"We want them to sound like your best friend," says voice designer Blade Kotelly. His company created the buttery "woman" answering Amtrak's phone and "Tom" who "works" for United Airlines. Taking service-with-a-smile to a new level, virtual service representatives are quickly becoming as ubiquitous as cell phones. Also on the show, Some anti-war protesters have suggested a war on Iraq would be meant to satisfy the wishes of American Jews; but what do American Jews really think? Plus, City Council Speaker Gifford Miller, the latest from Cameroon, and the BBC's Robin Lustig.
Das ist Lustig
Robin Lustig, host of BBC World Service's Newshour , on Blair's approval ratings and the British amendment to 1441
Cameroon Conundrum
Kate Connolly, foreign correspondent for the Daily Telegraph, on the mouse that may roar
The Art of Faking Sincerity
Blade Kotelly, creative director of interface design at Speechworks www.speechworks.com , the maker of Julie from Amtrak and author of The Art and Business of Speech Recognition: Creating the Noble Voice (Addison Wesley, 2003) and Julie Seitter, "the Amtrak lady," on virtual customer service representatives
Gifford Differed
Gifford Miller, City Council Speaker (D-5th district), on the anti-war resolution and other items from the City Council
What Jew Think?
David Harris, executive director of the American Jewish Committee, analyzes American Jewish opinion on Iraq
Open Phones
Listeners call on Bush's motivation in going to war