Public Radio Redux - Podcast

Making a List, Checking it Twice

Erin Mishkin — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 14:47:48 -0700

Before diving into this "story of the day" from July (clearly I have some catching up to do...), I just wanted to apologize for disappearing for a while. I knew that July and August would be nutty, what with camping/documentary trips (www.openroads.org) and wedding activities galore, but I had no idea just how busy these past several weeks would be.

So I'm back now (shout out to Jen Nathan for keeping the blog a-goin') and ready to get these ears back in action.

This short piece features performance artist Hillary Carlip, who collects discarded shopping lists and uses them as a basis for creating fictional stories and characters. And, as she explains, it's not just the items on the list that factor into her character assessment/development, but also the handwriting and the paper these lists are written on.

So next time you jot down your grocery list and leave it in your cart, be mindful that there might be a performance artist out there who is imagining who you are and then performing that character for all to see.

(Please note - Latest grocery list of mine [written on a yellow post-it in red ink] includes: 1 onion, toothpaste, toilet paper, Amy's burritos, chick patties, pirate booty.)

If You Don't Have Anything Nice to Say...

Jen Nathan — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 06:54:14 -0700

Only Robert Krulwich - the most creative science reporter in radio - could be tasked with this problem: Find 3 Nice Things to Say about Mosquitoes. At the moment, I have nothing nice to say about these buzzing, biting, vicious little creatures. Currently, I'm trying not to scratch the giant bug bite on my face - yes my face - not to mention the myriad of bites that dot my legs, arms, and ankles. Oh, summer in the South. But once again, Krulwich comes to the rescue.

With his signature wit and creativity, he finds not one, but three generous things to say about summer's favorite hellion. I suppose a true environmentalist would feel good about propagating an ancient species with one's very own blood, but that doesn't stop me from dreaming of a giant bug zapper.

Yuck!

Jen Nathan — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 05:46:49 -0700

Flesh eating fish. Scary, right? Not if you want smooth, supple feet. Yes, feet. The Turkish trend of having flesh eating fish nibble at the dead skin on your feet - carnivorous pedicures? - is becoming popular in the United States.

No, the fish don't look as vicious as the one pictured above. They're really just an inch long and actually kind of pretty. But as you'll hear in Daniele Anastasion's report, they sound pretty mean. That slurping, sucking sound sent me running for my pumice stone. The best moment is when the salon owner joyfully says, "Thanks for helping me feed my fish!" Ewwww.

Let's Go to the Mall

Jen Nathan — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 09:01:38 -0700

On sweltering summer days when it was way too hot to play in the backyard, my mom would drive us to Crossgates Mall. It was only two towns away, but it felt like a million miles. Everything gleamed with possibility. The food court was vast and the movie theater was bone-chillingly cold.

The mall has lost much of its appeal over the years, but I still yearn for its over zealous air conditioning on days like this. If you'd rather flee the country than spend a minute in a mall, check out City X. Produced by the incredibly talented Jonathan Mitchell, this exploration of his Midwestern mall will have you day dreaming of coke and curly fries in no time.

Songs of Summer, 2008

Jen Nathan — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 07:46:39 -0700

Yep, Thao with the Get Down Stay Down's new album We Brave Bee Stings And All is my favorite of the summer. It's perfect picnic-packing, lemonade-drinking music. Rhythmically complex, yet simple and melodic enough to catch the ear of everyone at you summer BBQ. If you haven't heard how lead singer Thao Nguyen taught herself how to play guitar while working in her mother's laundromat (reported by stellar Salt alumn Jesse Dukes ), it's definitely worth a listen.

Thao and the Get Down Stay Down sound a little tired on this live broadcast (it's the second night of their cross-country tour, so they could probably use a nap), but Thao has some interesting things to say about women in rock and the size of the wieners in Columbus, Ohio (I'll give you a hint - they're quite large).

What's your favorite summer album of '08?

The Art of Getting People to Shake Their Booty

Erin Mishkin — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 08:20:37 -0700

Ever wonder what kind of thought goes into getting kids, grandmas, and everyone in between to get out on the dance floor and shake shake shake? Shake their booty? This funny episode of What Would Rob Do? looks at the art of Bar Mitzvah dj-ing, which is entertaining in and of itself. But what's even more engaging is the banter between David Kestenbaum, science correspondent for NPR, and Rob. It reminds me a bit of those Saturday Night Live skits from long ago where the cast members would be refraining from laughing out loud at themselves for fear of crossing the point of no return. And bonus: in this episode, you get snippets of everything from "Celebration" to "Hava Nagila." Get ready to get those toes a-tappin.

