Look Here, Hudson Valley

Filed under: Stuff We Love

The BPP's search for the World's Awesomest Person is over, and we have a winner. Riley. In his awesomely awesome CraigList post he writes:

I'm tired of answering ads on these pages only to find poseurs, geeks and acoustic folk acts who want me to change my unique playing style to match their style. It's time for a band that is as unique and forceful as I am, and I'm taking no prisoners.

This monumental effort will require the cooperation of a thunderous bass player with the mind and skills to keep this beast of a freight train on its tracks while a talented drummer will unleash an unrelenting hailstorm of destruction down upon his kingdom of percussion....

As you can see from my picture, I wear chain mail to protect my body from the rigors of extreme playing.

It doesn't really matter whether this post is real. It's awesome. (Read the whole thing here.)

Dan Pashman

2:04 PM ET | 05-16-2008 | permalink | comments (1) | e-mail post

 

The Physics of Bowling (Or: When Harry Met Alley)

Filed under: Video

Today we did a segment that combined everything I love: bowling. Actually, it was an interesting look at the physics of bowling, in which we talked with Paul Ridenour, research engineer at the United States Bowling Congress. They just wrapped up a two year study on bowling ball motion, conducted in response to fears that fancy new balls are making bowling more about technology than skill. They conducted their tests using "Harry," a ball-rolling robot that is the feature of this awesomely deadpan video on the USBC's website, entitled, "When Harry Met Alley." Enjoy...

Video courtesy of the United States Bowling Congress

Dan Pashman

1:10 PM ET | 05-16-2008 | permalink | comments (0) | e-mail post

 

We'll Take One Order of Shame. With a Side of Fried Pickles.

Filed under: Inside The BPP

Dan Pashman

1:04 PM ET | 05-16-2008 | permalink | comments (4) | e-mail post

 

Neil Gaiman, Defender of Free Speech

Filed under: Book Club, Luncheonette

One of the things I've discovered about Neil Gaiman since we picked his novel Anansi Boys for the BPP Book Club is that he has a really nice blog. Nice sounds like a mushy word, but I mean it in the best possible way.

Gaiman's posts are warm and spontaneous, filled with details of his travels and what he eats and the shenanigans of the bees he keeps. The blog also includes many letters from his fans -- many of them aspiring writers -- and his detailed personal responses to their questions. Overall, it gives the impression of a guy who is insatiably interested in the world around him and who is dedicated to supporting other creative people.

Check out this video clip he posted recently, of a spot he taped in support of the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund.

He even blogged about us on May 10, the day after we announced our pick of Anansi Boys:

The biggest news that doesn't involve walking along a fallen tree over a river with a dog following behind me is that NPR has picked Anansi Boys for the Bryant Park Project book club.

See what I mean? The man has things in perspective.

Bonus: Want a taste of Anansi Boys before committing to reading it? There's an excerpt here. // Sign up for BPP Book Club alerts or just drop us a line here.

Sarah Goodyear

12:21 PM ET | 05-16-2008 | permalink | comments (0) | e-mail post

 

Mondown for Runday

Filed under: Tomorrow's BPP

Here are Tricia and Matt with a preview of tomorrow's BPP.

Win Rosenfeld

12:10 PM ET | 05-16-2008 | permalink | comments (2) | e-mail post

 

Kentucky Explained in Black and White

Filed under: Election 2008, Sound Off

Mike Pesca and Donald Gross talk Kentucky

Our conversation this morning with a professor from Kentucky stopped a few Twitter listeners cold.

Donald Gross, who teaches political science at the University of Kentucky at Lexington, took a question from Mike Pesca about Hillary Clinton's 30-point lead over Barack Obama in polls ahead of that state's Democratic presidential contest.

Gross noted that Kentucky has a very small African-American community -- the U.S. Census Bureau puts the figure at 7.5 percent of the population.

