Part 1:
The "Traditional Marriage" Glass Ceiling
"Mad Men" certainly portrays the familiar notion of resistance to women in positions of power in the workplace, something that still rings true in many companies today. But a recent paper published on the “Social Science Research Network” explores a surprising twist in the glass ceiling story, that men in so-called “traditional” marriages with stay-at-home wives are more likely to prefer a mostly-male work environment.
Here to expand on that is Joanna Weiss, a columnist for the Boston Globe and the author of the novel "Milkshake," about the politics of motherhood.
New Study Links Traditional Marriage to War on Women, from the Huffington Post
Here's What's Hanging on Sean Hannity's Wall
Painter Jon McNaughtondoesn’t do subtle. in his latest painting, a barely recognizable President Obama peers from the canvas with narrowed eyes, clutching a burning copy of the Constitution. It’s not something you’d find at the Whitney Biennial…but it is all over Fox News and YouTube.
Michael Hastings wrote aboutthe art market’s reaction to the controversial painter for Buzzfeed.
If I Were President, I Would...
The American Presidency remains the most powerful office in the world…and one that any American-born child can aspire to. One of our listeners recently shared an interesting item on our Facebook page…an essay her daughter wrote for her third grade class at the Rumford School in Concord, New Hampshire. The subject: “If I were president, I would...”
We're pretty sure that Emma's answer betrays a realpolitik far beyond her nine years of age.
See Emma and her essay here.
Part 2:
Gastrointestinal Intrigue
The new concerns over the prolific use of antibiotics and their connection to the obesity epidemic. New research from New York University indicates that over-prescription of antibiotics could harm communities of bacteria that keep digestive systems healthy and help the body fight fat. The findings present an environmental factor that hasn’t been looked at before, so, we decided to find out more for our continuing series, shifting the balance. Jessica Hamzelou, who wrote about the possible connection between antibiotics and obesity for New Scientist magazine.
Part 3:
Another Geeky Gathering: Pax East
Sure, you've heard of Comic-Con, but a parallel convention for gamers is growing in popularity, and no shortage of passion. Last weekend, PAX East held its third annual conference in Boston with nearly 100,000 game distributors, developers and devotees. Clay Wirestone is a writer whose work has appeared in Mental Floss magazine and on the History Channel – he’s also the arts editor for the Concord Monitor.
The Games Terrorists Play...
A branch of the military is taking a new tack in intelligence gathering…video games. The US Navy has contracted a private firm to buy up used gaming consoles - mostly in foreign markets to extract sensitive data on gamers. Jacob Aron wrote aboutthe new strategy for New Scientist.
Part 4:
A family's long-standing tradition of "wildman" night.
Back to the Table for Board Games
From the competitive scribbling of after-dinner Pictionary, to the endurance-test that is a family game of Monopoly, board games often reveal a great deal about the players around the table...
Classic board games like Sorry, Risk, and Clue are now regarded with a kind of genteel nostalgia. But not so fast…Leon Neyfakh writes for the "Ideas"section of The Boston Globe. He reported onwhat many are calling a renaissance in board games, fueled largely by devotees of so-called “German-style" designer board games.
