We started a new tradition on the show last year, which I'm just going to blatantly steal for the blog today. My extended family will gather around a dining room table outside Chicago this afternoon, and they'll happily eat, drink, talk, laugh, argue, and do all the things families usually do when they get together.

I will not be there.

Thankfully, I am healthy and happy, and I will be sitting down to a lovely Thanksgiving dinner in my own home today. But many of you have people who are missing from the table this year -- for any number of reasons. Some are working or out of town, others are deployed or stationed overseas, and some have passed away. Tell us about those who are not at your table this year.

Gobble Gobble Everyone!! Here's what's happening on the show today:

So my sister informed me yesterday that my Christmas gift this year will be a lesson from her and our mother on how to cook a Christmas dinner. Now, granted, I am in dire need of such a lesson. And it is better to give than to receive, so in essence I will be giving them a full course meal that day. But I couldn't help but think, "Dang, times are hard out here. Is that ALL I'm getting for Christmas?" Amy Dickinson, syndicated columnist behind the Chicago Tribune's "Ask Amy" column will be our guest in the first hour to talk about the ways the current economy is forcing us to bend the rules this Christmas season (re-gifting anyone?) and how to tell someone, "Sorry, you won't be getting anything this year." Hmm, maybe suggest giving a lesson on basting a turkey instead!! Following that, a reporter in a hotel in India will give us an update on the series of terror attacks in India's financial hub of Mumbai. Then, NPR's Gwen Thompkins will join us from Goma, Congo to talk about what it's like to report from the region and how she plans to spend her Thanksgiving holiday.

Today is a day to give thanks, and a lot of you are returning to your home state to meet with family and friends. So in our second hour we want to ask you what you are thankful for about your home state... or why you're thankful that you left! We'll talk to the co-editor of a new book entitled State by State: A Panoramic Portrait of America, and two contributors to the book will explain what they love about their home states of Ohio and North Carolina. At the end of the hour, you will be the guest. Tell us who is NOT at your Thanksgiving table this year, and why.

Enjoy your Thanksgiving!!!

We're down a couple of bloggers today, so I'll have to keep this short. As I write this, I'm at my desk in Washington. Across from me are three empty seats, another empty desk sits behind me, and in the far end of the room the office door has yet to open. It's the first sign of a holiday at TOTN. A hard-core group of about a half-dozen of us are holding down the fort today. I know we have lots of truck drivers, EMT's, doctors, nurses, firefighters, police officers, etc in our audience. Are any of you working on the holiday today? What do you do?

Want to know what the movie Twilight is all about? Watch the trailer.

If you're a purist, you can find an excerpt of the book Twilight.

And HBO's "True Blood" is only on premium cable, but you can get a peek online.

The Swedish film, "Let the Right One In," is another vampire movie getting a lot of buzz in theaters.

And, of course, Eric Nuzum's vampire tome, The Dead Travel Fast: Stalking Vampires from Nosferatu to Count Chocula

For their new book, State By State: A Panoramic Portrait of America, Matt Weiland and Sean Wilsey asked 51 writers, from George Packer to Ha Jin, Anthony Bourdain to Jhumpa Lahiri, to follow these directions:

Tell us a story about your state, the more personal the better, something that captures the essence of the place. Not the kind of story one hears in a musty lecture hall or one reads in the dusty pages of an encyclopedia. The kind of story the enlisted soldier tells his boot-camp bunkmate about back home. The kind of story, wistful and wise, that begins, "Well, I don't know about you, but where I come from..."

The result: a collection of short essays, modeled after similar guides from the 1930s, published by the Works Progress Administration.

We're asking you to follow Weiland and Wilsey's instructions. Give us a 100-word story about your state. (You can leave it as a comment here, for consideration -- and for peer review.) On tomorrow's show, we'll talk to Wilsey, and to some of the men and women who contributed to his book. We'll also read a few listener stories.

Here's a quick look at today's show:

It's time for the Political Junkie. Ken Rudin is somewhere between here and the Jersey turnpike... far from Studio 3A. But it turns out there are many political junkies out there. In our first hour, our guest junkie Matt Bai, writer for The New York Times Magazine, will flesh out this week's news in politics. And Lanny Davis, former special counsel to President Clinton, will discuss president-elect Barack Obama's Cabinet and White House picks. At the end of the hour, (speaking of the Jersey turnpike) we want to hear about your favorite rest stops along America's highways. Call, email or blog your nominations. What makes that stop so... restful?

We're definitely on a driving theme today. Ever wonder why you get so angry behind the wheel, say, if someone cuts you off, or (where's my horn!!!!) comes to a dead stop in front of you at the mouth of the merge lane? UGH!! Or why we gun it in a 35 mph zone, but patiently stop all alone at a red light at four in the morning. Author Tom Vanderbilt has written a fascinating book called Traffic where he examines what our driving (and hostility) says about us. He even looks at why traffic jams form and then, "poof", disappear for no apparent reason. I've always wondered about that one. Then, we'll go from driving to biting. Eric Nuzum, NPR's pop culture critic and resident vampire expert, will give his review of the new movie "Twilight" and explains why vampires are all the rage!!

A few months ago, just after President Bush announced his economic stimulus plan, I received an email from the Internal Revenue Service. Or so I thought.

The message looked authentic, from the color scheme to the font. There was a link to a website, which also looked legit. If I filled out a form, it read, with pieces of pertinent financial information (checking account number, social security number, etc.), the IRS would directly deposit my rebate check in my bank account.

Right.

Suspicious, I looked at the web address. It was something spurious.

Every day, thousands of people fall victim to scams -- by phone, online, and in person. If you get an email like the one I got, which raises a red flag or two, you can use these sites to check their veracity:

The AARP keeps a list of scams, and offers advice on what you should do if you think you have been, or might be, scammed.

The FBI has recommendations.

And craigslist, trading post for everything and anything, advises prospective buyers to be wary, too.

So, you've been listening to our segment on the boundaries (or lack thereof) to Photoshop and the personal picture album, and decided that you'd like to try your hand at removing your ex-boyfriend from your prom picture, here are a few places that will give you good beginner tips:

The New York Institute of Photography has some very easy instructions for all kinds of photo fixing.
Want to make a photo look mysterious? Try black and white. Or...
Got an old black and white photo you'd like to see in color? Check this out.
An easy way to work with layers, and get a formal effect.
And my favorite -- retouching for beginners.

Even better than real life!

This NYT essay caught my eye... it's part economic story, part family history. Anand Giridharadas left the country he grew up in to find work in a country overseas. The catch: the country he left is the United States; and the country he moved to is the place his parents left to find a better life: India.

Which raises a heart-stirring question: If our parents left India and trudged westward for us, if they manufactured from scratch a new life there for us, if they slogged, saved, sacrificed to make our lives lighter than theirs, then what does it mean when we choose to migrate to the place they forsook? If we are here, what are they doing there?

At a press conference this morning, in the Hilton Chicago, President-elect Barack Obama announced four members of his economic team: Timothy Geithner, Lawrence Summers, Christina Romer, and Melody Barnes.

So, who are the number crunchers in this quartet? And can they match Murdock, B. A. Baracus, Hannibal and Faceman? (We'll leave that to history.)

TIMOTHY GEITHNER
* Obama's nominee for Secretary of the Treasury
* Current president and chief executive officer of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York
* Vice chairman and permanent member of the Federal Open Market Committee
* In the words of the President-elect: "Having served in senior roles at the Treasury, the IMF and the New York Fed, Tim Geithner offers not just extensive experience shaping economic policy and managing financial markets -- but an unparalleled understanding of our current economic crisis in all of its depth, complexity and urgency."

