June 2007

June 28, 2007

06/28/07 Natalie Angier

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I am just going to go ahead and admit that I am afraid of science.  I am also afraid of math.  Just the idea of trying to understand mathmatical or scientific concepts makes my brain shut down.  There were many unpleasant moments in high school because of this mental block.* But so now that I am a bit older and a bit more patient, and more interested in the world around me, I find myself actually wanting or needing science sometimes in order to be able to understand concepts or ideas that are important to our world.  Like, climate change, or bird flu, or stem cells.  But where to go to get that kind of information?  Who is going to teach science to adults? Natalie Angier is!  Her new book has been called a "guide for the scientifically perplexed adult who wants to understand what those guys in lab coats on the news are babbling about."  That would be me.  Is it you, too?  Join us today and find out.

 -Jessica

*College was quite a different story where thanks to distribution requirements that were kind to non-scientific minds, I was only made to take two science classes.  Most people took psychology, but I took a course called Ethonobotany and a course called The Biology of Science Fiction.  This was hands down the best science course I have ever taken.  In fact it was one of the best classes I took in college.  Every meager things I know about science I learned in this class from science fiction writer and professor Joan Slonczewski.  If you like science fiction, check out her stuff.  Thanks for helping me not be totally terrified of science, Professor S.

June 28, 2007

06/28/07 12 pm Dick Cheney

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I'm hanging this picture above my desk.

Whether you love Dick Cheney or hate him, you gotta admit...he's got to be pretty clever to have made the vice presidency so powerful. Marc shared a colorful quote during his introduction to today's show.  John Nance Garner said the vice-presidency is "not worth a pitcher of warm piss."  Lovely image, and perhaps not true anymore-or at least, not true for Dick Cheney, who has exercised considerable influence from that position. We'll be discussing this at noon today.  What do you think?

-Jessica

June 27, 2007

06/27/07 12 PM Lt. Governor Anthony Brown and BRAC

How do you feel about the fact that tens of thousands of people are coming to our state because of Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC)?  Are you a real estate agent who is looking forward to the business? ...or a parent who is worried about more kids in an already overcrowded school? Are you a highway construction worker looking forward to benefit from the money for new transportation projects? ...or a frustrated commuter dreading even more clogged roadways? Are you a homeowner hoping to benefit from a rise in property values that may result from a rise in demand? ...or someone one or two years away from being a first time home-buyer dreading the effect these well-payed military types will have on local home prices (that would be me!)? There are just so many ways to feel about BRAC! Today at noon we are joined by Lt. Governor Anthony Brown.  He is the chair of the BRAC subcommittee.  He is going to tell us what he has been doing to make sure we are ready for all these people.

-Jessica

June 27, 2007

06/27/07 1 PM Maria Allwine

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Whatever you think of her politics, you have to respect the passion and commitment that Maria Allwine shows to the causes that are dear to her. Her newest incarnation is as the Green Party candidate for President of the City Council of Baltimore City.  She'll be joining us today to discuss her agenda for that office.  What would she do if elected?  She's run for office before, but never served.  Would her history of political activism translate into effective political leadership?  What would it mean for Baltimore to have someone like Maria Allwine at the helm of our city council? Join us with your thoughts and questions.

-Jessica

June 26, 2007

06/26/07 noon Eastern Shore Development

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First off, a geography test.  Can you find the Eastern Shore on this map?

While much of The Eastern Shore is still full of small towns and farms, places like Kent County and Worcester County have seen large population growth and increasingly widespread development.  This hour we'll be looking at some of the concerns accompanying current development projects around the region.

As Jessica is from Ocean City, perhaps she has more to add here.

 -Justin

June 25, 2007

06/26/07 1pm Commuting

feinstein11.jpg How much time do you spend getting to and from work every day?  What else would you like to be doing with that time, however much it may be? Our show this hour will be focused on commuting, so if you need to vent, now's your chance.  Seems like commuting is something about which just about everyone has something to say, whether it be bragging about only having to walk two blocks to work or bragging about suffering through a two hour drive on congested highways.  We hope you'll share your stories with us, both here and on the air. A lot has been written about commuting.  Here's a great article from The New Yorker a few issues back, There and Back Again: The Soul of the Commuter, by Nick Paumgarten.  It uses commuting as a medium for looking at some fundamental questions about our ability as humans to decide what is best for ourselves and what we do with our time. -Justin
June 22, 2007

06/25/07 noon Some of our favorite recent articles and editorials…

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These pictures will make sense if you listen to the show on Monday, I promise.

