JJGO Episode #203

I used to listen to Jordan Jesse Go pretty regularly in their early days but I haven't been a faithful listener in a long time. In a spate of boredom I looked through their recent catalog and found several great episodes, including Episode #203 with guest Maria Thayer. As Jesse alludes to in the introduction this episode stands out for being unusually monomaniacal, "We engage in what might be longest segment in Jordan Jesse Go History." Clocking in at almost two hours it eventually serves as workshop for Jesse to process a lot of his feelings about producing radio. An extended examination of whether or not to apply for a Peabody award becomes woven into a general conversation about The Sound of Young America, motivations for making art and Jesse's occasional doubts about what he's doing. Much of it is not really funny but I enjoyed it a lot more than many of their episodes. I found myself wishing Jesse could bring more of that honest sensibility to his Sound of Young America/Bullseye interviews. It was refreshing to hear him not trying to be funny. On The Sound of Young America he's steadily improved in his selection of interviewees and in his interview structure and I think he can get even better. I was left feeling that I've underestimated what the serious, less comedically driven Jesse Thorn can do. Funny that I heard it on his non-broadcast comedy podcast.

Un tagging

I rarely listen to Talk of the Nation but I ran across this recent episode about how Facebook tries to tackle unwanted or inappropriate photos and people tagged in them. Facebook engineer Arthuro Bejar talks about how the issue has evolved, the misunderstandings, the anxieties, and how Facebook is trying to influence how the disputes are resolved, even when they can't intervene. I found myself surprised to be reminded how little authority or control Facebook has or choses to have in some areas, which seems to contradict our associations between technology and authority, order, control and efficiency. I think in many ways users expect Facebook to operate like their other technology products, like their phones or software, that is, relatively bug free, with customer service, accountability and clear standards. But what is a desire to control how the program works and what is a desire to control other people and their behavior?



PHOTO:LUMACHROME

The Lady Mini Figure

Strange little story from NPR about Lego's efforts to create toys for girls. Features expert Bradley Weiners' gravely voice.

PHOTO: REPOORT

Tell and Cajole

So far, I'm enjoying Alec Baldwin's new show on WNYC, "Here's The Thing" because it still seems a bit rough around the edges. He sometimes struggles to stay on topic and clamors to get his own thoughts in, overstepping his guests.

Alec Baldwin's interview with Kris Kardashian Jenner almost, almost makes the Kardashian reality show sound like it's worth watching, but trust me, it's really not. In this interview the Kardashian matriarch comes across vastly more thoughtful and self-aware than she does on TV, and it makes me wonder to what extent the reality show flattens out the entire Kardashian family into a shallow, clumsily staged version of themselves.

Also, yes, in an off the cuff comment, Alec Baldwin does say that a future reality show might be "Keeping Up with The Klonopins." (An anti-seizure drug). I have no idea what that means.
 


PHOTO: Eva Rinaldi

Indoor Pollution

Lively and personal short report on air pollution in Beijing from NPR's Louisa Lim.

Link to story on npr.org



PHOTO: JOHN GULLIVER

The Sound of Young America is going to be renamed. I've always found the name endearing because it harkened back to Kids America which I grew up listening to, and because it's sort of long, but I'm looking forward to hearing what they come up with.

PHOTO:QUIN ANYA

A Few Recent and Not So Recent NPR Stories

Content Farms, by Zoe Chace

Are Vitamins and Supplements Necessary?, by Richard Knox

Hormones, Metabolism and Dieting, by Allison Aubry
Part of NPR's series on obesity.

Interview with Joan Didion about her book Blue Nights, by Susan Stamberg
I'd never heard her voice before. This book is on my list.

Why is College So Expensive? by Larry Abramson

Story on the Listeria Outbreak by Allison Aubry
I'm currently taking Microbiology so this caught my attention.

Recent Slate Political Gabfest Legalese

Emily Bazelon's discussions of current legal issues are my favorite part of the Slate Political Gabfest because she really gets at the sometimes abstruse legal questions that make the cases note-worthy. I've collected a few of those recent segments. The Slate Political Gabfest is also available free in itunes.

Online bullying and school.
Download MP3

Bans on violent video games.
 Download MP3

The class-action case against Walmart brought by women who claimed they were discriminated against.
Download MP3

Contracts for Safety

     I'm starting to delve into medical podcasts and this is one of the first episodes I've listened to. Dr. Rob Orman invites guests onto his show, ERCAST, to discuss topics in Emergency Medicine.
     Many of these episodes are labeled EXPLICIT in itunes, not because of strong language but because of gore (the C Diff episode carries a strong warning: "There are descriptions in this interview that may make you pass out or possibly vomit"). This episode is not gruesome but does contain sensitive topics relating to suicide. The focus is on assessing suicide risk in the emergency room. Originating from the perspective of clinicians makes for different language and different details than you'd get from public radio.

MP3 Download



PHOTO: GABRIELA PINTO

Recent New Yorker Fiction Podcasts

I recently listened to three terrific episodes of the New Yorker Fiction Podcast, each story very different from the next. Host Deborah Treisman ends up asking almost exactly the same questions in every episode, which gives the show an even perspective episode to episode.


Click on the links below to listen:
Thomas McGuane's "Cowboy"
There's something very funny about hearing Sam Lipsyte read in a cowboy dialect. He tries hard but he enunciates too perfectly, it sounds too correct to be real. To be fair, I'm not sure who could read this story aloud without sounding stilted.

Roberto Bolaño's "Gómez Palacio"
So mysterious to me, hope to read more of his stories.

John Cheever's "The Swimmer"
Anne Enright's reading brings so much to this story. Perfect for a hot day.

PHOTO: LEE COURSEY