LAWRENCE SUMMERS
* Will coordinate the Obama administration's economic policies
* Former Secretary of the Treasury
* Charles W. Eliot University Professor at Harvard University
* Former president of Harvard University, although he may want you to forget that chapter
* In the words of the President-elect: "...as one of the great economic minds of our time, Larry has earned a global reputation for being able to cut to the heart of the most complex and novel policy challenges. With respect to both our current financial crisis, and other pressing economic issues of our time, his thinking, writing and speaking have set the terms of the debate."

CHRISTINA ROMER
* Obama's nominee to chair his Council of Economic Advisors
* Class of 1957-Garff B. Wilson Professor of Economics, University of California at Berkeley
* Co-director of the Program in Monetary Economics at the National Bureau of Economic Research
* In the words of the President-elect: "Christina has done groundbreaking research on many of the topics our Administration will confront -- from tax policy to fighting recessions. And her clear-eyed, independent analyses have received praise from both conservative and liberal thinkers alike."

MELODY BARNES
* Obama's choice to be Director of his Domestic Policy Council
* Executive Vice President for Policy at the Center for American Progress
* Former Chief Counsel to Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-MA) on the Senate Judiciary Committee
* In the words of the President-elect:"Melody's brilliant legal mind -- and her long experience working to secure the liberties on which this nation was founded and secure opportunity for those left behind -- make her a perfect fit for DPC Director"

This week, Sean Penn's latest Oscar-baiting performance, as Harvey Milk, the first openly gay man to be elected to public office in California, hits the big screen. It's also the week -- 30 years ago -- that Harvey Milk and San Francisco Mayor George R. Moscone were gunned down in their offices at City Hall. It's a troubling memory for Josh Getlin, the Los Angeles Times reporter who was a deputy press secretary and speech writer for the late Moscone, who saw the killer that very morning.

We're talking to Getlin today about his memories of Mayor Moscone, but I was struck also by the account of Sen. Dianne Feinstein's experience during the Milk/Moscone murders in Maureen Dowd's column on Saturday. She became mayor shortly after the shooting.

Bio-pics are often big budget, scenery heavy films, but it's good to remember the folks that saw the "bio" part of the pic actually happen.

"But what I really like about you, Governor Schwarzenegger, is your socks."

Source: Gabriel Bouys/AFP/Getty Images

 

California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger meets with South Korean President Lee Myung-bak, today. Is it ever possible to forget Arnold is... well, Arnold?

Security contractors from Blackwater, USA securing a road in Baghdad.

Ahmad Al-Rubaye/AFP/Getty Images

 

Blackwater, Custer Battles, DynCorps, Triple Canopy, Agility Logistics. They're among the more than 300 security contractors reported to have worked for the United States government in Iraq. They protect U.S. and Iraqi officials, guard buildings and convoys. Contractors are often former military. They are generally well armed, and well paid. But, there is very little direct oversight by the government or military. Since the war began in 2003, several controversial events have come up. NPR's Corey Flintoff compiled a timeline of several notable events involving Blackwater USA, to which I'll add several other dates:

March 2004: Iraqi insurgents kill four Blackwater contractors in Fallujah, Iraq. Their bodies are set afire and dragged through the streets before being hanged from a bridge over the Euphrates River. The incident was one of the factors leading to the first Battle of Fallujah in April, in which the American military tried unsuccessfully to capture the city.

June 2004: Coalitional Provisional Authority chief Paul Bremer issues Order 17, making private contractors immune from Iraqi law.

September 2004: Private contractor Custer Battles is barred by the Pentagon from receiving further U.S. government contracts.

June 2005: Blackwater guards shoot and kill an Iraqi man in Hilla, south of Baghdad. The guards fail to report the incident, which a U.S. State Department memo describes as "the random death of an innocent Iraqi citizen."

September 2006: A Blackwater security convoy traveling on the wrong side of the road collides with a civilian vehicle. Blackwater personnel reported that they couldn't rescue the civilian driver, because his car burst into flames.

December 2006: A Blackwater guard is accused of killing one of the security guards of Iraq's vice president in the Green Zone. Blackwater fires the man for "violating alcohol and firearm policy," but he is not prosecuted.

September 2007: Blackwater guards on a State Department convoy open fire in Nisoor Square in Baghdad, killing 17 Iraqis and wounding about two dozen others. An FBI investigation finds that at least 14 of the shootings were not justified.

November 2008: Federal prosecutors draft an indictment against six Blackwater security guards who killed 17 civilians in a crowded square in Baghdad.

A Great Depression era family in California.

Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, FSA-OWI Collection

 

It seems folks have become pretty comfortable throwing around the R-word: Recession. Recently, however, fears of the D-word have crept into conversations around me: What if we end up in a depression? The family above knows depression -- the Great Depression. Famed photographer Dorothea Lange captured their image -- and their story. According to her, this family of 13 moved to California in 1936, after they were forced out of Oklahoma by the drought:

Since then has been traveling from crop to crop in California, following the harvest. Six of the eleven children attend school wherever the family stops long enough. Five older children work along with the father and mother. February 23, two of the family have been lucky and "got a place" (a day's work) in the peas on the Sinclair ranch. Father had earned about one dollar and seventy-three cents for ten-hour day. Oldest daughter had earned one dollar and twenty-five cents. Form [From] these earnings had to provide their transportation to the fields twenty miles away. Mother wants to return to Oklahoma, father unwilling.She says, "I want to go back to where we can live happym [happy] live decent, and grow what we eat." He says, "We can't go the way I am now. We've got nothing in the world to farm with. I made my mistake when I came out here."

That was the Depression. That's how a depression, as Americans know it, looked. And there's more. Below are the children of a turpentine worker near Cordele, Alabama. Their father earns one dollar a day.

Children of a turpentine worker, 1936.

Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, FSA-OWI Collection

 

You can find more stories from the Depression, originally published in Michigan History Magazine in 1982, here, and a collection of Depression-era recipes here.

Michelle Obama will soon be the First Lady of the United States. While her resume is just as impressive as her husband's, the media seems to be more focused on what she's wearing... and Michelle Obama has said she plans to be "mom-in-chief" when she gets to the White House. In our first hour, we want to discuss how YOU see Michelle Obama. We'll be joined by Michel Martin, host of NPR's Tell Me More, and Salon.com writer Rebecca Traister who wrote an article for Salon entitled, "The Momification of Michelle Obama." After that, we'll look at where to draw the "blame game" line when it comes to the ban on gay marriage in California. Who passed Prop 8?

In our second hour, we'll talk with Pultizer Prize winning reporter Steve Fainaru about the role security contractors play in Iraq. Fainaru has traveled to Iraq eleven times since the start of the war with a focus on private secuity contractors. He documented this facet of the military in his new book, Big Boy Rules: America's Mercenaries Fighting In Iraq. Then, we'll talk about the parallel comparisons of the current financial crisis with the major economic downturn that began in 1929. We want to hear from those of you who actually lived through the Great Depression. What was it like, and what did you learn?

This book is actually good.

Source: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Dear Tweenagers* --

I know you're getting all gussied up to go to the mall at midnight and watch Bella and Edward smolder at each other. You're probably knee-deep in kohl (that's eyeliner, kids!) and that Wet 'N Wild lip pencil that should be named "Undead," so I'll make it quick in case you smudge your laptop.

I don't want to belittle the Twilight series too much -- first of all, I really admire Stephanie Meyer's work ethic, and second of all, I like it when people your age (youngsters! as my mom used to say) read. After all, there's so much good reading for you to do! Also, I love vamps, from Nosferatu to Buffy, and I'll roll with a good sex/death metaphor a pretty long way.

