Issues Monday

We're kicking off a new series today, "Issues Monday." Between now and November, we will invite top advisers from both of the major party presidential campaigns to come on and take your questions. Looking over the blog posts from recent weeks, the biggest issue on people's minds right now is the economy. Gas prices hit a new high, stocks came awfully close to bear market territory last week, housing continues to slump... Voters want to know what the candidates can do to help them, specifically. We hear enough spin during the course of a campaign, today we hope to get real substance on both sides. And you can help out by telling us what economic issue is the most important to you? Give a little detail on why, and how that issues affects you.

Scott Cameron

1:59 PM ET | 06-30-2008 | permalink

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'City that Care Forgot'

Dr. John's new album is a plea for New Orleans.

Source: dsb nola

One hardly needs to hear the title track from Dr. John's latest CD, City that Care Forgot to know where he's going with this. He's one of New Orleans' most beloved musicians, and he's got a bone to pick with the world about his city that's being left behind. But wait, of course you need to hear it -- so listen to the segment for a taste, and go here to hear a bunch of the album live from Philadelphia in May. And if you're hunkered down in a cube with no headphones and can't listen, here are some lyrics that tell the tale:

Uptown everything looks fine/ When you head downtown/ you see the water line so high/ When you get down to the Lower 9/ the smell of death still hangs on the honeysuckle vine/ Magnolias lie in the streets/ In the city that care forgot/ Everything sacred been strung up and shot/ in the city that care forgot.

Sarah Handel

1:58 PM ET | 06-30-2008 | permalink

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When Did Viruses Get To Be So Cool?

As of this morning, the above video had received 4,590,065 hits on YouTube. That's more than the sensational "Businessman Has Meltdown in Hotel Lobby" (not my title), or the super-hot super-catch by a ball girl in Fresno. I know what you're thinking -- "Duh, girls in underpants are popular." That's true. They are. But girls in underpants who have the benefit of viral marketing are even more fun. (And that amazing catch in Fresno? Girl in a harness, and the whole thing was paid for by Gatorade.)

It's hard not to get the feeling that anyone can make a popular video -- but the truth of the matter is, making something contagious takes a lot of thought -- and a good strategy. Just ask the guys at 750 industries -- a marketing firm that makes videos go viral. So, the question is -- have you been laboring diligently to create your own Mentos masterpiece? And do you care if the video you love is a stealthy piece of advertising? (I don't. And I still really love those old-school Taster's Choice commercials. What's the difference?)

Barrie Hardymon

1:57 PM ET | 06-30-2008 | permalink

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A Resounding, Dubious Victory

Robert Mugabe, long-time president of Zimbabwe, is in Sharm El Sheik, Egypt, attending a meeting of the African Union, celebrating his "victory" in the latest "election" there. (A victory implies that there was a contest and an opponent, and participants in an election, by definition, have "the right or ability to make a choice.")

Although the six-term president has been criticized in the press by some African leaders, The New York Times reports that they haven't accosted him:

For their part, African leaders showed little appetite for public confrontation with Mr. Mugabe. Dressed in a characteristically natty suit and tie, the 84-year-old leader, once feted as a liberation hero, slumped in an arm-chair in a cavernous conference hall, using a headset to follow speeches that, in part, demanded negotiations to end his absolute power. When the cameras moved away from him, he was seen hugging fellow African leaders, The Associated Press reported.

We'll ask Heidi Holland, a journalist in Johannesburg, for her reaction to the news from Harare. She has written about Mugabe -- and she has had the opportunity to interview him. What questions do you have for her?

David Gura

1:56 PM ET | 06-30-2008 | permalink

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Monday, June 30, 2008

We're excited to inaugurate a new series, called "Issues Monday," today. Every week, we'll invite senior advisers to the two presumptive nominees to join us, to talk about one issue in particular. To start things off, we'll focus on the economy.

Douglas J. Holtz-Eakin, who used to direct the Congressional Budget Office, is the senior economic adviser to Sen. John McCain (R-AZ). Daniel Tarullo, former Assistant Secretary of State for Economic and Business Affairs, is the senior economic adviser to Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL). In the first hour, you'll be able to ask each of them about his candidate's economic platform. The horse race goes on, but not in Studio 3A....

"The Opinion Page" usually features editorialists from magazines and newspapers. On today's show, we're going to do something different. The inimitable Dr. John will join us, from our New York bureau, to talk about his new album and his home, NOLA. It's our first "pOP-ED," as Barrie put it.

