State of Affairs Blog

It can lower your blood pressure, reduce anxiety, and make you happier... and it's totally free. Our willingness to grant it is widely accepted as an indication of our character. We're talking about forgiveness, and the role it plays in religion, philosophy, psychology, and our daily lives. Is it necessary to make peace with someone who's caused you harm in order to truly recover from it? Are some acts unforgivable? Tune in this Tuesday for a look back at our show on forgiveness. This is an archive edition of the show, so we aren't taking calls today - please forgive us!

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[Originally broadcast on June 12, 2007]

At some point, depression will affect your life, whether it is your own or someone you know. Over 18 million Americans deal with depression on a regular basis. However, many myths still surround depression and some people fail to get treated for this serious medical condition. Join us on Monday as we discuss the truths and new discoveries about depression. Today's show is an archived edition of State of Affairs, so we're unable to take calls this hour.

Links:
Depression Information
Depression Statistics

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[Originally broadcast on May 9, 2007]

In the 1990's a family lawyer, Stu Webb, created a new approach to divorce. Collaborative divorce, a procedure involving the two parties and their lawyers, is designed to minimize the bitterness associated with divorce. It is said to be cheaper, quicker, and less traumatic. Mental health professionals and financial experts get involved helping the parties with their needs. At the end, the husband and wife part with less trauma and pain. Join us on Friday as we discuss Collaborative Divorce. We won't be taking calls today, because this is a show from our archives.

Posted by Laura Ellis at 10:35 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

[Originally broadcast June 14, 2007]

Have you ever left the doctor's office and realized you don't quite remember what you were told? How about your elderly parent, or a very ill friend? Wouldn't it help to have someone with you to absorb all the information you missed? That person is now being called a medical advocate. Join us on Thursday as we find out about the medical advocate's role in patient care, what is appropriate and inappropriate behavior, and how you can be a good medical advocate for yourself and others. Because this is an archive edition of State of Affairs, we won't be taking calls today.

Related Links:
Be Your Own Medical Advocate
The Patient Care Partnership (a brocuhre that is replacing the American Hospital Association's Patients' Bill of Rights)

Posted by Laura Ellis at 10:18 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

[Originally broadcast on June 26, 2007]

During the Cold War, American public schools emphasized math and science to accelerate our position in the space race and to improve national defense. Studies argue that somehow the emphasis eroded and that our young people today are falling behind in these two critical areas. But Jefferson County Public Schools, with the help of a $25 million GE Foundation College Bound District Program Grant, are leading the nation in a new and improved math and science curriculum. Tune in on Wednesday to discuss the changes and how they will affect our community and our nation.

Related Links:
JCPS Develops New World-Class Math & Science Curriculum
Math & Science Education and United States Competitiveness: Does the Public Care?

Posted by Laura Ellis at 10:12 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

[Originally broadcast on April 27, 2007]

Are you, or is someone in your family on Medicaid? Are your children covered by KCHIP? If so, you've probably heard of Passport Health Plan, but do you know its mission? Passport has over 140,000 members in 16 counties in Kentucky, including Jefferson County. So, join us Tuesday to find out Passport’s mission, goals and purpose and how the plan might help your family. Because today's show is an archive edition, we won't be taking calls.

Links:
Passport Health Plan
The Chronological Development of the Passport Health Plan

Posted by Laura Ellis at 10:01 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Posted by Laura Ellis at 12:35 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

[Originally broadcast on May 17, 2007]

May 2007, is the third annual national preservation month, with the theme of Making Preservation Work. Preservation of historic buildings is of such importance that First Lady, Laura Bush has launched, Preserve America Initiative, a program to enhance community preservation. Historic places are sources for social, cultural, and economical activities. In fact, historic preservation is considered a smart growth strategy.

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Related Links:
Kentucky Heritage Council
Preservation Kentucky
Louisville Historical League

Posted by Laura Ellis at 11:21 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

[Originally broadcast on June 15, 2007]

There are times when we all (okay – most of us) use shopping as a quick fix for the blues. But when does the quick shop become an obsession? If you like a pair of shoes, do you find yourself purchasing multiple pairs? Does the shopping make you feel guilty? Do you lie to others about your purchases? Or, do you show purchases to friends for validation? And what about all the returning? While the term “shopaholic” is often thrown about casually and in jest, there are over 5 million Americans who cannot control the urge to shop, even when it costs them their job, marriage, family and finances. Join us Friday for our discussion about compulsive shopping. Today's show is being rebroadcast, so we're unable to take calls.

