Wednesday, April 22, 2009

the good news is. . .


I love National Public Radio.

And that's about the most political statement you'll ever hear me make publicly.

I don't talk politics with most people. Political opinions are just like all opinions and you know what they say about those.

I love NPR for several reasons. First, I love that there aren't annoying commercials for plastic surgery or pest control. Second, I think they give reliable world and domestic news even if it does have a liberal slant. And third, I love that they specialize in human interest stories.

Quite frankly, I've had enough news lately regarding the state of the economy and international relations. I'm sick to death of hearing about Iraq. I'm sorry if that offends you. I think it is a little like living next to Niagara Falls. After a while, even the most sensitive person doesn't hear the roar anymore.

I love that NPR features stories like the one I heard a few days ago about a lake with 45 letters in it's name, in Massachusetts called
Lake Chargoggagoggmanchauggagoggchaubunagungamaugg. The entire story was about how a couple signs in the town had misspellings in the name. It may sound boring, but it was in fact, very interesting. FYI- the name is Native American and it means, "You fish on your side, I'll fish on my side, and nobody fishes in the middle."

Today on All Things Considered, they did a story on Sam Maloof, who is a 93-year-old icon in the furniture design business. Sam is a delightful man and listening to the interview brightened my day considerably.

My good friend Andre the Greek was so sick of hearing depressing news that he started his own website called the Glee Report that only features good news.

However your political views may fall, tune into NPR while you are taxing the kiddos around or working or, I don't know, buffing the calluses off your heals. I guarantee you will learn something you will not soon forget.

Did that just sound like a commerial? I hope not.

3 comments:

stacy said...

ok, I confess, I love npr too. I get pretty much all my news from npr. My very favorite show is The Story. Terry Gross is a fave too.
{the Ethel Merman lake song has been going through my head ever since I heard that story a couple of days ago}

Elisa said...

I love NPR too. And PRI.

(I just did a post about Ira Glass and how I find him oddly attractive... scary!)

jojo said...

So, I love NPR too and for similar reasons. Mainly, I love the fact that the journalists are real and report on stories from around the world that touch our hearts and open our minds through other people and their lives. So, I heard the report on Anne Frank's chestnut tree and just wanted to make a comment about that. The tree is 150 years old and is ailing. It was Anne's only link to the outside world and she was able to see a glimpse of the tree and thus, the changing seasons from her attic, from her hideaway. The tree has survived many attempts at being cut down, it's spirit lives on and is a symbol of strength. Anne's tree is dying but there will be 10 saplings planted here in America. 3 will be planted at important places like the white house and ground zero. May Anne Frank’s tree live on as a symbol of hope and human triumph, to remind us all how beautiful our lives are and how terribly lucky we are to have each fleeting moment. Each moment, to see the ocean, to walk in the park, to laugh out loud, to climb a tree if we fancy it and to plant things in our garden, to breathe and to enjoy life. I’d like a sapling..please, but in case I don’t make it to the top of the list- I promise to think a little harder and to love just a little bit more!