"I think in many parts of the state of Kentucky people are a bit uncomfortable with African-Americans," he said. "In a lot of the rural areas, literally a lot of these individuals have never seen African-Americans. They don't interact with them."

Continue reading "Kentucky Explained in Black and White" »

Laura Conaway

9:06 AM ET | 05-16-2008 | permalink | comments (10) | e-mail post

 

Open Thread: Your Letter to the Next President

Filed under: Slideshow, Sound Off

What would you like to tell the next president?

We'd like to know -- and so would artist Sheryl Oring. Using an old manual typewriter, Oring will be taking dictation on Monday in Bryant Park for letters to the next commander-in-chief, as part of her project "I Wish to Say."

You can get in on it now. Drop your letter to the next president (in less than 400 words, if you can) in the comments. We'll ask Oring to include some of them in work next week.

Laura Conaway

8:21 AM ET | 05-16-2008 | permalink | comments (6) | e-mail post

 

Linkfest: Giant Beetles in the Mail

Filed under: Links From the Show

Postal workers in Mohnton, Pa., heard a curious scratching sound coming from packages labeled as toys and jellies. The noise was coming from 26 giant beetles inside. Customs officials say smugglers may have shipped the beetles in for breeding.

It's the Most.

Beetlemania: Giant bugs cause quite a stir/ Really lite beer making genuine impression on calorie counters/ New Hard Rock Park mixes rides with rock 'n' roll/ Macy's sells "peace baskets" from Rwanda/ Why Chris Matthews is big on Google Trends

Laura Conaway

7:42 AM ET | 05-16-2008 | permalink | comments (0) | e-mail post

 

Linkfest: Tonya Harding Tells Harrowing Tale

Filed under: Links From the Show

Olympic skater Tonya Harding is best known for her involvement in the 1994 kneecapping of rival skater Nancy Kerrigan. Now 37, Harding has spent the past eight years telling her story to Lynda D. Prouse for a new book called The Tonya Tapes. "So many people do not have a voice and they should be heard," Harding told the A.P.

It's the Ramble.

Nine-year-old girl's twin is found inside her stomach/ Former Olympian Harding tells harrowing story in new book/ DeGeneres, de Rossi plan to marry, AP is told/ Murdoch victory, jury rejects spying charges

Laura Conaway

7:40 AM ET | 05-16-2008 | permalink | comments (0) | e-mail post

 

Best Busker Balla Tounkara Performs at the BPP

Filed under: Music, Video

Balla Tounkara, kora player and singer handily won our first BPP Best Busker contest last week. Tounkara claims that he's a 40th generation kora player, and based on the way he played that rare instrument at the BPP yesterday, it's a hard point to argue. Here he is, your champion, Balla Tounkara with his original piece, "Nina".

BONUS: After the jump, Balla discusses his rare and possibly "powerful" instrument with Rachel.

Continue reading "Best Busker Balla Tounkara Performs at the BPP " »

Win Rosenfeld

7:33 AM ET | 05-16-2008 | permalink | comments (2) | e-mail post

 

T. G. I. Rundown

Filed under: Tomorrow's BPP

Here are Tricia and Matt with a preview of tomorrow's BPP.

Win Rosenfeld

4:52 PM ET | 05-15-2008 | permalink | comments (5) | e-mail post

 

MySpace Mom Indicted by Federal Grand Jury

Filed under: News

From the AP:

"A Los Angeles federal grand jury has indicted a Missouri woman for her alleged role in a MySpace online hoax played on a 13-year-old girl who committed suicide.

"Lori Drew of suburban St. Louis was indicted today on one count of conspiracy and three counts of accessing protected computers without authorization to obtain information to inflict emotional distress."

Drew helped create a fake MySpace persona, that of the handsome Josh Evans, to woo a neighbor girl, Megan Meier. After a few weeks, "Josh" turned on Megan, telling her the world would be a better place without her. Megan hanged herself.

