What Lurks In Your Subconscious?

A couple of months ago, this article, by science writer Siri Carpenter, popped up on the Scientific American website. It's about the science of bigotry; how much implicit bias affects us, and how we act on it. I'm deeply interested in the weird social behaviors our brains conceal -- no matter how much training we've had to ignore them. Do some digging on the web, and you'll find any number of association tests meant to test your hidden biases. (If you want to take one, you'll find them here, and here.) It got us talking (they don't call us Talk for nothing), about how you can possibly measure the buried prejudices in your subconscious, and what it would feel like, to face an unpleasant truth about yourself. We want to ask our listeners -- was there a moment when you realized you harbored a secret dislike of another social or ethnic group? How did you feel -- and how did you change it?

Barrie Hardymon

1:59 PM ET | 07-31-2008 | permalink | comments (27) | e-mail post

 

Grendel Doesn't Scare Me

Seriously. Even in 3D, Beowulf, and the assorted monsters and dragons he kills, are boring as all get out. (Angelina Jolie's decolletage in real life has a lot more charisma then Grendel and his family in the movie.) Which brings us to this excellent op-ed about the importance of the stunt person. I have to say, I still think that the fighting in Spartacus is amazing -- and I've always railed against the CGI tiger-technics of Gladiator. I love video games, but I don't want my movies to look like a scene from GTAIV. I suspect I'm in the minority on this one. What do you think? Stuntpeople vs. special effects -- who wins?

Barrie Hardymon

1:58 PM ET | 07-31-2008 | permalink | comments (4) | e-mail post

 

Facing Fat Camp

Fat camp is one of those things. One of those things, you know, that you really sort of want to know more about. Whispers in the hall at school, "Did you see Jane? She has so lost weight. I totally heard she went to fat camp."

There's derision in the accusation, but probably a lot of curiosity, and even envy, too. I know I've always wondered about fat camp -- when MTV did its two-part special on a fat camp in the Poconos, I watched it twice, and I'm not alone.

Enter Moose. Blogger Stephanie Klein became famous by blogging frankly about her life and dating exploits, but she wasn't always popular. As a kid, Stephanie was fat. Her parents sent her to fat camp, and she's condensed those summers into a book she named after herself, Moose. It's revealing, it's candid, it's uncomfortable. At school, Stephanie was unpopular -- the jocks called her "Moose." At camp, she was popular, dating one of the most desirable boys, hanging with the cool girls... Until they turned on her. Turns out, fat camp's a lot like life on the outside, but recalibrated.

Did you spend your summers away, exercising, drinking tons of water, eating with chopsticks, and sneaking over to the boys' side of camp? What did you learn at camp... the good, the bad, the ugly?

Sarah Handel

1:57 PM ET | 07-31-2008 | permalink | comments (11) | e-mail post

 

Britney and Paris. And Obama?

A new ad for Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) analogizes the worldwide celebrity of Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) to the fame enjoyed by Britney Spears and Paris Hilton. And it questions his ability to lead.

Hours later, the Obama campaign answered in kind:

Last night, pundits debated the efficacy of the ad. Has the McCain campaign gone negative?, they asked. Is there no turning back?

We'll talk about the effectiveness of negative political ads. Even if they're dirty, or wrong, do they work? What do you think.

David Gura

1:56 PM ET | 07-31-2008 | permalink | comments (4) | e-mail post

 

July 31st Show

Here's what's coming up on the last show of the week... and the month!!!

Prejudices often remain in the unconscious part of your brain, but there are tests that can reveal your hidden bigotry. In our first hour, a science writer and a psychologist will explain how racial preferences hide in our brains, and how those biases can be measured. We're still chasing an ender segment for the first hour, so stay tuned for that.

Childhood obesity is a growing problem, and many parents are turning to weight loss camps as a solution. But do those camps really work? Stephanie Klein, author of Moose: A Memoir of Fat Camp, will join us in our second hour to talk about her life as a chubby teenager, her summers spent at various weight-loss camps, and her struggle to be accepted by her peers. At the end of the hour, John Geer, author of In Defense of Negativity: Attack Advertising in Presidential Campaigns, will explain whether or not attack ads really do bring down presidential opponents.

Gwen Outen

12:39 PM ET | 07-31-2008 | permalink | e-mail post

 

Brett Favre and Backsliding

Over the past week a couple of things have come up that I just have to blog about. One, Brett Favre, what are you doing to me?! I celebrated your retirement, lauded you as "one of the best quarterbacks to play the game," and "a cultural touchstone." That wasn't enough for you? I fear your comeback, and the way it's already tainting my memories of you. Let me put it to you this way: As a kid, I was a huge Michael Jordan fan. I had Michael Jordan t-shirts, Michael Jordan books, and even got to see him play versus the Washington Bullets* (it was amazing -- he had a perfect, length-of-the-court breakaway slam dunk that I'll never forget, though it was just another day at the office for Air Jordan!). When he retired, I mourned. But when he came back (I don't count his baseball year -- I mean in 2001) -- to Washington, no less? I despaired. Comebacks are rarely pretty. And Brett, if MJ can't do it, neither can you.

