Filed under: Biking the Iditarod
After worrying all day about snow cyclist Jill Homer, I'm happy to report that the reason she stopped making progress on the Iditarod Trail Invitational leaderboard is that she'd pulled off by the side of the trail to catch 40 winks. Or 400. The report from Alaska:
Jill told them that she was falling asleep while riding her bike and decided to stop otherwise she was fine.
Her boyfriend, Geoff Roes, finally reached her by phone. He says she has made it to Nikolai and plans to head out early Saturday for the last 50 miles of the 350-mile race. He writes, "She's had a couple tough days with lots of walking, wind, and cold but she is feeling strong and is planning to get some sleep and get up early for the final push on to McGrath."
Get those pancakes ready, y'all. After the jump, a Google map.
Continue reading "Jill Homer Takes a Nap" »
Laura Conaway
9:07 PM ET | 02-29-2008 | permalink | comments (0) | e-mail post
Filed under: Tomorrow's BPP
The Monday Rundown for the BPP:
Win Rosenfeld
3:37 PM ET | 02-29-2008 | permalink | comments (1) | e-mail post
Filed under: Slideshow
Click the picture to view the slideshow.
You might know "manga" as a style of Japanese comic book full of big-eyed, gangly-bodied action figures.
One artist in the U.K. used the storytelling genre to recreate one of the oldest known texts - the Bible. It's called ""The Manga Bible: From Genesis to Revelation," and was authored and illustrated by Nigerian-educated Ajinbayo Akinsiku (pen name "Siku"). The latest edition of the graphic novel, including both the old and new testaments, was published in the United States this month.
Listen to a live interview with Siku on our show.
Pauline Bartolone
12:53 PM ET | 02-29-2008 | permalink | comments (3) | e-mail post
Filed under: Election 2008
From the Dallas-Fort Worth Star-Telegram:
The Texas Democratic Party is warning that its primary night caucuses could be delayed or disrupted after aides to White House hopeful Hillary Clinton raised the specter of an "imminent" lawsuit over its complicated delegate selection process, officials said Thursday night.
(With thanks to Twitter friend @elizs.)
12:27 PM ET | 02-29-2008 | permalink | comments (4) | e-mail post
Filed under: News, Personal/Private
Ali Hassan al Majid, aka Chemical Ali
After months of delay, there is news today that the Iraqi government finally gave the go ahead for the execution of the man known as Chemical Ali.
He is Saddam Hussein's cousin and he was one of his most trusted advisers. His real name is Ali Hassan al Majid and he got his nickname because of the role he played in the Kurdish genocide of the 1980s. At Saddam's order, al Majid spearheaded a campaign against Iraqi Kurds, killing 200,000 civilians and militants. Last summer, al Majid and two others were convicted of crimes against humanity.
I was in Baghdad last summer reporting for NPR and I covered that case. I was in the courtroom the day that al Majid was sentenced. Today's news provoked me to go back and dig up what I wrote about that day. I'll post it after the jump.
Continue reading "Watching Chemical Ali Get the Death Penalty" »
Rachel Martin
12:20 PM ET | 02-29-2008 | permalink | comments (0) | e-mail post
On today's show, we heard from runner Geoff Roes. He'd been forced by bad ankles to drop out of the 350-mile Iditarod Trail Invitational. Now he's waiting for news of his girlfriend, snow cyclist Jill Homer.
The leaderboard shows Homer has left the Rohn checkpoint at mile 210 after an unexpectedly long stay. Race organizers Bill and Kathi Merchant, who were with her there, have reached Nikolai (at mile 300). Homer hasn't, at least according to the latest -- quite possibly iffy -- leaderboard. (UPDATE: "Jill Homer was reported about 20 miles from Nikolai and told people she was going to rest however she seemed fine and we should hear from her fairly soon."
Roes was hopeful that Homer would pull on into McGrath this morning, but I just talked to cyclist Rocky Reifenstuhl and there's no sign of her there. Reifenstuhl says he's about to set off for Nome. We'll keep our fingers crossed for Homer.
