A Chilly War?

Tell me if this sounds familiar... The U.S. military plans a technologically advanced missile defense shield, Moscow signals its disapproval and develops new weapons that it promises can overcome any current or future defenses. Diplomats from both countries argue over influence and tactics in eastern Europe. No, it's not 1983, this is all from recent news reports. And, as President Bush prepares to meet Russian President Putin in July, some wonder if all this tough talk won't revive the old rivalries. There are some smart folks who study these things, and we'll ask them about the prospects of a new cold war. Let us know what questions you have.

Scott Cameron

1:45 PM ET | 05-31-2007 | permalink | comments (5) | e-mail post

ZZZzzzzZZZZZzz...

How much sleep did you get last night? I think I was asleep by midnight, and my alarm went off at 6:30am, so I count six-and-a-half hours. Today I feel pretty good, though I may have yawned a couple of times at our morning editorial meeting... but we all know we're supposed to get about eight hours of sleep. We know it, but do we care? According to the National Sleep Foundation, nope -- whereas almost 40% of adults were getting their nightly eight in 2001, these days only about a quarter do. I know I should get more, but then I think, "Well, if I get a medium coffee in the morning instead of a small, I can stay up for another hour or so..." What do you tell yourself to rationalize the sleep you're not getting?

UPDATE: The email address Dr. Dement gave out to take part in the study on obstructive sleep apnea (it's only near Boston, Tucson, Walla Walla, Stanford, or St. Louis) is: sleep.fmri@yahoo.com

Sarah Handel

1:15 PM ET | 05-31-2007 | permalink | comments (14) | e-mail post

Advantages of Disadvantage

There was a time when a legless man would only qualify for the Paralympics. Oscar Pistorius, who had both legs amputated below the knee when he was 11 months old, is hoping to qualify for the Beijing Olympics, as "the fastest man on no legs." He runs on curved blades that some argue, give him an unfair advantage. The debate has started a conversation among athletes about the line between correction, and enhancement. What constitutes an unfair advantage? Pistorius' bouncy blades, Tiger Woods lasik eye correction?

Barrie Hardymon

12:34 PM ET | 05-31-2007 | permalink | comments (1) | e-mail post

The View from the Pine

Paul Shirley is not, and likely never will be, a household name... Well, not for his basketball skills anyway. Sure, he's played for some of the top teams in the NBA -- the Bulls, the Hawks, the Suns -- but he's not Jordan, he's not Wilkins, and he's not Nash. In a way, though, that makes him more interesting... in addition to the aforementioned NBA teams, he's also played in Greece, Spain, and even Siberia. He writes a column for ESPN.com about his journeys called My So-Called Career and now he's got a book, Can I Keep My Jersey? He's seen it all, so ask him all your questions about the life of a professional athlete.

Sarah Handel

11:21 AM ET | 05-31-2007 | permalink | comments (0) | e-mail post

SHHHHHH!

I think it was Braveheart playing... I'm sitting in the theater, packed house, with a big screen full of all that angst and anger and heroic violence (testosterone pumping stuff). And the guy in front of me gets on his cell phone. And talks. And talks. Loudly. It was my first... and so far only... experience with theater rage. Nobody got hurt (except poor, kilted Mel), but I wish we had access to one of these. Nobody likes a tattletale, but you get special dispensation for shutting someone up in a movie theater. And if Regal theaters let you do it anonymously, I'll be a whistle blower any day (though I'm not a member of their points program, so I'm not technically eligible). It's a small gadget, about the size of a cell phone, with four buttons. One for picture problems, one for audio, another if you spot digital piracy in the theater, and that final, wonderful button that says, "other disturbance." It might as well say "*#&$& person talking." Either way, once you push it a manager is summoned wirelessly (and maybe comes running with a long cane that pulls the yapper out of their seat, stage right?). Regal's senior V.P. was quoted in USA Today, "We have noticed over the years that customer etiquette has become more and more of a problem." Understatement? Sure, but at least they're doing something about it. Any movie going horror stories, or other novel ideas to stomp it out? Comment away...

Scott Cameron

10:33 AM ET | 05-31-2007 | permalink | comments (4) | e-mail post

TB or not TB?

News that an Atlanta man has been globetrotting with an infectious disease and is now in quarantine sounds like really old news, and had us asking a million questions in our morning meeting... questions best answered by a doctor, a laywer, and an ethicist (sounds like the setup for a walk-into-a-bar joke). What do you want to know about the case?

