talk about being on the Page/Southworth beat and why the couple are the "Posh and Becks" of Silicon Valley, as Alison Stewart so wittily put it. Ya think there's a prenup?

Angela Ellis

2:29 PM ET | 12-11-2007 | permalink | e-mail post

 

Friendly Scientist Identifies NPR's Pet Bat

Filed under: City Living

Turns out I've found no ordinary brick bat.

My colleagues Vikki Valentine and Jessica Goldstein at the NPR Science Desk passed along photos of the bat nestled in a crevice here in Washington, D.C., to bat expert Hill Henry (not a typo, I swear). Hill, a biologist with the Tennessee Valley Authority, writes:

"Not a big brown, I'll go with one of my favorites, the silver-haired bat. The light colored (pink) patch of skin on an otherwise black ear is diagnostic, in addition to silver hair on the back and hair-covered patagium."

(That's the double-sided skin that makes up bats' wings)

We've got an audio interview with Hill on our showpage, plus more of his e-mail and another photo from Andrew Prince after the jump.

Continue reading "Friendly Scientist Identifies NPR's Pet Bat" »

Bill Chappell

2:24 PM ET | 12-11-2007 | permalink | comments (10) | e-mail post

 

Today in Ron Paul

Filed under: Election 2008

GOP presidential candidate Ron Paul and his revolution are all over the Interwaves (and our show) today. A quick look:

1) Ron Paul and the revolution belong on Meet the Press, says Ron Paul's revolution. And until Ron Paul gets invited for "Meet the Candidates," Tim Russert's inbox cannot rest.

2) Ron Paul goes well with Doritos. "Cheese pizza powers the Ron Paul revolution," reports the Chicago Tribune. "So do Doritos, Cheerios and beer. Junk food in general dominates the menu at this rented house, full of young people who've moved in from Seattle, South Florida and points in between to push for the Texas Republican's long-shot presidential bid in the Jan. 8 New Hampshire primary."

Bonus: What's the deal with Ron Paul?

A Ron Paul Meetup in Boulder, Colo.

Laura Conaway

1:30 PM ET | 12-11-2007 | permalink | comments (7) | e-mail post

 

Artisan Politics: A Personality Test for Candidates

Filed under: Election 2008

You know that test you sometimes have take when applying for a new job that assesses your personality? It's called the "Keirsey Temperament Sorter-II" (KTS-II) and it determines which of the four personality types or "temperaments" you fit into. There's the dutiful and dependable "Guardian," the trusting and big-hearted "Idealist," the bold and spontaneous "Artisan," and the pragmatic and strong-willed "Rational."

Today a new online community launched -- it's called PersonalityZone, and it's brought to you by the folks who developed the KTS-II. You can take the test, figure out your personality type, then go to the various "zones" on the site to link up with other "Artisans" or "Guardians" and chat about work, money, love or whatever with like-minded people.

But what I found interesting on the site is a blog called the Fieldmarshal Report that applies the four personality types to the presidential candidates. Apparently KTS-II researchers found that over the past 100 years, Americans have voted more "Artisans" into the Oval Office (core characteristics: playful mates . . .seek stimulation . . . want to make a splash. . . Hello, Bill Clinton).

Continue reading "Artisan Politics: A Personality Test for Candidates" »

Angela Ellis

12:36 PM ET | 12-11-2007 | permalink | comments (1) | e-mail post

 

Tomorrow's Show: Matt and Trish Break It Down

Filed under: Tomorrow's BPP

Senior producer Matt Martinez and editor Trish McKinney on how we plan on rolling tomorrow:

Win Rosenfeld

12:25 PM ET | 12-11-2007 | permalink | comments (2) | e-mail post

 

New Logo for Iowa Caucus?

Filed under: Election 2008

I was all excited to blog about the new logo for the Iowa caucus--originally set to be revealed today by both the Iowa Republican and Democratic parties. But the unveiling has been canceled because of rotten weather. Hmmm, I guess Mother Nature is against bipartisan cooperation.

Tricia McKinney

12:21 PM ET | 12-11-2007 | permalink | e-mail post

 

Meet Danny Vice, Blogger

Filed under: News

Officials in St. Charles County, Missouri, say they're done with the Megan Meier suicide case. Megan is the 13-year-old kid who had a falling out with a neighbor girl. With a couple of others, the neighbor's mother then used a fake MySpace persona, that of the handsome Josh Evans, to woo Megan. After a few weeks, "Josh" turned on Megan, telling her the world would be a better place without her. Megan hanged herself.

