Planes, Trains and...Well, You Know

-- Jolie Myers

As thousands take to the roads, rails and sky this holiday season, we want to hear about your favorite -- or least favorite -- family road trip.

Find out the hard way that little Billy suffers from epic car sickness?

Been trapped at Chicago O'Hare long enough to sample each fast food joints' finest?

Stuffed into a Greyhound seat next to a recently-released murderer with a penchant for Vienna Sausages and grape Kool-Aid (now I'm getting autobiographical)?

Tell us all about it.

Tags: holidays | travel

5:24 AM ET | 12-23-2008 | permalink

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Join The Real Economy Project

A month ago, we put out a call for listeners to share their "real economy" stories. Nearly 200 people filled out this survey and told us what their biggest concerns were. We asked people to rate their confidence in their financial situation on a scale of 1-5 with 1 as very confident and 5 as very worried. The average response was right in the middle -- a 3.

Since then, we've had some of these listeners on the air. (You can hear all the interviews here.) Danielle Rodgers of Mahtowa, Minn., one of 14 listeners who said they were a 5, told us that she's not sure how she and her sick husband can keep up with the costs of maintaining a 400-acre farm.

Nathan Bell of Signal Mountain, Tenn., also a 5, shared a song on our show called, "What Did You Do Today?" Having recently lost his job as a manager at AT&T, he said, "It's a slippery fast slope down ... I don't see a realistic end."

A month, a new president-elect and many failed businesses later, we are wondering if you are feeling better or worse about the economy.

If you are yet to share your story, please fill out the questionnaire here and we'll get in touch soon. If you already filled out our survey, please post your comments below and let us know how your response has changed.

12:04 PM ET | 12- 9-2008 | permalink

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We Can't Give You Anything But...Radio, Baby

Library of Congress

 

--Steve Proffitt

We love our listeners. And this year when we talked about what we could do to show our appreciation during the holidays, we came up with one idea: Give them radio.

Library of Congress

 

Library of Congress

It's the only thing we've plenty of, baby.

So, here's where you come in. Send us a radio wish. It might be a story about something going on in your community. It might be an interesting person you think we should interview. Or it might be something in the news that you think hasn't been covered, or covered in the right way.

We'll pick our favorites and try to put them on the air.

So, think about what you'd like, and let us know. You can leave your idea in a comment below. Or, if you'd prefer a little privacy, just send it in an email to us.

Get your ideas in soon, so we can start giving you some...radio.

Tags: Holidays | gifts | radio

2:56 PM ET | 12- 2-2008 | permalink

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Playing With Sleeveface

Sam Proud

 

British DJ Carl Morris has taken the face of hundreds of legendary singers and musicians. It's part of his latest obsession, sleevefacing. On his blog Sleeveface, he defines the new trend as "one or more persons obscuring or augmenting any part of their body or bodies with record sleeve(s) causing an illusion." On the show this morning, Alex Cohen talks to him about the phenomenon and his book, Sleeveface: Be The Vinyl.

Here at NPR-West, some of us decided to get into the sleeveface spirit. We asked employees to bring in their old album covers and try "being the vinyl." You can see the results in the gallery below. Think you can do better? Send us your sleeveface creations at what@npr.org and we'll include the best ones in our gallery.

12:02 PM ET | 12- 1-2008 | permalink

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How To Mend The Social Safety Net

This week, we'll be reporting on the state of the Social Safety Net. One economist we're talking to, Alan Blinder at Princeton, says it's hard to imagine what 9% unemployment will do to the country. That's the number he's projecting. We haven't seen jobless rates like that since the Great Depression. As it is, he says we only currently offer unemployment benefits to roughly a third of people who don't have jobs. Losing your job, in America, also means losing your health insurance. And joblessness along with mounting medical bills can lead to homelessness.

How should we mend the Social Safety Net? What more can and should the government do? What role should private charities play? We want your ideas -- your solutions -- to help during a long-term economic downturn.

11:20 AM ET | 11-24-2008 | permalink

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Can Fiction Work On The Radio?

Susy Pilgrim Waters' Interpretation of Susan Shepherd's Audio Comic

 

Every day this week, we are airing a radio comic on the show, which explores a "middle class" family's experience in the changing economy. This little experiment in radio fiction has led us to be simultaneously accused of creating "the most annoying thing I have heard on NPR" and credited with airing a "brilliant glimpse into the lives" of a struggling family that is "not only intelligently written but also incredibly witty."

