I ask all sorts of odd questions every day around here, but nothing like a 6-year old. Kids may say the darndest things, but they ask even darndest-er (what a wordsmith) things. On Monday's show, we're talking with a dad who decided to find answers to every single question his son asked. Not making them up, but finding people who could give insightful answers. And maybe not the way you'd think... "What is porn?" his son asked... So dad asked a dominatrix. "What happens when a plane flies over a volcano?" Dad went to a pilot who did it. There's plenty more we'll get to on Monday, but we need your help first. All you parents, what questions have your kids stumped you with? On the flip side, did you stump your parents with a tough question or two? Send them to us, and we'll try to get answers for you (and your kids) on Monday afternoon.

It's Friday... an eerily quiet day to slowly exhale. Actually, on Fridays we work on show ideas for the coming week and get everything in place for Monday. This Monday is a holiday, always a tricky time to book guests because often people would rather take a vacation than talk to millions of people on the radio. Go figure!

I will give you a quick run-down of what we have in store for next week, but first I want explain the many colors of our show board. Topics written in black are the 'for sure' topics... the topics that are booked and we are absolutely airing (pending any breaking news or pressing events that may trump it). Topics in green are the 'maybes'. Green is the color of hope... we hope to get a guest, we hope the topic holds for a few days. We write the guests who we've booked for a show in blue. Red indicates the time-frame that they will be on the show and where they'll be (in a studio, on a phone, etc.) We write show ideas in our morning meetings with purple ink. (This will all make more sense if you look at the photos of our board on the right side of the page.) Yes, we are a colorful bunch. Either that, or we have a particular affinity for Skittles. At any rate, I'll quickly tell you the topics that are in the black for next week.

On Monday in the first hour, we'll talk about all these games and tricks to improve your memory. Do any of them actually work? The second hour will deal with how to answer every question a kid asks--"What does 'sexy' mean?" "Can I cook my sister?" (a real question asked of a father)... that kind of thing. For Tuesday's first hour we'll talk with Ret. General Jack Keane, who's just back from Baghdad, and other guests about the policies and politics of Iraq. The second hour starts with a chat with British actor/comedian Michael Palin (think Monty Python, Spam, and inanimate parrots) and ends with the "cost" of wearing those saggy pants. On Wednesday we'll discuss Condoleezza Rice... one of the most powerful women in the country and yet, an enigma. And Thursday's hour two topic will be a discussion on life with obsessive compulsive disorder.

More to come next week. Enjoy your holiday!!

People seem to have a love/hate relationship with No Child Left Behind. At first glance, it makes sense... schools have to perform well, and face punishment if they don't. It has plenty of backers. Critics will tell you, though, that the law has hamstrung public schools with impossible goals and not enough funding to reach them. Whoever is right, there's little argument that something needs to change in the public schools. Rudy Crew spent time at the head New York city's school system, and is now in charge of the fourth largest system in the country, in Miami-Dade county. And, in a new book he offers answers. Let us know what questions you have for Rudy Crew, about the problems in the public schools, and what to do to fix them.

When it comes to New Orleans' supporters, Harry Shearer might not come immediately to mind -- but he's one of its most vociferous voices of support. Speaking of voices, he's also of course the man who voices many of our most beloved Simpsons characters, and he's wishing we'd all be a little less like Mr. Burns, and a little more like Ned Flanders when it comes to characterizing the plight of that city. We'll talk to him today about the city that he's been a part-time resident of for the past 11 years, and its progress, two years after Katrina.

What makes a good attorney general? In looking for a cut of tape for the top of the show today, it became clear that some folks think the answer is someone whose views are in line with those of the president, but there's also a contingency that believes no, it's more about a dedication to understanding and interpreting the law. What do you think? If you're a fan of the current commander in chief, you might think the former... and if you're not, you're likely to choose the latter. But what if the tides changed, and your ideal candidate was elected, and vice versa? Would you still want an AG who adhered to the letter of the law if your ideologies were in line with the prez, or one who follows the boss when you're not a fan of his positions? It's tough to phrase, but it just seems like there's an easy answer... until you think about the other side.

When the story of Senator Larry Craig's alleged restroom indecency hit the media, it was a story that had been warming up for some time. The Idaho Statesman had been on this story (you'll notice the unfortunate use of the word "probe" in this headline) for months before it exploded all over Craig -- prompting us to ask, why did it take so long for the rumors to reach the major news outlets (ahem--that means us, too)? It's the side story that really interested us -- besides, of course the glossary of restroom come-ons. Who better to handle the media side than our own David Folkenflik? (I have it on good authority he can't help with the restroom stuff.) Also mixing it up with the Media Circus, Kevin Naff -- editor of the Washington Blade -- he's got a couple of complaints for the Statesman.

Well, it's our last show for the week -- and for the month of August -- and today's show is quickly coming together. The main topic in our first hour is called "Fixing Broken Schools." This is a segment we planned on airing yesterday, but our guest, Rudy Crew, had the unfortunately common experience of a major flight delay. But today he's safely on the ground, and will talk to us from our NPR studio in New York. He's the superintendent of Miami-Dade County Public Schools, and author of Only Connect: The Way to Save Our Schools. According to Crew, our educational system is in crisis and education should be our number one priority. We'll end that hour with a voice who may be familiar to fans of The Simpsons. Harry Shearer is the voice of Mr. Burns and Ned Flanders -- among many others -- on the beloved animated series. He'll share his thoughts (as himself, I should add), about the restoration efforts in New Orleans where he's been a part-time resident for the past 11 years.

There is much debate over who should serve as Alberto Gonzales' successor as Attorney General. I wonder how that want ad would read? We'll talk about what makes a good Attorney General in our second hour. After that, NPR media correspondent David Folkenflik and Washington Blade editor Kevin Naff are the ringleaders as our "Media Circus" segment takes us inside the latest Senate sex scandal.

Enjoy! And don't forget to share your thoughts!

Betting refs, dog fighting QB's, steroid-taking sluggers... I'm not a big sports guy, but even I can see why this has been called a "summer of shame" for pro ball. Thinking back, it took years for baseball to win back the fans after the last strike year. If it wasn't for the home run derby between Sammy Sosa and Mark McGuire, MLB stadiums might still be just as full as NHL stands these days. It takes more than a slick ad campaign to gloss over a scandal. Fans have a breaking point, if you lose them you have to earn us back. The question is: what is that breaking point? Take the Michael Vick case... is this a pro athlete who screwed up, or a guy who screwed up, who just happens to play football? The problem is, Vick isn't alone. NLF players have recently been charged with everything from drunk driving to murder. At some point, the whole league pays a price. And when you're talking about salaries well into the millions of dollars, we're talking about people who really should know better (or least pay people to offer advice on how to keep out of trouble). Look, I realize we're not talking about the "Black Sox scandal" here, but refs betting on games plus players going to prison plus doping plus bad attitudes and huge salaries eventually equals no more fans. Do you care if athletes screw up... enough to stop watching or going to games? What should the leagues do to keep players out of trouble, if anything?

Senator Larry Craig has had a bad week. One could almost use the ubiquitous tag "embattled" for the Senator, which up till now, was exclusively reserved for Attorney General Alberto Gonzalez. But even the formerly embattled Gonzalez Gonzales was knocked off RSS feeds across the country for the Craig story. Suffice it to say his alleged misconduct, to which he mistakenly pleaded guilty, is the political buzz of the week. (Along, of course, with Senator Tim Johnson's return, and more primary squabbling.) So who better to discuss everything from Gonzalez's Gonzales' exit to restroom behavior, but our own Ken Rudin. PoJu is in session.

When Leona Helmsley died last week, it was a moment for some confused mourning. After all, the woman was a powerhouse (read: diva), but was also caught saying some particularly vile things about the progressive tax. One wonders what her eulogy was like; how do you properly eulogize such a difficult woman? I am related to some particularly difficult -- yet beloved -- women myself*, and they were remembered honestly at their funerals... something I particularly like. In fact, Jewish tradition demands that a eulogy be honest; it should paint an honest portrait of the deceased, and reflect the realities of their life. It got us thinking: what's the best way to eulogize someone whose humanity might have been -- shall we say, particularly aggressive -- in their life?

*I'm sure you're all shocked.

They're still calling the search for those six miners trapped in Utah a rescue effort, but it's been more than three weeks now since the collapse and hope is all but gone of finding the men alive. Rescue workers continue to work on a seventh hole that would let them drop a camera into the mine, but drilling on a bigger, horizontal tunnel stopped on August 16th, after three rescue workers were killed in another collapse. The families, and many of the other miners hold out hope of finding the men. At the very least, they want to bring the bodies out of the mine for a proper memorial. You see similar feelings in other dangerous jobs... Firefighters never leave someone behind, and Marines are well-known for doing whatever it takes to bring their own back home. That's the focus of our show today... The painful transition from rescue to recovery, and why we search. If we have any marines, or firefighters, or miners, or any other job with a firm belief that no one gets left behind, tell us about it. How important is that idea to your ability to do that job?

President Bush spoke at a charter school in New Orleans this morning, and assured the residents that the federal government understands their needs and it's "still engaged." History professor Douglas Brinkley might doubt those words... he thinks the Bush administration has a strategy of inaction for New Orleans, that the hope is residents of the below-sea-level areas will abandon their homes, like those in Galveston did after the disastrous 1900 hurricane. He paints a doom-filled picture of NOLA's future, but the most interesting bit, I think, is the way he tries to re-frame how we think about Katrina:

Unfortunately, one of the biggest misperceptions the American public harbors is that Katrina was a week-long catastrophe. In truth, it's better to view it as an era. Remember, the Dust Bowl of the 1930s lasted eight or nine years. We're still in the middle of the Katrina saga.

