Reverbiage: Stories from NPR tagged 'convenience'

Eighteen-Wheelers And A Health Insurance Crunch

Tue, 09 Dec 2008 13:10:00 EST

In Flora, Ill., Huck's convenient store is where lives intersect. Sandy Higgs works the counter there, and she also has a job maintaining big rigs to make ends meet. Neither she nor one of the company's truckers get health insurance from the job — and each faces a looming crisis.

Idaho Man Has Lady Luck On His Side

Thu, 09 Oct 2008 06:00:00 EDT

The financial crisis has yet to overcome the good luck of Dan Polla. In 2004, he played a game at the Idaho Fair and won $15,000. And that was just one sign of his fortune. Four years ago, the convenience store owner also bought a lottery ticket, and won $1,500. In July, he won $50,000. Then he scratched another ticket. And as the Dow fell again Wednesday, Polla took home $100,000.

Rainn Wilson, From 'Office' Drone To 'Rocker' Star

Wed, 30 Jul 2008 09:54:00 EDT

Twitchy undertaker, cubicle fiend, sassy convenience-store clerk — Rainn Wilson has long gravitated toward eccentric characters. But is The Office actor attempting the leap to sex symbol through his titular role in The Rocker? Given the hair-metal coif and the still-goofy humor, probably not.

Rethinking The Tuesday Vote

Sun, 13 Jul 2008 08:00:00 EDT

U.S. presidential elections are held on Tuesdays, a tradition that dates back to 1845. For a variety of reasons, Congress had decided Tuesday would be the most convenient day for Americans to vote. But today, the most common reason given by people who don't vote is they're "too busy."

Police Silence 'Price Gouge'n' Show at Gas Station

Wed, 07 May 2008 06:00:00 EDT

No matter what gasoline costs, many of us just have to pay. But Jay Weinberg is not going to sit behind the wheel and take it. The Indiana man was unhappy with the price of gas. So he climbed to the roof of a convenience store, and with the aid of a guitar and a megaphone, he serenaded customers with a song called "Price Gouge'n."

Internet Health Records: Convenience at a Cost...

Thu, 17 Apr 2008 01:31:00 EDT

Web sites that allow you to store information about your medical care provide both you and your doctors quick access to records. But maintaining them can be time-consuming, or worse, can jeopardize your privacy.

Reaction Remains Mixed to Oregon Mail-In Voting

Mon, 10 Mar 2008 17:32:00 EDT

Oregon's vote-by-mail system has been in use since 1998. Advocates say the system is convenient and saves money, but critics say it's open to fraud. Rob Ritchie of FairVote.com discusses the system.

Automated Marijuana Machines Unveiled in L.A.

Wed, 30 Jan 2008 15:57:00 EST

A medical marijuana dispensary in Los Angeles has taken a new approach to convenience for its customers. It has installed a high-security marijuana vending machine. People with doctor's "recommendations" can now use an ATM-like card to purchase medical weed, anytime of day or night.

Trapped in a Room of Convenience

Tue, 11 Dec 2007 09:14:00 EST

A British man named David Leggat once took a survival course. But he may never have expected to use his training for this. He stepped into a men's bathroom. The door jammed. And then the handle fell off. The bathroom was at a lawn bowling club, hardly used this time of year. Which is why he was stuck in freezing temperatures for four days.

Journalist Finds Politeness a Mixed Blessing in Japan

Sat, 06 Oct 2007 08:00:00 EDT

A journalist traveling in Japan doesn't face some of the obstacles of foreign reporting: no border guards demanding bribes, no explosions, no cars breaking down in the desert. No, the major obstacle in Japan is probably politeness, says David Kestenbaum, who was there for NPR's Climate Connections series. He says he loves Japan: "When I bought a soda at a convenience store, the cashier bowed as he gave me my change." But he acknowledges that the people's politeness posed a problem for him: "Some people were so polite, I had no idea what they were actually thinking."

U.S. DOT May Cap Air Traffic into JFK, Newark

Tue, 25 Sep 2007 16:00:00 EDT

The federal government may put a cap on the number of flights in and out of two of the nation's busiest airports: John F. Kennedy in New York and Newark, in New Jersey. The idea is to relieve the gridlock that often starts there, and ripples across the country. That gridlock caused the worst summer of flight delays on record; Wednesday, Congress will hold hearings on the issue. The FAA says the airlines are over-scheduling flights at peak hours and the air traffic control is overloaded. The airlines say customers want cheap and convenient flights.

Western Influences Disrupt Mediterranean Diet

Sat, 08 Sep 2007 07:23:00 EDT

The Mediterranean diet -- simple and locally grown -- is touted as a model of healthy living. But as the convenience of pre-packaged foods and a more sedentary lifestyle creeps in, the people of Crete are starting to feel the unhealthy effects.