12:18 PM ET | 02-29-2008 | permalink | comments (2) | e-mail post
Filed under: Music, Video
The music of North Carolina's Bowerbirds is a rare blend of simple appalachian folk music and lush, natural imagery. Here they are in our studio performing"In Our Talons," from their first full length effort, "Hymns For a Dark Horse."
12:02 PM ET | 02-29-2008 | permalink | comments (2) | e-mail post
Filed under: Book Club
Hisham Matar's In the Country of Men
We think you're so smart that we're starting a Bryant Park Project Book Club. Today.
Here's how it works. We'll pick a book and give you all a month to read it. The book club leader, Sarah Goodyear, will periodically post on our blog to remind us to keep reading, to give us stuff to think about and to field your questions.
One month from today--Friday, March 28th--we'll have our book club meeting online. Sarah will moderate a discussion about the book, and we'll generate some questions for the author.
Then we'll talk to the author on our radio show and give you a chance to have your questions answered.
Our first selection is. .. Hisham Matar's In the Country of Men. It's genius, like you. And it just came out in paperback. Go get it.
Hey, we're official! The BPP Book Club now has its own e-mail address.
Tricia McKinney
10:12 AM ET | 02-29-2008 | permalink | comments (20) | e-mail post
Filed under: Sound Off
All parts not shown here.
Remember when a bunch of astronomy guys got together and decided Pluto wasn't a planet but a dwarf planet? Then Pluto people were like, "Fine, but Pluto's awesome, so if Pluto's a dwarf planet, let's count dwarf planets as planets." The astronomy guys were like "whatever, OK, but if you count Pluto, you got to count Ceres, which we recently upgraded from asteroid to dwarf planet, and Eris, which is way out there past Pluto. Which still isn't a planet, btw."
We ended up with 11 planets, which means the old nine planet mnemonic "My Very Excellent Mother Just Sent Us Nine Pizzas" no longer flies. Now that it's Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Ceres, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, Pluto, and Eris, we need a new one. National Geographic held a contest, and a very smart 10-year-old, Maryn Smith, won with "My Very Exciting Magic Carpet Just Sailed Under Nine Palace Elephants."
So are you smarter than a 4th grader? What can you do with M-V-E-M-C-J-S-U-N-P-E?
Ian Chillag
8:05 AM ET | 02-29-2008 | permalink | comments (14) | e-mail post
Filed under: Links From the Show
Yesterday, Google announced that the company will give every single homeless person in San Francisco a lifelong phone number and voice mail.
"It just seems exactly like any other voice mail," said Craig Walker, senior project manager of Google. "There's no stigma attached to it that 'hey this is a temporary thing' or 'this is an 800 number.' It's really just a local number owned by the user."
This would allow homeless people to fill out job applications that ask for a call back number. If homeless people can get jobs, they can ultimately find their way off the streets.
It's the BPP's Most.
Google gives homeless free voicemail/ Leap year explained/ Mnemonic to remember the 11 planets/ 'American Idol' cuts four more contestants/ Pregnant woman gives birth in train toilet/ Mine water poses danger of a toxic gusher
Will Hoffman
6:33 AM ET | 02-29-2008 | permalink | comments (0) | e-mail post
E-Day, the U.K.'s first "energy saving day," ended with no noticeable reduction in the country's electricity usage. Citizens were asked to turn off all electronic devices they did not need for a period of 24 hours. For those in support of E-Day, the results were disappointing.
"I am afraid that E-Day did not achieve the scale of public awareness or participation needed to have a measurable effect," said E-Day's organizer Dr Matt Prescott in a message on his website.
It's the BPP's Ramble.
No impact from energy saving day/ Redsox hammer Boston College 24-0/ Mike Smith, singer of Dave Clark Five, dies at 64/ CBS to air martial arts events on Saturday nights
6:23 AM ET | 02-29-2008 | permalink | comments (1) | e-mail post
Filed under: City Living
The Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree may be out-gawked this year by a 35-foot light sculpture called the Electric Fountain. We caught up with the creators at yesterday's unveiling, London-based artists Sue Webster and Tim Noble, and brought back some eye candy:
5:17 PM ET | 02-28-2008 | permalink | comments (1) | e-mail post
The Friday Rundown for the BPP:
3:05 PM ET | 02-28-2008 | permalink | comments (4) | e-mail post
When all else fails, there's still the New York Post. "Horror Night at the Plaza," the tabloid says today. "Woman Trapped 7 Hours After Door Jams."
