The Colin McEnroe Show

Ram Dass' 1971 book, "Be Here Now," was the gateway drug into spirituality for a lot of young people seeking answers in the era of Vietnam. Dass first tried being a psychology professor at Harvard, where he and colleague Timothy Leary sought God through experiments with psychedelics. Then, he went to India and found his guru, who taught him how to feel high without the drugs.  Many young people followed him to India, The chose to feed the hungry and serve the people, just as Ram Dass tended  to the dying, the blind, and the incarcerated. They searched for meaning away from the political tumult of 1960's America. There are parallels to today. Ram Dass died last month. But his words and life are inspiring a new generation of followers who are  using the teachings of Ram Dass to find something bigger than  the division and hatred evident in this political moment.  GUESTS:  Chris Grosso is a writer, public speaker, and author with Simon & Schuster. He’s also the host of The Indie Spiritualist Podcast on Ram Dass Be Here Now Network. Mirabai Bush - is a Senior Fellow of the Center for Contemplative Mind in Society and a founding board member with Ram Dass of the Seva Foundation. She is co-author with Ram Dass of Walking Each Other Home: Conversations on Loving and Dying Sharon Saltzberg is the Cofounder of the Insight Meditation Society in and the author of 10 books, including NYT bestseller, “Lovingkindness." Her newest book, “Real Change: Mindfulness To Heal Ourselves and the World,” will be published this summer.  Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

America and Iran have not had an easy relationship since 1979, when 52 Americans were held hostage for 444 days by students supporting the Iranian Revolution. The resulting rise of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini further weakened the relationship. Decades later, Iran is still seen by much of the democratic world through the lens of political tension, war and mistrust of political leaders who for decades have called for death to America and the destruction of Israel. Yet over those decades, the people and culture of Iran have been quietly changing at the grassroots level, unnoticed amid the amplified political rhetoric that has kept Iran divided from much of the world. Connecticut is home for many Iranians who make our state a more diverse and desirable place to live and work. Yet, we don't mingle with one another enough, sticking instead to those with whom we feel most comfortable. Maybe it's time we take another look at Iran.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

They're in the books we read, the shows we watch, and the art we hang on our walls. They conjure notions of might, magic, romance, and more. Castles, perhaps as much as any other architectural structure in history, define the landscape of our fantasy and imagination. But is our imagination an accurate lens through which to view these fortresses of ol'? And why, after hundreds of years, does our culture's fascination with these structures seem to be on the rise? This hour, we speak with experts and enthusiasts about the reality and mystique of castles. This show is the sixth 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.

Last month, we launched a whole other show. It's a weekly show airing on Saturdays at noon and hitting your podcast feeds on Fridays most weeks hopefully. It's called Pardon Me (Another Damn Impeachment Show?). It's about all the latest trends and tech in the world of industrial welding. Wait, no. That's not right. It's about the impeachment, silly. And so this hour, in lieu of your regular Monday Colin McEnroe Show, we present to you the fifth episode of our new impeachment show, Pardon Me. It's a little bit of a new adventure for us, and we hope you'll come along for the ride. GUESTS: Vanessa Friedman - Fashion director and chief fashion critic for The New York Times Michael Gerhardt - The Burton Craige University Distinguished Professor of Jurisprudence at the University of North Carolina School of Law in Chapel Hill and the author of several books including Impeachment: What Everyone Needs To Know Bill Yousman - Professor of media studies at Sacred Heart University Chion Wolf - 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.

President Obama's lists of his favorite books, movies, and TV shows of 2019 are out. They include a number of titles that are showing up on proper critics' lists -- The Irishman, The Last Black Man in San Francisco, Parasite, Unbelievable, Watchmen, etc. -- but there are some surprises too. At the same time, here are all the books President Trump recommended in 2019. One other movie that shows up on Obama's list is Greta Gerwig's new version of Little Women, which is being celebrated as "a cinematic achievement" and "a masterful, passionate, all-in kind of adaptation." Some other stuff that happened this week, give or take: The Best (and Worst) Food Trends From the Past Decade The Absolute Best Way to Fry an Egg, According to 42 Tests A Serious Conversation With the Man Who Made Cats Wait, What Went Down Between John Boyega and Star Wars Fans on Twitter Last Night? The Game of Thrones Creators Just Departed From Their Upcoming Star Wars Trilogy Bumble dating app blocked Sharon Stone after users thought her profile was fake This Toilet Patent Makes Workers Uncomfortable Taking Long Bathroom Breaks KISS Frontman Gene Simmons' Cereal Hack Is Melting Down Social Media Adam Sandler is the uniter we need right now Has J.K. Rowling figured out a way to break our cancel culture? GUESTS: Rebecca Castellani - A music writer for the Red Hook Star Revue Cara McDonough - A freelance writer; you can read her blog at caramcduna.com Carolyn Paine - An actress, comedian, and dancer; 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.