This month, prosecutors announced that no crime had been committed by Lori Drew, the now 48-year-old mother who played some part in the MySpace persona. At least one blogger's not convinced. "Danny Vice," of the Weekly Vice, cruised by this page weeks ago and tried to post a comment that named Lori Drew. At the time, NPR was not naming the mother.

I found myself wondering what, exactly, people like Danny wanted. Some referred to them as cybervigilantes, a virtual counterpart to the vandals who were throwing paintballs through the Drews' windows. While some of the bloggers seemed to make a mission of outing the Drews -- complete with addresses and phone numbers -- I learned that others, like Danny, have a more far-reaching goal.

Continue reading "Meet Danny Vice, Blogger" »

Laura Conaway

10:12 AM ET | 12-11-2007 | permalink | comments (1) | e-mail post

 

Who's Your Buddy?!?

Filed under: Links From the Show, Stuff We Love

As promised, the product designed to "Protect the Boys" will at least provide a few giggles. Here's the Nutty Buddy demo we mentioned on the show.

Alison Stewart

9:41 AM ET | 12-11-2007 | permalink | comments (1) | e-mail post

 

Test Listen: LD Beghtol's 'AKA Paradise'

Filed under: Music

"AKA Paradise"
From Amoral Certitudes (Darla/Acuarela, 2007)

LD Beghtol is a man of many bands -- his own, including Flare and the Moth Wranglers, and others'. Beghtol played with Stephin Merritt's Magnetic Fields on 69 Love Songs and later wrote a book about the record. (Full disclosure: I've known him since at least 1903, used to work with him and intend to learn ukulele from him if I possibly can.)

In his incarnation as LD and the New Criticism, Beghtol sends this song, AKA Paradise, and -- after the jump -- his take on making it.

Continue reading "Test Listen: LD Beghtol's 'AKA Paradise'" »

Laura Conaway

8:13 AM ET | 12-11-2007 | permalink | comments (11) | e-mail post

 

Linkfest: Don't Mess with the Ron Paul Revolution

Filed under: Links From the Show

Ramble this:

Don't mess with the Ron Paul Revolution/ From pot den to cheese production -- Tennessee home finds new use/ Former MLB pitcher Mark Littell takes one for the team to promo his Nutty Buddy/ Don't know what to get your billionaire boy pal? Try a submarine with leather seats from the Nieman Marcus catalog

MJ Davis

8:00 AM ET | 12-11-2007 | permalink | e-mail post

 

Tomorrow's Show: Matt Martinez Gives Us the Scoop

Filed under: Tomorrow's BPP

BPP Senior Producer Matt Martinez gives us a sneak peek at tomorrow's show:

Win Rosenfeld

3:13 PM ET | 12-10-2007 | permalink | comments (5) | e-mail post

 

Video: Hot 8 Live

Filed under: Music, Video

Last week I took the 1 train up to 125th street with BPP newscaster Rachel Martin and sound engineer Josh Rogosin to visit the Urban Assembly School for the Performing Arts. The occasion was a performance by New Orleans' Hot 8 Brass Band, whom Rachel had interviewed earlier in the day. We played a bunch of their music on the show on Friday, but you really want to see a band like this live.

Just for you, we've got the next best thing: crummy video! (Explanation after the jump.)

Continue reading "Video: Hot 8 Live" »

Jacob Ganz

12:53 PM ET | 12-10-2007 | permalink | e-mail post

 

Fight Night at a Memphis McDonald's

Filed under: City Living, Where I Live Now

Got this from Lindsey Turner, who lives in Memphis and loves it.

Laura Conaway

11:29 AM ET | 12-10-2007 | permalink | comments (3) | e-mail post

 

We Could Be Heroes, If We Watched Quality TV

Filed under: Media

I attended CNN Heroes:An All-Star Tribute last week at the American Museum of Natural History. The show, broadcast live, was both heart-breaking and inspiring. The finalists were all people who had devoted their lives to making a difference: the African nun who took in raped girls, the MIT grad who brought electricity to developing areas, the teenager who created a program to reach autistic children.