Except to say that it involved the former Plaza Hotel and a garbage room, I'm not going to add a thing. Go ahead and treat yourself to the rest.
1:58 PM ET | 02-28-2008 | permalink | comments (1) | e-mail post
Filed under: News
Mwai Kibaki (left) and Raila Odinga shake hands after signing a deal.
So I took a risk today...
After we were off the air (on the East Coast at least) a story flashed across the wires, "Power Sharing Peace Deal Reached in Kenya." Now I must tell you that over the course of the past couple months I think I have seen this headline literally three times. I report it and then it turns out to be false -- one of the leaders didn't show up to the signing ceremony or the press jumped the gun or the terms were never agreed on.
When I saw this headline I thought, "OK, is this for real?" I waited for an hour or so and saw a few more sources reporting it and then took a chance and updated our West Coast feed with a newscast topping with the Kenya news. I'm pleased to report that it really does look like this peace accord is going to stick. As for how well this power sharing deal works, that -- as we say in the business -- remains to be seen. But this is indeed a positive step in a country that has seen months of horrific violence.
1:35 PM ET | 02-28-2008 | permalink | comments (1) | e-mail post
Filed under: Personal/Private
Go ahead and dream.
A couple of weeks back I did segment about how much I love riding freight trains and how little I've done it compared to my kid brother. Brian just checked in from Mississippi, where he's been visiting our family. He writes:
Just rode down to brookhaven yesterday. You were right about there being a lot of train traffic around here. I was at the eudora welty library yesterday when i decided to go on an adventure. walking right down around the corner from the amtrak station there was a train creeping by. Very pleasant boxcar ride down to brookhaven (seventy mph easily). nice town, cheap to live there.
Color me still jealous.
1:31 PM ET | 02-28-2008 | permalink | comments (1) | e-mail post
When racers in the Iditarod Trail Invitational reach McGrath, Alaska, they head for Peter Schneiderheinze's four-room home. Schneiderheinze and his wife feed and house the racers, sometimes two or three dozen at once. He says the winner, Jay Petervary, came in at 4:20 this morning looking like an ice man. He fed Petervary, and then fed him some more, and then Petervary headed off for a nap. He'll likely stay a couple of days before heading out another 750 miles on the trail to Nome.
11:27 AM ET | 02-28-2008 | permalink | comments (8) | e-mail post
Filed under: Media
Listen to our interview with Grant Pick's son John and his former colleague Alex Kotlowitz
Grant Pick, poet of the quotidian
Grant Pick spent 25 years finding great stories where most other people would look away, and telling those stories in print with humanity and humor. Three years ago, while walking home from lunch, he died of a heart attack at age 57.
I was lucky enough to meet Grant when I lived in Chicago. I'm friends with his kids and asked him to meet me for coffee, so I could mine him for advice on my budding journalism career. He was personable, wise, and generous with his time and insight. He told me then what he told so many others: The people are the news. In other words, there are great stories all around you. You just have to look.
Now there's an anthology of his most memorable pieces entitled, The People Are The News: Grant Pick's Chicago Stories. It's edited by his son John, with a foreword by his former colleague, writer and author Alex Kotlowitz.
Rachel Martin spoke to both men on today's show. Click the listen link at the top of this post to hear the interview. And to read some excerpts from the book click here.
Dan Pashman
11:10 AM ET | 02-28-2008 | permalink | comments (0) | e-mail post
Jay Petervary of Jackson, Wyoming, as seen on his website.
The Iditarod Trail Invitational has its first winner. Jay Petervary blazed his way to mile 350 in McGrath, Alaska, in three days, 14 hours and 20 minutes. Official results show him knocking on the cabin door at 4:20 a.m. local time. Come on in.
