150 prisoners currently held at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba are set for release in the near-future... to countries like Saudi Arabia, Libya, and Tunisia. Unsurprisingly, not all of them want to return to uncertain futures in their home countries. The issue becomes even more thorny if lawmakers get their way and shut down the detention facility, which will mean finding places for hundreds more detainees. All this made us wonder about who's still there, where they're from, and what, if anything, they've been accused of... leave your questions here.

Robin Givhan's column in a recent Washington Post gives a sort of timeline of Sen. Hillary Clinton's (D-NY) fashion choices, a pretty normal topic for a reporter covering... fashion. What's got folks in an uproar, however, is Givhan's opening, all about what caught her eye on the Senate floor... the Senator's cleavage. Some say it's anti-feminist and "grossly inappropriate" to discuss, but are a public figure's fashion choices anything new? Condi's boots, Edwards' $400 haircut... these are the minutiae of the public discourse. Is cleavage a new and improper frontier, or just another brick in the wall?

Delicious...and nutritious! Last night's meal.

Source: BarrieJH

I will admit readily that I eat a lot of weird stuff. If it's a gizzard, an entrail, a sweetbread: I'm ON it (or, I suppose, it's on me). If it somehow makes a noise in your mouth, or has a texture like a science project, I want it. There's nothing I like better then food that is served as it was originally created, which I suppose is why sushi appeals to me so much. It appeals to me on all levels; texture, aesthetics, and flavor. I love the presentation (see above for the feast I had last night -- Sarah and I are apparently on the same food schedule), but I also love the salty, fishy taste. As long as my eyes are watering from an unexpected burst of wasabi, I'm a happy gal. Today, we're talking about sushi zen... with not one, but two authors of new sushi tomes. So send in your q's and I bet they'll have a's. On another note, the esteemed Setsuko Sato, who worked here for many years (until she had the temerity to fall in love and travel the globe!), used to make these wonderful little origami chopstick stands out of the paper that the chopsticks come in. I've never been able to replicate it -- will someone please, please either post instructions, or give me a link so I can practice? I don't want to fail Setsuko. Also, please let me know what you think about eating nigiri sushi with your fingers. It's tastier I find, but I've spent most of my adult life learning to use chopsticks to lift the sushi to my mouth. Thoughts?

If you're a radio producer, it's well known that the best freebies you're likely to get are books. Walk around NPR, and you'll see delightfully filled shelves of review copies. Now, I love books with a passion, but now I just ignore the giveaway shelves. But when my friend who works at a women's magazine talks about walking by the piles of potions, creams, mascaras, and lipsticks, I am horrified. The giveaway pile is always greener, I guess. Janet Carlson Reed, beauty editor of Town and Country, gets to sort through these delicious spa-like treats... and she's written about the delights -- and downsides -- to her job. What are the perks of yours?

*When did rouge become blush? Blush seems much more prudish. I, for one, apply rouge.

These days, it's as much a part of many Americans' stories as "when did you learn to ride a bike?" or "how many of the 50 states have you been to?" It's nearly as ubiquitous as cheeseburgers and hot dogs... it's sushi! Obviously, sushi has been common in large U.S. cities for decades, but its popularity has spread to the far corners of the country now. My first time was in little Athens, Georgia -- a town more cosmopolitan than some Georgia towns thanks to the university, but a small, southern burg nonetheless. I was cautious at first, sticking to rolls made with cooked shellfish and lots of vegetables, getting wild on occasion and ordering kampyo. These days, I fill up on tuna, salmon, and yellow fin, and have even been known to down freshly caught rockfish as it's being filleted for dinner. There's something so cleansing about the taste of raw fish -- right now my favorite is the "TST" a place near my house features; it's spicy tuna and avocado inside, and the outside is wrapped in thick slices of more tuna (i'm guessing the "TST" is, therefore, tuna-spicy tuna). What's your favorite? And where did you first try it? We'll be talking all about it in our second hour today, so leave your stories here and we may be able to read them on the air! Also feel free to leave tips about the best restaurants and best rolls wherever you live...

I think it's fair to say that since 9/11, it's hard not to scrutinize your fellow passengers a shade more closely when you're on an airplane. In some cases, passenger vigilance has averted catastrophe, while in others, it's been the cause of lawsuits alleging prejudice. The question is, does "vigilance" amount to little more than racial profiling of Muslims? New legislation, proposed by Rep. Peter King (R-NY), would give terrorism tipsters immunity from lawsuits filed by individuals such as the so-called "flying imams" who were thrown off a plane last year after passengers complained of suspicious behavior. Democrats fought the measure, complaining that it encouraged racial profiling, while those in support of it called it "common sense." What do you think? What's the line between sense and hysteria?

Been a while since you've heard any good news out of Iraq? Check this out: Michael O'Hanlon and Ken Pollack just returned from there, and they've found some reason for optimism. The much debated "surge" appears, to them, to be working. "We are finally getting somewhere in Iraq, at least in military terms." Both O'Hanlon and Pollack are Brookings fellows, so to hear some good news coming from at least a left -ish corner, will certainly cause debate. We'll talk to Pollack about why he thinks it's working ... you can ask your questions here!

When a loved one faces a terminal illness, it's only natural to want to try whatever measures exist to get him/her some relief. One place to turn for hope is to drugs still in the testing process, or clinical trials. But drugs in the testing process are inherently risky -- the tests are done to determine if a drug's benefits outweigh its downsides, and the point is that the drugmakers don't know exactly what to expect yet. These tests can be difficult to get into, though, and there's a real moral quandary: can a terminally ill patient make the best choices? And, on the flip side, is there any point in denying a potentially deadly drug to someone whose death is imminent anyway?

I enjoy movies, but I'm no film buff, an as such, a lot gets by me. Of course I'm familiar with the name Ingmar Bergman, but I've never seen any of his work... and now it seems it may be high time to acquaint myself. The legendary director died today at home on the Baltic islet where he spent the last years of his life, prompting round after round of retrospective accolades. Variously remembered as a filmmaker who "showed that cinema could be a genuine art that could take on the deepest of all human themes," and as a legend who was "probably the greatest film artist, all things considered, since the invention of the motion picture camera," he's inspired and moved movie makers and movie watchers the world over. Would you like to brush up on your Bergman? The Guardian's film blog has a terrific collection of key scenes. And if you have a recommendation about which movie I -- and other folks interested in sampling his work -- should pick up first, please leave it in the comments for us.

As you might have heard, on Thursday we broadcast live from the Charles H. Wright Museum of African-American History in Detroit, MI. (If you haven't listened to it, at least go back and listen to the inimitable Martha Reeves -- an amazing segment. What a performer.) But the highlight of the trip for me was the museum itself. I'm shocked that I haven't heard more about it -- their permanent exhibit, "And Still We Rise," is easily one of the most moving experiences I've ever had, in or out of a museum. It's literally like walking through history. Each room of of the exhibit contains a series of wax figures in various tableaux, starting in ancient Africa, and ending up in present day Detroit; almost 3.5 million years of history. The twenty-two galleries are multi-leveled, interactive, and completed in stunning detail. Walking from the ancient civilization of Benin, through the "belly of the beast" (a slave ship in the Middle Passage), all the way to the studios of Motown gives new meaning to the term "witness to history." Each room is complete with sound -- on the ship there is moaning, and in a movie theatre you can see and hear Josephine Baker -- and the level of craft on each room is just amazing. There are a lot of reasons to see Detroit -- from the gorgeous Art Deco buildings, to the ballpark, to Hitsville -- but if you go, make the museum a good part of your day there. While we can never walk in someone else's shoes, inspecting their journey in living and compassionate detail is the next best thing.