Have you been to New Orleans since Katrina? Did you help rebuild... and did you just feel like you were spinning your wheels?

Well, after a bit of brainstorming, erasing, and rewriting, I think we've got the makings of a show! On Wednesday, our first hour usually ends with our regular installment of the Political Junkie, but because there has been so much happening in the political arena this past week, we've decided to move that segment to the beginning of the hour and mega-size it. Our own political editor Ken Rudin will talk about Senator Larry Craig's recent troubles, the surprise resignation of Alberto Gonzales earlier this week and Senator Tim Johnson's return to politics, among other things. The end of the first hour is still coming together. Our producers are working on it as I type, so please stay tuned!

In light of ongoing story of the rescue efforts for the six miners trapped underground in Utah, our second hour deals with how the agonizing decision is made to end a rescue and declare it a recovery, and how the victims' families cope with the transition. Later in that hour we go back to New Orleans on the two year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. We'll talk to historian Douglas Brinkley who says we should still care about what is happening in New Orleans post-Katrina, but many have abandoned the hope of helping the city rebound.

We hope you enjoy listening today!

The other day I read an article in the Washington Post that caught my eye. It was more of a local story than a national one, but the headline was arresting: "Police Feel Wartime Pinch on Ammo: Target Practice Cut To Conserve Bullets." According to the article, the demand for small-arms ammunition to outfit American forces in Iraq and Afghanistan has begun to affect police departments in the DC-metro area. Due to slow delivery of new rounds of ammunition, officials in three local counties are rationing bullets provided to officers and cutting back on target practice. This made me think about the war at home... the last time we really talked about it at length was after Katrina hit, when the lack of National Guard troops (and equipment) available to help with the rescue and recovery became shockingly clear. That made us wonder: how does the war manifest at home for you? How has your community changed or adapted due to changes forced by our military commitments abroad? If we come up with enough examples, we're thinking of doing some shows on this... so please leave your stories in the comments section, and if you've got articles from your local news outlets, we'd love to see those too!

Oh, Michael Vick. I remember watching you play football at Virginia Tech one Thanksgiving weekend when the hype around you was still fresh and exciting, and you had every opportunity in the world ahead of you. And then you made your move to Atlanta, and I delighted in the opportunity to root for you in a city I love. But now, this. Your apology seemed heartfelt, but still... I'm at a loss. I talked to a friend of mine, a proud Hokie and veterinary technician, and she's still sputtering with rage over your crimes, and the way it makes Tech look. I can't say I blame her. Even if I don't see you as a role model -- and I'm sure many do, or did -- it feels like a personal betrayal when someone you root for does wrong, particularly deliberate harm such as this. Anyone else feel this way? Or maybe, that Vick is being unfairly targeted due to his celebrity and race? Personally, I can see all the sides... and still feel like this may be an inexcusable offense. BotNers, do you think Vick can make real changes? And, professionally, do you think he'll ever make it back?

As you may have heard from any number of sources this week, New Orleans Post-Katrina is still a pretty rocky place. However, there are some signs of improvement. The health care system, which was almost broken by the hurricane, has improved -- albeit slowly. Dr. Karen DeSalvo has kept us updated on hospitals and health care in the city since the hurricane hit, and she's back now, to tell us how it's going.

Who doesn't love a list? Top Ten lists, to do lists, here at the show we have a topic list -- they're handy and gratifying. There's nothing better then checking off anything from "eggplant" to "water the plants." List-o-philia has gotten a little more ambitious lately, with more and more people making Life Lists: things to do before you die. This could be really depressing, but it appears that many people find it quite inspiring. I'll share a couple of things -- from the sublime to the ridiculous -- from my Life List:

#36 Learn good knife skills. Like on last week's Top Chef!! (Not like Casey though. More like Sara.)
#42 Read Anna Karenina in Russian. At least some of it. Maybe just that first line.
#12 Learn to ride a bike!*
...and one I've been working on, and have now checked off
#4 Learn to swim.*

Your turn. What's on your list?

*I know it seems like my parents were Communists or something, but somehow I missed out on these things, and still had an idyllic upbringing. Go figure.

This is not what parents want to see this time of year (or any time of year, for that matter): a random knife attack on the campus of the University of Colorado, in Boulder. A 17-year old student had his throat cut, and needed surgery, but thankfully survived. Given the shooting at Virginia Tech last spring, it's understandable that people are on edge. But, James Alan Fox argues in an op-ed in today's USA Today that parents and students should focus on the quality of education when picking a school, not just "overblown" fears of violent crime:

Any life cut short is tragic, of course. In light of the more than 20 million college students in the USA, however, the chances of being murdered on campus are about as likely as being fatally struck by lightning.

The real dangers on campus lie elsewhere: Each year, more than 1,000 college students commit suicide; at least as many die in alcohol-related incidents such as binge drinking. Rather than focusing on these "not my son or daughter" concerns, many parents obsess about Virginia Tech-type shootings.

We know plenty of you are heading to campus, or have kids on their way to college. How worried are you about safety? Did it play any role in your decision of which school to attend?

Hi Everyone! This is Gwen, and I direct Talk of the Nation. I'm also the all-seeing third eye on the show that looks into the future and knows what topics are coming up on the program each day. Okay, I confess... I only know because I peek at what the show producers have written down on the show board. Nonetheless, it is important that you know what we're working on for you, and I will do my best to give you a daily sneak preview!! So I'll get right to it!!

Our first hour today begins with a conversation about the Michael Vick case and why some are claiming that race plays a role in how the case is being covered and how he is being punished. Later in that hour, we'll go to New Orleans and check up on how the health care system is faring almost two years after Hurricane Katrina.

In our second hour, we'll make a list of "Things to Do Before You Die." What's on your life list? Following that, we'll talk about concerns surrounding safety on college campuses. And we'll read from emails and blog posts from listeners who have sent in their comments about some of the topics we covered last week.

We hope you enjoy the show!

Something we're not too awesome at here at BotN is letting you know in advance of the show what we've got coming up. The major reason is that things are often changing up to the last minute, but we're working on ways to let you know what's going on... So, to that end, stay tuned for posts from our director, Gwen Outen. She usually knows what's coming up, and she's going to take a few minutes each day to share it with you sometime before 1pm. Keep in mind, though, that these things are always subject to change... you never know what news will come up in the hour before the show, or what great guest might come through at the last minute!

Before "The Higher Power of Lucky" ever did battle with censors, and way before Harry Potter was accused of Satanism, there was Judy Blume. If you're my age, she, along with the inimitable Beverly Cleary, was the voice for adolescents. (And later, her racier adult books were something stolen from your parents.) Freckle Juice, Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing, SuperFudge, and the heartbreaking Blubber (best book about peer pressure), were the ultimate guides to being a kid, while the seminal (yes! I used that word!) Are You There God, It's Me Margaret?, was the ultimate coming of age book. Well, Judy is still writing -- her new book, Soupy Saturdays, comes out today, but even more importantly, I've just noticed that Judy has a blog. (I'm calling her Judy, because honestly, I really feel like I know her. No disrespect meant.) In any case, I'm so glad that Judy's on the web -- and I'm dying to book her on the show. Any reaction, YA lovers? What's your favorite Blume book? Don't be shy.

It's been a long few months for Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, and he's had enough... He announced his resignation this morning, effective September 17th. Reaction has been just as testy as the controversy over his role in the firing of those eight US Attorneys, and the debate over his push for warrantless wiretaps. His most recent testimony in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee may have been the last straw ("I don't recall" was one of his most quoted answers). We're shifting into Special Coverage mode on the show today. We'll look at the political legacy of Alberto Gonzales, and reaction to his resignation. Thoughts or questions on Gonzales? Let us know...

I've loved playing cards since I was a little girl -- gin, poker, blackjack, go fish -- I'm a fan. I like games in general, frankly, but the first time I won money in a casino, I had that inimitable, soul-stealing experience of believing that the card tables might hold a really practical second career for me. Thankfully, a friend of mine proceeded to lose big at the poker tables that night, thus proving that gambling is just as bad as all the movies say it is. But casino culture still fascinates me -- I love the seediness, the sequins, the erstwhile smoke. Internet gambling has it's own culture as well, without, of course, the dancing girls... And today, we're going to take you on a tour of the virtual casino. Off-shore, online gambling is illegal, but it doesn't stop the occasional winner, and the more frequent loser, from doing it anyway. I'll wager a fair portion of y'all have played the odds -- tell us about it -- win, lose, or break even.

It's not exactly what every kid dreams of doing when asked, "What do you want to be when you grow up?" It's probably not even a job many of us would volunteer for, though few would doubt its necessity. Kenneth Feinberg, formally an attorney, oversaw the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund, and now he's pulling similar duty for Virginia Tech. It's his job to talk with the victims' families, and the school, and determine how the funds and other benefits will be disbursed. It's an emotional, mentally-trying, ethics-testing job, and ultimately comes down to putting a price on life. How does he do it, and how does he deal with it? Leave your questions here.

According to the New York Times, Attorney General Alberto Gonzales has resigned from his position, and he'll be making an announcement to that effect later this morning. We'll be allotting a portion of our staff for special coverage of the announcement at 10:30am, and we'll follow up on the show. Stay tuned!