Ad Agency: Idea for 'Simpsons' Promo Swiped

Wed, 18 Jul 2007 06:00:00 EDT

Part of the campaign to promote the new Simpsons movie is turning real 7-Eleven retail stores into Kwik-e Marts, the fictional convenience store of the series. Ad agency Leo Burnett says its idea was co-opted.

Computers Sort Video Files to Find Criminals

Fri, 20 Apr 2007 16:24:00 EDT

In an attempt to capitalize on the ubiquity of security cameras, police are trying to search thousands of videos for suspected criminals. They input specific criteria -- the name of a weapon or a region -- and the computer determines if any of the images are a match. But there is too much video to sort through. With new equipment, police in Cincinnati and in a handful of other cities will be able to archive and find videos based on certain specifications, as in: all female bank robbers using shotguns; convenience store hold-ups where the suspect wears a blue baseball cap; and other cross-referenced criteria. The goal is to build a national video database. Ann Thompson of member station WVXU in Cincinnati reports.

Chiquita Takes Aim at Convenience Store Market

Mon, 09 Apr 2007 06:00:00 EDT

Bananas are the number-one fruit in the supermarket. Now Chiquita is targeting convenience stores, offering bananas as an on-the-go snack. The fruit requires special packaging to maintain peak ripeness for days at a time.

Energy Coffee Surfaces at 7-Eleven

Wed, 04 Apr 2007 06:00:00 EDT

A new offering from the 7-Eleven convenience store chain is Fusion Energy, which mixes java with ginseng, yerba and other herbs -- ingredients found in many energy drinks.

Companies Create Their Own Health Clinics

Tue, 23 Jan 2007 14:00:00 EST

More and more U.S. companies are providing in-house health clinics for their employees as a way to contain medical costs. The on-site clinics can offer flu shots, fill prescriptions and other services -- it's a convenience for employees and a money-saver for the company.

Mass. Retailers Take Stand on Blue Laws

Thu, 23 Nov 2006 06:00:00 EST

Some retailers in Massachusetts may defy the state's blue laws by opening on Thanksgiving. State laws dating back to the 1600s prohibit any retailer larger than a convenience store to open on the holiday. Monica Brady-Myerov of member station WBUR reports.

MovieBeam Tries to Make Movies more Convenient

Mon, 07 Aug 2006 06:00:00 EDT

One of the latest ways to watch movies in the comfort of your own home is called MovieBeam. It's a little box that stores movies after it downloads them through an antenna on the roof of your house. The system stores up to 100 films. Steve Inskeep talks to David Pogue, technology columnist for The New York Times, about the service.

Syria, Iran Wild Cards in Mideast Diplomacy

Tue, 01 Aug 2006 16:00:00 EDT

A "marriage of convenience" between Syria and Iran is likely to complicate diplomatic efforts to halt fighting between Israel and Hezbollah. Many observers feel there can be no peace deal without Iran and Syria's consent.

Family Lives Throwback Life in Modern Setting

Wed, 24 May 2006 06:00:00 EDT

Reverting to a lifestyle of living off the land isn't so unusual. But one Massachusetts family is living that ideal in a less-than-bucolic setting. The family of four is gardening, living by candlelight and forgoing most modern conveniences in a low-income, inner-city neighborhood in Springfield. Karen Brown of member station WFCR reports.

Don't Miss: The Debate Over Elective C-Sections

Thu, 30 Mar 2006 00:00:00 EST

When parents get together and share their birth stories, the topic of convenience always comes up. I know people who have happily scheduled the delivery of their child. This morning, Allison Aubrey confirms this trend. Cesarean sections have jumped 50 percent over the last decade. Most of that rise can be attributed to cautious obstetricians, but Aubrey reports that 3 percent of mothers are getting C-sections by choice. Not only can a woman avoid a whole range of bowel and sexual complications, she can schedule that taxi weeks in advance.

Urban Gentrification Meets Bulletproof Windows

Mon, 28 Nov 2005 00:00:00 EST

As some Washington, D.C., neighborhoods become more affluent, the bulletproof glass in local convenience stores is causing conflict between merchants and area customers.

7-11 Returns to NYC to Take On Bodegas

Tue, 16 Aug 2005 00:00:00 EDT

7-11 convenience stores are returning to Manhattan -- Slurpees and all-- after leaving the island more than 20 years ago due to distribution problems. The retail chain now features tiny stores designed to take on locally owned markets and bodegas. Dina Temple-Raston reports it's just the latest national chain to try its hand on the island.

No Static at All: High-Tech Radio

Mon, 15 Aug 2005 00:00:00 EDT

There are an increasing number of ways to record radio programs, zap commercials and enjoy your favorite shows at a time that's convenient. New York Times technology columnist David Pogue talks about new digital radio broadcasting and recording technologies.