This hour we'll have interviews with the authors of some pieces that caught our attention in the papers lately, or in one case, online.  If you want to do some homework over the weekend, here's a link to each one:

What Ted Stevens, Bolivian cocaine and Halliburton have in common by Michael Scherer on Salon.com

Parents' paranoia takes toll on kids' health, happiness by L.J. Williamson in The Baltimore Sun

New Lyrics for Israel by Adam Lebor in The New York Times

-Justin

 

June 22, 2007

06/25/07 1pm Camelia Entekhabifard

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Finished reading the articles for noon and looking for something else to read over the weekend?  Read the book that we'll be discussing in the second hour on Monday with author Camelia Entekhabifard.  It's called Camelia: Save Yourself By Telling the Truth, A Memoir of Iran. 

Camelia was born and raised in Tehran.  She has a pretty incredible story about being imprisoned there for her work as a journalist, and charming her way into an opportunity to flee the country after some horrible months in solitary confinement.

Now she lives in New York City and continues her work as a journalist around the world.  Just not in Iran.

-Justin

June 21, 2007

06/21/07 noon Cities With a Lot of Murders

hstats.gif One city had more homicides per capita than Baltimore last year, Detroit.  Newark wasn't far behind, barely beaten out for third by New Orleans.  This hour we talk with journalists from Detroit, Newark, and here in B-more who have been covering crime in their towns. Violence is nothing new in any of these places.  How did it become such an entrenched part of their cultures?  How is each place dealing with the problem?  What can we learn from each other? -Justin
June 21, 2007

06/21/07 1pm Stephanie Rawlings Blake

feinstein6.jpg Thanks to the City Paper for this artful shot of our current City Council President, taken back when she was City Council VP.  The article that it came from has this nice quote, as well: “I’m a workhorse, not a show horse.” That said, the City Council President will be here today to discuss her bid to maintain her presidency in this fall's election.  Tune in at 1pm. -Justin
June 20, 2007

06/20/07 noon Maryland Politics

feinstein5.jpg I took this picture looking east from the top of Federal Hill recently.  Lots of cranes around the harbor, lots of development going on. The plan for this hour is to talk about development around the city and state, along with other state political issues, with a focus on Maryland's budget. We have a group of journalists joining us for the discussion: Charles Robinson, statehouse reporter for MPT’s State Circle, Joanna Sullivan, editor of the Baltimore Business Journal and Blair Lee IV, columnist for The Gazette. -Justin
June 20, 2007

06/20/07 1 pm Cowboy Junkies

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 A little bit of radio lingo for you: perf-chat.  That's when a musician comes into the studio and performs AND chats with the host.  That is what we are going to do on Wednesday with two members of the
Cowboy Junkies.  The Cowboy Junkies made their mark in 1988 with The Trinity Session, which was recorded live in a single day in a church in Toronto.  Now they are out with their 11th studio album, called At the End of Paths Taken.  It's a rumination on family, on standing in between growing children and aging parents, on marriage, birth, and death. They'll be playing at Ramshead Live!on Wednesday night, but you can join us Wednesday at 1 o'clock for a performance and to hear Marc talks with Margot and Michael Timmins of the Cowboy Junkies.

-Jessica

June 19, 2007

06/19/07 noon David Frum

feinstein4.jpgfeinstein2.jpgfeinstein3.jpg We just wrapped up our hour with David Frum, conservative political commentator, author, and former speechwriter for our current president.  I was taking the calls and emails, and I have to say, we had some irate listeners.  If you heard Jerry from Pikesville's call, you know what I'm talking about. Along with some emotions, some interesting ideas came through.  Are we wrapped up in a liberal/conservative political divide to the detriment of our political discourse?  Are both sides doing anything more than boring each other to tears by repeating the same arguments/defenses over and over?  Is there any meaningful dialogue between the two sides amidst all the rhetoric?  How did we get to the point of viewing our political options as "two opposing sides?" www.davidfrum.com is full of David's writing, so you can take a look at his ideas and judge them for yourself. -Justin
June 18, 2007

