The election results didn't just reshuffle the Congress -- they also got people debating the meanings of the labels people use to map out the political spectrum. Our linguist Geoff Nunberg has been thinking about what's in a label.
Actor Greg Kinnear stars in the new film Fast Food Nation, based on the non-fiction book about the fast food and meatpacking industries. Kinnear's other films include Little Miss Sunshine As Good As It Gets, AutoFocus and Nurse Betty. KINNEAR got his start as host and executive producer of Talk Soup on E! Entertainment. He subsequently hosted his own late-night talk show, Later with Greg Kinnear.
Former vice presidential candidate John Edwards has edited a book, Home, in which both public figures and lesser-known professionals reflect on the places where they grew up. The former senator currently lives in Chapel Hill, N.C., and campaigned for Democrats in advance of last week's midterm elections. He talks about the Kerry-Edwards campaign and his thoughts on his own possible presidential bid in 2008.
Journalist Julian Dibbell talks about his book Play Money: Or, How I Quit My Day Job and Made Millions Trading Virtual Loot. He explores the world of online role-playing games, where hundreds of thousands of players log on to operate fantasy characters in virtual environments. One of the most popular games, World of Warcraft, has six million subscribers.
In his new book, Blind Faith: The Unholy Alliance of Religion and Medicine, Richard Sloan examines the claim that prayer and religion can heal the sick. Using the scientific method, he shows that there is no compelling evidence that religion can actually cure medical ailments.
Michael Gordon, chief military correspondent for The New York Times, was recently in Iraq. He discusses efforts to stem the violence in Baghdad, and the prospects for change in American policy. His recent book is Cobra II: The Inside Story of the Invasion and Occupation of Iraq.
Three new prime-time TV series premiere this week: scripted dramas on ABC and CBS, and a new quiz show on ABC. This week also brings the season finale of ABC's Dancing with the Stars, and lots of other activity involving first-run weekly television shows. Our TV critic says that all this action is related -- and little of it is cause for celebration.
TV and film director John Rich has directed some of the most well-known shows in TV history, including The Dick Van Dyke Show, Gunsmoke, All In the Family, Barney Miller Good Times and Newhart. His film credits include Wives and Lovers and Roustabout starring Elvis Presley. Rich's new memoir is Warm Up the Snake: A Hollywood Memoir.c
Former athlete and president of the World Anti-Doping Agency Richard Pound talks about his new book, Inside Dope: How Drugs Are the Biggest Threat to Sports, Why You Should Care, and What Can Be Done About Them. Pound is also a 25-year member of the International Olympic Committee. In 1960, he participated in the Olympics as a swimmer from Canada.
Comedian and actor Will Ferrell talks about his new film Stranger Than Fiction. Ferrell plays an accountant who finds that his life has a voiceover that only he can hear. It turns out he's the subject of a novel, and that the writer plans to kill him. Ferrell became famous as a cast member on Saturday Night Live from 1995 to 2002, and has gone on to star in movies such as Old School, Elf and Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby.
Helen Mirren introduced the character of British police inspector Jane Tennison in the first Prime Suspect miniseries, imported by PBS 14 years ago. This weekend and next, the PBS anthology series Masterpiece Theatre presents the last entry: Prime Suspect: The Final Act.
Journalist Marc Sandalow talks about Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) who stands to become the first female Speaker of the House. Pelosi represents California's 8th District, which covers most of the city of San Francisco. She has held the post since 1987. Sandalow serves as the Washington Bureau chief for the San Francisco Chronicle.
Funny Ha Ha, the first film by 29-year-old director Andrew Bujalski, made a lot of critics top 10 lists in 2004 — quite a feat for a film made with a minimal crew, a loose script, and the director's friends. Bujalskiâs new film, Mutual Appreciation, features Justin Rice, lead singer for the indie pop band Bishop Allen.
Daniel Mendelsohn's new book is The Lost: A Search for Six of Six Million. As a child, his old Jewish relatives told stories of family members killed in the Holocaust. Mendelsohn undertook a worldwide search for surviving members of his family's town. During his investigation, Mendelsohn discovered letters from the family begging their relatives in the United States to help them get out of their Ukrainian town.
In the cover story of this week's New York Times Magazine Dexter Filkins writes about the predicament of Ahmad Chalabi: "Once Iraq's anointed leader — anointed by the Americans — Chalabi, at age 62, is without a job, spurned by the very colleagues whose ascension he engineered." The title of the piece is "Where Plan A Left Ahmad Chalabi."
Film critic John Powers reviews a new 50-movie DVD collection, Essential Art House: 50 Years of Janus Films. Titles include The Seventh Seal, Pandora's Box, The 400 Blows and The Lady Vanishes.
Lebanese TV anchor May Chidiac lost an arm and a leg as the result of a car bomb explosion last year. Chidiac works for the Lebanese Broadcasting Corporation. She just won a Courage in Journalism Award, presented by the International Women's Media Foundation.
Comedian Harry Shearer has a new book called Not Enough Indians, a novel about Native Americans and gambling. He also has a role in the new film For Your Consideration, directed by Christopher Guest. Shearer is a voice actor on The Simpsons, playing the roles of Mr. Burns, Waylon Smithers, Ned Flanders, Principal Skinner and many more characters. Shearer is also the host of the weekly public radio series Le Show.
