Wednesday, December 5, 2012

Thank God for NPR



For some, Saturday mornings usually are reserved for leisurely walks, grocery shopping, catching up with friends or just spending time relaxing watching Saturday television programming.  However, my Saturday mornings are exclusively reserved for NPR’s mid morning, early afternoon fabulous weekend programming.  Usually around eleven a.m., I tune into “Says You,” “a game of words and whimsy bluff and bluster." where a panel of extraordinary brilliant, literary enthusiasts play more complicated and fun versions of "fill in the blank," which word does not fit and other variations of language games.  Sound intimidating? It's not.  "Says You" is hilarious, smart and witty and easily can expand your vocabulary in just one hour.  

Following "Says You" is "Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me" where each week some of the best and brightest in the news and entertainment world figure out what's real news and what's made up.  Not only is “Wait, Wait, Don’t Tell Me” very entertaining and far less literary than “Says You,” but it is also very easy to play along and is a very effective way to get a quick and comprehensive news rundown of the week. 

Finally I tune into my favorite NPR weekend program, “The Moth,” where ordinary people tell their true stories without any notes or scripts in front of a live studio audience.  Think of it as a poetry slam but instead of poems, they’re true stories.  The stories that are told range from fall-of your-chair hilarious to heart wrenching upsetting and touching but nevertheless all of them are extraordinary  and captivating.  

Although the three hours I spend listening to NPR’s weekend programming could be spent differently, like what I really should be doing which is studying for finals. . . However, every Saturday when 3 o’clock rolls around and I’m driving to work, I feel like a better, more informed, listener and writer and you will too after you give NPR's Saturday programming a listen.  


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