06/19/07 1 pm Liza Mundy “Everything Conceivable”

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Have you ever heard of the practice of "selective reduction"?  This is when a woman who has become pregnant with more than one child has a doctor eliminite one or more fetuses through an injection of potassium chloride. The idea is to strengthen the chances of survival for the remaining fetus or fetuses.  It's a traumatic experience for the women and families who must undergo it.
The rate that selective reduction happens?  It is going up as more and more women use Assisted Reproductive Technologies (ART).  Many of the fertility treatments used today result in a woman carrying multiple fetuses. But while she may conceive that many, the womb remains, as author and journalist Liza Mundy says, " ideally, a single-occupancy vehicle."  And so in order to save one or two fetuses, others must be reduced.  According to Liza Mundy, 1 in 7 American couples struggle with fertility problems.  And in our "want it, get it" culture, those struggling with fertility problems aren't going to just accept the hand nature has dealt them.  They're going to invest in what is now a multi-billion dollar industry and in many cases, sacrfice financial stability and their health in order to achieve pregnancy.  And it's hard to not support what these couples are doing-the pain of being unable to conceive or carry a child to term is unthinkable. Liza Mundy's new book is Everything Conceivable: How Assisted Reproduction is Changing Men, Women, and the World."  In this book she takes a comphrensive look at the growth of the ART industry and beyond.  She tackles the philosophical and ethical questions that this new technology is creating and the vast consequences it has for human destiny. I hope you will join us for this fantastic show and call or write in with your own experiences with Assisted Reproductive Technology or your thoughts on the ethics of it all.  Or post in the blog for other's to read your thoughts.

-Jessica

June 18, 2007

06/18/07 noon – The Baltimore Sun

feinstein1.jpg "A view of the "Sun" Building at Baltimore and Charles Streets. It was built after the 1904 fire. The "Sun" moved in the 1950s to Calvert Street. The Baltimore and Charles Street building was demolished before 1962 for the Charles Center development project." Thanks to the Baltimore County Legacy Web for the picture and text above. This hour some former Sun reporters, all of whom recently took a buyout, join us to talk about the Sun's shrinking newsroom.  It's nothing like the good-old-days on Charles Street, I'm sure. -Justin
June 14, 2007

A chance to meet an author about to be on the show!

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I made a post below asking our female audience to submit their financial questions for Manisha Thakor and Sharon Kedar, authors of the book On My Own Two Feet: A Modern Girls Guide to Personal Finance.  We are doing a pre-recorded interview with them this afternoon, and I am happy to say that lots of you submitted questions.  You have a great opportunity to go meet one of the authors, Sharon Kedar, MBA, CFA tonight at the Light Street Branch of the Enoch Pratt Free Library at 6:30.  She will be speaking and copies of the book are available for purchase and signing.  Call 410.396.1096 for more information.

-Jessica

June 14, 2007

06/14/07 1 pm Watching America

Tomorrow, get ready for an hour talking about planning for the influx of people coming into Maryland because of Base Realingment and Closure with Lietenaunt Governor Anthony Brown. Scratch that. Elected officials are busy, and when your boss is the Governor and asks you to clear your schedule to come to a meeting, you listen! No harm, no foul. We're working to schedule another date soon. Good thing we had a special super secret show in the works!!

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WatchingAmerica.com is a website I try and check on a daily basis. It's a place where you can read articles from the foreign press about America. The people who run the website have dozens of articles translated each day from the Middle East, Europe, Africa, Russia, China, and more. In conversations with the founder of the website, William Kern, we thought that Watching America could translate into a radio special, too. So tomorrow we are putting some hurt on the phone bill at WYPR (which reminds me...are you a member yet?) and talking to foreign journalists around the world. We'll talk to:
  • Ahmad Khalidi, a co-editor of Mideast Mirror, a London-based daily, as well as the Editor-in-Chief of the quarterly Journal of Palestine Studies.
  • William Waack, a newscaster for O Globo, Brazil. He's spent multiple decades as a reporter, editor, and international correspondent for the Brazillian Press.
  • Andrei Sitov, the Washington Bureau Chied for the Itar-Tass news agency of Russia.
  • and Hugh Williamson, the Berlin correspondent for the Financial Times since 2001.
We'll be talking with them about how America is viewed by their audience and in their countries. What does the world think of our domestic debates over immigration? What does the world think of our scandals (federal prosecutor firings, Plamegate, etc.) Watchingamerica.com shows the foreign press writing about topics such as tensions between Iran and the U.S. (understandable; has consequences for the entire world) and Paris Hilton's trip to, and from, and back to jail (less understandable; of course I care, and desperately, but why do they?) Enjoy the show. It will be the first of many such programs on Watching America.