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Compulsive Shopping in the Blogosphere:
- The Centre for Emotional Well-Being asks whether online shopping and the Cyber Monday affect is fueling people's shopping addiction
- Style Cocktail offers tips on how to avoid binge shopping during the holidays
- Sushi Money lists some warning signs of compulsive shopping and spending
- These 6 steps to curb compulsive spending come from Get Rich Slowly

Posted by Laura Ellis at 10:56 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The end of a year brings endless "of the year" lists - songs, movies, news stories, books, etc. But one of the most aniticpated and unique is the list of the year's new words. Last year's word of the year, "plutoed," paid tribute to the little lost planet pluto. Early reports for this year say the word for 2007 is w00t (w00t?). But who picks these words, and in many cases, who's using them? Be a radiohawk on Thursday as we have ginormous fun learning the new words for 2007, FTW.

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Guest: Grant Barret, co-host of A Way with Words

Words in the Blogosphere:
- Hungry for Words writes about some words of the year in different languages
- A post and discussion on Boing Boing about w00t being the word of the year
- Meryl's notes offers a link to several word of the year lists
- Lake Superior State University nominates 2007's words that should be banished

Other Links:
The American Dialect Society's Nominees for Word of the Year (our guest today is on their panel)
Merriam-Webster's Words of the Year for 2007

Posted by Laura Ellis at 10:24 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Where can you find Miss Manners, Marilyn Monroe, and Madonna? What does a Hershey Bar have to do with a Crayola Crayon? Do the Golden Arches and the Golden Gate Bridge have more in common than their names? All of these – and over a hundred more – can be found in the three-volume book series “American Icons: An Encyclopedia of the People, Places, and Things that Have Shaped our Culture.” Each is profiled by someone who has studied related fields. Tune in this Wednesday when we talk to the book’s co-authors – and call us with some of your own favorite American icons.

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Guests:
Dennis Hall & Susan Grove, co-authors of American Icons: An Encyclopedia of the People, Places and Things Than Have Shaped Our Culture

American Icons in the Blogosphere:
- The Sports- Automotive blog says Leather Coats Are American Icons
- JeepBlog nominates Jeeps to icon status (of course, what else would they nominate?)
- How many of these Fodor's Iconic American Places have you seen?

Posted by Laura Ellis at 10:25 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Are you only pretending you know the difference between Pinot Grigio and Pinot Noir, when really you don’t know your Shiraz from your Chardonnay? Does perusing the wine list at your favorite fancy restaurant give you anxiety attacks, until you give up and order a Bud Light? Or maybe you think you don’t make enough money to be a wine aficionado. Join us this Tuesday to learn how it’s made, which wines go with what kinds of food, and how to find the highest quality in any price range, in a conversation about wine.

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Guests:
Robin Garr, Restaurant Guru & The 30 Second Wine Advisor
John Johnson, owner of The Wine Rack

Wine in the Blogosphere:
- Fermentation: The Daily Wine Blog lists Ten Wine Trends to Watch in 2008
- The Cozy Chicks give us pointers on Holiday Wine
- Chemistry blog A Synthetic Environment presents a 1905 research paper on the occurence of arsenic in wines - one thing we hopefully don't have to worry about covering on today's show!

Posted by Laura Ellis at 10:25 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

[Originally broadcast on May 22, 2007]

Since 1939 Kentucky has consistently ranked as one of the top six poorest states in the country in terms of per capita income. There are many theories as to what keeps Kentucky poor from an unfriendly business climate that cannot attract living wage jobs to a poor education system that doesn't prepare people for personal sustainability. Join us on Monday when we talk about poverty in Kentucky, why we are so poor and what can be done to change the future. This is an archive edition of the show, so we won't be taking calls today.

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"You can tell by the way I use my walk I'm a woman's man: no time to talk" .... So you are dancing yet to the tune in your head? On December 16th it will be thirty years since the release of “Saturday Night Fever” and let's face it, disco's gotten a bad rap over the past thirty years, or has it? Join us on Friday when we take a look back at disco and call us with your disco memories. You just might find yourself doing the hustle through your cubicle.

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Guests:
Jeffrey Lee Puckett, Courier-Journal music critic
John Timmons, owner, Ear X-Tacy
Peter Shapiro, author, Turn the Beat Around: The Secret History of Disco

Here is the movie's famous opening sequence, for your boogying pleasure:

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Well the past few months have been busy for Louisville. We had an election where the library tax was defeated; we were voted one of the safest cities in the country; we almost lost our police chief to Chicago, and well ... there has just been so much going on it would take all day to make a list. Who better to talk about it all than Mayor Jerry Abramson? Join us on Thursday as we talk with Mayor Abramson about what's been going on in Louisville and what he thinks 2008 holds for the city. And call us with your questions for Mayor Abramson.

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Posted by Laura Ellis at 10:27 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Here are the answers to yesterday's trivia questions about Clark County, Indiana. How did you do?

