Gene Weingarten is at it again... this time taking on things that he says are "worse than useless" (he's only "useless," he says, and not against merely useless things). One example:

The CAPS LOCK key, the only purpose of which is to facilitate the sputterings of online lunatics, but which is easily and annoyingly pressed by mistake. Locating this key between the tab and shift is about as smart as locating the rat poison between the bubble bath and the sippy cup.

Another:

The cheap little plastic slitted disk that seals the plastic bag on a loaf of bread, an allegedly resealable system that turns out to be a fiction because the first time you try to reuse it, it snaps like a dry noodle.

It's useful for a good chuckle. Check out the piece at The Washington Post.

Given fifteen months to live, Sen. Ted Kennedy dedicated his life to passing a healthcare bill. How do you write your final chapter?(Photo by Mark Wilson Getty Images)

by Gwen Outen
'You Have A Year To Live'
When Senator Ted Kennedy was diagnosed with brain cancer last year, those close to him said he spoke of having a "good ending" for himself. It is reported that for Kennedy, that included large intakes of ice cream, James Bond and salty air. Today, we're going to talk about "good endings" -- how people choose to live out the remaining weeks or months of their lives. Two doctors share what they tell patients who are facing the end of their life, and what many of those patients choose to do with their time. If this is your story, or if you've thought about how you would like to write your final chapter, we want to hear from you.

Can I Get A Column Out Of That?
For over three decades, Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist Leornard Pitts has written on topics that practically cover the entire news spectrum -- from the tragedy of September 11th ("You monster. You beast. You unspeakable bastard.") to the death of Michael Jackson ("He died from an overdose of yes."). Leonard has just published a collection of his columns in a new book entitled, Forward from this Moment: Selected Columns, 1994-2009 and he talks about the opportunity -- and the burden -- of writing 800 words a week.

Saying Goodbye To Ted Kennedy
Senator Ted Kennedy was memorialized over the weekend by family, Senate colleagues and President Obama. We'll replay portions of the memorial and funeral services, and remembrances from Kennedy's close friend, Republican Senator Orrin Hatch, and Kennedy's eldest son, Ted Kennedy, Jr.

Former Vice President Dick Cheney argues that the new CIA report proves that harsh interrogation methods saved American lives. Raising the question: does what many consider torture work?(Photo by Brendan Hoffman Getty Images)

by Gwen Outen
'Torture': Does It Work?
Earlier this week, the Department of Justice released a 2004 CIA report that detailed abusive interrogation techniques used agaist terror suspects. As the debate continues about whether to call the methods "torture" or "enhanced techniques", former vice-president Dick Cheney calls the new CIA report proof that the harsh interrogation methods saved lives. Guests examine whether or not techniques like waterboarding, sleep deprivation, threats and mock executions actually work.

Another Reason To Love Julia Child
"Bon Appetit"!!! That phrase is being said in more high pitched voices now because of this month's release of Nora Ephron's film Julie and Julia. And not only are more people channeling Julia's accent, they also want to cook like her. Her classic book Mastering the Art of French Cooking is selling like hotcakes. (excuse the pun). Ephron talks about the late chef and the impact of her cooking. She also shares some of her favorite french recipes. What about you? What's your favorite Julia Child moment? Have you tried any of her recipes? Was the end result a triumph or a disaster?

Never Make The First Offer
When it comes to making a deal, there are some secrets to the art of negotiating. "Don't take no for an answer". "Know your clients... and empathize with them". Donald Dell was one of the first agents to represent professional athletes and has become one of the greatest dealmakers in history. What does he say? "Never make the first offer". Dell shares the lessons he's learned at the negotiating table and secrets to closing the deal.

Four Years Later, How Did Katrina Change Your Life?
It's been almost four years since Hurricane Katrina struck the Gulf Coast. We will talk with people who are still living in affected areas about what life is like for them now and what has changed for them since August, 2005.

Around here today, understandably, it's all Ted Kennedy, all the time. I'm the lucky girl -- and I do mean lucky -- who gets to go through our extensive in-house and digital archives to try to find everyone's favorite bits of the senator's tape. Barrie mentioned Kennedy's penchant for breaking into song, so I got to start my day smiling in remembrance of a lawmaker who love to sing.

Years ago, Kennedy sang "Sweet Adeline" at Boston's Symphony Hall with a barbershop quartet:

At a campaign stop for now-President Obama, he serenaded Laredo in Spanish:

And finally, in what is perhaps my favorite performance, Sen. Kennedy, again on the trail for Obama, singing "When Irish Eyes Are Smiling" in Portland, ME.

Senator Edward Kennedy died late last night. We'll talk about his legacy during today's first hour.(Harry Benson Getty Images)

Ted Kennedy: The End Of An Era
Senator Edward Kennedy, the last surviving member of the Kennedy political dynasty, died last night after a year-long struggle with brain cancer. Throughout his decades long career, Kennedy proved to be a major force in passing social legislation. Today, President Obama called Kennedy "the greatest Senator of our time." In an hour of NPR special coverage, guest host Andrea Seabrook and NPR's Ken Rudin talk about Ted Kennedy's advances in civil rights, women's rights, education, and his life-long goal to reform health care.

My Journey To Justice
In 1957, a group of African-American students, referred to as "The Little Rock Nine," enrolled in racially segregated Little Rock Central High School in Arkansas. Carlotta Walls Lanier was the youngest member of the group. Once she graduated, Lanier left Arkansas and never looked back. But in her new book, A Mighty Long Way: My Journey to Justice at Little Rock Central High returns to that place in civil rights history and shares the endless trials and triumphs of her journey through racial prejudice and integration.

Does Wikipedia Need Editors?
Wikipedia has changed its editing policy. Now, articles about living people will require verification from an "experienced volunteer" editor before publication. Wikipedia co-founder Jimmy Wales explains why the online site is changing its rules.

The big question looming over the release of the CIA abuse documents: did any of these "enhanced" interrogation techniques work? Looking at the details in the report, Time's Bobby Ghosh finds "not smoke but fog:"

And there's just enough of it that both defenders and critics of the CIA's techniques can claim to have been vindicated...

The inspector general's report says it "did not uncover any evidence that these plots were imminent." The CIA memos say information gained from detainees led to "arrests that disrupted attack plans in progress" -- but stop short of attributing this directly to the enhanced interrogations.

The rest of his column is here.

What does thirtysomething mean to you? We'll talk with the cast in today's second hour.( American Broadcasting Companies, Inc. )

by Gwen Outen
Conversation With The Cabinet: Hilda Solis
Hilda Solis was confirmed as Secretary of Labor earlier this year. Now she says she's getting down to business with a vow to enforce laws that protect workers. The U.S. Secretary of Labor answers your questions about green jobs, worker safety, unemployment, the recession and other issues.

What You Need To Know About Swine Flu
Warning: Swine flu could kill 90,000 Americans. That statement comes directly from a White House panel that also warns the swine flu could infect half the U.S. population. We'll answer your questions about what these numbers mean and tell you what you need to know as we head into flu season.

thirtysomething At Twentysomething
It was the show that redefined what it means to be 30, and gave us the catch-phrase for how we refer to that generation. thirtysomething is back (the first season is out on DVD today) and the cast reunites. Ken Olin (Michael Steadman), Timothy Busfield (Elliot Weston), Patricia Wettig (Nancy Weston), Peter Horton (Gary Shepherd) and Melanie Mayron (Melissa Steadman) talk about the impact of thirtysomething... twenty years later.