Sarah Handel

2:00 PM ET | 05-30-2007 | permalink | comments (8) | e-mail post

Nothing's Quiet on the DC Front

Congress is home this week for the Memorial Day break (I only get a day off, why do they get a week!) and things are quiet in Washington. Except for the arguments over Iraq. Oh, and immigration. And Fred Thompson's announcement (that he'll announce). Yeah, and that 2008 election. OK, maybe not so quiet. Just because Congress is home, doesn't mean the country stops... and neither does Ken Rudin. Our political junkie takes on everything from Iraq to Iowa, and we find out why liberal anti-war groups are warning some of the Democrats they helped elect. Questions for Ken? Click that comment link...

Scott Cameron

1:20 PM ET | 05-30-2007 | permalink | comments (2) | e-mail post

You WILL Remember

It's no secret that the American population ain't getting any younger, and the older we get, the more important it becomes to think about the things we'll leave behind. There are the tangible items to consider (I'm leaving my music and cameras to my sister), and of course the monetary (yeah, not much for me to worry about on that front yet), but you might also want to consider the more ephemeral parts of your life. Turns out there's something called an ethical will, a document separate from the traditional will that expresses your beliefs and values, preserving them and passing them on to the family you leave behind. I'm still not entirely clear on what that means, or the value of the document... I guess it's hard for me to imagine anyone being interested in just how much I care about spaying and neutering pets, or being nice to people, but when I turn it around and think about if someone left me an ethical will, it gets a little more interesting. For example, I'd love to have a record of my grandma's beliefs and values to hold onto when I can't talk to her anymore (she's the one who taught me that it's ok to not finish a book -- no matter how wrong it feels to not see it through to the end, she says,"throw it against a wall -- life's too short!"). Are you writing an ethical will? How are you making sure your values are carried from generation to generation? If only one lesson, value, or belief stands that ultimate test of time, which one do you want it to be?

Sarah Handel

1:17 PM ET | 05-30-2007 | permalink | comments (8) | e-mail post

Digital Distraction

You know the billboards that flip to another side every minute or so? Those make me a little ill; there's one on the Baltimore-Washington Parkway, and I find it super distracting. Turns out that's kid stuff; huge digital billboards are starting to go up all over the country. A lot of this is due to the fact that it's actually really easy to avoid advertisements these days (thank you, DVR), so companies are trying to find new ways to get your attention. The problem is, the signs are so big and flashy, they might be distracting drivers. What do you think about them? I've never seen any, but honestly, the huge billboards in Times Square make me dizzy.

Barrie Hardymon

1:04 PM ET | 05-30-2007 | permalink | comments (12) | e-mail post

From Faint to Saint

Today we've got a Q&A about the tuberculosis scare (TBQ&A), which got me thinking... while this is a rather terrifying disease, it's also been tapped by countless authors as the best way to kill off a tragic heroine. It's the most romantic (not to mention the least feminist) of all diseases -- in literature it's more of a social disease. From opera to film, there's nothing like a poor, frail, woman sanctified by tuberculosis. The French are really best at this (I'm open to argument on that, though); think Fantine in Les Miserables. You know the drill; first, the gal must be a courtesan, not at heart, you understand, but by circumstance. Poor sainted Fantine works her tail off in the factory, until she loses her job and is forced into the oldest profession. Poverty and disease strike next, and the next thing you know she's achieved ultimate morality -- by ultimate mortality. It's odd, but TB really seems to occupy a unique place in nineteenth and twentieth century novels. Anyway, here, in no particular order, are my favorite fictional victims. I'm sure I'm missing some, so apologies to any coughing beauties I've missed.

Best Fallen Woman: Fantine, in Victor Hugo's Les Miserables (by the way, what a great book. It literally reads like a romance novel.)
Most Terrifying Death: Helen, in Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre (remember how Jane wakes up next to the deceased Helen? BTW, can you really get TB from a mean schoolmaster?)
Best Introductory Aria: Mimi, most famous in Puccini's La Boheme, but not surprisingly based on a French story (Henry Murgers Scenes de la Vie de Boheme)
Best Pre-Death Aria: Violetta in Verdi's La Traviata
Best Portrayal on Film: Marguerite Gautier (GARBO!!) in Camille (literally, this was like the 11th production of this story which La Traviata was also based on. The story? You guessed it-- French: La Dame Aux Camelias by Dumas.)
Most Shocking TB Death For Children: Beth, in Louisa May Alcott's Little Women (Let me tell you, as an impressionable nine year old reading this book, this was a SHOCK, akin to finding Mary suddenly blind in the Little House books.)
Most Sainted (if that's possible): Little Eva in Harriet Beecher Stowe's Uncle Tom's Cabin
Honorable Mention for Consumptive Male: Young Paul Dombey in Dickens' Dombey and Son
Author TB Shout-out: Emily Bronte, who not only created characters whom you really expected to die of TB, but sadly, died of TB herself at a very young age.