It seems like everywhere you look today, some young starlet is flashing a bit of her body that wasn't really meant for public consumption (I'm not linking to it, but poor Beyonce's topless concert moment is only the most recent), and sometimes it almost seems intentional. Some see this wanton-or-careless-ness as having a trickle-down effect on kids and teenagers, and while I (thankfully) haven't seen the school-age set baring it all (can I just say one more time, thank goodness), I do see an awful lot of visible bra straps and thong-tops on the streets of DC. Is that so wrong? Maybe it's time for a "return to modesty," or maybe it's just a sign our culture's loosening up a bit, so long as the flashes of celebrities' bits remain oddities and not the norm. What do you think?

Time for another "Book that Changed the World," yet another book I haven't read, but maybe you have. On War by Carl von Clausewitz, a nineteenth century Prussian war general, is considered to be one of the most important books ever written on war strategy, admired by everyone from Hitler to Colin Powell. War strategy's not really one of my leisure-reads, so thanks go to Hew Strachan for cutting to the chase with his book on the tome. Have you read On War? What's your vote for the most essential point of the book?

President Bush changed PR tactics yesterday, with a direct comparison between the wars in Iraq and Vietnam. Here's an excerpt from the New York Times coverage:

And, in a passage that set off a bitter debate even before the speech's end, Mr. Bush suggested a quick pullout from Iraq could bring the kind of carnage that drenched Southeast Asia three decades ago.

"In Cambodia, the Khmer Rouge began a murderous rule in which hundreds of thousands of Cambodians died by starvation and torture and execution," Mr. Bush said. "In Vietnam, former allies of the United States, and government workers and intellectuals and businessmen were sent off to prison camps, where tens of thousands perished. Hundreds of thousands more fled the country on rickety boats, many of them going to their graves in the South China Sea."

With his comments Mr. Bush was doing something few major politicians of either party have done in a generation: rearguing a conflict that ended more than three decades ago but has remained an emotional touch point.

What do you think of all the comparisons to Vietnam... Should they play any role in the debate today over Iraq? How should the end of the war in Vietnam influence thinking, on the end game in Iraq?

I can just imagine the pitch for Saving Grace... "A foul-mouthed, hard-drinking cop with a soft spot for kids and animals meets her tobacco-chewing guardian angel and is given one more chance to turn her life around... It's like Highway to Heaven meets NYPD Blue!" OK, maybe that's not how it happened, but trying to explain this show to people is nearly impossible. Since it's on "On Demand" here in DC, I just tell them to watch it. Here's the basic idea: Holly Hunter plays Grace, a police detective with a last chance angel named Earl. And somehow it manages not to be hokey. Grace is deeply flawed, but has a big heart... in other words, she's human. You don't get that very often on TV. And while there's an angel and plenty of talk of God, this ain't Christian broadcasting. (In fact, it's not a show I'd recommend for kids or anyone with a low tolerance for grit.) After five episodes, Grace is still making plenty of, well, let's just call them bad choices (she's having an affair with her married partner and greets her angel with a hearty, "you're an *&%hole!"). The story has me intrigued, but it's Holly Hunter that makes this show work. We'll talk to her about it on the show today, and find out what drew her to TV, and this show in particular. If you've seen Saving Grace, what do you think?

So far I've been pretty immune to all the product recalls from China. The pet food scare passed, I don't buy any toys (unless you count Best Buy as a toy store), my fish isn't Chinese, and my blankets are old. To be fair, I don't can't use chopsticks, either. But for some reason this story triggered my gag reflex. I have no idea if these things were even made for export (probably not), but the thought of using somebody else's old, dirty chopsticks is enough to make me spit-up my Shaobing. This is all very fitting since we had originally planned to do a show on OCD today (and will probably revisit that subject next week). Sure, I use the paper towel to open the bathroom door, and wash my hands after riding the subway. That's not all that uncommon. Though, now I'll probably sniff my plastic silverware, too! I'll open the floor to other quirks out there...

One byproduct of the crackdown on illegal immigrants are cases like Elvira Arellano. She's the woman who holed up in a Chicago church with her son, facing deportation to Mexico. Her son, born in this country, is an American citizen. So, when Elvira was arrested on Sunday and deported, her son stayed behind with his godmother. Many of the illegal immigrants swept up in raids have been in the country for years. Some have American-born children. Does this change your mind at all about the immigration debate? Or, are laws laws and need to be enforced equally?

This is getting a little silly. Michigan could vote today to move its primary vote up to January 15th. That would probably push New Hampshire and then Iowa (maybe even South Carolina, Florida, etc, etc) to move their primaries earlier still. Let's see, this is August 22nd, what are your plans for next Tuesday... Primary anyone? In all seriousness, there could be a Christmas primary this year. We'll also talk with Congresswoman Deborah Pryce, from Ohio, on the show today. She's one of three long-time midwest Republicans not running again.. the others being Dennis Hastert, the former Speaker of the House, and Ray LaHood, both of Illinois.

One of the cool things about my job, as I've mentioned before, is that I'm the one who tracks down and pulls the tape you sometimes hear during the othewise-live show. This includes movie clips, press conference audio, tape from last night's Colbert Report... you name it. It can be a bit like looking for a needle in a haystack -- sometimes I'm just directed to find a "good exchange" between two people in hours of SCOTUS tape or hill testimony -- but there's generally something interesting to be found. Sometimes the only truly fun moment is the a-ha!... But sometimes the whole thing is fun, like today. For our segment on audio books, poor Sarah had the rotten task of listening to Jim Dale reading -- nay, performing -- the seventh Harry Potter book, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. I've already read the book, so it was a treat (and I didn't have to worry about spoilers) to listen to him channeling each character, from the evil, hissing he-who-must-not-be-named to Harry himself. I haven't listened to an audio book since the days of checking out tapes in ziploc hanging bags from the children's section at my library, but they're all the rage these days... do you listen? How is it like or unlike reading the book? Do you ever both read and listen to the same book?

Russian explorer Artur Chilingarov holds up a photo of his flag.

NATALIA KOLESNIKOVA/AFP/Getty Images

Russia's been throwing a bit of weight around lately, planting territorial flags on the bottom of the sea, sending a strong message to the Czech Republic that hosting an American missile defense shield there is a bad idea, and maybe even dropping a missile on neighbor Georgia. So, when President Vladimir Putin isn't fly-fishing topless with Prince Albert of Monaco, what's he thinking? Is Russia angling for a bigger role on the world stage?

I mentioned yesterday that our boss was stuck in a hurricane. TOTN's Executive Producer, Sue Goodwin, left on vacation a week and a half ago with her family. Unfortunately, she picked the Yucatan peninsula in Mexico, and Hurricane Dean followed her there (she's safe, and doing some reporting now that Dean has moved on). Lucky for us, she also has a digital camera with her, and has been emailing us a first-hand look at Playa del Carmen, before and during Hurricane Dean.

Continue reading "On Vacation with Hurricane Dean" >

I guess I've had pretty good luck with planes... there've been delays, and bad storms, and my bags wound up someplace nicer than I did at one point. But, I've never spent a night at the airport, and even when there was a big delay, the gate agent found me a seat on the next flight out. And when I missed my plane altogether (stuck in traffic), they just added me to the next load. (No 10 hours on a tarmac for me, with overflowing toilets, thankfully. But check out the "strand-in" being put on by the Coalition for an Airline Passengers Bill of Rights.) My biggest complaint is probably the lack of information (some might say lies). The "weather delays" on sunny days, the sudden fare jumps, and the oversold flights. And these days, good luck finding any service in the customer service area. Even the employees seem to be fed up with the airlines. We all have horror stories from our plane trips, but WHY is this summer so bad it's been dubbed the summer of hell? If you fly, or work in the industry, what's going on?

Space Shuttle Endeavour landed safely in Florida today, brought back a little early because of Hurricane Dean. It was another mission with too much excitement... Foam from the external fuel tank broke off during launch and gouged the underside of the shuttle. NASA is saying they'll have to come up with a fix before the next mission, but that will take time. We'll talk with NPR's Nell Greenfieldboyce about this past mission, and the future of the shuttle program.

It's the end of the road for our summer movie festival (at least for this year; we're open to topic questions for next summer!). We got a ton of emails asking us to post the list of movies mentioned during the series this year. And now (drum roll, please), here's the full list of favorites:

MOVIE THREE-QUELS
Spider-man 3
Shrek the Third
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End
Ocean's 13
The Bourne Ultimatum
Rush Hour 3
Pirates of the Caribbean 3
El Mariachi
The Bourne Ultimatum
Lord of the Rings
The "Apu" trilogy
The Sheikh
Godfather III
Blue, White,and Red
Indiana Jones
Matrix
Jaws 3-D
Goldfinger
Batman
Star Wars
Star Trek III: The Search for Spock
Austin Powers
Scary Movie
The Road to Zanzibar
Road to Singapore
Flesh, Trash, nd Heat
Back to the Future III
Beverly Hills Cop 3
Thin Man series
Toy Story 3

THE BEST BIG CAPER MOVIES
Heist
The Sting
The Pink Panther
Topkapi
Rififi
The Great Muppet Caper
The Killers
Dead Heat on a Merry-Go-Round
The Thomas Crown Affair
To Catch a Thief
The Lavender Hill Mob
The Ladykillers
Big Deal on Madonna Street
Italian Job
The Great Escape
The Taking of Pelham One Two Three
Who's Minding the Mint
$
Odds Against Tomorrow

FAVORITE ROBOT MOVIES
Star Wars
Robocop
Transformers
Westworld
Fembots
A.I.
Stepford Wives
2001
2010
The Terminator
Terminator II
Blade Runner
The Day The Earth Stood Still
Mystery Science Theater 3000
Star Trek Generation
Silent Running
Forbidden Planet
Gremlins
Short Circuit
Weird Science
Metropolis
Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

BEST POP STAR BIOS
Walk The Line
The Jolson Story
The Great Caruso
The Fabulous Dorseys
Yankee Doodle Dandy
Three Little Words
The Cole Porter Story
Words and Music
Coal Miner's Daughter
Night and Day
Ray
Sid And Nancy
Westway to the World
Aother State of Mind
The Glenn Miller Story
La Bamba
Bound for Glory
The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle
Don't Look Back
Lenny
Bird
The Buddy Holly Story

BEST HIGH SCHOOL MOVIES
Clueless
Elephant
Blackboard Jungle
American Graffiti
Grease
Peggy Sue Got Married
Love Finds Andy Hardy
Sixteen Candles
Scream
The Breakfast Club
Mean Girls
To Sir With Love
Ferris Bueller's Day Off
Election
Dead Poet's Society
Stand and Deliver
Mr. Holland's Opus
Dazed and Confused
Friday Night Lights
Varsity Blues
Remember the Titans
Fast Times at Ridgemont High
Back to the Future
Napoleon Dynamite

More than half a million American kids have been diagnosed with some form of autism, and those numbers are growing all the time. These kids need special instruction and care, and private schools like The May Institute have developed curricula specific to their needs. However, private schools require tuitions that are simply out of reach for many families. The other option, public school, is more financially appealing, but can classes, schedules, and lessons designed for average students flex to accommodate the needs of autistic kids? If you have a child with autism, what choices have you made about his or her education?

