Who Is John McCain?

Filed under: On Air

We know a lot about Sen. John McCain (R-AZ)... His military service, the time he spent as a prisoner of war in North Vietnam, his tenure as a senator from Arizona, his candidacy for president in 2000 -- and of course in 2008. He talks often about his policies, and his platforms, but what about the man himself? What are the experiences and influences that shaped the candidate?

Today, we'll talk with people who knew McCain at various stages of his life, and with one of his biographers.

What questions do you have about John McCain... Not about policy, but about his character and personality?

-- Scott Cameron

Tags: John McCain

TOTN Summer Movie Series: Fatale Attraction

Filed under: On Air

Ava Gardner is the real killer in The Killers.

Universal Pictures/Getty Images

 

Men, listen up. If you're driving around on a rainy night in Los Angeles wearing a fedora, and you happen to spot a pair of dangerous eyes narrowing beneath a curtain of hair -- dude, you're in trouble. Shut your eyes, grab your wallet, and run for the hills. That creature with the tiny waist and curving smile is a ticket to a thrill ride of terror that will almost certainly end in tears and bullets. That lady isn't just a woman, she's a femme fatale -- and you are about to get noired up.

Right -- so I'm a hardcore feminist. I think Pretty Woman is sexist as hell, and every time I see Mad Men I feel slightly nauseated. So, why, you might ask, am I so hung up on the archetypal femme fatale? Sure, the fatalicious femme is completely without moral compass; all she wants is the cash, the car, and the way out of town. She's greedy and heartless. And it looks like the quintessential male punishment for a spirited dame -- if she's fearless around a snake and has a taste for apples -- we better make sure she doesn't haunt the Paradise Motel again. We'll put a bullet in her chest, and make sure a wide-eyed blonde shows up to provide children, dinner, and laundry help for any good men that didn't taste her apple pie.

But what if the femme fatale is actually subverting all that male fear? Listen, there isn't much control a woman could possibly have had back in the '30s... come to think of it, check out the '70s and '80s too, and then go ahead and check this out. A woman screaming inside for some kind of power might just feel that she would kill to get out of her confinement. And she's not afraid to die trying. So sure, she's greedy and heartless, but she's brave, and smart, and ambitious -- just like the men who fall for her.

So the guys keep looking for these dolls, and it's not just about the sex er, that honey of an anklet, it's because they want to feel the freedom of leaving their own roles behind. It's not the femme that's fatal -- it's the weight of all those expectations. So forgive me if I love Babs, and Lana, and Rita, and Sharon best when they're bad. They're fighting for freedom the fatale way.

-- Barrie Hardymon

Tags: femmes fatale | summer movies series

How We Pay For College

Filed under: On Air

If you are moving into freshmen dorms this weekend or beginning your first semester after transfering from community college, it's likely you know what FAFSA or FFEL mean. By now, you've probably decided between a subsidized or unsubsidized loan. Or maybe you didn't have to think about tedious financial aid paperwork because your parents made sure the tuition check went out early to avoid the late fees. Whatever method you are using to pay for higher education, how are you making your decision? Sallie Mae and Gallup surveyed 1,400 undergraduate students and parents in a study called "How America Pays for College." Here's what they found: the majority of families ruled out a school that was too expensive. But, 40% of families did not limit their search based on cost. Today we ask, what was important to you in making your decision? What overules the cost of tuition? The school's prestige? Location? Courses? And if you are a parent -- what will or won't you sacrifice to pay for your child's college education?

-- Dalia Martinez

Tags: college | education | loans | money | tuition | university

Waiting for Barack

Filed under: On Air

About a week ago I signed up to receive a text mesage whenever Sen. Barack Obama chooses his presidential running mate. The pitch was personal, addressing me by name: "Carline be among the first to know." So this morning when I read Mary Schmich's column in the Chicago Tribune, I knew whereof she wrote. I too immediately sent my mobile number to 62262 and within seconds, I became a Barack insider. Since then I have been waiting anxiously to receive the news. I'm a journalist and a producer. Information is my lifeline, and this information is big. Every time my phone trills to signal I have a message, I dive for it. And every time so far the message has been from someone else... my contractor, the car dealership, or my gym buddy asking for a ride. Come on Barack, the suspense is killing me.... I want to be the first to tell everyone whom you've chosen.

-- Carline Watson

Tags: Barack Obama | text message

August 21st Show

Filed under: Coming Up

As my boss Carline Watson would say, "Ok people," here's what we have on the show for you today. In the first hour, part two in our "Who Is..." series. Sen. John McCain's getting the treatment today, and we have a lineup of guests who'll reveal a bit more about the senator as a person, as opposed to a politician. It's about his personality, his character, and his beliefs, not his policies. We'll follow that conversation with your nominations for favorite femmes fatales with film guru Murray Horwitz, the third installment of our summer movie series.