Barrie Hardymon

10:09 AM ET | 05-30-2007 | permalink | comments (1) | e-mail post

An Exit Strategy for Iraq

After the wrangling, the veto, and the debates, President Bush got (and signed) a spending bill for the war in Iraq last week. But Democrats in congress promise the debate isn't over. And, with critics of the war, including two presidential candidates, lining up to call for troop reductions and pull-outs, many think it's time to come up with an exit plan. Politics aside, though, that won't be easy. There are almost 160,000 US troops in Iraq, tons of vehicles, weapons, and other equipment, and a huge embassy in the Green Zone. So, what would an exit plan for Iraq look like?

Scott Cameron

1:49 PM ET | 05-29-2007 | permalink | comments (10) | e-mail post

Pompous Circumstance

Today, we've got this treat for you: Jay Parini, who's an English professor at Middlebury College is going to tell us what makes a model graduation speaker. He should know; he's been to quite a few. I want to use this opportunity to point out two of my favorites: the first is Tony Kushner's at Vassar (this literally changed my life), and the second was given in 1922 at St. Andrews by namesake, J.M. Barrie. Read both. It's easier to pay attention when you're not thinking about tripping in your robes.

Barrie Hardymon

1:38 PM ET | 05-29-2007 | permalink | comments (3) | e-mail post

I Have to Write HOW Many Pages?!

Did you write a senior thesis in college? Waaaaay back when I was a college senior, it was an optional project for the folks who wished to graduate with honors. It's kind of a blur in retrospect, but I do remember consuming an inordinate amount of Mountain Dew (my all-nighter stimulant of choice) and Bubble-Yum (write a paragraph and you've earned a new piece of gum! Suffer writers block, suffer stale gum and a sore jaw). For some reason I thought graduate school was a good idea, whereupon my classmates and I undertook the process once again, only with more caffeine, and more booze, too. We formed a collective and had monthly dinner parties... after a drink or two, it's amazing how many problems we were able to work through. The memories, however hazy, are fond... what was your experience like? What did you write about? Does it have anything at all to do with what you're doing now? (For me, not so much, at least not directly -- in case you're wondering, my undergrad was on graffiti, and my master's was on radio, but music radio.)

Sarah Handel

1:27 PM ET | 05-29-2007 | permalink | comments (6) | e-mail post

Killed Blog Posts

Every now and then, I'll write something on this blog that causes much eye rolling (unusual because I have perfected the eye roll), and a big fat DELETE from Scott and Sarah. It is amazing, frankly, that anything I write on this thing goes up at all. (I'm sure you all feel the same way. SHHHHHH.) Well, a new book addresses cartoons whose material is deemed too racy, sensitive, or tasteless for your morning newspaper. You can see some of them on our website, and oddly... we had to kill one too (it was sexually explicit in a way that NPR listeners would not appreciate). The book is called Killed Cartoons: Casualties from the War on Free Expression and you can post questions for David Wallis, the book's editor, here.

Barrie Hardymon

1:01 PM ET | 05-29-2007 | permalink | comments (4) | e-mail post

Who's the Boss?

Every couple of weeks I get to trade in my traditional duties and assume the director's chair in 3A. It's a great way to keep my directing skills up to par (it's amazing how much you forget after a month not directing... and then you get called in to direct a last-minute press conference from the Rose Garden and think, "wait a minute, what am I supposed to be doing again?"), but, even better, it's my favorite job at Talk. While it's fun to be the boss*, the best part is that I get to pick out all the music that airs during the program. Not everyone hears our music breaks -- many member stations use that 59 seconds to update listeners on local stories, weather, and traffic -- but picking them out is a time-consuming and creative process (you can see what we play each day on the program page for the day after 6pm, and even listen to clips). Tone is paramount -- you don't want the upbeat Architecture in Helsinki following a story about deaths in Iraq -- but you also want to mix things up, pulling from a variety of genres and artists. As a result, I'm always on the prowl for instrumental music. The best breaks I've run across lately have been from Lost in the Trees and Toumani Diabate. So do you have any suggestions for me? The bare minimum length that's useful for us is 30 seconds, but for some breaks we need as much as 3 minutes... what would you like to hear? And if you're a musician and want to submit music, leave a message in the comments section and I'll be in touch!

