The Colin McEnroe Show

You can find lots of advice about how to avoid feeling bored during this pandemic. There are virtual dance parties and home safaries, lists of what to read and watch, and yoga classes on Zoom. Boredom is a difficult emotion for most of us. Almost 3,500 people living under quarantine in Italy shared on a survey last week that boredom has been one of the hardest parts of staying inside. We go out of our way to avoid feeling it, like the students who chose electric shock over feeling bored. Why can't we allow ourselves to be bored? Too much boredom can lead to depression and risky behavior. But it can also deepen awareness and inspire creativity. And one person's boredom is another person's pleasure. Henrietta Swan-Leavitt was an astronomer at Harvard College Observatory who spent 20 years beginning in 1895 scanning photographic plates to catalogue the brightness of stars. GUESTS: Sandi Mann - Senior psychology lecturer at the University of Central Lancashire and the author of The Upside of Downtime: Why Boredom Is Good Kate Green - A poet, essayist, and former laser physicist; her book, Once Upon a Time I Lived on Mars: Space, Exploration, and Life on Earth, will be published in July Krystal Douglas - The owner of Music City Sewing, a company that sews custom costumes for entertainers and is currently sewing masks for health care workers Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

From ancient mixtures of boiled goat fats and ashes to modern artisanal soaps with calendula and coffee grinds, humans have been inventing clever ways of cleaning themselves since the very beginning. This quest for cleanliness has wound its way through religion, sexuality, culture, and more. It has been the source of everything from comedies to conflicts to consumer crazes. This hour we talk to experts and historians about the history of hygiene. GUESTS: Katherine Ashenburg - Toronto-based author of several prize-winning books including The Dirt on Clean: An Unsanitized History and All the Dirt: A History of Getting Clean Virginia Smith - Historian, honorary fellow of the Centre for History in Public Health at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, and author of Clean: A History of Personal Hygiene and Purity Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Colin McEnroe and Chion Wolf contributed to this show, which originally aired February 15, 2018.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For those who put their trust in science, it's hard to understand why anyone wouldn't. But in recent decades, the voices of skeptics have grown louder by the day. From average citizens to media personalities to high-ranking government officials, it seems even the most irrefutable scientific findings are being challenged. Is it the scientists themselves, their research methods, or how their findings often challenge deeply held values that fuels this mistrust? On today's show we'll explore this phenomenon and discuss how, during the current pandemic, our ability to trust science is more important than ever. GUESTS: Naomi Oreskes - Professor of the history of science at Harvard University and the author of several books, including the recently-released Why Trust Science? Jane Lytvynenko - Senior reporter for Buzzfeed News reporting most recently on disinformation, scams, and conspiracies surrounding the coronavirus and COVID-19 Lise Saffran - Director of the Master of Public Health Program at University of Missouri and Co-chair of the Health Humanities Consortium; lead author of "Constructing and influencing perceived authenticity in science communication" Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Colin McEnroe, Cat Pastor, Catie Talarski, Gene Amatruda, Joe Coss, and T.J. Coppola contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

William Wetmore Story sculpted The Angel of Grief for his wife's grave after her death in 1894. He wrote that it was the only way he could express his feelings of utter abandonment. It was his last work before his own death one year later. We may not readily identify grief in the gamut of emotions we're feeling during this pandemic. We haven't lost the kind of love expressed through William Story's sculpture, but loss is very much at the center of our new reality. We are collectively grieving the loss of a world that has changed forever. Also this hour: There's a growing movement of people who want to walked back his desire to reopen the economy by Easter on Sunday evening, there remains an unsettling push to prioritize the economy over certain groups of people. Lastly, we must resist blaming "others" for viruses we can't control. GUESTS: Gregg Gonsalves - Assistant professor of epidemiology and the co-director of the Global Health Justice Partnership at Yale School of Public Health David Kessler - The author of five books and the founder of grief.com; his latest book is Finding Meaning: The Sixth Stage of Grief Ian Buruma - Professor of human rights and journalism at Bard College Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Colin McEnroe, Cat Pastor, Catie Talarski, Gene Amatruda, Joe Coss, and T.J. Coppola contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Last Friday night, Disney released the #1 movie in the country -- Pixar's Onward -- for digital download on iTunes/Amazon/etc. It's safe to say, that's the first time that's ever happened. When you say "the #1 movie in the country," you're talking about what was #1 last weekend or maybe last week. Onward was also the #1 movie in the country specifically on last Thursday... when it made $33,296. There are times when movies make that per screen. There's a movie on that domestic chart that one person went to see. It made $6. That movie, though, wasn't at the bottom of that chart… because there are three movies on that chart that no one went to see. In the country. Also: Tiger King is the "shocking Netflix series that has captivated the internet" and "the most bonkers true-crime doc you'll ever see." The Nose has seen both. Some other stuff that happened this week, give or take: Cowboy Museum Puts Their Head Of Security In Charge Of Their Twitter, And His Tweets Are Hilariously Wholesome Social Distancing Diaries: Cut the Crap and Embrace the BidetThe COVID-19 pandemic has sparked a countrywide toilet-paper-buying frenzy. But there's a better way to clean up that's good for your butt, your wallet, and the environment. Cats Allegedly Added Buttholes, Then Removed Them, And Now Fans Want The Butthole Cut AMC Theatres Has Furloughed Its Entire Corporate Staff and CEO in the Wake of Coronavirus Closures Movie Theaters Are Closed, but Their Value Isn't Lost to Us Yet These Famous Logos Have Been Remade for the Coronavirus Age McDonald's Separates Its Golden Arches in an Act of Coronavirus Solidarity This Pork-Hucking Pig Farmer Is the Only One Doing Quarantine RightLeft with a backlog of ham and sausages, one farmer has figured out a way to safely get his wares to his customers in the time of social distancing -- hucking ham. ATTENTION OLD PEOPLE: Millennials Aren't The Problem Right NowWe are way too old. McDonald's Separates Its Golden Arches in an Act of Coronavirus SolidarityIn Brazil, brand has altered iconic mark to encourage safety for all during coronavirus pandemic Eli Miller, a Sultan of Seltzer, Is Dead at 86He began delivering sparkling water in 1960, when hundreds of seltzer men plied the streets. He continued until 2017, when there were almost none. Terrence McNally, Tony-Winning Playwright of Gay Life, Dies at 81Mr. McNally, who died of coronavirus complications, introduced audiences to characters and situations that most mainstream theater had previously shunted into comic asides. Florida Senate proclaims Florida State national champion Scott Boras pitches 162-game MLB season, including Christmas game, despite coronavirus delay GUESTS: Carolyn Paine - An actress, comedian, and dancer; founder, director, and choreographer of CONNetic Dance Pedro Soto - President and CEO of Hygrade Precision Technologies Elle - Pedro's nine-year-old daughter Tracy Wu Fastenberg - Development officer