A series of events shook the mission of [National Public Radio], and ultimately led to its remaking. The most influential of these was the election of Ronald Reagan in 1980. Indeed, it is a delightful irony--one that would appall Reaganites no less than the sophisticated LABs [Liberal Affluent Boomers] who run NPR--that the new, transformed public radio is itself a product of Reaganism.

"Bee's knees" is actually one of a set of nonsense catchphrases from 1920s America, the period of the flappers. You might at that time have heard such curious concoctions as "cat's miaow", "elephant's adenoids", "tiger's spots", "bullfrog's beard", "elephant's instep", "caterpillar's kimono", "turtle's neck", "duck's quack", "gnat's elbows", "monkey's eyebrows", "oyster's earrings", "snake's hips", "kipper's knickers", "elephant's manicure", "clam's garter", "eel's ankle", "leopard's stripes", "tadpole's teddies", "sardine's whiskers", "pig's wings", "bullfrog's beard", "canary's tusks", "cuckoo's chin" and "butterfly's book".

"Maybe one tiny little city council in St. Paul, Minnesota, isn't going to change the way this country does business, but as others join in that cause, it will give pause to those passing policy that perhaps they didn't think about, and need to think about, the negative impact (of the legislation)," [city council member Kathy Lantry] said. "That idea -- that because we can't have a direct impact we shouldn't say anything -- is not the way our country works."