*Actually, the incredible engineers at NPR -- these days, our Technical Director Kimberly Jones and engineer Neil Tevault -- don't need me at all. They could drive the show in the dark. But I get to sit in a tall chair and look important, anyway.

Sarah Handel

9:34 AM ET | 05-29-2007 | permalink | comments (6) | e-mail post

Summer Reading List!

If you're a true TOTN listener, you've probably been COUNTING DOWN THE HOURS till our annual summer reading show. Never fear, it's Memorial Day, and time to give you the goods. Laura Miller, Maud Newton, and ZZ Packer will all be here to give you the best of the best. This year, we've got a special edition, and we're asking that you not only give us your must-read list, but you fill in these blanks.

1) Best book to read on the beach (something engrossing that you don't mind getting sand in).

2) Best book to read on an airplane when you really want to avoid talking to the person next to you.

3) Best thing to read when the air conditioning's out.

4) Book you were assigned to read in school, and haven't gotten around to...yet!

5) Book you're dying to re-read.

6) Children's book you want to re-read.

Give us your answers, and any other advice for filling your beach tote!

Barrie Hardymon

1:45 PM ET | 05-28-2007 | permalink | comments (28) | e-mail post

Opinion Page: Memorial Day in Iraq

Soldier Patrick Campbell served in Iraq from 2004 to 2005 with the Louisiana National Guard, and to him and his, Memorial Day isn't just about hot dogs and American flags, or even the heroes of past wars. To him, the most crucial thing to remember this Memorial Day is the vets and the fallen of the current war, and he wrote about it for the San Francisco Chronicle. Do you have loved ones in Iraq or Afghanistan? Do their contributions make this Memorial Day different from those gone by? If you have served, or are serving, how are you marking the day?

Sarah Handel

1:12 PM ET | 05-28-2007 | permalink | comments (4) | e-mail post

BBQ

Keep 'em coming!!!

Source: Kent Wang

When I even hear the word "barbecue," insane Pavlovian drooling begins and I can hardly think straight (hence, that incredibly thoughtful title to this post... I'm serious, I lose actual mental function when I think about it). There are so many variations -- pork or beef? Wet or dry? Eastern North Carolinian or Lexington style? Ribs or pulled pork? With or without slaw? Mustard sauce, vinegar, sweet tomato-based sauce? Baked, smoked, grilled, slow-cooked? I could go on and on! Where's your favorite BBQ joint? What's your favorite style, favorite recipe? I swear I don't know how I'm going to get through the rest of this day with visions of ribs dancing in my head...

Sarah Handel

12:31 PM ET | 05-28-2007 | permalink | comments (5) | e-mail post

Satin Overalls Aren't That Bad

I'm a former classical musician, and the only time that anyone ever really complained about my sartorial choices was when I was a student at Juilliard. I thought the all black dress code for concerts was a no brainer... particularly since I had some pretty cool black satin overalls with fancy buckles on 'em. (Whaddya want? I was seventeen.) I think the overalls weren't the problem for the administration, so much as those buckles. Anyway, I got a stern talking-to, and went back to black palazzo pants and black blouses pronto.

That said, most of my friends that are still professional musicians dress really sharply... so I was pretty shocked to read that it is emphatically not the case with the L.A. Philharmonic. Joel Stein found that leaving musicians to their own devices is a really bad idea. He gave some of them a makeover...

Barrie Hardymon

12:00 PM ET | 05-28-2007 | permalink | comments (3) | e-mail post

Gas (Prices) Attack (Heh, Heh)

I am pretty excited for today's show. I've been driving my car around on fumes, waiting to put gas in it because a) every time I drive by a gas station the prices make me want to plotz, and b) I am positive that I can make the tiny bit of gas left in the car last if I just coast a little more. The record prices -- topping three dollars a gallon for regular -- have everybody wondering what works when it comes to conserving what's in your tank. So, here's what we're going to do. We're going to sort through all the snake oil out there (that fuel pill doesn't work, FYI), and tell you what really works. And, in a remarkable coinicidence, we've got another Ask Amy (different Amy) who'll give you the lowdown, as well as a guy that's tried every product out there. So go ahead and tell us what you've tried in the fight against three dollar fuel.

