Time Wasters Extraordinaire

Time-Waster #1: The Amazing Fact Generator on mentalfloss.com
My Amazing Fact(s) for Today:
• About 5 percent of the entire U.S. potato crop goes to make McDonald’s French fries.
• The S in Harry S. Truman didn’t stand for anything; Truman had a middle initial but no middle name.

Time-Waster #2: Facebook
I've had a Myspace account for a few years but am relatively new to Facebook. This site, in itself, can literally consume hours of my day if I'm not careful. But, I mean, I get to have pieces of flair and I can send my friends treats like jelly beans and cupcakes! Oh, and let us not forget that you can Superpoke people! Does it get any more fun than that ... really? And it's sooo much more "grown-up" than MySpace ... OK, maybe not ;) Be my friend? I'll send you some ice cream!



Time-Waster #3: LOL Cats
I would like to start by saying that I am NOT a cat person, however, icanhascheezburger.com almost makes me pee my pants sometimes. I have to be careful looking at this while I'm in the office for fear of loud "Ha!" outbursts. Oh, and occasionally they throw in a funny non-cat too.



And last, but (certainly) not least ...

Time-Waster #4: Famous People & Cool Gadgets
I'm almost embarrassed to put this out there, but even I occasionally need a good Hollywood Hot Pink Stupid Celebrity Fix, and thesuperficial.com provides just that. But it's better than just your run of the mill celeb stories because the guy who maintains the site (and updates it several times a day mind you) is a smart ass of a superb caliber. I also have to be careful perusing this at the office due to sudden outbursts of laughter.

Also included as part of this time-sucker is a techy/gadget sister (brother?) site — geekologie.com — which has some really cool stuff sometimes (and often really dumb stuff too).

Oh, and apparently blogging can take up a good portion of an afternoon ;)

All Across America, Something is Stirring ...

It's been an exciting week for sure ... from Michelle's beautiful speech to Hillary's very dignified nod to Barack during roll call, a glimpse into Biden's world and finally the Main Man's powerful message of unity and change. But in my (very humble) opinion, amid all the moving, exciting and well-delivered speeches of the week in Denver, our soon-to-be-VP said it best with:

"The American people are ready. I am ready. Barack is ready. This is his time; this is our time; this is America’s time."

And on a completely un-political but still relevant note: Y'all, we are going to have a damn fine looking First Family!



Yes. Yes. Yes We Can.

It's DNC Week!

"And out of this long political darkness a brighter day will come."

First off, let me just go ahead and say that I've not always been so interested in politics. I used to roll my eyes, tune out the talk and hear "blah blah blah." I guess it really started when people I grew up with were being shipped off to Afghanistan and then Iraq. It was the first time that my peers were having to put their lives on the line and that's when it really hit home, the importance of who's in charge. {Oh, yeah, and also when my friend Jed's political "blah, blah, blahs" started forming into real and meaningful words in my brain ... heh. Thanks, man.} Don't get me wrong, I've always done my "civic duty" and voted ... but I didn't really "get it" until then. I was one of those people just walking around in my own little bubble, not thinking about the bigger picture.

And then came the '04 election. I was working at a small design company with a few local politicos as clients. One of my closest friends was serving as campaign manager for one of those clients, and at the same time John Kerry was trying to get that Nasty G.W. (NGW) outta the Big House. I was already riding the "Kerry Me" wagon ... and then Pearl Jam came to Asheville for the Vote for Change Tour. There is simply nothing better than Eddie Vedder pushing for a better administration! (I actually dressed up like My Love Mr. Vedder for Halloween when I was in the 9th grade ... just, you know, fyi).

And I was excited.



And then ... we got four more years. It sounds like a prison term because, essentially, it has been.

And now ... well I'm head over heels for a presidential candidate (my mother's generation would add a "Bless her heart" before that statement). And the fact is, it started 4 years ago when he was just a guy giving a speech at the Convention. But even then, that speech gave me goose bumps and caused me to get all teary-eyed (ok, I guess that's not that hard to do but still ...) and man, I felt proud. And as I sat there and listened to Obama's keynote, I kept thinking, "I wish this guy could be The One."

And now, only 4 years later, it's happening ... that very same Goose Bump Giver will be on the ballot come November. That same man who only 4 years ago was someone many of us had never even heard of ... just a young Senator from Illinois. And all I keep thinking is ... this is how it is supposed to be. For once, this is how it all should be happening. Just like he said about Kerry in that '04 keynote: "Our party has chosen a man to lead us who embodies the best this country has to offer."