Afterward, the party was celebratory. Everyone was just so in awe of the winners.
I talked to my pal Anderson, who co-hosted, and he was excited about how things went. The honorees hobnobbed with media moguls and mingled. The above-mentioned nun boogied with show co-host Christiane Amanpour. I even got to shake hands with the subway superman Wesley Autrey. The vibe felt like, "Wow, that was some TV that didn't pollute the world and maybe even made it a better place in a small way."

The show did really poorly in the ratings. CNN could have done a better job promoting it -- but then again, viewers could have show up to watch it.

I just hope the show gets another shot next year.

Alison Stewart

11:24 AM ET | 12-10-2007 | permalink | e-mail post

 

Is This a Super-secret Green Day Release?

Filed under: Music

This FoxBoro Hot Tubs website appeared out of thin air this weekend with music downloads for the band's Stop, Drop and Roll album. But here's the kicker: the downloads (six tracks, total) sound EXACTLY like Green Day. Very suspicious. Music critics are abuzz trying to pin down the origins, and most suspect that the band is a fictitious cover for a super-secret Green Day release. There's an accompanying MySpace page, for those interested.

Time to go into BPP mystery solver mode: Did Green Day release six free (and awesome) underground tracks this weekend? I'm having a flashback to the hidden track on Dookie.

Check in with the BPP and music critic Andy Langer on the show tomorrow for an update.

MJ Davis

11:18 AM ET | 12-10-2007 | permalink | comments (1) | e-mail post

 

Michael Vick Gets 23 Months for Dogfight Ring

Filed under: News

The quarterback could have gotten up to five years.

Laura Conaway

10:58 AM ET | 12-10-2007 | permalink | comments (1) | e-mail post

 

Black Flag Re-Imagined from Memory

Filed under: Music, Video

Yale dropout Dave Longstreth is no stranger to the concept album. In 2005, as the "Dirty Projectors," he released a critically lauded album, The Getty Address, based around the imaginary story of musician Don Henley. This year, he released Rise Above, an album of Black Flag songs as re-imagined from memory. According to Dave, the project started when he stumbled across the empty cassette case to the seminal punk album, Damaged while doing some spring cleaning.

The Projectors performed "Rise Above" from the new record for us in studio last week:

Win Rosenfeld

9:32 AM ET | 12-10-2007 | permalink | comments (43) | e-mail post

 

Can This Paragraph Be Saved?

Filed under: City Living, Media

With your help, maybe. From yesterday's New York Times, on newcomers noticing the "phenomenon" of carrying umbrellas when it snows:

Yet deep down in his soul, the transplant will hold on to the notion that umbrellas are to be used only as protection against the rain, which is wet and, when it drenches the clothes and skin, makes one uncomfortable.

Sharpen those red pencils, y'all.

Laura Conaway

8:28 AM ET | 12-10-2007 | permalink | comments (9) | e-mail post

 

Updated: Just a Bat Beating the Odds in the Big City

Filed under: City Living

There is something exciting about spotting a wild critter in the city. Since moving to Washington four years ago, I've walked past raccoons and biked past more than a dozen deer in Rock Creek Park.

So I was just beaming last month, when I saw my new favorite urban animal: a furry little bat who lives downtown between Congress and the White House.

When I first saw him, he looked like the waste bolus an owl might cough up after digesting a rat: a little cylinder of fur, with random signs of bones and feet. The whole thing was nestled in a building's crevice, about three feet off the ground.

Continue reading "Updated: Just a Bat Beating the Odds in the Big City" »

Bill Chappell

7:45 AM ET | 12-10-2007 | permalink | comments (22) | e-mail post

 

Ramble This: 'Borat' Sued for 'Documentary'

Filed under: Links From the Show

The Ramble wakes up in a new time zone every day. For instance:

Hugo Chavez kicks off new time zone for Venezuela/ Shocker of the week: Borat crew sued by driving instructor featured in the film for allegedly lying about the nature of the "documentary" project/ Da Vinci fingerprints indicate he may have been Arab /New slot machines with joysticks and head-to-head competition aimed at a younger crowd/ Missing U.K. canoeist's wife arrested

MJ Davis

7:40 AM ET | 12-10-2007 | permalink | e-mail post

 

Sean Penn to Deliver "Major Political Address"

Filed under: Election 2008

This item just hit my e-mail, and the title caught my eye "Sean Penn - major political address."
Is it just me or is that actually funny?

