Last night's event at the Queens museum

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Posted by leboheme at 03:44 PM

Last night, we held part 1 of our 2-part Asia in New York series. At the Queens Museum, two panels of South Asian community leaders discussed the issues faced by the latest generation of immigrants. Part 2 focuses on geopolitical and economic issues in India, China, and the US.

John Liu, Annetta Seecharran, Madhulika Khandelwal, and Deepa Iyer

Audience Members

Annetta Seecharran and Madhulika Khandelwal

The Queens Museum

BL Show Producers and panel

A wall of cables

Posted by leboheme at 01:06 PM

The annual National Poetry Month Brian Lehrer Show Poetry Slam took place today. WNYC's Poet-in-Residence Bob Holman was the judge. Response was overwhelming and Below are the winners (and lucky recipients of the Brian Lehrer Show T-Shirt):

Listen to the poetry readings on the show

BEST IN SHOW

Poem to My Right Hand

by Susan Varon
Alien one that I am learning to make my god
You are beautiful
In your attempts
To return to your destiny, as in
Human as in, making fire

When you succeed in grasping
The glass I want to drink from
My thirst intensifies
While you draw it closer, closer

Things I have taught you to pick up:
My fairy wand
The candle, unlit
The silver bell, the match box
Things I can do with you:
Ring Bell, Wave Wand
I am trying to retrain you
To know your loveliness
To be proud of what you can do
I believe in the new pathways
The brain is forging in itself

The alternate Rube Goldberg connections
Around the dead matter
I can see them
And hear the voices of instruction
And encouragement
The brain talking to itself
While it does its work

In a notebook, I practice
The new penmanship
Submitting to the spasms
That wildly jig the pen
Breathing into the letters
emerging new and wet

Every one crashes
Every one worth fighting for
They come forth like children
Arriving at a party
Newly born, for just this moment
Shining.

BEST POLITICAL SATIRE

Drilling ANWR
by Gail Keith-Jones

As Propogandists could explain,
“Conserve”, the word that means “maintain”
“preserve”, “protect” and “keep from harm”
is used as decoy from alarm:
Conserving anything is what
“Conservatives” today do not.
“Compassionate” claiming they protect?
Instead it means the Rich neglect.
to help the poor to homeless housing.

We will not moderate our greed,
will give ourselves the Fix we need
of easy energy we waste –
resources not to be replaced.

To hell with everyone! We will
transport their oil in ships that spill,
rip up our wilderness for more,
heedless of smog and ruined shore.

As climate changes spread despair
we sneer at warnings, foul the air:
sea-level rises, Venice sinks –
Who cares? we do what business thinks.

Ideals are trimmed to “IN”, the fix,
pragmatic global politics –
which spreads a common view abroad:
our Morals are a filthy fraud.

Conserving anything is what
“Conservatives” today do not.
“Conservatives” camouflaged by name,
pirates by disposition, Shame!
Exploiting everything you can
you injure Earth and God and Man.

BEST IN UNDER 30 SECONDS

Haiku
by Albert Kaufman

Black and golden striped
Brave bees in summer’s last days
Swarm to gather life

Posted by leboheme at 03:22 PM

One of the guests for today's segment on Social Security and the Family was Ken Dychtwald who co-wrote an article for the March 2004 issue of the Harvard Business Review called "It's Time to Retire Retirement." Here are some of the emails we received about retirement and age discrimination:

Your guests ask, "Would you want to retire?"
Maybe not as a professor with tenure but certainly as an adjunct paid
$3000 per course or as an employee at McDonalds making minimum wage.
--R.K.

Despite the issue of changing demographics and impending boomer retirements, there is actually a form of age discrimination in reverse – young people are having a very hard time finding good jobs and we need to enable more young people in the workforce to mitigate against some of the potential for problems we’ll have in the coming decades (fewer people available for all jobs, and lack of management skill). There needs to be a balance and currently we’re way out of balance in all directions – top heavy with boomers, not hiring younger folks, thus not giving them the skills and training necessary for upcoming generations to succeed.
--M.S.

What about so many people who have spent years working very hard at either physically demanding or very monotonous jobs? Most elderly can't start a second career heading their own organization. A job in retirement for many people would mean minimum wage at a fast food restaurant. These people deserve a work free retirement.
--R.G.

And the notion that old people want to work..as opposed to having a few years to pursue interests work got in the way of…do you think all those aged greeters at Walmart are there because they love going to work? I think not wanting to dine on cat food is a greater motivator. People who love their work will find a way to continue it until they die.
--A.S.