And so I'm excited again ... really excited. I'm an optimist anyway, but I honestly believe that now is the time we can have some real hope.

"The hope of a skinny kid with a funny name who believes America has a place for him too ... Hope in the face of difficulty. Hope in the face of uncertainty. The audacity of hope. Because in the end, that is God's greatest gift to us, the bedrock of this nation. The belief in things not seen. The belief in better days ahead."

And this week I, along with so many fellow Americans awaiting a regime change, will be watching as Democrats from across the country gather in Denver to celebrate a shift in our nation ... a shift toward hope, toward things more of us can agree with and feel good about, toward a person we can believe in, toward a better US.




I. am. ready.

Early Evening Addendum:
On NPR this afternoon, they had a bit about how in 2000, Barack tried to go to the DNC and couldn't get the credentials needed to attend. And when he got to wherever it was being held, he tried to rent a car and his credit card was declined. That was a mere 8 years ago folks ... and now, he's on the freaking presidential ticket. If that's not the American Dream I don't know what the hell is! It keeps getting better and better and tonight, it's Michelle's turn at the mic. I can't wait!

August 19

1692
Salem witch trials — 5 people are executed after being convicted of witchcraft

1848
California Gold Rush — The New York Herald breaks the news to the East Coast of the gold rush in California (although the rush started in January)

1871
Orville Wright, American aviation pioneer, was born

1946
Bill Clinton was born

2008
It's Root Beer Float Day!

2008
Amy_k8 celebrates the 3-month anniversary of her big breakup with the Stanky Nico-demon (yeah, I pretty much rock) and considers treating herself to some potato chips. Mmmmm, potato chips :)

Something I learned today:



Root beer floats used to be called "black cows" or "brown cows" ... and a "purple cow" is grape juice and ice cream.

Of my need to control everything

As I mentioned in an earlier ramble, I'm a control freak. I've always been the over-achiever. I've always wanted to please. At least I realize that though right? I mean, acknowledging the problem is half the battle (or so they say). And since it was pointed out to me by a friend (which means people outside of my little world see it too), I've been trying to make some changes. And I'm taking baby steps so as to not throw myself into any kind of shock ;)

Example #1 - At Home
Since I moved into my own little space years ago, I've had a real problem leaving dirty dishes in the sink overnight. In fact, I just haven't done it much at all. Now, when I had roommates, it was different because it was more of a "clean up after yourself" deal. But since it's been just me, I wash every last dish before bedtime rolls around. In fact, I wash most pots and pans that I've used for cooking before I even sit down to the table to eat. (I should probably add that to my "let go" list too.) But during the past week, I've started leaving a few things in the sink overnight .... a glass or two, maybe some silverware ... and the world hasn't stopped spinning yet, so it must be OK.

Example #2 – At Work
Now, this is going to be a slower process. As a self-employed person, this control factor worked entirely to my benefit in creating a work routine for myself and getting stuff done in an efficient manner. I am still technically self-employed, but I have one client who takes up most of my time and energy. So, 3 days a week, I am a contract employee in a office situation (magazine) that thrills me with its deadlines and structure but that kills me with the other people who don't like to adhere to The Rules.

The editor of the mag and I are very similar creatures ... we first bonded over being "Grammar Nazis" when it came to the publication. Another co-worker, however, is not so much the disciplined type and likes to push deadlines and do things when she "feels like it." Now, this wouldn't fly in a normal corporate environment, but we are a liberal, open family of sorts and there is some "taking care of" and often some coddling that goes on. I say, so be it ... as long as our deadlines are met. This round, they were not, and there was a bit of uproar.

And so the two sides faced off: the "Best Practice" and "Always Meet Deadlines" among us against the "But if nothing went wrong what's the problem?" part of the group. This infuriates me. And though I ardently believe that my side is in the right (deadlines are made for a reason and that's how things are accomplished in a timely and accurate manner) I have decided to do my best and try to understand that some people work at their own pace and do a good job, even if it's not in a set time frame. In the industry I'm in, I don't think this should be the case (and if it is, said person should find another job) but I'm going to try to give up a little bit of my deadline control for the greater good ... Read: the greater peace of our office. I'm not really excited about it though. (It still counts though right?)

