Word of Mouth

Part 1:

Same-sex marriage is back in the headlines with a ruling on Proposition 8 in California and legislative action in Washington state. Earlier this week, New Hampshire saw rallies both for and against traditional marriage. As this front in the culture war rages from coast to coast, maybe it’s time to figure out exactly what we’re fighting over.

Maintaining a healthy and happy relationship is challenging for any couple…perhaps more so when one, or both, partners suffers from Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder?  ADHD is an increasingly common diagnosis among school age children and can be tricky to identify in previously undiagnosed adults.  Symptoms are often similar to those of depression, anxiety, and even bipolar disorder.

Many Americans view Pakistan one-dimensionally: through archive tapes of street riots, terrorist training camps, or through the eyes of a drone, thousands of feet in the air. A new documentary provides another vision. “Made in Pakistan” follows four young urban, middle class professionals in Lahore – Pakistan’s second largest city.

How many times have you ordered an entrée at a restaurant only to end up with a pile of food on your plate you then feel obligated to take home in a doggie bag? Overly large portions must have some appeal for restaurant goers…after all, some chains rely marketing campaigns that talk about little else…

Writer Evan Ratliff looked into the science behind breed development of the most diverse animal on the planet – the beloved dog. By combining and accentuating traits, breeders have leap-frogged evolution, developing hundreds of breeds in a few hundred years. Evan joins us with more on the findings of Can Map -- a project that’s revealed the genetic makeup of canine traits, and may help scientists better understand human diseases and disorders.  

After taking nearly two decades to root itself in the popular consciousness, the mysterious neurological condition Asperger’s Syndrome may soon be history - proposals for the fifth edition of the psychiatrist’s bible, The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, or DSM five, recommend filing Aspergers under the general category of autism spectrum disorder.

The Mormon Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints will no doubt face intense scrutiny if Mitt Romney becomes the GOP's candidate for President. A few months back, we reported on the LDS campaign to rebrand- the church, with a series of ads depicting stereotype-busting people introducing themselves as Mormons…

Jamal Joseph’s story is unlike many taught in schools during Black History Month. His long list of identifiers includes orphan, activist, FBI fugitive, convict, a drug addict, urban guerilla, and Black Panther. In a speech he made in the 1960s, Jamal urged students to burn down Columbia University. He is now a professor there and a writer, filmmaker, Oscar nominee, youth advocate, drug counselor, and father.

Produced by Jessica Golloher

Every weekend my wife and I pack up our 10-month-old son Owen in his stroller and walk to town. We read books at the library, we buy bananas at the store, we stop in at the coffee shop for a diaper change and maybe a nap. If we were raising Owen in Buenos Aires instead of New Hampshire, we might be getting a late night dinner with friends instead of afternoon coffee – and if we lived in China, we wouldn’t be changing his diaper, because he probably wouldn’t be using one.

Produced by Lauren Choolijian

From reality-TV star, to political infamy, to the insular fame of industry insiders, modern celebrity comes in many forms.

Despite the spectacular congressional flop that was SOPA and PIPA, “piracy” is still a dirty word to most, with file-sharing sites like the Pirate Bay remaining in the eye of the storm and, of course, that made-for-TV takedown of Megaupload making international headlines a few weeks ago. It’s fair to predict we should expect more battles in the name of copyright protection  in the near future, but computer historian and writer Benj Edwards has a somewhat different take.

Part 1: Homeless at the 50 yard line