In our second hour, the role of money in choosing a college. A new Sallie Mae and Gallup study shows that families frequently don't factor in the cost of a college when making a selection, and don't often consider how the degree sought will help pay off the debt post-graduation. How did you make the decision about where to attend, and did you factor in cost? Parents, how big of a factor is it in selecting a school with your child? Finally, around here we're all "Waiting on Barack...." Waiting, that is, on the text message he'll be sending to anyone who registered with his website, announcing his selection of a running mate. Producer Dalia Martinez quipped, "It's like waiting for a baby to be born," and new dad Scott Cameron concurred. Are you, too, waiting on a text from Sen. Barack Obama?

-- Sarah Handel

Tags: Barack Obama | John McCain | college | femmes fatales | tuition

The Agony Of The D.Q.

Filed under: Quick Thought

Usain Bolt wins the 200m.

Fabrice Coffrini/AFP/Getty Images

 

By the time I got home last night, I already knew Usain Bolt, Jamaican track phenom, had broken Michael Johnson's record in the 200-meter and earned the gold medal. It was a little disappointing to know the outcome before watching the race, but I still leaned forward in my seat when the runners assumed the position in the Wednesday night telecast. Somehow, knowing Bolt would win didn't affect my enjoyment in the least -- watching that man run, and buckle down and run the whole race (unlike the 100-meter, when he practically danced to the finish, so far ahead of the field he could've bunny-hopped), was witnessing history*. And his buddy, American Wallace Spearmon, came in third! Just as Spearmon, wrapped in the American flag, grabbed Bolt, wrapped in green and gold, for a bear hug, the news spread around the stadium: Spearmon had stepped on the line. Disqualified. The post-DQ interview with Spearmon was one of the most awkward things I've seen in my life. And then, on the replay, it became clear 2nd-place-finisher Churandy Martina of Netherlands Antilles had run a similarly tainted 200, and suddenly 2 more Americans, who originally ran in 4th and 5th, earned medals. Shawn Crawford and Walter Dix took silver and bronze, respectively, but there was no triumphant flag-wrapped victory lap around the track for them. In fact, when Dix's agent ran up to him with a smile and a hug after learning of his medal, Dix, nonplussed, stated simply, "I still lost." Ugh. What an awful way to finish a race that started with so much promise.

*In case you missed it, it'll go down in Olympic and sports history as the race where Usain Bolt broke Carl Lewis's record of winning the 100 and 200 in one Olympics, and broke both world records at the same time, which has never been done before.

-- Sarah Handel

Tags: 200m | Olympics | Shawn Crawford | Usain Bolt | Walter Dix | track and field

Veep, Veep!

Filed under: On Air

With the Democratic Convention only a few days away, and the Republican Convention to follow, voters from both parties are anxiously awaiting news about running mates. Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) has indicated that he'll announce his vice president on Friday, Aug. 29, his seventy-second birthday. Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) will tell his supporters any day now. By text message.

So, on our regular Political Junkie segment, Ken Rudin will go through the short lists. If you want to know who he has picked, you can read his latest column here. And if you're a betting man or woman, you can check his record there, too.

As usual, Ken will take us through the latest political news. The two candidates traveled to California, to Saddleback Church, and to Orlando, for the annual convention of the Veterans of Foreign Wars. Back from vacation, Obama has some new ads, running in battleground states, including this one, about the economy:

It's his answer to ads like this one, by his opponent:

What questions do you have for Ken, about the campaign? And who do you think the candidates should pick to be their veeps?

-- David Gura

Tags: Barack Obama | John McCain | Political Junkie

The Economy: Judging The Coverage

Filed under: On Air

Where do you get your economic news?

Source: KAREN BLEIER/AFP/Getty Images

Up to date on the latest gas prices? You probably watch network TV news. Know everything there is to know about the housing crisis? You must be a fan of the newspaper. And if you feel like you're not getting enough coverage of the lousy economy, then you must be a fan of talk radio. This new study from the Project for Excellence in Journalism tracked media coverage of economic news, and found that while the economy is now a bigger story than the war in Iraq, it still follows a distant second to the presidential campaign. And, while 8 percent of all news stories focused on some aspect of the economy, the topics and type of coverage varied depending on whether you watch network news, cable news, or listen to the radio. Since many of you probably do some or all of the above, what economic stories do you want to see covered?

-- Scott Cameron

Tags: Project for Excellence in Journalism | economy | news coverage

Lovers, Haters, Uniters, Dividers -- Our Identity Crisis

Filed under: On Air

I know why I hate her, but why do we hate US?

Source: Michael Buckner/Getty Images

So, you know that feeling when you see a fourteen-year-old girl sashaying down the street in cork heels, short shorts, and a baby-T that reads, "That's Hot"? Sort of like acid is rushing down your throat, and possibly over the grave of Mark Twain? Yeah, me too. But I also can't stand the molten hatred that pours out of blogs on that very subject (yes, like this one), and I mourn the lack of critical thought that accompanies those screeds. Dick Meyer feels our pain. NPR's new head of Digital Media (yeah, like this!) has written a new book diagnosing the disease, and its cause -- the cultural revolution of the 60s, and the technological revolution at the start of this century, have set people adrift. Now we're lonely and mad. But don't worry, he's got a prescription too, so we can leave behind the phony and the lonely, and bask in authenticity. However, I do have to say, that some of the technological changes that he talks about, have actually enriched my life -- I find great fulfillment in my Facebook community, and Paris Hilton isn't part of it. What parts of modern life have provided authenticity to you?