Example #3: My Imperfect Hobby



Last winter, I did a very small pro-bono job for a friend and was given a gift certificate for a free knitting lesson (we had previously discussed my desire to learn this craft). So, I took the one lesson and learned how to knit, sort of. I learned how to knit one stitch, and only in a straight row ... no patterns or sleeves or toes or whatever. So, essentially, I spent last winter making lots and lots of scarves (oh, and coasters ... but they kind of leak). I made around 10 scarves of various yarns – keeping some for myself and giving the others as gifts. The problem here is that though I learned how to do a basic knit stitch, that's all I knew. And when I messed up, I wouldn't realize it until way into the scarf and at that point, it was undo a lot and start over, or keep going (and I did both). But even as they were so very un-perfect, every person I gave them to just loved them ... bumps and all, because they knew I made the scarf with them in mind. And every imperfect knot was still made with love.

So, as the summer begins its stride toward fall, I think I'll take up this warming hobby yet again. And this, I know, is something that I cannot have full control over. I'll most likely take another class so I can at least throw some other article of wear/use into the mix, but I will again be OK with the fact that what I produce won't be perfect. But it will be made with lots of love ... and that's the most important thing anyway :)

A Common Thread

My neighbor and I have been at war the past week or so over her junk in my yard and a number of other things that I haven't brought to light but have just bitched about to those who will listen (abrupt and disturbing noises at 1:15 a.m.; stank cigarette smoking wafting up through my bedroom window; sketchy people who idle their cars in our shared driveway for whatever reason, etc).

Today, however, she came running out to catch me as I went to take the Big Black Dog (BBD) on one of his many daily walks. She and her boyfriend had to put his cat of many years down last night after a lot of deliberation about when to hold on and when to let go ... and after dropping a lot of money they don't have to spare.

That really got to me ... that despite all the crap of the past week she wanted to let me know what had happened to them so I could grieve with them. Because all other issues aside, the love of a pet is something we can both understand. I can't even think about the time when I will have to say good-bye to my BBD, my love, without getting teary eyed. Hell, I'm teary eyed even writing about it.

She told me they planned to have a ceremony today and bury Harley up the mountain. BBD and I said our prayers for the Humans and wished blessings on Harley boy as he goes to a pain-free afterlife. Though I'm not much of a cat person (I'm fairly allergic) I do believe that yes, all dogs go to Heaven and I imagine their feline rivals do too.

And so this awful thing that she shared with me made us OK again, at least for now. And we all cried together. (And the fact that she gave BBD — the dog of a vegetarian — venison tenderloin after our evening walk didn't hurt her chances for redeeming her good neighbor status.)

Ahhhhh .... for the (even if temporary) peace on Short Street.

Why I adore ...

Natalie Portman



• Beautiful Girls
• Garden State
• Closer
• Goya's Ghost
• The Other Boleyn Girl

Oh, yeah ... and she's freaking beautiful.

That's all ... that's enough.

Thoughts on Stuff

Personal Responsibility
This topic is at the forefront of my mind today for several reasons.

Reason #1:
I am currently dealing with a very irresponsible (and selfish) neighbor. What it boils down to is we share a driveway and usually put our trash together at the end of my yard on trash day so it's easier for the town to pick up. Yesterday, Irritating Neighbor (IN) and her boyfriend got drunk midday and the cleaning bug hit them. So, I came home from work to a pile of junk in my yard. Here's the kicker ... yesterday morning was trash pickup. So, essentially, they dumped all that crap there — leaving me to look like a trashy tacky person – and intended to leave it there until next Monday's pickup because hell, it wasn't making her house look nasty.

I despise it when people are so selfish, like they're the only ones who matter on this earth.

Reason #2:
I was at the grocery store in the parking lot and watched a lady unload the items from her cart and then just push the cart to the side. BAH! I mean, what the hell do people think the cart corrals are for anyway? I've always wanted to be that person who could say "Can I put this away for you m'am?" but never have the guts. I just take the cart and put it away ... usually after the person leaves.

Reason #3:
I am dealing with a co-worker who always makes excuses for why she isn't doing her job effectively and in a timely manner (we work on monthly deadlines). It's always someone else's fault that I don't have what I need from her, even though she's had weeks to get stuff done. I hate to use such a corporate term but she's not a "team player" and when your team is pretty small like ours is, she just becomes an exhausting drain.

Conclusion:
I guess maybe it could be a matter of someone's upbringing (or lack thereof) or just a general self-centered lifestyle, but is it really too much to ask for people to do their part ... carry their load (if they can, of course) ... and respect other people? Geesh.