-Jessica

 I'm going to jump in here with a few quick words about this hour's show.  I just came out of the studio, where we recorded the interview that will be played at 1pm.  The conversation never came around to Paris Hilton or any of the recent political scandals, but it did cover a lot of very interesting ground.  To find out the details, you'll have to listen.  If you don't catch it at 1pm, just go to http://www.wypr.org/M_Steiner.html.  We'll have the audio up there as soon as possible.

We taped the show in advance in case we had any trouble with all of the international phone connections, and to better coordinate with schedules in so many time zones.  Since we won't be taking calls as it airs, we're really looking forward to some feedback right here!

-Justin

June 13, 2007

06/14/07 Andres Alonso, new CEO of BCPSS

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Who the heck is Andres Alonso? Well, starting July 1st, the new CEO of Baltimore City Public Schools. He's also a Cuban immigrant, a graduate of Columbia University and Harvard Law School.  He's been a teacher and was most currently the Number 2 official in the New York City Public School System. He's also our guest tomorrow at Noon. Now, I know you all are passionate about our schools and how they need to be reformed.  I hope to see lots and lots of comments and ideas in this blog.  Anything posted before the show will be given to Marc so he can consider to read or ask during the program.

-Jessica

 

update:  Don't miss our two hour special with Dr. Andres Alonso that will air from 7-9 pm on August 22nd on WYPR!

June 13, 2007

06/13/07 Seth Lerer “Inventing English”

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This afternoon we welcome Stanford University professor Seth Lerer. He is the author of Inventing English: A Portable History of the Language.  If you are a fan of William Satfire and love to learn the etymology of words, this show is for you.  My boyfriend is a big fan of words and wordplay.  I had to beg him last night to cease anagramming words outloud-it's driving me crazy.  He's the kind of word nut that will excitedly tell anyone who will listen how awful and awesome once meant the same thing, and will get very heated when discussing how he believes people misuse the word myriad.  If you have the same tendancies (or if you are just driven mad by people who do), join us today.  We'll be talking about how the English language has developed, and some of the people who had the biggest influence, like William Shakespeare.  Did you have any idea how many words he invented?  Apparently, I have him to thank for my name.

-Jessica

June 12, 2007

Hey Ladies!

On Thursday we are going to be pre-recording an interview with Manisha Thakor and Sharon Kedar.  They've written a book called On My Own Two Feet: A Modern Girl's Guide to Personal Finance. The back reads "Most young women would love to live a carefree lifestyle filled with lunches, Louis Vuitton, and lattes, but what you might not know is that doing so can lead to future financial breakdown." I am famously bad with money.  I have no debt only because I KNOW I am bad with money and am thus terrified of credit cards.  But I also have no savings.  And I know most women my age are in the same boat.  Isn't our generation of women supposed to be smarter than this?  Aren't we supposed to be into the idea of providing for ourselves and taking care of ourselves?  Yet I look around and most of my friends seem to be waiting for someone else's finances to make things like home ownership and a college education for their children possible.  Since this will be a pre-record, we won't be able to take calls.  I'm hoping that in the comments section of the blog some of our female listeners will post questions or comments about their failures/successes in managing their personal finances.  What pitfalls have you experienced that you want to warn other women to avoid?  What have you succeeded at? 

-Jessica

June 12, 2007

06/12/07 Deputy Police Commissioner Fred Bealefeld.