Barrie Hardymon

2:00 PM ET | 05-24-2007 | permalink | comments (51) | e-mail post

Ask Amy: Prom Edition

I really, really wanted to post my last prom picture from thirteen years ago... mostly because my date was 6'4", and 230 lbs (middle linebacker), and I am literally invisible in the picture. But I know if someone posted a prom picture of me without my knowledge, I would be furious (the early nineties resembled the eighties in terms of fashion, so, you can understand), so I think I will spare my long lost high school love that embarrassment (since I didn't spare him much else). What I can tell you, is that through the heroic efforts of my parents and many other of my friends' parents, most of us were suitably behaved on Prom Night. I understand that that is not the norm at all, and since it's Ask Amy time (Thursday), we thought we'd address the circus that high school proms have become, and how to prevent your sons and daughters from any number of embarrassments (hard to know where to put that corsage, right?) and dangers (drunk driving, etc.) And as a special bonus, what was your high school prom theme?*

*Mine was "A Night To Remember." The year before it was "Under The Sea." Seems like they might have been trying to drown us, doesn't it?

Barrie Hardymon

1:58 PM ET | 05-24-2007 | permalink | comments (10) | e-mail post

Crashing Through: Learning to See Again

I like to think I've accomplished things in my life... met people, visited places, challenged myself. But, I've got nothing on Mike May. He set a world speed record in skiing, climbed a 175-foot tower, worked for the CIA, is a respected and successful entrepreneur... oh yeah, and he's blind. When he was 3-years old, a freak chemical explosion damaged his corneas and he was later told he'd never see again. Forty-three years later, that changed. And the man who seemed to have it all was offered a chance to see again. But, where this is story gets interesting is not his struggle about whether to try an experimental surgery, or his accomplishments before his eyesight returns... it's his reaction, physically and emotionally, to suddenly being able to see again. Robert Kurson tells May's story in Crashing Through: A True Story of Risk, Adventure and the Man Who Dared to See.

Scott Cameron

1:56 PM ET | 05-24-2007 | permalink | comments (6) | e-mail post

Parlez-Vous Michael Moore?

Festival de Cannes (do you say khan or can?) wraps up this weekend... and between U2, Michael Moore, Brangelina, and the poisoned Russian spy this year's show made some news. We're brushing up on our French to put in a call to Dana Thomas, who's reporting on the film fest for Newsweek (she speaks English, but we're not sure about her hotel operator). She's seen most of the buzzy flicks, and will fill us in on who struck gold, who struck out, and on Europe's reaction to SiCKO.

Scott Cameron

1:44 PM ET | 05-24-2007 | permalink | comments (0) | e-mail post

Special C.

It's a beautiful day here in DC... a perfect day for a press conference in the Rose Garden, where the President is speaking about the the Iraq funding bill, and an embattled immigration bill (don't you hate the word embattled in newspeak? I do.) So, stay tuned for the show posts later, but right now, we've actually promised you a Rose Garden... live, right now.

Barrie Hardymon

10:20 AM ET | 05-24-2007 | permalink | comments (0) | e-mail post

Listen Up, Maggots!

For this hour you are ours!* You will not change the radio station! You will not think about any other radio programs! You will eat, sleep, and breathe Talk of the Nation! You will not laugh. You will not cry. You will listen to our program on how the Army is modifying basic training. You will learn how the all-volunteer fighting force has changed, and how the Army has adapted to meet their needs. Post your questions here!**

*Listen, I know that I am a fairly wimpy girl, so thank you for indulging my inner drill sergeant.

**If you've been through basic training, please post about your experiences... we'd love to know if you think it's changed at all.

Barrie Hardymon

1:28 PM ET | 05-23-2007 | permalink | comments (18) | e-mail post

Power Politics: It's Junkie Day

The battle over the Iraq funding bill seems to be over... for now. Who won? Yes. (Both sides claim victory.) Who's likely to gain politically, and what will voters have to say about it? Ken Rudin knows. It's PoJu day again, and we'll eavesdrop on now-presidential candidate Bill Richardson's campaign, and find out what happened to the anti-corruption governor stuck in a corruption investigation in Kentucky (if that didn't make sense, ask Ken about it). Any other questions for the Junkie?

