Catch Up on With Good Reason this Saturday!

Host Sarah McConnell

Join us for special airings of With Good Reason this Saturday (12/22/12) at 3:30 PM as host Sarah McConnell takes you on a journey through Jurassic Squid Ink (no, really!), and two holiday themed episodes that feature seasonal food and drink as well as Christmas songs past and present!

When the Metropolitan Opera season started, the first two performances preempted With Good Reason on December 8th and 15th. Not wanting you to miss a single great episode of this production of the Virginia Foundation for the Humanities, we're sharing them with you this Saturday! Here's what you'll discover:

At 3:30 PM: Jurassic Squid Ink
The ink’s been dry for 160 million years—but scientists have now confirmed pigment in two fossilized ink sacs from squid-like animals. John Simon (University of Virginia) examined the Jurassic ink sac from the floor of a long-gone sea in the United Kingdom. Also featured: Thousands of kids are duking it out for the title of LEGO robotics champs. They spend months building and programming robots that can solve real world problems. We follow one team from UVa-Wise through robot malfunctions and tummy-aches all the way to the top. And: The benefits of taking Fido to work may not be far-fetched. In a new study, Sandra Barker (Virginia Commonwealth University) found that dogs make a positive difference in the workplace by reducing stress and making the job more satisfying for other employees.

At 4:00 PM: Foraging for Cocktails
Christmas may conjure images of bourbon mixed in eggnog or hot buttered rum drinks, but biologist Lytton Musselman (Old Dominion University) is making his own cordials and spirits from wild roots, berries, and mushrooms. Musselman loves the distinct differences in flavor each plant brings to the liquor because, he says, “we are reminded of the glens, marshes, prairies, lakes, and forests where they live, who they hang out with, and their seasons of life.” Also featured: Delores Phillips (Old Dominion University) researches how multicultural families deal with holiday foods that will be on the table at this time of year. She speaks from personal experience as an African American married into a Vietnamese-American family with inlaws from both cultures.

And the reglulalrly scheduled episode of WGR at 4:30 PM: ‘Tis the Season!
Whether it’s a traditional hymn or a rock and roll Christmas song, many people say Christmas just wouldn’t be Christmas without the music that marks this season. The sense of joy, comfort, or spiritual uplift comes in classical, popular, jazz, and even world music. Poet Tim Siebles (Old Dominion University), ethnomusicologist Ann Rasmussen ( College of William and Mary), conductor John Guthmiller (Virginia Commonwealth University), and vocalist Lisa Edwards-Burrs (Virginia State University) share their favorite songs and why the music resonates with them this time of year.

We hope these three episodes of With Good Reason will entertain, enlighten and inspire and maybe you'll pick up a holiday tip or two!