Flashback:
Blogger takes on Lori Drew
Lori Drew's lawyer checks in

Laura Conaway

2:58 PM ET | 05-15-2008 | permalink | comments (7) | e-mail post

 

New York Announces Winning Subway Buskers

Filed under: City Living, News, Video

A big thanks to everyone who voted in our best subway busker contest. Tomorrow on the BPP, winner Balla Tounkara will perform during our broadcast. Tune in to hear his beautiful voice and intricate picking on the kora, a Malian instrument with 21 strings.

And moments ago, New York's Metropolitan Transportation Authority announced the winners of the Music Under New York auditions. All four of the musicians in our contest were accepted into the Music Under New York Program. Kip Rosser, the theremin player in the audition story, was also accepted.

So next time you're in New York City, you might see these great musicians performing in the most coveted spots in the subway system.

Congratulations to all.

Zena Barakat

2:33 PM ET | 05-15-2008 | permalink | comments (0) | e-mail post

 

California Supreme Court Opens Way to Gay Marriage

Filed under: News

Full disclosure: I care.

And now the news, from the AP: "California Supreme Court overturns voter-approved gay marriage ban, though more challenges loom."

The court published its 4-3 decision on that 2000 citizen referendum here. A key portion of the majority ruling:

[I]n contrast to earlier times, our state now recognizes that an individual's capacity to establish a loving and long-term committed relationship with another person and responsibly to care for and raise children does not depend upon the individual's sexual orientation, and, more generally, that an individual's sexual orientation - like a person's race or gender - does not constitute a legitimate basis upon which to deny or withhold legal rights. We therefore conclude that in view of the substance and significance of the fundamental constitutional right to form a family relationship, the California Constitution properly must be interpreted to guarantee this basic civil right to all Californians, whether gay or heterosexual, and to same-sex couples as well as to opposite-sex couples.

The ruling takes effect in 30 days. Opponents of same-sex marriage say they've collected enough signatures to place a constitutional ban on gay nuptials on the ballot in November. State officials are now reviewing the more than 1.1 million signatures submitted; of those, 694,354 must be deemed to belong to currently registered state voters.

Bonus: L.A. Times report.

Laura Conaway

1:10 PM ET | 05-15-2008 | permalink | comments (9) | e-mail post

 

The Most for 5.15.08

Filed under: Links From the Show

Win Rosenfeld

11:31 AM ET | 05-15-2008 | permalink | comments (0) | e-mail post

 

Death Cab for Cutie Plays the BPP

Filed under: Music

Death Cab for Cutie stopped by the BPP yesterday to deliver some musical goodness from their new album, Narrow Stairs. It's the band's second major label effort and its already getting some serious attention from critics and listeners alike. Here's DCFC with the somewhat co-dependently titled but beautifully written single off that record, "I Will Possess Your Heart."

Win Rosenfeld

8:56 AM ET | 05-15-2008 | permalink | comments (3) | e-mail post

 

The Internet Is So Hot Right Now

Filed under: Links From the Show

From time to time, Scott Lamb of Buzzfeed drops by to tell us how best to use our valuable Internet time. Today:

Hitler Subtitle Mashups: Crafty types taking a scene from the film Der Untergang about the downfall of Adolf Hitler, and resubtitling it. Imagine a raging Hitler screaming about Lindsay Lohan and Britney Spears, about his star getting stolen, about getting banned from Microsoft Live.

Photobombing: Sneaking into the background of other people's photographs. Sometimes this is done with NSFW intentions, so clickers beware.

Kittens on Treadmills: These are pretty much videos of kittens on treadmills.

Ian Chillag

8:54 AM ET | 05-15-2008 | permalink | comments (1) | e-mail post

 

Into the Wild: A Little Bat's Trip to, and from, Rehab

Filed under: City Living, Video

On Wednesday night, I got to watch the little bat I found in December getting released back into the wild!

Leslie Sturges, who has been looking after the bat since NPR became a bit obsessed with it -- How does it survive this brutal cold? Why is it all alone? -- had pronounced Bat Mitzvah healthy and ready to return to full-time bat duties.

