The global pool of money

I'm becoming a junkie for "This American Life" on NPR. I know, I know, that's so 2005 of me. Still, it's an ideal show for anyone who drives a lot.

This one-hour program details the mortgage crisis we've heard so much about in the news. Entitled "The global pool of money," this episode tells how the world economy works (in understandable terms) and explains how we got in this mess in an entertaining way. If you like news and are interested in people, listen to this show. It's a free podcast on iTunes and available at the show's website as well.

The world needs more Jerry Springer

I'm normally not one of those people who cite stories they heard on National Public Radio to make conversations more intellectual. (For instance: "Can you believe it, a Manhattan researcher has learned that too many NASCAR races cause brain stem detachment. It's called the Petty Effect. Can you believe they let those people vote." Yeah, I hate it when people do that).

But I heard a story from Alex Blumberg on NPR's "This American Life" from last week that I just loved and would recommend to anyone who likes literature, politics or trashy daytime TV.

Most folks know Jerry Springer as the host of one of society's worst television programs, a talk show in which ignorant buffoons get into fights and swear at each other. And some might know that Jerry Springer was once a city councilor and popular Democratic mayor of Cincinnati, Ohio, who fell just short in a run for governor before his television career. But the real story is much more complex. In the "This American Life" segment, friends and political colleagues of Springer's during the 1970s describe him as THE greatest politician they've ever encountered. Indeed, the recordings of his early speeches are so starkly different from the Springer most Americans know that your jaw will drop. Springer's story is literary; how did this great statesman become the dean of daytime TV garbage? But the clincher for me was the last five minutes of the segment. In 2003, Springer flirted with a U.S. Senate run in Ohio. He gave political speeches across the state including one that was aired at the end of this NPR segment.

This speech will make you cry it's so good. Jerry Springer could have been one of the great political figures of his generation. Hell, maybe he still could be. Yes, I just typed that.

You can listen to the broadcast or download the free podcast here (it's also available at iTunes for free). The Springer segment is the first and lasts 31 minutes but I wouldn't mention it if it wasn't worth the time.

Giant sloth demise leading to, well, 'slow' decline of Joshua tree

Yesterday on National Public Radio I heard an unusual story.

The giant sloth is extinct, the announcer read, and scientists are now concerned about what that means for the desert and dry-land Joshua tree. These trees grew in evolutionary symbiosis with the giant sloth as the slow moving giant-clawed creatures were instrumental in the trees' move to more favorable climates. You can read how poop is involved in this process thanks to the good folks at National Public radio. But now (well, 13,000 years ago) the giant sloths are extinct. These Joshua trees live extraordinarily long lives, but cannot survive much longer in their current changing climates. At least, not without the ancient sloth poop that is no longer available.

I don't know why sloth dung is best for moving Joshua tree seeds, but have we considered an overlooked possibility? Maybe the sloths aren't extinct but just late in getting back from scouting out better Joshua tree climates.

"Hooooooollld ooooooonnnnnn, Joooooshhhhhuaaaaaa. Iiiiiaaam ooooonnnn mmmmmyyyy wwwwaaaayyyy!" (Cars honk as they pass giant sloth on freeway).

Ha! Sloths are slow.