The Colin McEnroe Show

The Rorschach inkblots are ubiquitous throughout culture. They've inspired visual artists from Warhol to Alan Moore, from Gnarls Barkley to Jay Z, to the Watchmen comics. The inkblots have also become a perfect metaphor for today's polarized, relativist world. Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

President Trump left a trail of confusion when he left the G-20 Summit this weekend. While the president thinks he gained concessions favorable to the United States, many feel he isolated America from longstanding consensus on issues that define liberal democracy. Instead, he sought consensus with Vladimir Putin, despite the certainty by U.S. intelligence agencies that Russia interfered in the 2016 U.S. election. Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Baby, played by Ansel Elgort, is a reluctant getaway driver in the latest Edgar Wright film, "Baby Driver." He's a good guy who's had some bad luck, like stealing the cash-filled car of a crime boss while coping with the death of his mom.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Americans like to argue, a lot. In politics, in media, and in society at large, arguing has (arguably) become the default means by which we handle disagreement. But is it the most effective way, and has our readiness to wage a war with words gotten out of hand?Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week, President Donald Trump's "Commission on Election Integrity," under the leadership of Vice-President Mike Pence and Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach, sent a letter to all 50 states asking them to provide data on citizens that includes personal information like the last four digits of social security numbers and voting history. The request is unprecedented in its scope. As of today,  44 states are refusing to comply. Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When you "pull a Benedict Arnold," you sell out your side to join the stronger side of a situation out of fear, not honor.  Needless to say, that's not a compliment.More than 230 years after America secured independence from Britain, this skilled warrior and confidante of George Washington is remembered as a traitor and coward for defecting to the British side.But it's not that easy.  Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We live in a post-"The Gong Show" world. Any TV that you've ever heard anyone use the word "Dada" to describe -- David Letterman's entire career, for instance -- owes something to Chuck Barris's creation.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hannah Arendt's 576-page magnum opus, The Origins of Totalitarianism, is a densely-written book about the rise of anti-Semitism up to the outbreak of World War I. The book sold out on Amazon within one month of the 2016 election in which America elected Donald Trump as their next president. 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.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Colin has been covering politics in Connecticut since... well, since shortly before the development of the steam engine.And one thing he’s never done? Have a long conversation with New Haven’s Congresswoman, Rosa DeLauro.This hour, we fix that.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

President Obama has been criticized in recent days for his response to Russian intervention in the 2016 election as reported in this big Washington Post article from Friday. The former president and his defenders say he acted in the best interests of the nation in trying to maintain faith in the electoral process and protect state voting rolls. Others think he could have done more. We talk about it. Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

"What do festivals do?"Whether it's a film festival or Edinburgh or the Venice Biennale or New Haven, we wonder what happens when you get a lot of creative stuff in one place.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

My mom would take me and my brothers to the beach on summer days when I was a little kid. I couldn't yet swim but I could stand in Long Island Sound when the tide was low and my brothers were close enough to save me if I fell. I loved it. On the way home, we'd pile into the back of our station wagon, roll down the windows and stop at the donut shop for a dozen sugar-coated jelly donuts.  We'd eat them with our heads out the window and I'd end up with my hair stuck in the jelly on my face by the time I got home. Mmmm donuts. Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I find great joy in walking in the dead of winter along the river trail near my house. Everything leaves my mind as I watch the Canadian geese take flight, their wings flapping together as they lift and swoop over my head. I'm in awe of their beauty.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Autism Spectrum Disorder is a social disability that leaves the autistic isolated and confused in a world in which they can't understand the social cues others take for granted. To compensate, some use the internet as a way to learn about sexuality that non-autistic people learn about through relationships. Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Bill Cosby's trial for alleged sexual assault of Andrea Constand in 2004 ended in a mistrial Saturday due to a hung jury. Despite the judge saying this was not a win for either side, Mr. Cosby's spokesperson declared, "Mr. Cosby's power is back!" Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week in pop culture: Delta and Bank of America decide Shakespeare is in poor taste. Megan Kelly decides Alex Jones is worthy of a platform. Senators John McCain and Richard Burr decide that Senator Kamala Harris shouldn't get to finish her sentences. And Bob Dylan decides to troll the Nobel committees.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

All cults are not created equal. From the wide array of beliefs they teach, to the variety of people who are involved, cults are as different from each other as are officially recognized religions.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Every year, we do a Song of the Summer show. It always makes people angry. There is no evidence that it has ever made people happy. A lot of it has to do with the way we define the term.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

TiVo. AdBlock. Ad-free subscription options. Cord cutting. The death of print.There seem to be a lot of signals pointing toward the end of an industry.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In 2075, Florida and New Orleans are under water, South Carolina is under quarantine, and America is fighting a bloody and brutal Second American Civil War over the continued use of fossil fuels. This is where American War, ​a new novel by Omar El Akkad begins.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

