From NPR:
Sen. Barack Obama and Vice President Dick Cheney are distant cousins. President Bush and Sen. John Kerry have dozens of shared relatives. Megan Smolenyak, chief family historian at ancestry.com, talks to Alex Cohen about tracing back the family tree.
Looks like Walt Disney is also George Bush’s 13th cousin, once removed… interesting.
Better get back to work on my family tree.
If you haven’t subscribed to the SoundCorps podcast you’re really missing out.
The stories are so personal and touching and I’m sure they probably mean even more to the family members who get to do the interviews and hear the stories.
This week’s podcast is another great one:
During World War II, the U-S military ran prisoner-of-war camps across the country. Jean Thackeray grew up near one of these camps. She came to StoryCorps to tell her daughter-in-law, Susan, about a POW who came to work on her father’s farm.
Stephen Colbert got a lot of fun press today on NPR. Starting with Fresh Air, the political satirist gave an hour long interview to Terry Gross, followed by 5 minutes or so on All Things Considered.
Both very funny interviews. He dropped the satire during Fresh Air but kept up the act during All Things Considered.
During both interviews he talked about his new book, I Am America (And So Can You!) (available at the Casa de Blundell store of course)
Both worth a listen.
I started to tell Laurie about this NPR story tonight but I think my typical opening, “I heard this story on NPR today…” turned her off. So I ended up not telling her. Yeah that will learn her – I’ll just post it on my blog instead 😉
Anyways, Marketplace reported this morning on the growing numbers of product parties in recent months/years.
The words “product party” usually conjure up images of old ladies selling Tupperware. But Alex Goldmark discovered there were some out there that managed to be fun — and profitable.
According to the report, twenty-five to 40 percent of all sales at these product parties go to the “comfort specialist.” And by the end of the particular night NPR reported on, where almost everyone made a purchase, hostess Lisa Gillette, a rep for with Jockey, made $1,300. Not bad for a part-time job once or twice a month.
I know I have several friends who are rolling in the money with Arbon and others who are working there way through Mary Kay.
But the whole idea of a product party just brings to mind exactly what the story suggests, Tupperware or Amway. But I spose it’s working for some.
Listen to the story
John “Chip” Saltsman, campaign manager for presidential candidate and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, says the campaign is building on a second-place finish in the Iowa straw poll and has made inroads with conservative groups, who are beginning to see Huckabee as a viable candidate.
Saltsman talked with NPR’s Michele Norris.
Listen to the story.
One year has passed since nine churches in central and western Alabama were set on fire by three college-age students. Members continue to meet for worship as they begin rebuilding their churches — with a little help from volunteers. Listen to the full report from NPR.