My love for Showtime's Weeds knows no bounds. When I first heard the premise -- suburban mom deals pot to support upper-middle-class lifestyle after the death of her husband -- my interest was piqued, but just. And then I caught an episode of the show while staying in a hotel and I was HOOKED. It's got a cast full of faces you just can't turn away from -- the familiar, in Mary Louise Parker as the Stacy's Mom-esque dealer Nancy and Kevin Nealon as Doug, the ditzy CPA with a habit; and the vaguely familiar, and even more compelling Romany Malco as Conrad, Nancy's partner, and Tonye Patano as Heylia, Nancy's original hook-up. This is just the tip of the iceberg -- Nancy's kids, Silas and Shane, brother-in-law Andy, and on-again off-again BFF Celia and her family could fill another blog entry, not to mention guest stars like Zooey Deschanel, "Agent Wonderbread," and soon... Mary-Kate Olsen. Seriously, you have to see it, and if I haven't talked you into it yet, check out what creator Jenji Kohan has to say... I personally want to ask her if she thinks Heylia will adopt me!

Do you own a satellite radio? I was lucky enough to receive one for my last birthday, and so the past few weeks have passed in a happy blur of all the music I can't find on terrestrial radio, from the National to Buck Owens, Martha Reeves to Social Distortion. And, since long before I got hooked up, rumors have been flying that XM and Sirius soon will become one. It's more than just rumors -- Sirius CEO Mel Karmazin has been trying to convince FCC Chairman Kevin Martin that the merger wouldn't create a monopoly on satellite radio, that in fact consumers would end up with more choices, and that satellite has other natural competitors like the iPod and traditional radio. It just might be working... and this week's interesting and seemingly unrelated approval of Whole Foods' takeover of the Wild Oats chain is an encouraging development to those vying for an XM/Sirius combo. The natural grocers' buyout isn't a done deal -- the FTC is appealing -- but what do you think? Is the conditional approval of this deal in the organic groceries market a signal that antitrust concerns are on the wane? Or are these deals just apples and oranges?

Democrats won a majority in 2006 largely on a platform of, "we're not them." But Matt Bai, the writer for the New York Times Magazine, warns that's not enough anymore... it's time for the party to define where it stands, and to come up with an argument. That's also the title of his new book (not the wordy part, but The Argument: Billionaires, Bloggers, and the Battle to Remake Democratic Politics). Bai will be in the studio today, and take your questions and comments.

We've talked about the "stop snitching" campaign in Baltimore, and the problem of witness intimidation before... but never about what snitching really is. Ronald Moten was accused of snitching (wrongly) back in the 90's, and argues that "not everyone who talks to the police is a snitch." Now, he works to change the code of silence on the streets. We'll talk with him on the show today. And, we want to know what snitching means to you. Is there ever a time you should not talk to the police?

The past two weeks have been a series of highs and lows on Wall Street, and it seems that at some point, this has got to affect the average American. Well, if you're a small business owner looking for a loan, it's possible. If you're a big company accustomed to using credit to acquire new property, it's already happening... which means you may be driving an older-model rental car than you're used to. And if you're just a regular consumer looking for some help with a big purchase, it may not be as easy as it once was. What about you, BotNers? Have you run into "no's" at the bank in recent days, thanks to the market's volatility?

Every day I open my mailbox, as many as half a dozen credit card offers pour out, filled with offers of airline miles, vacations, university t-shirts, and, most of all, free money. If you're like my dad, you painstakingly cut identifying codes off all the correspondence, then stuff it all into the postage-paid envelope and send it right back to the credit card company (yes, he's retired). I just rip the things up as best I can and look forward to doing it all again tomorrow. Whether you see copious credit offers as a prank opportunity, a major annoyance, or even a temptation, University of Georgia professor Stephen Mihm sees them as much more: one of the critical building blocks of this fine nation. And, because of this history of credit-driven capitalism, he's not too worried about today's shaky market.

Hurricane Dean is still gathering steam, churning toward a possible category 5 rating as it nears the Yucatan Peninsula... and our Executive Producer, Sue Goodwin. It seems she can't escape the news even on vacation, so if you've been to Playa del Carmen and have questions for her about how the town is preparing for a storm that may match Wilma's ferocity, leave them here.

Our boss is stuck in a hurricane (literally). Heck of a time for a trip to Mexico. From what I hear, she's safe and is doing some reporting for NPR on the storm. But to her credit, until she got the call to put on the reporter's cap she was in full-tilt vacation mode. No late night emails to the office, no "just checking in" phone calls. Apparently that's a rarity in cubicle-land. There's this story in the Wall Street Journal today about a boss who pre-recorded a "just checking in" voicemail message to an employee, and set it to deliver while he was on an African safari. (Shortly after, that boss was looking for a new marketing manager.) From the article:

...many executives not only limit themselves to breaks of just a few days, they also continue to check in with employees and issue directives from yachts, beaches and mountain resorts.... Those executives who can't disengage from the office and delegate authority undermine employees' confidence to make decisions and be creative.

I think all of us in this office are pretty good about vacationing (barring natural disasters). But who hasn't dealt with a boss who can't let go while they're on holiday. Any bad boss on vacation horror stories out there?

Nobody does films like David Lynch. Or TV for that matter. Dennis Hopper may have been creepy in Blue Velvet, but it was Lynch pulling all the strings. Who killed Laura Palmer? And Lost Highway? Better watch it twice. Still, there's something irresistible about his work. No matter how dark or how strange it gets, you know there's a reason for everything you see and hear, or don't. David Lynch's new film, Inland Empire, is out this week on DVD. And he joins us today to fill in some of the gaps, and take your questions.

What makes a high school movie different from a teen movie? We talked about teen movies in our first year of the Summer Movie Series with Murray Horwitz, and now we're pushing y'all a little bit by asking, specifically, for high school movies. The Breakfast Club seems to be a cross-generational favorite, and though I absolutely agree it's a classic, I'd like to hear some recommendations that don't involve either of the Johns: Hughes or Cusack. My personal favorite that might not make everyone's list is Varsity Blues... the story of Dawson (playing another Jonathan, Jonathan Moxon, known as "Mox" [nicknames are such a part of high school!]), a lowly back-up quarterback at West Canaan High in Texas, who steps up to the starting position after the starter gets injured. The cast's hilarious southern accents, awesome movie football, and Mox's little brother's religious experimentation make for two hours well spent, and Scott Caan as the exuberant Tweeder is icing (whipped cream?) on the cake. What's your vote?

Terence Blanchard has been writing music for a wounded New Orleans since that city was almost subsumed by Hurricane Katrina - he's a native, and you can hear his personal wounds in every note that oozes out of his trumpet. One of the most wrenching moments in Spike Lee's epic When The Levees Broke (which Blanchard wrote the score for -- along with all of Lee's movies), is of Blanchard leading his mother through their drowned house. The Grammy award winning musician has written his own requiem for that city, and he's got a new projects coming up that's more like a fanfare: he's moving the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz Performance, one of the premiere jazz institutions in the country, to the place where jazz was born, New Orleans. Terence Blanchard is here today to take your questions, and perform in studio 4A. If you're a fan, or want to know how he metabolized the destruction of Katrina through his music, you know what to do.

Admiration of artists is a tricky thing. It's hard to separate the artist from his (or her) work -- if you've finished reading something that moves you, it's natural to wonder if you and the author might be simpatico. (I for one, have always hoped and been grateful that J.K. Rowling seems like a peach.) But, of course how much it matters is personal; there are those who I admire purely because of their ability, and my appreciation of their work is unrelated -- perhaps even in spite of -- their personalities and personal lives. The slight (though disputed) stain of antisemitism on H.L. Mencken or Wagner doesn't actually detract from how much I enjoy their work, but it's part and parcel of my experience with it (and lord knows, I love a curmudgeon). When I saw an article in Vanity Fair detailing the late Arthur Miller's denial of his Down syndrome son, I was initially disappointed. Miller, after all, is known as the "moral voice of the American stage," and his deeply held convictions seemed to be dyed into the fabric of his life. How could the man who demanded that "attention be paid," turn his back so completely on his son? However, on second thought, and a second reading of the article, I'm beginning to see what looks like a great failing, as an ultimately human tragedy that extends and intensifies his work. After all, he wrote so beautifully about characters who never saw a pedestal; that moral high mindedness emerged from a deeply grounded and human landscape. That he was part of that humanity is tragic, but not for me. After all, his convictions were strong, but he was a realist -- writing in one of his later plays, "Maybe all one can do is hope to end up with the right regrets." Miller's lack of relationship with his son is merely one of those regrets, revealed.