Slug Slug Slugging!

Erin Mishkin — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 14:47:22 -0700

When I lived in DC years and years ago, every weekday evening around 5:30 I'd notice a line of people gathering by the side of the road near the McPherson Square metro stop. These people seemed to appear out of nowhere. There was no sign to indicate what the line was for and no one really interacted with each other. This fascinated me. And one day I learned from a co-worker who did the slug thing that this was called "slugging" - basically ride sharing with complete strangers.

This piece dives into the concept of slugging and if you've never heard of it before, it's worth listening to. From a production standpoint, it's not the most enthralling piece I've heard - I kept wanting the producer to slug with the best of 'em. What is that experience really like? I wanted to hear the silence of the line, the communication about location drop-off, the car ride. If one of the unstated rules of slugging is that you don't swap names or personal information, what the heck do you talk about during the commute? How do you greet each other?

Club Awesome! is, like, Totally Awesome

Jen Nathan — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 08:22:00 -0700

If you haven't checked out alt.NPR lately, you're missing out on such gems as Club Awesome! Yes, it has a rather silly name, but host Taylor Chapulin Orci makes this podcast about "any song that's meant anything to anyone, ever." feel poignant and thoughtful, without taking itself to seriously.

In its premier episode, Taylor dissects the terrible songs she loves to hate (or hates to love). Sadly, like everyone else who grew up in the '80s, I know the words to each one of these songs. Yeah, I kinda hate them too, but I love the memories of middle school bus rides and long lost crushes that they inspire.

My first thought upon listening to this podcast was, "Why isn't this girl working for NPR?" Her delivery is witty and real, without a whiff of Ira Glass-wannabe syndrome. I could listen to her read the phone book, but instead, I'll devour all 7 episodes and wait patiently for more.

P.S. It turns out that Taylor Chapulin Orci does work for NPR.

Maybe Check the Alamo Basement?

Erin Mishkin — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 13:40:33 -0700

There are quite a few good moments in this episode of This American Life, which centers around the theme of "Social Engineering." Among them: an adult thinks back to his childhood days when he learned a very valuable lesson involving a very new and oh so shiny bike; Salt grad Lu Olkowski documents the stories of two men who became known on the NYC poetry circuit as the "homeless poets"; and a former gang member talks about what it's like to have the job of "interrupter."

Feeling Stressed? Charge Up a Seal and Go

Erin Mishkin — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 08:56:41 -0700

I always love checking out the "most e-mailed stories" from NPR. As a producer, I want to know what grabs a listener's attention, enough to sit in her car until the piece is over or - in this day and age - click on that "email" link to share the piece with a friend.

So on June 27th, one of the most emailed stories was, um, about a robotic seal. This sensor-driven seal (yes, it coos and moves and does seal-like things when you interact with it) has been in Japan for years, but is now making its way into the U.S. of A., being used in nursing homes and hospitals as a source of comfort and entertainment for its residents.

Lately, I've been thinking about getting a dog. But maybe this electronic seal will do the trick?

Robotic Seal Makes Old Folks Smile

Jen Nathan — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 08:38:19 -0700

Being old can be lonely. Just ask the random old people who tell me all about their lives (and health problems) every time I take public transportation or go to the grocery store. But what if they could whisper their problems to their very own robotic seal?

An American offshoot of the original Japanese company will soon begin selling these highly creepy, yet reportedly comforting robotic seals to nursing homes across the country. And as NPR's Nell Greenfieldboyce recently discovered, old folks love this odd little seal. Nell's piece is full of sweet, vaguely dementia-ridden moments between nursing home residents and their favorite fur covered robot. I can't decide what's sadder: that these people's lives are so empty or that they can be thrilled by a robot masquerading as a seal. Luckily, the folks at Eden Alternative feel as sad and squirmy about the whole thing as I do.

When the Tables Turn...

Erin Mishkin — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 10:13:00 -0700

As Love & Radio warns, "This Podcast is VERY SEXY," so if you're not in the mood for an oh so graphic description of a male strip club experience, you're better off sitting this episode out.

But what you'll miss is a hilarious description of what happens when one bachelorette's expectations of what a strip club outing should be don't quite match reality. At all. We're talking, not even close. Equal parts funny, disturbing, and vindicating.

