Wednesday, January 14, 2004
Ah, the B.B.C.
One of the best things I've found about living where I am now is the public radio options as compared to back home. Granted, there is some programming overlap, and I might enjoy any station that carried "Car Talk," "Wait, Wait Don't Tell Me," and "All Things Considered," but here there aren't just 1 or even 2 public radio stations, but 3 accessible to the common listener. You have one station for talk radio, one station for jazz/classical, and one that's run by a local university and focuses on diverse musical talent. Typically I'll listen to the first one, most notably during my commutes...because otherwise I'd basically be cut off from the rest of the world. I have no time for T.V. news! And much as I love reading newspapers online, they don't have the same personality as my beloved N.P.R. staff. William Safire and Thomas Friedman are brilliant. No question. But can they truly compare to Carl Kasell? Actually, perhaps I'm talking about apples and oranges...I'll get back to the point next paragraph.
Still here? Good. So why did I decide to talk about NPR? Because this morning, I got woken up by my radio alarm clock, one of the four spread throughout my room to ensure prompt wakeup at 5:30. And what is the first thing I hear? Why it's B.B.C. World Update! (huzzah!)
And the top story?
"Sleep. We need it. What happens if we don't get it?"
My answer was clear: "Your lesson planning takes longer. Your tolerance, physical and mental, to rigorous tasks decreases. Your enthusiasm for challenges also. Oh, and you really feel like staying in bed rather than going to work."
Oh wait...that was a rhetorical question?
Never mind.
One of the best things I've found about living where I am now is the public radio options as compared to back home. Granted, there is some programming overlap, and I might enjoy any station that carried "Car Talk," "Wait, Wait Don't Tell Me," and "All Things Considered," but here there aren't just 1 or even 2 public radio stations, but 3 accessible to the common listener. You have one station for talk radio, one station for jazz/classical, and one that's run by a local university and focuses on diverse musical talent. Typically I'll listen to the first one, most notably during my commutes...because otherwise I'd basically be cut off from the rest of the world. I have no time for T.V. news! And much as I love reading newspapers online, they don't have the same personality as my beloved N.P.R. staff. William Safire and Thomas Friedman are brilliant. No question. But can they truly compare to Carl Kasell? Actually, perhaps I'm talking about apples and oranges...I'll get back to the point next paragraph.
Still here? Good. So why did I decide to talk about NPR? Because this morning, I got woken up by my radio alarm clock, one of the four spread throughout my room to ensure prompt wakeup at 5:30. And what is the first thing I hear? Why it's B.B.C. World Update! (huzzah!)
And the top story?
"Sleep. We need it. What happens if we don't get it?"
My answer was clear: "Your lesson planning takes longer. Your tolerance, physical and mental, to rigorous tasks decreases. Your enthusiasm for challenges also. Oh, and you really feel like staying in bed rather than going to work."
Oh wait...that was a rhetorical question?
Never mind.
