Forget The Fads, Stick To Classic Toys
[6 min 56 sec]
Games & Humor
The BBC generated some controversy this week with its year-end lists. What happened?
Monkey See
The 10 Best Video Games Of 2011()
December 29, 2011 Commentator Harold Goldberg runs down his top ten video games of the year, from strange alien worlds to noir mysteries set in the Hollywood of the past.
Author Interviews
Bill Cosby Enlists Santa's Staff For A Silent Night()
December 25, 2011 Every year, the comedian's three young grandchildren visit him for Christmas. Problem is, "they're annoying," he says. So Cosby came up with a plan to calm the squabbling children and restore Christmas cheer to his household.
Sunday Puzzle
Unwrap The Phrase To Reveal A Gift()
December 25, 2011 Identify a gift for a child spelled by consecutive letters in familiar two-word phrases. For example, if given "tomato paste," the answer would be "top."
Deceptive Cadence
The Santaland Philharmonic Orchestra In Rehearsal()
December 23, 2011 Fridays are funnier with a classical cartoon at noon, from Deceptive Cadence.
Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me!
Author Neil Gaiman Plays Not My Job()
December 24, 2011 The author of Coraline and American Gods was born in Hampshire, U.K., and now lives near Minneapolis. We'll ask him three questions about the royal wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton.
NPR's Holiday Favorites
David Sedaris Reads From His 'Santaland Diaries'()
December 23, 2011 It's tradition! Writer and humorist David Sedaris reflects on his short tenure as Crumpet the Elf at Macy's. Sedaris first read the "Santaland Diaries" on Morning Edition in 1992 — and instantly, a classic was born.
Wait Wait ... Don't Tell Me!
Wait Wait Snack Pack: The Play-At-Home News Quiz()
December 18, 2011 This week in the play-at-home news quiz: persons of the year, shut up and drive, a lovely parting gift, making yourself Facebookproof, and bookish Barbies.
Sunday Puzzle
Rearranging Titles On The Magazine Rack()
December 18, 2011 Rearrange a series of anagrams to identify some well-known magazines. For example, if given "never point," rearrange the letters to spell "Prevention," the name of a popular health magazine.
Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me!
Comedian Bill Maher Plays Not My Job()
December 17, 2011 Maher is following up his 2005 book, New Rules, with a book called The New New Rules. We've invited him to answer three questions about old rules — arcane laws that have been on the books for a long, long time.
Monkey See
The 20 Unhappiest People You Meet In The Comments Sections Of Year-End Lists()
December 14, 2011 Now is the time when critics make their year-end lists. Unfortunately, you cannot please everyone, and if enough people read your list, you will eventually run into these 20 unhappy people.
