Pleasant peek into the inside of a florist shop from a communications angle – as in those crucial words directing the florist’s arrangements and those that end up on the accompanying cards. Could be aired Valentine’s or Mother’s Day, but really any time of year, because it’s not overly romantic or sentimental. sl

I know Rio Arriba County reasonably well - having lived there part time for over 10 years and follow the politics. This piece is not anything new or insightful about the particular political issues of a poor, rural, isolated part of the US with some ancient history and problems with education and drugs that put it into the top 10 worst counties in the US. I admire the person who produced it but the context of this county is important - and it isn't he connection to the old Spanish but is the problems of poor, disempowered people having to make it with less than most. The conditions of the schools and health care in rio arriba county are among the worst in the US and that never comes out in this piece. This is an "old story" of local control and power that doesn't have enough freshness to put it higher on the list.

Good volley of authoritative, critical, upbeat font of information, focused on the political doings of this country. It asks a lot of questions, and hard ones that I feel like I haven't bothered with in a while. Discerning but jam packed so you've got to pay close attention..or just wait til the next subject. This is just a partial audio sample.
There are some off-the-wall approaches to subjects like turning to conspiracy theories when the official version isn't working - this is the sort of thought that makes life interesting, and radio as well.
Good brain food.

Hans Anderson isn't exactly Garrison Keillor or Joe Frank--he has his own voice-- but if forced to make a comparison I'd say he's somewhere in between.

"Seafood Joint" is compelling and it's only seven minutes but it feels much longer---in a good way. Anderson is a master of digressions. Throughout his story he digresses from the narrative in a way that manages to enhance the overall direction and momentum of the story. Where would one broadcast this piece? Where there's a 7:05 gap. As race relations is one of the themes it would be an interesting piece to play on Martin Luther King Jr. Day... I could certainly hear this on "The Next Big Thing, " "Radio Lab," or "This American Life"--that is if they have a compatible theme.

Hans Anderson reviewed a piece here, on PRX, and wrote: "I think PR needs a shake up." Well ,"Seafood Joint" would do a fine job of giving public radio a gentle shaking.
-CM

Beautifully executed essay about a Christmas morning spent at "ground zero" a few months after the destruction of the World Trade Center. Of course, it's not at all what the title suggested to me, someone who spent the first 30 years of his life in New York City. The music was perfect for the piece. I'm not sure where it's appropriate programming wise, but it would keep me in my car, in my driveway, until it was over.

I'm finding out as I'm reviewing these pieces that almost all are really good in the existing boundaries of public radio. This one would be great on any public radio show, toss it in the middle of Morning Edition. Maybe it could be expanded a bit to spend a little more time on Indian culture and their dead. That could lend a unique perspective to the topic... a eulogy about how death is handled in India. Cool.

If you are putting together a sportsmanship series, or anything about mentally-challenged children or how their parents cope, this would fit perfectly. I'd like to hear more about how the woman says there is *no* meanness in a challenged-game, where the "normal" kids are complaining, back-stabbing, putting down, etc. There were several smaller, stories-within-stories that I think would work well instead of the broader angle. Perhaps you could cut three or four different stories from what was surely left out and end up with this overall view, but then some closer glimpses. Make it a 29 minute piece to air as a "special" or something. Yeah, I know... who's going to air that? I'd like to hear an honest piece about what the "normal" kids think. Has anyone ever done that? Would the levels of cruelty be high, or low?

My deal with the rating is that it would be nice to hear different styles for pieces like this. That's it. This is well-done, but I feel that it sounds a lot like other stories and I think PR needs a shakeup. If you like PR the way it is, this and are going for this type of story, it's well done and provocative.

A revealing picture of what life is like for the 2/3 of the world's kids living and growing up very quickly in developing countries. This is a free flowing piece, a collage of voices, from Africa and Central America. It consists of interviews with all the parties involved, from the kids themselves, to the parents to the NGOs who aim to help them. The kids interviews are often translated/read in english by Western kids which is a effective juxtaposition. The parents featured often expressed pride that their kids can contribute to the families wellbeing; the NGO's offer a pragmatic view of their work in developing countries, which recognises the needs of the families involved whilst trying to encourage/enable school attendance etc to improve.

Could make a powerful contribution to a program focusing on western kids lives, or any program dealing with issues facing the developing world HW.

I like the way that she chats with people at the parties, jokes around. It translates well. It's like the difference between a book and a movie. In a movie, you can't get into the character's head, but here you do. Yeah, we all know that, but in a diary, it's good to get OUT of the diarist's head once-in-awhile, too, and joke around with an audience.

A brief but useful warm-up report preps us for the debate that follows. Two impassioned, intelligent, opinionated gents have at this meaty topic, spurred on by thoughtful questions and Adler's skilled hosting and pointed questions. This is what I'd call public service programming at its lively best. sl