The Most Trying Dilemma of All: Rhubarb Dilemma

Erin Mishkin — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 20:17:18 -0700

So it's been a while since I checked in with Rob of the quirky NPR podcast, "What Would Rob Do?" And as someone who has never really understood what rhubarb was, when I saw the title of the latest podcast, I couldn't resist having a listen. This time Rob talks to public radio diva Susan Stamberg about his confusion surrounding fruits and vegetables of the less mainstream variety.

Even if rhubarb doesn't grab your attention, it's worth listening all the way through this podcast for the song at the end, "Party in my Tummy" (or you can also check out the video of the song from the Nickelodeon show "Yo! Gabba Gabba"). Sheer brilliance.

David's So-Called Prom

Jen Nathan — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 06:31:59 -0700

Every year, as malls across America stock up on poofy, glittery prom dresses I think, "Thank God I never have to do that again." Yes, prom season is here with a vengeance and teens from Maine to California are renting tuxes, asking dates, and picking out corsages. All of them except Blunt Youth Radio's David Barber-Callaghan.

David isn't sure if he wants to go to prom, so he decided to ask around to see why his friends are going. Most are going because it's "the thing to do" and some are spending upwards of $5,000 (yes three zeros) on their getups. Is that something David really wants to be a part of? Only Stairway to Heaven knows for sure. Yes, David's soul searching is a bit melodramatic, but isn't that what high school is all about?

*Photo lifted from some cheesy 80's teen magazine.

That's Great, but Can Someone Design a Lid That Prevents Me from Spilling All Over Myself?

Erin Mishkin — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 08:15:57 -0700

I wanted to really be blown away by this look at the design of the disposable coffee lid. But I came away with too many questions to be truly satisfied, such as, why do I have to cover the little hole in the lid with a napkin as the only way of not getting coffee all over myself? And what is the next iteration of the coffee lid, what with this going-green environment? Why can't more lids be like my beloved Dunkin Donuts lid, complete with a little tab that I can use and re-use?

Celebrating Life

Erin Mishkin — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 08:03:41 -0700

This short piece that originally aired in honor of World AIDS Day begs the listener to think of a "memory box" as a celebration of life, not a reminder that the person who is creating it will soon die from AIDS. And when we hear the different items that can go in a memory box, including an "audio cassette of your voice or your favorite smells," this definitely hits home.

What to Do With that Big Yellow Hummer

Jen Nathan — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 11:10:57 -0700

Some of us have been laughing at Hummers for years, but now that gas is well over $4 a gallon, even Hummer lovers are feeling a bit sheepish. So what do you do when you can't afford that giant yellow monstrosity? Trade it in? Put it on Craig's List? Give it away? Well, those options only work if you can find someone who actually wants a gas guzzler in their driveway. Am I a terrible person for not having any sympathy for the guy in this story?

Fair Game, Why Must You Taunt Us So?

Jen Nathan — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 11:30:17 -0700

In mourning the loss of Fair Game with Faith Salie, I've gone through the 5 classic stages of grief: shock, denial, despair, and now finally, acceptance. And yet, just as I'm starting to come to terms with the fact that I will never again hear Faith's smiling voice, her podcasts keep popping up my iTunes as new. Yes, the show that re-ran every interview they ever did is continuing to air re-runs, even in death. Is this driving anyone else bonkers?

Splish Splash

Jen Nathan — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 11:46:14 -0700

As the temperature climbs well above 90 degrees this week, I'm sure I'm not the only one fantasizing about icy blue swimming pools. But who was the first person to think that dumping hundreds of gallons of water into a concrete hole was a good idea? Apparently, somebody who was sick and tired of smelling the urban poor.

This and other surprising swimming pool tidbits can be found in Studio 360's Design for the Real World podcast. It's chock full of archive tape and historical perspectives on a modern marvel I want to jump into right this very moment.

Photo by Gabriel Robledo

Muggles, the Lot of 'Em!

Erin Mishkin — Sun, 08 Jun 2008 21:01:51 -0700

I'm not the biggest Harry Potter fan in the world. (There, I said it.) But that aside, I was surprised to hear the condescension and arrogance that Harvard grads oozed when asked about their commencement speaker, JK Rowling. Let's just say they were not pleased, not pleased at all. Worth a listen if only to count the number of times these students say "Harvard."