Secondly, I have a confession. After all my brave talk about forsaking my CD collecting habit and switching to MP3s, I relapsed. Last weekend my beau and I had the unbridled joy of spending a few days in Athens, GA. We had a stylish, classy rental car (read: Kia. I shouldn't bash it, though -- we only had to fill the tank once!) with a CD player, and while at a swap meet at the fabulous 40 Watt Club, I came across a row of boxes of CDs, each only a dollar. A dollar! You can't buy an album of MP3s for a dollar, and even if you could, you sure as heck couldn't rock to it in the Kia! The first disc my eyes landed on was the Old 97's, and I was hooked. So add four to my tally, and consider me back on step one with that particular challenge. Oh well.

*Ok, so I'm dating myself significantly here. But so what -- today I am 30! I officially have gravitas and adulthood. I'm now allowed to say things like "back in the day," and "in-the-snow-uphill-both-ways." Hooray!

Sarah Handel

10:09 AM ET | 07-31-2008 | permalink | comments (3) | e-mail post

 

Weekly Dose of Political Junkie

Every Wednesday, NPR's political editor Ken Rudin joins us to talk about the presidential campaign, and other political news. And this week is spicy, spicy! Veteran Republican Senator Ted Stevens has been indicted on seven felony counts. New polls show John McCain leading among likely voters, and Barack Obama didn't quite get that "bump" from his overseas trip the Democrats had hoped for. Michigan voters go to the polls next week for a primary election for a highly contested, and controversial, congressional seat. And buzz continues to build over Obama and McCain's Veep choices. And if that isn't enough -- wait, there's more! -- Libertarian presidential candidate Bob Barr will join us to take your questions about his race for the White House. If you've got questions for our Junkie, leave them here.

Ashley Grashaw

1:59 PM ET | 07-30-2008 | permalink | comments (13) | e-mail post

 

Drawing the Line

When Senator Barack Obama appeared at the UNITY: Journalists of Color conference in Chicago, the crowd had an unusual reaction for a group of hardboiled journalists. They applauded, and with some enthusiasm. That moment of applause has received more attention than most of the tough questions that were asked. (Leonard Pitts sure put Senator Obama on the hot seat.) But it raised some interesting questions -- mainly, what should the relationship between journalists and campaigns be? Lisa Shepard, NPR's Ombudsman, has some thoughts on the matter... and we want to hear what you think. Was the applause appropriate?

Barrie Hardymon

1:58 PM ET | 07-30-2008 | permalink | comments (9) | e-mail post

 

Covering The Olympics

Seven years ago, when it was bidding for the Olympic Games, China promised that journalists would have unfettered freedom to report during the event. That pledge, it seems, no longer stands.

Reporters in the Olympic Village say they're unable to access certain web sites. Namely those with information on the Taiwanese independence movement, Tibet, and Falun Gong. They can't navigate to amnesty.org or Radio Free Asia, either.

The International Olympic Committee sent us this statement:

The IOC has always encouraged the Beijing 2008 organisers to provide media with the fullest access possible to report on the Olympic Games, including access to the internet. BOCOG [Beijing Organizing Committee for the Games of the XXIX Olympiad] has said 'sufficient and convenient' internet access will be provided for the media to cover the Games. Today we learned there are issues accessing some websites. Therefore we are talking with the organisers to understand exactly the situation is and to see what may need to be rectified.

During the second hour, we'll talk to a handful of reporters and editors, charged with covering the Games in Beijing. How much freedom will they really have? How much of their coverage will they devote to foreign policy, human rights, and protests?

We'll speak with Anthony Kuhn, NPR's estimable Beijing correspondent, who kindly agreed to wake up at 3:00 a.m. (Beijing), to go to our bureau; Jonathan Paterson, an assignment editor at the BBC, responsible for planning the organization's coverage of the Games; and Terry McDonell, the managing editor of Sports Illustrated.

Come August 8th, when the Olympics begin, what do you want to read, hear, and see? Are you principally interested in the events, or do you want stories about the political climate in China?

David Gura

1:57 PM ET | 07-30-2008 | permalink | comments (9) | e-mail post

 

Money (That's What I Want)

Duly noted, Barrett Strong. So do thousands of college students trying to make their tuition payments while subsisting on more than just a cup of Ramen noodles. It's hard out there for a... you know... But also for parents and students: skyrocketing tuition prices, byzantine financial aid applications, and predatory student lenders are causing so many headaches, it's a wonder anyone ever graduates.

On Monday, the Massachusetts Educational Financing Authority (MEFA), a major non-profit lender, announced that it won't be able to loan money to college students this fall. That means some 40,000 families in the Bay State will have to hustle to find other loan options. Over the past 10 months, Congress has passed legislation to overhaul the student loan industry, but families and many lenders are still feeling the pinch. Today, we'll take a look at how student financing is coping -- or not -- in this slow economy.

So parents and college students, as fall semester approaches, how will you fund this year's tuition?

