Five at 8 – May 22, 2009

  • I am so terribly smitten by the New York Times’ series, One in 8 Million, in which reporters and photographers choose a “typical” New Yorker and find out their story. It’s “hyperlocal” done right. And today’s installment, Rivka Karasik’s decision to leave the Lubavitch community of Hasidic Jews in Brooklyn, is particularly compelling. “I’m still learning how to navigate this world. It was really overwhelming for me, the first time I walked into a clothing store and realized I could purchase anything in there and wear it,” she said. And the attached comments tend not to be quite as stupid as many of those attached to newspaper stories. “You now have a great duty to teach people that freedom is what we have as Americans whether we are religious Jews or of any denomination,” one said.

    You know how I occasionally call for suggestions about people you know who have done something interesting? This is the sort of thing I’m talking about.

  • The national debt road trip. How do the new deficits compare to other presidents? It’s from the same guy who did the “pennies” video mentioned in this spot a few weeks ago.
  • Ad Age: Social media bible weighs more than the real Bible. True, but the unemployment rate would double if people couldn’t call themselves “social media experts.”
  • Where are the best places to work for public service in the federal government? The Best Places to Work rankings are out. Here’s the thing: All of the agencies are reporting higher satisfaction in 2009, than in 2007, except for the Department of Justice. Hmmmm. If we had a state version, we can assume the Gang Strike Force would show the same.

    By the way, the Gang Strike Force “in the news page” hasn’t been updated in a couple of weeks.

  • It’s easier for Minnesota Timberwolves player Mark Madsen to explain the disconnect between the CIA and Congress, apparently, than to explain why the heck his team is so messed up. But big points to the guy for showing that some NBA players have a brain and are at least marginally connected to the real world.
  • Bonus: Followup to yesterday. 250 rods, just as a News Cut reader determined.

    WHAT WE’RE DOING

    I’m doing this. Don’t let me down here.

    Midmorning – The Hauser case in the first hour with medical ethicist Art Caplan and Teresa Nelson of the ACLU. That should be hot. Second hour: The new credit card rules.

    Midday – A preview of the Minnesota History Center’s “Greatest Generation” exhibit. I’ve been looking forward to this for more than a year. On Saturday, by the way, there’s a sing-along with Prudence Johnson and Dan Chouinard.

    Second hour: Former United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan’s speech at Macalester earlier this week.

    Talk of the Nation – It’s Science Friday. An update on the Mars rover and a talk on the unexpected benefits of gardening with native plants. Plus, a look at how food shortages could leave modern civilization in shambles. Keep smiling!

    All Things Considered – Ambar Espinoza looks at the tribal-run Nay-ah-Shing school at Mille Lacs, which teaches students Native drumming and wild rice harvesting, and at two newer charter schools that teach Ojibwe language and culture. NPR will have a story on the Flying Fish brewery, which is developing a beer to honor every exit on the New Jersey turnpike. But why wait?