Sunday, August 12, 2007

Weekend America

Every once in awhile I shill for NPR. I urge folks to give at pledge time, or at least give a listen. I have a hard time with commercial radio - but that's old news here.

Many a-morning, I have a hard time listening to NPR on my drive to work. Morning Edition has way too many sound bytes with GWB - and who the fuck needs to hear that early in the morning? Not me.

But there are plenty of other shows to search out - Marketplace (yes, I'm geek), Diane Rehm, Fresh Air and then two of my weekend faves: Wait Wait.....Don't Tell Me! and Weekend America.

The latter had a show on this weekend had a segment on a guy's favorite song, which happened to be Hall & Oates' "Private Eyes". The stories around it are more amusing than the choice of song. There is also a segment on-line where listeners can submit their favourite song and the memory associated with it.

I am asked a lot by my coming of age niece and nephew my favourite group and/or song. That is really hard to say - so I don't. I'd love to submit a response to Weekend America - but I don't know where to even begin or how to narrow it down - so I won't.

As for Wait Wait.... if you have not heard it - you must. It is basically a quiz show with famous people playing for NPR listeners. The winner gets an answering message recorded by Carl Kasell.

If you have never come across the show, I have one show for you to listen to. Guests include Stephen Breyer, Ted Koppel and Linda Ronstadt. Panelists include Paula Poundstone and Mo Rocca. The quiz themselves are inconsequential....it is the banter in between that is hilarious. Listen on-line or podcast it. It is SO worth it.

NPR shoppe makes good gift idea too. I had never heard of it, but Denton tells me they have an item called the Nina Totin'bag. (If I have to explain it - you don't listen to NPR and won't think it's funny.)

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

From their furniture collection - the Mandalit del BarcoLounger

Anonymous said...

Funny, I had you pegged as a "Car Talk" kind of guy!