Scott Cameron

1:20 PM ET | 05-23-2007 | permalink | comments (1) | e-mail post

You Say Tomato, I Say Sunscreen

When it comes to preventing cancer, you've probably heard a lot of conflicting advice. (And may I just say, that it's a bummer that the only study linking chocolate to cancer prevention is funded by Mars.) As a former smoker, I can tell you I'm very interested in what my chances of getting the dread disease are, and how I can lower my risk factors. Whether you've been healthy all your life, or you're like me, a former sunworshipper or smoker, it's time to truth-squad this stuff. We're devoting a segment entirely to cancer prevention; so if you've got questions (what the heck is an antioxidant?), go ahead and post them here.

Barrie Hardymon

12:31 PM ET | 05-23-2007 | permalink | comments (5) | e-mail post

The Sting of a Police Reunion

Ticket to the Police reunion show at Madison Square Garden: $200
New Police T-shirt to commemorate the evening: $40
Vintage Outlandos d'Amour T-shirt from eBay to actually wear to the show (so everyone knows you liked 'em first): $40
Singing along to quarter-century-year-old hits with 20,000 AARP members: Priceless... Or so they hope.

Ok, maybe I'm being a little callous here, careless with (the fast-dwindling) power of youth on my side. I really do see the value of reunion tours that give fans who didn't get to grow up listening to greats like the Pixies --- because of age or lack of access or an affinity for top 40 radio -- a chance to see them live. And I long ago gave up on notions of "[insert band name here] is selling out, just trying to make a buck," because really, who wouldn't want to be able to make a living doing what they love? What I do have a problem with, however, is the ticket prices, which are so far out of reach for so many. Is that really necessary? Ben Ratliff is struggling with the whole concept, and according to him, not just the Police but Genesis, Crowded House, the Jesus and Mary Chain, Squeeze, Rage Against the Machine, and the Smashing Pumpkins are all doing reunion tours this summer. Do you have tickets? Have you had second thoughts about them? Are you taking your kids to the show... or do your kids have their own tickets?

Sarah Handel

11:59 AM ET | 05-23-2007 | permalink | comments (5) | e-mail post

Liverpudlians Unite! Forza Milan!

First, you must read this article. If you don't have the patience to click the link (I always wonder who actually does that), this is the subhead: "Captain expected to play off lone striker Kuyt. Rallying cry calls for repeat of Istanbul." If that sounds like email spam to you, it's probably because you're not a soccer fan. But if you are a soccer fan (or is it football?), you might be hoisting a brew in a pub in Athens, Milan, or Liverpool, today, because a pretty hefty rematch is taking place in the Champions League, the world's greatest club competition. In 2005, Liverpool muscled its way past Milan (it was in Turkey, which explains the cryptic "repeat of Istanbul") and they're back again this year, in Athens. Of course soccer hoodlums fans will be drinking watching with baited breath today, so we're going to talk to a few... let us know who you're rooting for!

Barrie Hardymon

11:32 AM ET | 05-23-2007 | permalink | comments (0) | e-mail post

An Intro By Any Other Name...

Every business develops its own specialized language, (even NPR); linguists say we have an innate need to baffle outsiders, but it can be useful shorthand. For example, the show we did yesterday with Bela Fleck and Chick Corea is known as a "performance chat," a form pioneered at NPR by Weekend Edition Sunday. Or, more usually, a "perf chat," started by WeSun.
Even within the same business, "dialects" change. Those who've toiled at other radio operations will be confused by Nipper's argot. An intro is an intro everywhere, I think, but what is known elsewhere as a "tag" we call a "back announce." Why? Who knows.
The musical interludes played between segments don't really have an industry equivalent -- commercial radio stations play what they call "sounders" -- but we call ours "buttons." In production, a sound bite is known elsewhere as "SOT" -- which stands for "sound on tape" (no, nobody uses tape anymore) and pronounced as if it was a habitual drunk. We call it an "actuality" or an "act" for short. An NPR reporter will go into a studio to record remarks ("voice tracks") to go in between the actualities, and that type of story ("piece") is known as "acts and trax." And nobody at NPR would understand what the rest of the business calls a ROSR (pronounced "roser"), which stands for "radio-on-scene-report," which is a semi-spontaneous description of, oh, say a fire that runs about thirty seconds or so for use in newscasts.
We don't have commercials in public radio, but we do insert "funders" -- those underwriting announcements read by Frank Tavares. Some especially cheeky directors call them "ads."

Gotta run.