Karl Rove surprised a lot of people on Monday morning with the announcement that he'll leave the White House at the end of the month. It leaves the president without his main political architect as he heads into the final months of his term. The impact of that is still up for debate. But, even many of Rove's critics have to admit that he has an impressive track record. They say he's earned the nickname "Evil Genius." Of course, he's not likely to just disappear. Since his announcement, Rove has taken shots at Democrats in congress, predicted Hillary Clinton would be the Democratic nominee for president, and promised that he'd stay involved in politics. Don't be surprised if a book or two is in the works. How important was Rove to President Bush? Can he really be replaced? And what will Rove do next? We'll talk about it with Wayne Slater and Ken Rudin. And get into the Iowa straw poll, the new ad from Hillary Clinton, and the rest of the week's political news. There's so much going on, we'll super-size the political junkie today (the segment, not the Ken).

Former NBA referee Tim Donaghy pleaded guilty to two felonies in Federal Court in Brooklyn this morning, admitting to charges of conspiracy to defraud the National Basketball Association and conspiracy to transmit bets and wages. He faces up to 20 years in prison on the first count, five on the second.
At this writing, we don't know how many others were involved in the conspiracy - NBA Commissioner David Stern characterized Donaghy as a rogue and asserted that no other officials are involved, but also concedes that this is an extremely serious threat to the integrity of the game. Interestingly, Stern also said that reviews of the games that Donaghy called showed nothing suspicious - which suggests just how easy it is to get away with it.
Gambling scandals in sports date back at least as far as the Black Sox of 1919 and there have been repeated instances of point shaving in college basketball, going back to the CCNY team that won both the NCAA and NIT championships in 1950.
And the fact is, that gambling and sports are joined at the hip, and when so much money is involved, there will always be questions. Bookies, both legal and illegal, have as much interest in an honest game as the various leagues and conferences, but the temptations are enormous... just a few weeks ago, a sudden surge of bets on a professional men's tennis player - the underdog - prompted an investigation after the favored player withdrew due to injury in the middle of the match.
The high - many might say ridiculously high - salaries paid to pro athletes are thought to have insulated the players - why take the risk when you're already earning millions? But mid-ranked tennis players and officials don't earn anywhere close to that kind of money.
Today we'll Talk with Alan Schwarz of the New York Times about the culture of gambling in sports, and the fall out from the Donaghy case - might this, for example, lead to more use of technology - instant replay - to reduce the influence of referees and umpires on the outcome?

Man, do I love Fridays. I really, really love them. It's not just because there's no show, giving us a much-needed opportunity to catch up on news, sleep, dirty dishes. It's because I know at the end of the day, I'll trudge up my steps and a gleaming (they don't call 'em glossies for nothin') Us Weekly will be tucked in my mail slot (not a euphemism). And honestly, I'm not just looking at the pictures... I'm reading the articles. I swear. I'm also a fan of Dirt*, the television program based on a fictional tabloid glossy, with Courtney Cox as the tough-as-nails editrix-in-chief (much of her hairstyle and toughness seems to owe an awful lot to every story I've ever read about Judith Regan). Now, despite my deep and abiding affection for Us (not the royal Us, but the magazine), I've no idea what an editorial meeting is like; but, if it's anything like the one in Dirt, it's strikingly similar to ours (sans, of course, terror-wielding boss). We thrive on ideas... tabloids are just limited in scope. We're limited by... er... taste. (Though you'd be surprised how much we talk about LLo's misadventures, Paris (the royal Paris, not the city), and of course hope and pray for the well being of Britney's family).

Anyway, today we're talking tabloids: writing the obit to the Weekly World News, with the help of singer songwriter Bob Lind (the Elusive Butterfly (audio) himself! Click here (audio) and here (audio) to hear some more music.) We'll also be talking about the new generation of celebremags, with a former Globe reporter, and the charming (and articulate) Ken Baker, the West Coast editor of Us. (Anyone who says this is faux biz -- the man has a masters in journalism from Columbia.) If I know our listeners, I'm sure we'll get some laughter, some jeers, and some chagrin. But I think there's some real reporting to be done here, plus, who wouldn't like a look inside the cut-throat world of celebrijournalism? (What other words can I attach celebri- to? Anyone?)

*FYI, Dirt is a terribly guilty pleasure, in my opinion. First of all, Kinerase is amazing ... and second of all, it's got more porn then German opera. I blush all the way through.

It seems like everyone I know is pregnant or has just had a baby, and the new moms and dads want to do everything right for their little bundles of joy (or spit-up and poop), from getting lead-free toys and high chairs that won't tip, to finding a good daycare and playground. It all adds up to big bucks, but there's one thing they might want to save their money on: Baby Einstein and Brainy Baby DVDs. University of Washington researchers found that the DVDs aren't helping, and in fact, may be hurting infants. Sorry parents... looks like sticking your kids in front of the TV isn't going to make them smarter. Maybe file this one under "too good to be true."

So ready for the season to start!

Source: highboom

It's right around the corner, my most favorite time of the year. With all the rotten stories circulating about concussions, shady practices, and NFL players gone wrong, for a non-fan it may feel like football is always in the news. Not so, says I. I was raised a fervent Washington Redskins fan, and for me, glimpses of training camp are nice, but I really start to get excited when I see suited-up players take the home field in the preseason. Catching a moment of the Chargers' game vs. the Seahawks last week set the table, and this weekend, I'll feast on the Steelers' visit to Washington. And though it may be over 90 degrees when the coin is flipped, it means that crisp fall air must be right around the corner... which explains why I'm sitting at my desk, staring out at the haze of another insanely hot day, thinking about the leaves changing colors and autumn mornings so perfect my breath catches. What about you? What makes your thoughts turn to fall, and am I just tormenting myself when the reality is that weather like that is at least six weeks away?

You don't have to agree with everything he writes to appreciate the work of Thomas L. Friedman. He just makes sense. When he lashes out at the U.S. addiction to oil, or calls out politicians on energy or Iraq, or flattens out the world as we know it, he's generally got the insights and experiences to back it up. Over the years, he's won Pulitzers and a gaggle of loyal readers. And the new edition of his book, The World is Flat, is out in paperback. We'll talk to him about the current state of flatness, about Iraq, China, and oil. If you have questions for Friedman, post 'em here.

I love cooking reality shows. My favorite by far was the original Iron Chef -- complete with semi-unrecognizable dishes, bad dubbing, and that inimitable shot of Chef Kaga tearing into a bell pepper (you must watch this clip). But I recognize the glory of the American Iron Chef (anything featuring Alton Brown is okay by me), and I never miss a Top Chef (truthfully, it's because I think that Tom Colicchio is dreamy. Just my type). Hell's Kitchen, has all the hallmarks of a guilty pleasure (the network it's on, for one), but I've found that there's almost nobody I know who hasn't delighted in the nasty rants of Chef Gordon Ramsay (also dreamy, but with hair). I wish there was a tape recorder of my prediction that hometown fave Rock Harper was going to kick butt; it was obvious from the beginning that he had the goods (lobster bisque moment notwithstanding). Rock will be here today to take your questions about the moment he turned that door handle -- and about Chef Ramsay. Bon Appetit! (That was lame, I know, but I really couldn't help it.)

Most of us think of economics as the "dismal science." Full of abstruse theories, graphs, regressions, let's face it: There's nothing sexy about a graph, or a liquidity trap (unless the liquid is gin). But here's what you may not know about economics: it can answer questions like, "why do female fashion models earn so much more than male models?" and "why do women's clothes button differently then men's clothes?" And it can answer the age-old question, "why is playing hard to get so darn sexy?" Well, today, we've got the Economic Naturalist on to explain how economic principles can answer these questions... and more. (Can you guess why brown eggs are more expensive than white eggs? Why drive-up ATMs have Braille keypads?) Take the challenge... Have you wondered why we do something one way? And can you guess why we do it that way? We want your observations... a question and answer based on the newly "sexy" science.

The interns that come to work for Talk of the Nation each summer never fail to impress me. They're bright, they're capable, and they have already have longer resumes than I do, stacked with internships they've earned since high school. They generally enjoy their tenures here, learn a lot about journalism and radio, and depart a bit ruefully. I can't help but wonder, though, if they're missing out on the prototypical summer job, and I'm not alone. I spent my summers scooping ice cream, and I still remember every detail, from the weird muscles you build digging into frozen tubs of peanut butter & chocolate to the sweet, warm aura that coated my clothes, hair, arms, and car for months. Are those memories more dear than those gained from an unpaid internship? I wouldn't know, I didn't have any... am I just excessively nostalgic, or is there something lost when resume building trumps summertime fun?

And now a special message from those who bring you the Summer Movie Series:

This week we are wrapping up the summer movie festival with your favorite high school movies, and for those of you out there who are true TOTN-addicts this may sound familiar... Back in the summer of '05 we asked you for your favorite teen flicks and yes, there is a lot of overlap. But that's no reason for us to play the same old movie clips we did last time! We're asking you guys to think a little harder this time around... what's the difference between a teen movie and a high school movie? Plus, bonus points for anyone who can come up with a high school movie that we didn't mention on the teen movies show!

Ok BOTN-ers, leave your favorites here!