The stereotypes around homeschooling have existed for decades. Since the modern homeschooling movement began in the late 20th century, those who favored this educational approach have largely been perceived as white, anti-establishment, radically Christian, and ultra-conservative. But while this description does apply to some, the trend lines tell a different story. In recent years, homeschooling has been increasingly adopted by an ever more culturally and ideologically diverse segment of the population.  This hour we speak with experts about the realities, controversies, and efficacy of homeschooling.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Since 2014, we've gathered some of our heaviest hitters in the jazz world to talk about the year in jazz. From concept albums to masked musicians to tunes unlike anything you've ever heard, enjoy some great songs from this last crazy trip around the sun!Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

During this perineum week in-between Christmas and the New Year, we decided to take your calls.  We thought about a lot of asking you to weigh in on some disturbing and heavy topics. In the end, and by popular demand, we decided to keep it lighter. That doesn't mean you can't call with a concern that weighs heavy on your mind. We just thought you could use a break.  We'll get you started with one guest talking about goats and Christmas trees. Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Cats -- the new feature film based on the musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber and starring James Cordon, Judi Dench, Jennifer Hudson, Taylor Swift, and others -- opened last weekend and grossed $6.6 million in the U.S. It is the 19th-worst opening for any movie in very wide release in history. The 18 movies that opened to less money on a similar number of screens are mostly a bunch of stuff that you don't remember ever existed: Hoot, The Seeker: Dark Rising, Fun Size, Hardcore Henry, Keeping Up with the Joneses, The Wild Thornberrys Movie, etc. Oh, and I forgot to say: In addition to being a financial disaster, Cats is also... terrible. It earned a C+ CinemaScore from audiences (which is really bad). And it's at 18% on the Tomatometer (which is really rotten). It's so bad that Universal released an updated version to theaters early this week that has hopefully slightly less bad special effects. Plus: This is the last Nose of 2019. (It's the last Nose of the 2010s, even!) And so we might just spend some time talking about our favorite stuff of the year -- movies, television, books, music, kitchen gadgets, barbershops -- whatever.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We wake up to coffee from a pod, listen to music on our pod devices, drive to work in our Smart cars, Fiats, or other increasingly pod-shaped vehicles, sit all day in a cubicle (pod), relax after work in a hip, new float pod, wash our clothes using detergent pods, and while we wait for them to dry, we listen to our favorite podcast. Sound about right? What is it about pods that we're so drawn to? And why do an increasing number of our products and services all feature the word pod in their name? Is it possible the pod's slick, liminal aesthetic, or the allure of its Pandorian promise holds some sway over our subconscious? Might Freud have something to say about its curvature, or its role in nature as a place of transformation, emergence, and ultimately independence? Perhaps it's the pod's minimalism and symmetry which appeal to us as we negotiate an increasingly chaotic world. Or is it simply an efficient design suited to meet the needs of our busy lives? This hour, we speak with experts and discuss the mystery of the pod in consumer- and pop-culture. We'll also look back over recent history and explore the possibility that we are, and always have been, pod-people! GUESTS: Blanka Domagalska - Lecturer at Otis College of Art and Design teaching courses on product Design, with expertise in art history, media and cultural theory, philosophy and aesthetic liminality Elvina Beck - Co-founder and CEO of Podshare, a membership based real estate startup designed to allow low cost pod living in major cities Kotaro Aoki: Former philosophy major at Wesleyan University and self professed pod napper Jim Knipfel - Novelist and author of a series of critically acclaimed memoirs including Slackjaw, Quitting the Nairobi Trio, and Ruining It for Everybody; he also authored the longrunning "Slackjaw" column which appeared in several publications 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.