John Edwards
I don't have much to say on this except that in a solid showing of personal responsibility, John Edwards stepped up, admitted he made a mistake that will forever change the way people (and his family) view him and readied himself for the consequences. Now, whether it was a matter of him being exposed by someone else or him just getting it over with and confessing, it's anybody's guess but still ...

It just freaking kills me that every news outlet has decided that this infidelity, this mis-step on the part of a man who is no longer in the running for president and had no chance at the VP seat, is so much more "top news" than the crap that Big Bully Russia has been pulling across the pond. We all make mistakes ... period. He made one, he admitted it and he's trying to move forward. I wish we as a nation could just quit with the stupid gossip acting like it's actual news and focus on what's really important. I mean, an American tourist visiting China for the freaking Olympics was stabbed people! Seriously.


Wrinkled & Wise
Outside of my grandparents and other familials, I've never really been around older people much. I mean, yeah, I went to church with a bunch and whatnot, but never spent much time with any of our older generation. About 5 months ago, a Mac Fix-It Guy I know introduced me to one of his clients who needed help transitioning from Photoshop 6 to CS3, the newest shiniest version. This new client of mine turned out to be a damn-near-blind 94-year-old (former doctor turned painter) fellow who has, in the past few months, become a friend.



After we straightened out all his "How do you do this?" and "Where did they move this?" questions, we started getting to know each other more and more. It turns out he's lead quite an amazing life and I just love the stories, even if it takes a while for him to tell them. But that's also a good thing because I've never been a tremendously patient person and this is a good way for me to just slow down and listen for a while. He calls a lot with questions and things he's forgotten, and I usually find myself on his doorstep about once a week. But sometimes, he calls just to tell me something he's learned or talk about a project he's finished ... just because he wants me to know. I love that.

Fact of the Day:
The museum that housed the largest collection of original Smokey the Bear memorabilia was burned to the ground by an arsonist.

sunday mellow sunday

Ah, what a delightful weekend ... plenty of friends and family, a little work to feel productive and lots of good, happy, laughing, relaxing, mellow, silly, memorable moments. That's what it seems to be about for me lately ... the little moments. I like the day-to-day. I guess it's good to plan big, dream big and set lofty goals. But I really like the smaller things, the minutiae of the everyday.

I've always been an over-achiever and an over-pleaser. But this really seems to be the first time in my life that I'm kind of just letting go a bit and really enjoying just being. It's the first time I'm not working full time, but also the first time I'm not worried about making ends meet. I work for good people and they take care of me, leaving me some time to just breathe and enjoy. I'm healthier and more stable than I've ever been ... I'm digging this Me.

The love of my life, my Big Black Dog (BBD), has developed a new habit during our daily walks (and we walk A LOT). He's an older dog with a bad hip so we usually take quite a few shorter walks during the day. For a while, he would flop over, belly up, in some random yard ... wallowing around and being silly. I call it "noodling." After a while though, the noodling got a tad embarrassing for his Human so I started toting treats to coerce him back up to his feet.

But his newest habit is just crazy wonderful. We'll be strolling along and all of a sudden, I'll feel the leash get tight. I turn around to find him just sitting there, taking in the world around him. And what I've noticed is that many times, he just sits his cute little fuzzy butt down in the same spots ... and a number of those places sport really great views of Our Fair Town. And he sits there — tongue out — until I sit down beside him, taking his "enjoy this moment" cue, and we just are ... together ... in the moment. I like that.



Stuff I didn't know:
A fellow named Ammon Shea decided to take a year off and read the entire (21,000+) page Oxford English Dictionary. A few of his favorite words (that are in fact pretty great) and that I didn't know are:

• Petrichor – the (loamy) scent that arises from pavement after rain has begun to fall
• Paracme – the point at which one is past one's prime
• Debag – to strip the pants from a person (ooo la-la!)
• Bedinner – to treat one to dinner

Ha!

Keeping Mum in '08

So, I really (really, really) wanted to write about my thoughts on gay marriage and the '08 Election. However, after voicing these exact same thoughts to a friend (and subsequently getting extremely riled up), I realized there's not enough space and nobody would care enough to read it all. So, I'm going to boil it down to a basic thought or two and y'all can ponder on your own.