Ok, it was written by a publicist so take it with a grain of salt.

If anyone wants to go hear the "blistering indictment of political leaders and an impassioned endorsement of Presidential proportions" it's happening in San Francisco at 1pm PST.

Tricia McKinney

12:46 PM ET | 12- 7-2007 | permalink | comments (7) | e-mail post

 

Call Me McSickey

Filed under: Personal/Private

I came to work today, even though I'm sick. Apparently I'm not the only one. As Rachel Martin reported in today's "Ramble," about 80% of sick workers show up on the job. But here's my question: how long should I stay home? I have no idea how long this thing is going to last, so when am I not a danger to my coworkers? I called my mom, an R.N. who has worked in hospitals, doctors offices, and as a school nurse to find out if I should have stayed home. Here's the thing, when I was a kid, she never had a ton of sympathy for my sniffles. In my family, you toughed it out and got on with things. So, predictably, mom told me as long as I wash my hands a lot and cover my mouth and keep my work area clean and take medicine for my symptoms, I should come to work.

So, I googled around for more advice--preferably not from people of a certain generation who were raised by German immigrants. Click here for some guidelines for when the sniffles are bearable and when you should stay home.

Thanks, mom!

Tricia McKinney

12:30 PM ET | 12- 7-2007 | permalink | comments (1) | e-mail post

 

Linkfest: Got a Cold? Stay Home. Please.

Filed under: Links From the Show

Take to your sickbed if you possibly can. That's the word from today's Ramble:

Got a cold? Stay home./ A man, a motorcycle and a rattlesnake/ Lots of dietary supplements contain steroids and stimulants/ Phony priest runs up supermarket tab

Laura Conaway

9:38 AM ET | 12- 7-2007 | permalink | comments (1) | e-mail post

 

The Most: Can Kangaroos Save Gaia?

Filed under: Links From the Show

One key to reducing greenhouse gas emissions may lie in the way kangaroos cut the cheese. At least some Australian scientists think so.

As you may know, cattle and sheep flatulence is a pretty large factor in global warming--it makes up 14 percent of emissions in Australia. In more agricultural places like New Zealand, it's close to 50 percent.

That's because when cattle and sheep poot, they emit methane, which is a greenhouse gas. But kangaroo air biscuits are different, because kangaroos have special bacteria in their stomachs, so when they cut loose, they release no methane.

So these Australian scientists are trying to transfer the kangaroo stomach bacteria to cattle and sheep. If it works, the sound of a cow's colonic calliope would be music to Mother Earth's ears.

MORE MOSTS:

- Cops worry that new candy looks like cocaine
- Gennifer Flowers may vote for Hillary
- French culture upset at suggestion that French culture is dead
- Five survivors keep history alive at Pearl Harbor
- BONUS: In honor of Pearl Harbor Day, we replayed Luke's feature on one man who's spent more than 15 years trying to identify the remains that belong in every unmarked grave where Pearl Harbor victims are buried. So far he's identified four.

Dan Pashman

9:29 AM ET | 12- 7-2007 | permalink | e-mail post

 

Old English Bulldog Learns Lesson Well

Filed under: Personal/Private

Our beloved editor, Tricia McKinney, stepped up to the mic today with the story of a British social club that's trying to stop one of its members from, you know, passing gas. Loudly. Perhaps stinkily. On the premises.

My family used to have an old English bulldog who was a legendary breaker of wind -- he did it quietly. Stinkily. And often -- enough that it became a real nuisance. The family was crammed into a quite small wood-frame house on the Old Saltillo Road in East Tupelo, Miss. (If you're wondering, yes, Elvis Presley was born a stone's throw away and -- bonus -- my grandfather helped to feed baby Elvis and his mama that first winter while his daddy was away in prison.)

Anyway. The old English bulldog. My great-grandfather Murray took a mind to teach the dog to pass his wind outdoors only. He figured it would be like ordinary house training. Each time the dog offended, he'd yell, "No! No!" and set the critter outside on the porch. And his plan worked, in a way. For after a few lessons . . .

Whenever the dog passed it wind, it would then run to the door. And stand there. Quietly. Stinkily.