In our second hour, we're going to focus on viral videos. How does a homemade movie, posted on YouTube, become a phenomenon? Can it happen overnight? We'll talk with Jonah Peretti, who developed BuzzFeed, co-founded The Huffington Post, and started FundRace.org; Lauren Bernat, who was featured in a video, shot by her boyfriend, playing Wii Fit in her underwear (4.5 million people have seen it); and Daisy Whitney, who wrote "Real or Fake? Do We Even Care?," about viral videos.

Lastly, we'll ask Heidi Holland, journalist and one-time dinner guest of Robert Mugabe, for her thoughts on his inauguration.

Enjoy!

David Gura

12:45 PM ET | 06-30-2008 | permalink

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Girl Talk Rock

Girl Talk rocking NYC in 2006.

Source: brandon king

 

I've had a rough couple of months. My sister and her fiancee have been great throughout, but yesterday they really went above and beyond. I stopped by their place for a quick dip in their sweet pool, and on the table they had a gift for me: Girl Talk's new album Feed the Animals. I slid it into the CD player on my drive back to the District, and for the duration, the clouds parted. If you don't know Girl Talk, he's a Pittsburgh dj/artist named Gregg Gillis who nerds out by day and rocks crowds by night with the most insane collages of pop music ever.

To me, it's not fair to say he does mash-ups, or just remixes songs. He has an uncanny knack for taking a dozen incredibly familiar commercial radio hits (like, say, Ace of Base's "The Sign," or Soul II Soul's "Back to Life"), stripping them down to their most key elements, and building them back up with MCs pulled from elsewhere (Busta Rhymes, Missy Elliot). It's already genius, but then he drops in something relatively obscure but beloved, like Yo La Tengo's "Autumn Sweater." It's always danceable, but when it really succeeds is when that unexpected element hits, and you in your car shriek, or the packed crowd at the Otto Bar shrieks, in collective recognition. It's insane, it may be illegal, and it's absolutely addictive. Don't believe me? Listen here (but beware: you will hear bad words), and check out as-yet incomplete lists of the zillions of samples in each composition here. If you do give Girl Talk a listen, let me know what you think: Is the music, as Gillis contends, new compositions ("we stand by the fair use law; that we do recontextualize the source material into a new whole"), and thus legal? Or is this plain old theft of others' work? Either way... did you get that thrill when you heard a sample that seemed hand-picked for you?

Sarah Handel

10:31 AM ET | 06-30-2008 | permalink

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The State of Iraq: Really?

A market in Sadr City, where Iraqis must navigate numerous roadblocks to reach services.

Photo by AHMAD AL-RUBAYE/AFP/Getty Images

We've heard quite a bit lately about progress in Iraq, particularly on the military side. Michael Gordon spent several months this Spring in Iraq, and filed reports like this one in the New York Times:

Iraqi forces rolled unopposed through the huge Shiite enclave of Sadr City on Tuesday, a dramatic turnaround from the bitter fighting that has plagued the Baghdad neighborhood for two months, and a qualified success for Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki.

There's little argument that the situation on the ground in Iraq has improved militarily. Questions do remain on the political and economic fronts, and in the areas of everyday life. So, what is the reality of life in Iraq? Michael Gordon will be here today, to tell us what he saw. And we'll hear from a top analyst at the Government Accountability Office. What do you believe about the state of things in Iraq?

Scott Cameron

1:59 PM ET | 06-26-2008 | permalink

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The Pregnancy Pact?

Earlier this month, Time ran a story about Gloucester High School in Massachusetts, a school with an unusual spike in the rate of of teen pregnancies, where "strollers mingle seamlessly in school hallways among cheerleaders and junior ROTC." The kicker? The principal, Joseph Sullivan, alleged a group of sophomore girls had divulged a pact to become pregnant together. Of course, the story took off -- teenage girls having babies on purpose?! Imaginations and accusations ran wild. Now the mayor says it never happened, and the principal can't remember things clearly. Plus, one of the girls who allegedly made the pact denies its existence -- or, rather, clarifies that the girls made the pact after becoming pregnant, to support one another in motherhood. No matter what the story behind the pregnancies is, the fact is, teens get pregnant. So who are they? How often does it happen? We've got Sarah Brown with a snapshot of the who, when, and why of teen pregnancy. If you got pregnant as a teen, how did you talk about it with your girlfriends?