Detroit surprised me. I grew up in Chicago, a few hours to the south and west of here. And, all I knew about Detroit came from the media: crime, Halloween arson, racial tension, cars, music, and the Lions. Driving through the city for the first time this morning, I saw plenty of cars and music, but no crime, arson, or obvious tension. I saw gleaming office towers, new elevated rail lines, classic 1920's style office buildings, shops, restaurants, and the new ballpark (which is more of a Tigers complex than just a park, and looks amazing). The GM building stands above everything downtown, and gives the place a sort of hopeful, futuristic feel. That's not to say there aren't problems. The legacy of the 1967 riots left empty homes and businesses, lonely streets, a troubled economy and schools, and lingering racial tension. Crime is still a problem. And a short drive from downtown brings you to the doorsteps of long deserted and crumbling homes that are heart-breaking. They're huge, stone houses with great yards and an almost majestic feel, but they-re totally empty -- windows are broken out, the front of one was literally falling to the ground. It's a ghost neighborhood. Still, there are signs of recovery. Just a block away the street is lined with brand new condos and manicured lawns, with trendy restaurants and shops a short walk away. Detroit has definitely changed since 1967, and 1967 obviously changed Detroit. If you were in the city during the riots, or just before or after, how did they change you? Do you still live in the city, or did you join the many residents who fled?

Every three years, the UAW gathers with each of the big three car companies in Detroit to negotiate a new contract. For decades, those contracts guaranteed jobs, good pay, and benefits to generations of autoworkers in Detroit. And established a car culture and a whole way of life in the city and surrounding area. The negotiations kicked off again this week, but the times have changed. Toyota is fast becoming the top-selling car brand in the US, and the big three face layoffs, slow sales, and ballooning employee expenses for pensions and medical coverage. It's make-or-break for both sides, and it's very likely that each will have to give up some of the perks they've fought for decades to gain. If you're a member of the UAW in Detroit or anywhere else in the country, what does the union mean to you... then and now?

Is there any American sound more instantly recognizable than Motown? More universally loved? These are broad contentions, but the fact is, if you put Stevie Wonder or the Supremes or Martha and the Vandellas on at a party, people come together, dance, and get down. I've tried it, it works! And on the other hand, if you want to woo the object of your affection, those same artists will do it every time. What's your best Motown memory?

"Dick Cheney is the most influential and powerful man ever to hold the office of vice president." That's the introduction to a series of articles in the Washington Post that looks at the office of the Vice President. Specifically, the office of Vice President Dick Cheney, and his relationship to the President, and the rest of the official Washington. From the war on terror, to the economy, to the environment and energy, Cheney has left his mark on US policy. If you have questions about the role of the V.P., or Vice President Cheney, let us know.

Attorney General Alberto Gonzales faced-off with the Senate Judiciary Committee again yesterday. And, yes, the gloves came off. Pundits say they've never heard things quite so testy. At the same time, the presidential campaigns are heating up... and after Monday's CNN/YouTube debate, Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama are still going at it. That debate showed some interesting questions from YouTubers, but many of the answers were typical debate stuff. Are there still questions you want to ask the candidates? Do you have any plans to post those questions to YouTube for the Republican debate in the fall?

Electroconvulsive therapy, popularly known as electroshock therapy is just that: shocking. Doctors use electricity to stimulate parts of the brain, producing seizures that hopefully spark the brain out of depression. Nowadays, patients are sedated so that only the brain convulses, but the procedure continues to be somewhat controversial... partly due to a history of torturous images and tales, and partly due to the real side effects -- particularly memory loss -- and the potential misuse due to hasty referrals or poor execution. Have you undergone the treatment? Did it work for you?

If you want to win a war, presumably you need to have the best military strategy and resources. But if you want to convince people you're winning a war, or convince those whose lands you're bombing that the war is a good idea, the Rand Corporation recommends getting in touch with Madison Avenue. Rand says to win the war you've got to sell the war, which made me wonder... how would you market the war to Iraqis?

We're heading to Detroit after the show today, for a live broadcast tomorrow at the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History. (This is the 40th anniversary of the riots that swept the city during the summer of 1967. We'll also talk about the Motor City's connection with the car industry, and the troubles facing both.) Some of us flew out this morning, the rest of us leave this evening. And, I can't help but notice all the news articles calling this the "summer of hell" for airline travel. Planes are late and crowded, if they fly at all. Cancellations are up. Patience is wayyy down. (And I'm about to print my boarding pass.) It's a summer ritual for frequent fliers to complain about the surge of young kids on planes. But, rather than whine about it, I saw an interesting idea the other day... create a family section on airplanes. One suggestion was to put it in the back of the plane, since families with kids board first, and cap the eligible age at around 11 or 12. I probably don't fly enough to speak with any sort of authority on whether or not this would work, so I'll rely on the rest of you. Any chance a family section on planes would fly? If you have kids, would you want to have your own section for families?

If you've been following the blog or listened to yesterday's show, you probably know already that documentary maker and public provocateur Michael Moore came by the NPR studios for a 20-minute interview with Lynn Neary. During his video, I got a chance to shoot some video of him, including his entire interview.

I showed up about 20 minutes prior to the scheduled interview time and soon found Talk of the Nation executive producer Sue Goodwin meeting up with Moore and his two assistants in the hallway. We had some time to kill in the green room, time which I had hoped would include me capturing some extraordinary sound bite from Moore. Instead, he dropped hard on the couch, sporting his trademark t-shirt, shorts and baseball cap ensemble, and slouched as far back as humanly possible. "Look at me," he said. "Seven weeks straight of this - exhausted." So any video would have to wait until he went on air. (He did, however, let me take a group photo of him posing with Sue, Sarah, Barrie and other members of the TOTN crew.)

The remaining time in the green room passed quickly, talking about a range of things, from Keith Moon, drummer of the Who, crashing his car into the Flint Holiday Inn swimming pool nearly 40 years ago, to taking his screaming infant daughter to DC's Uptown movie theatre because he and his wife couldn't afford a baby sitter at the time.

Soon enough, it was time to go on air. I slipped off my shoes - so they wouldn't creak as I walked around the live studio - and followed Moore inside, where he met Lynn Neary and did his sound check with less than a minute to spare. As you'll see in the video, they talked about healthcare, his new film and documentary making in general, taking several questions from listeners as well. Then faster you can say "Dr. Sanjay Gupta" the interview was over, with Moore saying his goodbyes before being whisked away to his next interview.

The video displayed here is just over five minutes in length, and covers some of the highlights of the interview. We've also posted a copy of it on YouTube, where we'll also be uploading other video clips representing the full length of the interview.

We've heard for the last several years that more and more women are facing combat situations in places like Iraq and Afghanistan. And suffering from many of the same problems as men when they get home... PTSD, homelessness, trouble adjusting to civilian life. Still, when I first read that "an estimated 8,000 female veterans are homeless in the US" I thought it was a typo. It's not. Many veterans services just aren't set up to handle the growing number of female vets. Things are changing, though, and women are a priority for the VA. Today, we'll talk with Antoinette Scott, a veteran of the war in Iraq, and with two advocates for women veterans. If you're a woman who served, what was it like for you when you came home?

By now it's safe to say the conflict in Iraq has not gone as either Americans or Iraqis might have hoped... and the question that comes to mind again and again is, "How did we get here?" The natural assumption might be "the President did it," but according to documentary filmmaker Charles Ferguson, in this case, he wasn't really running the show... and the show's not going on hiatus anytime soon. He joins us to talk about No End in Sight... and Ferguson's a pretty interesting guy himself -- you can read more about him here.

It was certainly better to have left New Orleans before Katrina wreaked her terrible punishment on that city; but after reading Heart Like Water, I would have to say that Josh Clark's choice birthed one of the best books on the subject of the hurricane since that terrible August week. We spoke to Josh a couple of times during our live coverage -- he's the founder and editor of the Light of New Orleans Publishing, in the heart of the French Quarter. He chose to ride out the storm in his apartment, and today, he'll join us to talk about his book on Katrina and the city he loves.