Don't miss -- for what might just be the seventh year we've done this (though it might also be some other number too) -- a very badly planned Christmas Eve special featuring chaos muppet and music legend "Big Al" Anderson, the great Jim Chapdelaine, and State Troubadour Nekita Waller! GUESTS: "Big Al" Anderson - Award-winning guitarist, singer, and songwriter known for his work in the band NRBQ, among a ton of other stuff Jim Chapdelaine - Emmy Award-winning musician, producer, composer, and recording engineer; patient advocate for people with rare cancers Nekita Waller - Connecticut's 17th State Troubadour Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Eugene Amatruda and Betsy Kaplan contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Christianity Today, an evangelical Christian publication founded by Billy Graham in 1956, published an editorial Thursday by editor-in-chief Mark Galli, calling for President Trump to be removed from office.  This might sound shocking to the large number of evangelicals who steadfastly support the president despite behavior that has been at odds with Christian morality.  The response to the editorial was swift and divided, causing Christianity Today's website to crash shortly after Galli's editorial was published. Will Galli's words make a difference? Also this hour: Mayor Pete Buttigieg accused Elizabeth Warren of holding him to a purity test that she could not pass after she criticized him at Thursday's Democratic debate for holding a private fundraiser in a Silicon Valley wine cave. We look at the origins and use of the phrase "purity test."   Lastly, the darker underbelly of the origins of Christmas. Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's been over 100 years since the first cartoons were drawn by hand. Since then, the genre has delved into everything from sex and drugs to racial inequality and war crimes. Even the tamest, G-rated cartoons have often found ways of slipping in adult humor past the eyes of younger viewers. Cartoons have been the vehicle for government propaganda, social change, and political satire. Some have been boycotted and even banned for their content while others have been deemed masterpieces and praised by critics for their bold message and style. Today, cartoons continue to find ways of subverting the status quo in surprising (sometimes shocking) new ways. This hour, we speak with animators, animation experts, and historians about what makes cartoons so well suited for the exploration of, well, everything.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When this forum was originally scheduled, it was intended as a conversation about how our language is changing. Example, the idiom "woke" or "#woke" has a very keen set of meanings to one group and flies by another. I still want to do a little of that, but it’s also possibly more important to talk about the battle over basic meaning in the public square. I think it can be argued that: (a) some phrases are being accorded an almost incantatory power (e.g. the long-running debate over whether or when Obama would use the phrase “radical Islam”),(b) some words are used to define the political landscape despite the fact that they themselves elude definition (e.g. the way the word “elites” was used in 2016),(c) there’s a whole pile of isms – fascism, nativism, nationalism, exceptionalism , even terrorism – that currently pepper our national discourse without a common consensual understanding,(d) it seems at least possible that the events of the last two years have been grinding away like termites at the substructure of American language so that a phrase like "what’s happening last night in Sweden" – in addition to being out of tense – is no longer held to any particular meaning/standard and can be translated by its utterer into "what I saw last night on television about things that have been transpiring over a period of time in Sweden."Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Fyre Festival, Theranos, Anna Delvey, the college admissions scandal... the list goes on. And whether explored on the news or as a book, podcast, documentary or feature film, consumers can't seem to get enough of this 'scamtent.' This hour, we'll talk about scams and scammers, and discuss why we as a culture can't seem to look away.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Voters in favor of Brexit handed British Prime Minister Boris Johnson an electoral victory on Thursday in a landslide not seen since Margaret Thatcher’s win in 1987. Conservatives won seats in British working-class districts that have been Labour strongholds for generations, giving Jeremy Corbyn’s Labour Party its biggest defeat since 1935. What can 2020 Democratic presidential candidates learn from this election?  Also this hour: President Trump signed an executive order Wednesday following Tuesday's anti-Semitic attack in a Jersey City kosher market that left six people dead, including the two shooters. The order sparked a firestorm online over fears that the order would bring up old debates about Jewish identity and squelch campus protests against Israeli political policy. We try to parse that out.  Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Nose is off this week (because, on any given day, it's entirely possible that our whole show will be off with all this impeachment nonsense going on), so David Edelstein joins Colin for the hour to talk about some of the best (and some of the worst) movies of the year. The Irishman, Diane, Once Upon at Time... in Hollywood, Uncut Gems, The Last Black Man in San Francisco, The Lighthouse, Ad Astra, Marriage Story, The Goldfinch, and Dolemite Is My Name all get mentioned. But which ones are the best, and which ones are the worst? And what about Toy Story 4? Colin's got it as his favorite movie of the year. (It's #2 on my list so far.) Edelstein's got a whole other take on the Disney/Pixar sequel. And speaking of Disney, there's some Marvel vs. movies talk here too. GUEST: David Edelstein - America's Greatest Living Film Critic Colin McEnroe contributed to this show. Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We're preempted (again) today as the House Judiciary Committee debates its Articles of Impeachment. So, in lieu of a new episode of The Colin McEnroe Show, we thought you might enjoy this interview we did with Dave Eggers for our new, other show, Pardon Me (Another Damn Impeachment Show?). Pardon Me airs on Saturdays at noon on Connecticut Public Radio, and it's available wherever you get your podcasts. Dave Eggers is the author of six books for young readers, including The Wild Things; three works of nonfiction, including Zeitoun; twelve novels, including What Is the What, A Hologram for the King, and The Circle; and the memoir A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius, which was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for General Non-Fiction. He has written three screenplays, including Where the Wild Things Are with Spike Jonze. And he is the founder of McSweeney's. Eggers's latest is The Captain and the Glory: An Entertainment, about which John Hodgman wrote, "It is difficult these days to portray the sheer, numbing, terrifying, unprecedented strangeness of what is happening in contemporary maritime life. One wants to say it mirrors politics?" This uncut interview is roughly twice as long as the version that ran in the debut episode of Pardon Me. It has been lightly edited for clarity but not for time or content. GUEST: Dave Eggers - The author of thirteen books; his latest is The Captain and the Glory: An Entertainment Colin McEnroe and Chion Wolf contributed to this show. Email us your impeachment 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.