I retired at the top of my career in a very rewarding professional life. I retired because of a family situation and moved back to New York after 42 years in the heartland. I have spent an extremely rewarding year and a half in New York (the first 6 months were a little tough); filled with meaningful volunteer work a rich cultural life and a social network that is increasing each month. It seems to me there are two keys: having enough money so that you don't have to work (both my husband and I have an excellent defined benefit pension + social security+ excellent medical benefits from my former job, although housing is a bit of a challenge) and being a self-starter so that you can create a life filled with interesting activities which contribute to the community. There are lots of people out there who can do what I have done, maybe with just a little support and encouragement.
--B.M.

The idea that people "slow down" after 45 or 50 is insane and applies largely to certain classes of people -- i.e. those without large power and wealth. How come the US Congress is full of men over 60? How come major corporations are run by men over 60, sometimes 70???How come big TV netowrks are run by men over 60??

As a highly educated professional woman with 30 years experience -- it is offensive to find that I am thought of as "slow"....--W.B

Do you plan to retire?

Posted by leboheme at 06:08 PM

Ha Jin, Antonio Munoz Molina and Salman Rushdie are taking part in a reading at Town Hall on Monday night. The title of the event is "The Power of the Pen: Does Writing Change Anything?" We asked them if reading had changed them, Ha Jin singled out V.S. Naipaul's A Bend in the River and Antonio Munoz Molina pointed to Marcel Proust's Remembrance of Things Past for what it taught him about love. What books changed your life? Let us know.

Later in the show, we opened the phone for great eavesdropping exploits. Read some of the emails here.

when I was newly married my husband was teasing me on the bus by saying insistingly, "C'mon. We could go to my place--you're husband will never find out. . . ." I kept telling him to stop it but he kept it up until a woman behind us said, "Excuse me for eavesdropping, but I have to tell you--one of you is going to get in a LOT of TROUBLE!"

I don't know if she believed me when I promised her he WAS my husband, and just teasing me.

-L.

One I had to share.. One of my daughters started working at a law firm
here in NJ and her office was next to a young lawyer with a loud voice.
She overheard a rather contentious phone call full of vituperation,
profanity, and obscenities suggesting impossible physical acts. She
almost violated the rule about laughing when, at the call's conclusion,
the guy said"Yeah, yeah, Ma, I know, I love you too. See you Saturday"

-E.

I saw a homeless woman approach a young woman smoking outside of an office building in midtown.

Do you have a cigarette? Asked the homeless woman

Sure. Said the young woman

Can I have one for later?

Sure.

Do you have 5 dollars for lunch?

You’re really pushing it, said the young woman.

The homeless woman shrugged, “What do expect? I’m homeless.”
…
The young woman paused. “Fair enough,” she said, and gave her 5 dollars.

-J.

On the subway I watched jealously as a distinguished gentlemen flipped his Times to the crossword and filled it out, in ink, in seconds. (I had worked the puzzle earlier and found it very difficult.) When he disembarked he left his paper, and I picked it up to see how accurate he had been. It was filled with gibberish.

-J

Posted by leboheme at 03:24 PM

Today, we're taking listener calls on rules you lay down for potential roommates. Here's the posting that inspired it.

(a joke craigslist posting - here's the author's response)

Posted by leboheme at 11:47 AM

Vietnam, Bulimia, innate differences between the sexes. Our talk with Jane Fonda today brought a flood of email responses. Here's a selection:

Would Ms. Fonda please explain the circumstances of her being at an enemy anti-aircraft weapon with our enemy at the time and everyone seems to be smiling. I eagerly await her response.
-PM

Ouch. I am sure she did not intend to do this, but Jane Fonda's claim that she is unaware of any negative health consequences from her bulimia does not help the cause of discouraging people (mostly young women) from doing it. I think it's scary for people to think they can get clean away with it, and when Jane admits to no consequences other than a gorgeous thin body, she makes it seem that binging and purging is a great idea. I still have to wonder if something like tooth damage is a flaw she is unwilling to share. I guess we'll never know. Nevertheless, the grave health effects that Terri Schiavo suffered as a result of bulimia are an issue I wish received more media attention.
Thank you very much for trying. Your program is wonderful.
-J

I am amazed that Jane Fonda has to keep answering questions about Vietnam while the president gets off Scott free. It's absolutely amazing. I am on my way down to the National Guard office to see if they "just happen" to have any flying spots open. The Vietnam war is over. It ended when John Kerry, with his service record, was made to look like a traitor by the media.
-GB

Don't you think that there are some innate biological differences between men and women that can't be addressed by feminism?-DM