Sarah Handel

1:56 PM ET | 06-26-2008 | permalink

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Make Me Laugh, I Say!

I stumbled upon a paperweight in a used book shop once that read, "What would you attempt to do if you knew you could not fail?" Simple question, jam-packed with implication. I can answer it in several ways -- climb Half Dome, get hitched, play the Lottery. But in terms of occupational endeavors, my answer would have to be stand-up comedy. Laughter. Adrenaline. Attention. What more could you ask for? But, eventually, I came down from my paperweight high, and the skeptic in me took hold -- Late nights. Seedy clubs. Annoying hecklers. Instability.

Well, today we'll find out just how hard -- and fun -- the profession of stand-up comedy really is. Comedians Richard Lewis and Esther Ku join us to talk about the biz. And if you've ever dabbled in stand-up, let us know what it's like.

Ashley Grashaw

1:39 PM ET | 06-26-2008 | permalink

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BYOR (Bring Your Own Rice...er, and Cash)

Maybe they're throwing rice out of resentment.

Source: naknak79

Dear Friends And Family!

You are cordially invited to the wedding of John and Jane. They plan to celebrate their nuptials with a beautifully catered, well-appointed, no-expense spared event -- and want you to be there to enjoy it with them.
(In lieu of gifts, the happy couple would like their guests to contribute to the cost of this event. Checks can be mailed to 11 Pot Luck Circle, Practicality, CA, 10000.)

Readers, have you, perhaps, sent out or received an invitation such as this? Vulgar, or shrewd? Tacky, or practical? (It's the former, I think. Sorry, just born judgy, I guess.) Ask Amy is back -- Amy Dickinson -- and she has strong opinions on the subject. Prepare yourselves -- and tell us how you feel about it. And please, send us cash too.

Barrie Hardymon

1:11 PM ET | 06-26-2008 | permalink

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June 26th Show

The news coming out of Iraq seems to be positive. The number of roadside bombs declined by almost 90% over the last year, most provinces in the country have averaged less than one attack per day, and the job of the U.S. military has gone from controlling the insurgency in some places to peacekeeping. But is overall security better? And have there been related economic and political improvements? What about the most basic services for civilians? In other words -- IS Iraq better? In our first hour, the chief military correspondent for The New York Times and and the director of International Affairs and Trade at the Government Accountability Office talk about the situation in Iraq... really. At the end of the first hour, we'll talk about something that has actually happened to me. A friend of mine sent out her wedding invitations, and on it, she said something to the effect of "gifts not necessary, monetary contributions welcome." Kind of threw me until I took into account that both my friend and her fiance were in their late 30s, homeowners and basically wanting for nothing. My mom, on the other hand, had three words to say about her request: TACKY, TACKY, TACKY!!! So what do you think? Taking into account that this economy is horrendous, where on the etiquette scale should a couple asking for their guests to pay for their wedding fall? Chicago Tribune syndicated columnist Amy Dickinson will put in her two cents. (woo, bad pun! sorry about that, folks.)

In our second hour, we'll talk about a day in the life of a stand up comic. Comedians Richard Lewis and "Last Comic Standing" semi-finalist Esther Ku talk about what life is really like day in and day out on the quest to snag that big break into show business. Following that, we'll switch gears and talk about the 17 teenage girls in Gloucester, Massachusetts who allegedly got together to form a "pregnancy pact." The story has since been disputed by families of the girls and by the mayor. However, the latest nationwide statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention does show that the teen birth rate rose 3-percent from 2005 to 2006. Sarah Brown, director of the National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy, talks about intended and unintended teen pregnancy, and why it's on the rise.

Gwen Outen

12:32 PM ET | 06-26-2008 | permalink

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Fool Me Once, Please!

Today, Barrie and I both walked into the office singing songs of welcome to our awaiting paychecks, and while I can't speak for her, I can say this: for me, money's tight. I don't know if it's our economy (maybe yes, maybe no), or just that I have a lot of expenses right now (The shelving I need is on sale now! I have a birthday to attend in Atlanta! Or, more to the point: a tree limb fell on my car! Seriously, it really did), but I haven't felt this strapped for cash in a WHILE. Enter Lifehacker. Every time I forget to check you, you somehow bounce back into my life with just the right top-10 list of tips at the right time. Today it's a top ten of ways to trick yourself into saving money. I'm a sucker for top-tens, and the best thing about this one is that it actually surprised me a few times. The funniest? Literally freeze your credit card. If you freeze it in a block of ice, and you want to use it, you have to pull it out to thaw on the counter. No shortcuts -- the micro will zap it to death. I try not to use my credit cards much, so I found this tip the most useful: write down all the non-essential things you want to buy that cost more than $100 (or $50, or $250 -- whatever threshold means a big purchase for you), then don't look at the list (and don't buy the items!) for 30 days. Come back to it with fresh eyes and you may find you really don't want that dutch oven after all (ok, bad example. I really do want it. It reminds me of lunches and dinners at my favorite place in the world!). It's a tip I think I'll actually try... so, much like the Lifehacker folks, I want to know: what are the ways you fool yourself into saving money?

