The Colin McEnroe Show

You can find lots of advice about how to avoid feeling bored during this pandemic. There are virtual dance parties and home safaries, lists of what to read and watch, and yoga classes on Zoom. Boredom is a difficult emotion for most of us. Almost 3,500 people living under quarantine in Italy shared on a survey last week that boredom has been one of the hardest parts of staying inside. We go out of our way to avoid feeling it, like the students who chose electric shock over feeling bored. Why can't we allow ourselves to be bored? Too much boredom can lead to depression and risky behavior. But it can also deepen awareness and inspire creativity. And one person's boredom is another person's pleasure. Henrietta Swan-Leavitt was an astronomer at Harvard College Observatory who spent 20 years beginning in 1895 scanning photographic plates to catalogue the brightness of stars. GUESTS: Sandi Mann - Senior psychology lecturer at the University of Central Lancashire and the author of The Upside of Downtime: Why Boredom Is Good Kate Green - A poet, essayist, and former laser physicist; her book, Once Upon a Time I Lived on Mars: Space, Exploration, and Life on Earth, will be published in July Krystal Douglas - The owner of Music City Sewing, a company that sews custom costumes for entertainers and is currently sewing masks for health care workers Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

From ancient mixtures of boiled goat fats and ashes to modern artisanal soaps with calendula and coffee grinds, humans have been inventing clever ways of cleaning themselves since the very beginning. This quest for cleanliness has wound its way through religion, sexuality, culture, and more. It has been the source of everything from comedies to conflicts to consumer crazes. This hour we talk to experts and historians about the history of hygiene. GUESTS: Katherine Ashenburg - Toronto-based author of several prize-winning books including The Dirt on Clean: An Unsanitized History and All the Dirt: A History of Getting Clean Virginia Smith - Historian, honorary fellow of the Centre for History in Public Health at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, and author of Clean: A History of Personal Hygiene and Purity Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Colin McEnroe and Chion Wolf contributed to this show, which originally aired February 15, 2018.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For those who put their trust in science, it's hard to understand why anyone wouldn't. But in recent decades, the voices of skeptics have grown louder by the day. From average citizens to media personalities to high-ranking government officials, it seems even the most irrefutable scientific findings are being challenged. Is it the scientists themselves, their research methods, or how their findings often challenge deeply held values that fuels this mistrust? On today's show we'll explore this phenomenon and discuss how, during the current pandemic, our ability to trust science is more important than ever. GUESTS: Naomi Oreskes - Professor of the history of science at Harvard University and the author of several books, including the recently-released Why Trust Science? Jane Lytvynenko - Senior reporter for Buzzfeed News reporting most recently on disinformation, scams, and conspiracies surrounding the coronavirus and COVID-19 Lise Saffran - Director of the Master of Public Health Program at University of Missouri and Co-chair of the Health Humanities Consortium; lead author of "Constructing and influencing perceived authenticity in science communication" Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Colin McEnroe, Cat Pastor, Catie Talarski, Gene Amatruda, Joe Coss, and T.J. Coppola contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

William Wetmore Story sculpted The Angel of Grief for his wife's grave after her death in 1894. He wrote that it was the only way he could express his feelings of utter abandonment. It was his last work before his own death one year later. We may not readily identify grief in the gamut of emotions we're feeling during this pandemic. We haven't lost the kind of love expressed through William Story's sculpture, but loss is very much at the center of our new reality. We are collectively grieving the loss of a world that has changed forever. Also this hour: There's a growing movement of people who want to walked back his desire to reopen the economy by Easter on Sunday evening, there remains an unsettling push to prioritize the economy over certain groups of people. Lastly, we must resist blaming "others" for viruses we can't control. GUESTS: Gregg Gonsalves - Assistant professor of epidemiology and the co-director of the Global Health Justice Partnership at Yale School of Public Health David Kessler - The author of five books and the founder of grief.com; his latest book is Finding Meaning: The Sixth Stage of Grief Ian Buruma - Professor of human rights and journalism at Bard College Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Colin McEnroe, Cat Pastor, Catie Talarski, Gene Amatruda, Joe Coss, and T.J. Coppola contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Last Friday night, Disney released the #1 movie in the country -- Pixar's Onward -- for digital download on iTunes/Amazon/etc. It's safe to say, that's the first time that's ever happened. When you say "the #1 movie in the country," you're talking about what was #1 last weekend or maybe last week. Onward was also the #1 movie in the country specifically on last Thursday... when it made $33,296. There are times when movies make that per screen. There's a movie on that domestic chart that one person went to see. It made $6. That movie, though, wasn't at the bottom of that chart… because there are three movies on that chart that no one went to see. In the country. Also: Tiger King is the "shocking Netflix series that has captivated the internet" and "the most bonkers true-crime doc you'll ever see." The Nose has seen both. Some other stuff that happened this week, give or take: Cowboy Museum Puts Their Head Of Security In Charge Of Their Twitter, And His Tweets Are Hilariously Wholesome Social Distancing Diaries: Cut the Crap and Embrace the BidetThe COVID-19 pandemic has sparked a countrywide toilet-paper-buying frenzy. But there's a better way to clean up that's good for your butt, your wallet, and the environment. Cats Allegedly Added Buttholes, Then Removed Them, And Now Fans Want The Butthole Cut AMC Theatres Has Furloughed Its Entire Corporate Staff and CEO in the Wake of Coronavirus Closures Movie Theaters Are Closed, but Their Value Isn't Lost to Us Yet These Famous Logos Have Been Remade for the Coronavirus Age McDonald's Separates Its Golden Arches in an Act of Coronavirus Solidarity This Pork-Hucking Pig Farmer Is the Only One Doing Quarantine RightLeft with a backlog of ham and sausages, one farmer has figured out a way to safely get his wares to his customers in the time of social distancing -- hucking ham. ATTENTION OLD PEOPLE: Millennials Aren't The Problem Right NowWe are way too old. McDonald's Separates Its Golden Arches in an Act of Coronavirus SolidarityIn Brazil, brand has altered iconic mark to encourage safety for all during coronavirus pandemic Eli Miller, a Sultan of Seltzer, Is Dead at 86He began delivering sparkling water in 1960, when hundreds of seltzer men plied the streets. He continued until 2017, when there were almost none. Terrence McNally, Tony-Winning Playwright of Gay Life, Dies at 81Mr. McNally, who died of coronavirus complications, introduced audiences to characters and situations that most mainstream theater had previously shunted into comic asides. Florida Senate proclaims Florida State national champion Scott Boras pitches 162-game MLB season, including Christmas game, despite coronavirus delay GUESTS: Carolyn Paine - An actress, comedian, and dancer; founder, director, and choreographer of CONNetic Dance Pedro Soto - President and CEO of Hygrade Precision Technologies Elle - Pedro's nine-year-old daughter Tracy Wu Fastenberg - Development officer at Connecticut Children's Claire - Tracy's six-year-old daughter Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Humans have been using soap for literally millennia -- nearly five of them... at least. And while there's a run on alcohol-based hand sanitizers, it turns out that good, old-fashioned soap is a simpler, more-reliable way to destroy all that coronavirus that might be all over your gross, dirty hands. In the end, though, "A little bit of soap / Will never never never ever begin / To take away the hurt that I feel..." GUESTS: Kieran Dahl - A freelance writer; his piece for Vox is "How a decades-old hippie soap brand became a touchstone of wellness culture" Brian Resnick - Senior science reporter for Vox Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Restaurants around the country have closed their doors to in-dining service to help slow the spread of Coronavirus and prevent unnecessary deaths. That's good news. The porch of Metro Bis Restaurant in Simsbury, Conn.CREDIT CHRIS PROSPERI But it's also bad news for an industry that employs 160,000 people in Connecticut alone, many laid off and waiting for their unemployment application to be processed by our overwhelmed state system. A lot of restaurants are offering creative ways to have some fun with takeout. But most restaurants can't live on takeout alone, even if their closure helps us live. GUESTS: Chris Prosperi - Co-owner and chef of Metro Bis restaurant in West Simsbury, Conn. Richard Rosenthal - Founder and president of Max