at Connecticut Children's Claire - Tracy's six-year-old daughter Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Humans have been using soap for literally millennia -- nearly five of them... at least. And while there's a run on alcohol-based hand sanitizers, it turns out that good, old-fashioned soap is a simpler, more-reliable way to destroy all that coronavirus that might be all over your gross, dirty hands. In the end, though, "A little bit of soap / Will never never never ever begin / To take away the hurt that I feel..." GUESTS: Kieran Dahl - A freelance writer; his piece for Vox is "How a decades-old hippie soap brand became a touchstone of wellness culture" Brian Resnick - Senior science reporter for Vox Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Restaurants around the country have closed their doors to in-dining service to help slow the spread of Coronavirus and prevent unnecessary deaths. That's good news. The porch of Metro Bis Restaurant in Simsbury, Conn.CREDIT CHRIS PROSPERI But it's also bad news for an industry that employs 160,000 people in Connecticut alone, many laid off and waiting for their unemployment application to be processed by our overwhelmed state system. A lot of restaurants are offering creative ways to have some fun with takeout. But most restaurants can't live on takeout alone, even if their closure helps us live. GUESTS: Chris Prosperi - Co-owner and chef of Metro Bis restaurant in West Simsbury, Conn. Richard Rosenthal - Founder and president of Max Restaurant Group Scott Dolch - Executive director of the Connecticut Restaurant Association Kassia Borgio - A full-time server at Capital Grille who is currently laid off from work Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Trump administration is pursuing policies they say are necessary to fight the spread of coronavirus -- even though Congress and the courts rejected these policies prior to the pandemic. Last week, the president gave his administration the power to shut the southwestern border, implement a rule allowing federal workers to withhold their union dues, and deliver food boxes to rural areas after Congress complained about poor food quality. Most recently, he asked Congress to let judges indefinitely hold people without trial during an emergency. How do we give President Trump the power to mobilize the resources of the federal government against coronavirus and protect against his abuse of that power? Also this hour: Governor Lamont is urging us to stay home and stay safe over the next month or more. How do we stay calm in the chaos of this moment? You could take the Quarantine Challenge or, maybe, just a really long walk. GUESTS: Dahlia Lithwick - Writes about the courts and the law for Slate and hosts the podcast Amicus Catherine Price - A science journalist, the author of How to Break Up With Your Phone, and the creator of Screen/Life Balance Tamara Hew-Butler - Associate professor of exercise and sports science at Wayne State University Mariane Fahlman - Professor of kinesiology, health, and sport studies at Wayne State University Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As with all things, The Nose has never been a Nose quite like this week's Nose. First off, for almost every Nose ever, we've put four (sometimes more) people in a radio studio for an hour. This Nose is four people talking to each other from very separate places, and none of them is a radio studio. Meanwhile, we've said goodbye to movie theaters. Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson and Idris Elba have all tested positive. People have been using Tinder as a news service. I mean, it's hard to imagine that we'll ever go back to normal. And so, we might as well watch some TV then, right? The Nose has tried out Hulu's new adaptation of High Fidelity with Zoë Kravitz in the lead role. Some other stuff that's happened in the last couple weeks, give or take: No, Daniel Radcliffe Doesn't Have Coronavirus Sketchy Coronavirus Survival Guides Are Booming on Amazon Pandemics: An Essential Reading List The Onion created lovable 'Diamond Joe' Biden. Then it destroyed him. Max von Sydow, Star of 'Seventh Seal' and 'Exorcist,' Dies at 90 There Is Truly No Need to Put "I Voted" Stickers on Your Pets McDonald's debuts new Big Macs "Who Can't Get on Board With That?": How 'House Party' Brought the Black Teenage Experience to the Mainstream Billie Eilish and Her Signature Baggy Clothes Open World Tour With Message to Body Shamers Jennifer Lopez And Alex Rodriguez Did The "Flip The Switch" TikTok Challenge And Eyes Emoji Louis C.K.'s sexual misconduct tanked his career. Now he's selling out theaters. In a Time of Crisis, a Panicked Nation Comes Together to Watch Nu-Metal Band Trapt Melt Down on Twitter GUESTS: Rebecca Castellani - A music writer for the Red Hook Star Revue Irene Papoulis - Teaches writing at Trinity College Bill Yousman - Professor of Media Studies at Sacred Heart University Join the conversation on Facebook or Twitter. Colin McEnroe, TJ Coppola, and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The NBA, the NHL, and Major League Soccer have all suspended their seasons. Major League Baseball canceled spring training and postponed opening day until at least mid-May. The NCAA canceled March Madness (which would've started in earnest today) and, in fact, all of its winter and spring sports championships. Tennis's French Open is postponed until September, and soccer's Euro 2020 is postponed until 2021. There have been cancellations and postponements in archery, badminton, canoe-kayak, cricket, curling, handball, judo, rowing, rugby, sailing, shooting, skating, snooker, sumo, swimming, table tennis, taekwondo, water polo, weightlifting… The list goes on. Put a bit more simply: Sports is canceled. Except... The NFL Draft is set to go on next month (but without the public in attendance). The 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games are, so far, going on as planned. And then there's... Scrabble. This hour: sports in the time of corona. GUESTS: Bryan Curtis - Editor-at-large at The Ringer Stefan Fatsis - A panelist on the Slate sports podcast Hang Up and Listen and the author of Word Freak: Heartbreak, Triumph, Genius, and Obsession in the World of Competitive Scrabble Players Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Did you get enough sleep last night? If you're like most Americans, probably not. You might feel pretty good after six hours of sleep and a strong cup of coffee, but the physical and mental toll of sleep deprivation is high. We become more impulsive and less mentally agile, and we make more mistakes. Long term, lack of sleep (six hours or less per night) can mess with mood, hormones, and immune systems, and it can increase our risk for diabetes and cardiovascular disease. There are lots of things we can't control that keep us up too late, such as crying babies and shift work. But there are lots of things we can control, like how much caffeine we consume and whether we take our phone to bed. But somewhere along the way, our culture made less sleep a matter of personal virtue and moral judgement. Even naps are frowned upon for all but the youngest and the oldest among us. GUESTS: Maria Konnikova - A journalist, professional poker player, and the author of The Confidence Game and Mastermind: How To Think Like Sherlock Holmes Dan McNally - A doctor with the Sleep Disorders Center at UConn Health Todd Pitock - Journalist Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Colin McEnroe, Cat Pastor, and Catie Talarski contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Reality TV shows like the Discovery Channel's Doomsday Bunkers and National Geographic Channel's Doomsday Preppers perpetuate a stereotype of "preppers" that omits the wide swath of people who engage in preparedness in a less extreme and more varied way. Talk of nuclear war, climate apocalypse, pandemic, economic instability, and the decline of democracy has led more people to think about how to survive a catastrophic -- if not apocalyptic -- event. Do you buy organic food? Will you drink only bottled water? Do you avoid antibiotics? You may not have an underground bunker but you might have a generator, short wave radio, extra batteries and a supply of canned foods. This hour, we dive into the real world of "preppers." GUESTS: Tea Krulos - A freelance journalist and the author of Apocalypse Any Day Now: Deep Underground with America’s Doomsday Preppers Mike Davidson - A metal fabricator and member of Zombie Squad Jon Stokes - Founder of Ars Technica and the deputy editor of The Prepared Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Colin McEnroe and Chion Wolf contributed to this show, which originally aired May 8, 2019.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