Sarah Handel

8:52 AM ET | 06-26-2008 | permalink

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The Political Junkie Opts Out

When Barack Obama announced last week that he would opt-out of public financing for the general election, it became an instant campaign issue. Because Obama promised to take public funds, and agree to limit fundraising, earlier in the campaign, the decision left a huge opening for John McCain's campaign to seize on the issue. For his part, Obama says the system is broken, and being exploited. Republicans argue he broke his promise, and is not to be trusted. Do you care that Obama broke his pledge to take public money? Will this be an issue for you come November?

Scott Cameron

1:59 PM ET | 06-25-2008 | permalink

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Chavez: Larger Than Strife

Fidel and proteges...

Source: ESTUDIOS REVOLUCION/AFP/Getty Images

 

The Americas are not really my fuerte -- I'm more of a Middle East enthusiast when it comes to politics and current events. But if there's any Hugo Chavez news -- I'm on it. He's a colorful character whose rhetoric alone is worth watching. If Chavez is one of my favorite leftists, then Jon Lee Anderson is one of my favorite journos (part of the Langewiesche, Hitchens trifecta). The combination made magic in this week's New Yorker -- Anderson joins us today to talk to us about his extraordinary access to Chavez for his article, "Fidel's Heir: Hugo Chavez's Big Ambitions."

Barrie Hardymon

1:58 PM ET | 06-25-2008 | permalink

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Agents and Reporters

The relationship between the FBI and the media is, at times, a lot like most daughters' relationships with their mothers -- you know you need each other, but that doesn't stop confrontation from rearing its ugly head every now and again (more now than again, let's be real).

The FBI's job is to catch criminals, whereas the media has a responsibility to inform the public. And, sometimes, these differing agendas can stand at odds with one another. Take the DC Sniper case in 2002, when a reporter released the suspect's license plate number against the FBI's wishes who feared it would hamper ongoing investigations... In the end, a bystander recognized the license plate and called the police, which led to the arrest of two suspects. At other times, the relationship poses ethical dilemmas, as when the FBI pressed The Washington Post to publish the Unabomber's anti-technology manifesto. After much debate, the Post printed it, and as a result, Ted Kaczynski's brother turned him in.

And, as it happens, these are just two examples of the infamous cases now on display at the Newseum's new exhibit, "G-Men and Journalists: Top News Stories of the FBI's First Century." I walked through it yesterday, and to say it's cool would be an understatement. They've got 200 artifacts, including Patty Hearst's gun, Hoover's desk from his days at the FBI, and the Unabomber's actual cabin (!!!). Plus, there's over 300 photographs, and dozens of historic newspapers and interactive displays about everything from the Oklahoma City bombing and the Lindbergh kidnapping to the siege at Waco, Texas.

Today we'll talk to John Miller, who's been on both sides of the fence -- first as an ABC News reporter and anchor, and now as Assistant Director of Public Affairs for the FBI. And we'll also talk to NPR's FBI correspondent, Dina Temple-Raston, about covering the FBI, and how she decides what to report and what to leave out.

So, tell us, is the relationship between the media and the FBI too close, or too confrontational? We'd especially like to here from those of you with experience on either side.

Ashley Grashaw

1:57 PM ET | 06-25-2008 | permalink

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Unlikely Friends

It's an incredible story -- Unabomber victim Gary Wright and Ted Kaczynski's* brother, Dave, are the best of friends. Somehow, in spite of the fact that Ted nearly killed Gary, he's filled with nothing but forgiveness, and Dave sees Gary as family:

Gary and I are 'blood brothers' in a literal sense. Our bond forged through violence is as powerful and as deep as any genetic bond. ... I find a poetic balance in having gained a new brother in Gary.

*Don't miss our gallery of the inside of the Unabomber's cabin, on display at the Newseum.

