Today's radio program...

A few thoughts on today's program...

1. As is sometimes the case, I wish I had arrived just a little bit earlier! The SLB studios spoil us. We do all of our preparation in advance and stage things in the studio on Friday. In the old days, I always had to arrive at least 90 minutes before the start of the program. These days, we can roll in at 5:50 a.m. or so if we feel we need a little extra time at home for a little more sleep, another cup of coffee, etc. Because I did not leave the museum until after 8 p.m. last night and knew today would be a long day, we chose to arrive a little later. But the way this forces us to rush start-up (and the fear that traffic could delay us, etc.) really makes me conclude that we would be best to always arrive by at least 5:30 a.m. After 4 years, we still have not convinced our bodies to comply, though :).

2. Our Historiddle drew some very nice calls. It was fun to hear Ted from Squirrel Hill talk about having heard Ayn Rand lecture several times. Tom from McCandless and Dr. Beth added great insights, too. Other early callers this morning included Maxine in Oakland (who talked about her grandfathers lumbering activities, in which the crew would build a raft from their harvest and use it to float the wood through the Tigris valley. Shirley from Avalon Heights shared her experience with "Laughing Yoga" which, just as it sounds, involves yoga along with ad hoc laughing. It reminded me of a story I once heard about walking into a roomful of people laughing (or crying) and how a person who does so usually picks up either emotion. This is a good reminder to be cheerful and positive; and to try to surround yourself with people who also are.

3. The Afterthoughts Puzzle and Wonder Word puzzle were fun. Dr. Dan (a dentist) gave a great interview regarding the importance of good dental care for children.

4. Our Saturday Stumper elicited some great callers as did our Crossword Puzzle of the Air. A 6-year old named Edgar was especially memorable. As we were talking about his interests, he mentioned chess. Edgar revealed his favorite chess piece is the rook (because it is the second-most powerful piece in his estimation). This was a great conversation; Edgar was with his father when he called and its the exact type of involvement we like to see (and hear) during SLB.

This is The Insider so here's something I don't talk about too much since we like it to be magical -- it is very hard to create an atmosphere that allows this kind of genuine and interesting conversation and togetherness to occur. This is at the core of what we do -- everything we do -- and moments like Edgar's call still nearly move me to tears. Partly, because it's good radio and mostly because it's an indication that our concepts and methods are working.

5. The Numbers Stumpers game -- an old chestnut we've featured every 18 months or so since 1978, but not-so-often in recent years -- was a big hit, drawing lots of calls and creativity. It was nice to have Jeff on the air for this hour.

6. What can I say about the Cowboy Poets at 10 a.m.? The poems were incredible and the Ross and 16-year-old Oscar were unlike anyone I've ever met. Real working cowboys who prepare packs for animals. And who also happen to write and recite wonderful cowboy-themed poetry, a genre I never knew existed. Distinctly interesting people accomplishing things we don't often encounter -- another hallmark of our mission at SLB.

7. During our Breakfast Brigade segment, Stage 62 did a great preview of "Bigger than Life" and Mark Weakland turned in a wonderful performance, including -- for the first time -- poems as well as contemporary and classic acoustic songs. Our audience was large enough and attentive enough to allow singing and clapping, and all had a good time. Although broadcast from the Grand Hall and the museum cafe presents a number of technical challenges, all went smoothly.

After the show, I had a ball showing our visiting Tiger Cubs our real studio and demonstrating equipment. By 2 p.m., Rikki and I were heading back home for lunch.

I guess that "just-in-time" arrival I described above worked out okay!

Your comments on today's program are always welcome by email, phone or right here.