I was a huge fan of the riotously female show, Sex and the City, so I was slightly resistant when another hip, sexy foursome took over HBO. But Entourage has become a huge part of my Sunday night routine, and I've learned to love its sweet take on male friendship. Plus, it's sort of like having the girls back, if you think about it. Vince has a bit of both Samantha and Carrie in him, and Eric has plenty of Miranda's blend of skepticism and tough loyalty. And Drama and Turtle have a bit of Sam and Charlotte: adding humor, and sometimes a real emotional center to the show. It's a tribute to how good the show actually is, that the crazy lifestyle and subtle misogynism seems like merely a scaffolding upon which to hang a show about friends. Vince, Turtle, Drama and E. all seem to have something in common with the new Judd Apatow dudes; the immature, but sweet guys who just have a little growing up to do. The show may be young, but anyone who saw Ari go to Lloyd's rescue in the season opener knows: it's got heart (and filthy language, so watch the clip at your own discretion). Today, you can hug it out with Entourage creator Doug Ellin -- and ask him the question I'm dying to know: are we ever going to get to see Medellin? It looks awesome.

Our summer movie festival last week focused on best movie robots. As usual, we got far too many votes from listeners to get to on the air. But, we've compiled the votes and here are the results (some are the movie titles, some are the names of the robot):

Robbie from Forbidden Planet
The Day the Earth Stood Still
Spaceballs (Dot Matrix)
Iron Giant
Bicentennial Man
Transformers
Rover from The Prisoner
The Day the Earth Stood Still
Silent Running
Klaatu
Blade Runner
Data From Star Trek
Lost in Space
The HItchiker's Guide to the Galaxy
R2D2
Saturn 3
Robocop
Futurama

Coming soon to Blog of the Nation... video of Michael Moore's chat with Lynn Neary yesterday on Talk of the Nation, thanks to the ever-fabulous and creative Andy Carvin. Stay tuned!

Late last week, President Bush gave CIA the greenlight to resume some of the more severe interrogation methods in the war on terror. The executive order reportedly bans things like sexual humiliation and the denigration of religious symbols, but allows officers more leeway in the techniques than interrogators at Guantanamo Bay. Karen DeYoung has been following this for The Washington Post, and will take your questions.

President Bush often cites the importance of defeating al Qaida in Iraq as central to the war on terror. There are lots of questions about the organization... who are they, what are their motives? We have two well-known terrorism experts with us to answer your questions. Peter Bergen and Daniel Byman join us.

If you're the CEO of a major corporation, there's one sight you probably don't ever want to see: Michael Moore and a film crew, knocking at your front door. He's taken auto makers, the gun industry, and even the President to task, and now he's gone after the industry that probably affects the most of us most acutely: healthcare. I know you've got questions for him... leave them here.

Do you drink bottled water? Odds are you do, since it's the second most popular beverage for Americans, behind sodas. When you reach for that bottle, though, what goes through your mind? Is it, "I'm so classy?" Or maybe, "dang I'm thirsty, this sure is convenient!" Or perhaps, "this seems a little wasteful..." If you're conflicted about your consumption, you're not alone. Those bottles pile up, and San Francisco's mayor Gavin Newsom has even barred city agencies from purchasing them. Do you have a favorite brand*? Why do you like it?

*I personally love a brand I see in the south, I think it's called Krystal. It tastes like carrots. Weird, right?

Have you ever sat in a seat on the bus and mentally copy-edited the advertisement above your fellow commuter's head? If you're like me, you've RAGED internally about egregious grammar mistakes all over the public landscape, shaking your fists in a futile desire to track down the offenders and show them a copy of Strunk&White's. Well, "grammar vandal" Kate McCulley actually does what I long to do, sort of, and today she'll tell us how. What's the most heinous example of bad grammar you've seen in the world?

Again, with all things Harry Potter... please no one ruin the ending for us! And we'll do our best not to do it for you. Anyway, with seven Harry books now finished, a lot of kids have grown up with Harry, literally, and he's almost a part of the family. I know (though I'm not a kid) Harry's been on a lot of interesting vacations with my family, for instance, almost like a literary Flat Stanley. Where has Harry traveled with you?

Just a quick post to follow up on the show we did last week on dogfighting, for which I wrote this post in defense of pit bulls and other breeds maligned for being aggressive. The state of Virginia has just launched its Dangerous Dogs Registry, a searchable database, much like ones that list sex offenders, that gives photos and addresses of dogs that "have attacked a person or an animal, and that a judge has decided could cause injury again," according to the New York Times. It's an interesting idea... do you think it's just a sensible public service, or could a registry like this feed the fire of negative publicity about some breeds?

Eboo Patel is a man of many hyphens -- he's a Muslim, an Indian, an American. His new book is called Acts of Faith, and he's advocating a new way of understanding not just faith, but the interfaith model. Post your questions for him here... about young people, the lure of extremism, and how to inspire new activism.

Robots. Sometimes they're warm and fuzzy, and sometimes they're cold and world-dominating. I am a big fan, mostly because it's a division of sci-fi, and sci-fi (as we all know) is very close to my (mostly) human heart. So... here it is! Your opportunity to put in a plug for R2D2 and Data (I love Data)!

There seems to be a lot of misunderstanding about pit bulls as a breed of dog (ok, they may not be United Kennel Club certified as a distinct breed, grouped instead with Staffordshire Terriers, but I think most people know a pit when they see it), and bad press like the news that Atlanta Falcons QB Michael Vick faces federal charges of fighting them doesn't help. While it's true that they can be aggressive, that's true of any dog when it's mistreated, and the well-cared-for pits I've known have been nothing but sweet, loving, obedient, beautiful animals. Do you own pit bulls? Does the stigma affect you? And if you're scared of pits, why?

The dow just might close over 14,000 for the first time today... making lots of investors happy. And lots of wannabe investors wondering if they should jump in now, or wait till things calm down. While the dow is up, the dollar is down, everyone from publishers to movie studios to popcorn makers hope to cash in on Harry Potter. For those who are following along, Neal also owns a little Whole Foods stock in his fantasy portfolio, and their CEO has become a case study of what CEOs should not do online when trying to merge with a competitor. It's been well over a month, and it's time to check in with the Motley Fool. Got questions about your money or the markets? Let us know...

Last month we talked with the director of the new movie, A Mighty Heart. It tells the story of the kidnapping and murder of Daniel Pearl from the perspective of his wife, Mariane. You might remember, Pearl was the Wall Street Journal reporter who was abducted and then killed, brutally and publicly, by terrorists in Pakistan in 2002. Yesterday, Mariane filed a lawsuit in federal court... against a number of accused terrorists, a major Pakistani bank, and a now outlawed Islamic charity. The suit accuses them of enabling or carrying out "the kidnapping, torture, execution and dismemberment of Daniel Pearl and broadcast(ing) those images nationwide." Why file the suit now? She says, "I am looking for the truth of what happened to Daniel, for our family, our friends, and the public record.... This process allows us to delve deeper into the investigation, and to bring accountability and punishment to those involved." And, judging from what I'm seeing on other blogs, she has lots of support in this lawsuit. In spite of it all, it's a tough case, and probably safe to say she's not out for the money. Do you think she'll win? Does she even need to come out on top in court to claim victory? And, I wonder: have you ever been part of a lawsuit filed to help spur further investigation... what happened?

We're big fans of catchy titles around here. And nothing seems to inspire the catchy-cutesy sides of our brains like anything related to the World Wide Web. Especially when it's about the upcoming election. Election 2.0! The YouTube Prez! Democrawiki! (That sounds like a really cute speech impediment, no?) Attaching a 2.0 onto these topics isn't just for the (slightly outdated) cool-factor, it's a measure of how much the culture of the blogosphere (incidentally, I heard someone refer to it as the "biosphere" which is sort of correct -- if hilarious. Discuss.) and social media has infiltrated every aspect of the election. CNN's YouTube Democratic debate (and check out this catchy title) is the most recent example of this, but not everybody thinks that it's entirely democratic. So ... what do you think? Is Web 2.0 making the election more or less democratic?