Touchy Feely 50s Men
"Why do we love those unlovable men of the 1950s and early '60s?" That's the question author Jonathan Zimmerman asks in an article for the Christian Science Monitor. Zimmerman explains how stumbling across love letters written by his father five decades ago convinced him that today's man is not that far removed from the emotionally restricted man of the 1950s.

by Gwen Outen
I remember when Gary died. I remember that last, lingering shot of him. I remember that golden, back-lit beauty of a man lying on a cold, gray slab in the morgue. And I was hysterical. I felt like my own friend had died. And in a way, he was my friend. Just like everyone on thirtysomething had become so known to me. And that was the thing. There I was, sitting in my college dorm room, barely twenty, not able to relate to the angst the characters on the show went through on a daily basis. But I was crying over the loss of Gary and the way my "friends" clung to each other in their grief.

Last week I watched the first season of thirtysomething... as a thirty-something (with my big toe dipped in the forty-something pool). Almost twenty years later, I'm dredlocked and carry on me a hint of black militancy -- not exactly part of the yuppie, baby booming demographic the show was plugged into. But I feel an even deeper personal connection to the show's characters. The questions, the self-doubt, the endless analyzing, and the intimate ways they reach out to one another and let each other into their psyche. My soulmate is Melissa. I can relate to her insecure, artist soul. And the way Michael shot down every guy Melissa liked. My best friend could be Michael's stand-in when he sums up his feelings for my latest crush simply by saying, "Umm, I'm not a fan of that dude." Another one bites the dust. I root for Melissa as much as I root for myself.

The first season of thirtysomething is out today on DVD. (And I have to admit, watching it makes me wax nostalgic for the Betamax tape.) My hope is that the fortysomething years will smooth out some of the personal dilemmas of the past decade. I'll let you know.

The CIA interrogation abuse report just came out, and I'm sure we'll see plenty more opinions on the issue in tomorrow morning's papers. Jeffrey H. Smith was ready to go this morning with an op-ed in the Washington Post. The former general counsel of the CIA offers six reasons not to prosecute interrogators:

If media reports are accurate, the conduct detailed in the inspector general's report was contrary to our values. It caused harm to our nation and cannot be repeated. But prosecuting those who actually carried out that behavior has consequences that could further harm our nation. Even if the attorney general concludes that a criminal charge could be brought, other factors must be considered. Sometimes broader national objectives must be given greater weight.

After a small fuss was generated over an un-retouched photo of Kim Kardashian (which, I should say, I had to really squint at to see the differences), the Los Angeles Times did a nice little story on the art -- and limits -- of Photoshop. And truly, sometimes it is just about the integrity of the photograph.

Ask Ladies' Home Journal creative director Jeffrey Saks if magazines are consciously manipulating images to foster readers' poor self-images and he firmly denies it.

"We're not trying to make women feel bad," he says. "We're trying to show women looking like real people, and whatever cleaning up we do is basically about the quality of the photograph more than trying to do plastic surgery."

I'd buy that if it weren't for the fact that poor Kim (who doesn't have much to recommend her besides her gorgeous body), is missing a good piece of her tricep (thanks, Sarah for pointing that out). Man, I'd give anything to learn how to add a bulging tricep. Without doing couch dips.

That there's a "nonic" pint glass, and soon, it may be a pint plastic. (Miguel Riopa / AFP/Getty Image © 2009)

Is nothing sacred?! Via the BBC:

Plans to replace the traditional pint glass with one made of shatter-proof plastic will not be accepted by drinkers, the pub industry has warned.

The Home Office has commissioned a new design, in an attempt to stop glasses being used as weapons.

Plastic pint glasses? Hold the phone! What could possibly warrant such a drastic measure?

Official figures show 5,500 people are attacked with glasses and bottles every year in England and Wales.

Oh. The new glasses are not yet compulsory, but plastic pint designer Nick Verebelyi reports the Home Office is promising "quite a push" to make the cups "desirable and acceptable and cool," in the hopes of bringing down those attack numbers.

And file this under "I had no idea!" (It's a huuuuge file): That pint, in the picture up there? It's called a "nonic" -- no nick -- glass. It was invented in 1960, and it seems the bulge an inch below the rim makes them easier to stack and harder to drop.

President Obama may be on vacation, but the debate over health care continues. Some argue he's lost sight of what he does best.(Photo by Jewel Samad AFP/Getty Images)

"Man up," Obama!
The health care debate continues to boil, and many see this as the first major test of President Barack Obama's effectiveness as president. As he takes hits from the left and the right, some Obama supporters, like theroot.com contributor Jack White, are saying it's time for the president to stop seeking a compromise with his opponents and start meeting them head on with a good fight. Is it time for Obama to fight or take the moral high ground?

Power Drills, Guns And CIA Interrogations
The ethics office of the Department of Justice has recommended that Attorney General Eric Holder investigate highly questionable tactics that were used in CIA interrogations of suspected terrorists. CIA interrogators reportedly held mock executions and threatened at least one suspect with a gun and a power drill. A "torture report" is due to be released today. Mark Hosenball, investigative correspondent for Newsweek, and Dina Temple-Raston, NPR counter-terrorism correspondent, talk about the justice department's move to investigate CIA abuse cases.

Too Much Compassion For The Lockerbie Bomber?
The only man who was convicted of the 1988 bombing of a Pan Am flight over Lockerbie, Scotland, was freed from a Scottish prison last week on what has been cited as "compassionate grounds." He is terminally ill with cancer. President Barack Obama said the decision was "a mistake" and the head of the FBI expressed his outrage in a letter to Scotland's Justice Secretary. What are the limits of compassion? And is releasing a convicted terrorist to die in his home a compassionate decision?

End Sex Tests In Sports
South African athlete Caster Semenya recently won a world championship in track-and-field, but among the accolades were rumors that she may not be "entirely female." Semenya has already undergone a series of tests to determine her sex. Sports writer Dave Zirin argues that "gender testing" is an outdated and humiliating process and explains why it's "time we all break free from the notion that you are either one (sex) or the other."

Foie gras, the food many love -- and many love to hate. (Diva Eva / Flickr)

Foie gras is about as politically tricky a food as you can get. Basically, young male geese are force-fed so that their livers get super fatty, and then their short lives end. Their livers end up on plates in Michelin-rated restaurants and foodie households. It's so icky that Chicago banned foie gras for a while, and its manufacture is banned in parts of Europe. You see, the force-feeding -- called gavage -- isn't some newfangled get-gras-to-table-fast scheme -- the practice hails from ancient Egypt. Its long been seen as the only way to really get a full flavored, fatty foie, but there may be an alternative.

Enter the "goose whisperer," Eduardo Sousa.

In Extremadura, the 1,000 or so geese Sousa raises each year roam freely, eating their fill of acorns and olives, on a farm that replicates the wild as closely as possible. "If you convince them that they're not domesticated, their natural instinct takes over," he explains. "When it turns cold and it's time for them to migrate, they start gorging to prepare for the long flight."

Free range foie! But does it work? At first, critics complained that Sousa's foie lacked the yellow tinge they craved, which comes from the dyed factory corn typical geese gorge on. Sousa's solution? He "planted bright orange flowers native to the area around the grounds of his farm. The geese feasted and his blindingly yellow foie gras was born."

Sousa's foie won the Coup de Coeur for Best Foie Gras from the Paris International Food Salon in 2007, and it piqued some interest in "ethical" foie production. Now, chef Dan Barber is trying to replicate Sousa's technique at Stone Barns Farm in New York. Sousa visited him there recently, and while he didn't like how the eggs are incubated there ("If you wanted to raise a baby Rambo, would you want him living rough out in the country or coddled in an intensive-care unit?"), he sees great promise.

By Gwen Outen

Dreams Versus Reality In Afghanistan
Polls are closed and the counting has begun in Afghanistan's second-ever presidential election. Morning Edition's Renee Montagne reported from Kabul in the lead-up to the elections, and she tells us what Afghans have said they want for their country.