Okay, so, prepare for the sacrilege, here. What really bugs me isn't the schlock ("Look after my heart, I've left it with you."), or the redundant descriptions of how beautiful Edward is (He's hot! He's pale! He's dangerous! He's a VAMPIRE!). It's the conceit that someone as smart as Bella would run off with a dude who seems to only dig her because she smells good. Ladies, hear me now. You can do better. Find a guy that makes you laugh, and loves your flaws -- a Mr. Knightley instead of a Mr. Rochester.

And in the meantime, if you must get dark and deep, read Meredith Ann Pierce's excellent Darkangel series. It's still hot, I promise you.

That's it. Have fun at the movies if you must, but don't stay out too late. There are much worse things then the Volturi clan waiting for you -- and most of them are human.

Best of luck,
Barrie

*I know, the chances that a tween would be reading this are as great as a tween knowing the difference between the Messrs. Knightley and Rochester.

You too, can buy an expensive handbag for less than half its price, and then overfill it until it looks like a garbage sack anyway.

Source: Barrie Hardymon

So, you've spotted something gorgeous online while working. (Sometimes Bluefly gives me story ideas!) And let us also suppose that you are quite deserving of a little soupcon -- an eensy lagniappe that would make you work even harder in the future. (I've picked something very extravagant, yes, but that's because I've been working reeeeaaaally hard.) But no way are you going to pay upwards of five bills for that thing! Here's how:

1.) Get a pen and pencil. And maybe a cup of tea! (You have to keep your strength up.)
2.) Find five websites that carry it. Or ten! (It depends on your stamina.) Do a bunch of searches for the different names of the item -- and keep those windows open in tabs, or if you prefer, write down the websites.
3.) Note which websites have free shipping standard (many of them do now), or which have free shipping over a certain amount.
4.) All right, people -- here's the thrilling bit (Take a bracing sip of tea): Head for the coupon meccas of the web! My favorite is this one: RetailMeNot. I usually hit it first, and find what I need. And check the comments section there too -- the community is really great at pinpointing how to use codes properly. I really like NaughtyCodes, which collects coupons that are sent to select customers only. Of course, there's always DealCatcher, Currentcodes, Couponmountain, and the active folks at Fatwallet.
5) Now start comparing prices! And don't forget to include shipping. A 20% off coupon doesn't mean anything if the store is going to nail you on the taxes and shipping (I'm looking at you, RH).
6) Bingo! Found it for 30% off, free shipping! Now that nasty $528 purse is a cool $369. Wait. That's still kind of expensive. Sigh.
7) Do this every time, for every thing! You will save so much money. I don't buy cat litter without comparing online coupons -- and I'm getting to the point where paying shipping costs seems idiotic.
8) Waterproof your fancy new bag as soon as you get it. (You can find a coupon for leather treatments, too.)
9) Repeat.

The Saudi-owned oil tanker hijacked by Somali pirates.

William S. Stevens/U.S. Navy via Getty Images

 

The more frequently I hear reports about pirates commandeering oil tankers and taking hostages, the more agitated I become. It's all about semantics*. When I think of pirates, I think of Johnny Depp, I think of Captain Hook and Smee, and I think of that little lego guy. What I do not think of, however, is scary thugs taking down ships and gathering hostages off the coast of Africa. Of course, actual pirates were and continue to be terrifying criminals (as opposed to swashbuckling rogues), but to me, anyway, the Disney-fication of their vocation has changed things. Many of us at TOTN are having a little trouble calling them pirates, and today we brainstormed some new ways to talk about the high-seas hijackers. Or nautical terrorists. Or maritime marauders. What do you think? Am I being ridiculously nit-picky, or is there something a little strange about calling these criminals "pirates"?

*Shocking, I know.

Sen. Ted Stevens is out, Sen. Joe Lieberman is in, and Senate races in Minnesota and Georgia are still undecided. There's a lot going on in politics, and our own Political Junkie Ken Rudin will help us sort it all out in our first hour. Also, could Sen. Hillary Clinton be our next Secretary of State? Maybe. Maybe not. But you've gotta admit the vetting process is an interesting one. We'll talk about Hillary Clinton's chances, and if she even wants the job... or would be good at it. After that (and this week's trivia question), we'll discuss the talk that's been surrounding President-elect Barack Obama's Blackberry use. Obama's advisors say he's addicted to it, but using it could pose a security risk... which means he may be forced to let it go come January. But guest Jonathan Alter of Newsweek says: Obama! Keep the Blackberry! Alter will explain why Obama needs to stay plugged in at the end of the hour. Have you ever suffered from Blackberry withdrawal?

If there are any friends or family members of mine who are reading this post, please be advised: You will not be getting any Christmas presents from me this year. Seriously. No, I mean it. I may get creative this year, though. If it's something that I made or something that I baked, I may catch the Christmas spirit, wrap it up, and give it to someone. But you've got to admit... it will take some creativity to get through the holidays in the middle of this financial crisis. In our second hour, Ylan Mui, retail reporter for The Washington Post, will tell us what stores and malls are doing to separate us from our cash. Following that, we'll talk with Derek Reveron of the Naval War College about the pirate hijacking of a Saudi supertanker off the coast of Africa that happened earlier this week. And a National Geographic staff writer will tell us what he learned about pirates after he spent time with them in Southeast Asia.

"Wait, wait. I have change. This is a dime, right? No, I never remove my sunglasses."

Source: Francois Guillot/AFP/Getty Image

 

Karl Lagerfeld inspecting a gold coin worth 5,900 euros (that's 7,440 dollars), with 'Coco' Chanel on it -- he designed 10,000 of the coins. He's wearing fishnet leather driving gloves. That's all.

It's not surprising that so much of the research on Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) has focused on boys -- boys tend to be squeaky wheels in that department, exhibiting disruptive behaviors. Girls might never utter a word, but sit silently, staring out the window, unable to concentrate. However, research does show that ADHD in girls is just as detrimental, leading to substance abuse, eating disorders, depression -- and it's not a short-term disorder.

If you suspect that your daughter is struggling with ADHD, it's a good idea to talk to a doctor about it -- but here's the link to the National Institute of Mental Health's page on ADHD -- scroll down and you'll find a symptom list, and a helpful chart that will tell you what kind of professionals can help you with treatment and diagnosis. Also, Scholastic has a helpful list of ADHD behaviors that teachers can look for in their female students, like excessive emotionality, extreme untidiness, or unfinished work.

Remember, the most important thing is to get a professional opinion -- so stop reading this blog and talk to your doctor.

We're all ears, Sen. Lieberman!

Mark Wilson/Getty Images

 

It's no secret Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-CT) supported Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) for president, and today we learned that, in spite of it all, he'll get to keep the chairmanship of the Senate Homeland Security Committee. Talk about turning the other cheek! So, what, exactly, is "it all?" Here are some of Lieberman's ring-shaking Obama slams... Or, more accurately, wiggly, vaguely equivocal put-downs...

Marxist? Maybe. In April, on the Brian and the Judge radio show, Fox News' senior judicial analyst Judge Andrew Napolitano asked Lieberman if Obama might be a Marxist. Lieberman responded,

I must say that's a good question. I know him now for a little more than three years since he came into the Senate and he's obviously very smart and he's a good guy. I will tell ya that during this campaign, I've learned some things about him, about the kind of environment from which he came ideologically. And I wouldn't...I'd hesitate to say he's a Marxist, but he's got some positions that are far to the left of me and I think mainstream America.

Probably Bad for America. At a foreign policy forum held at at the University of Minnesota's Hubert H. Humphrey School of Public Affairs, Lieberman delicately denigrated Obama's trade policies:

If Senator Obama really follows through on some of the things he's said, I think that those anti-trade policies will have the net effect of putting us -- I don't want to be alarmist but putting us into a lot worse shape economically than we otherwise would be, let me be as diplomatic as that... This is a fateful decision.

