NPR: Double the Pleasure...

Double the Pleasure...

Listen to the Pilots

Rolling out our new name, sharing our first FULL pilot hour, tweaking it all; a quick trip to New York to help NPR member station WNYC mark its capital campaign to pay for their new fancy studio space...a lot on our plates this past week. Then, Imus.

Need I say any more?

But, somehow I've enjoyed...most of it. I'm beginning to think I actually function better without sleep. Could that possibly be true? (And no, I will NOT be asking for a second opinion)

ANYWHO...It's Friday the 13th. We're not superstitious so we're going to take a chance on posting two full pilot hours today and hope that no buggies take us down. So, let's get to it...

Pilot A: You'll hear a discussion on circumcision and talks in New York to encourage adult men to have the procedure as a way to fight the spread of HIV/AIDS. . (Gee--wonder why none of the guys on our staff wanted to work on this segment?!) We also talk baseball and Barry Bonds. Some predict that he'll soon pass Hank Aaron's homerun record. But that got us to thinking: given Bonds' checkered history, do his homerun stats alone mean that we should think of him as a "hero?"...

Plus, we talk to the only woman currently working as an umpire in professional baseball. Yep, we found her--no easy feat, since she calls a game just about every night during the season and is constantly on the road. Sorry, I know some people hate this "first-only woman/black/purple/ whatever person to do this or that" coverage. But I couldn't help myself. I love stories about people who've broken barriers, and ( you might have figured this out by now) I really like sports.

You'll also hear a discussion on differences among ethnicities when it comes to end of life decisions. I confess the discussion forced me to think about my own attitudes about this...

Pilot B: Katrina -- We are very interested in following the stories of those affected by the storm. And we remain intrigued by the stories of where everyone has gone and how they have fared. In this program we focused on folks who have moved to Atlanta. Why Atlanta? You'll just have to listen.

Then...could you have a fantasy about money? No, not that you'll win Powerball (we all have that). One of our money coaches stops by to give us some tips on how we'd know if we are actually disconnected with reality when it comes to our cash. And of course...Mocha Moms. Are you a stay-at-home mom? If so, could you be doomed!? A new book by Leslie Bennetts calls staying home "The Feminine Mistake." But don't worry...the Moms don't play! It's as good it gets for a very balanced discussion.

Twice the segments...twice the fun, right? I'm giving you the entire weekend to chew on these, so you'll have more than enough time. Let us know what you think...

Now, here are couple things I'd like to know...

Are there pioneers whom you'd like to know more about ? (hopefully living ones I could interview -- but wait --even some historical figures might be in our sound vault!)

Heads of state?
Sports figures?
Scientists?
People in your community?
What kind of achievers interest you? And do you have their cell phone numbers?
(Of course, that is a "yes" or "no" question...no cell numbers on the blog, please)

Have a great weekend!

Michel Martin

5:29 PM ET | 04-13-2007 | permalink

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5:29 PM ET | 04-13-2007 | permalink

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I was intrigued by two things in the circumcision segment in Pilot A.

First, the assertion that the health policy should focus on behavior is important. We all want quick fixes, but they are seldom adequate sans behavioral change.

Second, the discussion on cultural views of circumcision was also interesting. I would've liked to hear more about how a public health campaign that advocates circumcision could compel members of cultural groups that are against the practice to undergo it? Would pushing other safe sex practices more strongly work more effectively in cases like this?

Sent by Steve Petersen | 8:25 PM ET | 04-15-2007

There are a couple of minor things that need to be tweaked. The podcast should not contain 'but first the news' and then Carl Kassel's intro. That's just sloppy editing. Also, I think the music breaks between stories are too long.
Congrats on getting the show's title. It's been fun hearing this process unfold.

Sent by ileen | 3:52 PM ET | 04-16-2007

I'd like to hear more of the less emotional issues of Katrina (does that sound right?). I mean, for the people who haven't gone back, or don't plan on moving back, what will happen to their property? Will it just sit? Get reclaimed by the city, state, or federal government? What about all the stuff left in their house?

as for circumcisions preventing AIDS, if we can't get men to wear condoms, how do we expect them to get, er, "decapitated" as it were? It seems like a somewhat pointless endeviour to me.

The discussion on "The Feminine Mistake" had some undercurrent of emotion, but everything stayed civil. I do quest the author's statement that she just wanted to present the facts. If that was true, why name the book "The Feminine Mistake"? The author certainly seems to have an agenda.

On the flip side, I liked hearing about the emotional side of spending money. I see that in some of your family's spending (wanting the kids to be happy more than wanted a big savings account, for example). Actually, it was interesting having this segment in the same show as talking about stay-at-home moms. Too bad there wasn't a stronger connection made between the two subjects.

As for baseball, I don't like Barry Bonds or Mark MacGuire. In fact, I haven't watched baseball since the strike in the early 90s (expect for the World Series when the Red Sox won). But having a female umpire seems pretty cool. The next question is: What about female players? In the MLB or the NFL, or another other major "men's" sport.

Sent by Scott K. | 6:51 PM ET | 04-16-2007

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