I Was A 'Baby Bulimic'
Former New York Times dining critic Frank Bruni has had a self-proclaimed obsession with food. In his new memoir, Born Round, Bruni takes a hilarious and often heart touching look and his life long battle with food.

You're Safer Thanks To Joan Claybrook
Consumer advocate Joan Claybrook served as president of Public Citizen. For over two decades, she fought for safer cars, food and other products. Now she's stepping down. Claybrook talks about her advocacy work and the role that her organization has played in improving safety.

By David Gura
I'd like to take this opportunity to praise a story I heard on PRI's The World, which airs on many NPR -- public radio? -- member stations, around the country.

After Laura Ling and Euna Lee were pardoned and released by North Korea, Jason Strother, an independent journalist, reported on how human rights activists have reacted to the capture and release of the two American reporters.

As it turns out, they may have jeopardized the safety of many North Korean refugees. By parachuting in to a dangerous place -- the border between China and North Korea, Ling and Lee may have been unable to recognize how risky it is for people in the area to speak with reporters. One person in Strother's piece worries that Ling and Lee may have given their notebooks to North Korean authorities. The information therein could include the names of, and contact information for, human rights activists.

Remember Damon Weaver? The adorable now-sixth grader finally scored his long-sought interview with President Obama. I wonder what his next goal is. Seems like being a reporter interviewing some of the most powerful people in the world is just a stepping stone, maybe to a football career.

By Barrie Hardymon
There are a few girly things to which I nearly always succumb -- handbags, Little House on the Prairie, furry animals -- and the uncontrollable weeping I found myself gripped by as I read Audrey Niffenegger's hit novel, The Time Travelers Wife is, sadly, one of them. I was paying so much attention to the love story that I'm ashamed to say my geek self didn't overcome my sniffly one, and so I didn't actually notice how well the time travel part of the story was handled (pretty well, as it turns out). Slate, however has a handy list of rules that fictional -- and non, for that matter -- time travel should follow, written by physics professor Dave Goldberg.

The notion that one version of time travel is more accurate than another might seem ridiculous on its surface, but physicists actually have rather a lot to say about how time travel should work. Some, in their more fanciful moments, have even devised ways to exploit Einstein's theory of general relativity to come up with "practical" models of time machines.

Um, more practical then Doc Brown's souped up DeLorean!?!

It's a tough job market for new grads. In today's second hour we'll talk about who's hiring, who's not and what it all means for the entering class of 2013.(David McNew Getty Images)

By Gwen Outen
The Political Junkie
All is quiet on The Hill, but protestors continue to sound off about health care at town hall meetings, President Obama appeals to the West, and former majority leader Tom Delay goes dancing... with the stars. So much to cover and while Ken Rudin is out, Ron Elving is in to talk about the week in political news. Also, American Prospect's Robert Kuttner explains why liberals are not more vocal at the town hall protests, and Bloomberg News Washington bureau chief Al Hunt remembers columnist Robert Novak.

Embrace The Anger Over Health Care
Earlier this summer, Los Angeles columnist Gregory Rodriguez reread Alexis De Tocqueville's Democracy in America. He explains how the 19th century classic changed how he views the angry anti-healthcare town hall protestors. Rodriguez writes, "You may not agree with them, but their brand of hotheaded, self-righteous, obnoxious, stick-it-to-the-manism is as American as apple pie."

Hire Me!
Congratulations on your graduation!!! Now, you might want to think about going back to school. To be blunt, 2009 was not the best year to be a new grad looking for a job. A large portion of recent graduates still can't find a job. We'll talk with Paul Harrington, author of the College Majors Handbook with Real Career Paths and Payoffs to find out who's hiring, who's not and what the current job market could mean for the incoming class of 2013.

Is Evidence Of 'Actual Innocence' Enough To Stop An Execution?
In 1991, Troy Davis was convicted of murdering Mark MacPhail, an off-duty police officer in Savannah, Georgia. Since the conviction, seven witnesses against Davis have recanted their testimonies, and Davis has maintained his innocence. On Monday, the Supreme Court ordered a Georgia court to hear new evidence in the case. Atlanta Journal Constitution columnist Cynthia Tucker explains how letting Davis prove his innocence would bring justice to the family of Officer MacPhail.

By Scott Cameron
If a judge can sentence you to six months in jail for yawning in court, what if the rest of us could have that power? As Barbara Brotman wrote in the Chicago Tribune,

If only that gavel were mine.

That driver who forced me onto the shoulder as I tried to merge into his lane on the Eisenhower? You, sir, are in contempt of court!

Tailgaters, cell phone shouters, car music blasters -- I'd jail 'em all.

If you could, who would you jail?

Chilling poolside with Goofy? Brett Favre, what more do you want?! (Matt Stroshane / Disney Via Getty Images © 2009)

Dear Brett Favre,
Signing with the Vikings after your second retirement, from the Jets? What the heck is wrong with you?! I thought we'd been through this already! Since you clearly missed my last missive to you on this account, let me refresh your memory:

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.

See that last bit? "Neither can you?" Do you doubt me? How did it work out for ya in New York (Jersey)?
Listen, Brett, I'm being nice! If you need some tough love, turn to Pete Prisco at CBS Sports to get compared to a cockroach and a pimple. Or maybe head over to Gary Myers' take for the New York Daily News --

I'm tired of Favre's act. In a way, I also feel sorry for him, not that he needs anybody's pity as he's about to make a reported $10 million-$12 million. He just can't let go of football and get on with his life. He can't find anything else that excites him. You can only ride the lawnmower on the ranch so long, I guess.

It's probably too late for you to call out "April (August) fools!" but boy do I wish this was a prank.
No really, I mean it this time, NO MORE UNRETIREMENTS,
Sarah

Project Runway is one of the many shows back for the fall season. In today's second hour we'll talk about what's worth watching, and what keeps you glued to the TV.(TIMOTHY A. CLARY Getty Images)

How America Really Feels About Health Care
Last week's town hall meetings surrounding President Obama's health care overhaul brought with it this question: What exactly are Americans fighting for when it comes to health care? And what are Americans really worried about? Guest host Linda Wertheimer speaks with guests to find out what the pollsters discovered when they asked Americans what's important to them in this health care debate. And we want to hear from you. Whether or not you support a bill, what's the one issue that would change your mind?

Sir Ben Kingsley Takes Your Calls
Ben Kingsley's acting career has spanned over three decades, and since his Oscar winning portrayal of Gandhi, Kingsley has been considered one of the movie industry's most acclaimed performers. Kingsley joins us to talk about his career, the challenges of character acting and about his latest role in the upcoming film Fifty Dead Men Walking.

What Keeps You Watching?
Summer is coming to an end... so bring on the fall TV schedule!!! What's new? What's coming back? Are you itching for a preview? You got it! Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello gives us a peek at the heroes, the vampires, and the reality shows that will be making their way into your living rooms this fall. What shows are you looking forward to watching?

The Women Behind Little House
When you think about Little House on the Prairie and the Ingalls family, what probably does not enter your mind is that fact that series writer Laura Ingalls Wilder and her daughter were women of ambition and deep political interest. In a New Yorker article entitled "Wilder Women", Judith Thurman explores the little known lives and politics of the women behind the Little House on the Prairie.

By Barrie Hardymon
Today, we're talking with Erin Arvedlund, author of a new book about Bernard Madoff. (You know, it feels funny not to write "disgraced financier" in front of his name? I've been media-speak indoctrinated.) Besides the book, her claim to fame is a 2001 article in Barron's, raising red flags about Madoff's "strategy." She was not, however, the only one to do so. In the May 2001 edition of MAR/Hedge a hedge fund trade publication, writer Michael Ocrant pointed out the problems with Madoff's amazing returns:

When the many expert skeptics were asked by MAR/Hedge to respond to the explanations about the funds, the strategy and the consistently low volatility returns, most continued to express bewilderment and indicated they were still grappling to understand how such results have been achieved for so long.