Today we speak with actor and human-rights activist George Takei, not about his role as Lieutenant Sulu on the original Star Trek, but about a far more troubling chapter in his life. In his new graphic memoir They Called Us Enemy, George writes in detail about his childhood spent in an internment camp for Japanese-American citizens. It's a vivid account of one of the darkest times in America’s history as well as a wake-up call to a country currently detaining tens of thousands of immigrants and their families.  Is there still time to learn from our past mistakes or have the politics of fear and division already caused us, as a nation, to repeat them? GUESTS: George Takei - Actor, Human-rights activist and spokesperson, as well as author of the New York Time's best-selling graphic memoir They Called Us Enemy Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Colin McEnroe, Chion Wolf, and Jonathan McNicol contributed to this show, which originally aired on August 21, 2019.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We had intended to run the debut episode of our new other show, Pardon Me (Another Damn Impeachment Show?), in our hour today. But then the Democrats unveiled two articles of impeachment against President Trump. And so suddenly airing a show from last weekend seemed like a bad idea. So instead, we take to the airwaves with you as our only guest. Call in and let Colin know what you're thinking: 888-720-WNPR (888-720-9677). Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Colin McEnroe, Eugene Amatruda, Robyn Doyon-Aitken, and Catie Talarski contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The New York Times has called Harris Yulin "something of the character actor's character actor." You know him from, well... pretty much everything: Scarface, Ghostbusters II, Clear and Present Danger, Bean, The Hurricane, Rush Hour 2, Training Day, The Place Beyond the Pines, 24, Veep, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, Ozark. It goes on. Yulin is here playing Righty in the Yale Repertory Theatre's world premiere production of The Plot, which is playwright Will Eno's latest. Eno's previous work includes Middletown; The Open House; The Realistic Joneses, which also premiered at Yale Rep and which went on to Broadway; and Thom Pain (based on nothing), which was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in Drama. Yulin and Eno (and Eno's adorable daughter, Albertine) are our guests. GUESTS: Albertine - The adorable daughter of Will Eno and Maria Dizzia Will Eno - An Obie Award-, Drama Desk Award-, and Lucille Lortel Award-winning playwright Harris Yulin - An actor and director who has been appearing on stage and screen for going on 60 years Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Colin McEnroe contributed to this show, which includes original music composed by Emily Duncan Wilson, sound designer for Yale Repertory Theatre's production of The Plot.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 interations 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 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 is a librarian and a queer fiction and essay writer. She’s the author of the novel, NYT bestseller Mostly Dead Things, and a short fiction collection, Felt in the Jaw.(@Kristen_Arnett) Beth Beverly is a couture taxidermist and the owner of Diamond Tooth Taxidermy. Her work has been featured in The New York Times and most recently the Netflix series "Stranger Things" (@bethbeverly) John Whitenight is an educator, author, and artist. He’s the author of Under Glass: A Victorian Obsession Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There is perhaps no figure more emblematic of the paranormal than the psychic. Able to predict the future, see into the past, and even communicate with the dead, the psychic's awesome gifts are matched only by his or her ability to withstand skepticism and ridicule. But are our misgivings towards these intuitives justified? Is it merely smoke and mirrors which they've learned to master or are they, in fact, possessed of powers beyond our comprehension? This hour we speak with believers, skeptics and self-proclaimed psychics to find out.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Private weather companies are cropping up to produce weather and climate models that has historically been provided by the government at taxpayer expense. Private weather forecasting is a $7 billion industry that threatens the National Weather Services hold on the best data and could lead to a tiered system of access. Also this hour: Montrealers are united around their bagels. Until now, the biggest division was over who made the best bagel. Now, environmental concerns have divided them into those who want to ban the wood-burning ovens that make Montreal bagels unique and traditionalists who want to preserve the city's Jewish history and social fabric.  Lastly, the Apostrophe Preservation Society has closed its doors. It's 96-year-old chairman said "ignorance and laziness" has won. We take your calls (pet peeves) about the apostrophe. Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Last Thursday, Elon Musk unveiled Tesla's Cybertruck and Sacha Baron Cohen gave the keynote address at an Anti-Defamation League summit. Both performances have drawn mixed reactions. And: The Mandalorian is the big, new, original, launch title for Disney's new streaming service, Disney+. It's a half(ish)-hour western set in the Star Wars universe, and three episodes have dropped so far.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If you ever drive across the country, you’ll notice there is a surprising amount of World’s Largest attractions. West Virginia has the world’s largest teapot, California has the world’s largest yo-yo and Arkansas, for whatever reason, has the world’s largest Spinach can. This hour we talk to the man who brought the world’s tallest Uncle Sam to Danbury, Connecticut.  We also speak with the only person in history who claims to have built two full-size replicas of Stonehenge, and a cartoonist that is very well-traveled. Lastly, we speak to someone who is the attraction. He's gone viral for knitting sweaters of roadside attractions, then taking selfies in front of them. Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Defense Secretary Mark Esper demanded the resignation of Navy Secretary Richard Spencer on Sunday. Esper said he had lost confidence in Spencer. Esper's action follows Spencer publicly disagreeing with President Trump over the military's decision to demote one of three war criminals the president pardoned against military advice. What are the consequences of presidential interference in the military code of justice? Also this hour: Students from Yale and Harvard protested during Saturday's Yale-Harvard football game in New Haven, to call on both universities to divest their investments in fossil fuels. About 350 additional fans joined them on the field to the sounds of John Denver. Sam Waterston was there too. Lastly, a group of student body senators at the University of Florida initiated impeachment proceedings against their student body president for using student fees to promote a political agenda. He specifically wanted to pay Donald Trump Jr. to speak on campus.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Irishman is Martin Scorsese's first gangster movie in thirteen years. It's his first feature-length film with Robert De Niro in 24 years and his first with Harvey Keitel in 31 years. It's Joe Pesci's first onscreen performance since 2010 and just his third since 1998. It's the first time any combination of Al Pacino, Joe Pesci, and/or Harvey Keitel has ever worked together, and it's the first time Scorsese has ever directed Pacino. The Irishman is also Scorsese's first film for Netflix. As such, a number of theater chains in our area are boycotting the picture. But some aren't -- and it'll be streaming right to a Netflix machine near you as of November 27, just in time for the long holiday weekend. And: The French post-impressionist Paul Gauguin died more than 116 years ago. Is it time to cancel him?Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ralph Nader's niece died when Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737 max 8 jet crashed in Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia, in March 2019.  Since that day, her family has been trying to prove that Boeing put profits before public safety when they failed to ground the plane when they recognized the danger it posed.  There is a poignancy in the notion that this family has to fight this battle against corporate greed and deregulation. It's been the fight of their lives.  Now, the fight is more personal.  Also this hour: Myles Garrett, a defensive end for the Cleveland Browns, was suspended indefinitely for attacking another player on the field. He likes poetry, astrophysics and paleontology. He's the least likely guy to exhibit violence. Why did he do it and what can we learn from it? Lastly, a long-lost Stradivarius comes home. 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.  GUESTS: Charles Barber - Writer in residence at Wesleyan University and a lecturer in psychiatry at Yale. He’s the author of three books, most recently Citizen Outlaw: One Man’s Journey from Gangleader to Peacekeeper William Juneboy Outlaw III- Co-directs the Connecticut Violence Interruption Project, which seeks to reduce youth violence in New Haven. He’s also Senior Community Advocate at Good Will where he helps formerly incarcerated people reenter the community. Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There are more than 800 miles of Blue-Blazed Hiking Trails in Connecticut. Today we're doing our show from one of them.  Hiking those trails, you can pass an old Tory hideout from the American revolution and, not terribly far away, the sprawling home owned by Mike Tyson and 50 Cent. There are things out in the woods that might surprise you, and one of the guys walking down the trail to visit us today is our state archeologist, who's still uncovering the mysteries of Connecticut distant past. But we're also going to talk about the ecosystem of the trails and woods and about their newest unwelcome visitor, the emerald ash borer. We also hope to provides lots of good hiking tips and a few warnings about what to watch out for. So put on some [smack] bug spray and join us out in the woods.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