Kinda Unpatriotic. Stumping for McCain in York, Penn., in August, Lieberman let the crowd know the real choice, as he saw it, in the race for the presidency,

...between one candidate, John McCain, who has always put his country first, worked across party lines to get things done, and one candidate that has not.

So, now that we know Lieberman will keep his seat, he's going to have to work with this possibly Marxist, potentially unpatriotic president-elect and his bad ideas. Good luck with that, fellas!

"Keep your friends close... and your enemies closer." It's an easy thing to say (especially if you say it in your iciest Michael Corleone voice) but is it an easy - or wise - thing to DO? President-elect Barack Obama is seriously considering it... modeling the gutsy move after President Abraham Lincoln who courageously gave several posts in his cabinet to his politcal enemies. In our first hour today, we'll look at the consequences of rubbing elbows and making nice with your "frenemies." Have you had to do it at work or in your personal life? Do you regret it, or did you make it work to your advantage? At the end of the hour, we'll talk about Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban who has been charged with insider trading by the SEC. Have we learned nothing from Martha Stewart?

In our second hour, we'll talk about the effects of ADHD on young girls. Although a majority of ADHD studies have concentrated on boys, some recent research found that just as many girls struggle with the disorder but tend to be overlooked. We'll talk with a researcher on girls with ADHD about why they are under-diagnosed. And we want to hear from you, particularly women and girls with ADHD, and the parents of girls struggling with the disorder. Call us or send in your blog and email comments. At the end of the hour, we'll talk about Sen. Joe Lieberman and his political future. Senate Democrats have allowed Lieberman to hold his post as chairman of the Senate Homeland Security Committee in a vote on Capitol Hill this morning. What does this mean for Congress... and for the Democratic Party?

Eligible for membership with the American Mustache Institute.

Source: Darny

Who knew there was an American Mustache Institute (stated goal: "facial-hair advocacy")? As a bearded American, you'd think I'd know these things. And any group that has a "Robert Goulet Memorial Mustached American of the Year Award" (congrats to 2008 winner Tim Galvin) deserves a little recognition.

Matt Kasper hit the road for the River Front Times to visit their yearly get-together:

Welcome to the 'stache Bash, an annual affair hosted by the St. Louis-based American Mustache Institute. Total membership: Eight. If you don't have a mustache, organizers are only too happy to provide one for you. Some 1,000 people have bucked up a $25 cover charge this October night to pay homage to the mustache. At 9:30 p.m., Aaron Perlut, the director of the three-year-old Institute, bounds onstage in floppy yellow shoes and a tuxedo top. Perlut's brother and dad are both wearing lab coats and stethoscopes - the standard uniform, one reckons, for mustacheologists.

And the Institute isn't just all fuzzy fun and games. They occasionally come to the defense of maligned mustached Americans, according to Kasper:

A news story about an Ohio police officer who's been suspended for the girth of his mustache is drawing attention. The Institute sent an e-mail protesting the decision to officials in Sylvania Township, Ohio. "Indeed, one of our inalienable rights as Americans is the freedom of expression as long as it does not pose a safety threat to our fellow citizens," the e-mail read. "But despite this, the Mustached American people have faced grave discrimination in this nation, as so few of us find our ways into positions of authority or leadership outside law enforcement."

My Google search for "American Beard Institute" doesn't turn up anything obvious. Maybe it's time to start one. Neal can be our spokes-beard-person. Anyone with me?

Grey days spent in the red at GM.

Bill Pugliano/Getty Images

 

In putting together today's show about the struggling, gasping, floundering American auto industry, producers read a lot, naturally. If you've heard the show and you still don't know where you stand, here's a roundup of opinions that may bring you some clarity:

Bail 'em out now, and quickly: Jeffrey D. Sachs in The Washington Post:

A government-supported restructuring of the auto industry is urgently needed for our economic and energy security... Washington should seize the opportunity to begin a new era of U.S. technological leadership in the global auto industry, starting with an immediate loan.

Just say no to Detroit: Finance professor David Yermack in The Wall Street Journal:

We would do better to set this money on fire rather than using it to keep these dying firms on life support, setting them up for even more money-losing investments in the future.

Do it for the troops, who need Humvees: Retired Army general Wesley Clark in The New York Times:

In 1991, the Persian Gulf war demonstrated the awesome utility of American land power, and the Humvee (and its civilian version, the Hummer) became a star... The lives of hundreds of soldiers and marines have been saved, and their tasks made more achievable, by the efforts of the American automotive industry.

Even a bailout's not enough: Paul Ingrassia in The Wall Street Journal:

In return for any direct government aid, the board and the management should go. Shareholders should lose their paltry remaining equity. And a government-appointed receiver -- someone hard-nosed and nonpolitical -- should have broad power to revamp GM with a viable business plan and return it to a private operation as soon as possible.

OK, after all that, now what do you think?

On our air, this election has been about many things, but especially race.

We've talked with Lani Guinier about what this American moment means to African-Americans.

We've asked the question, "Has the election of Barack Obama made you re-think how you treat others?"

And we've gathered folks like Mayor Michael Coleman, Gary Bauer, and Dawn Turner Trice to muse about how the campaigns used race to advance their causes, and how that changed the national dialogue.

They're all variations on conversations we overheard on the bus, participated in at the dinner table, and mulled over privately, reading link after forwarded link. The New Yorker's David Remnick picked up on a somewhat quieter undercurrent of race, one about president-elect Barack Obama's own questions about, and definition of, his identity. If you'd like, take a minute to reflect on the public questions we've asked and answered, then tune in to hear Remnick's complex account of how Obama answers questions about his own race, and the roll it plays in his public life.

Neal Conan is out this week, but the show will be in good hands. This week, our host will be Alison Stewart, a familiar voice to those who listened to The Bryant Park Project on NPR. (I remember her from the "Choose or Lose" campaign on MTV.) Thanks for hanging with us this week, Alison. We're happy to have you. Okay, folks. Here's what's happening on today's show:

By now you've heard General Motors is in really bad financial shape, and this week Congress will consider whether or not to pass a bill to bail them out. Enter the debate. Should the government bail them out, or should they let GM file for bankruptcy? What do you think? What's the best option? Bankruptcy or bailout? Call in, send us an email or comment on our blog. We'll have our weekly opinion page at the end of our first hour. Stay tuned.

In 2002, a box of ancient bones was discovered that archaeologists said could prove the existence of Jesus... and his brother James! Several months after the discovery came ANOTHER discovery... it was all a fake. Journalist Nina Burley will tell us the story (literally) in our second hour. Burley is the author of Unholy Business: A True tale of Faith, Greed, and Forgery in the Holy Land. How important are religious artifacts are to your faith? At the end of the hour, The New Yorker editor-in-chief David Remnick will talk about race, the "Joshua generation" and President-elect Barack Obama's campaign.

Sometimes, hilarity strikes where you least expect it: on your walk home. Back before the economy was circling the drain, a fancy, early millennium-style building popped up on an upmarket D.C. corner -- there's a Whole Foods across the street, a couple of bars that serve olive oil (instead of frozen butter) with their bread, and a hardware store that stocks a wide range of expensive holiday decorations. Now, of course, the building is trying desperately to sell its fancy units, by appealing to the egos of the folks looking at those swank pads. Silhouettes of the kind of cool people who might live there decorate the sides of the building: a slender woman carrying shopping bags, a broad shouldered dude with a gym bag, two guys inexplicably wearing scarves. Here, friends, is the end-all be-all of coolness.