In the '04 election, the topic of gay marriage was widely discussed because Our Fearless Leader G.W. knew he could energize his social conservatives and get 'em all fired up. This round, however, they're keeping it on the down-low (is it dorky to use "DL" these days?) even though it is more important than ever. The problem here is that both My Main Man Obama (MMMO) and Old Man McCain each need some of the other's guy's voters to clinch the seat. Obama is trying to reach out to the the evangelicals and McCain's trying to get the liberals ... and then you've got the Independents and nobody has a clue where they're going with all of this. So needless to say, neither candidate wants to talk about it. But they should.

I do understand that candidates need to move a bit more to center during this period of the campaign season and cast their nets a bit wider. I just wanna say (and not that it matters) but in my mind there is absolutely no question about this ... it is a civil rights issue period. No ifs, ands or buts ... separate but equal is not enough. It wasn't enough during the Jim Crow days and it's not enough now. In a time when more than like 50% of marriages end in divorce and broken homes, who the hell has the right to deny someone the basic right of pledging their love and life to another person? Especially if that couple has just as much of a chance as any other couple of living a delightfully happy life together. These wishy-washy stances don't cut it.

I heard a news story the other day about a lady who was working in the Pentagon on 9/11. She escaped the most tragic fate but later stated that "Don't Ask Don't Tell" along with all the other taboos associated with a same-sex lifestyle, had left her in a place where had she been killed, her partner of more than 10 years would've been the last to know ... because no one knew about her partner. That's just freaking wrong. Period.

So, I guess that's all I'm going to say. I know MMMO has to be careful but it just seems like it really should be hitting home right about now. Our country is shifting, opening up, and moving forward. Marriage should be a right everyone has. Period.

News Flash!

Kids who eat Happy Meals and the such might be more prone to obesity! OMG! Are they serious? Who would've thought that the kid sized portions of the same stuff that makes adults fat would make kids fat too?! I mean, I thought chicken nuggets and french fries, hamburgers and pizza were good for a body!



If you ask me, somebody out there (read: here) is making entirely too much money telling us what, Duh! we already know. I'm speechless, seriously.

Various Musings (cause I don't feel like working) ...

8-8-08
As the Chinese finish out this last week of preparations before the most auspicious start date of this year's Olympics, I continue to be amazed (disturbed?) by the news stories (though censored I'm sure) about what they're doing to get ready for it all.

Here are some interesting notes:
• Organizers expect 550,000 foreign visitors and have 550,000 local volunteers lined up to help—one volunteer for every guest!
• Beijing is spending $40 billion to remake its subways, roads and image. $40 BILLION? Seriously?
• Government-sponsored etiquette campaigns are working to stamp out bad manners like jumping ahead in line, spitting, littering and reckless driving. Heh, heh ... heh.
• The government has actually made people move outta their houses so they could build their "Olympic Village" ... "Sorry. Your family has to move out of its forever home so we can build more parking for the Games."

The Exercise Pill
Well, hell ... now there is in fact a pill for almost everything. (Ok, so it's not actually available yet and only tested in mice, but whatever). In a time when we can pop a pill for a headache, a muscle ache, to sleep or stay awake, to stop smoking or to be less hungry, now there are some lab mice sitting around on their bitty haunches, stuffing their bitty faces and staying fit at the same time. Seems this new pill tells your cells to burn fat even when you're not doing anything. They're calling it "metabolic trickery." You can read more about it here. My mind is just reeling from the possibilities ... and maybe after this, they'll develop a pill that will make it seem like I actually worked an 8 hour day when in fact I never got outta bed. Ah, modern science.

Gardening
In the past few decades, the ways of the family garden have seemed to fade away with the convenience and quality now offered at most grocery stores (organic produce yay!) and the go-go-go lifestyle so many of us live. My grandparents had 2 large gardens that flanked their tiny house. They grew all the fruits and veggies they ate, and I can't once remember going to the store for produce. There was no need.

I've never grown anything from seed. Actually, I take that back. I grew some marigolds a few months back. Anyway, I paid $2.50 for ONE red pepper yesterday. That just seems outrageous and it wasn't even organic! So I've started thinking that all these increases in our food prices and troubles that people are having just paying for the basics may be what it takes to get us thinking about producing for ourselves again. I mean, not only is it much cheaper to pop some seeds in the ground, but there's also the whole zen aspect to gardening (not to mention the sense of accomplishment). Like I said, I've never done it myself, but my grandparents were so incredibly at ease, so peaceful, when they were tending to their gardens ... digging in and reconnecting with the earth ... growing something to feed the body and the soul.