 

The FBI released it's 2006 crime statistics last week and it looks like Baltimore is the second most violent city in the country, behind Detroit. Our homicide rate is out of control. Yet the violent crime rate, which includes rape, robbery, and assault, is down, bucking a nationwide trend. What's going on? We'll tackle some of the same topics we talked about with David Kennedy.  How is Mayor Dixon's reign influencing the Police Department?  Will there be a shift away from the statistics driven model that O'Malley preferred?  How is the Police Department using Mayor Dixon's crime plan?  What is the strategy? We'll be joined by Baltimore City Police Department Deputy Police Commissioner Fred Bealefeld.  Join us!

-Jessica

June 11, 2007

06/12/07 1 pm Voices of Immigrants

 

With immigration reform legislation floundering and the status of millions of people who reside illegally in this country still undecided, we thought it would be an appropriate time to have another show where we hear directly the voices of immigrations, documented and undocumented. We'll be hearing from Ruben Chandrasekar, an immigrant from South India, who lives here in Baltimore and works for the American Friends Service Committee.  He works on immigration issues, so he can speak not just about his own experiences but also those of people he helps everyday.  Also, Luis, who is an undocumented immigrant from Guatamala.  He came here to try and make enough money to help his mother escape an abusive relationship.  I'm a big fan of getting all the facts...which is why when we have shows on immigration we've heard from people who can talk about how it can effect schools, hospitals, the economy, how long it will take an ambulance to get to your house.  But part of the facts we need to gather is also why people come here, under what circumstances, and what will happen if they are denied a path to citizenship or if the legal route into this country is made more difficult.  I hope you enjoy it.

-Jessica

June 11, 2007

06/11/07 12 pm David Kennedy

Today we welcome David Kennedy on the show.  He used to be a resercher and professor at Harvard, where he wrote the seminal study Beyond 911: A New Era for Policing.  He also directed the Boston Gun Project, which was a large scale iniative focused on dealing with the homicide rate for young people in that city. His expertise is in community policing.  Now, that's a buzzword that gets thrown around a lot, but what does it really mean?  It means a style of policing that strives to reduce violent crime by increasing interaction and cooperation between law enforcement and the communities they serve.  It's an enforcement strategy but also a philosophy about the role law enforcement plays in a community and its relationship to the public.  David Kennedy will join us today to talk about how the community policing model has worked in other American cities.  Will Baltimore invest in this model to bring down our homicide rate? Join us at noon....

-Jessica

June 11, 2007

06/11/07 1 pm Morris Berman

Long time Steiner Show listeners may remember one of today's guests from his last appearance on the show, July 20, 2000.  Cultural historian, social critic, author, teacher, and expatriate Morris Berman joins us by phone from his current home in Mexico City at 1pm today.  You can get some idea of the theme of his latest book from its title, Dark Ages America: The Final Phase of Empire. How much time does The United States have left in its position as a world-dominating superpower?  If its role were to change soon, would it be for better or for worse? Depends who you ask, of course.  Morris Berman has written a whole book discussing these questions, and more.  Check out his blog here http://morrisberman.blogspot.com/ -Justin
June 6, 2007

06/07/07 Congressman Chris Van Hollen

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We've been hoping to have Congressman Chris Van Hollen on for a while.  It's tough coordinating with those guys on Capitol Hill when they're in session.  Unlike some of the Maryland delegation, he's never been on The Marc Steiner Show. That should change tomorrow, Thursday, at noon.  To read about the many roles Van Hollen is playing in Congress, check out his bio here: http://vanhollen.house.gov/HoR/MD08/Biography/ As always, we'll be welcoming our listener's questions and comments.  Start posting them here, or wait to call or email during the show tomorrow.

-Justin

 

(psst....this is Jessica, sneaking in with one for the ladies! )

June 5, 2007

06/06/07 The Six Day War with Tom Segev

This June marks the 40th anniversary of the Six Day War. Like anything else in history that has anything to do with Israel, this topic can still inflame passions, exacerbate tensions, cause arguments, etc. To commemorate the anniversary of this important time in history, we'll be joined by Tom Segev. He is an Israeli journalist and historian who just recently wrote a book on the Six Day War called 1967: Israel, the War, and the Year that Transformed the Middle East. Tom's previous books challenged accepted views of Israeli history. In this book he works to provide a complete and holistic account of all of the social, historical, psychological, national, and international factors that led to the war. Should be a great hour with, I'm sure, many passionate callers. Too shy for the phone? Leave your comments here!!!

