10 Reasons to Listen to This American Life 9/10/2010

Sorry to be tardy to the party, but I just today listened to the 9/10/2010 episode of This American Life, titled Right to Remain Silent.  Here are 10 reasons you should listen too.

1. If you have ever had a bad customer experience at an Apple store.
2. If you are looking for real life examples of the impact of the Patriot Act on average Americans.
3. If you are wondering if you can be arrested for posting a joke on Facebook (that you thought was private).
4. If you want to know if you should fear the police.
5. If you need some good examples on how performance measures induce the wrong behavior.
6. If you are wondering if there is anyone left that is trying to do the right thing.
7. If you think crime is really going up in NYC -- despite the "statistics".
8. If you think the decline in investigative reporting is important.
9. If you want to restore your faith in America (because WBEZ and Ira Glass were able to produce this show without fear of going to jail).
10. If you are looking for a reason to support public radio.

I could go on and on, just listen to it and let me know what you think.

An American Story

Ira Glass did it again, as he has so many times, and created a must listen program about what ails the US auto makers -- particularly GM.  Anyone interested in how labor and management can conspire to create spectacular failure should invest the hour and listen.

The thing that struck me was how the union created an environment that their members did not like and that was clearly not good for the company -- all because they had the power to do so.  

A striking contrast can be found from 80 years ago during the construction of the Empire State Building.  Over 3,400 people built the iconic structure in just 410 days in a heroic but unfortunately futile race against the clock as the country spiraled into what would become the depression.  Anyone with Netflix can rent this amazing story in the PBS series on New York.  DVD number five contains the story of the Empire State Building.

I found myself standing on the top of this most famous of our American buildings this week and even though it was a weekday it was packed full of people who were willing to pay a fair amount to do the same.  It made me proud to be an American and it reassured me that the American dream is alive and well here in New York.  This city at the center of our universe was true to its heritage as the most incredible melting pot on the observation deck deck that day as the English speakers were in a distinct minority.