It all started with a simple, but striking quote in the Washington Post, from Newark resident Don Franklin: "Murder is the norm." The fact is, this is true in many communities, and it's kind of a tricky subject... As a colleague of mine once pointed out, tragedies like bridge collapses and mine disasters are just that -- tragic -- but the fact is, in some places multiple deaths are a daily or weekly reality. Of course this doesn't make one or the other more or less important, it's just a matter of context. If you live in a community where homicide is just another facet of life on the streets, how does it affect your day-to-day? And if you don't, maybe you can help us answer this: Why does it seem that it's always the folks across town who are most (vocally) worried about violence?

I remember "I am Joe's Heart," and several sex-ed films in school. And there was the footage of a live birth we were all forced to watch in health class. Every educational film I can remember watching had three things in common: a deep-voiced narrator, sleep-inducing pacing, and lousy plot development/acting/directing. Somehow, though, it never occurred to me to write a review. Patt Morrison did. She was sentenced to nearly six hours of DMV instructional movies after getting a speeding ticket. Here's just a taste of the review...

The film, "TakeHome Traffic School," is an oldie. Not a classic oldie like "Gone With the Wind" or "The Godfather." Just an oldie, which is all too obvious from the 1990s pleated pants worn by Paula Zahn in a cameo appearance and the dated information about how a blood alcohol level of .1% makes you legally drunk -- in California, it's .08%, which got dropped into "THTS" in a short, corrective clip. (Lindsay Lohan should do a cameo to make the point; more people would see that performance than her latest movie.)

You can read the whole thing here.
I realize "lousy" is a pretty lousy review, and I bet you can do better. You must have seen one of these educational films at some point... Send us your review.

Mining is an inconceivable profession and lifestyle to many -- men and women travel miles down into the ground to extract valuable ores, working incredibly long days in near-total darkness, crouching through tunnels, and never truly knowing if they'll make it out. When Barrie called our attention to the miners' profile in GQ, she told us about the tags miners wear around their necks that they hang by the mine entrance before they go in, so those on the outside will know who's down there. This seemingly trivial detail drove the point home for many of us: Can you imagine hanging an identifying tag at the front entrance of your workplace, just in case you don't make it out alive?

We've had Presidents George, and Bill, and Richard, and Ronald... but never Fred. And if Fred Thompson ever decides to jump into the race for the Republican nomination, that could be a problem. Turns out, the name "Fred" has an image problem. Thanks, in part, to Fred Flintstone, Fred Mertz, and Fred Rogers, the name is seen as either a person who does dumb things, or someone very, very predictable. The Washington Post's Monica Hesse dug up a Fred Society (at their Fredquarters, of course), and even an onomastician (who knew!) to talk a little Fred. Do you care what your candidate's name is? And all you Fred's, do find any of this is true?

Success in one area doesn't, as many of us know*, guarantee you success in another. Michael Jordan, a basketball legend, found that his baseball career created an entirely different legend. Mariah Carey, a glittering pop success, well -- just go ahead and insert your own Glitter pun here. And for goodness' sake, Jewel's poetry. Need I say more? (In case you wish to see some of Jewel's verses, check 'em out here, but be warned she talks a good deal about her... er... bosom.) The latest in this string of possible folly is the esteemed Thomas Edison, whose "prose poetry" has recently been discovered. Read it here. And then let us know what you think: is Edison a Mariah Carey, or a Jennifer Lopez?**

*Success at duckpin... does not translate into success at regular bowling.
**In this reference, I'm considering J-Lo a success. I mean, her movies are watchable, and her albums should be required for aerobic activity.

I always suspected our listeners were way ahead of the curve. Back in February, a listener named Jeff Davidson sent us (and sang (audio link) for us) his suggested lyrics for our theme song... You know, (sing along) buh, buh, buh, buuuuuuuuuuuuh. Remember this email:

Dear Talk of the Nation. Do your listeners ever put lyrics to your theme music, or am I the only one? Here's my version.

Banana split, banana split. Why do you call to me? Banana split, banana split. Banana spliiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiit.

Yours in weirdness, Jeff Davidson.

Well, now everybody wants lyrics to their songs. Spain is looking to put words to their (currently wordless) national anthem, and is holding a contest to come up with the best lyrics. Sticking with our food theme, maybe something tapas-related, or sangria-filled would be popular. And now, our own All Things Considered wants a few syllables for their tune, too. So come on, give 'em a hand. But we already lay claim to the rights to banana splits, so you'll have to come up with a different dessert.

Women talk wayyy more than men in our office... Of course, women outnumber the men here by more than 5-to-1 (and I'm a relatively quiet guy, so it's up to Neal to pull the verbal weight around here), but who wants to let facts get in the way of an age-old stereotype? A group of scientists apparently did. They came out with the study showing that men talk just as much as women. But, does counting average number of words spoken really tell the whole story? Deborah Tannen isn't so sure. It's all in the way we use words, and the situations that we use words, she says. Research shows that men tend to talk more in public settings, and meetings, but less in more personal conversations. On the flip side, women tend to talk more with other women, and will connect more personally through words. "Talk is the glue that holds a relationship together," as Tannen says. That's why men might share hilarious stories with the guys in the office, but when your wife asks how your day was you'll just say, "fine." (A hint for guys from Tannen: that one-word answer is seen as a snub, not a suitable response.) Here's the bottom line: we want to know who talks more in your experience... men or women? And to make sure Neal doesn't run out of things to say, we'll have Deborah Tannen and Ask Amy's Amy Dickinson on to talk about it.

Popstar biopics can be inspirational and informative... but sometimes, they're just downright corny. Or, at least, that's what I always fear going into the theater. Time and time again, though, I walk out with tears still drying on my cheeks, feeling like I need to own everything the star has ever recorded. Ray and Walk the Line both got me good, and after pulling the tape for this segment, I feel a renewed desire to cuddle up with a bottle of Jim Beam and watch Coal Miner's Daughter. What about you? Love 'em or leave 'em? Ever hunted down the music after seeing one? And have you ever watched one that made you love the artist-in-question less?

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*Need I say more?

Here in Washington, we may think we have it bad... Yesterday saw record temperatures all over the East Coast, and all anyone can do (as always when temps hit extremes) is talk about it. We're not above it, but we also quickly realized that the day's heat disappears for us once we cross through the front doors of HQ where we are quickly -- and sometimes excessively -- cooled all day long by NPR's hard-workin' A/C. But what about people who work outside? There's no escape for them... and what about people who work outside IN COSTUME? I can hardly think of anything worse. Have you ever donned a mascot's head and worked at a theme park or ball game? Dressed in layers and layers of wool and cotton and given tours of historic homes and towns?

Imagine the looks on my colleague's faces when I pitched an idea about opera. Now imagine the looks on their faces when I pitched a show about filthy opera. (Basically, if you add porn to opera, even a non-opera lover perks up a bit.) I was shouted down, of course -- but not until after I had shouted a few totally non opera/NPR terms. (I win!) So to call this a "cutting room floor" post isn't totally accurate. It's more like the foyer to the cutting room. Here's the story: a style of of opera direction is starting to flourish in Europe (mostly Germany) -- it's called Regietheatre, or "director's theater." It's been around for a while, really, but the gist of it is rather extreme interpretations of operas that not only completely disregard the composer's specific directions, but will also veer stunningly -- and occasionally disgustingly -- away from major elements of location, chronology, and plot. And this, my friends, is not like watching Carmen set in Fascist Italy. It's more like watching Carmen set in the middle of a particularly nasty Quentin Tarantino film. I feel like I can't really put digital pen to paper to describe what actually goes on in some of these productions -- not because I'm a prude, but because I'm not totally sure NPR wants a detailed description of the kinds of things that go on in many of these productions. (If you do, read this. And this.) Suffice it to say, intravenous drug use and gang rape are de rigueur. Now, I love theatre. I love opera. I love modern interpretations of both. But particularly in the case of opera, I find myself sort of old-fashioned on this front. At Juilliard, we were lucky to get free tickets to the Metropolitan Opera on occasion, and one of the things that made standing room (in heels!) bearable was the beauty of not just the music, but the productions themselves. Opera is a glittering world of detailed loveliness; even though they feature suicides, war, murder, and all kinds of brutality. For me, it's sort of the point; it's imperative that Madame Butterfly's suicide be as beautiful as her arias. And that's not to say that I don't love grittiness. I just don't love it in my opera. I can't tell if this makes me shallow or not... or anti-intellectual. (It might make me anti-Marxist?) It does, however, make me anti-regietheatre. And, I'm hoping to never see Carmen shoot up at the Met. That, I would not stand for.

We've been up to our necks in bio-pic movies this week, and need some help from anyone within earshot (eyeshot?). I'll let TOTN producer Ashley Grashaw fill in the details...

Hey bloggers! It's that time again. Murray Horwitz is back on Thursday for our summer movie festival. This time... pop star bio pictures. We'll go through the highlights and lowlights of the genre, we'll take your favorites, and one lucky movie will be christened the Murray favorite. So tell us, what's your favorite pop star bio pic? The smooth stylings of Ray Charles in Ray? Johnny Cash's search for redemption in Walk the Line? The rockin' grooves of Ritchie Valens in La Bamba? ??? Or something else perhaps? Post it here, and we'll reveal the most popular ones tomorrow on our show!

Biometric technologies are ineffably cool. For those not geeky enough to know, biometrics are measurements that allow you to recognize a person using distinguishing traits. For instance, if you were to wake up one morning with your eye (or eyes) so horribly swollen and crazy-looking* that you were unrecognizable, your fingerprint (a common biometric) would enable you to be recognized, despite the bad case of monster-eye. Using biometrics as identifiers is getting more and more common; students are paying for their meals with their thumbs, airports are looking into iris scanning -- soon, you won't need a password for anything. Today, we're going to update you on the latest in biometric technologies... how do you feel about the new identifiers? Too Minority Report?