Slumber party in the Senate? Sounds like a blast... though only 60 senators actually made a 5 a.m. procedural vote (with some sporting the bedhead look). There was pizza, and cots, and plenty of talking, but nothing was really resolved on the key issues of Iraq and proposed timelines for withdrawal. In the actual vote on the Reed-Levin amendment (more specifically, whether there were enough votes to cut off debate and bring the amendment to a vote), democrats fell 8 votes short. There will be plenty of finger pointing until the next all-nighter. In other political news, Sen. David Vitter, R-LA, keeps spinning his sex scandal, "Obama girl" takes on "Giuliani girl" on YouTube, and John McCain's campaign troubles continue while the latest GOP poll shows "none of the above" as the winner.

Teens are supposed to reject their parents' values during their formative years -- maybe act out and smoke a little pot, go goth and skip synagogue, blast T.I. instead of ABBA... Of course it's natural, more about figuring out their identities than actively defying their parents. Turns out, some kids are figuring it out through religious faith stronger than that of their parents, and by choosing their own denominations. There are so many interesting questions here -- if you raised your kid in one faith, and they strike out and choose another, is that a success -- your child can think for him/herself, and is faithful -- or a failure, since it's not your religion? Have your kids done this? Did you?

If you're not totally sick of the extensive coverage of the Harry Potter Extravaganza (I'm not -- big fan -- but I can see how you might want to set fire to Hogwarts at this point) tune in. Now that several jerks people have posted what purports to be the ending of the series on various websites, it prompted us to wonder, who wants to know the ending anyhow? My strategy is this. 1) If I'm invested in the book, I don't want to know -- at all -- and I would fire any "friend" who leaked it to me. 2) If I'm not that interested in reading every dang page of the book, I'll skip to the end. This method is saved exclusively for romance novels and free movies on TV. What's your theory? Are you more of a Harry or Sally?
("When I buy a new book, I always read the last page first. That way, in case I die before I finish, I know how it ends. That, my friend, is a dark side.")

If you have a teenager or were one anytime in the last decade, the word "like" is likely a part of your vocabulary in a way it wasn't for prior generations. At first it seemed like "valley girl" slang, but by the 90s everyone was saying it, and I know it crept into my vocabulary with ease. During a (short-lived) period of trying to be taken seriously, I made an effort to eliminate it from my speech (at least in certain situations), but I quickly grew frustrated because it seemed I had no substitute for the functions "like" performed. I had a bit of a crisis -- I'm fairly intelligent, have I just lost how to talk without it? Was there a word, or a grammatical structure, that I used before and can't recall? Turns out, maybe not! Academics and linguists actually LIKE "like", saying it's innovative and original... and it's here to stay. What's your relationship with "like?" Do you use it? Does it grate on your nerves, or is it essential?

Some 200,000 dead in Darfur. 174 homicides in Baltimore. Eighty dead yesterday in Kirkuk. The tragedy of numbers fills the newspapers, and truthfully, it's hard sometimes to connect with these stories. The scale is simply too large. Paul Moore, public editor of the Sun wrote about how the paper struggles to overcome this, and really connect the community to the crime epidemic. But how do you do it for other places, such as Darfur, or Iraq? When do you start being numbed by numbers?

I seriously get a lump in my throat every time I think about how much I miss waiting for the new episode of Buffy every week. Even my new favorite TV shows pale in comparison to that shining example of brilliant writing, great acting, real emotion, and amazing wardrobes (still trying to dress like Buffy, and occasionally like Willow in the last season). Most Buffy-philes include in their pantheon of favorites the musical episode, Once More With Feeling. Now, a new karaoke version is traveling the country, giving everyone a chance to sing their little hearts out with Buffy, Xander, Dawn (Yuck), Spike (Yum), Willow, and the gang. We're talking to the director and creator of the event to day... so please, don't "just go through the motions....," show some love!!!

Sports seems to come up all the time in news coverage... even when they're (we're) not talking about ball games. Don Imus targeted a basketball team, doping investigations lead back to baseball, cycling, and other sports, Pat Tillman was a pro football player before joining the military. In his new book, Dave Zirin writes that he's fed up with a lot of what he sees in sports these days...

"Sometimes sports mirrors politics with such morbid accuracy you don't know whether to laugh, cry or hide in the basement" -- from Welcome to the Terrordome: The Pain, Politics, and Promise of Sports

We'll talk with Dave Zirin today, about sports, politics, racism, responsibility, and what he means by "terrordome." And it's not all doom and gloom, there is that "promise" in the subtitle, and we'll get into that, too. Questions or comments for Dave, leave them here.

Reporters always look for the best story to tell, and sometimes that search puts them in the middle of more action than they ever anticipated. In the July 9th and 16th double issue of the New Yorker magazine, Jon Lee Anderson tells the story of his visit to Afghanistan. While covering the problems that come along with US efforts to eradicate poppies in the country, he found himself under attack:

Policemen were already busy whacking and crushing poppies, using sticks and A.T.V's. They were spread out over several hundred metres. Unlike the day before, there were no children or any other civilians in sight. As I walked along a trail between the poppy fields, gunshots rang out. Men began running, taking cover, and looking up toward the village on the bluff; the firing seemed to be coming from the mud-walled compounds there. Kelly, the ex-cop from Arizona, yelled at me to take cover. I headed toward a stand of trees with Aaron Huey, the photographer who was travelling with me; from there we could no longer see any other Americans. A group of six or seven Interior Ministry policemen-almost all of the local police had disappeared as soon as the shooting started-ran past with their guns drawn, and we followed.

Anderson's article is titled, The Taliban's Opium War, and it reads like a thriller. Check it out in the July 9/16 edition of The New Yorker magazine. If you have questions for him, about the trip, the story, or what it's like to get caught up in a gunfight, let us know.

Okay, we've compiled the votes and counted the results and can finally announce the list of the best caper movies from our summer movie festival (according to TOTN listeners, and in no particular order).

The Sting
The Pink Panther
Topkapi (Neal's top pick)
Rififi
The Great Muppet Caper
The Killers
The Thomas Crown Affair
To Catch a Thief
Ocean's 11
The Lady Killers
The Italian Job
Who's Minding the Mint
$ (aka Dollars)
Odds Against Tomorrow

And the Murray goes to:
Big Deal on Madonna Street

(Next up on Thursday... best robot movies)

After endless wrangling in the House and Senate, we still ended up without an immigration bill. So, many local areas are taking matters into their own hands. New laws are cropping up -- some have already passed -- that would enact harsher penalties on employers that hire illegal immigrants, landlords that rent to them, and in one county, an extensive check of citizenship on a huge number of state workers. So today, we're taking a survey of some of these towns ... if you live in a town that's enacting these stricter measures, let us know.

The ads are all over some magazines... Celebs like Gwenyth Paltrow, or David Bowie with what look like African tribal markings painted on them, and in big bold letters, "I AM AFRICAN" printed below the photo. Bono and Brangelina tell us to help them "save" Africa from disease, poverty, corruption. But, does Africa really need our saving? Uzodinma Iweala wrote an op-ed in the Washington Post yesterday arguing that not only does Africa not want to be saved, but the Africans working on the ground to make a real difference are being totally ignored. You can read his op-ed here. And, do you think appeals like the campaigns to help Africa can be disrespectful? Let us know.

So, we all know that there are some hospitals that excel in some things ... from cancer care, to neurological diseases. But how do you know what you need? Very few hospitals have excellent care in every respect, and with all the rankings and gushing ads for hospitals ... how do you choose where to go for your care? We're talking to the excellent Dr. Mehmet Oz this hour, along with others, to help guide your choices. What has your experience been?

In preparation for reading the last installment of the Harry Potter books, I had to update myself; I re-read the last two on the way back from San Francisco. It is a testament to how complicated the books actually are, that I had to do it at all. Every spell, every character, every place, every bit of magic is as deeply layered as Tolkien (I know, that's sacrilege). So, today we're talking to the continuity editor for the American version of the book; it's her job to make sure that every single spell, wand flick, and recipe for butterbeer are spelled and described accurately. If you think that you can stump her -- I dare you. Expelliarmus!