America got (more) serious last week about COVID-19. Schools and colleges closed, workers went remote, professional sports teams canceled their seasons, theaters and restaurants closed their doors, and Americans hunkered down at home to reckon with the fragility of life as we know it. We want to hear from you. Colin and an epidemiologist answer your questions. Also this hour: Bernie Sanders and Joe Biden debated one-on-one Sunday in Phoenix before Tuesday's primaries in Arizona, Florida, Illinois, and Ohio. Did they forget the last three weeks happened? GUESTS: Joseph Vinetz - Professor of infectious diseases at Yale University Edward-Isaac Dovere - Host of the The Ticket podcast; he's writing a book, You Are Right to Be Concerned: Democrats in Crisis in the Trump Years Daniel Pollack-Pelzner - The Ronni Lacroute Chair in Shakespeare studies at Linfield College Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

John McPhee is a writer's writer. He's thought of as one of the progenitors of the New Journalism, of creative nonfiction or narrative nonfiction, along with people like Gay Talese and Tom Wolfe and Hunter S. Thompson. But his style is... quiter than those folks'. His writing is transparent. He tends to keep himself out of the narrative. He doesn't even, in fact, have an author photo. McPhee has written for The New Yorker since 1963, and he's taught writing at Princeton University since 1975. He is the author of 32 books, including Coming Into the Country, A Sense of Where You Are, Oranges, and Annals of the Former World, which won the 1999 Pulitzer Prize for general nonfiction. GUEST: John McPhee - Staff writer at The New Yorker and the author of 33 books; his latest are Draft No. 4: On the Writing Process and The Patch Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Colin McEnroe contributed to this show, which originally aired September 28, 2017.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When you think of taxidermy, you may imagine a trophy room in which mostly male hunters have mounted the heads of 12-point stags along wood-paneled walls. If so, your image would be incomplete. Taxidermy has gone through many iterations since gentleman scientists turned to taxidermy to understand anatomy during the Enlightenment. Victorians added a touch of whimsy, decorating their homes with birds under glass and falling in love with Walter Potter's anthropomorphized cats. Later still, Norman Bates shifted the cultural understanding of taxidermy from art to something more macabre after he (spoiler alert) taxidermied his mother in Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho. Today, animal-loving millennial women are taking taxidermy to new levels of artistry and craftsmanship, from rogue taxidermists who mix and match animal parts to the mallard wing bridal veil of a couture taxidermist. In the end, isn't taxidermy about immortality and how we choose to remember? GUESTS: Kristen Arnett - The author of Mostly Dead Things Beth Beverly - A couture taxidermist and the owner of Diamond Tooth Taxidermy John Whitenight - The author of Under Glass: A Victorian Obsession Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter Colin McEnroe, Jonathan McNicol, and Chion Wolf contributed to this show, which originally aired December 5, 2019.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Is it safe to say that we're not yet ready to kiss and make up with the banks whose reckless behavior led to the 2008 financial crisis? A little contrition would go a long way to helping us forgive and forget. That's not happening, at least not with Deutsche Bank, the preferred bank of Donald Trump and Jeffrey Epstein. Deutsche Bank lent money to rogue states that funded terrorist activities that hurt U.S. soldiers. They laundered money for Russian oligarchs, sold securities they knew were bad, gave out multimillion-dollar bonuses, and fired whistleblowers who tried to tell. They lent money to Donald Trump, despite his repeated defaults on his loans, and Jeffrey Epstein long after he was shunned for molesting young girls. You may wonder how this could happen. Basically, a massive lack of accountability on behalf of the Central Bank, the Federal Reserve, shareholders, board members, and the federal government. That's a lot of people. No wonder Elizabeth Warren threatened to take on the big banks. GUESTS: David Enrich - Business investigations editor at The New York Times and the author of Dark Towers: Deutsche Bank, Donald Trump, and An Epic Trail of Destruction Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Take a few seconds to reminisce about your childhood "best friend." Maybe it was a boy, a girl, an imaginary friend, or perhaps a stuffed toy. This stuffed toy was your childhood confidant that you dragged everywhere, from the local supermarket to the preschool sandbox, a transitional object that temporarily stood between you and your relationship with your parents. If you still have your stuffed toy, has it managed to maintain its shape, color, and lovable button eyes, despite numerous indignities? Or has it endured frequent trips to the stuffed animal hospital, otherwise known as the washroom and the sewing machine? Why do you still hold onto this friend from your childhood? Our relationship with stuffed toys is a subject of curiosity. While they make act as a child's first companion by contributing to life's teachings, is there an age that children need to let go of their stuffed friends? Some adults continue to hold onto their stuffed animals, either for comfort or retention of their childhood memories, but is there an attached stigma with these comfort objects? This hour, we focus on the allure of these transitional objects, why we continue to hold onto them, and how they are helpful in overcoming trauma. We also speak with a "travel agent" who journeys around Japan to provide stuffed animals with a truly cultural experience. GUESTS: Mark Nixon - Author and photographer of Much Loved Catherine Pisacane - Founder and executive director of Project Smile Sonoe Azuma - Founder and CEO of Unagi Travel Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Katherine Peikes produced this show, and Colin McEnroe, Greg Hill, and Chion Wolf contributed to this show, which originally aired July 24, 2014.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Italians fled northern Italy Sunday after Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte imposed a lockdown to slow the spread of coronavirus Covid-19, which has killed 366 residents to date. The government banned all public gatherings including concerts, sporting events, religious services, and weddings until April 3. Scientists say one of their biggest concerns is preventing the virus from spreading faster than our health systems are prepared to handle. Dr. Anthony Fauci said regional lockdowns similar to the one in Italy could become necessary in America as the virus infects more people.  Are we prepared?  The Grand Princess cruise ship that has been sitting off the coast of California is scheduled to dock in Oakland, CA on Monday. There are at least twenty-one passengers and crew members infected with Covid-19 among the more than 3,500 passengers. The Trump Administration still doesn't have a plan on how to test and treat those on board. Some say the President's mismanagement is making things worse.  Also this hour: panic shopping.  