Sarah Handel

1:56 PM ET | 06-25-2008 | permalink

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Pot-Luck Weddings

This is an expensive moment, people.

babasteve

If you sit within fifty feet of my desk -- or this blog -- you know that I'm planning a wedding. Hilariously, this thing is not till 2009, and yet it's sucking up energy like I'm having a kid. Amazing. It's like producing a huge radio show with a thousand etiquette land mines that periodically blow up in your face. You'd think I'd be better at both those things.

All that aside, ToTN's human-whispering behavioral guru Amy Dickinson noted something odd about weddings lately. Maybe it's a result of a less-than-rollicking economy, but she's received a lot of letters lately from -- or about -- folks who are registering for money to pay for the event itself. Sort of like buying your own fish, chicken, or steak for the reception. Have you received this kind of an invitation from anyone during this (interminable) wedding season? If so, how do you feel about it? What's the difference between registering for just plain moolah, and registering for new china?* And listen in tomorrow for Amy's no-holds-barred wedding advice.

*Side note: I am doing neither.

Barrie Hardymon

11:16 AM ET | 06-25-2008 | permalink

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Bureacracy Bites, in Baltimore and Iraq

I used to think the little Premium Channel button on my cable was too expensive, and then, I got hooked on The Wire. And John Adams. And Big Love. And Weeds. Currently, Deadwood. And soon, I expect, Generation Kill, David Simon and Ed Burns' latest effort, based on Evan Wright's book of the same name. Today, we're going to wet your whistle a little -- David Simon and Evan Wright will be here to discuss the new mini-series on HBO -- and how David Simon got from Baltimore, to Baghdad. (They are not, despite repeated comparisons, all that similar.)

Barrie Hardymon

1:59 PM ET | 06-24-2008 | permalink

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Zimbabwe: What Should We Do?

International pressure is mounting against Zimbabwe's President, Robert Mugabe, but he's keeping a defiant face in public: "The west can scream all it wants," he said, "Elections will go on." The U.S. has already said it will not recognize the upcoming election now that the opposition leader pulled out amidst the violence, and the United Nations condemned the election-related murders, beatings, and torture. The question facing outside countries now is: What to do? How far should other nations go to stop the violence? Does the long history of colonialism limit the options of Western countries?

Scott Cameron

1:57 PM ET | 06-24-2008 | permalink

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Whose Land?

According to Barbara Ehrenreich, the answer to the question, "this land is whose land?" is definitely their -- the super rich. The way she sees it (and she's been seeing it through fifteen books), ours is a nation divided, and the haves drop more than nickels and dimes on plastic surgery and "vast dynamic estates," while those at the other end of the spectrum don't have health insurance for their kids. It's familiar territory for Ehrenreich, but there's something to be said for repeating the point, particularly with such cunning:

I need to see vast expanses of water, 360 degree horizons, and mountains piercing the sky-at least for a week or two of the year. According to evolutionary psychologist Nancy Etcoff, we all do, and the need is hard-wired into us... When I was a child, I sang "America the Beautiful" and meant it. I was born in the Rocky Mountains and raised, at various times, on the coasts. The Big Sky, the rolling surf, the jagged, snow-capped, mountains: All this seemed to be my birthright. But now I flinch when I hear Woody Guthrie's line, "This land belongs to you and me." Somehow, I don't think it was meant to be sung by a chorus of hedge fund operators.

That's from her blog, the source for the many essays in her new book, This Land is Their Land: Reports from a Divided Nation. Where is that divide most visible to you?

Sarah Handel

1:56 PM ET | 06-24-2008 | permalink

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On the Menu: 6/24/08

Gwen is a bit swamped today, so bear with me as I try to fill her shoes. Here's (briefly) what's on tap for the show today:

In the first hour, Generaton Kill, a new mini-series by David Simon and Ed Burns (of Wire fame) that tells the story of the invasion of Iraq, through the eyes of the men of the First Marine Reconnaissance Battalion.
We'll spend a few minutes at the end of the hour reading from your letters, and revisiting the flooded areas of the Midwest.

In the second hour, we'll talk about the situation in Zimbabwe and ask: What should we do about it? Given the West's history of colonialism, how far can Western countries go to intervene?
Before we sign off today, we'll talk with Barbara Ehrenreich about her latest book, "This Land is Their Land." You can tell from the title she feels the U.S. is full of economic inequalities, we'll ask her what the answer is to the problems she sees.

