Patt Morrison for Monday, March 7, 2011

PATT MORRISON SCHEDULE

Monday, March 7, 2011

1-3 p.m.

 

CALL-IN @ 866-893-5722, 866-893-KPCC; OR JOIN THE CONVERSATION ONLINE ON THE PATT MORRISON BLOG AT KPCC-DOT-ORG

 

 

 

1:08 – 1:37

OPEN

 

 

1:42:30 – 1:54

The Hiker’s Way: Hike Smart. Live Well. Go Green

Hiking is a foreign concept to most Los Angelinos, unless it’s hiking in designer workout clothing.  If a certain Oscar pick has scared you away from the glories of the wilderness then maybe it’s time to step away from the silver screen and pick up a book. The Hiker’s Way is a practical manual to the outdoors, whether the reader is looking for a different exercise regimen, a good time or even a new look on life.  John McKinney, aka The Trailmaster, writes about hiking as a metaphor for life. In his book he tells you what to wear on your feet, what to pack on your back, and whom to choose for your companions along the way. “Be a good listener and know that hearing somebody out in the great outdoors is one of the greatest gifts one hiker can give another,” Mr. McKinney writes. “This book will help you think, then act like a hiker.”

 

Guests:

John McKinney, author of 20 books about hiking, parklands and nature, including his latest, The Hiker’s Way: Hike Smart. Live Well. Go Green.

IN STUDIO

• For 18 years, McKinney, a.k.a. The Trailmaster, wrote a weekly hiking column for the Los Angeles Times and now writes articles and commentaries about nature and outdoor recreation for both print and online publications.

 

 

 

2:08 – 2:19:30

OPEN

 

 

2:26 – 2:37

New York Times’ “On Language” moves to the past tense

Has language, and the veracity of language, become irrelevant in the modern technological age?  It might be a bit of a leap to make too much out of the decision to end the run of the “On Language” column that appeared every Sunday in The New York Times Magazine, a column started in 1979 by legendary political reporter William Safire.  But as the use of language, and grammatical standards, become looser and slang becomes more widely accepted, could the end of an iconic column examining language be a sign of the times?  Ben Zimmer, the columnist who took over “On Language” from Safire, wonders about the future of language when “every aspect of our linguistic life is open to technologization of one form or another” and “our growing expectations that computer interfaces should be able to recognize our speech and text, understand it and talk back to us.”  We look back on the 31 years of “On Language” and look forward to the future human communication.

 

Guests:

Ben Zimmer, executive producer of the Visual Thesaurus & Vocabulary.com; former “On Language” columnist for The New York Times Magazine

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2:42:30 – 2:53:45

OK: The Improbable Story of America’s Greatest Word

In his book, OK, Allan Metcalf catalogs the origin and now ubiquitous use of the two-letter expression – “o.k.” From presidential campaign advertisements to the pages of literature, the figure of speech in one form or another – including “OK” and “okay” – has permeated the vernacular of the United States and made its way out into the world. However you spell it, Mr. Metcalf informs us that to say “OK” is as American as wearing Chuck Taylor Converse All-Stars and listening to Blues-laden Rock ‘n’ Roll.

 

Guest:

Allan Metcalf, professor of English at MacMurray College in Jacksonville, Illinois. He is also the author of Presidential Voices: Speaking Styles from George Washington to George W. Bush.

CALL HIM:

 

Jonathan Serviss
Senior Producer, Patt Morrison
Southern California Public Radio
NPR Affiliate for Los Angeles
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626.583.5171, office
415.497.2131, mobile
jserviss@kpcc.org / jserviss@scpr.org
www.scpr.org