GUESTS: Carolyn Canuscio is Associate Professor of Family Medicine and Community Health, Section on Public Health, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania (@carolyncannu) Dan Diamond reports on health care politics and policy for Politico and is the author of Politico Pulse (@ddiamond) Helen Rosner is a food correspondent for The New Yorker (@hels) Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Katy Perry dropped a new single and video (which we apparently call a "visual" now) on Wednesday night. The video ends with what's being called "a stunning reveal." And: A pair of new comedy specials caught the Nose's eye. Pete Davidson's Alive in New York on Netflix and Whitmer Thomas's The Golden One on HBO are both kind of... sad-funny? Funny-sad? And maybe in a particularly millennial way. Some other stuff that happened this week, give or take: Public Enemy Fire Flavor Flav After Bernie Sanders Rally Spat"Public Enemy and Public Enemy Radio will be moving forward without Flavor Flav," group says. "We thank him for his years of service and wish him well" James Lipton, Creator and Host of 'Inside the Actors Studio,' Dies at 93 Long-rumored Woody Allen memoir is coming in April, despite #MeToo Knicks, Spike Lee in war of words following incident with Madison Square Garden security A Genesis Reunion Is in the Air Tonight Jeopardy! Host Alex Trebek Shares One-Year Update on His Pancreatic Cancer Diagnosis William Shatner gets horse semen in divorce settlement The Kids in the Hall to Return to Amazon With New Episodes Will Studios Delay Films Like 'F9', 'Wonder Woman 1984', and 'Black Widow' Due to the Coronavirus? Here Are Their Current Plans Pain Check: Ben Affleck’s Press Tour for 'The Way Back' Is an Exercise in BleaknessThe movie, which stars Affleck as a recovering alcoholic in a failing marriage, apparently hits a little too close to him BTS Is Peaking. What Comes Next?"Map of the Soul: 7" demonstrates how the superstar K-pop group has grown into a musical monolith -- and what it might have to leave behind. The Fashion World, Upended by CoronavirusThe growing coronavirus threat chased the luxury fashion world from Milan to Paris. A real crisis looms for designers, retailers and shoppers. 'Light Is My New Drug'The actually convincing science of light therapy. 'Candyman' Trailer: Say Farewell to the Flesh All Over Again GUESTS: Lucy Gellman - Editor of The Arts Paper and host of WNHH radio's Kitchen Sync Mark Oppenheimer - Editor-at-large for Tablet Magazine and host of the podcast Unorthodox, among a bunch of other stuff Mercy Quaye - Founder and principal consultant for The Narrative Project and a columnist with Hearst Connecticut Media Group Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Colin McEnroe contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The movie musical died a long, slow death a long time ago. Right? Well, except that there's La La Land. And Moana. And The Greatest Showman and A Star Is Born and Mary Poppins Returns. Oh, and Bohemian Rhapsody and Rocketman. And Frozen II and The Lion King and Aladdin. Those are just from the last five years. And I could keep going, but then I might forget to mention that Steven Spielberg's version of West Side Story comes out this year or that the Hamilton movie comes out next year. This hour, a long look at the long-dead movie musical. Long live the movie musical. (Oh! And In the Heights comes out this summer too. There are just a lot of musicals still right now at this point. Is what I'm saying. Ya know?) GUESTS: Jeanine Basinger - Founder of the Department of Film Studies at Wesleyan University and the author of twelve books on film; her latest is The Movie Musical! Steve Metcalf - Director of the University of Hartford's Presidents' College Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's nice to meet you! When did you move in? How do you like it here in Connecticut after leaving the beautiful weather in Hawaii? Small talk is both the bane of our existence and essential in our existential quest to understand our place in the world. Whether you like it or hate it may depend partly on how we value speech that establishes and maintains relationships, as opposed to speech that is task-oriented or provides information. That may depend on gender. We talk to a humorist, writing teacher, meteorologist, and philosopher about small talk. And we want to hear about your small talk stories.  GUESTS: Alexandra Petri - A columnist for The Washington Post, a punning champion, and the author of A Field Guide to Awkward Silences; her new book of essays, Nothing Is Wrong and Here Is Why, will be published in June, 2020 Irene Papoulis - Teaches writing at Trinity College Garett Argianas - A forensic meteorologist and Connecticut Public Radio's weather forecaster Agnes Callard - Associate professor of philosophy at the University of Chicago, monthly columnist for The Point magazine, and a contributor to The New York Times Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sanders won big in Nevada. Biden won big in South Carolina. Steyer and Buttigieg are out, Bloomberg is in, and Warren and Klobuchar are pulling up the rear. There will be 1,357 delegates from 14 states up for grabs on Super Tuesday. We try to make sense of it. Also this hour: Iowa and New Hampshire no longer mirror the diversity of America and should let another state lead the way. How about Connecticut? James Surowiecki makes the case. Lastly, The Lifespan of a Fact, the Broadway play based on John D'Agata's book of the same name, relays the many disagreements between a writer and his factchecker over the nature of truth. The play is at TheaterWorks through March 8. John D'Agata joins us in our studio. GUESTS: James Surowiecki - A journalist who has written about business and finance for, among others, Slate and The New Yorker; the author of The Wisdom of Crowds John D'Agata - An essayist, professor of English and director of the nonfiction writing program at the University of Iowa, and the author of several books including The Lifespan of a Fact You can join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Quarantine culture is coming. Maybe. So we start with a look at the coronavirus in comedy, COVID in culture, etc. And then: Knives Out is Rian Johnson's fifth feature film as writer and director. It's mostly a howcatchem in the vein of Columbo and an all-star ensemble cast murder mystery in the tradition of Agatha Christie adaptations like Murder on the Orient Express. It was nominated for three Golden Globes, including Best Picture (Musical or Comedy), and Johnson's screenplay was nominated for an Oscar. It's out on DVD/Blu-ray/4K and for rental on iTunes/Amazon/etc. this week. Some other stuff that happened this week, give or take: Late-night hosts skewer Trump for coronavirus response Late Night Awaits Mike Pence's Cure for the Coronavirus Quarantine Cooking: Finding Relief From Coronavirus Anxiety In The Kitchen It's Okay to Leave Your Headphones at HomeHow one writer learned an accidental lesson in the joys of silence Jif really wants you to stop pronouncing GIF like its peanut butter Honda Dealer Offers Deal: $900 If You Watch All the Fast & Furious Movies The Most Upsetting McDonald's Candle Scents, From 'No' to 'Dear God'McDonald's is releasing six candles that, burned together, make your home smell like a Quarter Pounder Burger King breaks the mold with new advertising campaign Emergency Backup Goalie David Ayres Has Taken NHL By Storm After Win The Invisible Man, Godzilla, King Kong: A History of the Movie Monster How to Murder Harry PotterIn "deathfic," writers of fan fiction find unexpected comfort in killing off their favorite popular characters. How to Dress Like Larry David, Casual Fashion Icon Every Harrison Ford Movie Performance, Ranked Kobe Bryant's Memorial Brought Out a Side of Michael Jordan I'd Never Seen Before 50 Years Ago Today: Ernie Sings "Rubber Ducky" In the Bathtub Finneas O'Connell Tweeted About Success And Sparked A Ton Of Drama About Privilege And Nepotism"Spoken like someone born to two actors in LA." This Artist Shows Us What Historical Figures Would Look Like If They Were Alive Today, And