Ashley Grashaw

1:56 PM ET | 07-30-2008 | permalink | comments (3) | e-mail post

 

July 30th Show

In this week's edition of the political junkie, NPR's Ken Rudin will talk about Sen. Barack Obama's (D-IL) ratings following his foreign tour, Senator Ted Stevens' (R-AK) recent indictment, and John McCain's medical results. And Libertarian presidential candidate Bob Barr will discuss his race to the White House. Later, we'll be joined by NPR Ombudsman Lisa Shepard for a conversation about journalists and political campaigns. What are the guidelines concerning a journalist's participation in the politcal process?

In the months leading up to the Olympics, China has been reluctant to let go of control of media coverage of the games. The International Olympics Committee has taken a stance that the Olympics is a sporting event and should not mix with politics. Correspondents in our second hour will discuss the challenges of covering the Beijing Olympics. Should a line be drawn between covering sports and human rights issues in this year's games? At the end of that hour, we'll talk about the announcement made by the Massachusetts Educational Financing Authority that it will stop lending out private student loans. Paul Basken, a senior reporter for The Chronicle of Higher Education, will talk about what this move could mean for the future of student loan programs.

Gwen Outen

12:28 PM ET | 07-30-2008 | permalink | e-mail post

 

Pedestrian Journo Love

Robert Novak's had a tough week. So did the guy that he hit on Wednesday with his black Corvette. However, it's good to know that Novak's getting at least one break, as his victim had this to say about what he planned to do. "I'm going to publicize it! Yeah, that's a great story!" Odd that he didn't realize that he was already in the middle of um... publicity.

Barrie Hardymon

12:18 PM ET | 07-30-2008 | permalink | comments (0) | e-mail post

 

Crime and Punishment

I think it's a testament to how much I miss college that I keep pitching these high(ish) conceptual international affairs shows. (See last week's show on prisoner swaps.) Don't get me wrong, I, too, was swooning over Mad Men during yesterday's editorial meeting. But while I'm eagerly awaiting the second season premiere of Gossip Girl,* I'm also a total sucker for lecture hall debates over the intricacies of international relations.

War crimes tribunals are no exception. A few weeks ago I saw an article that suggested that the pursuit of justice in the eyes of the international community may be at odds with the pursuit of peace. It seems so counterintuitive -- isn't promoting peace the reason the world has banded together to set up all of these international institutions? Then last weekend I saw this article that suggested that some people believe that indicting a war criminal during an on-going conflict only contributes to the continuation of that conflict. Think about it, would you go out of your way to end the genocide, if you knew that even with peace restored there would be an indictment hanging over your head?

So, the question we are asking today is: what's more important, justice (even if it's a symbolic gesture at the time, it could stand as a deterrent to future war criminals) or peace (ending conflict and saving lives right now)?**

* It's Monday September 1st btw
** And, yes, to all you reasonable people out there -- the answer is a little bit of both. But think about it this way: if you had to make a choice, where would you put your resources?

Susannah George

1:59 PM ET | 07-29-2008 | permalink | comments (4) | e-mail post

 

Is Your Money Safe?

Last week we had a conversation with Jane Kamensky about the U.S.'s rich history of bank runs. While it definitely put the IndyMac failure in context, it left y'all with quite a few questions about the safety of your money, and specifically, credit unions. So today, Liz Pulliam Weston will take your calls... but first, here's a preview from the personal finance columnist herself. Take it away, Liz...

With the high-profile failure of IndyMac bank, many people are worried about the safety of their savings. Here's what you need to know:
Bank accounts are typically insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. (FDIC), an independent federal agency, with a basic insurance amount of $100,000 per depositor. Certain retirement accounts, such as individual retirement accounts, are insured up to $250,000 per depositor. For more information, visit the FDIC's Web site.
Most credit unions are insured by the National Credit Union Administration, which is also an independent federal agency. Like the FDIC, the NCUA is backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government, with a basic insurance amount of $100,000 per depositor per credit union, with coverage of up to $250,000 for certain retirement accounts. For more information, visit the NCUA Web site.

Sarah Handel

1:58 PM ET | 07-29-2008 | permalink | comments (2) | e-mail post

 

Mayday!

I've always been a big fan of movies like Twister and Dante's Peak and The Day After Tomorrow. You see mankind pushed to the limit from the safety and comfort of a movie theater, or your living room. But when I watch these movies, I can't help but wonder how I would respond if I ever found myself in the middle of torrential floods or a harrowing tornado or an explosive volcano. I envision what I might do, or fail to do, in that crucial moment when escape is possible.

Journalist Amanda Ripley, who covers disasters for Time magazine, says that most people facing disaster act in surprising ways. It's not the hysterical, every-man-for-himself mentality we often see in the movies. On the contrary, people often remain surprisingly calm. She interviewed survivors from Hurricane Katrina and the attacks on the World Trade Center -- as well as survivors of fires, plane crashes, stampedes, massacres and earthquakes -- to find out what they learned from the experience. The result is a new book called The Unthinkable: Who Survives When Disaster Strikes -- and Why. She joins us today to talk about how to think clearly -- and get out alive -- in crisis situations.

And we want to hear from disaster survivors. If you've survived a fire, flood, earthquake, shooting spree, tsunami, or plane crash -- what went through your head at the time? And how'd you get out alive?

Ashley Grashaw

1:57 PM ET | 07-29-2008 | permalink | comments (9) | e-mail post

 

Does the Otter Get the Job?