Leslie says the bat, a silver-haired female, is likely pregnant, though we weren't going to breach its privacy enough to find out for sure.

I visited Leslie's BatWorld NOVA (that's Northern Virginia for acronym-ophobes) on my bike a couple weeks ago and checked out the rehab process. That's her, holding the bat in the clip below. Soon, with Caitlin Kenney's help, we'll be posting more video -- including a clip from the release!

Bill Chappell

7:41 AM ET | 05-15-2008 | permalink | comments (1) | e-mail post

 

Linkfest: Teen Gets 'Awesome' Job -- Mayor!

Filed under: Links From the Show

Muskogee, Okla., has a fresh face in charge -- a very fresh face. John Tyler Hammons captured 70 percent of the vote this week to become the town's new mayor. (Remember Benazir Bhutto's 19-year-old son, who inherited the reins of her political party?)

It's the Ramble.

Oklahoma freshman named town's mayor/ "Crazy ants" causing crazy damage in Houston/ Gold thieves hit 11 JCPenney stores/ Record opium crop for funding resurgent Taliban

Laura Conaway

7:29 AM ET | 05-15-2008 | permalink | comments (0) | e-mail post

 

Linkfest: Is Your Office Making You Fat?

Filed under: Links From the Show

"Culinary occasions of sin" -- that's how Boston Globe describes the offices of New England. Since I work in New York now, I'll go ahead and admit that a regular parade of snacks is by no means limited to that rocky region.

So is your office making you fat? Mine would, if I let it.

It's the Most.

Is your office making you fat?/ Ohio man finds someone already buried in his grave/ U.S. orchestra conducted by robot

Bonus: Why, why, why is "zxbfwwr" spiking on Google Trends?

Laura Conaway

7:26 AM ET | 05-15-2008 | permalink | comments (6) | e-mail post

 

The Rundown for Thursday

Filed under:

Here are Tricia and Matt with a preview of tomorrow's BPP.

Win Rosenfeld

6:21 PM ET | 05-14-2008 | permalink | comments (8) | e-mail post

 

Coming Soon: An Update on Our Pet Bat

Filed under: City Living

Some of you might remember Bat Mitzvah, the little bat we found wedged into the side of a building near NPR this past winter. It was a silver-haired bat, and it turned out to need help to survive.

We're planning an update on the bat Thursday, with all kinds of good stuff.

But for now, let me ask you: Have you ever been really lost -- so turned around that you couldn't trust your sense of direction to set you straight? The kind of lost where asking the locals only makes things worse?

That's what happened to me when I tried to ride my bike the 19 (theoretical) miles from NPR to Bat World NOVA, to check in on the bat and visit with Leslie Sturges, who runs the bat-rehab operation.

It turns out there isn't a good bike route to get there, which means I took to underpasses, overpasses, highways (even a pike, briefly!) and other generally stupid places to ride a bike.

By the time I got out there, I could totally identify with the bats who have lost their way in this world and relied on Leslie to get them back on track.

As for the ride back into town, I took a route not available to most bats: the subway.

Bill Chappell

3:53 PM ET | 05-14-2008 | permalink | comments (0) | e-mail post

 

LOL, Cats

Filed under: Luncheonette

Oh, treadmill cat, why are you so sublime?

Ian Chillag

12:49 PM ET | 05-14-2008 | permalink | comments (4) | e-mail post

 

The Most, 05.14.08

Filed under: Links From the Show

A man in Fort Worth reached for an itch on his back with a revolver. The good news is that he was treated and released.

It's the Most.

Rough transition to a new asthma inhaler/ Father jailed after daughter fails to get diploma/ Man uses gun for backscratcher, shoots himself/ Divers find Caesar bust that may date to 46 B.C./ Why Anika Sorenstam's big on Google Trends

Win Rosenfeld

8:55 AM ET | 05-14-2008 | permalink | comments (8) | e-mail post

 

What's the Opposite of a Zero-Sum Game?