Too cool to look up!

Source: Barrie Hardymon

That's right, guys, move into that building, and you will be surrounded by glamazons walking their dogs, and dudes... staring at their Blackberrys. Yep! 'CAUSE IT'S COOL.

Ashley Grashaw, at work.

David Gura/NPR

 

Hey, lovers! Well, here we are. My very last day at Talk, and my very last post for BOTN. Tear, sigh. It's been almost two years since I started here as a green, gullible intern, but it went by in a flash. The flashiest of flashes.

So, as I bid adieu to my coworkers and fellow bloggers, I'd like to share a smattering of memories. These are the things I'll miss the most, and they're what make this place Totestally (sic) unforgettable:

The sleepy-eyed, coffee-fueled morning editorial meetings -- the buzz, the peeps, and the damn interesting. Midnight dibs-ing wars and guests with fun names like Ruy Teixeira. A show about restorative justice paired with an ender on panda porn. Grumps's grumpiness, Rudin's one-liners, and Wait's cowboy boots. Sue's elusive reading glasses, Susannah's enviable fashion statements, and Barrie's morning eggs and comforting pep talks. Gwen's laugh, Richard's BlackBerry, Love's loveliness, Scott's baby pics, and Carline's "Brakkton!" Warm ale and stale popcorn on "Secret Fridays." The "in search of" all-staff emails -- ISO: native Spanish speakers; ISO: a plastic fork; ISO: a clue. Lund's triangle cheese slices, Sarah's delectable Oreo cookie cake, and Gura's checkered picnic shirt. Dalia's vodka intravenous drip, Drew's wry wit, and Neal's ability to never quite blow the post. And, of course, the Totes. Always the Totes.

Thanks for all the laughs and great memories. It's been real.* I'll miss you to pieces.

* "'Cause we're keepin' it real!"

Is your home price getting closer to the price of this dollhouse? (Which I would LIVE in.)

Source: Paul Keleher

For those of you shaking in your mortgages while you're tuning into our show on plunging home values, this extra credit will either make you feel better, or... well, worse. If you've been listening to Dean Foust's prediction that home values have to drop even more, well, just skip to the next post (it's good escapist fun). If you're a die hard realist -- check out this nifty little home price calculator. And listen -- don't lose your nerve. Information is power, and at least you're probably getting some good use out of your home -- even if it is falling in value.

Which Bond is which?

Getty Images

 

I know, I know, I'm lame. My first James Bond film was Daniel Craig's first, Casino Royale. I ate it up, and I can't wait to go see Quantum of Solace. But as anyone who is even a mild fan of film knows, there have been many other Bonds. Five, to be exact. One of them, Roger Moore, is on Talk today. He has a new memoir (you can find an excerpt here). Moore and his brothers-in-tux appear above... Can you name them all? Extra credit if you can arrange them chronologically!

For almost 20 minutes yesterday, we talked about the flu (and how Google keeps track of it). It seems just talking about the flu on a national program is enough for some people to actually catch it... particularly if you are the host. I'm hoping that Neal Conan doesn't actually have the flu, but whatever it is, it's kept him home today. The good news is Andrea Seabrook will be sitting in the host's chair, sniffle-free!! (Feel better soon, Neal.) Here's what's happening on the show today:

It's been a week since it was announced that Barack Obama will be the next president of the United States, and while some are still celebrating, a burning question seems to have risen to the surface: What does Obama's win mean for race relations in America? In our first hour today, two African-American journalists share their thoughts about how Obama's win could change long held beliefs about race in America and what expectations people now have about each other across color lines. After that, Governor Howard Dean will explain why he will not be seeking another term as chairman of the Democratic National Committee.

Home values contine to decline in this country, and many people have been forced to sell their homes for less than the purchasing price. And even if you're not looking to sell (or buy), the dropping value can affect your wallet. In our second hour, Dean Foust, Atlanta bureau chief for BusinessWeek magazine and Robert Shiller, professor of economics and finance at Yale, will map out the value of homes across the country, and give us a sense of how long home prices might continue to fall. And we want to hear from you. What's happening to the value of your home and how are you dealing with it? At the end of the hour, Moore. Roger Moore. Now is your chance to find out what it's really like making those James Bond movies. Moore has a new memoir out now entitled, My Word is My Bond. Catchy.

In an article for Real Clear Politics, strategists Mike McCurry and Mark McKinnon argue that, because the Internet was so integral to, and effective in, this campaign, politics -- and perhaps democracy -- will have a new business model:

The 2008 campaign shows the Internet can bolster democracy by fostering a two-way dialogue between candidates and citizens and, potentially, by mobilizing the country behind common goals. To reap those benefits, we should treat the Internet like democracy itself -- a national resource that we must safeguard and protect as a vital new forum for politics, debate and policy discourse.

Already, many analysts and strategists have said that the Internet brought about, or at least contributed to, Barack Obama's victory last week. On The Independent's blog, Andrew Keen, a media columnist for the British newspaper, asks a few provocative questions:

Could Obama have been elected without the Internet's citizen-media blogs and the social-networking activism of Facebook users and all those millions of user-generated YouTube videos? Is this really the firstly truly interactive online election which has not only revolutionized the politics of race in America but has also fundamentally changed the way in which media influences and is influenced by democratic politics?

On Slate, technology columnist Farhad Manjoo summarized the wide-ranging effectiveness of Obama's Internet apparatus:

Barack Obama ran the most technologically sophisticated presidential campaign in history. In addition to siphoning hundreds of millions of dollars from his online fans, Obama's team recognized the Internet's capacity to attract and organize volunteers across the country. His bloggy, YouTube-addled supporters helped shape the larger media narrative surrounding his bid; they overwhelmed social news sites like Digg and Reddit, trumpeting McCain or Clinton missteps into blogospherewide news. Most important, Obama relied on the Web's social-networking capabilities to channel boundless enthusiasm into effective campaign activity. His site encouraged supporters to connect with one another to launch their own voter-registration drives, phone banks, and door-to-door canvassing operations--efforts that proved pivotal to Obama's victory in the primaries and in last week's general election.

About those hundreds of millions of dollars... According to The Daily Telegraph, by the time his campaign ended, Obama had an email database of more than 10 million supporters, 3.1 million of whom gave money.

The McCain campaign didn't ignore the Internet completely, but senior advisers publicly doubted -- and derided -- the potential efficacy of a large online presence. In an opinion piece, Republican strategist Lisa Sanchez, the author of Los Republicanos: Why Hispanics and Republicans Need Each Other, argued that the "GOP needs to catch up to Obama's Web savvy." On election day, she wrote, "Obama showed the Republicans the Internet's endgame."

When she looks to the future of American politics, Sanchez sides with McCurry and McKinnon: "The Obama campaign's use of the Internet will change campaign politics just as much as the fax machine and the autodialer did," she wrote. "If the GOP is going to compete in this growing tech world, they'll have to do more than just reverse-engineer the bells and whistles on Obama's Web sites."

Getting a handle on all those "bells and whistles" would be a start, of course. But implicit in Sanchez's assessment is an important question: "What's next?" Plenty of prognosticators are wondering, for example, how the Obama administration will use all that data collected by the Obama campaign. Did someone say 2012?

The Google Flu Tracker -- keeping an eye on fevers and aches across the country!

Source: Google Flu Trends

If you've been listening to our segment with New York Times reporter Miguel Helft on his Google Flu Tracker story, I bet you're here trying to figure out where the heck that darn flu is now. Click on the graphic above, and you'll go straight to the nifty little Google site. And guess what? Hawaii may be paradise, but plenty of paradise residents are at least searching about the flu -- not so much in Nevada (or maybe they're just tougher, and don't need any Google to clear up their symptoms!) See? Grass is always greener.