Whew ... that vacation did me in. I need a vacation from my vacation. All I can say is, Northern California is exactly the land of milk, honey, Sauvignon Blanc, and fine gourmet jelly beans that one would expect it to be. However, I've been thrown back into the mix, and expected to work again (which is odd, I thought it was time for my 11 am wine tasting!), so more on that later. I will say, that I re-read the last two Harry Potter books on the way home from Cali, and so booking the continuity editor (today! second hour!) didn't seem much like work at all.

I'm in San Francisco this week, and I can well understand why people leave their heart here. One: The food is amazing. I haven't eaten this well since I was in Montreal. Two: The weather is unbeatable. Microclimates seem to just mean that I never get sweaty, and that the plant variety is varied and gorgeous. Three: The vibrant and politically active community. I'm beginning to understand how eco became chic. Everywhere you go here, there's some reminder about the fleeting nature of the planet. I used to scoff a little at the marketing of "green," but here, San Franciscans seem to have really found a way to integrate living green into living well. It's quite lovely. In any case, if you're a caller from the Bay Area, and I'm answering calls, you can bet that whether or not there's room in the queue; at least one producer is envious of your cool weather and delicious tomatoes. Thanks for the warm welcome.

The media can sometimes make too much out of anniversaries, or retrospectives, (especially one-year "anniversaries") but they do give us a chance to stop and really consider how particular events changed a person, or a group, or a region of the world. I was surprised the other day to hear that it's already been a year since Israel and Hezbollah fought in Lebanon. On July 12, 2006, Hezbollah seized two Israeli soldiers in Shtula, Israel. In response, the Israeli military launched attacks against Hezbollah in southern Lebanon, and promised to continue bombing until Hezbollah disarmed. One year later, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert is politically weaker and more unpopular than ever. In Lebanon, large portions of the country have yet to be rebuilt, and Hezbollah continues to wrestle Beirut for influence in the country. Of course, nothing in the Middle East happens in a vacuum. And the fighting echoed through the region. So, one year later, what's changed? We'll talk with Rami Khouri in Beirut, and with Hirsh Goodman in Jerusalem.

We're talking movies today - more specifically, classic caper movies. There's nothing more gratifying than sitting back in a dark theater with a bowl of popcorn (or a pack of Twizzlers marinating in Diet Coke, if you're gastronomically warped like I am) and watching a group of witty criminals band together to pull off a big job. Usually it's against all odds, with some nemesis lurking about, ready to send them to kingdom-come. Perhaps they've come out of retirement to pull it off, or they'll looking for a final score to seal the deal on their up-and-down lives of crime. There will be twist and turns, unexpected obstacles or ridiculous moments of good luck - and hopefully a climax that makes you happy you paid whatever absurd price you spent to get into the theater in the first place.

What are your favorite caper flicks? Here's a quick crack at some of mine, in no particular order.

Continue reading "What are Your Favorite Caper Movies?" >

It's hard to imagine the desperation in Zimbabwe, unless you've been there. The country is in meltdown... Toilet paper is worth more than the paper money, annual inflation has been estimated as high as 10,000% by one estimate (the official government number is closer to 1,000%). For those who haven't fled the country already, the growing political tension is leading to violence, mass arrests, and international condemnation of Zimbabwe's government, lead by President Robert Mugabe. We'll hear from Zimbabwe's ambassador to the U.S., and from an activist who lives in Zimbabwe. Have you been to that country, or do you have family there? Tell us your stories. How have things gotten so bad?

At this morning's news conference, President Bush answered questions on Iraq, Al Qaeda, Scooter Libby, and other topics. And NPR's news blogger Tom Regan has been looking at reaction from bloggers...

The blogosphere is buzzing following President Bush's press conference today to talk about the Iraq benchmarks report. Conservative bloggers seemed to zero in on the questions asked by the media, which were characterized by some as propaganda. Liberal bloggers, on the other hand, focused on what they saw as the president's attempt to spin the situation in Iraq.

Continue reading...

Congress' Fourth of July break ended on Monday, and they came back to Washington firing off some fireworks of their own. You have those Republican senators breaking ranks over the war in Iraq (members on both sides have one eye on that big election coming up next year). Democrats in the senate are fighting with President Bush over the issue of executive privilege, and whether or not congress can demand testimony about the firings of U.S. Attorneys. Iraq, immigration, congressional investigations... it could all make for an interesting presidential election in 2008. And at this point, John McCain is having trouble keeping up in the polls and in the bank account. There's so much going on, we super-sized our usual political junkie segment today. Ken Rudin stops by for the main part of the show today. And Senator Charles Grassley (R-IA) tells us what he's seeing in the senate. Questions or comments for the junkie? Let us know...

As much as it pains me to tell you this, the 5-second rule has been debunked. Researchers at Clemson University actually studied this, and came to the conclusion that even carefully observing the 5-second rule will not protect your dropped food from gathering bacteria. I knew that. You knew that. But, we all do it anyway. If I drop the last piece of chocolate on the floor, and I'm inside the house, you can bet I'll brush it off and eat it (there are always exceptions, of course). And if the myth of the 5-second rule gives me a little cover for being gross, what's wrong with that? Monica Hesse took the rule to kids and adults and found some pretty funny results (kids know to scream, "5-second rule!" in order to invoke the proper ritual. Adults not only use the 5-second rule for food, but also for lousy boyfriends, apparently). We'll get her take on all this. And come on, gross us out... what's the best 5-second rule story you have?

The Tour de France runs through the end of the month, and cycling can only hope that the race is scandal free this year. Doping accusations have haunted the sport recently, and last year's winner, Floyd Landis, could still be stripped of his title after he was accused of taking testosterone. He has denied the charges from day one, and blasts the governing bodies of cycling in a new book called, Positively False: The Real Story of How I Won the Tour de France. A decision on his future, and his 2006 title, could come any day now. And, the toughest battle Landis faces now may not be his ability to compete but his struggle to preserve his reputation. We'll get his story first hand on the show today. So, send us your questions for Floyd Landis.

Deep within every one of us, there's a taxonomist yearning to breathe free. We love to divide things into groups and subgroups, to give the world a sense of order. Music is no exception. For the casual listener, we may lump large numbers of musicians into exceedingly broad categories, like "rock" or "classical," but these are merely broad brush strokes that obscure the obsessive work of fans, scholars and purists who separate musicians into highly specialized categories. Punk isn't just punk, for example. It's a complex family tree with enough branches to bewilder the uninitiated: grindcore, skate punk, straight edge, post-punk, funkcore. And that's just for starters.

Yet no matter how many times you can parse rock 'n roll into subdivisions - that was a Rush song, wasn't it? - there's at least one category that transcends simple classification: the all-girl band. From the Runaways and the Go-Gos of the 70s and 80s to the Pussycat Dolls today, the archetype of women-only groups still resonates with many fans as a class of music unto itself. But why is that the case?

Continue reading "The Mysterious Allure of the All-Girl Band" >

Let's play a game. Random Association: "Springfield." Go!

The Siiimpsons
Parting Clouds
Skateboard
Kwik-E-Mart
Donuts
Moe's Tavern
Santa's Little Helper
Blue hair
D'oh
and now...Vermont?

For eighteen seasons fans of The Simpsons were never told exactly where their hometown of Springfield was located. As part of a promotional campaign for the new The Simpsons Movie, fourteen Springfields across the country - from Oregon to New Jersey - vied for the honor of holding the premiere in their hometown on July 21. They all produced movies that show off their "Simpson-ness." More than 100,000 votes were cast online; and the winner was a sweet surprise: Springfield, VT, population 9,300, last-minute entry to the contest, a veritable underdog. Somehow it's hard to imagine the crass, unsightly Homer Simpson hailing from a quaint and peaceful state like Vermont; but, then again, the contrast does keep in line with the paradoxical tone of the series.

The movie opens everywhere else on July 27.