The record keeper writes: "[Jay] reports that trail conditions were a bit soft however he sounded in great spirits maybe this had to do with the fact that he called after eating several plates of lasagna provided by our host Peter Schneiderheinze."
After McGrath, the race continues another 760 miles to Nome. Nineteen people signed up for that -- including Petervary. Man.
9:48 AM ET | 02-28-2008 | permalink | comments (0) | e-mail post
Runner Geoff Roes at the start of the race.
Got an e-mail this morning from runner Geoff Roes, who'd been leading the men's division in the 350-mile Iditarod Trail Invitational before an ankle went bad and he had to leave the race -- at mile 130.
Roes is now in Anchorage, in a place with no phone, but he promises to call later. (And special thanks to his mother, Sharon Roes, for helping to get us in touch with her son.) Roes writes, "It's funny because there's all this discussion about the race going on all over the Internet, but out on the trail we don't know or hear any of it, so it's been interesting and surprising to see how much interest there has been in following our progress. Obviously things didn't go as planned for me." Now he's looking forward to next year.
Roes' girlfriend, Jill Homer, may or may not be holed up at the Rohn checkpoint (mile 210). The leader board says she's "still in," but lists another racer as "last out." Not sure what that's about. (An aside: Joe Polk reports that race officials weren't able to get a heater into the Rohn roadhouse. Brrrr.)
UPDATE: Homer has left Rohn, for the final 140 miles. Roes says he's not sure why she stayed at the checkpoint for so long, but he's relieved that she's on her way.
After the jump, an updated Google map.
Continue reading "Warm Enough in Anchorage, Geoff Roes Checks In" »
7:21 AM ET | 02-28-2008 | permalink | comments (1) | e-mail post
Bob McNichol, an Irishman blinded by an explosion two years ago, has had his sight restored after doctors inserted his son's tooth in his eye, he said on Wednesday.
The miracle operation is called osteo-odonto-keratoprosthesis and was pioneered in Italy in the 1960's.
For me details, check out the BPP's Most.
Blind Irishman sight restored / Starving exchange student blames stingy host family/ "Blossom" star Mayin Bialik gets PhD in neuroscience/ Deckhand's heroic swim/ Tensions roil Estee Lauder dynasty
7:07 AM ET | 02-28-2008 | permalink | comments (0) | e-mail post
A manuscript containing early illustrations of how to play the game of chess was discovered last year in a private library in Gorizzia, a town in northeast Italy.
Researchers believe these illustrations may have been drawn by the hand of Leonardo da Vinci. If researchers can conclude that the drawings are indeed authentic works of da Vinci, the manuscript will be priceless.
'Da Vinci link' to chess drawings/ Marc Jacobs brings back the Hillary t-shirt/ Less teens are buying CDs/ Whiskers help rats "see" in the dark
6:46 AM ET | 02-28-2008 | permalink | comments (0) | e-mail post
Looking back at the Alaska Range from the trail to Nikolai. After crossing those mountains, the leaders will likely have covered this ground in the dark.
The 350-mile Iditarod Trail Invitational should have a winner in the men's cycling division this morning, according to the record keepers.
Jay Petervary and Peter Basinger are in the last 50 miles, with the major obstacle being lack of sleep. Petervary's got the lead. Basinger was slowed earlier in the race when he broke a pedal and had to wait for a new one on the mail plane. The record keeper writes, "Will Jay go all the way without stopping? If he stops, can Peter catch him if Peter does not stop?"
In 2006, Peter Basinger shared his victory with Rocky Reifenstuhl. Race organizer Bill Merchant says Basinger stuck with Reifenstuhl, who's with the lead pack again this year, rather than leave him behind. They crossed the line together.
Continue reading "Leaders Battling Darkness, Cold, Sleep" »
6:31 AM ET | 02-28-2008 | permalink | comments (0) | e-mail post
The Thursday Rundown for the BPP:
4:19 PM ET | 02-27-2008 | permalink | comments (3) | e-mail post
From a WWII US Navy training film strip.