Neal Conan

6:59 AM ET | 05-23-2007 | permalink | comments (1) | e-mail post

The World's Conscience

In the three years he spent as United Nations under secretary-general for humanitarian affairs and emergency relief coordinator, Jan Egeland's name became synonymous with relief for some of the world's worst disasters... both natural and man made. He was relentless about ending the genocide in Darfur, tireless with helping victims of the Indian Ocean tsunami, and peerless when it came to getting countries to live up their humanitarian commitments, or giving even more. Not to mention his efforts after hurricane Katrina and his work in the middle east. But, his job was more than a list of trouble spots... he was dubbed, "The World's Conscience," making us aware of struggles we might otherwise ignore. And while it wasn't a thankless job, it certainly wasn't easy. However you felt about Egeland's efforts, or his methods, he stepped down from the post at the end of 2006. And, today he sits down for a one-on-one to look back on what he accomplished in those three years, and what is still left to do. Post your questions or comments for him here, and we'll get to as many as we can during the show.

Scott Cameron

2:59 PM ET | 05-22-2007 | permalink | comments (3) | e-mail post

A Perfect Pleasure (Except For...er... The Cancer)

I don't smoke. I am however, one of those ardent ex-addicts that still really, really wants one every day. I don't indulge anymore, and I nag friends and strangers to quit, but if you've ever seen me hold a pencil absent-mindedly, you'd see the long dead physical memories of what Oscar Wilde called, "the perfect type of a perfect pleasure." (Why so perfect? "It is exquisite, and it leaves one unsatisfied. What more can you want?")* Worse, I was not only physically addicted, but I was stylistically addicted: I was hooked from the minute I saw the also exquisite Lauren Bacall saunter over to Bogie and purr, "Anybody got a match?" in To Have And Have Not. (In case you're curious, Bacall had it.) In old movies, the cigarette is the most elegant accessory-- from Paul Heinreid's delicate chivalry in Now, Voyager, to the older, better Bond films in which JB's famous martini recipe was usually accompanied by a cigarette. Why the nostalgia? The Motion Picture Association of America recently announced films that "glamorize smoking or movies that feature pervasive smoking" will pay in cinematic ratings. It will not work retroactively (can you imagine Casablanca rated R?!?), but it did put me in mind of all of my favorite cinematic cigarette masterpieces. Today, we're going to talk to Richard Klein, author of the book Cigarettes Are Sublime, about these films... again, I know it's bad for you**, but what are your favorite smoking movies? Reality Bites does count.

*I know that smoking is terrible for you, and killed many of its most eloquent cinematic envoys, including the inimitable (though I tried), Bogart.

**Again, this post is not an endorsement of smoking at all... it is an endorsement of Bette and Bogie and general smoky nostalgia.

Barrie Hardymon

2:59 PM ET | 05-22-2007 | permalink | comments (10) | e-mail post

Enhanced: Bela Fleck and Chick Corea

They've got twenty Grammys. They're music wizards with a following that absolutely reveres them. (And perhaps best of all, when you switch their names around, they become Bela Corea and Chick Fleck.) They're releasing an album together for the first time-- and though the combination of jazz piano and, er... banjo, may not seem like a natural, it's getting rave reviews. The Enchantment is released today, and we'll be talking with Chick and Bela, as well as, blessedly, listening to them play music from the album. Post your comments and questions here!

Barrie Hardymon

2:59 PM ET | 05-22-2007 | permalink | comments (3) | e-mail post

Rankled by the Rankings

This is the like incredible repeating story, but it seems to have reached a critical mass this year... U.S. News and World Report comes out with its 2007 issue, America's Best Colleges, and some of America's best colleges cry foul. That doesn't stop students from lining up to buy the issue. It's even been called U.S. News' "swimsuit issue." Now, schools know they can't stop the rankings, but they are hoping to convince other colleges to boycott them... not turn over data, no filling out review forms of other schools, no more marketing schools as number XX on the U.S. News rankings, etc, etc, etc. And administrators are making their case in letters to other campuses, on their blogs, and in the media. Their argument is that the rankings are misleading, and that it's not their job to help promote a magazine. But people love their lists, especially top "whatever" lists, and frankly, when I considered grad school, you bet I looked up all sorts of rankings. So, do you use rankings even if they're not necessarily scientific (for anything... schools, cars, radio shows, blogs), or are the numbers just another case of information overload?

Scott Cameron

9:14 AM ET | 05-22-2007 | permalink | comments (0) | e-mail post

Immigration Bill: We've Got A's If You've Got Q's

An new immigration bill, one with bipartisan support, hits the Senate floor today, but plenty of people are unhappy about it. This is an issue which we've covered frequently, so if you've been listening you know that it has more then two sides: in fact, it's probably got four. So, go ahead and weigh in, particularly if you're from a border town. We've got plenty of reporters on who can answer any questions you have about the bill, too.