*I woke up this morning with a wild allergic reaction in my eye, and many of my co-workers probably thought I was Robert DeNiro with long hair when I came in this afternoon.

Did you see that Democratic debate last night? It may have been hot in Chicago, but it was awfully chilly on that stage. Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton are still number one in the polls, but Clinton is starting to pull away. And, the two of them took some shots at each other. It made for some interesting moments in an otherwise quiet debate. Same goes for the Republican forum over the weekend. Mitt Romney and Sam Brownback fought over Romney's credentials as a pro-life Republican, but for the most part it was pretty quiet. There's more to come this weekend, though three of the top contenders are likely no-shows at the Republican Iowa straw poll. Have you been following the debates... or not? Anyone standing out to you on either side?

Like anyone who took Philosophy 101, I remember Plato, Socrates, the chained man in the cave, and the shadows passing before his eyes. It's the most famous bit of The Republic, and we read it along with a couple passages from The Death of Socrates. So in my search of our archives for billboard tape this morning (billboards are the bit at the top of the show, set to theme music, when Neal lays out the hour with the help of some pertinent tape), I found some from today's guest, Simon Blackburn, where he spoke about Plato, Socrates, and absolute truth... but nowhere did he say if he was referring specifically to The Republic. Lucky me, I have an ace up my sleeve... a super-smart sister who was a philosophy major, to boot! She solved my philosophy emergency, and I got my tape. So that's how The Republic affected my day, and in his biography of the book, Professor Blackburn goes way beyond that and gets into how it affects many of the moral and political decisions made in the world today. So, how has The Republic affected you?

I realize this is a boring title for a blog post, but it is entirely factual. Neil Gaiman is awesome. His book, Stardust, is now a movie of the same title, which I saw last night and is just darling. ("Just darling," is a valid critique if your movie contains witches and ghosts.) Anyway, Gaiman was both a co-writer and a producer on this project, which is somewhat different then the book, but an entirely worthy effort. If you've read Stardust in comic form... I'm wondering, what do you expect from the movie?

The acronym stands for the "Greatest of All Time." I was struggling to stay awake when Barry Bonds blasted that 3-2 pitch over the wall at the deepest part of the ballpark last night... just about midnight, Eastern time. And, as he surpassed what many regard as the most treasured record in sports, GOAT seemed about as apt a description as possible, in both senses of the term.

There's another word you can take both ways with Mr. Bonds. Incredible. The moment that ball landed in the seats for home run 756, there could be no dispute that baseball had a new home run king. By any measure, this represents a phenomenal accomplishment. But the fact remains that a lot of people simply don't believe it. Or, not to put too fine a point on it, him.
I'm glad we were able to talk yesterday with Al Downing, the pitcher who surrendered #715 to Henry Aaron, when he surpassed the record of the great Babe Ruth and overcame taunts and death threats to do it. The pitcher who throws the pitch is forever a footnote, but, as Mr., Downing said, most major league baseball players aren't remembered, even very accomplished players (he was a very good pitcher for most of his 17 seasons in the majors), so even if you're remembered as a footnote to history, at least people know your name.

By the by, USA Today ran a nice short piece this morning, which notes the home run champions in other leagues...Sadaharu Oh in Japan, for example.

Funny, I thought I'd see Crash Davis's name there somewhere.

Iraq has been one of the top news stories for more than four years now. Some days, that's a major political development or massive suicide bombing... others, it's a smaller, more incremental development. But either way, it's an important story, that every media outlet struggles to cover, and keep their audience interested. Which isn't always so easy. Some people complain that coverage is biased, or focuses too much on the negative. Or, that there is too much coverage of the war. There are also those who argue the media reports on too much fluff, and not enough on the fighting and Iraq policy. The Project for Excellence in Journalism tracks all the numbers on how much the media covers Iraq, and what kind of stories they report.

The war in Iraq has dwarfed all other topics in the American news media in the early months of 2007, taking up more than three times the space devoted to the next most popular subject. But only a portion of this has focused on the state of things in Iraq itself, and even less about the plight of Iraqis and the internal affairs of their country, according to a new study of the American news media.

The majority of the war coverage, 55%, has been about the political debate back in Washington. Less than a third, 31%, has been focused on events in Iraq itself. And about half that coverage has been about American soldiers there. In all, just one in six stories about the war has been focused on Iraqis, Iraqi casualties or the internal political affairs of their country, the report finds, while more than eight in ten have focused primarily on Americans or American policy.

The details are all here. And we wanted to find out how major news organizations make their decisions about Iraq coverage, so we called on two decision makers... Rick Kaplan, the Executive Producer of the CBS Evening News, and Marjorie Miller, the Foreign Desk Editor at the Los Angeles Times will be here. What do you think the media gets right in their Iraq coverage? What could they do better? And, if you have questions for any of the guests, post them here, too...

It's the flipside of the home run record chase... who will be the unlucky pitcher to lob a fat fastball right into Barry Bonds' mighty swing? Whoever he is, Al Downing has a pretty good idea of how he'll feel... he's the southpaw who hurled a sweet pitch to Hank Aaron, who smacked it into the Braves' bullpen for to break Babe Ruth's home run record. Will you be watching Bonds and the Giants take on the Nationals tonight? And, perhaps more improbably, have you ever been on the wrong side of a record or milestone?

Our discussions of race in the office are really fascinating, particularly since descriptions of race seem somewhat arbitrary, anyway. (Another plug for my new favorite museum -- check out the Wright Musuem's exhibit on race.) Today we're going to talk about skin color among Latinos -- a recent study found that light-skinned immigrants to the United States earn more than their darker-skinned counterparts -- and divisions among Latinos themselves run deep. If you're Latino... how do you understand race in your community?

So... it's pretty much a story that shouldn't be laughed at, but I defy anyone not to crack a smile at this one. At a tag sale in New York state, a woman sold a ceramic turtle at the bargain price of 50 cents -- problem is, it contained the ashes of her husband's previous wife inside. Imagine the conversation about that one. ("It was your fault for putting her in that hideous turtle in the first place!") It got us thinking as we're in throes of the tag sale season -- no matter how much you want to clean house, everyone must have inadvertently sold something they didn't quite mean to. If not a loved one's er...ashes, then perhaps a teddy bear, a blanket, a box of papers with the deed to your house. When does cleaning house become overkill? (Heh heh. Overkill.) And, for a fun celebrity booking, we've got Niecy Nash from Clean House on to talk to you. I watch that show religiously (instead of actually cleaning house), and I'll tell you, Niecy could definitely make me sell anything. Just the sight of that flower would make me want to start throwing stuff out.

Ok, by now it's no secret... on this here blog, Scott's the tech/policy guy, Barrie's the hyper-intellectual, and I'm, well... shallow. I mean, yes: I'm well-versed on the news and I did well in school and all of that (wouldn't want you to think NPR would hire a dummy... but still, I'm amazed they even let me in the door), but when it comes time for extra-curriculars, or even these "thoughtful" posts on the blog, I'm more apt to choose Perrotta or Pink than Proust, and pop over opera. And while I'll defend the varied merits of my preferences to the death, they're not the sort of choices that make people think, "Hmmm... this girl should be in Mensa!" So when I came across Valerie Frankel's column, "The Shallow Life," in the new issue of Self magazine (wait! I mean the Economist! Shoot, I'm so busted... again), I was more than a little interested in her defense of choices like mine. She, too, isn't known for depth or intellectualism, but it turns out she's been sorely tested (she lost her first husband to cancer), and believes shallow has its strengths. I can't find a link to the column*, but she explains her preference to keep things light, which leads to people not taking her seriously no matter what the topic -- her sister Alison is "deep," and as such, even her opinions on topics like haircuts are more weighty. She talks to a philosophy professor at Harvard and a psychotherapist in New Jersey to try to ease her feelings that she may be superficial, and the therapist, Lynn Schlesinger, offers this advice:

Depth is often about spending days delving into nuance... Instead of measuring your depth, measure your breadth. Does your life stretch far and wide in terms of interests, people, and ideas? Depth is also being open to new concepts and experiences and possessing the intellectual curiosity and emotional fortitude to explore them.

Interesting. Valerie eventually concludes that following "our natural inclinations" is the purest thing, that to do otherwise "would be phony, the hallmark of shallowness." I know quite a few of you are displeased when we take a trip toward the shallows on our air, when pressing issues like Iraq weigh heavily... I ask you: isn't there some merit to the breadth?

*This just in... here's a link to the column!

If you've been listening to this show -- or, er... any show for that matter -- you'll know a little something about the NSA's wiretapping program. Basically, the program circumvented the FISA courts, enabling the agency to listen in on phone calls between folks inside the United States and people overseas -- all without benefit of a warrant (faster and easier, they say). Well, the previously unauthorized program is now authorized, after it passed both in the House and the Senate, with the President signing it into law yesterday. We'll talk to a reporter to explain it all, as well as folks from Congress, both yeas and nays.

Rupert Murdoch's bid for the Wall Street Journal has elicited all kinds of fear from journos, politicians, and readers alike. But Alastair Campbell, former spin doctor for British Prime Minister Tony Blair, claims that Murdoch doesn't want to use the WSJ for his own political agenda, since he only really cares about how things will affect his business interests. After all the brouhaha surrounding the marriage of Murdoch and the WSJ, it's interesting to hear another take on the "Dirty Digger."