In this economy, it can be tough to get a job... And once you make it to the interview stage of the proceedings, it's not getting any easier. Lynne A. Sarikas at Northeastern University has been compiling the strange questions that come up in more and more job interviews. Sure, there are places you'd expect wacky questions like, "What animal would you say you most compare to, and why?*" But banks and biotech firms are throwing interview curve balls too, so you better be prepared. They want to catch you off-guard, see how you handle the unexpected. Have you run into one of these crazy questions lately? What was it, and how did you respond?

*While I don't know my response to this question, I might be tempted to steal my Dad's -- he's long identified with sea otters, swimming on their backs and cracking open a shellfish lunch. Sounds like a great life, but I'm not sure it'd help me get a job!

Sarah Handel

1:56 PM ET | 07-29-2008 | permalink | comments (2) | e-mail post

 

July 29th Show

In our first hour today, two experts on the International Criminal Court talk about the debate on whether or not war crime tribunals work. Some complain these trials are pointless, while others say that they serve justice and allow victims to come to terms with the atrocities that were committed against them and their neighbors. And later, in our letters segment, Ambassador Richard Holbrooke continues his conversation about the meeting he had with Radovan Karadzic in Belgrade in 1995. And personal finance columnist Liz Pulliam Weston explains whether credit unions or banks are safe havens for your money during these tough economic times.

Most of us have imagined how we would respond when disaster strikes, playing out in our minds what we would or wouldn't do to make it out alive. Journalist Amanda Ripley interviewed survivors from the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center, as well as survivors of floods, fires, stampedes, and earthquakes. In our second hour, Ripley talks about what people who survived disasters learned from the experience and her new book, The Unthinkable: Who Survives When Disaster Strikes -- and Why. And of course we want to hear from you. Have you survived a plane crash, a fire or a flood? What went through your mind at the time and how did you escape?

Gwen Outen

12:45 PM ET | 07-29-2008 | permalink | e-mail post

 

Well Wishes, Russian Style

Welcome to another edition of Unintentional Hilarity. (I cannot tell you how much I look forward to this. I might start making it daily.) Today's inadvertent giggle comes courtesy of Russian President Dmitry Medvedev -- remember, he's from a part of the world known for its literature, but not necessarily its humor. (If you're going to write to me about the funny bits in Brothers K, I'll probably make fun of you, so, save it.)

In any case, here is Medvedev, attending a well-wishing ceremony for his country's Beijing-bound athletes, where -- apparently -- basketball player Andrei Kirilenko gave him the mascot that he's holding. Either he thinks the mouse (is that a mouse?) is booby trapped, or he doesn't approve of his country being represented by something so small and funny-looking. Gone are the days of the furry, stuffed hammer and/or sickle. Sigh.

Barrie Hardymon

10:35 AM ET | 07-29-2008 | permalink | comments (1) | e-mail post

 

Don't Ask? Don't Tell?

Last week, the House Armed Services personnel subcommittee held a hearing, to re-examine the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy. Of the witnesses called to testify, many said they want gays and lesbians to be able to serve freely. There were critics, also. Elaine Donnelly, president of the Center for Military Readiness, testified against any repeal. (If you haven't read Dana Milbank's assessment of Donnell'y testimony, you should.)

In the first hour today, we're going to center our conversation on "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," 15 years after it was implemented.

Ben McGrath, a staff writer for The New Yorker will join us, to talk about Maj. Alan Rogers, whom he profiles in the most-recent issue of the magazine. Rogers was, perhaps, the first gay serviceman killed in action in the war in Iraq, and as McGrath writes, he kept his two identities: as a gay man and a soldier, completely separate.

And we'll hear from Jamie Barnett, a retired rear admiral, who argues that it is time to repeal "Don't Ask, Don't Tell." "An estimated 65,000 gay men and lesbians serve in the U.S. armed forces, though by law they cannot be open about their sexuality," he writes. "As we fight two wars, our military is stretched thin. Those gay and lesbian soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines and members of the Coast Guard are essential."

What do you think? Is it time to repeal "Don't Ask, Don't Tell"? Is it working? We especially want to hear from members of the Armed forces, active or retired.

David Gura

1:59 PM ET | 07-28-2008 | permalink | comments (46) | e-mail post

 

In Defense of Cucumber Sandwiches... Kinda

Last weekend my roommate and I planned to go to the Mount Pleasant farmers market here in Washington, buy lunch ingredients and then have a picnic in Meridian Hill Park. Unfortunately, it was almost too hot to shop out doors, never mind eat outside. So instead we resigned to have a "bourgeoisie picnic" -- that is, an air-conditioned picnic -- in our living room complete with cucumber sandwiches, lemonade and prosecco. Why do I bring this up? Because it has absolutely nothing to do with the topic of today's oped. Well almost nothing. Our little "bourgeoisie picnic" WAS the image that popped into my head when I began to think about elitism all of ten minutes ago, but after reading through Mark Swed's article for the LA Times, it's quite obvious that my weekend lunch was haughty at best, but really a far cry from elite.
Rather, elitism is just a way to categorize "the best" and not only has it got a bad rep, says Mark Swed, but we should use the word more... what do you think... when is categorizing "the best" helpful... and when is it not?