I Am ObsessedMarie Antoinette as a millennial? Apple Won't Let Villains Use iPhones In Movies, According to Rian Johnson Earth Can Have a New Little Moon, as a TreatAstronomers have spotted a small asteroid that's been captured by Earth's orbit. Clive Cussler, best-selling author behind Dirk Pitt adventure novels, dead at 88 The best chase sequence ever is in Wallace and Gromit in The Wrong TrousersThe original Aardman shorts are available to stream on Amazon Steven Spielberg Won't Direct 'Indiana Jones 5,' James Mangold in Talks to Replace Hank Azaria wants to "make up" for his racist voicing of Apu on "The Simpsons"Hari Kondabolu first called attention to how the portrayal perpetuated negative Indian American stereotypes ↑ ↑ ↓ ↓ ← → ← → B A RIP: Konami Code Creator Kazuhisa Hashimoto Dies The Dark, Chaotic, Utterly Mesmerizing Soul of Modern CelebrityIt was only a matter of time before grabbing a few seconds of a star's life got monetized. But the result is weirder than anyone expected. My Ex-Boyfriend's New Girlfriend Is Lady GagaHow do you compare yourself with one of the most famous women in the world? Taylor Swift, Man Wax. Perm. Tint. Microblade. Glue. How eyebrows became everything David Roback, Co-Founder Of Mazzy Star And Rain Parade, Dead At 61 Why some of the best-known tunes, like 'Happy Birthday,' are the hardest to sing Jungle Cruise Boat Sinks At Walt Disney World Lady Gaga's 'Stupid Love' Is Getting a Lot of Love From Her Little Monsters Should Robots Have a Face?As automation comes to retail industries, companies are giving machines more humanlike features in order to make them liked, not feared. GUESTS: Susan Bigelow - A librarian, a columnist for CT News Junkie, and a science fiction/fantasy novelist Rich Hollant - Principal at CO:LAB, founder of Free Center, and commissioner on cultural affairs for the city of Hartford Helder Mira - Multimedia producer at Trinity College and a Cinestudio board member Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Secession is in the air. Britain withdrew from the European Union, Scotland wants out of the UK, Catalonia from Spain, and, wait for it,  California from the U.S. Yes, the days of our country's states being united may soon come to an end. In fact, not only is California home to active secessionist and separatist movements, but so is Texas, Washington, Hawaii, Alaska, Vermont and several other states. And with the degree to which our nation seems divided, one wonders if this isn't long overdue. On today's show we speak with legal experts and advocates about the growing calls for secession both here and abroad. Would nations be better off if they allowed their citizens to secede, forming smaller, more like-minded sovereign territories? Would the citizens be better off? And, to be quite frank, would any of this even be legal? GUESTS: Francis H. Buckley - Foundation Professor at the Antonin Scalia Law School, George Mason University as well as Senior Editor at The American Spectator,and a columnist for the New York Post; author of American Secession: The Looming Threat of a National Breakup Marcus Ruiz Evans - Co-Founder of the Yes California movement, the largest and most widely-known community of activists who believe that California should be an independent country; author of California’s Next Century Erica Frankenberg - Professor of Education and Demography in the College of Education at the Penn State University, focusing on racial desegregation and inequality in K-12 schools; co-author of several books including Educational Delusions?: Why Choice Can Deepen Inequality and How to Make Schools Fair Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Most of the characteristics we associate with hotels - the welcoming yet alienating effect they have on our psyches - we absorbed from the artists, musicians, and filmmakers who have long been fascinated with the relationship between our physical travels and our spiritual journeys. Hotels like Mariott and Hilton are jumping into the microhotel market that up to now, has been dominated ro by small operators like Arlo,  YOTEL, and Pod, for the past decade. But millennial demand for more communal spaces, smaller rooms, and lower cost is forcing the big chains to freshen up their brand and drop their costs.    Today, a look at hotels.  GUESTS:  Hannah Sampson is a staff writer at The Washington Post where she reports on travel news.  Suzanne Joinson is British author and a senior lecturer in Creative Writing at the University of Chichester in West Sussex, England. She’s the author of A Lady Cyclist’s Guide to Kashgar and The Photographer’s Wife. She is a contributor to The New York Times.  Leo Mazow is the Cochrane curator of American Art at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts and the author of Edward Hopper and the American Hotel Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The recent Senate trial for President Trump's impeachment riveted the nation, but little consensus could be reached about the facts of the case or the outcome. Additionally, many in Congress knew how they would vote before the trial began.  The strong convictions that every member of the Senate brought to the trial - minus Senator Mitt Romney - didn't waver after the facts were presented.  You've probably noticed that we’re living in a know-it-all society. We tend to think we’re always right (meaning everyone else is wrong) at the expense of everyone else’s opinions. Is this part of the reason we’re not getting along so well as a society? Also this hour: one man’s quest to be the smartest man in the world. GUESTS: Michael Lynch - Professor of Philosophy and director of the Humanities Institute at UConn and director of the New England Humanities Consortium. He’s the author of several books, most recently, Know-It-All Society: Truth and Arrogance in Political Culture A.J. Jacobs - Contributor to Esquire magazine and The New York Times. He’s the author of four NYT bestsellers, including The Know-It-All: One Man’s humble Quest to Become the Smartest Person in the World. Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Bernie Sanders won a decisive victory in last week's Nevada caucuses after effectively tying with Pete Buttigieg in the less diverse states of Iowa and New Hampshire. Is he the candidate that can beat President Trump? Or the one who will lead the Democratic Party down the road to ruin? It depends on who you talk to.  Also this hour: More than 70,000 people have been infected with the virus that causes COVID-19, a novel form of coronavirus, since the first cases were confirmed in Wuhan, China, at the end of December. Significant outbreaks in multiple countries in the recent days have led health officials to worry that the virus is on the brink of becoming a pandemic. Lastly, the brazen sign stealing scandal that tainted the Houston Astros' World Series win in 2017, and near-win in 2019, is part of a bigger pattern of cheating in sports that is a symptom of something we see throughout our culture: crime pays. The lack of accountability in sports and culture has led to brazen cheating at the expense of fair play and a collective moral compass.  GUESTS: Edward-Isaac Dovere - Staff writer at The Atlantic and host of The Ticket podcast Lena Sun - National health reporter for The Washington Post Michael Baumann - Covers sports, culture, and politics for The Ringer and hosts The Ringer MLB Show Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Laura Nyro's most famous compositions -- "Stoned Soul Picnic," "Stoney End," "When I Die," "Wedding Bell Blues," "Eli's Coming" -- are jewels of mainstream music, and her covers of songs like "Jimmy Mack" and "Gonna Take a Miracle" are legendary. But she was uncomfortable under the spotlight and withdrew from it to become the Belle of Danbury. This hour: a night of singing, reflecting, and celebrating recorded in front of a live audience on January 29, 2020, as part of Colin's Freshly Squeezed series at Watkinson School. GUESTS: Jim Chapdelaine - Guitar and vocals Latanya Farrell - Vocals and tambourine Steve Metcalf - Piano and vocals Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's been over 40 years since former President Richard Nixon resigned the presidency over Watergate. But, the story of Watergate is almost impossible to tell. It's too big and too murky. It's full of files that were burned and a tape that was erased. It's full of characters named McCord and Magruder and Mitchell, who are hard to keep track of. With each passing year, it becomes more of an inert thing and less of a breathing, wriggling, writhing creature.  