"Wonder Woman" isn't just the first big-budget, blockbuster movie about a female superhero (as if that isn't enough). It also had the biggest opening weekend for a movie directed by a woman (Patty Jenkins) in film history. Oh, and it's at 92 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, which puts it squarely in the territory of "The Dark Knight," "Iron Man," and "Spider-Man 2." Our all-woman (plus Colin) Nose went to see it.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Colin, along with WNPR's John Dankosky and former FBI special agent Michael Clark, will react to the testimony of former FBI Director James Comey, at Thursday morning's hearing before the Senate Intelligence Committee. Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Of all the crimes defined by law, only one is mentioned in the U.S. Constitution: Treason! This distinction, however, was not meant to deter dissent, but rather to protect it. Knowing well how England had levied the charge against those whose voices they found subversive, our founders sought to ensure the citizens of their newly formed nation would always be free to disagree with the government.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.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Seven people were killed and more than forty were injured in the third attack in London in a few months time. If you're like writer Yascha Mounk, you may have reacted not with the shock and disorientation you would expect to feel in response to a barbaric and random act of violence, but the calm clarity of someone who has seen this before and is resigned to see it again.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hello. Hello? Anybody home? Think, McFly, think!Oh, wait. Not that Biff. This BIFF: The Berkshire International Film Festival.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's a set of steps and a big stone fireplace sitting in the middle of the woods where I used to walk my dog. I can envision the family living in the house that was part of the neighborhood that got washed away when the Farmington River overflowed its banks in 1955.  My exploration led me to the origin of those steps. Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The eugenics movement of the early 20th century is a dark chapter in our nation's history. And while we may think of it as a practice we've long since abandoned, the truth is a bit more complicated.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

So, it turns out the world didn't end last week. Or the week before that. Or the week before that.And while it might seem like the events of the last year or so are the disease, maybe they're really just the symptoms; maybe they're really just signs of the dystopia around us.But, then: Which dystopia?Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The current production at Hartford Stage is a "grand, crisp and well-tailored yet ultimately unsettling" version of George Bernard Shaw's caustic comedy/drama, "Heartbreak House." The Nose went to see it and weighs in this hour.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's been an interesting five or six months, don't you think?So, this hour, we're doing something we don't normally do: We aren't booking any guests.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Of the many strange behaviors we humans have engaged in, few seem more abhorrent than cannibalism. But the act of feasting on another human's flesh cannot be so easily dismissed as simply disgusting or deviant. Freud, in fact,  believed cannibalism played a role in the birth of religion itself.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We spend over three trillion dollars on health care every year and we have worse outcomes than any other developed country - all of which spend on average about half of what America spends per person. Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Over the weekend, President Trump spoke to leaders from Muslim countries in Riyadh. Today and tomorrow, he visits Israel and the West Bank. And Wednesday, it's on to Rome and The Vatican. The Scramble looks at the religious side of Trump's first presidential trip abroad.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

"I Love Dick" is Jill Soloway's second TV series for Amazon, after "Transparent." It's based on Chris Kraus's seminal feminist novel from the 1990s and stars Kevin Bacon as the titular character. Rolling Stone has called the show "the high-lit cowboy-lust TV show you need." The Nose weighs in.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.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's a quote by journalist Ned Resnikoff in Brooke Gladstone's latest book, The Trouble With Reality: A Rumination on Moral Panic in Our Time. It's one of many quotes she cites that guide her through a meditation on whether the election of Donald Trump signals the worst existential crisis we've known.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There has been a surge of interest in the writings of Ayn Rand in the last decade, including from Republican Speaker of the House Paul Ryan, President Donald Trump and several members of his cabinet.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Trump Administration is quietly limiting access to public information, especially as it relates to ethics and enforcement. We can no longer view disclosures about workplace violations, energy efficiency, or animal welfare abuses. Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Look. I don't like Guardians of the Galaxy, okay? I get it. I'm the only nerd on the face of the planet who isn't charmed by these movies. I know I have a cold stone where my heart should be. I understand that I'm totally devoid of a soul. It's fine. I've come to terms with it. You still get to love these movies. The Nose still gets to love these movies. And The Nose does love these movies.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Has the golden age of humanity passed? Can we, as a species, survive the next few centuries? As our climate warms, population grows, resources shrink, and means of self destruction become more deadly, these questions move from the realm of dystopian fiction to real world relevance.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

President Trump fired FBI director James Comey on Tuesday in the midst of the FBI investigation into whether Russia influenced the 2016 election. The story from the White House is that the firing has little to do with Russia, and more to do with Comey's handling of Hillary Clinton's emails. One must ask: why now? Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We've been feeling like maybe all the serious politics coverage we've been doing has crowded out some of the nonsense sports coverage we like to do.So this hour: sports nonsense and nothing else.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Most Beautiful Room in New York is a new play by The New Yorker essayist Adam Gopnik. It's about home and food and family, and is influenced by Gopnik's five years as a Paris correspondent discovering the meaning of food in his own life.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Margaret Atwood started writing her classic dystopian novel The Handmaid's Tale in 1984. She set it in an imagined future America where the toxic environment has limited human fertility, a theocratic dictatorship has taken control, and women have been stripped of their rights. Atwood said the novel isn't a prediction, but the internet thinks Hulu's new TV version is.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the 1800s, Connecticut peddlers would travel south to peddle goods made in small factories around the state. The best way to increase their profit margin was to slip a few pieces of prized nutmeg -- and a few fake wooden ones to match -- in their bag. It didn't take long to expose the fraud, earning us the nickname of the Nutmeg State, known by all as clever, if ethically challenged, people. 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.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On May 2, 2016, with a 2-2 draw between Tottenham and Chelsea, Leicester City clinched the league title for the first time in their 132-year history. The BBC called it "one of the greatest sporting stories of all time." Leicester were 5,000-to-1 underdogs before the Premier League season started.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This weekend's Peoples Climate March against the Trump Administration's rollback of Obama era environmental policies coincided with more alarming news about arctic melt, rising oceans, and the EPA's removal of climate science information.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.