1. The fake townships are Anderson, Floyd, Jackson, Marengo, Sawyersville, and West Howard

2. c) The first county seat of Clark County was Springville

3. d) Clarksville was named for William Clark, of Lews & Clark fame

4. c) The Howard Shipyards eventually became Jeffboat

Posted by Laura Ellis at 10:23 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Clark County Indiana - encompassing Jeffersonville, Clarksville, Charlestown and other Northern neighbors of Louisville - had its beginning in 1783, from land given to George Rogers Clark as a reward for capturing three forts from the British. It was officially organized in 1801, and since then, has seen its fortune rise and fall with the Ohio River. It's been through prosperous and lean times in the steamboat, railroad and manufacturing industries, and, like Louisville, was deeply affected by the flood of 1937. This Wednesday as we learn more about the history of Clark County – join us with your questions and memories.

How much do you know about Clark County? Try your hand at these trivia questions! Leave your answers as a comment, and we'll post the answers before tomorrow's show. There's no prize - just the reverent acknowledgment of your w=vast and seemingly boundless knowledge.

Which 6 of these are not one of the 12 civil townships that make up Clark County?

What was the first county seat of Clark County?

a) Clarksville
b) Jeffersonville
c) Springville
d) Charlestown

Clarksville was named for:

a) Samuel Delbert Clark
b) William Clark
c) Jonas Clark
d) George Rogers Clark

In 1834, James Howard started a Clark County Company that would eventually become:

a) Colgate-Palmolive
b) Schimpff’s Confectionary
c) Jeffboat
d) The Louisville and Nashville Railroad

Posted by Laura Ellis at 10:23 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Although the every-seven-seconds idea is probably an urban legend, there's no doubt that sex is on most of our minds. And who can blame us, when sexual imagery is everywhere? But do these lusty thoughts translate into real intimacy in our relationships and a healthy sex life? How important is that aspect of our lives, and how can we improve it if it's lacking? Are we too busy to think about sex? And how does our sexuality change through the different stages in our lives? Tune in this Tuesday when we talk about sex and intimacy, on State of Affairs.

Posted by Robin Fisher at 09:01 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Despite being present for generations, Muslims in America remain a frequent target of mistrust and discrimination - and because of the hijab, the traditional head covering, women are the most visibly Muslim and bear the brunt of ignorance about Islam. Join us this Monday as we talk about what it's like to be female and Muslim in the United States. Today's show is an archive edition, so we won't be taking calls this hour.

Posted by Robin Fisher at 09:07 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

So your son wants Halo 3, or your wife wants a Wii, and your daughter wants something called a GPS unit. What are these things, are they worth buying and where do you find them? As if the holidays weren't confusing enough, it seems each year we have to learn a new language for all of the gadgets and gizmos on the market. Join us on Friday as we talk with two local experts about what's hot, what's not and what just might be the coolest gift around.

Posted by Robin Fisher at 09:44 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

For many of us this time of year, it's a tradition to sink back into a cushy seat and get lost in the magic of The Nutcracker. The Sugar Plum fairies may get all the credit, but have you ever thought about the part of performing arts we don't see? Arts organizations have to pay the bills just like the rest of us, which means they need the staff to raise funds, organize volunteers, draw up financial plans, and promote their events so those cushy chairs are full of patrons. It's the business behind performing arts - tune in this Thursday as we learn more about it with a panel of experts from local arts organizations.

Posted by Laura Ellis at 09:46 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

If you listen to a recording of yourself speaking, you might be surprised at how many times you say, "um," and, "uh." Hopefully you wouldn't hear yourself utter something like, "misunderestimate," or, "like such as in South Africa, and, uh, the Iraq, everywhere like such as." Verbal missteps are the subject of Michael Erard's new book, "Um…: Slips, Stumbles, and Verbal Blunders, and What They Mean." He joins us on Wednesday to talk about the book and the bloopers therein. Call us with your thoughts and questions - and just try not to say, "um" - we dare you!

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Posted by Robin Fisher at 10:13 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Globally it's the weak dollar, nationally it's the housing market, statewide it's the ever-shrinking revenue surplus and locally it's the hiring freeze recently instituted by Mayor Abramson, all signs that the economy could be in trouble headed into 2008. So are all the signs bad? Join us on Tuesday as we talk with three local economists about the international, national, state and metro economic outlook for 2008.

Posted by Robin Fisher at 09:16 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

By the end of a typical forty-week pregnancy, most women can’t wait to deliver their baby at last… but for many, that happy moment comes too soon. Around twelve percent of babies in the United States are born prematurely – spending 37 weeks or less developing in the womb before birth. Premature birth can lead to serious complications both for the infant and the child it will become. Join us this Monday to learn about the causes and affects of premature birth, and the special care parents and medical professionals need to give to preemies. This is an archive edition of the show, so we're unable to take calls this hour.

Posted by Robin Fisher at 09:12 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)