Bob CollinsWalking the talk on bullies, Dale’s tribute to Tom, asking for help, the work of Congress, and when science is cool.
1) STANDING UP
If schools are ever going to walk the talk about bullying, it’s going to take some school officials who won’t turn to soup when the first parents start calling.
San Diego has a school superintendent with some guts. Supt. Bill Kowba said adults criticizing the selection of Rebecca Arellano and Haileigh Adams as homecoming king and queen are “demonstrating such a lack of tolerance and are presenting such a negative role model for children with their hateful comments,” the Los Angeles Times says.
He called the critics ” bullies.”
Arellano was made the king on Friday, and Adams was named the queen at a dance on Saturday. The kids at the school didn’t seem to have a problem.
But some anonymous students objected to the selection and said traditional roles should be observed for the king and queen. Arellano responded on her Facebook page:
“For all the girls who think tradition should be continued, go back to the kitchen, stop having sex before you’re married, get out of school and job system, don’t have an opinion, don’t own any property, give up the right to marry who you love, don’t vote, and allow your husband to do whatever he pleases to you. Think about the meaning of tradition when you use it in your argument against us.”
Meanwhile, on the traditional side of things: Kris Humphries and Kim Kardashian have called it quits after just 72 days. Reportedly, the two could not agree on where to live. He wanted Minnesota. She wanted California. We call that “a close call.”
But listen, lovebirds: These are the sorts of things you talk about before you get married.
Just for kicks, MTV looks at the numbers behind this traditional marriage.
2) DALE RE: TOM
“I’ve felt helpless and lost all day,” Dale Connelly writes on his blog today about his longtime radio bud, Tom Keith, whom you know by now died Sunday night at an age far too young.
He was also a softie, and a servant, always aware that his livelihood depended on an audience willing to pay the freight. Quite naturally he channeled his inner ex-Marine when he developed our Morning Show playlist guidelines, declaring that all listener requests must be turned in no later than 5 days before the date of broadcast. No exceptions. And with equal ease he tossed those regulations aside whenever anyone asked. If you were a grandmother needing to hear a specific song for your grandson’s birthday sometime in the next half hour before the kid’s bus comes, Tom Keith was your man. The harsh rules he had written could not stand up to anyone’s polite request.
Tom was not a prima donna or a show off, which was ironic given that he had such showy talents. His name was known to millions as one of the last surviving radio sound men, but he was not terribly interested in increasing his profile. He said no to television projects with Hollywood stars, and decided to stop touring with Prairie Home Companion when he got tired of the road. He would turn down commercial voice jobs because Schniederman’s was delivering a couch that afternoon, and he had to be at home to meet the truck. Above all, he was a man of his word and he always did his job, which was to make the work in front of him as good as it could be. He was frugal, sensible, practical, and oh so Minnesotan.
Dale, of course, was part of Euan Kerr’s marvelous remembrance that ran on All Things Considered last night, and Gary Eichten will host radio calling hours for Tom at noon today. We hope you can make it. Don’t worry about dressing up.
My colleague, Ali Lozoff, dug out this great picture last night and posted it on her Facebook page…
“This guy wanted to get his picture taken on the APHC stage and asked Tom to be in it,” she wrote. “Tom immediately struck this Maggie the Cat pose, cracking everyone up. He laughed and walked off the porch. A great memory.”
3) ASKING FOR HELP
People in the Twin Cities are rallying on behalf of the parents of Nora Boss. She’s a two-year-old girl who has been diagnosed with Wilms Disease, a childhood cancer which affects the kidneys. “Twelve weeks of chemotherapy, inpatient time in the hospital, invasive surgery, travel expenses, time off of work and major medical expenses – the Boss family has fallen in need of your support!” an appeal posted online says.
And there’s this…
We are asking for donations to support our benefit and silent auction being held on Sunday, November 13th at Hells Kitchen in downtown Minneapolis. Nora’s parents are amazing people. Jen, works as a server in the restaurant industry and Andy works in a dental supply warehouse. The family has always supported small local farmers, businesses and entrepreneurs. We can say with confidence that their like-minded friends will be made keenly aware of your support and will in turn have loyalty to those who have had the opportunity to assist us in our efforts.
Details on the event can be found on the Facebook page.
4) THE WORK OF CONGRESS EXAMINED
Only two members of Congress have missed more days of work than Rep. Michele Bachmann, the New York Times reports. One of them was shot in the head, the other was recovering from cancer surgery. Rep. Keith Ellison also missed more than 10 percent of the votes taken. He said he had an injured knee. Second District Rep. John Kline never missed a vote, the paper says.
Next year, an election year, should be easier for all. The House will get one week off after toiling for each two weeks.
5) WHEN SCIENCE IS COOL
Science is probably the weakest subject area for America’s kids, partially because the standardized tests focus on reading and math. But still, aren’t most cool teachers the science folks?
(h/t: neatorama)
And then there’s John Goodge, a University of Minnesota Duluth scientist who is studying the 2 percent of Antarctica that isn’t covered by ice.
“It turns out there are rocks and glacial deposits that we’ve been finding that actually seem to confirm the idea that Antarctica and North America would have been neighbors at one time!” says Goodge, who has returned with 2,500 pounds of rocks.
The National Science Foundation yesterday posted a video and story about the expedition.
TODAY’S QUESTION
A scientist who has been a prominent skeptic of global warming is making news with his latest conclusion: that global warming is real after all. The scientist, Richard Muller, conducted a two-year study of the earth’s surface temperatures. He found that temperatures are rising fast. Today’s Question: How have your views on global warming evolved over time?
WHAT WE’RE DOING
Midmorning (9-11 a.m.) – First hour: Since the 2008 financial crisis, bankers have been heavily criticized for continuing to make millions in performance-based bonuses while their banks escaped failure only by taking public bail outs. How do executives defend their big bonuses while their businesses flounder and the public decries their hefty paydays?
Second hour: Having followed Mexico’s cartels for years, border security expert Sylvia Longmire takes readers deep into the heart of the drug world to witness a dangerous underground that will do whatever it takes to deliver drugs to a willing audience of American consumers.
Midday (11 a.m. – 1 p.m.) – The new director of the Office of Higher Education, Sen. Larry Pogemiller.
Second hour: Remembering Tom Keith. Guests are Dale Connelly, Sue Scott and Mike Pengra.
Talk of the Nation (1-3 p.m.) – First hour: What should schools teach a about sex?
Second hour: When a loved one is stuck in a spiral of drugs and alcohol, what do you do when it’s just “a matter of time?”