Of course, I'm willing to bet you've never heard of MAR/Hedge, unless you're in the industry, and how many of you have Barron's sitting on your coffee table? How many people really understand the split-strike conversion strategy? Yet, as financial instruments -- like hedge funds -- grew more and more complex, the mainstream financial press couldn't keep up. And that's what kept us -- in the dark.

The inimitable Miles Davis, in 1955. (Hulton Archive / Getty Images )

By Sarah Handel
Kind of Blue, Miles Davis's legendary record, was released 50 years ago today. To say "everyone" would be hyperbole, but many, many people have a Kind of Blue story -- when she first heard it, the long night it helped him get through, the connection they made telling one another those stories. I first heard it -- where else? -- in college, when my roommate played it for me. We had the coziest dorm room, and some afternoons we'd lie in our bunks with Blue playing, just taking it all in -- the melodies, the mood, the rain coming down outside. There's something about that recording that take me right back to that place, the soothing-yet-reinvigorating time-outs we took from our crazy freshman year -- with its typical themes of upheaval and self-discovery.

So, Happy Birthday, Kind of Blue. You're being celebrated across the web. Here are two interesting takes: Fred Kaplan explains why Kind of Blue is so great, and from two years ago, NPR's Jazz Profiles spends an hour with the album.

We hear mixed messages about how the economy is doing... Is it recession, or recovery? So, what's your economic indicator?(Photo by Spencer Platt Getty Images)

Economic Recovery. Really?
"The recession is easing." YAY!! "The worst is yet to come." OH NO!!! Some economists say the recession is over. But others, like former secretary of labor Robert Reich, say recovery hasn't even begun. Guest host Rebecca Roberts talks to Reich and Lakshamn Achuthan, a managing director at Economic Cycle Research Institute who says the recesssion is, indeed, drawing to a close. Tell us what you think. Is an end to the economic recession in sight from your point of view? What is your economic indicator?

Bernie's Billions
Bernie Madoff is now a convicted felon for running $50-billion Ponzi scheme. But it wasn't as simple as that. Some could argue the former chairman of Nasdaq and financier created a whole new kind of rip-off. Erin Arvedlund was among the first to report on the many suspicions about Bernie Madoff in 2001. She joins us to talk about her new book, Too Good To Be True: The Rise and Fall of Bernie Madoff and what else we don't know about the Madoff investment scandal.

What's So Great About Health Care Co-Ops?
The "public option," a government insurance program that would compete with private insurers, now appears to be a negotiable part of the health care overhaul. We'll talk about what an alternative would look like if the White House were to drop its push for a "public option."

By Scott Cameron

You'll want to pay attention to these lawsuits if you're paid by the hour and use a Blackberry or iPhone, or ever do work after-hours. As the Wall Street Journal reports:

Last month, three current and former employees sued T-Mobile USA Inc., claiming they were required to use company-issued smart phones to respond to work messages after hours without pay.

In a March suit, a former CB Richard Ellis Group Inc. maintenance worker seeks pay for time spent after hours receiving and responding to messages on a work-issued cellphone.

Are phone calls work? Should you be paid for every email you read on your Blackberry? How does your company handle this?

By Sarah Handel

One of the shows I'm most proud of being a part of, here at TOTN, is Neal's interview with Dirty Jobs host Mike Rowe. I love the show, he was a fantastic interview, and we got to hear about the squirm-worthy filthy jobs of many of our listeners. One memorable caller had a suggestion for Mike...

JOHN: Hey, I used to work at a duck hatchery, all right? And did you do an episode in a chicken hatchery once?

Mr. ROWE: Just left the turkey insemination joint up in Minnesota.

JOHN: Well, I'll tell you what. If you'd go to a hatchery, this is what you're going to get. You're going to get a percentage of the eggs that are being incubated before they're transferred into the actual hatcher.

Mr. ROWE: Mm-hmm.

JOHN: You know, a portion of those will always rot and explode, so you've got wonderful, rotten exploding eggs...

Mr. ROWE: Like it, like it.

JOHN: ...you got stuff down all over the place, and so that might be something you would consider.

Gross! Anyway, as a fan of the show, when I came across the How Stuff Works Dirty Jobs quiz, I immediately clicked through. Yeah, I aced it, but will you?

An angry speaker at a town hall meeting in Pennsylvania.(Photo by Chris Gardner Getty Images)

By Gwen Outen

This Angry Moment
Protestors at town hall meetings on health care continue to express their frustration and fear, but the roots are hard to clearly identify. Some say the frustruation stems from a basic mistrust of the government. Others argue the tension is not only about health care reform, but the effects of the recession as a whole. Still others say the anger is steeped in racial undertones. We will examine the attitudes of fear and concern from different angles and examine what this angry moment is really about.

Top 10 Myths About Exercise
Exercise longer, burn more fat. Exercise makes you fat. If you exercise you can eat whatever you want. Wait! Which is it??? There are so many (often conflicting) myths about exercise that we often don't know what to do, much less stay motivated to do something. Anything! We'll try to clear things up with a physician and a personal trainer and find out what works when it comes to exercise. And we want to hear from you. What exercise program has worked for you? And how do you stay motivated?

Where Are All The Hurricanes?
Thank another El Nino for a bit of a lull in the Atlantic hurricane season so far. But even though we are experiencing fewer hurricanes this season, we very well know it only takes one to leave a city completely devastated. National Hurricane Center director Bill Read provides a hurricane forecast and advises us on how to stay at the ready even when there seems to be no immediate threat in sight.

By David Gura
The other day, Robert Siegel, senior host of NPR's All Things Considered, used the word "Plantagenet" in his introduction to a piece on American castles:

What's with American castles? Not the brick waterworks that look like castles or the armories or the hamburger chains, I mean, the purpose-built, latter day fortress just down road from the strip mall. Time was, a self-respecting robber baron got rich and built himself a dwelling worthy of a Plantagenet king.

It isn't a word you see quoted every day, that's for sure; so, I did a double take when I saw it again last week, on The Guardian's website: "Plantagenet queen promotes book on Twitter."

Sorry for the long wind-up, everybody. Anyhow, Philippa Gregory, the author of The Other Boleyn Girl, which I haven't read, but Barrie probably has, will write "a series of tweets in the voice of Elizabeth Woodville, the Plantagenet queen around whom her new novel is based."

According to Gregory's publisher, Simon & Schuster, it is the first time a bestselling author has condensed their novel on Twitter, but this is the latest in a series of recent literary experiments on the micro-blogging service which have run the gamut from the comic to the literary.

Twitter fans and Gregory fans out there, is this something you'd want to get in on? If you are, here's hoping Twitter stabilizes in the interim....

Reproduced with permission from Consumer Reports.

By Sarah Handel

This just cracked me up. At the back of Consumer Reports' ShopSmart magazine, they've got a feature called "Back In the Day." These are the Spectra Radio Sunglasses, which Consumer Reports tested in 1966. At the time, they cost $19.95. More, from their writeup:

A quick flick of the switch on the left temple turned on the music (a tuning knob was on the right), but reception faded whenever you turned your head. So you had to sit perfectly still if you wanted to enjoy the music.