Scott Cameron

12:54 PM ET | 06-24-2008 | permalink

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Spoiler Alert: Who Cares?

Is anything not a spoiler these days? Newspapers, blogs, even sports reports put big disclaimers on their pages: "spoiler alert." And it puts movie critics, in particular, in a tough spot. How do you do intelligent criticism of a film without giving away anything too important. Peter Howell is the movie critic for The Star in Toronto, and did a piece recently on the sometimes unbearable amount of spoiler alerts:

I have to ask this question: Why? Why does it matter so much if you know going into a movie the basic contours of the plot?

As a movie critic, I am keenly aware that one person's spoiler is another person's essential background information. I strive mightily to avoid being either a blabbermouth or a mime, and I know most other critics do the same.

It's a real tightrope walk, and while I don't begrudge doing it, I don't always succeed. There's always going to be some ostrich out there who is annoyed, for example, if you tell him that the ship sinks in Titanic. (Sorry if that's news to you.)

I can't tell you how many times I've seen The Wizard of Oz, The Godfather or Caddyshack. But my enjoyment of these films has little to do with knowing whether or not Dorothy gets back to Kansas, Don Corleone survives the assassination attempt or the gopher beats Bill Murray.

Obviously with all the Tivos, fan sites, and delayed events out there, it's a whole lot easier to ruin a twist ending or the final score than it was when we only had three broadcast networks. But to borrow Peter's question: Who cares? Does it really ruin your experience of the film or game if you know what happens?

Scott Cameron

10:46 AM ET | 06-24-2008 | permalink

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My Economy is Worse Than Your Economy

If you were paying attention last week, you might remember a little segment we did with Gregg Easterbrook where he argued that while people are complaining about the economy right now, in reality, it's never been better in this country. Well, you might say that listeners disagreed with him. I can't print what some had to say on a family-friendly blog, but the phrase, "what planet do you live on???" came up repeatedly. Anyway, he obviously hit a nerve, and there is clearly a divide between those who think the country is going to hell in a hand basket, and those who argue that, objectively, the U.S. has never been better off. So here's the question, with all this confusion out there: What are the economic indicators you pay attention to as you figure out this economic moment? Do you care more about national employment figures, or what you had to shell out at the grocery store last week?

Scott Cameron

1:59 PM ET | 06-23-2008 | permalink

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Opinion Page: Don't Believe the Hype

Pakistani protesters at an anti-Karzai rally last week.

Source: TARIQ MAHMOOD/AFP/Getty Images

"Anti-American sentiment" is a phrase invoked so often, and by so many, that it is practically conventional wisdom -- whether we are talking about the Middle East, or even Europe, or South America. Every year Pew pollsters release their global attitudes survey, and this year is no different -- people really, really, dislike us. Enter perpetual contrarian Fouad Adjami -- his Wall Street Journal oped expresses his own anti - anti - American theory (yes, that's a double negative, on purpose). Read the piece -- and add your own arguments -- below.

Barrie Hardymon

1:58 PM ET | 06-23-2008 | permalink

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DC Gun Ban Under Fire

The closest I've ever come to opening fire on someone was hurling a barrage of insults at a telemarketer who was relentless during dinner time.* I've never been held at gun point, and no one close to me has ever come under fire, literally. So I don't really have a stake in the gun control debate. But my interest was piqued recently: the Supreme Court is expected to reach a decision this week regarding Washington, D.C.'s handgun ban. In the first ruling of its kind, the Court will decide whether the right to bear arms extends to individuals' rights or service in a well-regulated militia. Many believe the ban will be overturned, but other restrictions, like background checks, are expected to survive.

While the Justices consider this weighty constitutional issue, an old debate is resurfacing in the rest of the country: who's really affected by guns? Some argue gun ownership is a deterrent to violence, but others say more guns equals more crime. And, to add fuel to the fire, there's still no end in sight on the disagreement over how to regulate gun ownership and violence. Today we talk to two straight shooters -- Supreme Court reporter David Savage, and gun policy expert Jens Ludwig -- who will bring us the facts of the case, and parse perception versus reality. So check your assumptions at the door, don't jump the gun on your final opinion, and tell us, what shaped your position on guns?

* I'm not proud of these moments.

Ashley Grashaw

1:57 PM ET | 06-23-2008 | permalink

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A Toast -- Using Every Word -- To George Carlin

George Carlin performing in 1981.