The first question is probably this: Why are we using a fictional family to tell the story of the economic downturn? In the past NPR has employed fiction to mixed reviews. A version of Star Wars produced decades ago was a big hit as was a re-enactment of War of the Worlds in the mid-90s. But including a radio "comic strip" on news magazines has been somewhat less popular. There was one on Weekend Edition Saturday and another on Morning Edition that listeners weren't so happy to hear.

So why risk it? Because fiction can be an effective way to explore very real events in our society -- to get at it in a way that other financial stories and actual interviews (which we always have many of) don't.

This was the case for listener A. Paige, who wrote -- in response to Tuesday's comic -- that "I found myself laughing and crying at the same time."

Just as in print-magazines such as The New Yorker, Harper's, and The Atlantic Monthly, fiction can fill gaps and add a new dimension to current events in our radio magazine, Day to Day. I think of some fun 2 Minute Noirs aired on this program from time to time.

Could it be though, that some subjects are best left untouched by comedy?

"Though I really enjoy Day to Day's approach to the news, this series fails to amuse or inform me," wrote listener Pat Morris. "I think it's too serious a matter and traumatic for people who lose their jobs and homes. There is just no humor in the subject. Perhaps you should re-think this series?"

Do you agree? Is there is something to be gained from using fiction on the radio to address real-life events. Should we keep going with 2 Minute Noir and this week's, 11 Central Ave.? Or it time to say goodbye to fiction on Day to Day?

11:51 AM ET | 11-12-2008 | permalink

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Costumes in the News?

 

Are you dressing up for Halloween as someone in the news? If so, we want to see you (or your kids, if they're doing something based on a noteworthy figure.) Get out your camera, take a shot or two and send them to us here as email attachments.

Just put "Halloween" in the subject line. Remember to attach your photos, and identify all the people in them.

We hope to use them in a Halloween photo gallery of our listeners, and you really should be part of it, don't you think?

Tags: halloween | photos | polticial characters

5:28 PM ET | 10-27-2008 | permalink

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Join Our Real Economy Project

We are looking for people to check in with about the economy throughout the coming months.

Is the economic turmoil taking a toll on your livelihood and plans for the coming year? Or perhaps you are quite confident that your life will be unaffected by what's happening on Wall Street.

Either way, we want to hear from you. If you are interested sharing your story on the air or online, please answer the following questions and send them back to us at realeconomy@npr.org. We'll let you know soon after if you'll be sharing your thoughts and experiences on the show.

1.) On a scale of 1-5, how would you rate your confidence in your financial situation? 1 is very confident and 5 is very worried. Explain.

2.) What do you/your family members do for a living?

3.) What are the two toughest financial challenges you are facing right now? (i.e. retirement, food)

4.) What two areas take up most of your money every month?

5.) How old are you?

Please include your full name, phone number, city and state in your email to realeconomy@npr.org.

We look forward to reading your responses and will get back to you soon.

Thanks,

Day to Day

7:18 PM ET | 10-23-2008 | permalink

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Introducing The Corner of Dissonance

--Steve Proffitt

Today we introduce a new Daydreaming feature -- The Corner of Dissonance

Have you ever heard, seen or read a news report, only to hear, see or read another news report a few minutes later that seems to contradict the first news report? Or have you ever suddenly become aware of two events or ideas so incongruous, that if you think about them both at the same time, you fear your head might explode? If the answer is yes, you've paid a visit to The Corner of Dissonance.

Here's an example ripped from today's headlines. (Well, actually we got them on the Web, but, you know...)

Gas prices extend decline: 5 days and counting
NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Gas prices decreased for the fifth day in a row, according to a nationwide survey of credit card swipes at gasoline stations. The average price of unleaded regular dropped 1.8 cents to $3.739 a gallon, from $3.757 a gallon, according to the survey released by motorist group AAA.

South Copes With Severe Gas Shortages
ATLANTA (New York Times) -- Drivers throughout the South have faced gasoline shortages, closed stations, high prices and long lines at the pump for the last several days. Hurricanes Gustav and Ike slowed production at oil refineries on the Gulf Coast and knocked out power along many pipelines to the South.