And yet, Watergate survives in what we call Memes, ideas that stay alive and spread. Take something like, "It's not the crime, it's the cover-up."  That one originated with Watergate, but it has been slapped on everybody from Martha Stewart to Chris Christie.    Today, over 40 years from the date of Richard Nixon's resignation, we'll talk about all the ways the story stayed alive in our collective memory and all the ways it died.  Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nyctophiliacs rejoice! The color you know and love (black) is now blacker than ever before.  And nevermind that black is not technically a color. The point is that as you were traipsing through graveyards and reveling under the night sky, scientists were busy inventing two new shades which are so dark they'd make Wednesday Adams reach for a flashlight. But while Vanta black and Black 3.2 are undoubtedly achievements to be celebrated, they did not come without controversy. Indeed, the feud over who could use the blackest substance on Earth soon had the tempers of some artists running red hot. Can a color even be owned? As it turns out, yes! On Today's show we speak with a historian of the color black as well as the creator of one of these remarkable new shades. We'll also speak with a scientist on the other end of the color-creating spectrum about a brand new ultra-white that'll soon be brightening our lives in strange new ways.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On December 13, 2019, the House Judiciary Committee voted to recommend two articles of impeachment against President Trump, and the full House of Representatives adopted them on December 18. On February 5, 2020, the Senate acquitted the president on both articles. Going by those dates, the full, official impeachment saga lasted 54 days. Our side-project, Saturday-show chronicling of the impeachment, Pardon Me (Another Damn Impeachment Show?), launched on December 6, 2019. 11 episodes and 12 hours of radio later, Pardon Me has come to its close. This hour, in lieu of a proper Colin McEnroe Show, and continuing the Presidents' Day weekend festivities, we present the final installment of Pardon Me. GUESTS: Frankie Graziano - Reporter at Connecticut Public Radio David Plotz - CEO of Atlas Obscura, co-host of the Slate Political Gabfest Jay Rosen - Media critic and professor of journalism at NYU Philip Rucker - White House Bureau Chief at The Washington Post, co-author of A Very Stable Genius: Donald J. Trump's Testing of America Chion Wolf - Host, photographer, and announcer at Connecticut Public Radio Thanks to Catie Talarski and Tim Rasmussen. Pardon Me is a production of The Colin McEnroe Show on Connecticut Public Radio.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Outsider is a planned 10-episode HBO miniseries based on the Stephen King novel of the same name. It airs on Sundays nights, and we're six episodes in so far. The premise is actually pretty simple: What if a guy actually were in two places at once? Then what? The ramifications of that, though, are about as complicated as you'd expect from Stephen King. And: a look at the Gayle King/Snoop Dogg controversy, our latest edition of Carolyn Paine Explains a New Dating Term, and Netflix finally changes that one thing you've always hated... unless you didn't hate it. Some other stuff that happened this week, give or take: Let's break down Eminem's Oscars performance, frame by frame These zoos will name a cockroach after your ex and feed it to an animal on Valentine's Day Will Disney's Theatrical Release of 'Hamilton' Be Censored? The broom challenge may be sweeping the nation, but it's not actually as cool as you think Trump tweets 'Curb Your Enthusiasm' clip that actually mocks his supporters Here's the 'Back to the Future' Cybertruck mashup you never knew you needed Well, 'The Hunt' Is Finally Going to See the Light of Day We Asked a Hedgehog Dentist to Explain Why Sonic's Human Teeth Are So Upsetting Extremely metal scientists name new species of tyrannosaur the "reaper of death" The world just learned of the Astros' cheating. Inside baseball, it was an open secret. Why C-SPAN's quirky call-in show has endured for 40 years Stop Giving Westminster Best in Show to the Dog With the Silliest Haircut You should watch everything with subtitles on Built on Selfies, Museum of Ice Cream Has New Mantra: No Phones GUESTS: Taneisha Duggan - Producing associate at TheaterWorks Carolyn Paine- An actress, comedian, and dancer; founder, director, and choreographer of CONNetic Dance Irene Papoulis - Teaches writing at Trinity College Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Colin McEnroe contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What is real is no longer a question for philosophers alone. In today's world, it's a question we all contend with on a daily basis. Online, on television, in print and in public discourse, facts, feelings, and flat-out lies all share the same stage. So how are we to tell the difference? Experts in technology, media, education, science, and politics are debating this very question. And while possible solutions are in the works, the truth may be that we as people simply prefer a lie that feels good over a truth that doesn't. Is the real problem our own human nature? This hour we discuss not only the present and future of fake news, but its history as well. Turns out that efforts to undermine the truth are nearly as old as truth itself.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Democratic primary season is just getting started. How have the results from the New Hampshire primary affected how you might vote?  Bernie had a good night, Biden and Warren had bad nights, and Buttigieg, Klobuchar, and Bloomberg are vying to win the middle. Are you all in for Bernie? What if he doesn't get the nomination? Will you back someone else, sit out the race, or something else, like, er, start your own party? Is it over for Biden and Warren?    Will the party split between Bernie and Buttigieg? What about Bloomberg?  Are you one of the Yang Gang? If so, who's going to get your vote? Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Note: This episode contains strong language. This hour, we air an updated version of the most recent episode of our weekly impeachment show, Pardon Me, which normally airs Saturdays at noon. The Senate acquitted President Trump on both articles of the impeachment. Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, was the only Republican who voted to convict the president on one charge, for "egregious" behavior he believed rose to the level of a "high crime and misdemeanor." President Trump responded with anger. He fumed at his perceived enemies at Thursday's National Prayer Breakfast, he swore on live TV and radio at a rambling East Room acquittal "celebration," and then he fired two impeachment witnesses and an impeachment witness's twin brother... just to make sure he definitely got the right one, maybe? This week, Colin speaks with Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., and professor Ryan Goodman about how the fallout from the Senate acquittal of the president could affect the future of the election and the country. And more. GUESTS: Ryan Goodman - Founding co-editor-in-chief of Just Security, professor of law at NYU School of Law, and professor of politics and sociology at NYU Kyle Knickerbocker - A merchant mariner from Essex, Conn., who went to see the impeachment hearings and trial in person a whole bunch of times Chris Murphy - Democratic U.S. Senator from Connecticut Chion Wolf - A producer, photographer, and announcer at Connecticut Public Radio Thanks to Eugene Amatruda. Email us your questions at [email protected]. Pardon Me is a production of The Colin McEnroe Show on Connecticut Public Radio.