Source: Ken Howard/Hulton Archive/Getty

George Carlin was on the air the very first time I walked into a radio station. It was the tiniest, teeniest radio station ever, a tenth of a watt FM run by Peter Michael Hayes, a high school classmate with wealthy parents -- Peter Lind Hayes and Mary Healy -- who did a double act on AM radio in New York for many years. As a friend and I delivered a tape we'd produced, one of Carlin's records spun on a turntable. There couldn't have been many at that time, 1967. All I remember is "...and here's a partial score from the west coast: Dodgers 5." Long pause. Laffs.

If memory serves (as it does less and less often) I was signed on as the board operator at WBAI-FM the day that program host Paul Gorman played Carlin's "Seven Words You Can't Say On Television" uncensored, prompting a complaint to the FCC and, eventually, the Supreme Court decision that you can't say them on the radio, either. I was somewhat more involved in the case that changed that: I was the producer at All Things Considered when NPR's Mike Shuster sent in a piece on the trial of John "The Teflon Don" Gotti. The story included excerpts of FBI wiretaps, where the mobster used just one of the seven words, but repeatedly and with considerable vehemence, to threaten an associate. Mike argued, and later the Court agreed, that the usage was not gratuitous or salacious, indeed, that it was critical to the understanding of the story. The one word I edited out of Mike's piece, was "mother." The decision was that sometimes you can use the F word, and by extension the other six, and sometimes you can't. Which is the mess we're in now.

I spoke with George Carlin a few times, but can't say that I knew him at all. He was, needless to say, a terrific guest. He has been there all my life to poke his bony finger at pretension and arrogance, yes, but at the strange and the wonderful, too. He was just as honest about his own mistakes in life - the one thing he was never funny about. I miss him already.

Neal Conan

1:56 PM ET | 06-23-2008 | permalink

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More Than a Thousand Words

A lone stop sign in Winfield, Missouri speaks volumes.

Source: Win McNamee/Getty.

The Boston Globe feature The Big Picture is amazing. I could easily waste a whole day sending links around from their site. If you haven't surfed around there yet, go do it, now. What's got my brain in a tussle, is that I'm bothered by how much news is driven by images. (I'm not just saying that because I work in radio.) Television, particularly the dreaded 24HNC (TWENTY FOUR HOUR NEWS CYCLE) depends on images, and images, in a funny way, can be more manipulative than print. But after flipping through the photos on the Big Picture, I've revised my thoughts. There are some stories that can only be told in pictures -- just look at the hands of the Iraqi woman in Sadr City, or the floodwaters in Iowa. In any case, here's a great interview with Alan Taylor, the site's curator, about how he chooses what goes up.

Continue reading "More Than a Thousand Words" »

Barrie Hardymon

11:12 AM ET | 06-23-2008 | permalink

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Lioness

Lioness Sgt. Ranie Ruthig and Jessica Samuels in Ramadi.

Source: Lloyd Francis Jr.

Today we round out documentary-excitement-week with Lioness. It's the story of women in the Army in Iraq and Afghanistan -- women who are barred from ground combat units, but serve in other units. By now we know that the frontlines are ill-defined on these fronts, so women end up in mortar attacks and firefights just like the men they serve alongside. As it turns out, there's a bit more to it. There's a group of women who actually go out on raids with the men. Known as Lionesses, they're invaluable to the combat units -- they search women, handle children, and guard the typically un-armed translators, among other things. And now, they're the first female combat veterans. Lioness is their story, and two of the women and one of the filmmakers join us today.

Sarah Handel

1:59 PM ET | 06-19-2008 | permalink

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Sandbagging

Hogs, stranded on the roof of a farm in Oakville, Iowa.

Win McNamee/Getty Images

 

Floods continue to ruin farms and neighborhoods in the Midwest. Torrential downpours overflowed several of the tributaries that feed the Mississippi River, sweeping away soy and corn crops, and livestock.

People who live on or near the second-longest river in the United States worry that they could be next, that their homes and land could be flooded in the next few days. Many of them are relying on an antiquated system of levees. Already, several of the man-made embankments have failed.

At the end of our first hour, we want to hear from listeners who have been affected by the floods. People from Iowa, Missouri, Wisconsin, Illinois, and Indiana, particularly. Was your home, business, or farm flooded? What was ruined? What did you manage to save?

David Gura

1:58 PM ET | 06-19-2008 | permalink

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Your City's Personality

Boston is a magnet for college graduates. It's also a great place for young singles!