Classic.

by Barrie Hardymon

Confession: I am a Little House fanatic. I am -- and anyone can vouch for this -- wearing a covered wagon charm around my neck, I perk up at the thought of "vanity cakes," De Smet is a location dear to my heart, and I still crave, but have never sampled, maple syrup on snow. Lizzie Skurnick, who was on our show a few weeks ago, and is one of my favorite Little House lovers (and people, for that matter), has chronicled the LH obsession -- but rarely do I read about the authors themselves. Imagine, then, my joy when producer Gisele Grayson and reporter Liz Halloran alerted me to even more juicy LH writing -- Judith Thurman's New Yorker piece about Laura Ingalls Wilder, and her daughter Rose, and a Salon post on Broadsheet about that article. Rose, as it turns out, was a firebrand, though, not always with happy results:

The struggle against authority defined Rose's life. She railed against a mother who had infantilized her (even though she returned the favor), and at a President who, she believed, was infantilizing a free republic. ("I hoped that Roosevelt would be killed in 1933," she wrote to her agent, George Bye, who also represented Eleanor Roosevelt.) She fought a valiant losing battle for the psychic freedom necessary to write something authentic, yet she was beholden to her parents for her greatest literary successes.

It's fascinating reading about the ladies we love, and would make great watching too (much better than the deadly dull Edies of Grey Gardens -- apologies to G. Gardens Fanatics). And thanks to the LH lovers at the Washington Desk!

By David Gura
I can always tell when there is a Congressional recess. It is impossible for me to hail a cab, for one thing. (In Washington, taxi drivers get a lot of their business from the federal government.) For another, the bars I pass on my walk home, a few footsteps from the Capitol, are filled with many fewer congressional aides. (When Congress is in session, they're easily identifiable by their identifications which, inexplicably, they wear everywhere.)

So, it's August, and it's summer vacation time. For me, for you (I hope), and for our representatives. Laura Rozen, writing for The Cable -- a great blog, hosted by Foreign Policy magazine, has "an exclusive guide to Congress's summer junkets."

Sens. John McCain (R-AZ), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Joseph Lieberman (I-CT), and Susan Collins are going to Afghanistan, Iceland, Iraq, Kuwait, Libya, and Yemen. (I'll take the beach over those, thank-you-very-much!)

Much more my speed: the trip Rep. John Boehner (R-OH) is taking, to Canada, China, Ireland, Kazakhstan, Switzerland, and Ukraine.

If you want to know where your congressperson is spending his or her recess, you can find a .PDF of the whole list here.

GPS devices don't always know best. We'll talk in today's second hour about falling victim to your GPS.(iStockphoto.com)

Anger In The Town Halls
Anger continues to brew in town halls across the country where protestors are sounding off against the "Obamacare" health overhaul. Meanwhile, Hillary Clinton has an angry outburst in the Congo. But all will be calm in studio 3A, and political junkie Ken Rudin promises to be peaceful as he runs down the %$@^# week in political news.

Is Government Treating Us Like Children?
The Obama administration is proposing a Consumer Financial Protection Act designed to oversee consumer finances to ensure that we are making responsible decisions with our finances. Judge Richard Posner complains that the government doesn't always know best when it comes to our money.

Chinatown, U.S.A.
Wherever author Bonnie Tsui travels, she immediately looks for the Chinatown in that city. Full of exotic delicacies and crowded storefronts, the neighborhood Chinatown holds a deep cultural significance. In her new book, American Chinatown, Tsui spoke with residents of five neighborhoods to find out what it's like to walk through their Chinatown every day. We want to hear from you. In your city, what do you see when you walk into Chinatown?

Your GPS Is Evil
"Recalculating." "Recalculating!!!" I swear my GPS lady sounds more annoyed each time I don't follow her exact direction. But, frankly, I'm just as annoyed when she tells ME to turn right on a one-way street going the other way!!! Emily Yoffe calls herself a victim of her GPS, and you know, there are times when I feel the same way. Tell us your story. When has your GPS steered you wrong? "When possible, make a legal U-turn. Recalculating...." AGH!!!!!!!!!!

By Scott Cameron
There's some mystery surrounding those ubiquitous red envelopes that carry DVDs between your mailbox and Netflix. While I can't get a birthday card to Chicago in less than five days, somehow a skinny, coded packet hits the warehouse in time to ship my next movie the next afternoon. How? Christopher Borrelli decided to find out for the Chicago Tribune:

One imagines miles of pop ephemera between its brick-and-mortar walls -- one imagines that limitless building from "Raiders of the Lost Ark," but with 15,000 copies of " Confessions of a Shopaholic."

The truth is stranger.

He delivers the full story at the Tribune's website.

Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams in The Notebook. New Line Cinema

By Sarah Handel
FACT: I like actress Rachel McAdams. I think she's beautiful and a good actress, and for whatever reason -- and this may be an embarrassing revelation -- I really liked The Family Stone.

That said, remember The Notebook? When it came out, you could hardly flip on the TV without seeing the above McAdams and Ryan Gosling in that passionate embrace, with her legs wrapped around his waist. Her running leap into his arms said so much about their romance and the film that it became a sort of shorthand -- both a gag, and a truly beloved moment. Gosling and McAdam, dating at the time, recreated the run-jump-mad embrace-makeout session when they won "Best Kiss" at the MTV Movie Awards, as seen here:

The crowd loves it, McAdams and Gosling (seem to) love it, it was fresh and fun and whoa, Romantic with a capital R.

And now, I give you, The Time Traveler's Wife:

What was that, there at about :28 in? Our heroine, jumping into the arms of another man. This one's a bit more subtle, but I think it's time she patents (trademarks?) the move!

By David Gura
One of my favorite writers, James Fallows, a correspondent for The Atlantic, is back on American soil. Permanently, it seems. For the last three years he has been on assignment in China, reporting wonderful essays for the magazine from Beijing.

Since I've been on staff here, we've had Fallows on the show a couple of times. During the 2008 Olympics, he agreed to stay up late to join us from our bureau there. (For the life of me, I can't remember how we convinced him to do that, with the time difference.)

On his blog, Fallows is reflecting on what it's like to return to the United States. Last week, in another installment of his "notes on repatriation," he focused on the recession and the media. It's not all serious stuff. He posted these photographs of some native fauna. And, after a great imagined summary of the "beer summit," he rejoices in something that is truly great about the United States: the ready availability of good brews.

Although he has big shoes to fill, Evan Osnos is doing an admirable job at The New Yorker's website blogging about China. Add him to your RSS feeds, folks.

Eunice Kennedy Shriver challenged views of mental retardation. We'll talk in today's second hour about how people's views have changed over the years.(Photo by Liaison Getty Images)

By Gwen Outen

Nuns Under Investigation
Several months ago, the Vatican launched two investigations of American nuns. And many worry that the Catholic Church is targeting them for their views. Today, nuns and sisters talk about how their lives have -- or have not -- changed with modern times, and how concerned they are about the Vatican investigations.

Changing Images Of Mental Retardation
Eunice Kennedy Shriver died today, leaving behind a legacy that helped change the way we view mental retardation. We'll talk about how Shriver's life and work shifted our attitudes about mental retardation in society and its depiction in the media.

Cash For Clunkers
By now you've probably heard of the federally sponsored "cash for clunkers" program. Trade in your gas guzzler for a more fuel efficient car, and receive up to $4500 from the government. So how did the initiative get started here? Economist Alan Blinder pitched the idea last summer as a way to reduce automobile emissions while boosting the economy. We'll talk to him about whether or not he feels the cash for clunkers program has been effective.

Which Irritating Menu Phrases Would You Ban?