It's Wednesday. We're not at the Newseum, but we are with Ken Rudin!!! On today's Political Junkie we'll talk about the still undecided races in Alaska, California, Ohio and Virginia, John McCain's plans to campaign for Sen. Saxby Chambliss (R-GA), and what Gov. Sarah Palin has been saying in the network and cable TV spotlight lately. And of course Ken will have this week's trivia question. Then, we'll find out how in the world Google can estimate flu outbreaks days before the U.S. Centers for Disease Control.

In his new book, Make it Plain: A Life of Speaking, Vernon Jordan, Jr. outlines how storytelling, preaching and speechmaking have shaped the oral traditions of African Americans. The author and former chairman of President Clinton's transition team will join us in our second hour to discuss how African Americans have fought through social injustices and carved a way through history with the power of words. Then, NPR Ombudsman Alicia Shepard will answer your questions about our reporting during the presidential campaign. Do you think NPR's coverage was biased?

Two volunteers, tall and not.

Source: Barry Snyder/AFP/Getty Images

Apparently Minnesota has the world's biggest Obama supporter -- Igor Vovkovinskiy clocks in at 7 feet 8 inches tall. The best part about this is that the Getty caption points out -- helpfully -- that Igor is on the right.

Thomas Nast's 1874 Harper's cartoon is the first notable appearance of the Republican elephant.

Source: Harper's Magazine website

 

As is the way with many political power shifts, the main topic threading throughout media outlets from Europe to Kentucky, is what it all means for the party that's lost power -- in this case, that old party that isn't feeling so grand after Tuesday's losses: the Republicans. Today of course, we're talking about the future of that party -- left, right, center, Palin -- so I thought I'd do up a little cheat sheet for y'all (c'mon, you wanted to know why on earth an elephant, didn't you?). Here's today's glossary -- not, by any means comprehensive. Please add your own below.

GOP, or Grand Old Party: This traditional nickname for the Republican Party didn't used to stand for "grand old party," but "gallant old party." Use of the term has been around since 1876 (!), though some newspapers claim that most people don't know what it means. I've noticed when I'm editing Neal that he'll often take it out -- exactly for that reason.

Elephant: The traditional symbol for the Republican Party -- dating back to 1874 when Thomas Nast began using it in his cartoons (you can see the first usage above). That particular cartoon grew out of mid-term elections -- that's right, in 1874. Democrats tried to scare voters into thinking President Ulysses S. Grant would seek to run for a third term. Nast, a cartoonist for Harper's Weekly, depicted a Democratic jackass (yep -- a donkey) trying to scare a Republican elephant. It stuck. (I think the GOP got the better mascot, thoughts?)

Fiscal conservatism : Just what it sounds like -- part of the ideology that made Ronald Reagan a favorite of the Republicans, and some Democrats (hence: Reagan Democrats). It's your basic less governmental spending, lower federal debt, low taxes conservatism. You'll hear a lot of fiscal conservatives talking about smaller government, and fewer earmarks (remember McCain's stump line -- "I will make them famous, you will know their names!" He's talking pork.)

Red state: Bet you didn't know this one -- this term is a baby! In 2000, the late Tim Russert (according to the Washington Post) coined the red/blue state terms to describe the cultural divide. Since then -- Republicans have been red and Dems have been blue (seriously blue for about eight years, actually.)

Social conservatism: Otherwise known as -- The Base (along with some fiscal conservatives.) Social conservatives adhere to a moral ideology that insists the government has a role in enforcing traditional values -- of course, these traditional values can vary from voter to voter -- but there are some principles to which at least a majority of social conservatives adhere, namely, opposing abortion, gay marriage, and the secularization of public institutions (they want to pray at the football games).

Compassionate conservatism: Here's an oldie but a goodie! This one's a sort of conservative blend -- a little milder than social and fiscal brews -- popularized by the second Bush. Basically, conservative technique to help humanity and improve society.

Republicans, Party of Lincoln: Here's a great tidbit: the 1854 creation of the Republican Party was based on a very progressive vision. Anti-slavery (opposing the Kansas-Nebraska act which would have expanded the vile trade to Kansas), an emphasis on higher education, banking, railroads, and industry. The party nominated Abe Lincoln, who became president in 1860, and the rest is history.

Neoconservatism: The Kristol Konservatism! Irving Kristol always referred to neocons as liberals "mugged by reality," i.e. people who became conservative after observing what they thought were failures of liberal policies. it has become more famous for its association with George W. Bush's aggressive foreign policy -- the architects of the Iraq War, Richard Perle, Dick Cheney, and Paul Wolfowitz. Neocons and fiscal conservatives clash on the role of government quite a bit.

So Ana Marie Cox was one of the first to write about what she won't miss from the '08 election, but she's not the only one. Here at NPR, our intrepid political reporter Scott Horsley tells me he will gladly say good-bye to:

ICYMI emails. Stands for "in case you missed it". Usually attached to some self-serving op-ed column, circulated by the campaign. "In case you missed it" will not be missed.

And Carline Watson, our Senior Producer, adds:

"In the tank" as in so-and-so is "in the tank" for Obama or McCain. Don't want to hear it again.

And on www.wowowow.com, Candace Bergen says she WILL miss Tina Fey as Sarah Palin:

What I'll miss most about this ENDLESS campaign is how utterly engaging and compelling it has been. The addiction to political news shows. Well, actually, what I will miss most is Tina Fey as Palin. That has definitely been a high point.

And Liz Smith adds: "I won't miss a thing."

Coming off Senator McCain's defeat last week and the unpopularity of President Bush as he prepares to leave office, Republicans are struggling to define the future of the party. In our first hour, we'll talk about the future of the GOP and ask Republicans where the party goes from here. Then, we'll talk to Joanna Pearlstein of Wired magazine about the 15th anniversary of their "Return to Sender" contest. (What's the strangest thing you've ever sent or received in the mail?) At the end of the hour, we'll read from your emails and blog comments.

A legal battle is underway between a Washington D.C. hospital and the parents of twelve-year- old Motl Brody who has been in a coma since June. Motl's doctors say he has no brain function and is therefore deceased and should be taken off life support. Motl's parents, who are Orthodox Jews, say that according to their beliefs, a person is dead only when their heart and lungs stop working. Where is the line drawn between science and religion? And how does your faith define death? In our second hour, we particularly want to hear from those of you who have been in a similar situation. What factors went into your decision about life and death? Then, on a much lighter note, at the end of the hour we'll talk to Time magazine's Ana Marie Cox about what we WON'T miss about Campaign '08.

Today's morning meeting was not my finest hour. First pitch? POOP. Bear with me here. Wired magazine is turning fifteen this year, and for the last nine, they've run a contest called Return to Sender. The challenge is simple: mail the weirdest thing you can to Wired, without using a box or an envelope. Each issue featured a winner, and the most prolific contestant, Barry Wood of Vero Beach, FL, entered a dozen times, winning twice for a mailbox and a conch shell. Check out a gallery of submissions here. So where does the POOP come in? Don't worry, it's not where you think. Turns out Wood had long been running a similar contest among his friends, "encouraging [them] to flummox the Postal Service by sending unusual items he called "permissible objects of postability," or POOP." It's a natural for our air, and today we're hoping to ask the question, "What's the weirdest thing you've ever successfully mailed sans packing materials?" But the scatalogical snickers don't end there... I followed that pitch up with one I received from Harper's Magazine, about an upcoming article by a writer who took a class that promised to teach him how to control dice to win at craps.

I swear, I couldn't make this stuff up.

Looking back at the campaigns... Newsweek reporters spill all the best secrets.