Source: Paul Keleher

 

Conventional wisdom tells us that, nowadays, it doesn't matter where you live -- you can prosper economically whether your reside in the Silicon Valley or the thick of the Rust Belt.

As the thinking goes, globalization and advances in technology have leveled the economic playing field, making the world "flat," so to speak. But author and economist Richard Florida argues that the world is actually more "spiky" than some may be willing to admit -- innovation, finance and personality types tend to cluster in specific, centralized locations which he calls "mega-regions."

In his new book, Who's Your City?: How the Creative Economy Is Making Where to Live the Most Important Decision of Your Life, Florida charts out the personalities of various cities across the country, and shows how place is one of the biggest predictors of prosperity and overall happiness.

So if you're young and single, an empty nester, or about to retire... a budding entrepreneur, looking for adventure, or prize a sense of community above all else... look no further, Florida's got the place for you.

And tell us, what's the personality of your city?

Ashley Grashaw

1:57 PM ET | 06-19-2008 | permalink

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Broken Leg? Rub Some Dirt on it and Play 91 Holes

Tiger Woods winces in pain at the 15th tee during the U.S. Open.

ROBYN BECK/AFP/Getty Images

 

The most famous knee in the country right now belongs to Tiger Woods. And I'm not sure which is the bigger story: that he'll miss the rest of the season because of surgery, or that he played 91 holes of golf with fractures in his leg and a torn ligament in his knee. This may not be Kerri Strug proportions, but certainly Curt Schilling at least. Here's the question, though: How badly will Tiger's injury hurt the sport of golf? He's a big draw, and sponsors and spectators pay a lot of money to be close to him on the greens. Are you a golf fan? Are going to pay any less attention while Tiger's sidelined?

Scott Cameron

1:56 PM ET | 06-19-2008 | permalink

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June 19th Show

In our first hour today, we'll talk about a new documentary film called Lioness that goes inside a unit of female soldiers called Team Lioness and details the effects the Iraq war has on women soldiers who serve in combat situations. Two soldiers from Team Lioness and one of the filmmakers explain the realities of combat in Iraq. Following that, we talk to Midwesterns about how they are coping with the flooding that continues to affect large parts of Iowa, Missouri, Wisconsin, Illinois and Indiana.

You know the old adage, "There's someone out there for everyone." Well, according to author Richard Florida, you could add to that "...and there's a CITY out there for everyone, too." Florida's book is entitled, Who's Your City?: How the Creative Economy Is Making Where to Live the Most Important Decision of Your Life. In it, Florida says where you choose to live is even more important than choosing a career... and even a spouse. Tell us: If your city had a personality, what would it be? And does it mesh with your own? Who's YOUR city? At the end of the hour, we'll talk a little more about Tiger Woods's dramatic playoff win at the U.S. Open and how he managed to pull it off with a torn ACL and multiple stress fractures. New York Times magazine writer Chip Brown talks about how Woods sitting out the rest of the 2008 PGA Tour season could affect the game of golf.

Gwen Outen

12:20 PM ET | 06-19-2008 | permalink

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Weather Report

From my roof.

David Gura/NPR

 

I'm rarely optimistic about, or happy with, summer weather in Washington. Thanks to George Washington, the District of Columbia is situated in a swamp. (History has taught us that he was a good general, but a bad city planner.)

Come June, this city gets unbearably hot and humid. We walkers keep spare shirts in our backpacks. On Capitol Hill, staffers sport Seersucker. And everyone wonders how Washington, which is surrounded by water, never benefits from a cool breeze.

Last night, on my way home from work, we had a rare meteorological miracle. West of the capital, a thunderstorm threatened. Toward Annapolis and the Chesapeake, the sky was bright and blue.

For a few minutes, Washington was cool and sunny. There were fits of light rain. And around 6:15 p.m., two huge rainbows spanned the city. I snapped this photo, from the roof of my building, at 6:22 p.m.

Incredible.

David Gura

10:35 AM ET | 06-19-2008 | permalink

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Political Junkie

Twenty-nine senators, Democratic and Republican, are up for reelection in November, and there are six open senate seats. On today's edition of The Political Junkie, we'll talk about some of those races. Who has a chance? Which are close? And we want to hear from you. Tell us about the senate race in your state. Who is running? Have you thrown your support behind a candidate? We've watched a number of ads from the DSCC and the NRSC. Have you seen them in your town?

David Gura

1:59 PM ET | 06-18-2008 | permalink