By Scott Cameron
Another Monday, another password. Outlook told me first thing this morning that my password would expire soon, and asked if I would like to create a new one. I racked my brain for some combination of letters, symbols and numbers that 1) I won't forget, and 2) won't likely be easily hacked. (Note to IT: be kind when I call tomorrow after forgetting my new password). If only I had read Farhad Manjoo's column last month on how to pick a password. I know it's not a novel approach for techies, but for the rest of us:

Start with an original but memorable phrase. For this exercise, let's use these two sentences: I like to eat bagels at the airport and My first Cadillac was a real lemon so I bought a Toyota. The phrase can have something to do with your life or it can be a random collection of words-just make sure it's something you can remember. That's the key: Because a mnemonic is easy to remember, you don't have to write it down anywhere. (If you can't remember it without writing it down, it's not a good mnemonic.) This reduces the chance that someone will guess it if he gets into your computer or your e-mail. What's more, a relatively simple mnemonic can be turned into a fanatically difficult password.

Read step two and the rest of his column on Slate.com.

By Sarah Handel
As recently as two years ago I traveled somewhere on business, then freaked when I realized I'd forgotten my business cards. Lousy professional, I am. Anyway, Scott kindly mailed an envelope full of them to my hotel. But honestly? Though I did hand them out, I haven't taken them on a trip since, and I haven't even bothered to update them to reflect my current position. I just don't care -- if you want to find me, it's pretty easy online. Still, at various events, people continue to ask for them, and I walk home with a pocketful.

So, you won't be surprised to find that I'm with Lifehacker's Gina Trapani on this one:

Small rectangular pieces of cardstock with your name, phone number and company logo are going the way of the land line, compact disc, and yellow pages. You might still come away from meetings with a briefcase full of business cards, but most likely you're going to search the web for a company or contact before you do anything with a bleached remnant of a dead tree.

Her solution? She says Google Profiles are your best bet, even if you have a name like Mary Johnson.

For people with a common name -- or a name similar to someone with a stronger Internet presence -- Google Profiles comes to the rescue. Google Profiles is the easiest way to ensure you appear on the first page of Google search results. Your Google Profile is a simple web page that lists your contact details, a short bio, your location(s), and web sites.

Read on to learn how to set yours up, if you're interested, and check out her profile here. So have you ditched your business cards?

Many people assume that weight is mostly a matter of willpower -- that we can learn both to exercise and to avoid muffins and Gatorade. A few of us can, but evolution did not build us to do this for very long. In 2000 the journal Psychological Bulletin published a paper by psychologists Mark Muraven and Roy Baumeister in which they observed that self-control is like a muscle: it weakens each day after you use it. If you force yourself to jog for an hour, your self-regulatory capacity is proportionately enfeebled. Rather than lunching on a salad, you'll be more likely to opt for pizza.

Now, obviously that's not true for everyone, and Sarah and I gabbed this morning about how exercise actually makes both of us crave healthy foods -- fruits, veggies, water. But I have noticed that when I've exercised hard -- I'm starving -- I could pour food down my gullet with abandon if I'd let myself. That's not to say we shouldn't exercise; quite the contrary, says Time:

In addition to enhancing heart health and helping prevent disease, exercise improves your mental health and cognitive ability. A study published in June in the journal Neurology found that older people who exercise at least once a week are 30% more likely to maintain cognitive function than those who exercise less. Another study, released by the University of Alberta a few weeks ago, found that people with chronic back pain who exercise four days a week have 36% less disability than those who exercise only two or three days a week.

And of course, it's a good deal more complicated than that, even -- the equation for a healthy life will be recalculated time and time again. In the meantime I've worked up a sweat just thinking about it. I'm going to have one of Sarah's blondies.

By David Gura
Because my younger sister was a Girl Scout, our house was, for a few months every year, filled with delicious cookies. Lots of them. We kept boxes in the pantry and the freezer, and cases (for distribution!) in the garage.

I was chagrined to read this, on Jeffrey Goldberg's blog, at The Atlantic: "Walmart has copied two of the group's signature cookies, Thin Mints and Tagalongs, and will soon sell them nationally at lower prices -- sure to cut into the do-gooders' profits, which are generated solely from cookie sales."

Sure, I've complained about the cost of a box of Girl Scout cookies, but c'mon!

By David Gura
Last week, News Corporation, Rupert Murdoch's media conglomerate, announced that it will soon charge for online news content. That means that if you want to read the New York Post, The Wall Street Journal, or the Daily Telegraph online, you're going to have to pay. (Just like you would if you wanted to read the New York Post, The Wall Street Journal, or the Daily Telegraph in print.)

In an interview with the BBC, Murdoch said that he was "'satisfied' that the company could produce 'significant revenues from the sale of digital delivery of newspaper content.'"

"The digital revolution has opened many new and inexpensive methods of distribution," he added. "But it has not made content free. Accordingly, we intend to charge for all our news websites. I believe that if we are successful, we will be followed by other media. "Quality journalism is not cheap, and an industry that gives away its content is simply cannibalising its ability to produce good reporting," he said.

On Thursday, we spoke with Bob Garfield of NPR's On The Media about his new book, The Chaos Scenario: Amid the Ruins of Mass Media, The Choice of Business is Stark: Listen or Perish. In that conversation, Garfield highlighted the crux of the problem:

Ironically, the audience of The New York Times and just about every other major newspaper has dramatically expanded for the last -- over the last 10 years because online, you can -- you know, you can be read anywhere and -- here's the key -- for free. So because - you know, free is a really attractive price, and you can't argue with the convenience. So people are reading The New York Times more than they ever have in its history.

Check out the latest issue of the Columbia Journalism Review. Four smart people -- Alissa Quart, Peter Osnos, David Simon, and Michael Shapiro tackle this tricky subject.

End of life planning is one of the most contentious points in the debate over health care. Is it a slippery slope to government funded euthanasia?(John Moore Getty Images)

By Gwen Outen
Does Health Care Bill Promote Euthanasia?
The healthcare debate presses on with a spotlight shining on a portion of one House bill that covers the cost of consultations between patients and doctors over "end-of-life" issues. The proposal has sparked fears that the bill promotes euthanizing older patients. We'll talk to a health policy reporter about details of what is in the health care proposals, and why some argue it's a slippery slope to government-funded euthanasia.

Two Years For Singing "Kill Me A Cop"
Antavio Johnson, a 20-year-old Florida rapper, has been sentenced to two years in prison for writing and rapping lyrics that threatened to murder two police officers he claims harassed him. In an op-ed written for The Daily Beast, law professor Anita Allen calls the sentencing "outrageous" and explains why "it's excessive to treat violent song lyrics in the context of youthful rapping as criminal offenses punishable by jail time."

Ready For Cyber War?
Last month government and commercial websites in the U.S. and South Korea were hit by a surge of cyberattacks. Many experts believe North Korea was behind the assault. General Kevin Chilton is the head of the United States Strategic Command and oversees nuclear weapons, space operations and cyber defense. He will explain how vulnerable we are to a cyber attack, how the U.S. military is prepared to fight back and how new, modernized nuclear weapons could deter future attacks on the United States.

Them vs. Us: Putting Government In Its Place
The United States has seen its fair share of disputes over government intervention. Two recent examples -- the debate on healthcare, and the economic bailout. In an op-ed that appeared in The Los Angeles Times, history professor and author Joseph J. Ellis takes the long view on these modern arguments, and the attitudes we've inherited from Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton.

The Guardian today reports that Facebook and other social media sites are being overrun by older users... "the surest way to kill a youth trend." And sure enough, younger users are heading for the exits:

Although their love of being online shows no sign of abating, the percentage of 15- to 24-year-olds who have a profile on a social networking site has dropped for the first time - from 55% at the start of last year to 50% this year. In contrast, 46% of 25- to 34-year-olds are now regularly checking up on sites such as Facebook compared with 40% last year.

I'm not much of a Facebooker myself, but what do you think? Is Facebook overexposed and losing its "cool"?