President Trump's former National Security Advisor John Bolton is a pretty interesting figure in the whole impeachment inquiry, right? On the one hand, he's a pretty high-level official who is said to have characterized the whole Ukraine affair as a "drug deal." On the other hand, he's so far refused to testify at the same time as he's making it clear he's got lots of relevant information. On the other other hand,  And: Carrie Saxon Perry was the mayor of Hartford from 1987 to 1993, and she was the first black woman elected mayor of any major New England city. She died almost a year ago, "under a cloak of silence and no public notice." And finally: After their storied careers at UConn, Diana Taurasi and Sue Bird went on to play in the WNBA and overseas. The new season of ESPN's 30 for 30 Podcasts tells the story of their time in Russia playing for an owner with ties to the Russian mob and the KGB.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The news comes fast in the world of the canceled these days. Louis CK is back out on tour. President Obama has a "very boomer view" of the whole thing. The New York Times reports on teens' takes. Meanwhile, some celebrities, rather than getting themselves canceled, are getting themselves arrested. Jane Fonda, for instance. And Sam Waterston. And Ted Danson. And: Bong Joon Ho's genre-defying new movie, Parasite, won the Palme d'Or at Cannes, and it's being called "a nearly perfect film" and "the best movie of the year." Some other stuff that happened this week, give or take: Emmys alter rules to combat America's crippling EGOT epidemic A same-sex love scene was cut from a movie on Delta flights. So was the word 'lesbian.' Radio Host Claims 'Boomer' Is the 'N-Word of Ageism,' Internet Immediately Responds with 'OK Boomer' 'Death Stranding' Is the Best Video Game Movie Ever MadeGuillermo del Toro, Mads Mikkelsen, Margaret Qualley, and Norman Reedus star in a video game that doubles as one of the year's best cinematic experiences. Facebook is now F A C E B O O K Martin Scorsese: I Said Marvel Movies Aren't Cinema. Let Me Explain.Cinema is an art form that brings you the unexpected. In superhero movies, nothing is at risk, a director says. Netflix and Theater Chains Feud Over 'Irishman' Seth Meyers's Netflix Special Features a Handy Button to Skip the Trump Jokes James Dean, who died in 1955, just landed a new movie role, thanks to CGIDirectors say he was the 'perfect' actor to play the role It's Time to Take Down the Mona LisaLeonardo's painting is a security hazard, an educational obstacle and not even a satisfying bucket-list item. It's time the Louvre moved it out of the way. GUESTS: Rebecca Castellani - Music writer for the Red Hook Star Revue Taneisha Duggan - Producing associate at TheaterWorks Bill Yousman - Professor of Media Studies at Sacred Heart University 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.

