Two Stories from NPR

[speaks]

It saddens me greatly that NPR is under attack again. They are really such a wonderful resource. The breadth and depth of their stories are far greater than any other american news outlet that I am aware of. In addition they have personal interest stories that go well beyond "Missing White Girl" or "The Drug Antics of Charlie Sheen." I listen to "

Comments

[twelveoaks]

The Cheesoid skit was about smell, not taste, but yes, it reminded me of that. I didnt' hear today's Hela article (I must have been at work by then) but I heard another piece one time discussing the ethics of the study. Apparently, at the time, Ms Lacks was not asked permission for these cells to be used this way. There are corporations making money selling samples and research using her cells and there has been some hot debate about whether she should be compensated. Fascinating story!

[pipistrella]

NPR is obsessed with Henrietta Lacks. It is an amazing story.

I loved the local NPR station in the Triangle. They had local news, interviews with NC artists and writers, and a Saturday night show of local bluegrass and country. They also aired all the good NPR stuff - Fresh Air, This American Life, all that.

The Atlanta station pretty much just plays classical music and a few shows like All Things Considered. I miss WUNC.

[jenharts]

I didn't hear it this past weekend, but recently Wait Wait Don't Tell me had a LOT of funny one liners -- "PBS, where we're going to hell in a tote bag"...

Henrietta sounds like a guy from SOLAR who had a character named Raru. Raru got permed, and his next character was EXACTLY like Raru but with another name. This led to the rumor that somewhere out in the forest was a mad scientist that grew an infinite number of Rarus in vats.

[speaks]

In the Zelazny Books "Chronicles of Amber" there is a lot of alternate reality plotlines. One character fakes his own death by going and killing an alternate version of himself. When the character dies AGAIN later, there is significant speculation that he just did it again.

I joked that he went to a reality that had "Caine Trees." The fruit of said trees all resembled Caine having been killed in different methods. Caine would then just go pick the appropriate fruit: Today I will fake my death by hanging!

[martinhesselius]

*Like*

[gamerguy]

I only heard about "That Mitchell and Webb Look" a few weeks ago. I must see more.

There is a book, 'The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks', by Rebecca Skloot, that sounds pretty interesting.