NPR Topics: Opinion http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=1057&ft=1&f=1057 Editorial opinions and commentary on news events and world events. Download podcasts and subscribe to RSS feeds. en Copyright 2010 NPR - For Personal Use Only NPR API RSS Generator 0.93 Mon, 06 Sep 2010 10:00:00 -0400 http://media.npr.org/images/npr_news_123x20.gif Opinion http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=1057&ft=1&f=1057 Gary Shteyngart's Nerd Passion For 'Zardoz' Writer Gary Shteyngart may have no idea what <em>Zardoz</em> is about, but that doesn't stop him from knowing the science-fiction novel by heart. For a nerd like him, nothing compares to the post-apocalyptic world full of floating heads and immortal beings. Mon, 06 Sep 2010 10:00:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=129629697&ft=1&f=1057 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=129629697&ft=1&f=1057 Writer Gary Shteyngart may have no idea what Zardoz is about, but that doesn't stop him from knowing the science-fiction novel by heart. For a nerd like him, nothing compares to the post-apocalyptic world full of floating heads and immortal beings.

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]]> Some Advice For China: How To Lose The Blues The country seems to be feeling a little down in the dumps lately. Luckily, former NPR correspondent Eric Weiner spent a year visiting the world's happiest places. He has a few words of wisdom for the country on how to get happy. Mon, 06 Sep 2010 00:00:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=129579848&ft=1&f=1057 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=129579848&ft=1&f=1057 The country seems to be feeling a little down in the dumps lately. Luckily, former NPR correspondent Eric Weiner spent a year visiting the world's happiest places. He has a few words of wisdom for the country on how to get happy.

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]]> They'd Trade Labor Day For Days Of Labor Having no job means that things people talk about so much these days -- iPads, Android phones, 3-D movies, new music or meeting friends over $4 coffee drinks -- are just beyond reach. You worry about getting dull, having nothing to talk about and losing friends. You worry about life leaving you behind. Sat, 04 Sep 2010 00:00:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=129647232&ft=1&f=1057 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=129647232&ft=1&f=1057 Having no job means that things people talk about so much these days -- iPads, Android phones, 3-D movies, new music or meeting friends over $4 coffee drinks -- are just beyond reach. You worry about getting dull, having nothing to talk about and losing friends. You worry about life leaving you behind.

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]]> '666': A Tale Of The Tribulation So Bad, It's Good When Rhoda Janzen was 9, her mother busted her for reading the thriller <em>666</em> during an incredibly dull sermon at their Mennonite church. To this day, Janzen revels in the terribly written prose about the Antichrist, cannibalism, global famine and apocalyptic doom. Fri, 03 Sep 2010 05:00:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=127482617&ft=1&f=1057 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=127482617&ft=1&f=1057 When Rhoda Janzen was 9, her mother busted her for reading the thriller 666 during an incredibly dull sermon at their Mennonite church. To this day, Janzen revels in the terribly written prose about the Antichrist, cannibalism, global famine and apocalyptic doom.

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]]> Puns In Country Music Songs Done Right Puns have long been a part of country music songs -- think of song titles such as George Jones' "She Took My Keys Away, and Now She Won't Drive Me to Drink" or Lee Ann Womack's "Am I the Only Thing That You Done Wrong?" Linguist Geoff Nunberg says that the genre's willingness to play with lyrics and song titles uncovers new layers of meaning. Fri, 03 Sep 2010 12:00:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=129625588&ft=1&f=1057 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=129625588&ft=1&f=1057 Puns have long been a part of country music songs -- think of song titles such as George Jones' "She Took My Keys Away, and Now She Won't Drive Me to Drink" or Lee Ann Womack's "Am I the Only Thing That You Done Wrong?" Linguist Geoff Nunberg says that the genre's willingness to play with lyrics and song titles uncovers new layers of meaning.

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]]> The Root: Marches Alone Cannot Fix Education The education system, especially for black males, is failing students. Activists like Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson have called for a revival of the 1960s civil rights movement to fix the problem, but Lester K. Spence of <em>The Root</em> says these statements are self serving. Instead he calls for organization on a local level and for programs like universal preschool that will help that deal with educational inequalities. Fri, 03 Sep 2010 09:06:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=129624953&ft=1&f=1057 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=129624953&ft=1&f=1057 The education system, especially for black males, is failing students. Activists like Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson have called for a revival of the 1960s civil rights movement to fix the problem, but Lester K. Spence of The Root says these statements are self serving. Instead he calls for organization on a local level and for programs like universal preschool that will help that deal with educational inequalities.

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]]> Foreign Policy: Second Explosion Exposes Oil Industry The Obama administration's moratorium on deep water drilling has been opposed by the oil industry and by conservative politicians, but a second rig explosion has called the opposition into question. Eric Lukas of <em>Foreign Policy</em> argues that the industry must improve on its safety safety record. Fri, 03 Sep 2010 08:10:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=129623730&ft=1&f=1057 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=129623730&ft=1&f=1057 The Obama administration's moratorium on deep water drilling has been opposed by the oil industry and by conservative politicians, but a second rig explosion has called the opposition into question. Eric Lukas of Foreign Policy argues that the industry must improve on its safety safety record.