Susannah George

1:58 PM ET | 07-28-2008 | permalink | comments (4) | e-mail post

 

Mystery Loves Company

I'm not convinced that mystery deserves its own genre -- after all, doesn't every kind of fiction have a mystery to be solved? But if it does, we all know who belongs in it. Giants of literature: Edgar Allen Poe, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Agatha Christie, Walter Mosley. So who are these bold new authors who want to take on the genre -- who believe they can bring something fresh to the crime novel, the thriller, or the smoky noir detective story? Tana French's crime mysteries, In the Woods and The Likeness, both kept me up with a booklight -- and Louis Bayard's literary thrillers are the reason I'm currently sleepy. We want to hear from you, Poirot-o-philes, Dashiellites, Agathans... what do you think makes a mystery modern?

Barrie Hardymon

1:57 PM ET | 07-28-2008 | permalink | comments (3) | e-mail post

 

Mad (Wo)Men

Two straight months of watching HBO's Deadwood has had an odd effect on me. My language is both worse, and better (read: filthy, but creative), and I've been thinking more seriously about the role of women in period TV drama.

If you're a woman in 1870's Deadwood, god help ye -- ironically, your career options are pretty much the same as they are in Grand Theft Auto IV. You can check the box marked whore, wife, or misfit, and be sure that you're going to get the bejeezus kicked out of you at some point. Amazingly, the women of Deadwood (the TV series, at least), kick and scream and chafe within their proscribed roles. Calamity Jane, the series misfit, has simply rejected gender roles entirely -- and is without a doubt, one of the best men in the camp. These women seem -- modern, somehow -- resigned, but momentously discontented.

Fast forward to a resigned, but much more contented lot -- the women of AMC's Mad Men, which started its second season last night. Guess what; a hundred years after the mayhem of frontier injustice, things aren't that much better (except wardrobe). Systemic sexism, universal racism, and sweaty heels damning otherwise sassy broads with "Thanks, sweetheart." It's vile. And, I'm pretty sure that even Alma Garrett would have kicked Betty Draper right in the corset. Reader, it rankles -- so much, that the slings and arrows of everyday attitudes hurt more. I saw a picture of Tina Fey in InStyle, with the caption, "From Brainy, To Beauty!" Well, thank goodness she can be pretty -- God forbid she just be smart and funny AND RUN AND WRITE HER OWN HIT TV SHOW.

So -- why does Deadwood's outright hostility toward women, bother me so much less than the viciously pleasant disdain in Mad Men? I mean, women are murdered in Deadwood. No one's trying to kill anything in Mad Men except possibly spirits (which they're also drinking heavily). I haven't yet figured this one out -- but I suspect it's because the women have bought in to the 1960's sexism. They think they have it good -- they really believe they're second class. Trixie, a prostitute in Deadwood -- knows she's totally screwed no matter what she does (no pun, etc.). She may be resigned to her fate, but she's pretty angry about it, and that, at least, is therapeutic to watch. But Betty Draper, the maligned Barbie married to our hero, Don Draper (who's a $&^%), thinks she's a lucky duck -- never mind the anxiety disorder, or that HER HUSBAND TALKS TO HER SHRINK BEHIND HER BACK. Sigh.

In the end, the real heartbreaker is that Deadwood seems like another world, but Mad Men looks familiar (I mean, I would wear all of Joan's wardrobe). It's not that long ago -- maybe my grandmother was treated this way. I understand Peggy and Joan -- I work in an office, I've cried in the bathroom, and occasionally, I need help carrying my stuff out to the car. The similarity ends there. Both my bosses ... are women.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Below, a taste of Peggy trying out liberation, as opposed to libations. Oh, And by the way -- none of the women on the show were nominated for Emmys. Sigh. Maybe they'll win some kind of beauty award.

Barrie Hardymon

1:56 PM ET | 07-28-2008 | permalink | comments (2) | e-mail post

 

July 28th Show

I'm back from vacation, Neal Conan is on vacation, and Lynn Neary is our host all week. Now that you're up to date, here's what's coming up on the show today:

In our first hour: Do ask, do tell? Last week, Congress held its first hearing on the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy on gays in the military since it was enacted fifteen years ago. According to The Chicago Tribune, "lawmakers focused on two questions: what effect a change in the policy would have on troop unity and whether the current policy is hurting recruitment and retention of service members who are gay." Tell us what you think. We'd particularly like to hear from members of the military. Fifteen years later, does "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" work?

In our second hour, we'll talk about the next generation of mystery novels. We'll talk with two modern-day mystery writers about how they create the perfect whodunit. What do you think is the most important aspect of a good page-turning thriller? Is it the setting? The main character? Or that "I knew it" plot twist at the end?

**Just to make our Monday a little more exciting, we're waiting until the last possible moment to solidify our enders for both hours today. Stay tuned, folks. We'll have something for you!