Source: Doug Pensinger/Getty Images

 

Yesterday, I was driving back into Washington D.C., and I passed the Washington Times building. They have a large digital display of whatever their top headlines are, and I happened to pass at the most salacious moment, underneath this juicy headline: "Sarah Palin, in a Towel, Greets Top McCain Advisers." I did not drive off the road. But I did go home and read the first three chapters of Newsweek's extensive reporting project called Secrets of the 2008 Campaign, which is a bit like reading Us Weekly for political junkies. Newsweek's special team of reporters were granted year-long access to both campaigns on the condition that none of their findings appear until after Election Day. Seven chapters later, and I've learned that Hillary Clinton and John McCain did shots together on Senate junkets; on the McCain bus, Lindsey Graham started calling his Senate pal "Joe the Biden," which McCain thought was a riot; and when Obama called his chief strategist, David Axelrod, the ringtone was "Signed, Sealed, Delivered" by Stevie Wonder. There's so much detail in the pieces -- it's truly addictive. So, print 'em out, put on a cup of tea, and cuddle up with the cable news on mute. It's time for the real campaign story.

Growing up in North Carolina, I learned how to play the fiddle. My dad, a professor by vocation, is an amateur musician, a fan of old-time music. When I was a kid, dutifully studying classical violin, I'd listen to him and his friends play tunes in our living room. By the time I was seven, I had learned a few of them by ear.

During summers, we'd travel across Appalachia, to Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia, to fiddlers' conventions (weekend gatherings in ball fields and state parks, with contests, concerts, and plenty of opportunities to jam with other musicians). In college, I kept up the hobby, playing with musicians in and around Ithaca, New York, where I went to school.

Mike Seeger, whom we'll hear from today, and hear play today (he is bringing his guitar!), has been a big influence on my playing. In my house, his records -- yes, real, vinyl records -- were never dusty. On the way to school, we'd listen to his band, the New Lost City Ramblers, on cassette -- yes, real, plastic tapes.

If you haven't heard Seeger before, you're in for a real treat. Here is a taste:

Campaign '08 may be over, but for two journalists at Newsweek, the reporting may have just begun. David Briscoe covered the Obama campain for the magazine. Katie Connolly covered McCain's. They are part of a team of reporters who were granted year-long access to both campaigns on the condition that none of their findings appear until after Election Day. Briscoe and Connolly will be our guests in the first hour to answer any burning questions you still have about the two campaigns. Then on our opinion page this week, NPR "News and Notes" contributor Jasmyne Cannick talks about the blacklash among African Americans who voted against gay marriage in California. Her op-ed, entitled "No-on-8's White Bias," appeared in Saturday's Los Angeles Times.

In our second hour, we'll pay tribute to Smithsonian Folkways . Many may consider the recordings the soundscape of our world. We'll talk to Richard Carlin, author of Worlds of Sound: The Story of Smithsonian Folkways, and Folkways recording artist Mike Seeger about the story of Folkways records. Then on a heavier note, we'll talk to New York Times correspondent Mark Mazetti about reports of secret raids on Al-Qaida in several countries. And at the end of the hour, we'll remember the life of Miriam Makeba. The singer, who was widely known as "Mama Africa," died yesterday at the age of 76.

If you haven't noticed already -- there are now a hundred different ways to communicate with Talk of the Nation. You can Twitter, email, comment, and as always, pick up the phone and touch someone. One of my favorite changes is that now, if you're listening to the show, you can just go straight to the Talk of the Nation page, and comment on the show -- which means this blog gets to grow up a little, and flex its muscles. Some of the stuff we're keeping -- You Asked For It, Behind The Curtain, Cutting Room Floor, and of course, Unintentional Hilarity (I'm biased). We're taking things up a notch too -- with an TOTN Opinion Page Round-Up, a series of Glossaries (hooray -- a place to figure out what the hell a credit default swap is!), and lots more guest blogging. The goal is that the Blog of the Nation become truly a companion to Talk of the Nation -- a best friend, not a twin. Okay, now, here's the important part -- please, please, please, let us know what you want in your new-fangled BOTN. Within reason, of course -- no one's getting Neal's voice on their home answering machine.

Today, we broadcast live from the Newseum, and we literally talk to the world. For two hours we'll hear the reactions of people around the world to news that Barack Obama will be the next president of the United States...and what they believe that could mean for their country. In our first hour, we'll talk to Archbishop Desmond Tutu in South Africa, Israeli politician Natan Sharansky, and also to Palestinian Hanan Ashrawi, legislator and Chairperson of the Executive Committee for The Palestinian Initiative for the Promotion of Global Dialogue & Democracy , about how they believe President-elect Obama will engage with their countries.

In our second hour, we'll be joined by former Mexican President Vicente Fox, Nobel Prize winner Mohammed El Baradai, and Nobel Laureate and environmental activist Wangari Maatha. They each will discuss their views about the role they expect the United States to play with the economic crisis, the environment, nuclear proliferation and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan under Barack Obama's leadership. We won't be taking any domestic calls on this program. We will only accept calls from our audience who will be listening abroad. But we do invite you to sit back and enjoy hearing the views and the reactions of people all over the globe to this historic moment in our history.

Sigh.

Source: Christian Science Monitor

Let me stress that I am neither the original "grammar grandma" (that title belongs to a particularly cheerful Chicago pixie), nor am I particularly nitpick-y about such things in general -- I'm more of an alliteration aficionado. But when I see this:
"Obama's turnout historical in numbers, diversity," on a major national news website, I get a little irritated. And this is not an isolated usage. Two things -- yes, if you don't pronounce the "h" the correct article for historic is "an," and if you are using the word historical to mean "history-making," I'm afraid you're wrong. Historically, I am almost beyond the willy-nilly use of "impacted," but I don't think I can stomach another graceless error being subsumed into our language. I might've just used subsume wrong.

President-elect Barack Obama embraces his daughter, after he claims victory.

Source: Joe Raedle/Getty Images

I still haven't fully registered the events of last night. Perhaps it's because I worked our elections special until the wee hours of the morning, and my head is still fuzzy. But more likely, it's because America just elected its first black president -- and not barely, not by some fluke, but resoundingly. This is HUGE. Historic-significance- of-epic-proportions HUGE. Americans turned out in record numbers to make a statement: change is possible. This, from President-elect Barack Obama:

[...] to all those who have wondered if America's beacon still burns as bright - tonight we proved once more that the true strength of our nation comes not from our the might of our arms or the scale of our wealth, but from the enduring power of our ideals: democracy, liberty, opportunity, and unyielding hope. For that is the true genius of America - that America can change. Our union can be perfected. And what we have already achieved gives us hope for what we can and must achieve tomorrow.

Here in DC, Obama supporters came together in the streets to celebrate. There were tears of joy, hugs among strangers, and, of course, the chant -- "Yes, we can!"

Tomorrow on TOTN, we'll discuss reactions from across the world. But, today, NPR political editor Ken Rudin and pollster Andy Kohut join us to talk about congressional races, ballot initiatives, and the most important issues on voters' minds.

So tell us, what was your reaction to last night's events? And, if this is a new beginning, what begins? And what ends?

It's official; Senator Barack Obama is now president-elect of the U.S.. He is the first African-American to be elected to the country's highest office. If you want a second opinion on the historic nature of the moment, just feel the crowd's energy (at about 1:40) in the above clip. Of course, no matter how many times you hear a cable news anchor say "historic," or worse "historical" (that word doesn't mean what you think it means, Anderson Cooper!), it begs the question, what do the people who measure history as their life's work, think of this moment? We've got four eminent scholars with us this hour -- Annette Gordon-Reed, Robert Kagan, Victor Davis Hanson, and Bernice Johnson-Reagon -- to give their own, long, view on this American moment. What do you think has changed?