And here's another:

Brace yourselves for new austerity
LONDON (The Sunday Times) -- The good news is that the US government's rescue package should save the banking system. The bad news is that higher mortgage costs, taxes and unemployment will be with us for years.

Hirst auction breaks - sales record at Sotheby's
LONDON (AP) -- A sale of pickled sharks, butterfly paintings and other pieces by provocative British artist Damien Hirst has raised $198 million. Sotheby's auction house said the total for the two-day sale was a record for an auction of works by a single artist.

If you experience a moment in The Corner of Dissonance, help us out. Leave a comment containing your two opposing stories, events or ideas. If they are sufficiently funny, or excruciating, we might use them on the air. Include links to your sources if possible, and if you wish, comment on why this particular dissonance resonates with you.

Tags: call out | humor | odd news

9:25 AM ET | 09-23-2008 | permalink

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What's In Your Kid's Backpack?

--Gary Dauphin

Over the last few weeks listeners have been sharing their concerns and thoughts about education. One consistent theme? Homework. Too much homework, too little homework, pointless homework, the wrong kind of homework; homework, homework, homework.

This got us thinking: how are kids getting all that controversial work, well, home? To answer that question, we'd like you to do two things: First put the full backpack, knapsack, rollerboard suitcase your kid uses to get their school materials to and fro on a scale and weigh it. Then we'd like you to neatly lay out the contents of the backpack on your kitchen table (if it can fit them!) and take a picture. Then send the weight, your name, phone number and the picture along to us at what@npr.org. Feel free to include a note explaining or giving us more context for the image, and please: DO NOT include your kid or any object that might identify them in the picture. We're going to create a gallery out of the images for use in an upcoming story.

Thanks, and, you parent's of older kids: ask if they'd like to participate before dumping their mobile teenage redoubt out on the table, ok? Nobody likes a snoop.

Tags: call outs | education | homework

3:52 PM ET | 09-19-2008 | permalink

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Pain On Main

We're looking for people to talk with, for an upcoming program, about how the crisis on Wall St. is being felt where you are.

Has your organization had to re-evaluate their plans because big donors are fleeing? Are your town's municipal bonds somehow put at risk by all this? Maybe you sell AIG insurance products, or you were a Lehman Bros. broker.

We want to talk with folks who can describe the impact of the financial melt-down, not so much on themselves personally, but on their organization, company or community.

Leave a comment below and include your email address. (We can see it, but it won't be displayed on the blog.) Or you can use this Contact Us link, and select Day to Day from the pulldown menu.

Tags: economy | wall street

5:17 PM ET | 09-16-2008 | permalink

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Your Education Worries?

--Gary Dauphin

School is back in session, and parents, students, teachers and policy makers are gearing up for another year of challenges, questions and cafeteria mystery-meat.

Over the next few months, Day to Day will be doing a series of reports on education, and we'd like your help thinking through what sorts of issues we should be looking at.

So what are your top education-related concerns? Paying for college? Violence? Sex education? Test scores? Drugs? Too much homework? Too little homework? Over-scheduling? Lack of afterschool programs? Tracking? The achievement gap? Technology in the classroom? Charter schools? Vouchers?

You can leave your suggestions in the comments field below, or you can use the Contact Day to Day form if you'd like to leave us a private note. Please make sure you use a working email when you comment, though, as we may want to do a follow-up on your idea. If we generate a segment out of a listener suggestion or story, we'd love to be able to give you a shout-out, but we can't do that if we can't contact you.

So what are your thoughts?

Tags: education

12:16 PM ET | 09- 4-2008 | permalink

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You Listen, You Read

As part of our ongoing look at the California Dream, we aired a segment today on two books with roots in Santa Cruz, James D. Houston's Where Light Takes its Color from the Sea and Karen Joy Fowler, author of The Jane Austen Book Club.

We've also been publishing lists of books about California, with Day to Day staffers Jason DeRose and Skye Rohde providing lists of the favorite Cali reads. We'd like to keep adding to our list, so tell us about your favorite CA-themed books.

--Gary Dauphin

12:52 PM ET | 08-13-2008 | permalink

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What's Real And What Isn't?

I love watching the Olympics. I love being awed by the super-human feats (while very un-super-humanly splayed out on a couch in front of the TV).

So it was disappointing, to say the least, to discover that some of what we've been watching is indeed super-human, as in -- fake.

Those Chinese footprints at the opening ceremony? CGI.