-Jessica Phillips

June 5, 2007

06/05/07 John Hemingway “Strange Tribe”

I am confident you will enjoy our one o'clock show.  Ernest Hemingway is one of the more colorful and interesting writers in American literature.  From his participation in the "Lost Generation" to his time in Cuba and Key West, he absolutely was a dynamic and exciting person. I think a lot of us imagine one day putting pen to paper and writing the story of our family; how great is must be when you do so and people actually want to read it!  John Hemingway is the grandson of Ernest Hemingway, and his new book is Strange Tribe: A Family Memoir. But this story is about more than just the life and times of Ernest.  The book delves as well into the complicated life of the author's father, Ernest's youngest son, Gregory, whose preference for wearing women's clothes led to him undergoing gender reassignment surgery.  He died of a heart attack at a Miami-Dade Women's Detention Center.   This book, and this interview, is an exploration, from the inside, of a family that has been watched by outsiders for decades.  It's a beautiful book.

-Jessica Phillips

June 5, 2007

06/05/07 World Environment Day

June 5th is World Environment Day.  It's run by the United Nations Environment Programme (love that Brit spelling!).  This years topic is the melting icecaps.To mark this important day, we are bringing you TWO interviews for the price of one during our noon hour!  Lucky you!

First we will hear a rebroadcast of an interview we did a couple of weeks ago with George Monbiot.   His book is called Heat: How to Stop the Planet Burning. (Okay, there has been some controversy in the office over the title.  Is it "How to Stop the Planet Burning" or "How to Stop the Planet from Burning"?  In keeping with the authors nationality and the British spelling of today's designation, I am going with the title as it was printed in England, which is, How to Stop the Planet Burning.  But so you won't be confused when you go to the bookstore to buy this book, I have placed the American version of the cover above.) And then....Dr. Timothy Foresman.  He is actually the former chief scientist for the United Nations Environment Programme.  But more importantly, I think, he is thinking critically about how to introduce children to the concept of climate change and the effect it will have on their lives and all the rest of the flora and fauna in the world.  His new book is called The Last Little Polar Bear: A Global Change Adventure Story (order it here). When I was talking with Marc about doing this interview, I said to him, "I think that young kids today fear the effects of climate change and are terrified of it in the same way that, when YOU were a young kid, you were afraid of the Russians launching nuclear bombs and destroying life as you knew it."   I think a lot of kids want to know what they can do to really make a difference, going beyond simple duck-and-cover.   This book helps them understand the science (the what, when, where, why) of climate change, and also explores the emotional toll of losing some of the world's most beautiful megafauna like polar bears. Hope you enjoy the show!

-Jessica Phillips

June 4, 2007

“‘Ready to Blog’”

A week and a half ago when Jessica told us she had our long-awaited blog up and running, I thought, "Great, I'm ready to blog."  Then I kept forgetting to get on it, as it's not part of the daily routine, yet. Today, I took a look at this page for the first time since it went up.  I had no idea Jessica had been so busy blogging away in the next room.  Good work. I'm curious to know what listeners would like to see here.  Obviously, it seems like a good place to continue discussions that begin on the show.  We could do the same in reverse, as well, that is, start a discussion here that will continue on an upcoming show.  Thoughts about the BGE rate hike?  We'll be discussing it again at noon on Wednesday; get us your ideas ahead of time right here. Other ideas?  Predictions for The Ravens upcoming season?  Funny youtube videos?  Stories about our engineer Jon Ehrens?  I promised him I'd mention him on the blog. Back to work, -Justin
June 4, 2007

06/04/07 Anthony Romero “In Defense of our America”

Today we are joined by Anthony Romero.  He is the Executive Director of the national American Civil Liberties Union.  He's coming on to discuss what he sees as an unprecedented assault on civil liberties since the beginning of the War on Terror. 

-Jessica Phillips

June 4, 2007

06/04/07 Parren Mitchell

Congressman Parren J. Mitchell

April 29, 1922 – May 28, 2007

Today we will be remembering the incomparable Congressman Parren J. Mitchell with some of his friends. What are your memories of Congressman Parren?  Were you his constituent?  What will you remember about him?

-Jessica Phillips