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13.7: Cosmos And Culture
It's Time To End The Turkey-Tofurky Thanksgiving Food Fight
November 26, 2012 Do vegetarians and vegans think they are better than everyone else? Do omnivores wrongly think they are being judged by their meatless friends and relatives? Commentator Tania Lombrozo says that, while some on both sides are just self-righteous and annoying, many people are ready to put aside their misconceptions and sit down at the table to feast as equals.
NPR Double Take
Double Take 'Toons: Hostess With The Leastest?
November 26, 2012 The fate of Twinkies and other Hostess snacks remains unknown. John Darkow wonders where the dough went, while Steve Kelley has high hopes for a profitable future.
You Must Read This
Strange Fruit And Stranger Dreams In The Deep South
November 26, 2012 The Battlefield Where The Moon Says I Love You may be more than 15,000 lines of almost entirely unpunctuated poetry, but author Steve Stern says this Southern gothic fun house is so bewitching you'll have to finish it. Do you have a favorite impossible book? Tell us in the comments.
NPR Double Take
Double Take 'Toons: Jam Secession?
November 25, 2012 As the nation observes the 150th anniversary of the Civil War, people in a number of states have petitioned the White House to secede from the union. Rick McKee sees folly in the notion, while Rob Tornoe imagines how Abraham Lincoln would deal with the situation.
NPR Double Take
Double Take 'Toons: Fries With That Health Care?
November 24, 2012 Some employers are trying to find ways to minimize what they say will be costs incurred as a result of President Obama's Affordable Care Act. Joel Pett think's Papa John's CEO John Schnatter's plans are extra-cheesy, while Lisa Benson takes a grand slam at certain aspects of the law.
NPR Double Take
Double Take 'Toons: In The Black?
November 23, 2012 The day after Thanksgiving is usually the busiest shopping day of the year. Pat Bagley doesn't expect things to be any different this year, while David Fitzsimmons (with help from Clement Clarke Moore) recites how avoiding long lines by going online has its own perils.
13.7: Cosmos And Culture
What Is The Smell Of White?
November 23, 2012 In the wake of delicious Thanksgiving smells, commentator Barbara J. King considers a new discovery about how we smell. If there's white color and white noise, is there white smell, too?
NPR Double Take
Double Take 'Toons: Happy Thanksgiving 2012!
November 22, 2012 The holidays seem closer together than ever. Chip Bok was feeling the holiday crunch back in 2007, while with so many people still left homeless from Superstorm Sandy, Dave Granlund reminds us what Thanksgiving is really about.
13.7: Cosmos And Culture
When Is A Theory Wrong?
November 21, 2012 Theories are the life-blood of science; but ruling them out may be harder than you think. And letting a cherished model fall on the trash heap of history is even harder, yet. Take "supersymmetry" from the world of particle physics, for example. When might we see its demise or its vindication?
Three Books...
Bend Sinister: Three Tales Of Gothic Terror
November 21, 2012 Vampires and other creatures of the night are modern pop-culture staples — not least within the Twilight franchise — but these gothic novels show why sometimes older is better. Author John Connolly explores three of his favorite Anglo-Irish gothic thrillers.
NPR Double Take
Double Take 'Toons: Desperately Sleazing Susan?
November 21, 2012 U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice is in the running to replace Secretary Clinton. Taylor Jones doesn't think much of the opposition from John McCain and Lindsey Graham because of her initial explanation of the attack that killed four Americans in Benghazi, while Steve Kelley saves his criticism for Obama.
Sweetness And Light
What's Good For The Goose Is Good For The Gander
November 21, 2012 Rosie Napravnik is America's leading jockey — and a woman in a male-dominated sport. Commentator Frank Deford reflects on women's sports, competing with men, and fans.