Now that August is upon us, fall sports practices have begun around the country... but football and soccer players aren't the only students sweating on the field. It's also the time of year when high school marching bands head to camp to get the bulk of the year's hard work under their belts. I was in the marching band in high school (some might call this an embarrassing revelation on par with last week's -- I'm on a roll! -- but I disagree -- and if you don't believe me, ask any of these trendsetters and rockstars), and August meant working mornings decorating cakes and serving up banana splits at Baskin-Robbins, and scorching afternoons on the practice field learning, and then teaching others, how to march and execute turns and obliques. It's a unique experience... not a sport, though it's sweaty and competitive*, and not a class, though you learn and have tons of homework... and one I reflect on with absolute fondness. The most memorable halftime show we put on while I was there was a tribute to Motown that brought down the house every week with Thriller. What's your best marching band memory? Are you a band mom or dad now?

*You can read an excerpt of Kristen Laine's American Band: Music, Dreams, and Coming of Age in the Heartland here.

It's almost a trope -- if you complain about your fear of flying (no, not that kind), or terrorism, the response is "but so many more people die in traffic accidents." Well, duh. They do. But why are we in such intense denial about it? Gregg Easterbrook thinks he knows why -- we're terrified. It is scary to think about when you look at the numbers... how do you manage to continue to turn the key in the ignition every morning?

I took last week off for a bit of a summer mini-vacation... nothing fancy, but I did my best to avoid a computer or cell phone. Still, every August seems to bring another round of obits for the great American vacation... or any American vacation, really. The numbers are open to interpretation and go something like this: we don't get as much vacation time as Europeans, and we don't take as much of the vacation time that we do get. Why? Walter Kirn took a crack at it in yesterday's NY Times Magazine:

That fewer of us are doing so, it's said, is a symptom of either anxious overcompetiveness (while I'm learning to fly-fish, that new guy down the hall is learning how to do my job); upward-mobility addiction (the cost of a 10-day Alaskan eco-trek is a down payment on a Lexus coupe!); the breakdown of the family (toasting s'mores for bored brats around a campfire is not a father's duty anymore); or, perhaps, a complicated bitterness over the fact that surpassing France's economy will never help us surpass its egotisms, so why bother aping the gourmet loafing that even most Frenchmen must sense has made them poorer? Why else would such slackers elect a hard-boiled president who ran as the champion of "the France that wakes up early"? For me, the strongest of these notions is that it's hard to take time off if it means lying sleepless in your hammock, picturing some whiz-kid "Art of War" type assuming your duties back at headquarters.

I can relate to that last one... this blog never looked better than it did while I was away last week. Not that that will stop me from using up the rest of my time off this year (or from secretly logging in while I'm away, just to see how things are going). There will always be a reason NOT to take time off from work... do you take the time anyway? Is it worth it? And what do you think about cutting the cord with office completely (aka: remote logins, Blackberries, cell phones)?

What is it about hypocrisy that so fascinates us? The brilliant Ambrose Bierce called it "Prejudice with a halo," but it seems to me it's a deeply human instinct, a close cousin to schadenfreude. The lure is obvious, and multi-layered: a soft center of relief that we are not alone in our shameful urges, with a coating of outrage that someone (not us!) would give in to them. This is particularly true when it comes to people in the public eye, and most especially those in public service. We shook our heads when the the DC madam threatened to out the names in her little black book, but perhaps we secretly hoped that a family values politician would show up in those lascivious pages. These days investigative reporters at Hustler are breaking stories of the private fetishes of public servants just as often as newspaper reporters, all because we are so very fascinated by a hint of hypocrisy. One of those reporters, Dan Moldea, will be here to talk about his work (he is employed by the infamous Larry Flynt investigating the private lives of politicians), and we'll have a consultant who does damage control for these politicians one they've been outed in one way or another. But should we care as much as we do? What do you think about these politicians' indiscretions, be they Republican or Dem?

Being one of the only permeable membranes at NPR affords us a little bit of freedom, and today, given the events in Minnesota, we thought we'd take advantage of it. As I said earlier, having the height of normality turn into a nightmare is something that doesn't happen very often, but when it does it's terrifying. We'd really like to hear from our listeners/readers in Minnesota this hour; or anywhere else that's gone through this kind of event. Let us know what you saw, how you got through it, and how you're feeling now.

It's a rite of passage for many -- turn 18, get a tattoo. If you're lucky, or maybe just smart, you don't end up with something regrettable... your high school sweetheart's name, the icon for the band you're just SURE you're going to love forever (yeah, THAT didn't last)... I remember vividly sitting down to dinner with my dad en route to my freshman year move-in and announcing that as soon as my best friend turned 18, we were getting tattoos. He took it well, then got a thoughtful look on his face, and said, "Well, it's your body, and you can do whatever you want to it. But a tattoo is permanent, and I'd like to encourage you to think about it." So he offered me an obscene amount of money to wait till I graduated to get it. I'm no dummy, so I did, and turned my reward into a sweet laptop for grad school. But you know what I love even more than that laptop? The tattoo I waited until I was 28 to get. Granted, I don't know how I'll feel about it in 20 or 30 years, but I thought about it a ton, talked to lots of friends about it, and came up with something that's original and should wear well (it's on my wrist -- no stretching -- and pretty much renders it impossible for me to ever have a super fancy, formal-business-attire job... which is just to my liking). Do you have tattoos? Do you have any that you regret? Have you ever had one removed... and why?

The Minneapolis bridge collapse is both terrifying and heart-wrenching, and one can't help but wonder: could this happen to me? It turns out, bridges don't collapse all that often, but when they do, it can be tragic. How strong are our bridges? If you have questions about how bridges are built, monitored, and regulated, leave them here, or send us an email.

It's a cliche to call structural failures like the bridge collapse in Minnesota a "nightmare," but the truth is, there's almost no other way to describe it. There are certain things we take for granted about our structural world -- skyscrapers, bridges, tunnels -- and when these things fail, it makes everything concrete seem made of straw. It's particularly true when there's no extra risk assumed when you set out -- no hurricane, earthquake, or other apparent catalyst -- but simply the most normal of commutes suddenly turned upside down. It happens rarely; but when it does, it can't help but bring back other days, other commutes, other nightmares. There are parts of a landscape that are so essential they disappear on most days -- it's only human to notice the view from a bridge, not the bridge itself. Boston, Philadelphia, New York are just a few of the places that have seen this infrastructure fail spectacularly, and tragically. I'm sure they're thinking about Minnesotans today, and we wondered, how do you recover psychologically from such a deep fissure in your daily world? If you're from one of these places, what is your advice to Minnesotans today? And of course, if you're from Minnesota, and the Interstate 35W bridge is part of your life, let us know how you're feeling today.

Tom Ricks is the trifecta. The Tricksecta. He's unbelievably good at his day job, he's one of the best interviews on any subject, and he's a stand-up guy. His book, Fiasco, is out in paperbook with a new postscript (which prolly won't be the last), so we're talking to him today. In honor of our hour with Ricks, I thought I would post my three favorite moments from our last interview with him (which is worth another listen for all you Ricks fans out there). I swear, I would listen to this guy talk about auto repair.

File Under: Progress, Hellish
"I mean, you know, but we're talking about degrees of hell, basically. You know? It hadn't descended from the ninth to the 10th circle. It is still on the ninth circle of hell. It's not a great improvement to us to be holding steady in hell."

File Under: Troops, Availability Of
"It's simply that there -- as my favorite strategist over the Pentagon says, we're out of Schlitz."

File Under: Shakespeare, Perspicacity Of
"We're a long way from the end in Iraq. I'm a fan of Shakespeare's tragedies. His tragedies have five acts. And I'm pretty persuaded we're only in act three. Fortinbras is - not Fortinbras, but Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are still alive and operating on the stage."

This week with our Political Junkie, Ken Rudin, we're talking about the investigation of Sen. Ted Stevens (R-AK) (as was astutely pointed out at our editorial meeting yesterday, in Alaska, there's no need to stash money in your freezer if you want to keep it cold... which is not to say the Senator IS hiding money, of course), and the will-he-or-won't-he game with Fred Thompson gets further complicated by the revelation he may not have the bucks to back up a run. What political stories have got you going this week?

Ocasionally we come across a memoir that describes an experience that is just riveting... something that few people go through, but somehow inspires empathy. (Check out these shows for some of my favorites.) We've got another one in this hour: it's Bridget Kinsella's story, Visiting Life: Women Doing Time On The Outside. She's a middle class, attractive, professional woman (works at Publishers Weekly), who began a relationship with a man serving a life sentence for murder. Bridget is a charming woman, and really good at telling her story. If you've had a similar experience, we'd love to hear from you -- I think that often people have preconceived ideas about women that have these kinds of experiences. Share yours with us.

It can't be a cakewalk to be the Venezuelan ambassador to the U.S. when your head of state calls the American president "the devil" and insinuates that, as such, the stink of sulfur around the podium at the UN is his fault. It doesn't get any easier when Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez announces that foreigners who protest his governance publicly will be thrown out of the country. So, if you need lessons in grace under pressure, definitely check out our conversation with Ambassador Bernardo Alvarez.

Just when you think you've seen it all on YouTube, another story pops up with a twist. This time it's from our fair city, Washington, DC. The owner of a neighborhood corner store, LeDroit Park Market, is sick and tired of being robbed at gunpoint... so he's posting surveillance videos of the stick-ups on YouTube (with help from an outraged resident), and in the prologue to the video he specifically calls out the Mayor, the councilmember, and the police chief, imploring them to fight crime in LeDroit Park. According to the Washington Post story, he's got their attention, and an arrest has been made. What's more, the community is rallying around the store, raising money to purchase an additional camera for the exterior. Has anything like this happened where you live? Is there a downside to this kind of community policing?