Laura Conaway

1:09 PM ET | 12- 6-2007 | permalink | comments (1) | e-mail post

 

An Update from Alaska: "Now I'm Frightened"

Filed under: Biking the Iditarod

Jill Homer is training to bike the Iditarod in Alaska, and she's been guest blogging the experience. Here's the latest...

I am now officially, genuinely frightened.

A week of Arctic cold snaps, hurricane-force winds, remote mechanical mishaps, frozen eyelashes and camping in a 30-below-zero wind chill has re-opened my eyes to the learning curve of winter endurance bicycle training. It is a steep one. I set out early in the week for my first winter camping experience. I packed up my bicycle, left my house in the pitch darkness of 5 p.m., and pedaled 30 miles north to an area that is best described as "Alaska remote." I hadn't seen a car go by in more than an hour when I felt the awful bouncing of a rear flat tire.

Continue reading "An Update from Alaska: "Now I'm Frightened"" »

Dan Pashman

9:11 AM ET | 12- 6-2007 | permalink | comments (3) | e-mail post

 

Classic NPR: Give Up the Toad, Rover

Filed under: Personal/Private

As we reported on the Most today, an increasing number of folks are smoking toad venom to get high. The Associated Press explains, "The toad's venom--which is secreted when the toad gets angry or scared--contains a hallucinogen...that can be dried and smoked to produce a buzz." Who has the time? And as Luke said, "Whatever happened to drinking hairspray?"

Of course, while smoking toad venom may be new, licking toads is not. In fact, Laura Mirsch did a classic NPR piece last year about her dog's addiction to toad. Enjoy.

Dan Pashman

8:36 AM ET | 12- 6-2007 | permalink | comments (4) | e-mail post

 

Video: Blues Traveler Play the BPP

Filed under: Music, Video

When a band's sound is influenced by the Blues Brothers and their name is inspired by a character from Ghostbusters, one would be foolish not to take notice. But in the case of Blues Traveler, listeners from all around the world have been paying attention for over 20 years. Although the band is most famous for their 1994 hit, "Runaround," the group has maintained a large and loyal fanbase with their critically-acclaimed improvisational live shows. On their new record Cover Yourself, John Popper and the gang re-interpreted eleven of their hits from over the years. They dropped by the studio to share a couple of them with us. Click here for the interview.

Here's "Carolina Blues." After the jump, it's "Reach Me."

Continue reading "Video: Blues Traveler Play the BPP" »

Win Rosenfeld

7:38 AM ET | 12- 6-2007 | permalink | comments (1) | e-mail post

 

Seriously, This Time: Stop Smoking Toad Venom

Filed under: Links From the Show

You click 'em, we pick 'em. It's the BPP staff picks from the most e-mailed, read, blogged, and generally ogled stories on the Web:

Miss Universe Puerto Rico to take polygraph/ Man given warning by club: Stop flatulating or stay home/ Seattle Mayor to hand out free bus passes/ French monks struggle with the success of their beer/ You're still smoking toad venom? Really? What did I tell you yesterday?

MJ Davis

6:32 AM ET | 12- 6-2007 | permalink | e-mail post

 

Capitol Hill: Holiday Party Booby Traps

Filed under: Election 2008

And you thought your office holiday party was a mine field ... Capitol Hill staffers be warned: Make one wrong move with that winter wine spritzer, munch one finger sandwhich while sitting down to readjust your reindeer headband, and you could wind up in the ethics committe slammer.

That's thanks to new Capitol Hill party guidelines aimed at curbing shady party deals between staffers and lobbyists (and I'm not talking about that senator with a lamp shade on his head doing the limbo). So, wave goodbye to the holidays, Capitol Hill, lest you be made an example of. Dare I say it, the Grinch ain't got nothing on the Congressional ethics committee.

MJ Davis

12:32 PM ET | 12- 5-2007 | permalink | comments (2) | e-mail post

 

Dennis Kucinich, Gravitational Field

Filed under: Election 2008

Interesting tidbit on darkhorse candidate Dennis Kucinich from Newsweek's Richard Wolffe, after NPR's Democratic presidential debate on Tuesday:

"Think what you like about Kucinich and UFOs, but this Democratic field has essentially moved to the Kucinich position on trade, on Iraq, on a whole range of things where people thought he was a real outlier. They're all pretty much in agreement now, when it comes to some of these big issues like trade, like diplomacy and war. And they are where Dennis Kucinich is."