-- Barrie Hardymon

Tags: Dick Meyer | Why We Hate Us

All That Glitters Is Not...Silver

Filed under:

It ain't easy being silver...

Source: Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images

 

So you've won gold -- good for you! You've won bronze -- well done, you're a medalist! Silver.... eh... meh. Silver is the slighter sister of the medals, that somewhat middling ground that damns with faint sheen. A new study out of Cornell studied the reactions of medalists and found that silver medalists at the Olympics tend to compare themselves against athletes better off than they -- while bronze medalists do the opposite, and compare themselves with people who did worse. Today, we're talking about why second place is so hard on people, and we want to hear from you -- if you've won silver, or second, how did it feel?

-- Barrie Hardymon

Tags: olympics | silver

August 20th Show

Filed under: Coming Up

It's Wednesday, which means a) we're live at the Newseum and b) it's time for the Political Junkie. NPR's Ken Rudin will talk about Barack Obama's and John McCain's interview with pastor Rick Warrren at his Saddleback Church last week, new attack ads and the elusive veep spot. And of course he'll have a trivia question for you. At the end of the hour, Mark Jurkowitz, associate director of the Project for Excellence in Journalism, talks about how the media covers the economy and why the news hasn't always kept up with the public's concerns.

In his new book, Why We Hate Us: American Discontent In The New Millennium, Dick Meyer argues that Americans for the most part are dissatisfied with their own society. But he offers a solution: a return to some traditions that predate the '60s. Dick Meyer will offer his critique of modern society in our second hour. At the end of the hour, we'll discuss the psychology of coming in second place. Tom Gilovich, a psychology professor at Cornell University, will talk about a new study he conducted that explains why winning a bronze medal may score higher on the happiness scale than winning silver for an Olympic athlete. Tell us your story. Have you ever come in second in that all-important competition?

-- Gwen Outen

12:33 PM ET | 08-20-2008 | permalink | comments (1) | e-mail post

Unintentional Hilarity: The Olympic Hits Just Keep On Coming

Filed under: Unintentional Hilarity

Is it illegal to bite someone's rear end in wrestling?

Source: TOSHIFUMI KITAMURA/AFP/Getty Images

 

Either someone guzzled the "Drink Me" potion and ended up with more appendages than are strictly necessary, or India and Kazakhstan are wrestling for the bronze medal.

-- Barrie Hardymon

Tags: Unintentional Hilarity | wrestling

Who Are These Guys, Really?

Filed under: On Air

If you're interested, it is relatively easy to see where Sens. John McCain (R-AZ) and Barack Obama (D-IL) stand on the issues. (You can check their websites.) It's harder to find information about who they are, where they've come from, and how they act.

What was Obama like at Harvard Law, when he edited the Harvard Law Review ? Or when he first ran for office? What was it like to sit next to McCain at Annapolis? Is there any truth to those stories about his temper?

This week, we're going to bring you two shows about the candidates, focusing on who they are. Today: Obama. We'll hear from someone who knew him in Cambridge, a political opponent in Chicago, and a reporter who has covered his career.

What questions do you have about Obama['s character, interests, and personality]?

-- David Gura

Tags: Barack Obama | John McCain | campaign

Psychologists And Interrogations: Do They Mix?

Filed under: On Air

None of the psychologists are arguing in favor of inhumane treatment, or torture (at least not publicly)... But the American Psychological Association is divided over what role, if any, its members should play in the interrogation of detainees. And after a lawyer for a prisoner at Guantanamo Bay complained that a psychologist played a crucial role in alleged abusive treatment, there are new calls to make it a violation of its code of ethics to be involved in any military interrogations. On one side of the argument, critics say psychologists should "do no harm" and see no reason to be involved in interrogations. On the flip-side, some argue that psychologists can make interrogations more humane. Some call it a fight for the soul of the profession. What do you think? Should professional psychologists be involved in interrogations, or is that a slippery slope?

-- Scott Cameron

Tags: interrogation | psychologists

Rich Man's World

Filed under: On Air

Rich people, beware. Jamie Johnson is publicly talking about money. Again. For the past few months, he has been chronicling the lives of the super-rich on Vanity Fair.com.

He writes that some old-money scions are welcoming the bumpy market because distinctions of wealth -- Bentleys, jets and yachts -- have been available to "new money." Johnson knows about this world -- he is one of the heirs to the Johnson and Johnson pharmaceutical fortune.

Years ago, we saw him as a 20-something, talking to fellow heirs about (gasp!) money, in the documentary Born Rich. Earlier this year, his second film, The One Percent, turned the cameras on the vanguards of old-money establishment, questioning them on the growing chasm between rich and poor .

Today, we talk to Johnson about why money is a taboo topic of discussion and why he thinks the culture of WASPs is on the decline.

-- Dalia Martinez

Tags: Jamie Johnson | Vanity Fair | money | rich