Hospitals and Economic Health

By Laura Knoy on Tuesday, February 9, 2010.

A new report from the New Hampshire Hospitals Association finds these centers of care contribute to our fiscal as well as our physical health. According to the report, the hospital sector employs almost 40,000 Granite Staters, who in turn spend money on local businesses. We’ll dig into the economics and the debate over hospitals’ role in the cost of care.

Guests

  • Steve Ahnen, president of the New Hampshire Hospital Association
  • Bruce King, president and CEO of New London Hospital and chairman of the New Hampshire Hospital Association Board of Trustees


Children's Literacy Foundation

By Deborah Schachter on Saturday, February 13, 2010.

The Children’s Literacy Foundation works to spread a love of reading and writing among low-income, at-risk and rural children. We visited the New Hampshire State Prison for Women, where Executive Director Duncan McDougall is working with inmates.



(Wild) Love is in the Air

By Dave Anderson on Friday, February 12, 2010.

Wild furbearers are breeding.



The Canadian Drug Debate

By Laura Knoy on Thursday, February 11, 2010.

A new bill in the State House would allow pharmacies and individuals in the state to buy cheaper prescription drugs from Canada. Proponents say it would not only save individuals money but have the potential to lower health care costs. But not everyone is on board with crossing the border, some worry about the safety of the drugs while others are concerned how it may affect pharmaceutical companies in our own state. We'll look at both sides of the Canadian drugs debate.

Guests

  • TBA


P-Star Rising

By Virginia Prescott on Tuesday, February 9, 2010.

The film P-Star Rising begins in a Harlem nightclub. It’s 2 a.m., and the final performer takes the stage. She wears a white fur coat and heavy jewelry, and works the crowd into a frenzy. Oh yeah, and she’s only 9-years-old.

P-Star Rising follows Jesse Diaz, a single father who’s determined to help his 9-year-old daughter Priscilla become a rap star. The documentary screens this week on PBS’s Independent Lens. We’re joined by director Gabriel Noble and the star of the film, Priscilla Diaz.

P-Star Rising website

(Photo courtesy Independent Lens)



Broken City Lab

By Virginia Prescott on Tuesday, February 9, 2010.

Can a broken city be fixed? Justin Langlois thinks so. In 2008, fresh out of grad school, Justin created the artist-led creative research group known as Broken City Lab. His idea: find a new model for social change in blighted cities like his own, Windsor, Ontario. Windsor has the highest unemployment and highest vacancy rate in all of Canada, and faces many of the same issues as its neighbor, Detroit.

City-wide projects inspire public engagement and ask residents to re-imagine their home beyond the boarded up buildings. To engage with their city, even if it’s fallen by the wayside. The lab uses multimedia, unexpected images and creative messaging to spark dialogue for change. Broken City Lab is currently spearheading a five-month project called “Save the City.” We spoke with founder and research director Justin Langlois. Justin also instructs in the School of Visual Arts and Department of Communication, Media, and Film at the University of Windsor.

GOOD Magazine: Art Therapy for a City on the Mend

Take a virtual tour of Windsor, Ontario using Google's street view

(Photo by Cristina Naccarato)



Text Banking

By Virginia Prescott on Tuesday, February 9, 2010.

There may be something good to come out of Haiti. Of the hundreds of millions of dollars committed to disaster relief in haiti, at least $31 million came in through text messages on mobile phones. Prominent financial institutions took notice of how willing Americans are to transfer money through their cell phones.

Wells Fargo just announced this month it’s offering all customers the ability to check their account information, credit card balances and paycheck deposits via text message. Analysts predict text banking will quickly grow in popularity, allowing users to transfer cash to friends, buy a pizza or pay their rent with just a simple text.

One person following the emerging trend is Sam Dupont, a global mobile technology policy analyst for the Washington-based think tank NDN, and author of the blog Global Mobile.

NDN: Text to Haiti - Precursor to Mobile Banking?

MarketWatch: Wells Fargo Extends Text Banking to All Customers

(Photo by Wonderlane via Flickr/CreativeCommons)



Waterville Valley Says Goodbye to Marc Decoteau

By Sean Hurley on Monday, February 8, 2010.

Funeral Services for Army Specialist Marc Decoteau were held this past weekend at Plymouth Regional High School.

The 19-year-old Waterville Valley resident was killed in Afghanistan on January 29th.

Correspondent Sean Hurley spoke with some of Decoteau's old friends and has this remembrance.



New Hampshire Jazz Pianist Makes Good

By Virginia Prescott on Monday, February 8, 2010.

Pianist and composer Ben Geyer grew up in Nashua, New Hampshire. But at the age of 25 he’s already established himself in New York City’s bustling jazz scene. The Ben Geyer Sextet is releasing their debut album this week, called “The Narrative.” A review in Los Angeles Jazz Scene calls the record “colorful, intriguing, and well worth hearing.” We invited Ben to stop by and tell us about it.

The Hippo: Ben Geyer — Down to a Science

(Photo by John & Mel Kots via Flickr/CreativeCommons)



The Next Hundred Million: America in 2050

By Virginia Prescott on Monday, February 8, 2010.

Demographers predict that the nation’s population will soar to 400 million citizens in the next 40 years. For some that signals disaster: global warming, peak oil, social decay and the decline of the American empire.

Futurist, columnist and author Joel Kotkin takes a more optimistic view. He envisions America at 2050 as “the most affluent, culturally rich, and successful nation in human history.” Set against ethnic conflicts, low birth rates and increasing homogeneity in the rest of the world, American will defy the naysayers and trends toward urbanization to become a more bountiful, multi-racial society, powered by land, localism, green technology and our defiant indigenous spirit.

Joel Kotkin is a futurist, social thinker and columnist for Forbes.com and for Politico.com. He’s author of several books, including, The City: A Global History, The New Geography: How The Digital Revolution is Reshaping the Global Landscape, and Tribes: How Race, Religion and Identity Determine Success in the New Global Economy. He’s with us to discuss his new book The Next Hundred Million: America in 2050.

Powell's Book Review: Living on the Edge by Tom Vanderbilt

(Photo by tom.aurthur via Flickr/CreativeCommons)



Word of Mouth is all about what's new. Online and on-air, the show looks at our fascinating and ever-changing world, and puts the latest ideas under a microscope. Word of Mouth investigates everything from science and technology, to health and the environment, to new trends in popular culture. The show airs Monday through Thursday at noon and is hosted by Virginia Prescott.

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