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Atlantic writer McKay Coppins says President Trump's reelection team is waging a massive disinformation campaign that uses the same tactics of information warfare used by autocrats like Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte and by Russian President Vladimir Putin in our 2016 election. He says their tactics include coordinated bot attacks, micro-targeting millions of voters susceptible to radicalization and conspiratorial thinking, anonymous mass texting, and infiltrating local news stations with Potemkin local news websites. It's all meant to flood our senses and confuse our ability to discern fact from fiction. Also this hour: Former New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg is on the rise. Results from the Iowa caucus and President Trump's high approval ratings have some wondering if any of the existing frontrunners could beat Trump. Is it time to take another look at Bloomberg? GUESTS: McKay Coppins - Staff writer at The Atlantic and the author of The Wilderness: Deep Inside the Republican Party's Combative, Contentious, Chaotic Quest to Take Back the White House Mike Pesca - Host of the Slate daily podcast The Gist and the editor of the book Upon Further Review: The Greatest What Ifs in Sports History Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Colin McEnroe, Cat Pastor, and Chion Wolf contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We've done this show every year around this time for some number of years now. Unless we missed a year or two in there somewhere. But we've probably tried to do this show for every year that The Nose has existed. Of course, we aren't really sure how many years The Nose has existed. But the point is: The 92nd Academy Awards are this Sunday, and so this hour, it's the 2020 edition of The Noscars, which will cover movies from 2019 just like the 2020 edition of the Oscars covers movies from 2019. Or something. Some other stuff that happened this week, give or take: Was Letterman Really Such a Bad Oscar Host? He Still Thinks So People Are Dipping Their Testicles in Soy Sauce, So Here's Some Science 'American Dirt' Has Us Talking. That's a Good Thing. Cards Against Humanity Bought Clickhole Barack Obama Is Figuring This Whole Menswear Thing Out Spotify is buying Bill Simmons's The Ringer to boost its podcast business Pete Rose uses Astros saga to ask for reinstatement Someone Used Neural Networks To Upscale An 1895 Film To 4K 60 FPS, And The Result Is Really Quite Astounding A Kobe Bryant Joke Goes Wrong, Revealing Comedy's Troll Side GUESTS: Rebecca Castellani - A music writer for the Red Hook Star Revue Rand Richards Cooper - A contributing editor at Commonweal who writes the "In Our Midst" column for Hartford Magazine James Hanley - Co-founder of Cinestudio at Trinity College Vivian Nabeta - Director of marketing and public relations for Capital Community College Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Colin McEnroe and Gene Amatruda contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

William Outlaw is a natural leader. He's been a key figure in helping to lower New Haven's homicide rate over the last decade. He's a strategist and an organizer who can size up a situation quickly. He can defuse a threatening situation with his charisma and charm. He can run a business.  As a street outreach worker in New Haven, he uses all the same skills today that he used when he co-ran New Haven's largest cocaine gang in the 1980's.  He spent twenty years behind bars, surviving some of the most dangerous prisons in America. For the last decade, he's been giving back to the community he once harmed. William takes responsibility for his crimes.  He also recognizes that people make decisions within the framework of the opportunities and experiences available to them. The difference between William and an Ivy-educated CEO may be that William grew up in a public housing project steeped in a culture of violence and poverty.  William is still running a gang --  but using the same skills for a very different outcome. Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

B.F. Skinner thought pigeons were so smart they could be used to guide missiles during WWII. He proposed a system in which pigeons would essentially pilot the missile. Skinner said pigeons could be trained to peck at a screen to adjust the trajectory of a missile toward its target. Project pigeon was funded but never used. It's one of the many reasons I could talk about pigeons all day.  In 2013, New York conceptual artist named Duke Reilly trained half his flock of pigeons to carry contraband cigars from Cuba to Florida and the other half to carry tiny video cameras documenting the smuggling flight of their comrades.  Another group of researchers trained pigeons to reliably distinguish between the paintings of Picasso and Monet, even if they had never before seen a particular painting.  Today, on the show, everything you wanted to know about pigeons. Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Iowa caucuses descended into chaos after problems with a new app led to delays, mistrust, and renewed questions over whether Iowa should remain first in the nation. Does the primary system even work? Why don't we just hold a national primary? Ironically, the new app Democrats developed to increase transparency and speed up results led to delays, mistrust in technology and the voting process in the first presidential election after the interference of 2016. Team Trump is already firing up the conspiracy machine.  Unfortunately, candidates got lost in the problems with process and in the absence of results. Each claimed they either won or did very well in an election when most Democrats remain frozen by the fear of making the wrong choice. Is Michael Bloomberg the winner in this mess?Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is a Colingram, a brief encounter with the host of The Colin McEnroe Show. We’re getting ready for an all-call-in show at 1 p.m. Tuesday discussing the results of the Monday caucuses which Colin claims are in Idaho, followed by primaries in New Vermont and South Kentucky. And even if that’s not strictly correct, it doesn’t matter, because geography in 2020 is like playing horseshoes or bocce. If you’re close, sometimes that’s good enough. President Trump was very close to identifying the home state of this year’s winner of the Super Bowl which, we are pretty sure, is a croquet tournament. Listen to Colin’s take here.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is a Colingram, a brief encounter with the host of The Colin McEnroe Show, recorded on Friday while we all tried to figure out whether our stealth-brand show, Pardon Me (Another Damn Impeachment Show?), would be preempted from its usual Saturday noon time slot. (Connecticut Public Radio will air it at noon on Sunday.) Colin is distraught over the news that Mr. Peanut, who is even older than Colin, will die on television during the Super Bowl instead of living out his final days in peace at an assisted snacking facility. This is especially hard for Colin who was the one who found Speedy, the Alka Seltzer kid, in an alley outside a club in Minneapolis. Even today, the words “Plop Plop Fizz Fizz” are painful for him to hear. The music played here is Ravel’s “Pavane for a Dead Peanut.”Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hello again! And by “Again,” we mean that this is the second in a possibly infinite chain of Colingrams, a new concept in which the host of The Colin McEnroe Show (whose name, confusingly, is Bart Murfreesboro) shares some small insight, while urging you to subscribe (if you haven’t) to our new stealth brand podcast Pardon Me (Another Damn Impeachment Show?), which is available on every reputable podcast platform and also on certain disreputable ones. Today, “Did Somebody Say ‘Lawyer’?” Tomorrow on Colingrams, we say goodbye, reluctantly, to Mr. Peanut, who gave his life so that we could snack.