Other than office gossip, email may be the least secure (read: private) way to communicate. Notes can be forwarded mistakenly, IT departments and forensic types can dig up old date and old messages that you thought were long deleted. You can use fancy encryption software that stores a secure "key" that only allows the recipient to access your email, but given enough time or a court order those keys can be cracked. What to do? Think Napster. Peer to peer networks (like Napster used to be before it was sued and sold) might be the answer to secure emails that actually self-destruct. Economist.com has the story:

The researchers developed a piece of software called "Vanish", which encrypts information before it is sent, breaks the encryption key into pieces and then sends the bits out to randomly selected "nodes" created by computers that are logged on to the P2P network. Once sitting on a node, the pieces of the key wait for another copy of the Vanish software to access them in order to read the encrypted message. However, the pieces of key do not remain on the P2P in perpetuity. When a computer is disconnected from the network, the node it formed ceases to exist and any encryption-key data stored there are lost.

I know that someone will call in to extol the gastronomical genius of this flick, the 1963 Tom Jones, which celebrates the lusty marriage of food and sex. It makes 9 1/2 Weeks look prudish. Tom Jones and Mrs. Waters have such a lascivious meal, that one wonders if they might not have just fallen into a food coma when they finally get to the bedroom (they don't). Frankly I've always wondered what it would be like to eat all those courses in a corset. And a note from the excellent Cooking With The Movies Blog:

The director allowed [the actors] Finney and Redman to improvise much of the dinner scene; given the gusto with which they consumed so much food, it's not surprising that they suffered digestively for days afterward.

Unfortunately, I couldn't actually pull the clip itself, as the chewing and slurping didn't read well enough over the radio, but for those of you that want to remember it all -- here 'tis. Bon appetit!

By Sarah Handel
I don't know about you, but today, I was in search of a little levity as I trolled the interwebs. Lo.

Now, I'm with lots of Huffington Post commenters -- this isn't a flashmob, it's an advertisement. But boy, is it clever, and it certainly brought a smile to my face. If it had gone down on the street corner I can see from my DC office, you can bet everyone in the building who could've would've rushed to the windows. Enjoy.

The U.S. Army investigates a complaint of civilian casualties in Afghanistan. (Photo by Joseph Giordono / Pool/Getty Images (c) 2009)

Civilian Deaths: How Many Is Too Many?
The U.N. reported that civilian deaths in the Afghan war soared by 24 percent during the first half of 2009 compared with the same period last year. The U.S. military recently tightened its rules for using airstrikes and targeting the Taliban, but the measure could increase the risks for U.S. troops. We'll talk about civilian deaths and the rules of war.

Summer Movie Fest: Favorite Food Flicks
Murray Horwitz is back! Our favorite film buff continues our summer movie series with a look at our favorite films about food. Okay food lovers. Tell us what movies literally made your mouth water.

The Coming Chaos
According to author and On the Media host Bob Garfield, we are in the midst of a new world order -- a digital revolution that will devastate mass media and make you the next mogul. Garfield talks about his "Chaos Scenario" as traditional advertising models become less effective and consumer behavior changes.

Bill T. Jones Remembers Merce Cunningham
Merce Cunningham, the avant-garde and unconventional choreographer known for his modernistic approach to dance, died last month at the age of 90. Bill T. Jones, himself a choreographer, once described Cunningham as a "champion in the struggle to say that dance is its own primary language... ." Jones talks about Merce Cunningham's influence on choreography and dance as an art form.

Fans of Facebook and Twitter look out, the Military and the NFL are reportedly working to ban social networks. Chris Matyszczyk picked it up over at CNET.com:

No more Twittering. No more friending. And definitely no more updating people on your latest moods, feelings, lovers, and hangnails. Yes, in what seems like a concerted effort on the part of traditional culture, two highly similar organizations, the Marines and the NFL, have decided to fight back against all the careless talk. They have each reportedly begun to ban Twitter and Facebook.

Could it be the beginnings of a trend? Or another fruitless attempt to control the uncontrollable?

Who doesn't love a good crime story? In today's second hour we'll talk with writer Walter Mosley and Law & Order Executive Producer Rene Balcer about the art of the crime story.(iStockphoto.com)

By Gwen Outen
Sotomayor And The Politics Of "No"
The sand and surf can't keep our Political Junkie Ken Rudin from joining us today. Ken interrupts his vacation to talk about this week in political news, including the push-pull on health care overhaul, the hugely popular "cash for clunkers" car-swapping program, and tomorrow's vote to confirm Sonia Sotomayor as U.S. Supreme Court justice. More Republicans say they will vote against her nomination, though not enough to derail her confirmation.

Peter Sagal On His Home State Of New Jersey
There is an ongoing debate about the exact title that should be given to the third state of the Union. Is New Jersey the "Garden State" or the "armpit of America?" NPR's Wait, Wait Don't Tell Me host Peter Sagal and Talk of the Nation host Neal Conan are both Jersey boys. We'll leave it to them to clear the Jersey air for us.

The Art Of The Crime Story
Philip Marlowe, Easy Rawlins, Lennie Briscoe. We love every character and the crimes they solve. So what is it about crime novels that make them fly off the shelves, and crime dramas that stay at the top of the Nielsen ratings? Writer Walter Mosley and Law & Order executive producer Rene Balcer talk about our love affair with crime fiction.

Why Bill Clinton Should Not Have Gone To North Korea
Former President Bill Clinton's trip to North Korea won the release of two American journalists who were sentenced to twelve years of hard labor in a North Korean prison. In an op-ed for the Wall Street Journal, author Gordon Chang argues why the journalists' release could bide North Korean leader Kim Jong Il more time to develop his nuclear arsenal.

By Gwen Outen
Health Care: Dean Versus The Blue Dogs
When it comes to health care, where do the Blue Dogs (or conservative Democrats) lie? Howard Dean, former presidential candidate and head of the Democratic party, and former Blue Dog congressman Max Sandlin talk about what they see as the make or break aspects of their own party's health care plan.

Garrison Keillor's Joys Of The State Fair
'Tis the season of the State Fair! In last month's issue of National Geographic, A Prairie Home Companion's Garrison Keillor lists the top ten joys of the State Fair. Don't worry, food on a stick, designer chickens and oversized swine were not left off the list. Keillor will tell us what else made the list. What's your number one state fair joy?

You've Been Lied To
How many times during your waking hours do you tell someone "Have a nice day"? Let's say seven times. Well, according to author Robert Feldman, you will have told seven lies. Feldman specializes in deception (research, that is) and in his new book, The Liar In Your Life, he explains how we lie, and why we've developed such a high tolerance for deception.

How Honest Are We In Inter-Racial Relationships?
When conversations about race come up between friends and couples of different racial backgrounds, how honest are the discussions? That is a question we will pose to Chicago Tribune columnist Dawn Turner Trice.

By Scott Cameron
It's not the review of the Kindle in David's post that caught my eye, it's the reaction he heard: "Everyone joined in: 'On the subway, I can't see what other commuters are reading!'" Now, take that beyond books to records and CDs and DVDs and magazines and newspapers. It's a shift not lost on James Wolcott, of Vanity Fair:

Books not only furnish a room, to paraphrase the title of an Anthony Powell novel, but also accessorize our outfits. They help brand our identities.

Record collections used to reflect a young man's curatorial odyssey to impose order, hierarchy, and permanence on his most cherished grooves, and to one-up his fellow pack rats. (Female music fans don't seem to be anywhere near so obsessive-completist.) To have Public Image Ltd.'s Metal Box in its original container was to have your punk cred validated. Fabulous rarities retrieved from the discount bins earned one membership in an elite breed of forager, akin to those flea-market falcons who can swoop in and snap up the holy grail from under a pile of old Nixon buttons.

