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Diversions from NPR

• On Coney Island, A Goodbye To Astroland
  It's the last day for Astroland, the outer space-themed amusement park that has delighted visitors to Coney Island in Brooklyn for almost half a century. The park's future has been in question since the land beneath it was sold to a developer two years ago.
• Summer Adventure: Reaching Kilimanjaro's Top
  For the final installment of our Summer Adventure series, host Liane Hansen speaks with Craig Saunders of New Jersey about his recent trip up Mt. Kilimanjaro with his daughter, Stevie.
• The End Justifies The Clue
  You are given clues that end in a six-letter word. Rearrange the letters in the last word to get the answer to the clue. For example, given "Jewels a pirate buries," the answer would be "rubies."
• Spelling Reform Movement Takes On ABCs
  In the modern age of mega-stage spelling bees, there are still factions of what amount to advocates for spelling reform — those who want to simplify spellings or scrap the current alphabet all together.
• Original 'Maverick' Was Unconventional Cattleman
  One word in politics that has gotten a lot of use recently is "maverick." It's often used to describe Republican presidential candidate John McCain. But where does the term come from?
• Voiceover Mix-Up: Who's Who In Movie Trailers
  In a remembrance of movie trailer announcer Don LaFontaine on Wednesday, his voice was misidentified. Today, we set the record straight and add a little confusion to the mix.
• Solar-Powered Car Confounds Police, UFO Hunters
  Marcelo da Luz says he's doing what he can for energy independence: The Canadian has been driving across North America in a solar-powered car. The only trouble is that police have pulled over the saucer-shaped vehicle seven times, including in Alaska, where somebody called in a UFO sighting to 911.
• Duck Hunters Seeking Permits Get Tramps Instead
  People planning to go duck hunting may find a different quarry. Government permits for hunting migratory birds are called "duck stamps." But a printing error sends people trying to acquire duck stamps to 1-800-TRAMP24 instead of 1-800-STAMP24. Very friendly women answer the phone. The government says the printing error would cost too much to correct.
• How To Make Vodka Al La Rattlesnake
  David Greene is traveling from Barack Obama's hometown of Chicago to John McCain's hometown of Phoenix talking to local leaders. Madeleine Brand catches up with David Greene in Santa Fe, N.M., where he recounts the tale of a Texan who owns a reptile ranch and sells novelty bottles of vodka that contain dead baby rattlesnakes.
• Lieberman Still Investing In Democratic Party
  He may be campaigning for Republican John McCain. He may have been close to becoming McCain's running mate. But Sen. Joe Lieberman is giving it up for Democrats. The independent senator still works with Democrats in the Senate; he depends on them for a committee chairmanship. Maybe money heals all wounds. Lieberman gave $100,000 to the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee last month alone.
• A-Rod Homer Survives Replay Challenge
  Now that Baseball has finally joined other sports in using instant replay, it didn't waste its first instant replay on an obscure player. It was Yankees superstar Alex Rodriguez who showed up in the tape when the Tampa Bay Rays challenged an A-Rod home run in the ninth inning of Wednesday's game. The umpires ruled for the Yankees after viewing their first ever replay.
• Training May Curb Some Sports Injuries In Women
  Female athletes are more prone than their male counterparts to certain injuries — namely knee problems and tears to the ACL. A prevention program has been developed by researchers at the University of Cincinnati to curb these injuries.
• Trip To Wyoming, A Personal 50th State
  NPR special correspondent Susan Stamberg has visited 49 of the 50 states. For one reason or another, Wyoming was always tantalizingly out of reach. Now, as she reports in this audio postcard, she can cross the "Equality State" off her list.
• Putin Wields Tranquilizer Gun At Escaped Tiger
  Russia's Prime Minister Vladimir Putin was out with a group of wildlife specialists — and a camera crew — to see an Amur tiger, the world's biggest cat, trapped by researchers. When the tiger escaped, Putin grabbed a tranquilizer gun and quickly shot and sedated the tiger. His heroic deed — he saved the day and the television crew — was the top story on the evening news.
• Late-Night TV Hosts Take Shots At Palin
  Politicians may not exploit news that vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin's teenage daughter is pregnant, but late-night comics will. Conan O'Brien says the Republican convention theme of the night is, "Who forgot to check if the vice president's daughter is pregnant?" David Letterman says the crisis is over because "the baby is being adopted by Angelina Jolie." Jay Leno says, "And you thought John Edwards was in trouble before! Now he has really done it."