TOTN Producer Ashley Grashaw is guest blogging this week for Sarah and Barrie

There are, of course, many wonderful aspects to staying with friends when you're on vacation. My favorite is discovering the pleasures of other people's fridges and coffee tables. Here in San Francisco the lovely folks that are putting me up and putting up with me (I mean seriously, I'm hogging their computer as we speak) have a fridge filled with delicious organic juices and beers, and a load of magazine subscriptions that are nothing like mine (Us Weekly and the Economist). San Fran is of course, home to a vibrant gay community, and one of the magazines that caught my eye is The Advocate, which is devoted to Lesbian and Gay Issues. The current issue has a terrific article anticipating the release of The Simpsons movie, and is a must-read for any Simpsons fan (guilty), gay or straight. What I thought was most interesting about the essay, is that it reminded me how cutting edge the show has been in terms of promoting not just tolerance, but curiosity, and again, not just about LGBT issues. Springfield, as much as it's a satire of America, is an idealized version as well. Krusty, Apu, Ned Flanders, Homer, Lisa... they represent the melting pot, and a place where everything is possible if you just follow the golden rule, and try to be nice to people, even the ones you might not really understand. On the Simpsons, people can change. Marge says it best, though she's talking about Homer: "Most women will tell you that you're a fool to think you can change a man. But those women are quitters!" Like America ... she believes in Homer, even when he's xenophobic, homophobic, and/or, well...kinda gross. If you're interested in change ... Marge has a point.

Video games are supposed to be fun... A good way to kill some time, and maybe some aliens. But, then you start staying up late to play World of Warcraft, or call in sick to get through one more realm of EverQuest. A guy in South Korea actually died of heart failure after playing a game for 50 hours straight. A problem, definitely. But, can video games be an addiction? So far, the American Psychiatric Association says no, but they're still studying the issue. Where do you draw the line between bad behaviors and addiction?

They say the first step to recovery is admitting you have a problem, so here it goes: My name is Andy Carvin, and I'm an Iced Decaf Venti Americano Addict.

There, I said it. Deep breath....

I'm sure I'm not the only one who struggles getting through an afternoon without some type of dose from their local Starbucks. But perhaps their influence on me and countless other people is worse than I imagined. A couple years ago I suddenly found myself having the urge to by an album by singer Madeleine Peyroux. Her easygoing Parisian cafe jazz with strong whiffs of Billie Holiday was almost as addictive as, well, that iced decaf venti Americano I always long for.

No wonder - not long after Peyroux released her album Careless Love, she entered into a relationship with Starbucks, getting her CD into the ears of millions of my fellow coffee addicts. The model proved so successful that Sir Paul McCartney is releasing his newest album on Starbucks' music label.

Starbucks and Paul McCartney are just some of the "new music moguls" recently profiled by Fast Company magazine. They also take a look at the growing trend of introducing music through video games. Video game maker Electronic Arts expects to sign as many as half a dozen musical acts by the end of the year, while bands like Jonny Lives! have benefited from seeing their songs placed within games. The band also jumped on an opportunity to partner with mobile phone manufacturer Nokia to use one of their video phones to record a music video.

Fast Company has their list of the new media moguls. Who would you include on your own list? Personally, I'd start by adding you and me. All you have to do is look at the number of up-and-coming bands on social networking sites like MySpace and Bebo, you'll get a sense of the power we all have in helping musicians sink or float. And as music-oriented social networking sites continue to grow, our collective influence as music moguls will grow, too. So when the next OK Go single goes platinum, we should all get a framed silvery disc we can stick on our walls, right?

Anyway, enough of that. I need to make another Starbucks run.

NPR Internet strategist Andy Carvin is subbing for Sarah and Barrie while they enjoy what's left of their vacations.

I've never stumbled across a Chinese submarine, or any of sort of nuclear development in Iran, but I've spent my fair share of time on Google Earth. (I checked out my new neighborhood before I moved, tried out the new 3D streetview maps in downtown Chicago. That kind of thing.) It turns out people really are doing important stuff with Google Earth, and other satellite services available to the public. One program tracks the killing in Darfur online, using satellite photos. Not so long ago, only governments controlled spy satellites and could get images from space. Now, anyone can click an icon on their desktop and swoop down on anyplace from Baghdad to Springfield, MO. I may just kill time with it... how do you use Google Earth?

Later today, we talk with former Major League Baseball Commissioner Fay Vincent, who wrote an Op-Ed piece yesterday (the first day of the mid-season All-Star break) on the most under-appreciated men on the field, the umpires. Standing stolidly amid the multi-millionaires, the men in blue are working class heroes. When they do their job properly, they're supposed to be invisible, utterly impartial arbiters and are expected to remain stoic amid the ego storms of ballplayers, coaches and managers.
On one hand, the decisions they make are pretty simple - ball/strike, fair/foul, out/safe. In a world colored in shades of grey (and some more unattractive colors), many of us would happily embrace such professional clarity. To an outsider, the job appears to involve no more than three to four hours a day (except for now-rare doubleheaders) in the glorious surroundings of Yankee Stadium or Camden Yards and get paid pretty well, especially for seasonal work. As we'll hear, it ain't that easy.
And consider their apprenticeship. We all know that almost every ballplayer spends four or five years riding the buses in the minor leagues. The umps, too, toil for years, traveling endlessly across the country. Think, just for a minute, about the crew that works a series in El Paso and heads out to their next assignment. There is nowhere close. And these younger men (almost all of them are male) have to master their craft and their emotions under what sometimes approaches a state of siege. Remember the incident last season, where a player upset with a called strike three threw his bat at the ump? Extreme, perhaps, but, except in degree, not all that unusual when highly competitive and very young men respond to what they feel (sometimes rightly) are outrageously bad calls. And, like the players, the umps have no assurance of promotion.
So tonight, when the anthem ends in San Fransisco, take a moment to nod to the umpires.
Play Ball!

Back in 2004, most voters who were in the military said they considered themselves Republicans. This time around, the military vote is up for grabs. Washington Monthly magazine asked recent veterans to tell them what they were looking for in a candidate. We'll talk with some of them. And, we want to hear from those of you who are active military... What would it take to get your vote?

For those of us who are glad that our gangly tween years are far behind us, there's often one memory that has an unfortunate staying power. For me, it was being saddled with a pair of mediocre nicknames. At some point a classmate noticed that my handwriting was as terrible as humanly possible - so much so that it might as well have been Egyptian hieroglyphics. From that point onward, friends and foes alike would refer to me either as "Hiero" or "Glyph." It's bad enough getting paired with a weak nickname, let alone two, but it was even worse that they were both so weak that no one could settle on which one to embrace. For a while I tried to retort with a nickname of my own choosing, A-Wayne, based on my first initial and middle name, until someone pointed out the ever-growing list of serial killers and other murders who all shared Wayne as their middle name. After a while, I gave up. Just as long as you didn't call me Andrew, I'd live with it.

So when I read Devin Gordon's recent MSNBC missive on the fall of the great nickname, I knew exactly where he was coming from. Gordon laments how we've become a nation of lazy moniker-makers, unable to give serious effort to coming up with nicknames for people whose talents or stature require - nay, demand - a serious nickname:

Over the years, our culture's gift for nicknaming has slowly vanished along with so many of our other celebrated American skills, like nation-building and math. The same country that came up with the Splendid Splinter, the Say Hey Kid and Mr. October now settles for A-Rod, T-Mac and AI. (Don't even get me started on the San Diego Chargers' franchise running back LaDanian Tomlinson, whose nom de plume, LT, is not only lame but recycled, too. Excuse me, LaDanian, but Lawrence Taylor called and he wants his nickname back.) What passes for creativity these days is taking the word 'big' and sticking some physiologically or descriptively appropriate term after it. Which is why the sports landscape has a Big Hurt, a Big Papi, a Big Unit--which has never been confirmed, by the way--and even a Big Fundamental. That last one is Tim Duncan's nickname. Or if you prefer, you can call him by his other nickname: Timmy.