Gwen Outen

12:21 PM ET | 07-28-2008 | permalink | e-mail post

 

The Good, The Bad, and the Microeconomic

Listen -- I'm not going to pretend that it's not completely crappy out there. Gas prices, food prices, bank runs -- it feels like the economic Ragnarok. In the interests of soothing some of your anxiety though, we decided to take a moment to put it in perspective. The financial system is wounded -- but it's not broken. We'll get through this, and it's possible we'll end up with a much healthier economy in the long run. In the meantime, what are the economic indicators you should pay attention to as we wait for this slow-drip bad news to stop? Tell us what you're looking at -- and we'll give you a little advice.

Barrie Hardymon

1:59 PM ET | 07-24-2008 | permalink | comments (23) | e-mail post

 

Hero(ine) Overdose

Yes, I've seen the new Batman movie, and Iron Man, and Superman Returns, and all the Spiderman films. And I'm apparently in good company... These are all movies that made gobs of money at the box office. I'd likely plunk down my $8 for the next in each series, too. But with comic book characters winning the day in movie houses, the New York Times' A.O. Scott raises a disturbing question for any fan of the cape and mask genre:

Any comic book fan knows that a hero at the height of his powers is a few panels removed from mortal danger, and that hubris has a way of summoning new enemies out of the shadows. Are the Caped Crusader and his colleagues basking in an endless summer of triumph, or is the sun already starting to set?

And before you brush it off as some sort of overly intellectual attack on comic book films, consider the evidence... Every comic book movie must follow a simple format (good guy v. bad guy, lots of action, evil never wins), and after many years of churning out movies full of bodysuits and secret identities, Hollywood may simply be running out of creative ways to get into and out of the big showdown with the villain. As comic book movies go, A.O. Scott gives credit to The Dark Knight for stretching farther than any of its kind so far. But he argues this may represent a peak... both in terms of pushing the limits, and in representing the beginning of an inevitable decline.

Scott Cameron

1:58 PM ET | 07-24-2008 | permalink | comments (15) | e-mail post

 

Danke Schoen, Obama

Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Senator Barack Obama spoke at the Victory Column in Berlin's Tiergarten today, to a sea of people numbering in the tens of thousands. The speech was only one part of his itinerary in a week-long tour of Europe and the Middle East. In it, Obama summoned a cross-Atlantic alliance, in which he called on Europeans and Americans, together, to "defeat terror and dry up the well of extremism that supports it." He went on to say, "The walls between old allies on either side of the Atlantic cannot stand." Today we'll talk to NPR's Ron Elving, and to the director of the German Marshall Fund in Berlin, Constanze Stelzenmuller, about what the speech means, and how Obama's image is shaping up abroad.

If you heard the speech, or have questions about how it was received here or in Europe, leave your comments here.

Ashley Grashaw

1:56 PM ET | 07-24-2008 | permalink | comments (6) | e-mail post

 

An Illiterate Writer...

So mystery writer Howard Engel wakes up after a stroke one day and realizes that he has forgotten how to read. That's what his memoir Man Who Forgot How to Read is all about, well not quite, but you get the idea.
This captured my imagination from the moment I heard the pitch. I think the reason is that I recently heard an episode of WNYC's Radio Lab about a man who woke up one day and had "forgotten" how to walk (I'm sure that I'm butchering the scientific description of the loss of proprioception, but who doesn't?)
Moving on: so my first question was, if you forget how to read, can you still write? And if so what's the difference between reading and writing? When you forget how to read is it that you forget how to string letters together, or is it that you forget what a letter "Q" looks like?
Those are my questions, the first of them anyhow. What are yours?
And as an aside: I know this is a bit of a high-concept show for a Thursday afternoon, but stick with me... These conversations are incredibly compelling. Remember the interview we did about Mike May and his story about going from being blind to having sight Crashing Through. it was amazing!

Susannah George

11:34 AM ET | 07-24-2008 | permalink | comments (1) | e-mail post

 

July 24, 2008

For the last few days, Gwen and Sarah have been [patiently] training me to direct the show. Now that they're both on vacation, it's time for this little bird to leave the nest.* (Wish me luck.)

"How Bad Is It Really?" is the tentative title for the first hour. "It," you may have guessed, is the economy. We'll ask Adam Davidson, NPR's international business correspondent, to "take the temperature of the economy today." (Barrie's phrase.) And we'll ask you to tell us what indicators you use to decide whether or not the economy is good or bad.

At the end of the hour, we'll ask A.O. Scott, chief film critic for The New York Times, about superhero movies. This summer, there are tons of them. And wonders if the sun is starting to set on the genre.

In the second hour, Howard Engel, a well-known mystery novelist, will join us, to talk about his new book, The Man Who Forgot How To Read. His is a remarkable story. In 2001, a stroke rendered Engel unable to read.

And we'll hear a few excerpts from the speech Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) is expected to give today, in Berlin. Ron Elving, NPR's senior Washington editor, and Constanze Stelzenmuller, the director of the German Marshall Fund, will give us their thoughts from their respective sides of the Atlantic.

Enjoy!

*Notice how I conservatively wrote, "leave the nest," not "fly."