Filed under: Sound Off

Yesterday during Laura's On The Blog segment, she was discussing whether it's possible to blog too much, when she had this exchange with Mike Pesca:

Listen to it again. It gets funnier.

But the question got us thinking...What is the opposite of a zero-sum game? We know there's such thing as a positive-sum game, where sides can both gain or lose at the same time, but that doesn't exactly seem to be the opposite of a zero-sum game. Are we missing something? What's an example of the opposite of a zero-sum game?

Dan Pashman

8:46 AM ET | 05-14-2008 | permalink | comments (10) | e-mail post

 

Food, Clothing, Shelter: Caring for Kids in China

Filed under: News, Slideshow

We've seen a lot of painful, horrifying images from China this week, with parents mourning children lost in Monday's earthquake. Reports suggest the death toll from the 7.9 magnitude quake is at least 12,000, perhaps even 15,000. Authorities say thousands more remain buried in the rubble. Mothers and fathers will be grieving in China for a long while yet to come.

For other families, the question now is how to get through the hazy limbo that follows close behind the moment of disaster. This morning, the latest pictures out of China documented the beginnings of that journey.

Full read:
Rescuers reach city at epicenter of Sichuan quake
Art Silverman describes the scene

Laura Conaway

8:13 AM ET | 05-14-2008 | permalink | comments (0) | e-mail post

 

Linkfest: Why President Bush Gave Up Golf

Filed under: Links From the Show

President George Bush tells Politico and Yahoo News that he gave up golf in 2003 after the bombing of the U.N. headquarters in Baghdad. The president said:

"I don't want some mom whose son may have recently died to see the commander in chief playing golf," he said. "I feel I owe it to the families to be in solidarity as best as I can with them. And I think playing golf during a war just sends the wrong signal."

It's the Ramble.

Bush talks to Politico, Yahoo News/ Jesuit astronomer: Belief in aliens is not heresy/ Study: Over half of Americans on chronic medicines/ 'The Real World' brings apocalypse to unsuspecting Brooklyn

Laura Conaway

8:12 AM ET | 05-14-2008 | permalink | comments (2) | e-mail post

 

Band Uses Security Cameras to Make Video

Filed under: Video

The Get Out Clause, an unsigned British band, wanted to make a music video. Lacking a more obvious way to make one, the Get Out Close turned to the closed-circuit security cameras that have become so omnipresent in British life.

They performed "Paper" for the security cameras, then filed freedom of information requests for the footage.

Bonus: Band rocks Big Brother

Laura Conaway

7:30 AM ET | 05-14-2008 | permalink | comments (6) | e-mail post

 

What I Could Not Do This Morning

Filed under: City Living

Fortunately, the unfolding part went just fine. The ride was great, and now the mostly folded Brompton is under my desk. Will practice after the show.

Laura Conaway

6:10 AM ET | 05-14-2008 | permalink | comments (2) | e-mail post

 

Fluffy Quiche, 05.13.08

Filed under: What I Made for Dinner

Like Tricia, the grande dame of "What I Made for Dinner," I've been out of the kitchen a lot these past few weeks... mostly because Little League season is underway, and this year, I've got two players. That's three games and two practices a week, if you're keeping score.

But this weekend, I made an old standby... a recipe I got from my good friend and star Los Angeles news anchor Sylvia Lopez. It's called Fluffy Quiche. It's DESIGNED for working moms, and it's good for breakfast, dinner, and two-in-the-morning musing. Recipe after the jump.

Continue reading "Fluffy Quiche, 05.13.08" »

Sharon Hoffman

5:51 PM ET | 05-13-2008 | permalink | comments (3) | e-mail post

 

The Rundown for Wednesday

Filed under: Tomorrow's BPP

Here are Tricia and Matt with a preview of tomorrow's BPP.