Baseball, which used to have a phone book's worth of spectacular nicknames, is now the worst offender in sports. Pedro Martinez is Petey. Derek Jeter is Jeet. God forbid your last name is Rodriguez, because then we'll just take a letter from your first name, stick 'Rod' at the end, and be done with it. Hence A-Rod, K-Rod and I-Rod, which is what some folks insist on calling Detroit Tigers catcher Ivan Rodriguez even though he already has a perfectly great nickname--Pudge. Is this really the best we can do? A couple of initials? A syllable? An infantilizing 'y' at the end?

Then there's our penchant for creating portmanteaus for celebrity couples, whether it's Brangelina or TomKat. Perhaps it's because there's so much hard-hitting news in Hollywood, entertainment reporters simply don't have time to say "Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie" anymore, lest they cut the amount of on-air time dedicated to P-Hilt's latest public gaffe or what have you. (Did I actually just write P-Hilt? Surely I can do better than that. I'm sure her prisonmates must have come up with some doozies.)

What's the cause of our national brain freeze when it comes to nicknames? D-Gord, I mean Devin Gordon, places the blame squarely on the White House:

Our commander in chief is also famously our nicknamer in chief, but what he should be famous for is giving lousy nicknames. You might think that President Bush was born to hand them out, considering his own nickname, Dubya, contains within it his favorite thing to do. ('Hey, Michael Brown, I dub ya Brownie. That's your nickname now. Heh-heh.') But before he got into politics, Bush owned a baseball team--the Texas Rangers--and that's probably where he picked up the habit, and where he learned to be so bad at it. 'Brownie' is probably Bush's most famous pet name, and easily his blandest. But a close second would have to be the nickname he gave to my old pal Trent Gegax, who was NEWSWEEK'S man on the Bush campaign bus during the 2000 election. Bush's nickname for Trent? NEWSWEEK Man.

What do you think? Has Dubya really played a role in this cultural crisis? Should we place the blame on TV anchors at ESPN or Entertainment Tonight for sticking us with second-rate sobriquets and anemic cognomens? Or is this just another sign of the coming cultural apocalypse, where names like Brangelina and A-Rod become de rigeur among the rest of us?

Here's hoping that we come to our senses. I would hate to have A-Car or Big Wayne Carvin chiseled into my tombstone.

NPR Internet strategist Andy Carvin will be contributing to Blog of the Nation this week while Barrie and Sarah enjoy their respective vacations, so his impact on the blog will be fleeting at best.

Captain America is gone after 66 years. In the latest edition of the Marvel comic, he dies and is given a hero's burial at Arlington National Cemetary. Jeph Loeb wrote the final edition and will tell us why it was time to say goodbye to Steve Rogers, and his red, white, and blue alter ego. Do you think Marvel should have killed him off? Was Captain America getting a little dated?

Hip hop music is consistently attacked... some argue it demeans women, others say it promotes drugs or violence, or both. On the flip side, there are plenty of people who defend hip hop, and counter that it's an authentic expression of black culture. Michael Eric Dyson has been dubbed the hip hop intellectual, and he defends hip hop in his new book. He argues that while it's not perfect hip hop is certainly as important as and worthy of as much study as any other art form. Let us know what you think about hip hop... is it shallow and potentially dangerous, or an authentic expression that should be taken more seriously?

Other than being maybe the biggest wedding day of the year (07-07-07), this past weekend gave us a new lineup of seven modern wonders of the world. After the online votes were tallied, the Great Wall of China made the cut, but Stonehenge is out. Here's the full list:

Chichen Itza, Mexico
Christ the Redeemer, Brazil
The Great Wall, China
Machu Picchu, Peru
Petra, Jordan
The Roman Colloseum, Italy
The Taj Mahal, India

Was anything left out? What would get your vote?

When I went away to college I first became acquainted with alt-weeklies, those weekly newspapers that everything from large towns to the biggest cities have, available in boxes on the street, record stores, restaurants, and anywhere else people loiter. When I was in Athens I read the Flagpole, and now that I'm in DC I pick up the City Paper on a fairly regular basis. The features can be hit-or-miss (just like anywhere), but when they're good, they're incredibly so -- sometimes eyebrow raising (and the language can be... racy for some folks), sometimes thoughtful, and sometimes an incredible investigation into a world with which the average reader is unfamiliar. I get an RSS feed of alt-weekly headlines and, just to give you an idea about what I'm talking about, some of the recent articles are...

Polar Opposites, a story from California about the first pole dancing fitness instructors in Orange County and a lawsuit they're involved in;
I Love Chicken Fried Steak, a Houstonian's ode to the Southern classic;
Tagging Up Denver, an inside look at graffiti crews in Colorado; and
Alter-Egoed, from Vermont, about finding all the other folks in the world who share your same name.

Provocative, no? Do you pick up one where you live, or follow them on the internet? Which is your favorite? And what's the most memorable article you've come across in an alt-weekly?

Right. So you've made it through the wedding, the bridesmaids, groomzillas, and maybe you've even sent out your thank-you notes already. But now you're -- gasp -- married! So, we've whipped up (with the help of the Pew Research Center's Study on Marriage and Parenting), a second show on the trials, tribulations and of course the joys of the conjugal state. Here's the central issue: what makes a marriage last? With the divorce rate still high, and the seven year itch now down to three -- our priorities are shifting. Surprisingly, people are really downgrading children on that list; not surprisingly, sharing household chores -- is moving sharply up. So here's your chance: what are the qualities that really make a marriage successful?

Last week, we talked about the $65 million pants lawsuit. This week, it's the libel suit over the words, "miserably tough and fatty strip of steak." Craig LaBan wrote that in the Philadelphia Inquirer, and was promptly sued by the owner of Chops restaurant. Which is interesting in itself, but it turns out, many restaurant critics dine incognito (just look at LaBan's photo on his bio page)... they don't publish their pictures, don't identify themselves in public, some even disguise themselves in restaurants. Now, because of the lawsuit, LaBan might have to testify by video, and could be publicly outed. Ruth Reichl got in her share of food fights in her time as critic for the New York Times, and she'll give us an inside peek at life as an undercover restaurant critic. Any other restaurant critics out there? Tell us about life on the sly...

Last year, South Park aired a hilarious episode in which the whole town starts buying hybrid cars. The self-satisfaction of the town -- symbolized by some very juvenile and funny scatalogical jokes, as per S.P. usual -- becomes so out-of-control that the "smug," threatens to cause a cataclysmic weather event. "Smug Alert" aired a year and a half ago -- and as usual, they were way ahead of the culture curve. Eco-conscious has become eco-chic, and everybody is marketing "green" to make...er...green. It's clearly hip to be hemp... but is it actually helping the environment? How green is green? NPR listeners tend to be highly aware of this stuff, so I'm really interested in what you think of the "Hollywooding" of the green movement. (Seriously, apparently people are driving the Prius over other hybrids because they want to make sure people know they're driving a hybrid!!)

Who'd have thunk anything happened in the wireless phone world last week other than that iPhone thing. Reading David Pogue's column this morning, I was surprised to find out that yes, something else did happen last week... AND, that Pogue says, it "may be as game-changing as Apple's" iPhone. Here's the deal: T-Mobile is launching a cell phone that looks and works like any other cell phone, except when you're near a wi-fi hotspot. That can be any wireless connection in a Starbucks, the airport, or your basement, where you can surf the web without plugging in a cable. Once the phone sees a wi-fi signal and connects, all your calls are FREE. Here's the kicker: if you don't have a wireless router at home, they'll give you one ("give" meaning free, at least after a rebate). When you leave the wireless range of the hotspot, it automatically switches back to your mobile plan, and connects to the cell towers again (read: eats up your minutes again). Similar ideas have been tried before, Skype and Vonage offer wi-fi phones. But, I can't remember such a mainstream product seamlessly working as both a cell phone and a wi-fi phone. Here's hoping the other wireless companies are paying attention. (You can read Pogue's column here.)