Damon Darlin picked up the theme in Sunday's New York Times:

We've lost something as well: the fortunate discovery of something we never knew we wanted to find. In other words, the digital age is stamping out serendipity. When we walk into other people's houses, we peruse their bookshelves, look at their CD cases and sneak a peek at their video collections (better that than their medicine cabinets). It gives us a measure of the owner's quirky tastes and, more often than not, we find a singer, a musician or a documentary we'd never known before.

With the record albums and hard-cover books and movie posters gone, we need to find new ways to express ourselves. Wolcott ends his piece with this thought:

I suspect that once this downturn plateaus and shrinks in the rearview mirror, we'll just stock up on other possessions, which will be arrayed and arranged to show off not our personal aesthetics or expensive whims but our ethics-our progressive virtues. A place where we could play host to Barack and Michelle and feel assured they'd find nothing amiss.

By Barrie Hardymon
This is a trailer for The Cove. Today, the new documentary was brought up at our meeting under our famed "Buzz" section, because it's reaching a level of interest that makes us want to think about programming around it. I have no doubt it's an interesting movie (any trailer that shows a weeping Hayden Panettiere must be), but what really got me was the blurb from Peter Travers in the trailer: "A cross between Flipper and The Bourne Identity." Now, it's harder than you think to do that. I've been thinking all day about how to describe the movie I saw (and loved) over the weekend, In The Loop, and I could only come up with "a cross between No End In Sight and Four Weddings And A Funeral." Thoughts?

You know what they say about an apple a day... (orangeacid)

By Sarah Handel
The story of my first overnight hospital stay is a sad one indeed. My anesthesia knocked me out but left me sick and miserable, and the hospital food did not help things. The only way my doctor would let me go home was if I ate something and kept it down, a reasonable requirement I couldn't seem to meet. And people, it was Christmas Eve! I finally succeeded when a lovely nurse offered me the simple dinner she'd packed for herself: plain turkey, roasted at home, on brown bread. I ate, I smiled, I went home.

All this is to say, we all know how gross hospital food can be. In recent years I've seen some improvements -- one patient I visited got a carton of vanilla soy milk she really enjoyed -- but some hospitals are drawing the connection between health and food, and dropping the ubiquitous Jell-O in favor of seasonal fruit:

Some hospitals have taken small steps -- eliminating trans fats from their menus or switching to dairy products free of the growth hormone rBGH. Others have taken on bigger overhauls: The chef at Dominican Hospital in Santa Cruz cooks with produce from the hospital's on-site vegetable garden; Chicago's Swedish Covenant Hospital is gradually moving toward meals that are entirely organic.

Now of course, I hope all of you only visit hospitals for joyous births and quick, successful remedies to health problems. But when you do, maybe you'll find a pleasant surprise on that hospital tray. Have you eaten something healthy and yummy as an inpatient?

The White House "Beer Summit," last week. (Saul Loeb / AFP/Getty Images © 2009)

By David Gura
Last week, at many of our morning meetings, we talked about James Crowley and Henry Louis Gates, "teachable moments," and the so-called "Beer Summit." Inevitably, our executive producer would ask, "Who do you want to hear on this? Whose opinion do you think would be particularly interesting?"

John McWhorter's name came up a couple of times. Although we didn't get him on our air, McWhorter has weighed in on what Frank Rich, of The New York Times, called "Gatesgate," in a post on The New Republic's website, called "And We Have Learned -- What? The Real Lesson After The Beer."

"Any lesson we were supposed to learn from Gates-gate directly is, at this point, too thin to register meaningfully as details have come out," McWhorter writes.

The only evidence that remains of what many were hoping we would learn from all of this is that just maybe Crowley would not have arrested a white man who made as much noise as Gates did. But we can't know that -- it's just a speculation, a beery sort of one. Crowley would never admit it -- or more probably, could not be consciously aware of that bias even if he had it.

He continues, looking to the future:

And in the wake of it, it's hard to see how something like what happened to him won't happen again, beer or not. Sensitivity training, of the sort Crowley knows well, can help a bit. But in the heat of moments, Stuff will happen, impulse will take over, and subtle biases may well help determine them. Crowleys will overreact to being dissed -- as most of us would. Gateses will overreact out of contextualizing what happens to them as part of something larger -- as most black men will understand.

By Gwen Outen
Is The Recession Over?
There are some headlines floating around that come out and say it: Our national economic nightmare is over! But Nobel prize winning economist Paul Krugman says the damage from the U.S. recession may persist "for a very long time." We'll talk to Krugman about what might end this recession, the enormous Wall Street paydays and his ideas on how to fix -- and pay for -- healthcare.

'Let The Soldiers Drink'
Reports generated by Army substance-abuse counselors suggest that there is a concern about rising rates of alcohol abuse and binge drinking among soldiers fighting in Afghanistan and Iraq. In an op-ed written for The Washington Post, retired Army Lt. Col. Charles Krohn recalls his days as a beer drinker while fighting in Vietnam and argues that with soldiers sacrificing so much, a case of Budweiser would actually help keep morale up.

The Solution To Homelessness?
We continue our "What Works" series with a look at the problem of homelessness. Dr. Jessie Gaeta co-founded the Home and Healthy for Good project in Massachusetts. The program gets the chronically homeless into permanent housing first, then focuses on medical treatment (including for addictions). We'll talk with Dr. Gaeta about why the approach works better than many traditional programs, and costs less in the long run.

Sidewalk Activism
Yes, I want to save the planet. Yes, your organization sounds great. No, I don't want to talk about it now. I'm late for work. We've all been there -- on our way to a meeting and a sidewalk activist asks for a minute of our time in the name of starving children. And while we may be sympathetic to the cause, we usually keep walking. Dana Fisher researched canvassing and the frustrations of sidewalk activism for her book Activism, Inc. And we want to hear from you. How do you respond to a canvasser's question? And if you've worked as a canvasser, tell us what those sidewalk conversations are like for you.

Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos unveils the Kindle DX at a press conference in New York. (Emmanuel Dunand / AFP/Getty Images © 2009)

By David Gura
I first saw -- and held and used -- an Amazon Kindle three or four months ago. One of my friends, visiting from San Francisco, had the "wireless reading device" in his messenger bag. Immediately, I was impressed with its thinness, its lightness, and its speed, but I didn't covet it.

A few weeks later, at a backyard dinner party, a professor -- with a few books under his belt -- complained about the Kindle. Everyone joined in: "On the subway, I can't see what other commuters are reading!" "It can't be as satisfying as a real book!" "Will I get the same royalties?!"

In the most-recent issue of The New Yorker, which I read -- in the real, paper edition -- on the Metro this morning, Nicholson Baker reviews the Kindle 2. It is a great essay, in which he asks, "Can the Kindle really improve on the book?"

Baker goes from the banner ads to the buzz: "Everybody was saying that the new Kindle was terribly important -- that it was an alpenhorn blast of post-Gutenbergian revalorization." Ultimately, to him, it was a disappointment. Many of the titles he wanted weren't Kindle-ready. Illustrations were hard to see. Books, to his eyes, just didn't look right:

The problem was not that the screen was in black-and-white; if it had really been black-and-white, that would have been fine. The problem was that the screen was gray. And it wasn't just gray; it was a greenish, sickly gray. A postmortem gray. The resizable typeface, Monotype Caecilia, appeared as a darker gray. Dark gray on paler greenish gray was the palette of the Amazon Kindle.

This was what they were calling e-paper? This four-by-five window onto an overcast afternoon? Where was paper white, or paper cream? Forget RGB or CMYK. Where were sharp black letters laid out like lacquered chopsticks on a clean tablecloth?

I am sure there is plenty of disagreement about his assessment. (I can hear the cries of "neo-Luddite!" already.) Have you used one of the devices? What do you think?