History was made last night. Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) has been elected president of the United States. On today's election special, the day after the election, we'll talk with Ken Rudin, NPR's political editor, Andrew Kohut, director of the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press, and to you. What does Obama's victory mean to you? And what expectations do you have for his term?

In our second hour, we'll talk with four eminent historians about how our history has shifted with Obama's victory. Our guests will be Bernice Johnson-Reagon, cultural historian, civil rights activist and founding member of the a cappella ensemble Sweet Honey in the Rock; author Robert Kagan, senior associate at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace; Victor Davis Hanson, senior fellow at The Hoover Institution at Stanford University; and author Annette Gordon-Reed, professor of law at New York Law School.

...well it's Sean "Diddy" Combs' birthday too! What else, what else... oh right, it's Valentine Day in Egypt. Also, the anniversary of the 1955 reopening of the Vienna Opera House. (They played Fidelio -- delish.) I can't think what else I was going to say. So, happy birthday, Puff. Many happy returns.

All right -- fun's over -- it's Election Day, people. As if you can think about anything else (besides Puffy's b-day). Well, we can't either -- so we're talking polling stations and parties, and red and blue and purple. And we want to hear everything that's on your mind. Well, almost everything. Keep it clean (see SCOTUS post below), and enjoy your day of democracy.

Look, I know we're all excited about Election Day, but there is potential for some fairly devastating faux pas. Let's say you've met Mr. Right at a party, watching the returns, and he cheers at a critical juncture -- for the wrong candidate! What's a girl to do? Let's say you're punching your ballot, minding your own business, and you notice someone peeking behind your curtain? How to reprimand gently, without putting democracy at risk? It's a toughie. So -- for all your election night party pickles -- we've asked Ask Amy to come on in and give some tough love. Post your questions here.

Tom Bowman, our intrepid Pentagon correspondent, recently returned from a reporting trip to Afghanistan. While he was there, Bowman watched several of the presidential debates with American troops. For them, this election has particular significance: the next president of the United States will be their Commander in Chief.

During the second hour today, Bowman and Lt. Col. John Nagl (Ret.), now a senior fellow at the Center for a New American Security, will field calls from listeners, especially active and retired members of the military. If you've served in Afghanistan or Iraq, what do you want the next president to know about the wars there? What would you like to see him do?

For the last few years, radio and television broadcasters have had especial reason to fear the Federal Communications Commission: the regulatory agency can levy six-figure fines -- up to $325,000 -- against stations that air "indecent content." Profanity, "wardrobe malfunctions," etc.

Today, the Supreme Court of the United States heard arguments in FCC v. Fox Television Stations. Basically, the Second Circuit Court said that the FCC had fined stations arbitrarily, which isn't constitutional.

David Savage, who covers the Court for the Los Angeles Times, will join us, to explain the case, and to fill us in on what it might mean for radio and television stations, and you.

It's here. Election Day is finally here! You can feel the buzz in the air. How are you feeling today? What's going on where you are? Really, we want to know. In our first hour of special election coverage, we want to talk to you about what is going through your mind and your experiences with voting today. Have you run into any problems? Also, NPR's senior Washington editor Ron Elving will tell us what to expect from television networks as the votes are being tallied tonight. Then, we'll move from day into night. Peter Sagal, the host of NPR's "Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me" will talk about how to plan the ultimate election night party, and syndicated columnist Amy Dickinson will discuss proper etiquette once you arrive at said party. (No taunting the losing team, folks.)

The men and women serving in the armed forces have a lot at stake in this presidential election Most importantly--Iraq and Afghanistan. In our second hour, we'll hear from military personnel and their families about what they believe the next president needs to know about the military, their jobs and their lives. Then, we'll talk with Los Angeles Times Supreme Court reporter David Savage about today's Supreme Court hearing to decide whether the FCC should ban "fleeting expletives" on live television.

Frontline, Patti Smith's Horses, Radio Lab, Nancy Ajram's Betfakkar Fi Eih?! and Umm Kulthum's Greatest Hits.
What do all these things have in common?? They were all furiously added to my iPod to kill time during a twelve hour flight last week.
Why do I bring this up? Well, while the theme of both campaigns may have been Change, no doubt for many voters tomorrow the theme will be more along the lines of wait. I voted absentee this election, so there will be no long lines for me, but the last time I had time to kill (hopefully your wait will be less than twelve hours) I loaded up my ipod. I love to read. However, when I want time to fly by I opt for the audible... looks like this guy took the arts and crafts route.
Mandy Trimble of WOSU joins us from the field to report on how Ohio voters are passing the time in early voter lines.
If you're expecting a long wait tomorrow, or if you've already endured lines at the polls, share your time killing techniques with us!

Polls have Obama up by 11 percent. And 7 percent. And 6 percent. The numbers vary in scope but not advantage. So far, John McCain is playing catch-up in all the major polls. That is, if you believe the numbers.
Jon Cohen, the polling director for The Washington Post says he's fairly confident in the surveys about tomorrow's election. But, he admits:

We could all be wrong -- at least theoretically. Simply put, we may be wrong about who is likely to vote on Tuesday. One of the trickiest parts of political polling is determining which of the people interviewed in pre-election surveys will really vote. It's relatively easy for us to identify such sharply delineated groups as the population of all adults living in the United States or even all registered voters, but the pool of actual voters is a group that exists at a single point in time, on Election Day (plus those casting ballots early and by mail).

Polling is an imperfect art (remember the New Hampshire primary?) when done well, and little more than numerical spin when done with partisan motives. So, with all the dueling data what do you believe? We'll talk today with pollsters about what the latest numbers tell us, and what we can (and can't) read into them. And we'll find out if polls, and pollsters, ever lie.

Your vote for President!! That's right -- moviepresident. Now, I know that Harrison Ford consistently wins in the remarkably unscientific polls that pervade the internet, but please, please, please be more creative. It's lovely that he can beat up Gary Oldman, but please -- haven't any of you seen Fail-Safe? Or better yet, Lee Tracy laying down the law to Henry Fonda in Gore Vidal's nasty little screenplay for The Best Man? Or, here's an obscure but marvelous gem, co-written by Chuck Bailey, nee NPR's Washington Editor.

So choose your film president carefully! They have to battle aliens, nukes, first dates, and Oliver Stone -- they must be of unimpeachable character, or at least of not inconsiderable personality. Cast your vote -- no lines -- right here.

It's the conceit of any number of ads on television: A perplexed parent watches his son or daughter send text messages to his or her friends, and chat endlessly online. The messages of these commercials? The younger generation, raised on the Internet, is hard to understand. Its members are totally unlike their forebears.

Don Tapscott has spent years studying "The Net Generation," as he calls it. And in his new book, Grown Up Digital: How the Net Generation is Changing Your World, Tapscott tries to explain it.

As Gen Y (and everybody else) prepares to head to the polls tomorrow, we'll talk with Tapscott about how Millennials are changing politics, and the way we all interact with the government.

Party animal.

Source: Andy Newman/Carnival Cruise Lines/Getty Images

 

Welcome back to an election week edition of Unintentional Hilarity -- with a photo that's not election related. Plus, I suspect that any time a giant pinata is involved, the hilarity is intentional. This is a record-breaking pinata (duh).

According to an onsite Guinness adjudicator, the giant mock donkey measures 28.5 meters long; 7.2 meters wide and 18 meters tall and is filled with 8,000 pounds (3,628 kilograms) of candy.

Get this: it takes a wrecking ball to get the candy out. I'm all for sweets -- but that sounds painful.