2:59 PM ET | 02-27-2008 | permalink | comments (1) | e-mail post
The Rohn roadhouse: In the rear-view mirror?
This is far from a definitive report, but it appears that snow cyclist Jill Homer may be part of a lead group of 13 bikers in the Iditarod Trail Invitational that has passed through the Rohn checkpoint (mile 210 of the 350-mile course). She's been the lone woman in that pack.
Homer was 13th at the previous checkpoint, Puntilla, 45 miles back. The next person left out three and half hours after her. It's hard to see how he could have made up enough ground to pass her. See what you make of this, from the record keeper:
[Rob] reports that 13 bikers have passed through and are on the way to Nikolai. He was not there for some, however looking at the list of people that departed Puntilla, the leading group has thirteen racers in it.
2:50 PM ET | 02-27-2008 | permalink | comments (0) | e-mail post
Filed under: Video
When I first signed on as a BPP intern, I was super excited about all the interesting people I was sure to meet. I had no idea some of those folks would be, perhaps, too "interesting" and I certainly never intended to eat any bugs. My world--and my palette--shifted when Producer Angela asked me to help film a dinner party in the West Village. This was no ordinary dinner party. We were dealing with Gastronauts (www.Gastronauts.net), members of a club for adventurous eaters in Manhattan and London. Gastronauts are not like you and me. They get excited about trying things like goat testicles and haggis imported from New Jersey. Currently, they are looking for a dish that involves the following: a block of tofu, eels swimming around on top, alcohol poured over it, eels burrowing into the tofu to escape the alcohol, slices of the eel tofu and "mangia!" That night, the Gastronauts were dining on creepy crawly, antennaed and winged creatures. In fact, one of the delicacies served was a giant water bug, known as a toe-biter in certain circles. In New York we call them cockroaches. The New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene would have had a field day assigning violation points to this crowd. Nevertheless, I chowed down on cicadas, crickets and water bugs. Frankly, I'm a starving student and it was the most decadent meal I ate all month. Check out the video.
(For the record, the BPP does not make interns eat bugs.)
Elsa Butler
2:21 PM ET | 02-27-2008 | permalink | comments (1) | e-mail post
Filed under: Stuff We Don't Love
We had the Moldy Peaches on our show a few weeks ago and they played a bit of their song "Anyone Else But You"--you know, the song from Juno. I have to say (and I know this is unpopular) I was not a big fan. Too sing-songy. I told director Jacob as much as we listened to the interview in the control room.
Flash forward to Sunday night and the Barbara Walters pre-Oscars special on ABC. I didn't watch her interview with Ellen Page, but director Jacob did. He forgot to tell me until today that Barbara Walters got Ellen Page to whip out a guitar and sing the song. And Barbara sang along.
Sorry to Barbara Walters (full disclosure: I once worked at "The View" and I liked her a lot), but this does not make me like the song any better:
2:19 PM ET | 02-27-2008 | permalink | comments (0) | e-mail post
A slice of the Iditarod trail
Just finished updating our Google map of the Iditarod Trail Invitational with photos from the race so far. But there's always someone cooler than you, as Mama used to say, and today that person is named Chris.
The generous listener sent over a link to the Google Earth map above. It follows the Iditarod race for mushers and their dogs, but the course is the same. And somewhere in those folds of green and white -- now mostly white -- Jill Homer is pedaling along. At least according to the latest report.
2:07 PM ET | 02-27-2008 | permalink | comments (0) | e-mail post
Reports from the Iditarod Trail Invitational are thinning out as the racers move deeper into the 350-mile course to McGrath, Alaska.
Runner Geoff Roes was leading the pack when he checked into Finger Lake (mile 130). Then his name froze on the leader board as he spent 12 long hours in the cabin there. Last yesterday, word emerged that Roes had injured his ankle. He waited at Finger Lake in hopes of being able to continue, and he did set out on the course again. But the mighty runner could go no more.
After the jump, a Google map of the frozen course, plus an update on Jill Homer.
