Story Archives of 'Society and Culture'

Why Weezer, Why?

By Jen Nathan on Saturday, November 21, 2009.

Okay, I get it. Snuggies are funny. We even had a Brookstone catalogue featuring a camel-colored "elegant snuggie" lying around the Word of Mouth cube farm. But does the world really need a Weezer snuggie? Watch this infomercial and help us decide:

Mr. T Likes Apples, How 'Bout You?

By Jen Nathan on Friday, November 20, 2009.

I pity the fool that doesn't know a Gala from a Golden Delicious. Thanks to Word of Mouth's internet sherpa Brady Carlson for the perfect Friday afternoon diversion.

New Challenges for Body Image

By Laura Knoy on Friday, November 20, 2009.

For decades many Americans have struggled with how their bodies look, even to the point of danger. But in 2009, new challenges have come up, like cyber-anorexia clubs, the rise of eating disorders in men and boys and the tension between the "big is beautiful" movement versus America’s war against obesity.

Guest

  • Barbara Jago, director of the Communication Arts program and associate professor of communication arts at UNH Manchester; she teaches about gender and body issues
  • Suzanne Sonneborn, nutrition educator at the University of New Hampshire and coauthor of the cookbook Good Eats: Quick and Easy Food for Busy College Students

We'll also hear from

  • Cass Mercer, senior at the University of New Hampshire majoring in women's studies, and director of a UNH production called "The Mind-Body Dialogues"
listen: Windows Media | MP3

Photographer Kept Alive by Deadly Leopard Seal

By Jen Nathan on Thursday, November 19, 2009.

National Geographic photographer Paul Nicklen wanted to photograph one of the most dangerous animals on Antarctica, the Leopard Seal.

The seal put his entire camera and head in its mouth, inches from its razor sharp teeth. As soon as it saw that Nicklen wasn't a threat, the seal started bringing him penguins. The seal did this for four days, as if it was trying to prevent Nicklen from starving.

The video is stunning, both for its content and artistry. Watch it in full screen to get the full effect!

Recession Civics

By Jon Greenberg on Thursday, November 19, 2009.

This week, as part of our series on the economy, Working It Out, we’re asking the question, has this recession changed us. The Carsey Institute at the University New Hampshire just released a study that examines a particular slice of that question. It looks at the impact of the recession on civic life. New Hampshire Public Radio’s Jon Greenberg has more.

listen: Windows Media | MP3

Bringing the Bronx to New Hampshire

By Virginia Prescott on Thursday, November 19, 2009.

Adrian Nicole LeBlanc broke ground when her award-winning book Random Family: Love, Drugs,Trouble and Coming of Age in the Bronx was published in 2003. She spent more than a decade closely observing three generations of a Puerto Rican family to create an intimate portrait of street life that was anything but pretty.

Random Family was a New York Times bestseller and was recently named one of The 50 Books for Our Times by Newsweek magazine. Tomorrow afternoon, Adrian Nicole LeBlanc and two of the subjects of Random Family will travel to ConVal High School in Peterborough, NH for a day-long workshop with New Hampshire students. It’s part of the MacDowell Colony’s Community Outreach Program in the schools, and we’re catching up with Adrian Nicole LeBlanc before the workshop. We also spoke with Jill Lawler, an English teacher at ConVal, about what her students are learning from random family.

Adrian Nicole LeBlanc Q&A: Journalism for the long haul

listen: Windows Media | MP3

Moosewood for the new Millennium

By Virginia Prescott on Thursday, November 19, 2009.
Mollie Katzen on Word of Mouth

Mollie Katzen is a legend in my kitchen. The Moosewood Cookbook and the Enchanted Broccoli Forest were the first cookbooks I owned. Their hand drawn illustrations and folksy writing guided me through Moussaka and Swedish Cabbage Soup from college and on through adulthood.

My copies are now splattered with sauces and split at the bindings. But like many people, I find myself cooking the stuff I know over and over again, and I don't find myself in the kitchen as often as I used to. So I'm thrilled that Mollie has a new book and a new imperative: to "Get Cooking!"

She'll be visiting with University of New Hampshire students enrolled in the eco-gastronomy program this weekend, and signing copies of Get Cooking at River Run Bookstore in Portsmouth on Saturday.

Gourmet Dinner: Simply Southern with Mollie Katzen

The New York Times: Out of the Kitchen, Onto the Couch


Photo: Brady Carlson, NHPR

listen: Windows Media | MP3

Unruly Kids Make Better Leaders

By Virginia Prescott on Thursday, November 19, 2009.

Kids are notorious for getting into trouble. Whether it’s skipping class, picking fights, or slipping away in the family wagon for a midnight joy ride, mischievous behavior is a headache for most parents. What if breaking some of the rules was actually a sign of a child’s future success?

A new study suggests that children who push boundaries on occasion - like hosting parties while the ‘rents are out of town - are actually more likely to become leaders as adults. That finding flies in the face of the belief that those who follow the rules will make it to the top of the corporate heap someday.

With us to talk about why a little mischief might be a good predictor of a child’s future is Maria Rotundo. She’s an associate professor of human resource management and organizational behavior at the University of Toronto and one of the study’s authors.

Leadership Quarterly: Early Life Experiences as Determinantes of Leadership Role Occupancy (PDF)

Miller-McCune: Destined For Greatness, You Little Scamp

(Photo courtesy foamcow via Flickr/CreativeCommons)

listen: Windows Media | MP3

The Truly Smart City

By Laura Sheeter on Monday, November 2, 2009.

For urban dwellers, the question of how well you know your city is quickly being replaced with the question of how well does your city know you? Transportation systems can track your comings and goings, utility companies know your usage patterns and banks know what you spend and when. Does that make for a city of dreams, or a nightmare?

Obama's Blaccent

By Derek John on Tuesday, October 27, 2009.

Sarah Jones is a Tony Award-winning playwright and performer. Her shows, like "Bridge and Tunnel" feature multiple characters - black, white and other races and ethnicities - all played by Jones herself. So she thinks about nuances in language and voice a lot.