Laura Conaway

11:29 AM ET | 12- 5-2007 | permalink | comments (112) | e-mail post

 

Give Up the Toad

Filed under: Links From the Show

Listen to the Family Guy. Give up the toad, dude, "or you're gonna see, your whole life will hit the skids and your kids will be born without eyelids." You hear that, Kansas City, Mo.? Smoking toad venom is not cool.

Give Up The Toad

Add to My Profile | More Videos

MJ Davis

8:34 AM ET | 12- 5-2007 | permalink | comments (2) | e-mail post

 

Linkfest: Chinese Learning to Cheer

Filed under: Links From the Show

You click 'em, we pick 'em. Check out the BPP staff picks from the most gawked at, e-mailed, read, scorned -- and secretly viewed at your desk while you should be working -- stories on the Web:

Priest sentenced to three years for embezzling/ The people's picks for Time mag's person of the year -- will it be Lindsay Lohan? John Kerry? Aretha Franklin?/ L.A. bummed because the storm didn't bring killer waves/ America's Next Top Model sheds spotlight on Asperger's/ China preps for the Olympics by teaching citizens how to cheer/ Put this in your toad venom pipe and smoke it -- Kansas police battling new drug fad: toad venom

MJ Davis

7:39 AM ET | 12- 5-2007 | permalink | e-mail post

 

Linkfest: The Luther Vandross Warehouse Sale

Filed under: Links From the Show

Today's Ramble comes with video.

Luther Vandross' fabulous stash of bags, bling and cargo pants goes on sale in NJ warehouse/ More than a year after she died, police discover skeletal remains of Brooklyn woman/ Public library exhibit imagines Bush team as criminals with mugshots/ Record weekend at shopping channel prompts Luke to dig up QVC's greatest hits

Laura Conaway

7:30 AM ET | 12- 5-2007 | permalink | e-mail post

 

A Quiet Moment for Mike Gravel

Filed under: Election 2008

We're not saying candidate Mike Gravel fell asleep in the big NPR Democratic debate Tuesday. We're just saying that's what it looks like in the slideshow.

Laura Conaway

6:37 AM ET | 12- 5-2007 | permalink | comments (2) | e-mail post

 

It's On: The NPR Democratic Debate

Filed under: Election 2008

Everybody who's anybody in the Democratic presidential field is sitting down in Iowa this hot minute for a debate sponsored by NPR. Get with it.

And watch for updates on a possible GOP debate. As NPR reports on NPR:

NPR and Iowa Public Radio planned to host a Republican debate this week, but the leading Republicans declined, citing scheduling conflicts. NPR is now working with the various campaigns to identify a suitable date and location.

Laura Conaway

2:07 PM ET | 12- 4-2007 | permalink | comments (1) | e-mail post

 

Best Mugshot of 2007

Filed under:

They're voting on it at Popsugar.

I wanna know...are blondes just better criminals?

Ilya Marritz

12:50 PM ET | 12- 4-2007 | permalink | comments (1) | e-mail post

 

'Good for the Jews' Rockin' the BPP, Catskills

Filed under: Music, Video

The duo Good For The Jews joined us in the studio today and gave us a song and a little schpiel. We're all mishuggah for this New York-based music/comedy duo -- and it turns out that not only are they funny, they're also a couple of mensches.

Win Rosenfeld

12:45 PM ET | 12- 4-2007 | permalink | comments (1) | e-mail post

 

I Hope This Works

Filed under: City Living

..not only because I'd like to save some trees, or 8 million people (according to the website) but because all those Christmas catalogs are driving me nuts! Two people in my life have sent me the link to CatalogChoice.org. With a couple of clicks, you can remove your name from a number of retailers' mailing lists and, voila, you won't receive multiple Restoration Hardware tomes. I've already signed up and hopefully all those bulletins about nose hair trimmers and/or rhinestone encrusted bras will cease and desist.

Alison Stewart

12:13 PM ET | 12- 4-2007 | permalink | e-mail post

 

Bush Goes All Ontological on My T.V.

Filed under: Sound Off

We're watching President Bush's press conference today, and a whole lot of it has to do with Iran -- which, it turns out, U.S. intelligence now says gave up trying to make nuclear weapons in 2003.

