Bob CollinsTime to stand up, the chess race, five myths about religion, Eichten on the tube, and the end of the small medical practice.
The Monday Morning Rouser:
1) ON YOUR FEET!
The stand-up-all-day-at-work craze hit the World Headquarters of News Cut a year ago. Today, a new study is out showing the stand-up crowd will soon be towering over the lifeless bodies of the sedentary. A study, reported by NPR, shows, even if people exercise regularly — you know the type, right? — it’s not enough to counteract the effect of sitting all day.
Specifically, he found that men who reported more than 23 hours a week of sedentary activity had a 64 percent greater risk of dying from heart disease than those who reported less than 11 hours a week of sedentary activity. And many of these man routinely exercised. Dr. Blair says scientists are just beginning to learn about the risks of a mostly sedentary day.
2) EICHTEN ON THE TUBE
You don’t usually see MPR’s Gary Eichten on TV; actually, you almost never see him on TV, and you almost never hear him talk about himself. He was on TPT’s Almanac over the weekend, declaring that he’s never considered himself a journalist. “I wanted to be either a great disc jockey or a sports guy, and so I’m doing news on Public Radio,” he said.
3) END OF THE SMALL PRACTICE
Doctors who have small practices want to retire, but nobody wants to buy their practices. An era is ending.
4) FIVE MYTHS: RELIGION
Five myths about the separation between church and state: America is more secular than it used to be, liberals are anti-religion, the Constitution has always protected religious freedom, the founders’ faith matters, and Christian conservatives have only recently taken over politics.
5) THE CHESS RACE
Should children be required to learn chess in school? Armenia is making chess compulsory, the BBC reports today. Authorities think chess improves critical thinking skills and intellectual development.
TODAY’S QUESTION
A discussion on today’s Midmorning looks at the ways music can trigger memories and emotional responses for the listener. We’d like to hear about music that you find especially expressive. Today’s Question: What piece of music stirs emotions in you?
WHAT WE’RE DOING
Midmorning (9-11 a.m.) – First hour: Gov. Mark Dayton.
Second hour: What happens to your brain on music?
Midday (11 a.m. – 1 p.m.) – First hour: Pam Wheelock, Stacy Becker and MPR’s Michael Caputo discuss public suggestions on how to balance the state budget.
Second hour: A Commonwealth Club speech by the head of the American Federation of Teachers, Randi Weingarten.
Talk of the Nation (1-3 p.m.) – First hour: TBA
Second hour: Retired Marine Jim Lacy joins host Neal Conan to talk about the most recent
conflict between western and Asian forces.