Barrie Hardymon

1:43 PM ET | 05-21-2007 | permalink | comments (14) | e-mail post

Barry Bonds Bashing

The Barry Bonds bashing has begun... one columnist for ESPN.com went so far as to ask God to "smite Barry Bonds before he breaks Major League Baseball's all-time home run record." As Bonds closes in on Hank Aaron's 455 homers, Dave Zirin sees a double standard in all this criticism... and wonders why white players facing the same cloud of allegations over steroids don't have to deal with the same level of outrage. Why do so many people despise Bonds... and do you think there's a racial divide over the issue?

Scott Cameron

1:39 PM ET | 05-21-2007 | permalink | comments (20) | e-mail post

Beware the Black Swan...

...except, the whole problem is you can't avoid it. What is a Black Swan? I'm glad you asked, because Nassim Nicholas Taleb will be here to tell you all about his new theory, detailed in his book, The Black Swan: The Impact of the Highly Improbable. This is a tough concept, so in preparation, I'm going to give it a whirl. (Also, here's a glossary.) A Black Swan is a highly unlikely event; something that we cannot predict. What makes a true Black Swan are three characteristics, 1) it is unpredictable, and 2) it has a huge impact, and 3) it is something that we usually say we could have predicted, but not until after the fact. Stock market crashes and spikes are Black Swans, so was the devastating Tsunami of 2004. The reverse is also true: a Black Swan is also when something that is highly likely doesn't happen. So, what is there to be done about these catastrophic events? Taleb-- who, incidentally, used to hold the title of Professor in the Science of Uncertainty-- has got some interesting theories about how to deal with the giant birds, and even how to turn them to your advantage.

Barrie Hardymon

9:58 AM ET | 05-21-2007 | permalink | comments (6) | e-mail post

Starting Now

Grey's Anatomy is one of the few shows -- nay, the only show -- I cannot miss. It's the show that the Talk crew dissects at the virtual water cooler, the show whose website I actually visit (take the quiz: which Grey's heroine are you most like? Me, I'm a Callie), and the show whose soundtrack makes me exclaim when I hear an obscure song I thought only I knew about (Ok, no one's ever really the only one to know about a song anymore, but it is a remix of a song that's reasonably obscure to begin with). Well, it turns out the folks at Grey's really do work hard to find that special song for each scene, scouring MySpace for unsigned artists with just the right sound. One of those lucky artists is Ingrid Michaelson. She's had four songs on the show this season, including last Thursday night's finale... an honor that has not only heightened her profile, but lined her pockets so that she can be one of the lucky few who makes her living off her music.

Sarah Handel

9:51 AM ET | 05-21-2007 | permalink | comments (0) | e-mail post

Celebrity Politics

As politics and celebrity mingle (and, in some cases, merge), it's no surprise that people look to the mega-famous for cues on everything from how to feel about poverty in Africa, to which presidential candidate to vote for (not to mention which shampoo to buy). Bruce Willis had something to say about this recently, telling Hollywood to "shut-up," though not in so many words. And, there's this piece in LA Times from the weekend. The basic argument: the cult of celebrity now shapes our political and moral views... that "fame confers authority...," and that this is all a little askew, "the cult of celebrity trivializes everything it touches." With presidential primaries getting closer and closer, we're going to hear a lot from actors-turned-activists. The question is, does anyone care enough about what entertainers think to shape their own moral and political views around them?

Scott Cameron

8:14 AM ET | 05-21-2007 | permalink | comments (0) | e-mail post

Tsar vs. Czar

Yesterday, Lt. General Douglas Lute was chosen to be President Bush's "war czar."* This brings up, obviously, a lot of structural issues in terms of military and civilian policy (for instance, what does the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs do?), and we're going to talk about the new post with all kinds of Big Important Fellas (BIF) and Ladies (BIL). So if you have questions for the likes of David Gergen, Leon Panetta, and some assorted Big Important Generals (BIG), about how the new czar will work within all the separate federal departments, and what he's likely to do in Iraq and Afghanistan, let us know.

*On a side note, what's your favorite czar spelling? I like czar, but it turns out the cz- is a Polish spelling. It seems under the circumstances, if we're going to use an expression that hearkens back to a more brutal time, we should call him the Warlord.

Barrie Hardymon

1:52 PM ET | 05-17-2007 | permalink | comments (11)