David Gura

11:06 AM ET | 07-24-2008 | permalink | comments (1) | e-mail post

 

Pot vs. Kettle

Welcome to the second installment in our weekly photo series, Unintentional Hilarity! Today, peruse the photo above, and marvel at its subject. Here's the scoop. Formula One boss Max Mosley sued the British tabloid News of the World for invasion of privacy. He was accused in print of playing "sick Nazi sex games" in an orgy with several women. First of all -- really? Nazi-themed? How do you do that? Second of all, the guy in the photo is the editor of News of the World, and the picture definitely looks as if it's the pot calling the kettle Nazi. That's all I'm sayin'. Meanwhile, the kettle is pretty iffy, too -- Max Mosely is the son of a famous Hitler sympathizer and fascist (Oswald Mosely, if you must know). Anyhoo, Mosely won his suit, and can go back to regular themed orgies whenever he chooses. But watch out for that editor. He looks screwy.

Barrie Hardymon

9:06 AM ET | 07-24-2008 | permalink | comments (1) | e-mail post

 

PoJu Smorgasbord

Three things up for your consideration on today's Newseum edition of the Political Junkie (NEPOJU). First, Ken Rudin. Need we say more? Second, Senator Barack Obama's trip has been more than covered (see third topic), and we wondered -- what's it like to go on one of these junkets? Representative Christopher Shays (R-CT) has gone to Iraq 20 TIMES since 2003 -- he's got the lowdown. And then, last but not least -- media coverage of Senators Barack Obama and John McCain has people talking -- critics charge that the coverage of Obama's trip proves that there's a love affair going on. For more commentary, you must check out this hilarious Colbert clip. Enjoy.

Barrie Hardymon

1:59 PM ET | 07-23-2008 | permalink | comments (13) | e-mail post

 

Fugitive No More

Bosnian Serb wartime fugitive Radovan Karadzic was arrested by Serbian forces on Monday after more than a decade on the run. An estimated 100,000 people died in the Bosnian war, and another 1.8 million were driven from their homes. Karadzic has been indicted with charges of genocide and crimes against humanity. His war crimes trial is likely to begin at the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia in The Hague within days.

Karadzic wore thick glasses and grew a bushy white beard to conceal his well-known face, and worked as a doctor of alternative medicine under an alias. His arrest brings Serbia one step closer to admission into the European Union.

In an op-ed for The Washington Post titled "The Face of Evil," Ambassador Richard Holbrooke describes his meeting with Radovan Karadzic during the 1995 Dayton Peace Accords:

I had told each member of our negotiating team to decide for himself or herself whether to shake hands with the mass murderers. I hated these men for what they had done. [...] I did not shake hands, although both Karadzic and Mladic tried to. Some of our team did; others did not.

Holbrooke joins us today to discuss what Karadzic's capture means... for Bosnia, Serbia, and for war crimes tribunals. If you have questions about how the war crimes trial will proceed, or what Karadzic's capture means, leave them here.

Ashley Grashaw

1:58 PM ET | 07-23-2008 | permalink | comments (7) | e-mail post

 

A Thousand Words

Earlier this month, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard released a photograph of a missile launch, which Agence France-Presse distributed to news organizations around the world. It showed four missiles, in the air, shortly after ignition. As it turns out, that picture had been doctored. Another -- almost identical -- photograph, of the same site, showed three airborne missiles.

And just a week before, FOX News aired two manipulated photographs -- of Jacques Steinberg, a reporter for The New York Times, and Steven Reddicliffe, an editor at the newspaper. Their eyes had dark circles around them, their teeth had been yellowed, and their faces had been stretched.

Hany Farid, who teaches computer science at Dartmouth College, studies digital image forensics. His article, "Photo Tampering Throughout History," has dozens of examples of creative -- and dubious -- cropping, dodging, and blurring.

We'll hear from Farid and Vincent Laforet, a commercial and editorial photographer, based in New York. For many years, he was a staff photographer at The New York Times.

Do you care if the photographs you see in your newspapers and magazines, or on the Internet, have been changed? If only slightly? If so, why? And if you have any questions for Farid or Laforet, we'll take those too.

David Gura

1:57 PM ET | 07-23-2008 | permalink | comments (23) | e-mail post

 

No Half-Caf No-Foam Venti Cap for You!

It's official: Starbucks is closing 600 stores across the U.S. I find it absolutely fascinating, and lack the historical memory to think of an analogous situation. Simply put, Starbucks is polarizing. I remember when 'Bucks moved into my college town. Athens, GA, when I was there, was a town proud of its local, independent coffee. We had a variety of choices, and I visited each coffehouse depending on my mood. When I wanted to get some fake studying done, I went to the hyper-social Blue Sky, right on College Avenue. I was always sure to run into a few people I knew there, and it was my favorite for a long time. Jittery Joe's had three locations I frequented -- the one by the 40 Watt, where I was likely to run into some cute skaters; the dark, cozy, intellectual one in 5 Points where heavy tapestries soaked up the aroma of coffee so thoroughly that an actual mug of the stuff was just a bonus; and the converted church that contained the roaster for the empire, where I "studied" with friends, our laughter bouncing off the wooden beams high on the ceiling. Have I convinced you, yet, that I love a local coffeehouse? So when Starbucks moved in just a few doors from Blue Sky, I moaned and groaned the the best of 'em. OH, "the man" is coming to kill our indies, blah blah blah. But you know what? I'm not sure that is what killed them. And I've read that in some areas, Starbucks may have fostered a coffee culture that actually supported and encouraged the independent shops. So, sure. Some die-hards will cheer the closing of 600 outposts of the evil empire. But elsewhere, folks are banding together to save their Starbucks. What do you think about Starbucks? Do you have one nearby? Do you go? And if your local is one that's closing, are you upset about it?