Listen Wednesday at 1:00 pm Eugene O'Neill doesn't get enough credit. His plays are a form of therapy. O'Neill forces us to watch the raw pain of our human condition, the disillusionment and existential fear that we push into the background. O'Neill's plays are dark but there's a catharsis in confronting our deepest fears and illusions.  Who is the man behind the works and what can they teach us about ourselves and this current cultural moment.  GUESTS:  Robert Dowling - Professor of English at Central CT State University, author of Eugene O’Neill: A Life in Four Acts, and President of the Eugene O’Neill Society. Howard Fishman - frequent contributor to The New Yorker, performer, and composer. Jeanie Hackett - actor, director, author, and artist-in-charge at The Workroom. Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter Colin McEnroe and Jonathan McNicol contributed to this show.  Jared Todd produced this show. Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Are there countries where harmonica players are BIG stars? Why don't more women play it? How many different musical styles can you squeeze out of one of these things? Guests include a lot of the pros: Howard Levy, Don DeStefano and Chris DePino whose odd career arc has taken him from railroad conductor to chairman of the Connecticut Republican Party to professional harmonica player. Also, Wolfie gets an on-air harmonica lesson from these gods of the harp.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

President Trump changed his primary address from New York to Florida.  He says he'd been treated badly by political leaders. He was also booed twice last week, first at Game Five of the World Series match between the Washington Nationals and the Houston Astros, this past Saturday at a UFC mixed martial arts event at Madison Square Garden.  It does hightlight how infrequently the president ventures beyond the safety of the controlled settings of his rallies.  Also this hour: Journalists at Deadspin submitted their resignations en masse last week in a revolt against the corporate mandate to "stick to sports." Lastly, President Obama objected to the prevalence of call-out culture last week during an interview about youth activism. He's being called out for his comments.  GUESTS:  Alexandra Petri - Columnist for The Washington Post, World pun champion, and the author of A Field Guide to Awkward Silences (@petridishes) Bryan Curtis - Editor-at-Large for The Ringer and the co-host The Press Box  (@bryancurtis) Ernest Owens - Journalist, Writer at Large for Philadelphia Magazine and CEO of Ernest Media Empire (@MrErnestOwens) Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Watchmen is a limited series of comic books that became a graphic novel in 1987 and a feature film in 2009. And now it's an HBO series from Damon Lindelof that acts as a kind of sequel to the original comics, set 34 years later. And: Today is John Dankosky's last day at Connecticut Public after 25 years. There is just no denying that WNPR wouldn't be what it is -- and The Colin McEnroe Show wouldn't be at all -- if it weren't for Mr. Dankosky. The Nose tries to begin to come to terms. Some other stuff that happened this week, give or take: I Showed My 7-Year-Old 'Jaws' and I Regret NothingSure, horror movies can horrify children. But they can also heighten the senses and awaken the analytical mind. The Mainstream Media Is Not Playing GamesWith its new vertical Launcher, The Washington Post is the latest big outlet to dedicate resources to covering video games in a comprehensive manner. But past efforts have failed at publications like Rolling Stone and Variety -- so why is this time going to be different? Game of Thrones Creators Chose a Weird Time to Confirm They Had No Idea What They Were DoingAs David Benioff and D.B. Weiss put it during a fan panel over the weekend, during the show's early days, "Everything we could make a mistake in, we did." Kickball Umpire Sues South Carolina Mayor, Saying He Was Fired Over a CallA lawyer for the umpire is calling for the governor and the state attorney general to open a misconduct investigation into Michael A. Lockliear, the mayor of Moncks Corner. Peter Luger Used to Sizzle. Now It Sputters. G/O Media Tells Deadspin Staff in Leaked Memo: Stick to SportsSports—and sports alone—must be "the sole focus" of the website, new management said Monday in a memo obtained by The Daily Beast. Let's All Stop Mindlessly Clicking and Sharing Zombie Links Ten Years Ago, I Called Out David Letterman. This Month, We Sat Down to Talk.It's not often that you speak truth to power and power responds, "Oops, sorry," writes former Letterman writer Nell Scovell. 'Baby, It's Cold Outside' Gets Update for the #MeToo EraJohn Legend and Kelly Clarkson replaced lyrics that some considered an allusion to date rape. Gone: "Say, what's in this drink?" New: "It's your body, and your choice." GUESTS: John Dankosky - Namesake of The Dankosky Building on heartbroken Asylum Hill in Hartford Jeff Cohen - Connecticut Public Radio's news director, which Mr. Dankosky used to be Sam Hatch - Co-hosts The Culture Dogs on Sunday nights on WWUH Ned Lamont - The 89th governor of Connecticut Dannel Malloy - The 13th chancellor of the University of Maine system; was, until this January, the 88th governor of Connecticut Ralph Nader - Mr. Dankosky's neighbor, among other things Lucy Nalpathanchil - Hosts Where We Live on WNPR, which Mr. Dankosky used to do Carolyn Paine - An actress, comedian, and dancer; founder, director, and choreographer of CONNetic Dance Chion Wolf - Our technical producer and announcer Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Colin McEnroe and Tucker Ives contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Every year around this time, we like to take a look at just what's frightening us in the present moment. This year, we start with our present take on a past horror classic, Ridley Scott's Alien, which has its 40th anniversary this year. Plus: Ari Aster's Hereditary follow-up, Midsommar, is set at a pagan retreat in rural Sweden. As such, it's seen as a bit of a reinvigoration of the folk horror genre, which includes classics like The Wicker Man and more contemporary titles like The VVitch. Note: Today's show utterly spoils both Alien and The Wicker Man. We use audio from the final scene of The Wicker Man and the very last lines of Alien. Now, The Wicker Man came out in 1973, and Alien came out in 1979. 1973 and 1979 are 46 and 40 years ago. It's on you at this point. GUESTS: Kyle Anderson - Senior editor and film critic for Nerdist Carmen Baskauf - Produces Where We Live on WNPR Betsy Kaplan - The Colin McEnroe Show's senior producer Roger Luckhurst - Professor in modern and contemporary literature at Birkbeck, University of London; the author of BFI Film Classics: Alien Carlos Mejia - WNPR's digital producer Coach Catie Talarski - Senior director, Connecticut Public Radio Chion Wolf - Our technical producer and announcer 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.

