WanderMama

First off, this is neither about travel nor motherhood.  But I need to write about it.

I love NPR.  I’ve listened to it for years and get alot of my info from it’s amazingly-named (think: Silvia Paggioli, Ofeibea Quist-Arcton) reporters. 

However, I hate the weekend shows with every fiber of my being.  Yes, even Car Talk.  Don’t even get me started on Garrison Keillor.  There is one exception: This American Life.  Love it. Love Ira. My favorite episode of all time was called “A Little Bit of Knowledge.” 

Ira kicks off the episode with a commentary that made me laugh so hard.  Here’s a description from TAL’s website: “Host Ira Glass describes the thing that we all do at some point: talk expertly about something we don’t actually know anything about. It’s so common, explains This American Life contributing editor Nancy Updike, that some friends of hers invented an imaginary magazine devoted to such blathering. It’s called “Modern Jackass.”

Please listen to this http://www.thislife.org/Radio_Episode.aspx?episode=293

I am a Modern Jackass.

I am so outraged, in my ultra-liberal way, about so many things.  And I try to remember the facts and figures (that I read and hear on NPR) to justify my rage and bring friends/family around to my way of thinking.  But it’s just so hard to keep the facts straight.

Here’s typical example of a Modern Jackass moment in my life:

I say, “It’s a tragedy that so many people in the US are without health insurance.”

The friend says, “I don’t even know anyone without insurance.  How big of a problem is it?”

I say, “I just read that like 50 million Americans don’t have insurance. (pause) Or maybe it was 20 million.  (pause) I don’t know exactly but alot.” (real answer: 47 million, according to Time).

I have started clipping and writing down factoids and taping them to the fridge.  It makes me feel more in control.  I think I may start keeping the facts here, so that I can access them from anywhere and amass a library of facts that will enable me to topple my opponents each and every time.

I will be the Modern Jackass with a laptop.