Sarah Handel

1:56 PM ET | 07-23-2008 | permalink | comments (30) | e-mail post

 

July 23rd Show

TOTN's always a hive of activity on Newseum Wednesdays, and here's what we're buzzing about. In our first hour, as ever, Political Junkie Ken Rudin's got all the best bits of political news for you from the last week, and a doozy of a trivia question. And Rep. Chris Shays (R-CT) joins us to talk about trips to Iraq, plus Republican strategist Vin Weber. That's a whole lotta politics, people. We'll follow that with Ambassador Richard Holbrooke -- he's delighted with the capture of Radovan Karadzic, a man he called "One of the worst men in the world, the Osama bin Laden of Europe... A major, major thug has been removed from the public scene."

In our second hour, doctored photographs. After news hit that the photo of the Iran nuclear test that was widely distributed had been altered, we all took a closer look at it. So today, a discussion about the ethics of photojournalism, and how to detect a photo has been manipulated. Finally, Starbucks announced recently that it'll close 600 stores in the U.S. this summer. We want to know how the closures are affecting the communities -- Newark, for example, saw its Starbucks as a sign of its relevance and acceptability, and now some Newarkians (?) are banding together to try to save it.

Sarah Handel

12:37 PM ET | 07-23-2008 | permalink | e-mail post

 

CD Love

I'm having the hardest time breaking up with my CD collection. Every time I move, packing up the CDs in perfect stacks so that when I unload them they stay in order is one of my major tasks, and the unload's even trickier -- do I remember my master plan, and pull the discs out correctly? The placement of the towered shelving is always one of my first decisions, and I'm not even some crazy audiophile with thousands of albums. As everyone switched to MP3s, though, I found myself clinging to the artifact. And as much as CD sleeves pale next to gatefold LP covers, they still mean something to me. I know exactly the texture of the paper used for Perfect From Now On. I know how some sleeves -- Whip-Smart comes to mind -- smell waxy. And I feel acutely disappointed every time I open a CD that has a simple page, printed only on one side, inserted in the cover. Even though I have to constantly cull my collection to make room for new music (for whatever reason, I refuse to buy more shelving), I keep buying the actual hard copies of albums. I'm trying to get on-board with downloading music, though. It's less expensive, more environmentally sound, and less space-consuming, true. I had a long conversation Friday with one of NPR's music geniuses, and after our conversation about music I just had to hear, I told him, "I'll download the Bon Iver in the morning, I promise, but I also know I'll forget every other record we've talked about so you'll have to remind me." It was my way of forcing myself into pressing "Buy" instead of standing in line at Best Buy. Sure enough, I did it. But I don't feel good about it. I don't feel like I really own the music, even though it's sitting on my iPod, and I can even see the cover art. Plus, I have an old-school fear of my computer freaking out and losing all my music -- what then? Have you switched to buying MP3s instead of 7-inches and CDs? Have you struggled with it? If so, what convinced you to do it?

Sarah Handel

10:14 AM ET | 07-23-2008 | permalink | comments (2) | e-mail post

 

Prisoner Swap

I was talking to my father the other night, and, as usual, he asked me which segments I'm working on here at Talk of the Nation. I told him that I'm putting together a show on prisoner swaps; and, after I gave him the rundown on the different guests I was considering, he told me that Mohammed Abu Nasser, the man who kidnapped him back in 1989, had been released in a prisoner swap prior to the kidnapping. (Btw my father is fine. He was held for less than two days, and he was treated well. He says that he was served some amazing traditional Palestinian food during that time.) My family doesn't talk about the kidnapping very much, but I bring it up because it is a perfect example of why people oppose prisoner swaps. Not only does it mean that governments have to negotiate with entities they deem terrorists (Israel and Hezbollah), but often there was a reason those people were in prison in the first place. Yet, countries still do it. Why?

Today we are talking to Haaretz Defense Correspondent Amos Harel; author, former Israeli politician, and one-time "swapee" Natan Shransky; and Civil War historian Jeffry Wert about the logic behind prisoner swaps.

What do you think? If you were taken prisoner during a war or conflict, would you want your government to swap you?

Susannah George

1:59 PM ET | 07-22-2008 | permalink | comments (10) | e-mail post

 

"There's Something Funny Going On At the Bank, George..."

Above, you will find the cultural touchstone that we all imagine when we think of the term "bank run." George Bailey, handing out his honeymoon stash, as the town of Bedford Falls converges on the Building and Loan.

Below, you will see a much less charming version -- as customers raid the collapsing IndyMac bank.

Turns out, the history of bank runs is uniquely American -- and more interesting than you'd think. Jane Kamensky fills us in on the bank panics in between these two. Any questions? Post 'em here, or rent It's A Wonderful Life.