Connecticut's "Second Chance Society" has reduced the number of people going into prison and better prepared offenders for a meaningful life when they get out.  We've closed prisons, repealed the death penalty, and raised the age at which young people can be tried as adults. We've added reentry programs modeled loosely on the German prison system, where incarcerated men and women raise and cook their own food, wear their own clothes, and participate in longterm therapy. Yet, too many men and women don't benefit from the changes: discrimination, inconsistent funding, and ineligibility from programs make it harder for some to succeed after prison. Today, we talk about the challenges that remain with those who know best - the formerly incarcerated.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Predictions of a paperless future go back to the 1800s. Yet, despite a dizzying array of technological alternatives to paper, those prediction have not come true. Whether we're reading, writing, or working we just can't seem to part with paper. But how long will this last? Why are we so attached to paper? We talk with experts about our longstanding love for paper.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

President Trump held a Sunday morning press conference to announce that the U.S. military conducted a targeted operation to kill ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi on Saturday. The operation was successful and important but still a somber and serious event.  The almost 50-minute question and answer period that followed the president's news was political, self-aggrandizing, undignified, and may have revealed sensitive operational details.  Also this hour: we talk to an expert on how the death of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi will will affect the global ISIS organization.  Lastly, we save time for your calls. Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week, The Washington Post published "The 20 defining comedy sketches of the past 20 years" covering television sketch comedy of the 2000s. It includes a lot of what you'd expect it to include: SNL's "More Cowbell" and "Black Jeopardy with Tom Hanks," Inside Amy Schumer's "Last F---able Day," Chappelle's Show's "Frontline -- Clayton Bigsby." And: For only the second time ever, The Nose has read a book. This time it's Stephen King's latest, The Institute. It's a kind of science fiction horror thriller with kids in it that harkens back to a lot of classic King. Some other stuff that happened this week, give or take: Should We Pay to Enter Bookstores? Dennis Quaid, 65, confirms engagement to Laura Savoie, 26 Patti LuPone on getting bullied by Broadway. And why she keeps coming back. Why Are Meghan Markle And Prince Harry Having Such A Hard Time With Their Royal Life? Francis Ford Coppola agrees with Scorsese, calls Marvel movies "despicable"Plus, James Gunn once again steps up to defend superhero movies Marvel Movies Aren't Sexy Enough for Pedro Almodóvar, Says Pedro Almodóvar How Popular Is Baseball, Really? 'Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker' Trailer Breakdown: Long Have We Waited for This 'This is natural chemistry': Behind the scenes with ESPN during the WNBA Finals Google Claims a Quantum Breakthrough That Could Change Computing The Astros Don't Deserve a World Series of DistractionHouston's response to a report about a prominent executive reveals a culture that not only values titles above all else, but condemns anyone who dares to feel differently. The Astros' actions are the story of MLB's signature event -- and no amount of winning should change that. An Interview With The Viral Chinese Stunt Drinker Who Became Our King Men, That Constant Tugging on Your Shirt? We Notice ItAs targeted by a skit on Netflix show 'I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson,' the male tendency to pull on shirts has become a pop cultural pressure point Millenials are killing the Doorbell Industry by texting 'here' Coldplay use classified ads in local papers to reveal new album tracksBand reveal details of double album Sunrise and Sunset among ads for bales of hay and whitegoods The Secret Service Interviewed Eminem Over "Threatening Lyrics" About Trump And Ivanka. These Docs Prove It.Documents obtained by BuzzFeed News show the Secret Service interviewed the rapper about his Trump lyrics after an email from a TMZ staffer. Always to Ax Female Symbol From Sanitary Products Packages in Nod to Trans UsersThe decision follows calls by transgender advocates who said the company was alienating trans and gender-nonconforming customers Cult Halloween Classic Hocus Pocus getting a sequel on Disney+, Disney hopes to get original cast involved. Warner Bros Wants Michael Keaton To Return For Batman Beyond Live-Action Movie GUESTS: Chris Grosso - Writes for Fangoria and Revolver magazine, the author of three books, and the host of The Indie Spiritualist Podcast Rich Hollant - Principal at CO:LAB, founder of Free Center, and commissioner on cultural affairs for the city of Hartford Julia Pistell - Founding member of Sea Tea Improv 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.