Like many Americans, I mostly plan to spend this glorious Independence Day shoving burgers, corn, and a couple of beers into my patriotic little gullet. So it was odd to start the day in such a thoughtful patriotic way -- at our morning meeting, we sat around and talked about what being an American meant to us. We're a small crew today -- all ladies -- and among us we've got African-Americans, Latino Americans, a couple of Jewish Americans. It was fascinating to discover the moments at which we became the most patriotic -- and the episodes that may have disillusioned us about the country, too. It turns out, that for most of us, going abroad was formative in creating our identity as Americans. Today we're going to talk to a group of different folks about what America means to them -- but tell us your experiences, too.

I'm always amazed at how many people find really valuable trinkets in their attics or basements or whatever (just tune into Antiques Roadshow, you'll see what I mean). PBS combined that show with CSI-type investigations to come up with History Detectives. For the last five seasons, they've looked into people's $6 bills, traced back heirloom jewelry with possible links to the Liberty Bell, and sleuthed other treasures that might be linked to history. Since it's the Fourth of July and all, we thought it would be a good time for a little history lesson... but one that won't put you to sleep. The History Detectives are looking for new mysteries, so if you have some old knick-knack laying lying around the house, drop us a line.

It's no longer any secret around here that when it comes to sugar and chocolate, I have a bit of a problem with self-control. So, nobody's surprised that when we all asked each other in the office what food we'd gorge on if health didn't matter, I couldn't pick just one. I need to categorize that kind of thing... Greasy foods: pizza. Sweets: chocolate chip cookies and ice cream. Salty: chex mix. Other: anything fried. I'm sure there's more, but I'm far too hungry now to keep writing. If you weren't paying any attention to fat or fiber or calories, what foods would you eat?

I like lying on the beach as much as the next person, but there are some vacations that take some work. It's usually those adventures that really stick with you -- and sometimes on you. Pam Grout has a new book outlining some wild and woolly vacations -- we'll talk to her about her travels. In the meantime, which vacations really enriched your life?

Yes, I managed to get the day off today. But, obviously someone, actually many someones, needs to be in the office keeping the show running (just ask my fellow blogger Barrie, who's now been abandoned by all three of her co-bloggers for the day). Now, if we need to work on the Fourth of July, I know there are other people out there stuck working today. Some of you are firefighters, police, doctors and nurses, and this won't be much of a holiday for you. Fireworks and fingers don't play well together, and we always seem to get awful stories of fireworks injuries every year. But, what about the rest of you in the office today... Why do you have to work on the holiday?

To some surprise, some outrage, and at least one sigh of relief, President Bush commuted Lewis Libby's two year jail sentence last night. I've got to say it -- here it comes -- it's the talk of the nation, so we've got a range of opinions for you today. Add yours here.

As I've said before, I'm a former tobacco lover. And the smell really never bothered me -- when I was a smoker. (I'm sure my mother remembers fondly that I literally thought it didn't smell when I first started sneaking a smoke here and there. I smoked in the house; until she kindly informed me that...er...she was on to me.) When I quit, however, I started to move away from my principled position on pub and bar smoking (i.e. "it's uncivilized not to allow people a smoke with their beer!"), and towards what I used to consider the slow whine of the "my hair smells funny" crowd. But the thing is, it does make your hair smell funny! My mother was right (about that, and also you really should alphabetize your books -- it's civilized.) Anyway, that's all to say that England, a last holdout on the war against tobacco in bars, has finally enacted their ban, to much consternation. We'll talk to a protesting smoker, over a beer and a smoke.

I'll admit it. I'm the youngest in my family, so when this study about IQ and birth order (apparently I'm somewhat lacking) came out, I was a bit peeved. However, Stephen Murdoch's new history of the IQ measurement made me feel a bit better. He'll be on today to take your questions, and to give you the scoop behind this test... but what really interests me in why we're so fascinated with precise measurements of intelligence, and all this darn categorization. Why do you think humans want to quantify so badly? If you want to take a test yourself, go here, here, or here.

Christopher Hitchens' June article about the ups and downs of multiculturalism in his old London neighborhood, piqued our interest -- especially after a jittery weekend in London and Glasgow. Is the dream of the melting pot also an invitation to extremism? What do you think? Write or call... but enter at your own risk, Hitchens has an answer for everything (why we love him, I suppose).

This morning I was a little later than usual coming in to work (if the bosses are reading this: not late to work, just later than usual). On any other day, that would mean I don't get a seat on the train and have to ride in someone's armpit for 40 minutes. But, this is one of those weird weeks where a big old holiday falls right in the middle of the work week. And, since traffic seemed non-existent today, too, I'm guessing we're seeing the start of a six day weekend here (again bosses: I don't mean HERE here, just here in general). Sadly, I won't be "working" from home this week, or calling in "sick." But, what about the rest of you... Any plans to play hooky for the remainder of the week (or suggestions of good excuses to tell the bosses? Bosses: just kidding)?

Last week, the Supreme Court wrapped up its first full term with John Roberts as Chief Justice. (And it went out with one of the biggest decisions of the term.) In the many split decisions, there were significant rulings on abortion, race, the death penalty, and free speech, among others. And, people who follow the court say it has clearly shifted to the right under Roberts. Today, we'll look back at the term that was, and see where the Roberts court is likely to go in the future. Thoughts or questions in the term? Post 'em here.

When I was a kid, I went through a few varying degrees of rebellion, including a stage in high school when I shunned Geometry almost totally. What I didn't understand was that by ignoring Euclid in ninth grade, I had guaranteed that we (me 'n Euclid) would meet again in tenth. That, in and of itself, was an incentive to at least go to the class, even if I didn't feel up to proving anything. Skipping all that Geometry in order to hang out in coffee shops was tough on a high school wallet -- the coffee wasn't bottomless -- and I wonder if I'd have been more inclined to go to class if I was being paid for more effort? That's just what New York City is doing, and in our Opinion Page today, Professor Barry Schwartz opines that Euclid's rewards should speak for themselves? What do you think? Ever paid your kids ten dollars an "A"? Or has inflation made "A"s twenty bucks now?

I am not, as you may have noted, a man, but I'll be honest; I'm fond of the lugs. I'm a huge fan of Saul Bellow's Henderson the Rain King, which is the book I give to every boy I know, in hopes that he will -- much like Henderson -- become a man. (I believe it works, too.) It's tricky to tell what makes a man these days, which is probably a good sign -- a multiplicity of masculinity -- but it can be somewhat confusing as well. As we noted on our "gaydar" segment, the rise of the "metrosexual" means that a "real" man may be caught sipping a cold glass of Pinot Grigio rather then knocking back a glass of bourbon. Depictions of men in pop culture range from Johnny Depp's sensitive pirate, to the boyish crew on Entourage and in Judd Apatow's oeuvre, all the way to the ever (seriously forever) hard-bodied, bald-headed (testosterone!) John McClane in the Die Hard series. What actually makes a man, though? Do you see yourself reflected in the tech-geeks, new-agers, or man-children of popular culture? Let us know here. Don't be shy. It'll put hair on your chest.

Needle exchange programs -- which make sterile needles available to intravenous drug users for free -- have always been a source of controversy. Washington DC, however, has moved a step forward toward making local funds available for these programs. Today, we're going to talk about the programs, whether or not they work, and why so few exist.

We spent a lot of time this morning talking about what's going on in London and Glasgow. Things are happening fast: Two more arrests were made today, and it now sounds like police were closing in on the attackers just before they slammed a car into the airport terminal. Here at home, Michael Chertoff, the Secretary of Homeland Security, was all over the morning news shows saying the country needs to be more vigilant, but stressing that there is no credible threat to the United States. The federal terror level has not changed, still, ABC News reported today about a secret document, prepared for the Department of Homeland Security, that apparently, "warns that al Qaeda is planning a terror 'spectacular' this summer." And, with the Fourth of July coming on Wednesday, it seems like people are either in a frantic "should I be nervous," or a calming "there's nothing to worry about" mode. With all the talk of attacks, arrests, and summer warnings, do you fall into one group or the other... Should we be nervous, or is this manufactured anxiety?