Restaurant Group Scott Dolch - Executive director of the Connecticut Restaurant Association Kassia Borgio - A full-time server at Capital Grille who is currently laid off from work Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Trump administration is pursuing policies they say are necessary to fight the spread of coronavirus -- even though Congress and the courts rejected these policies prior to the pandemic. Last week, the president gave his administration the power to shut the southwestern border, implement a rule allowing federal workers to withhold their union dues, and deliver food boxes to rural areas after Congress complained about poor food quality. Most recently, he asked Congress to let judges indefinitely hold people without trial during an emergency. How do we give President Trump the power to mobilize the resources of the federal government against coronavirus and protect against his abuse of that power? Also this hour: Governor Lamont is urging us to stay home and stay safe over the next month or more. How do we stay calm in the chaos of this moment? You could take the Quarantine Challenge or, maybe, just a really long walk. GUESTS: Dahlia Lithwick - Writes about the courts and the law for Slate and hosts the podcast Amicus Catherine Price - A science journalist, the author of How to Break Up With Your Phone, and the creator of Screen/Life Balance Tamara Hew-Butler - Associate professor of exercise and sports science at Wayne State University Mariane Fahlman - Professor of kinesiology, health, and sport studies at Wayne State University Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As with all things, The Nose has never been a Nose quite like this week's Nose. First off, for almost every Nose ever, we've put four (sometimes more) people in a radio studio for an hour. This Nose is four people talking to each other from very separate places, and none of them is a radio studio. Meanwhile, we've said goodbye to movie theaters. Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson and Idris Elba have all tested positive. People have been using Tinder as a news service. I mean, it's hard to imagine that we'll ever go back to normal. And so, we might as well watch some TV then, right? The Nose has tried out Hulu's new adaptation of High Fidelity with Zoë Kravitz in the lead role. Some other stuff that's happened in the last couple weeks, give or take: No, Daniel Radcliffe Doesn't Have Coronavirus Sketchy Coronavirus Survival Guides Are Booming on Amazon Pandemics: An Essential Reading List The Onion created lovable 'Diamond Joe' Biden. Then it destroyed him. Max von Sydow, Star of 'Seventh Seal' and 'Exorcist,' Dies at 90 There Is Truly No Need to Put "I Voted" Stickers on Your Pets McDonald's debuts new Big Macs "Who Can't Get on Board With That?": How 'House Party' Brought the Black Teenage Experience to the Mainstream Billie Eilish and Her Signature Baggy Clothes Open World Tour With Message to Body Shamers Jennifer Lopez And Alex Rodriguez Did The "Flip The Switch" TikTok Challenge And Eyes Emoji Louis C.K.'s sexual misconduct tanked his career. Now he's selling out theaters. In a Time of Crisis, a Panicked Nation Comes Together to Watch Nu-Metal Band Trapt Melt Down on Twitter GUESTS: Rebecca Castellani - A music writer for the Red Hook Star Revue Irene Papoulis - Teaches writing at Trinity College Bill Yousman - Professor of Media Studies at Sacred Heart University Join the conversation on Facebook or Twitter. Colin McEnroe, TJ Coppola, and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The NBA, the NHL, and Major League Soccer have all suspended their seasons. Major League Baseball canceled spring training and postponed opening day until at least mid-May. The NCAA canceled March Madness (which would've started in earnest today) and, in fact, all of its winter and spring sports championships. Tennis's French Open is postponed until September, and soccer's Euro 2020 is postponed until 2021. There have been cancellations and postponements in archery, badminton, canoe-kayak, cricket, curling, handball, judo, rowing, rugby, sailing, shooting, skating, snooker, sumo, swimming, table tennis, taekwondo, water polo, weightlifting… The list goes on. Put a bit more simply: Sports is canceled. Except... The NFL Draft is set to go on next month (but without the public in attendance). The 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games are, so far, going on as planned. And then there's... Scrabble. This hour: sports in the time of corona. GUESTS: Bryan Curtis - Editor-at-large at The Ringer Stefan Fatsis - A panelist on the Slate sports podcast Hang Up and Listen and the author of Word Freak: Heartbreak, Triumph, Genius, and Obsession in the World of Competitive Scrabble Players Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.