That headline is just a direct quote from James Poniewozik's Audience of One: Donald Trump, Television, and the Fracturing of America. I was torn between that line from the book and this one: Donald Trump is not a person. Poniewozik's take is that "Donald Trump" is really a character that Donald Trump has been playing on television since at least the early 1980s. "Television has entertained America, television has ensorcelled America, and with the election of Donald J. Trump, television has conquered America," Poniewozik writes. Audience of One is a cultural history of television and a television history of Donald Trump. Poniewozik joins us for the hour.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Love it or hate it, ventriloquism is hot these days. From Jeff Dunham's superstardom to three recent America's Got Talent winners, 'vents' are seeing more exposure than they have in decades. And with this attention comes new fans and practicioners from around the world. But venting wasn't always so popular. For centuries it was regarded as dark and deceptive--a practice  often associated with charlatans, witches, and people possesed. And even today, some still admit to feeling uneasy in the presence of puppets. Today we speak with historians and practicioners of ventriloquism to get an inside look at this age-old art form. We'll trace the evolution of venting from Vaudeville to its modern revival, and even get an on-air lesson by a pro!Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A hard-boiled private eye, a glamorous blond, and a hapless drifter all sit at a bar on the seamy side of town. It's night, the streets are wet, the shadows are long. They each nurse a drink to the notes of a mournful saxophone and a lonely piano.  Smoke from the cigarettes swirls in the darkness.  We all know classic noir when we see it and hear it and read it; yet, we don't really know how to define the dark plots that expose humanity in all its moral ambiguity and loneliness.  Noir arrived in America with German emigre's escaping the Nazis and fit well with the bleakness of Americans reeling from a depression, two world wars and later, the threat of nuclear annihilation. It continues to resonate and has transposed its style across genres. ​ Today, a deeper look at noir - then and now. Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today, a two-part show. The first part is with an impeachment expert on the House inquiry into whether President Trump abused his power for personal gain. How much trouble is the president in? In the last two weeks, diplomats and senior advisors have testified against White House orders. They've each told a similar narrative in which all paths lead to the president.  On Thursday, acting Chief of Staff, Mick Mulvaney all but confessed to the quid-pro-quo many Republicans have made a criteria for considering impeachment.  The second-part is for your calls.  The president has become increasingly brazen in his effort to distract from the impeachment proceedings. As we've seen in Syria this week, his reactions can have serious consequences. How low might the president go to loosen the vise that's tightening on him? How will the president react as the inquiry progresses? How will the inquiry affect the 2020 election? How will it end - will the Senate convict? If not, what happens next?  Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Martin Scorsese is a grump. He doesn't like Marvel movies. He says they aren't "cinema." He says they aren't even narrative films, and "we shouldn't be invaded by it." The internet, as you can imagine, has takes. And: The Eddie Murphy comeback is on. He appeared on Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee this summer. He's hosting Saturday Night Live in December. He's got multiple standup comedy specials in the works. And right now he's starring in the briefly-in-theaters-but-hitting-Netflix-next-weekend biopic Dolemite Is My Name.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

"Hate" is the imprecise word we use to describe a group of ideas that have moved out of the shadows of American public life and into its center ring. At the core of these movements sits one common idea: that all people are not equal. This hour, we discuss the challenges this moment poses to educators, politicians, business leaders and journalists as recorded live at Watkinson School in Hartford as part of Colin's Freshly Squeezed series. GUESTS: Steve Ginsburg - Director of the Anti-Defamation League's Connecticut Regional Office Jennifer Herdt - Gilbert L. Stark professor of Christian ethics at Yale Divinity School Molly Land - Professor of law at UConn School of Law Richard Wilson - Gladstein chair and professor of anthropology and law at UConn School of Law Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

From the penny press, to yellow journalism, to supermarket tabloids and beyond, sensationalized news has been around for centuries. But while this style of reporting may have its critics, it may also serve as an important reflection of American culture and democracy. This hour we speak with journalists and historians about the evolution and influence of tabloid journalism. We'll also discuss the alleged connection between President Trump and various tabloid publications, the true nature of which continues to unfold.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In January of 2018, a seemingly racist incident occurred on the National Mall. Photos and videos were posted to social media showing a group of MAGA hat-wearing high school students from Covington Catholic High School in Kentucky. One of them, Nick Sandmann, seemed to be mocking and blocking the path of Native American activist, Nathan Phillips. People either jeered or cheered on social media, depending on how it was perceived, long before most of us had any idea of the context of the situation.  An investigation cleared the students of wrongdoing. What happened is less important than understanding how that incident triggered strong convictions that varied by political affiliation and remained resistant to changing after the investigation. Today, we talk about how this cultural moment is making all of us arrogant intellectual know-it-alls.  Also this hour: One man's quest to be the smartest man in the world. Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.