And now this -- that adorable little Chinese girl who sang? Let's just say she's the Chinese version of Milli Vanilli.

--Madeleine Brand

Continue reading "What's Real And What Isn't?" »

12:27 PM ET | 08-12-2008 | permalink

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What Does Your Grocery List Say About You?

Performance artist Hillary Carlip collects and interprets discarded shopping lists. She then studies them as if they were treasure maps, carefully dissecting each item, the hand-writing, type of paper and level of order. What type of person remembers they need to pick up Coors and Oreos on the inside of a matchbook cover? What kind of person writes Nair and Fresca in carefully looping magenta ink? Shopping lists are the new memoir, she tells Day to Day's Alex Cohen in an interview.

Below, you can scroll through a gallery of some of the characters she's created from actual lists:

What's on your shopping list? Hillary Carlip has agreed to take one list submitted by a user/listener and turn it into a whole new character. Then she's going to take Day to Day shopping in character. Want your list considered? Because she likes to examine the glorious documents in their original form, it's best if you mail your grocery list to us the old-fashioned way. Mail to:

Day to Day
ATTN: Shopping List
9909 Jefferson Avenue
Culver City, CA 90232

On a separate piece of paper, send us your name, phone number and e-mail.
If you are totally snail-mail phobic, however -- you can send us a scanned version of your shopping list at what@npr.org. Again, include your name, phone number and e-mail.

Thanks!
Day to Day

12:33 PM ET | 07-29-2008 | permalink

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Tales of the Nerd, Stink-Bug, Ho and Other Vehicles

Last week, we asked listeners to tell us what their cars meant to them. Whether it's the ride Mr. Jalopy calls "Sister Golden Hair Surprise," or what one listener has dubbed "Leopard Bernstein," Americans don't just love their cars, they love personalizing them. Take a look:

Judging from the admittedly unscientific survey above, the right to customize is one of the privileges of ownership. As Celeste Headlee's segment about "makers" points out, though, Americans are increasingly "buying" products that they can't customize or modify. What if Detroit sold cars that came with fine print saying the owner (so-called) couldn't change the color, or build a giant, terrifying waterfall on the trunk the way Extermo the Clown did? A basic piece of Americana would disappear.

Fortunately, that's not the case -- yet -- so enjoy the gallery. Many thanks to everyone who sent us photos and stories! We got quite a few submissions, more than we could feature today, and we'll be sharing additional images and stories on the blog in upcoming weeks. In the meantime, tell us what you think about this first batch.

--Gary Dauphin

10:32 AM ET | 07-14-2008 | permalink

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Two Jettas, Two Nerds

The Jettas; photo courtesy Steve Boser

Yesterday we put a call out to Californians asking for pictures of their beloved cars. We got lots of great entries like this one from Steve Boser:

Included is me and my two 1982 VW diesel Jetta's. The gold one has been converted to run on vegetable oil and is no longer in the family. My custom plate on the green Jetta really paid for itself when it was stolen a couple of years back. It was spotted by a tow truck driver suspicious of three guys that didn't much look like the type that would being driving around in a car with a license plate that said "NERD". He called it in to the local sheriff's office, and, sure enough it was stolen. The tow truck driver and the sheriff not only recovered my car but caught all three "Non-Nerd" types.

Thanks, Steve! We've gotten great responses from around the country and plan to use many of them. If you have a car story to share, send a photo of you with your vehicle and tell us where you're from.

2:17 PM ET | 07-11-2008 | permalink

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Send Us A Photo Of Your Car

BugMan50, Flickr

In L.A., it's not uncommon to come across "Car Rich, House Poor" individuals; they drive shiny new BMWs or Audis, but live in a tiny little apartment with college-dorm-quality furniture. (My neighbor a few doors down qualifies--I've seen through her screen door.) At the same time, millionaire movie people insist on the simple, box-like Prius, even when they could have a vintage Porsche gutted and filled with a bio-diesel engine.

On Monday, Day to Day will be running a piece on "California Car Culture." Today, we want you to send us a photo of you with your car, along with a few sentences about what your car means to you. We will select the best images and stories to include in a photo gallery. If you AND your car are clearly visible in the photo, you have a much better chance of making it in, but remember: this is a family show. No Bikini Car Wash homages, please.

Send those photos to what@npr.org, and thanks in advance!

10:37 AM ET | 07-10-2008 | permalink

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