I am so sick of all the carping over "Hanoi Jane". Haven't most people made honest mistakes in their lives? At least Fonda was working towards an admirable goal, that of ending an unjust war and returning young American soldiers (and doctors and nurses) back home safe and sound. Those who continue to beat up on her over decades-old foibles she has publicly apologized for should look in the mirror and ask "Well, what GOOD have I done in this world?"
-CP

I'm wondering if there are any plans afoot for box sets or retrospectives of her brilliant acting career, purely focusing on her as an artist leaving the private/public life aside?
-PK

I have always had tremendous respect and admitation for Jane Fonda and her stance on political issues. I commend her for helping to expose the lies being told to the American people by the likes of war criminals such as Kissinger, Nixon and McNamara. I also enjoyed her exercise videotapes, which I still have. I salute Jane Fonda.
-DT

Posted by leboheme at 03:29 PM

Judith Warner joined guest host Sarah Crichton to talk about her new book, "Perfect Madness: Motherhead in the Age of Anxiety"

Here are some listener emails:
I think the crux of the problem is the basic idea that good motherhood means spending as much time as possible with your child. My mother spent a lot of time leaving my brothers and me alone. Her philosophy was (and is) that no child can withstand the full-time attention of an intelligent woman.
Thanks,--T.

I need to move to France. I have four children, I work full time and I'm pregnant with my fifth. Everyone including my friends family husband and employer looks at me as though I've committed a mortal sin and as though I've committed it by myself. I hear a lot of derogatory comments as to how much I must love sex when I'm walking down the street or from rude cab drivers who think they're being funny. My husband is almost praised and certainly never judged for having so many children. I constantly feel guilty and I have to fight off shame. --D.

What about stay-at-home fathers? Continue reading...

... To be blunt, fathers
get it coming and going. Those of us (I am one) who
stay at home with young children are (at best) largely
ignored by American society. At worst, we are
ridiculed. Alternatively, if we continue to work, we
are increasingly excoriated for taking part in or
furthering a convention that places the burdens of child-rearing on mothers.

Moreover, those of us who leave careers and
stay-at-home face all the potential frustrations of
women who do the same. And IF (note if) we are a
society of conventions, men may also face an added
question of their own identity in a society that has conventionally treated men as the "breadwinners". --I.

Those services for mothers mentioned by the author are not "free". The
French people pay incredibly high taxes for these benefits. We do not
have the same level of benefits in the U.S. because the American people
do not want to pay high taxes.
Convince the American people to pay higher taxes and we will get more
public benefits.-- E.

This is the worst kind of self-involved, navel-gazing upper middle class self-obsession (and I speak as a charter member of same).

We who have children are lucky to have them. It is our responsiblity to raise them as we best determine. Millions of our less-financially-able peers do not have the luxury of such worries, and we embarrass ourselves with this kind of self-conscious whining. Life's difficult; get over it, get on with it, cope. Show your children by example what it means to take responsibility and live a life.

Judith Warner is mining the same kind of mothering anxiety she theoretically decries. Why does no one call her bluff; she's making a big income out of the 'poor me' syndrome, while women read her text and wallow in same. discouraging, and very narrow in view. Please show me the world, not the narrow vision of the chronically yearning, moneyed few.
--H.

Posted by leboheme at 02:34 PM

In our research for this morning's segment on the life and legacy of Pope John Paul II and the possibility he will be succeeded by a Nigerian cardinal, we stumbled across the fact that there have already been three Black African Popes.

There is also the story of Pope Joan, who may have been the first, and without changes to Church policies, only female Pope.

Posted by leboheme at 04:53 PM

Here are snippets from our listeners on the "Two Strikes Rule in Baseball:"

I propose a league of steroid users where all players are juiced. That’s really what we want to see. C.V.

In addition to reducing the number of strikes each base coach should have a modified taser to prod the runners to move faster and not to stand on base too long, encouraging more base stealing and run outs. R.B.

If we're getting rid of strikes, why not just rid of pitchers all
together? And since what America really wants to see is Home Runs, if
it doesn't go over the fence, it's an out. D.C.

why are you spending so much time on this boring subject when the NHL has announced the start of the hockey season today? B.W.

An emergency ecumenical conference held on this very issue only moments ago that there is a basis in all the holy books supporting the idea that three strikes is the will of the almighty. For this reason, moving the pitchers mound closer to home plate, possible fifteen feet away, and substituting a stickball bat for the conventional bat would solve the problem without risking eternal damnation. D.C.

Posted by leboheme at 05:00 PM