Monday, March 16, 2009

This American Life.

Since I walk to work, I can't really read a book or the newspaper like I could on the subway or on the train, and I can't really listen to the radio (do they make pocket one's anymore?) like I could in my car.  So I've started listening to podcasts.  I'm totally addicted.
 
On a recent episode of This American Life, Ira Glass and the people from Planet Money (another kick-awesome podcast) put together a show that explained in laymen's terms the whole banking crisis.  It was really well done, even if I already sort of knew what was going on, as I've been following this story (yes, in part for my job).
 
But what struck me as awesome was that Ira introduced the episode by saying stuff like "maybe you've been trying to follow the story but it's too complicated" or "maybe you've decided to sit this story out... I sat out Kosovo -- I'm not proud of it, but hey" or something like that.
 
I totally stopped in my tracks.  It's so true.  I'm a pretty smart cookie (oh, how modest am I in the morning?).  And so there are some news stories that for whatever reason I decided to jump on the months-long train ride and try and follow it.  Banking crisis?  Yup.  Firing of the US Attorneys?  You betcha.  Kosovo?  Oh, yeah, I totally sat that one out. 
 
Not the most earth-shattering realization, I, ahem, realize, but the way Ira said it, I totally understood what he was getting at.

3 comments:

Genna said...

Totally! And i feel awful but so true.

Am I allowed to comment on your blog?

Andy said...

Of course! Why wouldn't you be able to? I wish more people did, but then again, I'm too afraid to write about the good stuff that really get people to react.

Mr. Cooper said...

Your walk to work is an hour long?