And in the middle of trying to sort out for the world what the U.S. knew and did not know about Iran and when, President Bush just said:

"Why is it that you can't get exact knowledge -- quicker?"

I often wonder that myself.

Laura Conaway

10:10 AM ET | 12- 4-2007 | permalink | comments (1) | e-mail post

 

In the Year 2000: A Look at Yesterday's Future

Filed under: The Dagobah System

For my contribution to the Most today, I talked about an article in today's New York Times science section about driverless cars. The article points out some of the less obvious benefits of the technology, including the following:

When a freeway filled with human drivers is operating at full capacity...the cars actually occupy less than 10 percent of the road's surface area. The rest is empty space between cars. Smart cars could be grouped more closely together, doubling or tripling the road's capacity, as engineers have demonstrated by running a platoon of driverless Buicks, spaced just 15 feet apart, at 65 m.p.h. down Interstate 15 near San Diego.

But the best thing about this article is that it turned me on to hilarious video content. (Why read things when you can look at talking pictures instead?) The piece references other times in history when we've been told that driverless cars are just around the technological bend, including at the 1939 World's Fair. General Motors had a "Futurama" exhibit that looked ahead, way ahead, all the way to the year 1960. It's pretty classic...

Part One

Part Two

Dan Pashman

8:17 AM ET | 12- 4-2007 | permalink | comments (2) | e-mail post

 

Linkfest: Missing Kayaker Turns Up Again

Filed under: Links From the Show

It's the Pirate Booty of news -- quick, tasty, has a silly name -- we call it the Ramble.

Missing U.K. kayaker resurfaces after five years, can't remember where he's been/ Brad Pitt commits $5m to build new homes in New Orleans/ alone among late night hosts, Carson Daly goes back to work/ study measures impact of divorce on climate change/ tree killer could get 35 years in Nevada

Ilya Marritz

7:37 AM ET | 12- 4-2007 | permalink | e-mail post

 

Kitty Wigs, Meow

Filed under: Stuff We Love

For that special feline in your life ... Don't miss the pink passion or silver fox kitty wigs.

Borehole and the Beast: Visions of a World without Smokestacks

Filed under: Video

Scientists at the Lamont Doherty Earth Observatory in New York have been pumping hundreds of gallons of a chemical solution down a thousand-foot-deep hole, smack dab in middle of their campus. Although these chemicals are harmless, the scientists here are interested in finding out if dangerous carbon emissions could be stored safely underground given the right conditions. Dr. Juerg Matter, a member of this "Borehole" team, thinks that if this experiment turns out just right, it could mean a great deal about how we'll handle environmental hazards in the future.

Win Rosenfeld

6:41 PM ET | 12- 3-2007 | permalink | e-mail post

 

Man Charged in Heist of Krispy Kreme Truck

Filed under: News

In the BPP's continuing food and beverage theft coverage ... Warren G. Whitelighting of Crandon, Wisc., was arrested last week after he led police on the high-speed chase in a Krispy Kreme Donut truck he allegedly stole while drunk early Saturday morning. This from the The Capitol Times:

He is being charged with shoplifting eight giant red hot pickled sausages from the Open Pantry on University Avenue, stealing the doughnut truck, ramming a University of Wisconsin Police car, attempting to elude pursuing officers, operating after revocation, his fourth time drunk driving and a hit and run.

MJ Davis

12:10 PM ET | 12- 3-2007 | permalink | e-mail post

 

Filmmakers Representin'

Filed under: Links From the Show

A little boy out to free his village from the curse of a sorceress . . . a former child soldier trying to find inner peace . . . a smitten hearse driver who will do anything to win his beloved's heart.

These are just a few of the many plot lines from the animated features, documentaries, dramas and love stories showcased in the 15th Annual African Diaspora Film Festival. If you're fortunate enough to be in NY this week you can still catch some of the screenings and director round-tables.

Here???s a clip on YouTube from one of the films premiering this Wednesday called Honeydripper. It???s got an all-star cast including Danny Glover, Charles S. Dutton, Stacy Keach, Mary Steenburgen, and Keb' Mo'.

Continue reading "Filmmakers Representin'" »

Angela Ellis

10:07 AM ET | 12- 3-2007 | permalink | e-mail post

 

Chuck Norris, the GOP's New Dream Endorsement?

