February 2002

Cheney Satire
Satirists Bruce Kluger and David Slavin think they know why Vice President Dick Cheney doesn't want documents from his secret Energy Task Force revealed. They imagine a meeting in which the CEOs of a major energy company divvy up wilderness areas for their own use. (3:00)

Religious Diversity
A lot of people are talking these days about how religiously diverse the United States is becoming. COmmentator Gustav Niebhur says the U.S. has always been religiously diverse. (3:00)

Katie White
Commentator Katie Davis notices that the kids in her Washington, D.C. neighborhood distinguish between two people with the same first name by attaching the appropriate color to their first name. The practice makes her wince, until she gets a better understanding of it by someone who affectionately calls her Katie White. (2:00)

Youth Favorites
This year's Grammy nominees include some familiar artists like U2 and Eric Clapton, but also quite a few performers unfamiliar to those who have left their teenage years behind. Youth Radio's Leah Chapple Stingley provides a guide to the artists her high-school friends are watching out for tonight. (4:15)

African-Canadians
Commentator Desiree Cooper takes us across the Detroit River, into Ontario, Canada, where tens of thousands of slaves once sought freedom. During the 1800s, black communities grew in southern Ontario, as former slaves made their way across the river by canoe, by ferry and in the winter on foot. The communities carried similarities to those in the United States, but they also came to be dissimilar. Cooper explores the shared history of African-Americans and African-Canadians. (8:00)

The Motorist
Commentator Andrei Codrescu explores the cultural and political landscape of the moment, drawing in Enron, the Axis of Evil, pollution and poverty. He surmises that most of us know the way to solve foreign policy problems is to cut off our use of fossil fuels, but this isn't so easy. (3:00)

Enron's California Connection
As Federal investigators look into Enron's business practices, commentator Peter Novarro is looking for evidence that Enron was part of a consortium that fixed prices for power in California. (2:45)

Stroke
ABC-TV's Richard Harris tells us about his experience with a stroke two years ago. Although his type of stroke was an oddity, he's learned that people who are at risk of stroke should learn the signs, so that quick action can be taken when one occurs. (3:15)

Art Shopping
Commentator Guillermo Gomez-Pena fantasizes about a "home shopping art channel," where artists could sell paintings, video art, photos, and even do performance art on a 24-hour network. It would be a self-sustaining enterprise -- not reliant on the national funding for the arts, which can be often spotty and controversial. (3:30)

Disinformation
NPR's Senior News Analyst Daniel Schorr sees much that is old and familiar in the Pentagon's deliberations over the use of disinformation. (3:00)

Cassettes
Commentator James Sullivan vinyl records still have their devotees, but cassette tapes are disappearing and nobody is mourning their passing. Cassettes gave us the Walkman and the "mix tape." Still, nobody seems to care. (2:45)

Enron
NPR's senior news analyst Daniel Schorr says the latest Enron revelations confirm that the quest for corporate influence transcends partisan politics. (2:45)

Black History Month
Commentator Kathy Y. Wilson wants everyone to celebrate Black History Month -- but not by watching documentaries on PBS about Madam C.J. Walker. Kathy Y. Wilson is a columnist for the Cincinnati City Paper. (2:30)

On the Road
Commentator Kevin Heffernan is a member of the Broken Lizard comedy group that wrote, starred and directed the new movie Super Troopers. He tells about a road trip for the film that included 28 sneak previews in 37 days. (3:45)

Anger Management
Commentator Jon Ronson recently received a telephone call asking him to attend a trip for "angry" media people. He went along and tells us about it. (3:14)

A Valentine
Story teller Kevin Kling has a poem for Valentine's day. Kevin feels it is a day when you should publicly flaunt your love. (3:00)

Weblogs and Writing
Commentator David Weinberger says the phenomenon of "Weblogs" -- a sort of daily journal that hundreds of thousands of people now keep on the Internet -- is one example of how the Web may transform journalism. (3:00)

Weinberger is author of Small Pieces Loosely Joined: A Unified Theory of the Web, published by Perseus Books.

U.S.-Iraq Relations
If there is any disagreement within the Bush administration concerning Iraq, you wouldn't know it by listening to Colin Powell. NPR Senior News Analyst Daniel Schorr takes a look at him and the administration's policy on Iraq. (3:00)

Landlord Nostalgia
While she was growing up in a tenement, commentator Charlotte Epstein says she thought of her money-grubbing landlord as a villain. But now she thinks she'd prefer him to many of today's property managers. (1:30)

NASCAR
Commentator Scott Huler lives for the NASCAR racing season. He says it's more than beer, marketing and stories about Dale Earnhardt. It's a legitimate sport. (3:00)

A Little Bit Sideways, by Scott Huler, is published by Motorbooks International, March 1999

Broken Telephone
Commentator Patricia Marx says the number "2" on her telephone is not working -- a problem she tried to address by calling the local phone company. (1:30)

Mardi Gras
Commentator Ed Cullen says Mardi Gras is celebrated differently in the northern and southern parts of Louisiana. (3:45)

Trying to Reach An Anorectic
Commentator David Watts is a San Francisco doctor. He relates a story of trying to get through to an anorectic patient. (3:00)

Campaign Finance Reform
Another House vote on campaign finance reform is expected Wednesday. If it passes, NPR Senior News Analyst Daniel Schorr says that its supporters might have Enron to thank. (3:00)

Please Tax Me
Commentator Marilyn Moon is a health economist at the Urban Institute. She urges the government to raise tax so that Social Security and Medicare can be preserved for Baby Boomers. (3:00)

How to Name a Bestseller
Commentator Tony Hendra knows that to sell books one must use certain provocative words in the title. "Hitler," for example. Or, "Golf." And now the latest buzz word, "jihad," has joined the list. (2:15)

Geek World
Commentator Matt Giraud says geeks got to be cool for a while, but firefighters have re-established themselves as the American ideal. (3:00)

U.S/Russia Nuclear Talks
NPR Senior News Analyst Daniel Schorr comments on the revived nuclear rapprochement between Russia and the United States. (3:00)

Talk Radio
Commentator Marion Winik hears a dearth in talk radio. She says there's not enough worry on the air to entice middle-aged female listeners. (3:30)

White Dinner Party
Commentator Bob Morris tries to compensate for his guilt and irresponsibility by throwing an over-the-top dinner party for his niece and nephew where everything on the menu is white in color. (3:30)

Enron's Political Impact
NPR Senior News Analyst Daniel Schorr says that the Enron mess is going to be with us for some time and might significantly change the nature of politics. (2:30)

Superbowl Anthropology
Commentator and anthropologist Meredith Small is looking forward to the Super Bowl. It's an opportunity for research. (3:15)


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