Zena Barakat

3:03 PM ET | 05-13-2008 | permalink | comments (1) | e-mail post

 

BPPdian Rhythm: Sleep Struggles in Morning Radio

Filed under: City Living, Personal/Private

This morning we talked to Dr. Ana Krieger about sleepwalking. It was an interesting conversation, especially for BPPers, who spend an enormous amount of time thinking and plotting about when to sleep and how to get more of it. No one who has ever worked an a.m. shift for more than a week will find this surprising.

Our day starts before 5 a.m. Getting the fabled eight hours a night is attainable. But the real challenge is getting a decent night's sleep AND having a normal life, as in going out to dinner, seeing your friends' new band play, generally having face-to-face contact with people you like. It is not mathematically impossible, but it's pretty tough.

The math? Assume it takes you 90 minutes to get ready and get to work. (This sub-assumes you aren't too vain and don't live too far. More primp time and longer commutes make it even worse.) That means to get in by 4:30, you need to be up at 3 a.m. To get eight hours, you need to be asleep at 7 p.m. Not a lot of time for fun with friends, unless your entire social circle consists of teachers, pastry chefs, the unemployed or others with consistently free afternoons. But, there is a way out. . .

Continue reading "BPPdian Rhythm: Sleep Struggles in Morning Radio" »

Mark Garrison

12:57 PM ET | 05-13-2008 | permalink | comments (4) | e-mail post

 

Cleveland Indians Notch Unassisted Triple Play

Filed under: Luncheonette, Sports

Editor's note to the editor's note: Someone helpfully pointed out the replacement video showed an assisted triple play, not an unassisted one. The clip above purports to be an unassisted triple play, and I defy anyone to sort it out well enough to argue otherwise. The original replacement is now after the jump.

Editor's note: YouTube pulled the video of the Indians' unassisted triple play, citing a copyright claim from Major League Baseball. Since you couldn't see it all that well anyway, I'm posting video of this (somewhat similar) amateur triple play. At least in this one you can see the lead runner.

For your lunchtime viewing pleasure, a moving meditation on right time/right place:

Baseball's unassisted triple play -- when a lone fielder is responsible for three outs on a single pitch -- is a rare and freakish feat.

Last night, Cleveland Indians second baseman Asdrubal Cabrera turned the 14th unassisted triple play in the history of the major leagues. Facing the Toronto Blue Jays, Cabrera dove for a liner by Lyle Overbay for out number one. Toronto had runners on first second and secondthird, and both had taken off with the pitch. Cabrera stepped on second base to get the lead runner, Kevin Mench, who'd already reached third. He then tagged the following guy, Marco Scuataro, who'd just crossed second.

Check the video -- it's three outs in a blink.

Bonus: ESPN breaks it down.

Continue reading "Cleveland Indians Notch Unassisted Triple Play" »

Laura Conaway

12:10 PM ET | 05-13-2008 | permalink | comments (10) | e-mail post

 

The Most, 05.13.08

Filed under: Links From the Show, Video

Win Rosenfeld

9:43 AM ET | 05-13-2008 | permalink | comments (0) | e-mail post

 

Video Clip: A Walk to Beautiful

Filed under: Video

"A Walk to Beautiful" is the true story of five Ethiopian women who suffer from fistula, a devastating childbirth injury and their journey to find new hope for better lives. Instead of living in a culture that ostracizes them for the disability, they make the long difficult trip to the Addis Ababa Fistula Hospital in search of a cure and a new life.

Filmmaker Mary Olive Smith was on the BPP this morning & she brought a clip from this award-winning film:

Win Rosenfeld

9:01 AM ET | 05-13-2008 | permalink | comments (0) | e-mail post

 

Cloud and Unclear

Filed under: Stuff We Love

My Japanese is rusty. Can somebody tell me what is going on here? I'm also interested in your wild theories.

Ian Chillag

8:54 AM ET | 05-13-2008 | permalink | comments (6) | e-mail post

 

The News from China: Twittering the Earthquake

Filed under: News

Befor