Patt Morrison for Monday, December 26, 2011 PROGRAM IS LIVE

PATT MORRISON SCHEDULE

Monday, December 26, 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

 

 

1:00 – 1:20

OPEN

 

1:20 – 1:40

Best and worst Christmas gifts…and what to do about them

Was it a Snuggie? A Chia pet? A monogrammed pink bunny suit? On the day after Christmas, what’s the etiquette of returning gifts, and of everything post-Christmas? Can you re-gift it? A recent Canadian poll found that 75 percent of people may hold on to their unwanted holiday gifts this season, even though the idea of re-gifting polls as being increasingly acceptable. What's causing us to hold on? For most, it's feelings of guilt or shame in hurting the gift-er's feelings. Advice goddess Amy Alkon joins Patt to answer all your questions, big and small, about holiday gift etiquette.

 

Guests:

Amy Alkon, advice columnist and author of “I See Rude People: One woman’s battle to beat some manners into impolite society”

CALL HER

 

1:40 – 2:00

All about Griffith Park and the La Brea Tar Pits, if you aren’t visiting them as we speak.

New York has its 843-acre Central Park; San Francisco has its 1017-acre Golden Gate, but both are tame in comparison to what the city of Los Angeles has to offer—the 4210 unwieldly acres of Griffith Park.  Established in 1896 when L.A.’s population was only 110,000, the park used to lie outside city limits. The original donor of the land, Griffith J. Griffith, insisted that rail fares to the park be capped at a nickel so that all of L.A.’s citizens could enjoy it. The city has grown to surround the park, and many of us living in walking distance, but how much do you know about its history?  If you aren’t out walking around in the park itself, join Patt and authors E.J. Stephens and Cathy McNassor to talk about their books on Griffith Park and the La Brea Tar Pits.  E.J. Stephens has compiled images and facts on Griffith Park starting from the late 1800s; McNassor is the museum archivist of the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County and the George C. Page Museum at the Rancho La Brea Tar Pits and has put together a visual history of the Tar Pits. The stories of each of these iconic components to our cityscape, today at one o’clock.

 

Guests:

Cathy McNassor, author, “Los Angeles’s La Brea Tar Pits and Hancock Park”; museum archivist, Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County and the George C. Page Museum

IN-STUDIO

 

E.J. Stephens, co-author, “Griffith Park”; writer, Deadwrite's Dailies, a daily blog on cultural history

PHONE HIM

 

2:00 – 2:33

Surprise – men don’t think about sex as much as we (and they) think they do
We’ve all heard the ballpark statistics about men and their incessant daydreaming about sex. But some new research from the Ohio State University is throwing a little cold water on the common assumptions. The study showed that, while men do think about sex more than women on a daily basis, the number of times men think about sex isn’t nearly as high as we heard in junior high (...that men think about sex every seven seconds). The reality is closer to 19 times a day for men, and, surprising to some, that women think about sex 10 times per day. Even more surprising was the range of frequency of thoughts about sex between the genders – men’s racy suppositions ranged between one and 388 per day and women’s between one and 140, meaning that there aren’t many Americans of either gender who don’t think about sex at all. But the fact remains, though less that imagined, men still think about sex more than women. What do you think accounts for the difference? How often do you entertain thoughts of making whoopee? 

 

Guest:

Terri  Fisher, professor of psychology, Ohio State University and author of the study

 

2:33 – 3:00

“Tension City”:  journalist Jim Lehrer on presidential debates

Award-winning journalist Jim Lehrer’s new book “Tension City: Inside the Presidential Debates, from Kennedy-Nixon to Obama-McCain” takes a witty, behind-the-scenes look at more than 40 years of televised presidential debates. Lehrer, long considered one of the most well respected figures in broadcast journalism, has interviewed every president since Gerald Ford, and has moderated eleven presidential and vice presidential debates. He is the executive editor and former anchor of PBS News Hour and author of 20 novels, two memoirs and three plays. Lehrer’s book includes in-depth interviews with candidates and other moderators, revealing the stories behind debate blunders, snafus, off-air conversations and critical moments. From candidate hesitations to jokes gone wrong, these tiny televised details had a direct impact on presidential elections, and, of course, history. Lehrer’s lively tales from the frontlines include Ronald Reagan’s affinity for one-liners, John McCain and President Barack Obama exchanging little eye contact during one 90 minute debate and Dan Quayle comparing himself continuously to John F. Kennedy. What presidential debate moments have surprised or shocked you the most? What moments would you like Jim Lehrer to shed some light on?

 

Guests:

Jim Lehrer, award-winning American author, playwright and journalist. He is the executive editor and former anchor of PBS News Hour and author of 20 novels, two memoirs and three plays.

• Spanning a fifty-year career, Lehrer has interviewed every president since Gerald Ford and has moderated eleven presidential debates.

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