Filed under: Election 2008

What the what? Newsweek reports in the December 10 issue that the Chuck and Huck team -- actor Chuck Norris and candidate Mike Huckabee -- is the "GOP's Delta Force," calling Norris the next Charlton Heston.

Really? I suppose if I had to choose between feeling the wrath of Norris' sidekick body slam or giving political props to Chuck Norris, I'd go with the later ... But only because I fear the nunchuck. And this campaign video:

MJ Davis

8:56 AM ET | 12- 3-2007 | permalink | comments (1) | e-mail post

 

Paper Tells of Purported Larry Craig Encounters

Filed under: News

Sen. Larry Craig's hometown paper has gone eight shades of enterprise reporting on the embattled politician. The Idaho Statesman published accounts from four named men who say their either had sex with Craig or were approached by him in some way.

Craig has called the stories absolutely false, and continues to deny having had gay encounters -- just as he has since the story broke in August that he pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct in a Minnesota airport bathroom. The officer in that case says Craig made a sexual advance with his foot; Craig says he was merely using his customary "wide stance."

The Statesman report on Craig is full of adult language and adult situations. It also carries a note from executive editor Vicki Gowler, who explains the genesis of the article and says part of a newspaper's job is to "give voice to the voiceless." They've got voices now, for sure -- the online version comes with audio clips of interviews with the men.

Laura Conaway

8:44 AM ET | 12- 3-2007 | permalink | comments (1) | e-mail post

 

Ramble Recipe: Just Add 16 Tons of Ham and Bacon

Filed under: Links From the Show

From today's survey of news worth an honorable mention:

Sixteen tons of pork products pilfered from Sydney warehouse/ Sperm donor owes child support, says court/ Paleontologists excavate rare dino flesh, scales, in North Dakota/ Liz Taylor wins a "one night dispensation" from striking writers to stage a play

Ilya Marritz

7:31 AM ET | 12- 3-2007 | permalink | comments (1) | e-mail post

 

Mike Huckabee: Eye of the Tiger

Filed under: Election 2008

Mike Huckabee just posted a 17-point jump in the polls -- surging ahead of Mitt Romney in the G.O.P presidential field a month ahead of the Iowa caucuses.

Awhile back, Huckabee turned up for a ping-pong cage match at the Bryant Park Project. And he did have that certain gleam in his eye. . . .

Bonus: The show with the full Huckabee interview.

Laura Conaway

6:57 AM ET | 12- 3-2007 | permalink | comments (2) | e-mail post

 

How Was Your Weekend?

Filed under: Personal/Private

Mine was great, thank you very much. BPP video man Win and I went on down to Atlantic City. After a lot of poker, and blackjack and "victory whiskey," I conked out at around 3 a.m. on Saturday. When I woke up, this note was on the nightstand. Any successful weekend in A.C. should involve a note like this.

Luke Burbank

6:47 AM ET | 12- 3-2007 | permalink | comments (1) | e-mail post

 

Linkfest: Sex in Space? Maybe So.

Filed under: Links From the Show

You click 'em, we collect 'em. It's the BPP staff picks from the most popular stories on the Web:

Astronauts may have tested sex in space in the 1990's for procreation research, according to one expert/ Tax refunds might be delayed/ Cat survives 19 days with a jar on its head/ Lighthouse for sale, $1 price tag/ Crowded planes make delays even worse/ Democracy might not be natural

MJ Davis

6:42 AM ET | 12- 3-2007 | permalink | comments (5) | e-mail post

 

Reality Check: World AIDS Day, Every Day

Filed under: Personal/Private

This past Saturday was World Aids Day. I was out that night with some girlfriends and talked about Friday's segment on how living with HIV affects your daily routine, your outlook on life and your interaction with other people. We interviewed Regan Hofmann, editor-in-chief of Poz Magazine, who's been living with HIV for the last 11 years.

I told my friends about Regan's story and how she got HIV from a boyfriend after having unprotected sex twice (he unknowingly had the virus). There was a bit of silence, as everyone's mind started racing to tally the number of times "just this once" was rationalized in the name of true love . . . or just plain stupidity.

Continue reading "Reality Check: World AIDS Day, Every Day" »

Angela Ellis

3:45 PM ET | 12- 2-2007 | permalink | comments (1) | e-mail post