So, with all the crap that's going on with our economy and all the uncertainty, perhaps this will be a good thing for us as a society ... a silver lining even ... where we go back to providing some of our own food and get our minds a little bit more settled at the same time. And hell, with employers cutting back hours and whatnot, it'll give us something positive to do with our extra time :)

Control
This is where it gets personal. I got a little wake-up call yesterday when a friend made a joking reference to my need to control everything. And he was right. There is a part of me (Ok, a big part) that needs to have control over every possible aspect of my existence. I plan for everything and take all kinds of circumstances and possible scenarios into consideration in my planning. Always be prepared ... that's me. I'm sure the Universe finds me quite amusing as I scramble to "control" things that I many times had no control over in the first place. So, I hereby announce that I am relinquishing (some) control and plan to let (some) things happen as they may. Thanks for the nudge MM :)

Something I learned today ...

A group of Unicorns is called a Blessing ... and more people are killed each year by donkeys than in airplane crashes.

Back to School

For me, those three words never brought forth feelings of dread (summer is over) or worry (will I like my teachers?) ... but rather, Back to School (B2S) meant the most delightful and intoxicating assortment of new pens, new notebooks, new markers, new crayons, new backpack and paper clips and pencils and pencil cases and erasers and glue sticks and glitter and magnets and locker décor and book covers and ... I could go on for days.

To this day, 8 years out of the last classroom I ever sat in, I still get excited when B2S time comes around. I attribute part of this to my mother, a career teacher, who loves loves loves new pens, along with all other things school related. I remember being a kid and going B2S shopping and she got just as excited as I did about the newest additions to the beloved Trapper Keeper or the newest colors of ink pens (mom, it's pink!).

When I got my first office, a space of business and work that was all my own, it was just like B2S again. I went to Staples to buy the most fabulous pens and folders and paper clips and sticky notes and planners and all the stuff that makes me happy. I'm a designer so all the colors and patterns and whatnot just delight the hell outta me. I really think I could be that person who creates notebook covers all day long because I know the absolute joy of walking into a store and finding the perfect suits-me-to-a-T pattern on the cover of a notebook. I love that.

Lately, I've been trying to fight (or at least stand up to) the built-in consumer in me. So as B2S comes around again, I will walk down aisle after aisle of new, shiny happy school supplies ... I will pick up and examine item after item, wanting one of everything, but perhaps just buying the file folder I needed anyway ... and I'll buy it in electric violet with a lovely design on the front :)

NPR

I grew up a poster child of the 80s. I watched Pinwheel and Fraggle Rock, ate Pop Tarts, wore 3 pairs of different colored socks in my Chuck Taylors and thought Kirk Cameron was the greatest thing since, well, Pop Tarts. Though a number of my peers were reared on PBS and grew up listening to NPR with their folks, I wasn't one of them. Who wanted to watch "public" TV when there was Nickelodeon and "You Can't Do That on Television"?

So needless to say, I was a late-comer to the "public" scene, both TV and radio. As an adult, however, I can't get enough of NPR. And, luckily, Asheville offers the most wonderful WCQS for WNC's listening pleasure.

Top 5 Reasons I love NPR:

• StoryCorps – If you've never heard of the StoryCorps Project, you need to check it out. It's the most wonderful brainchild of David Isay. They set up booths in malls and public spaces around the country and people stop in and record themselves, and usually a loved one, just talking about significant moments in their lives. And then all of the recordings are archived at the Library of Congress. They air 1 each Friday during Morning Edition and I'd say 90% leave me teary-eyed. It's amazing what people can endure and how much they can love and forgive ... it's just a great portrait of humanity in general. You can check out the podcast here.

• Morning Edition & All Things Considered – These provide my news fix on the way to and back from work

• Marian McPartland's Piano Jazz – This airs on WCQS in the evenings, long about the time I'm ready to wind down and prepare for slumber. Marian McPartland turned 90 this year and is still so unbelievably talented ... as is every single guest she has on the show. These sessions are also online at NPR's website.

• Conversations & Evening Rounds – These are segments on WCQS featuring local authorities who come in and discuss everything from pet health and politics to computer repair, and listeners can call in with questions (sometimes very, very silly questions too!)

And last, but certainly not least ....

• Wait Wait ... Don't Tell Me! This hour-long quiz show hosted by Peter Sagal is jam-packed with laugh-out-loud moments and the top prize is that the winners get Carl Kasell's voice on their home answering machine ... love it! This is also a good way to recap the top news events of the week while be amused by the likes of Mo Rocca, Paula Poundstone and the such :)

And there you have it.