Continue reading "Bad Ankle Forces Geoff Roes From the Race" »
11:59 AM ET | 02-27-2008 | permalink | comments (0) | e-mail post
Squash it. Swat it. Smush it. It's what most of us do when we see a bug. But for some insect enthusiasts, the first impulse . . . eat it. It's called entomophagy -- categorizing bugs as culinary delights.
Challenged by bug lover David Gracer, a group of so-called Gastronauts sampled a creepy, crawly menu he prepared of crickets, giant water bugs, ant and silkworm pupae and cicadas.
"I'm a little scared, honestly," said Gastronaut Hillary Cooper, before the meal. "I'm even more nervous about this than I was the live octopus." Down the hatch.
After the jump, Gracer argues that the world would be a better place if we all ate bugs instead of beef, pork and chicken.
Continue reading "Fly in Your Soup? Yes, Please!" »
10:38 AM ET | 02-27-2008 | permalink | comments (3) | e-mail post
Matt Venzke of Yorktown, New York, was named Beerdrinker of the Year by the Colorado-based Wynkoop Brewing Company.
Venzke's prizes include "free beer for life" at the brewery, a $250 beer tab at his favorite bar -- the Taphouse in Hampton -- and the opportunity to create a special beer with Wynkoop's head brewer for next year's event.
Beer drinker of the year/ Study finds immigrants commit less California crime / Grand Canyon set for massive manmade flood/ Teens losing touch with historical references
10:23 AM ET | 02-27-2008 | permalink | comments (0) | e-mail post
Pop icon Michael Jackson could lose his Neverland ranch if he fails to repay a nearly $25 million loan he used to secure the California estate.
According to court documents cited by Fox News, the auction would include the house and everything on the property down to "all ferris wheels, carousels, merry-go-round type devices... and all amusement ride equipment and facilities of every kind or nature."
Jackson faces Neverland auction/ Bleeping Ben Affleck/ Sea monster fossil/ Only Italians can call it Parmesan cheese
10:20 AM ET | 02-27-2008 | permalink | comments (0) | e-mail post
The main ingredients
Tired of the same ol' chicken? Sick of ordering Chinese? Why not try something different tonight?
Ant Brood Tacos 2 tbs. butter or peanut oil 1/2 pound ant larvae and pupae 3 Serrano chilies, raw, finely chopped 1 tomato, finely chopped Pepper, to taste Cumin, to taste Oregano, to taste 1 handful cilantro, chopped Taco shells, to serve
Heat the butter or oil in a frying pan and fry the larvae or pupae. Add the chopped onions, chilies, and tomato, and season with salt. Sprinkle with ground pepper, cumin, and oregano, to taste. Serve in tacos and garnish with cilantro. (Courtesy of Eatbug.com)
Mealworm Fried Rice
1 egg, beaten 1 tsp. oil 3/4 c. water 1/4 c. chopped onions 4 tsp. soy sauce 1/8 tsp. garlic powder 1 c. minute rice 1 c. cooked mealworms
Scramble egg in a saucepan, stirring to break egg into pieces. Add water, soy sauce, garlic and onions. Bring to a boil. Stir in rice. Cover; remove from heat and let stand five minutes, then add mealworms. (Courtesy of Iowa State University Entomology Club)
Have your own bug recipe? Do share . . .
Angela Ellis
8:20 PM ET | 02-26-2008 | permalink | comments (1) | e-mail post
Matt and Trish with Wednesday's Rundown:
6:49 PM ET | 02-26-2008 | permalink | comments (7) | e-mail post
View Larger Map Puntilla Lake weather, 2.26.08: High of 20, low of 3
As I write these words, snow cyclist Jill Homer is probably pedaling her way through some nameless portion of the Alaska interior. Homer's riding the 350-mile version of the Iditarod Trail Invitational. The latest news from the race has her pulling into the Puntilla checkpoint (mile 165) still in the women's biking lead. She got there at 3:45 this morning and left again at 8:55. (Thanks for the update, @buttermilk1)
And then there's her boyfriend, Geoff Roes, who's running the race. He's ahead of the foot pack, checking in at Fingerlake (mile 130) last night at 11:56. No word on when he left out again.
Another i
