NPR Stories: February 2 - 8, 2014

This week on NPR, they developed a Spotify playlist for the winter season. It made me revisit my account and connect it with Facebook, which is now ten years old. For the stories with pictures included, learn about the German Defense Minister a Chinese detention system coming to an end, and a family with multiple generations of doctors. Don’t fall prey to small credit scams, and check out the list.

NPR Ask Me Another Live Taping Impressions

Every year SF Sketchfest brings the latest and greatest in comedy acts to San Francisco for three weeks all over the city. I checked the schedule to see which acts I would be interested in and discovered the live taping of an NPR show I had not heard of. Since I listen to Wait Wait Don’t Tell Me the NPR News Quiz often, I was curious of what would go down at the Casto Theater on a Wednesday night for a show a friend described to me as a puzzle game show with musical accompaniment from Jonathan Coulton. I am happy to report that my ticket to a floor seat in the auditorium was well spent.

Astronomy Pictures of the Day: February 2 - 8, 2014

As the world looks to Sochi, take a chance and look up to the stars. This week on APOD we have a galaxy or two, but we also have some pictures courtesy of China. One’s an airglow and starscape from Yunnan Province, and the other is a panoramic view from the Yutu moon rover. Check them out after seeing the night sky from Monument Valley in the following list.

Super Bowl 2014 Reflections

I don’t normally pay attention to sports. I might check out the front of a sports section in a newspaper or watch a game while exercising at the gym or while eating at a restaurant, but I rarely sit down on my own to watch a team play. I make an exception for the big game that happens at the end of the American football season. This year’s game was less disappointing than the last, but at least the accompanying entertainment made watching the game live worthwhile.

NPR Stories: Week of January 26, 2014

The State of the Union speech was last week, but that’s not what the NPR picks were about. Learn about the Muslim American teenager that just became Ms. Marvel in her own comic series. This week there was also some overlap between Israel and the big American football game. Find out why a Palestinian prisoner became an informant or why OxFam dropped Scarlet Johansson as a spokesperson. Send up a flare and check out some of these articles.

Upright Citizens Brigade Show Impressions

When I attended the Silicon Valley Reads kick off event, I had the chance to look at what was going on at the theater. To my surprise a comedy group was coming through the area and would be playing the next week. I attended the Upright Citizens Brigade show last Saturday night, and I really enjoyed the entertainment I received at the performance.

Astronomy Pictures of the Day: Week of January 26, 2014

Keep looking at the cosmos as we see the Astronomy Pictures of the Day for the week of January 26. There’s plenty to see whether it’s a galaxy or a view from the Kennedy Space Center or Finland. Open up a panoramic image to see a band of the Milky Way without having to travel to South America.