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Thursday, May 23, 2013

Monkey See

'Before Midnight': Jesse And Celine Are Older Now, And So Are We

Julie Delpy and Ethan Hawke in Before Midnight.

May 23, 2013 It took Jesse and Celine 18 years to find themselves back where they started in the lovely third installment of the series that began with 1995's Before Sunrise.

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NPR Double Take

Double Take 'Toons: Tacky Tech?

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May 23, 2013 Two of America's most imaginative businesses are getting mixed reviews. Ed Hall thinks Apple should use its creativity on something more customer-friendly than tax loopholes, while Dave Fitzsimmons is less than thrilled by the privacy implications of Google Glass.

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The Race Card Project: Six-Word Essays

Living In Two Worlds, But With Just One Language

Elysha O'Brien and her husband, Michael, with sons (left to right) Gabriel, Joseph and Michael. Elysha never learned Spanish but is determined that her children will.

May 23, 2013 Elysha O'Brien calls herself a "Mexican white girl." Not just because of her ethnically ambiguous appearance, she says, but also because she can't speak Spanish. Fearing their children would experience discrimination if they spoke Spanish, her parents chose not to teach them their native tongue.

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On Morning EditionPlaylist

Wednesday, May 22, 2013

Parallels

China's Artist Provocateur Explores New Medium: Heavy Metal

The video for Chinese artist Ai Weiwei's newly released song starts by re-creating the conditions of his captivity during the 81 days he was held in police detention in 2011, and later dissolves into a dystopian nightmare.

May 22, 2013 In 2011, police detained Ai Weiwei for 81 days. Now, he's released a song that's turned the experience into a heavy metal protest song, along with a dystopian nightmare video. The lyrics are explicit and angry. Ai says his music is for the many political prisoners who remain jailed.

Transcript

On All Things ConsideredPlaylist

Monkey See

Cannes Diary: Delusions Of 'Gatsby' (And Dreams Of Notoriety)

The cast of Sofia Coppola's The Bling Ring, which writer Raj Ranade says has set a high bar for other contenders at this year's Cannes Film Festival.

May 22, 2013 All is Gatsbyish excess on the Croisette, where the Cannes Film Festival's early tone might well have been set by Baz Luhrmann's lavish film — and by Sofia Coppola's accomplished The Bling Ring.

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13.7: Cosmos And Culture

The Inevitable Question?

The galactic center

May 22, 2013 Confronted with the amazing advances made by science, why do so many still cling to God as a creator? Could the answer be that we need to be created in order to be special? Or are we afraid of our own unique place in the Universe? Marcelo Gleiser knows what he thinks.

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Krulwich Wonders...

How Benjamin Franklin Invented A Weight Loss Program, Using Balloons

The Running Footman

May 22, 2013 "Someone asked me," Benjamin Franklin once said, "what's the use of a balloon?" They don't do much. They just float. What are they good for? And Franklin replied, "What's the use of a new-born baby?" They just sit there. They don't do much. You have to imagine possibilities. This is Franklin, in the 1780s, thinking about balloons.

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NPR Double Take

Double Take 'Toons: Moore, Oklahoma

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May 22, 2013 The Oklahoma City suburb of Moore was devastated by a tornado for the second time in a generation. Dario Castillejos and Randy Bish express their sympathy.

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Kitchen Window

Real Butterscotch: The Beauty Of Sugar And Dairy Transformed

Butterscotch Budino With Caramel Sauce And Salt

May 22, 2013 When a few humble elements are combined in perfect balance, butterscotch is born. And food writer Deena Prichep says she turns this childhood favorite into a dinner-party star with counterpoints like flaky salt or crunchy nuts.

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Sweetness And Light

Backing Becks: Don't Knock The Soccer Star's Talents

David Beckham spent six years in the U.S. with the LA Galaxy before returning to Europe earlier this year.

May 22, 2013 After the announcement that David Beckham is retiring, there's been much discussion about how good of an athlete he's really been. Sports commentator Frank Deford says Beckham's talents have been overlooked.

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On Morning EditionPlaylist

Tuesday, May 21, 2013

Code Switch

Obama's Shout-Out To A 'Morehouse Man'

Morehouse graduate Leland Shelton is congratulated as he is acknowledged by President Obama.

May 21, 2013 When President Obama spoke at Morehouse College, he singled out — and surprised — a graduate who had faced long odds.

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Monkey See

'Arrested Development' Leads The Charge For Old Brands In New Media

David Cross and Portia de Rossi in a scene from Arrested Development, which returns on Netflix on May 26.

May 21, 2013 Brands that found their original audiences in traditional, old-media platforms are finding ways to keep going in the world of new media.

Transcript

On All Things ConsideredPlaylist

13.7: Cosmos And Culture

Let's Get Creative And Redefine The Meaning Of Religion

Must religion be embodied in a god or gods, such as Ceres, the Roman goddess of agriculture?

May 21, 2013 Religion is often organized in terms of a god, or gods. It's a system of beliefs embodied in a being or beings. But that's not always the case. It can mean more, a lot more, says Adam Frank after finding inspiration in the writing of Ronald Dworkin.

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Monkey See

The Starfleet Divide: The 'Star Trek' Universe Revisits One Of Its Great Debates

Chris Pine and Zachary Quinto in Star Trek Into Darkness.

May 21, 2013 J.J. Abrams isn't the first guy to bait Star Trek fans by messing with the brand.

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