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]]> The New Republic: Health Care Won't Decide Election It is widely predicted that Democrats will lose their advantage in the midterm elections, and some conservatives have argued that it is because health care was prioritized over the economy. Jonathan Chait of <em>The New Republic</em> refutes this point, saying that it's not clear there is anything that would have saved Democrats in the upcoming elections. Fri, 03 Sep 2010 07:48:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=129623438&ft=1&f=1057 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=129623438&ft=1&f=1057 It is widely predicted that Democrats will lose their advantage in the midterm elections, and some conservatives have argued that it is because health care was prioritized over the economy. Jonathan Chait of The New Republic refutes this point, saying that it's not clear there is anything that would have saved Democrats in the upcoming elections.

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]]> The Nation: The Right Angle On Reid Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid is in danger of losing his Nevada seat to Tea Party favorite, Sharron Angle. L. Patrick Coolican of <em>The Nation</em> argues that it was Nevada's seemingly unstoppable housing bubble that is to blame for Reid's election troubles. Fri, 03 Sep 2010 07:36:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=129623372&ft=1&f=1057 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=129623372&ft=1&f=1057 Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid is in danger of losing his Nevada seat to Tea Party favorite, Sharron Angle. L. Patrick Coolican of The Nation argues that it was Nevada's seemingly unstoppable housing bubble that is to blame for Reid's election troubles.

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]]> Longtime Partners Find Treasure Among Trash Angelo Bruno and Eddie Nieves spent 10 years together as sanitation workers in New York City. The two men developed a deep friendship as they cleared more than 14 tons of garbage from the city streets each day. Fri, 03 Sep 2010 00:00:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=129604903&ft=1&f=1057 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=129604903&ft=1&f=1057 Angelo Bruno and Eddie Nieves spent 10 years together as sanitation workers in New York City. The two men developed a deep friendship as they cleared more than 14 tons of garbage from the city streets each day.

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]]> Apple Gambles On TV Episode Rentals: Does This Change The Game? Steve Jobs unveiled Apple's new 99-cent model for renting TV episodes yesterday. Will this catch on? Probably. Is it going to replace anyone's cable subscription? Probably not ... yet. Thu, 02 Sep 2010 09:58:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/blogs/monkeysee/2010/09/02/129599682/?ft=1&f=1057 http://www.npr.org/blogs/monkeysee/2010/09/02/129599682/?ft=1&f=1057 Steve Jobs unveiled Apple's new 99-cent model for renting TV episodes yesterday. Will this catch on? Probably. Is it going to replace anyone's cable subscription? Probably not ... yet.

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]]> Foreign Policy: China's Traffic Jam Has Heart Of Coal Some news coverage of China's recent 11-day traffic jam made light of the issue , but as Steve Levine of <em>Foreign Policy</em> points out, the tie-up reveals a deeper, and more dirty truth. While most of the Western world engages in the quest for clean energy, China is still addicted to coal and shows no signs of slowing down its consumption. Thu, 02 Sep 2010 08:51:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=129599188&ft=1&f=1057 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=129599188&ft=1&f=1057 Some news coverage of China's recent 11-day traffic jam made light of the issue , but as Steve Levine of Foreign Policy points out, the tie-up reveals a deeper, and more dirty truth. While most of the Western world engages in the quest for clean energy, China is still addicted to coal and shows no signs of slowing down its consumption.

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]]> The Root: Can Selling O'Keefe's Art Save A University? Fisk University is on the brink and the only asset of real value is a $74 million trove of early modernist masterpieces that artist Georgia O'Keeffe donated to the school six decades ago. Jennifer Brooks of <em>The Root</em> asks whether saving one means sacrificing the other. Thu, 02 Sep 2010 08:08:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=129598553&ft=1&f=1057 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=129598553&ft=1&f=1057 Fisk University is on the brink and the only asset of real value is a $74 million trove of early modernist masterpieces that artist Georgia O'Keeffe donated to the school six decades ago. Jennifer Brooks of The Root asks whether saving one means sacrificing the other.

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]]> National Review: An End To The 'Big-Unit' Era The 1940's saw unprecedented cooperation between big government, big business and big labor. But Michael Barone of <em> The National Review</em> argues that those days should be behind us. While relying on the "Big Units" might have worked for Franklin Roosevelt, it is not working for Barack Obama. Thu, 02 Sep 2010 08:07:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=129598485&ft=1&f=1057 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=129598485&ft=1&f=1057 The 1940's saw unprecedented cooperation between big government, big business and big labor. But Michael Barone of The National Review argues that those days should be behind us. While relying on the "Big Units" might have worked for Franklin Roosevelt, it is not working for Barack Obama.

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]]> The New Republic: The Environment Paradox Every day we hear stories about environmental degradation, and yet in the year 2010 humans are living longer and healthier lives than ever before. Bradford Plumer of <em>The New Republic</em> wonders how the planet can be in peril when humanity is doing so well? Thu, 02 Sep 2010 07:39:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=129598408&ft=1&f=1057 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=129598408&ft=1&f=1057 Every day we hear stories about environmental degradation, and yet in the year 2010 humans are living longer and healthier lives than ever before. Bradford Plumer of The New Republic wonders how the planet can be in peril when humanity is doing so well?

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