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Behold the first-ever Colingram, in which host Colin McEnroe chats briefly and possibly even engagingly about something of interest (to him anyway). Colingrams will continue through the impeachment process and slightly beyond it. Until after the aftermath, one might say. And then life will resume its normal rhythms except that the United States will be ruled by Lindsey Graham and a large robot, the two functioning as Roman-style consuls. But we will go back to doing lots of Colin McEnroe Show episodes, if it’s OK with the robot. Anyway, in today’s Colingram, a woman finds something he wrote in 1983 inside the walls of a lake house. Seriously.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sam Mendes's World War I drama, 1917, is currently the #1 movie in America. It won Golden Globe Awards for Best Director and Best Picture -- Drama, and it's nominated for 10 Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Director, Original Screenplay, and Cinematography. The cinematography nomination is probably the least surprising one, as the entire movie is shot to look as though it was one long, unbroken take. Some other stuff that happened this week, give or take: Jennifer Aniston and Brad Pitt could be about to become 'more than just friends' 'Very Male, Very White': Let's Talk About Those Oscar Nominations This playboy tortoise had so much sex he saved his entire species. Now he's going home Universal & Warner Bros. Form Home Entertainment Joint Venture Whitney Houston, The Notorious B.I.G. Among 2020's Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame Inductees The Treatment for Sign Stealing Isn't a Cure for MLB's Disease Cooler on the Other Side: The Extraordinary Life and Legacy of Stuart Scott New York Mayor Scorned Over His Favorite Bagel Order Irish Island Looking for Two People To Manage Its Coffee Shop Missouri could jail librarians for lending 'age-inappropriate' books GUESTS: Taneisha Duggan - Producing associate at TheaterWorks James Hanley - Co-founder of Cinestudio at Trinity College Irene Papoulis - Teaches writing at Trinity College Colin McEnroe and Chion Wolf contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Over the years, our government has been involved in some pretty shady affairs. After eugenics and internment camps but before Watergate and Iran-Contra, came mind control. And just like the other ethically dubious projects mentioned, your tax dollars paid for it. Beginning in the 1940s, multiple U.S. intelligence agencies became interested in studying how they might control people's minds to the extent that they'd be willing divulge secret information or even act in a manner contrary to their own free will. The experiments were code named MKULTRA and involved the use of psychedelic drugs, radiation, isolation, and other forms of psychological harassment or torture. This hour, we'll speak with experts on the history of these experiments and ask how their results filtered down into the world we live in today.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Life after death, in one form or another,  has been examined by multiple disciplines for centuries: From theology, to physics, to philosophy, to medicine and more. But while the topic is taken seriously by some, it remains a focus of ridicule and skepticism by others. Recently however, tests have been designed to unequivocally either prove or disprove this phenomenon once thought to be contestable. And the incredible stories of those claiming to have glimpsed what lies beyond continue to seduce and amaze. This hour we speak with an investigative journalist and medical doctors--believers and skeptics alike-- about the latest theories and evidence of life after death. This show is the fifth part of a new experiment: Radio for the Deaf. Watch a simulcast of signers from Source Interpreting interpreting our radio broadcast in American Sign Language via Facebook Live.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This hour, we air an updated version of the most recent episode of our weekly impeachment show, Pardon Me, which normally airs Saturdays at noon. Law professor Bruce Ackerman argues that President Trump's order to kill Iranian Major General Qassem Soleimani is a far graver offense than his efforts to pressure Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to investigate Joe Biden. Think about it: He's bragging about his decision to kill a high-ranking official of another country. Will Chief Justice John Roberts save us? And that's the positive view on the show this week. Sarah Kendzior studies autocratic governments. She thinks we'd be foolish to believe there are limits to what the Trump administration would do -- whether jailing witnesses and whistleblowers, threatening protesters, or using nuclear weapons. GUESTS: Bruce Ackerman- The Sterling Professor of Law and Political Science at Yale and the author of nineteen books, including We the People, his three-volume work on American constitutional development Frankie Graziano - Reporter at Connecticut Public Radio Sarah Kendzior - A writer, researcher, and co-host of the podcast Gaslit Nation Chion Wolf - Producer, photographer, and announcer at Connecticut Public Radio Email us your questions at [email protected]. Pardon Me is a production of The Colin McEnroe Show on Connecticut Public Radio.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We like to open the phones and hear what's on your minds. We never know what you're going to say but we love that you call us to say it.  Colin would like to start with the Oscar nominations. You let us know where you want to go from there. Maybe you want to stay there.  Call us at (888) 720-9677, which is also (888) 720-WNPR. You can also tweet us @wnprcolin or leave us a message on Facebook. Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Rise of Skywalker is the third and final movie in the third (and final?) trilogy -- the sequel trilogy in the trilogy of trilogies -- in the main, so-called "Skywalker Saga" of the Star Wars narrative. It's the eleventh Star Wars movie overall, the fifth since Disney bought Lucasfilm and took over the franchise, and the second directed by JJ Abrams (after The Force Awakens, the first of the Disney Star Wars films and the highest-grossing movie in the history of the United States). It is... somewhat divisive. The Nose weighs in. And: Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have announced that they're backing away from their role as royals. Plus: Winter. You either hate it, or you love it. Some other stuff that happened this week, give or take: People are seeing 'Cats' while high out of their minds. These are their stories. Good Riddance to Ricky Gervais, the Sneering, Purposefully Intolerable Golden Globes Host The Golden Globes Sends a Message With Its Snub of The Irishman Witness the birth of the year's first meme with Tom Hanks' Golden Globes grimace Elizabeth Wurtzel, 'Prozac Nation' author who spurred a memoir boom, dies at 52 Report: Red Sox used replay room to steal signs in 2018 season John Mulaney Is Not So Square There are 2,373 squirrels in Central Park. I know because I helped count them. The Oscars Will Skip the Whole To-Do and Just Go Hostless Once Again Buck Henry Dies: 'The Graduate' Writer, 'Get Smart' Co-Creator & Early 'SNL' Favorite Was 89 Jupiter Is Flinging Comets Toward Earth Warner Bros. Will Use Artificial Intelligence to Help Decide Which Movies to Greenlight GOOP Has a Candle Called 'This Smells Like My Vagina' GUESTS: Rich Hollant - Principal at CO:LAB, founder of Free Center, and commissioner on cultural affairs for the city of Hartford Edwin Krakowiak - A navy vet going to school to become a middle school algebra teacher Helder Mira - Multimedia producer at Trinity College and a Cinestudio board member Carolyn Paine - An actress, comedian, and dancer, and she is founder, director, and choreographer of CONNetic Dance Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Colin McEnroe and Chion Wolf contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.