Ira had some thought provoking things to say. He was talking about how interesting it is that everyone fashions the same Christmas out of the same materials. I mean you’ll have a different Christmas than someone else, but it all starts with the same basic thing ( a Christmas tree, lights, stockings, Santa etc.) But I think it’s interesting what people do with that sameness to make it personal. It easy to say that my (and my brother’s) favorite Christmas tradition was setting up this little train to run around the bottom of our christmas tree. It wasn’t any elaborate train, just a circle. We just had so much fun setting it up together. It’s not the sameness of what we all start with, I think its interesting to see what each family can create to make it personal.

There wasn’t a lot of substance to discuss on this episode (besides Ira’s little thing), honestly. There was a Christmas play by David Sedaris’ radio troupe (Pine Tree Gang) and it was about them taking a writing class to write Christmas stories and get them published. It was a fun little thing to listen to while fighting for campus parking.

I did love the story about the juvenile delinquents. It was a really interesting story. This episode was just one to be heard really. I feel like i’m saying that often. Okay I love TAL and I want everyone else to love it as much as I do!

Alright. I’ve already listened to episode 7, but I’m gonna back track while i’m homeworking to listen to episode 5!

Honestly. Ira’s opener was my favorite part of this episode. He talks about his family vacation, and he says, if a family can’t get along in paradise what hope is there? Paradise is so subjective. He said his mother’s paradise was that clean, beach styled TEAL condo. That would be hell for me, well maybe not hell, but it wouldn’t be paradise that’s for sure! The Glass’ were in “paradise” and they didn’t do anything out of the norm, except the whole week his mother toured other condos. C.S. Lewis said there is no such thing as heaven or hell, that you just continue being yourself for eternity, and paradise shares the quality. Just like a person, each place is different, and each place has a different meaning to everyone. Like those couples that honeymoon in the Bahamas. Ick. I could never understand that. That is your time to go/do whatever you want with the person you love most. And you choose to spend it in a cramped boat cabin, with tons of families. Yeah sure I get the laying on the beach soaking up the sun part, i love to do that, but why not go somewhere different? Less touristy? SOMEWHERE COOL? I’d totally go to Europe. I know…probably not less touristy, but there is more culture, more fun. IT’S COOL!

Act II: I took a lot of notes on this one. But I could never do it justice. You should probably just listen to it, because I will not be providing the lovely summary for you! But a taste of what’s to come is in order. In short, a family made up of a 5’11″ (so of course i love this already) german mother, a stingey father (to the max), and two daughters take a trip to Ethiopia for vacation, because that is where the American dollar will go the furthest. The stinginess of the father, and the abrasiveness of the mother saves them, but you’ll have to listen to find out how! But warning, this story did completely deter me from ever taking a trip to Ethiopia lol. The parents here were complete opposites. How did this fun-loving, story telling, loud, and abrasive woman become attracted to the stingy, quiet, money saving man? A 1956 Buick. The father’s one young, stupid purchase, which haunted him for the rest of his life really. They could never agree, so they just wouldn’t say anything. I can’t imagine having a marriage like that. People being so different? I keep hearing that i’m doing the right thing, by picking somebody who has similar goals etc etc. but I really can’t imagine it any other way? Why would I pick to be with someone who didn’t agree with me? Or someone who I fought with all the time? What sense does that make?

David Sedaris hitchiked. Again, one to be listened to. For me his stories don’t leave much for inflection, but I always enjoy them.

Being more consistent with writing now. I’m on to episode 5, well…episode 6, my file was corrupted for 5, so I may have to come back to it!

Two David Sedaris episodes in a row oh my! So apparently Chicken Man was a really popular radio show back in the day, and Ira seems amazed that he was able to have the FIRST NEW EPISODE SINCE 1969 (he mentioned that at least 1383943290 times).

The first story was…amazing. It started off by saying that every form of poultry is called fish in this family. Why would they call that fish you may wonder? Because they have a stuffed duck named Duki, and he would be offended. Duki is this hand puppet that the younger sister, Ashley, would use to tease the older one, Danielle. It is said that Duki is very snide, confident and sarcastic (nothing like his owner). The two sisters when they were younger wouldn’t speak, basically, unless through Duki. I feel like this makes the family sound crazy, but its such an endearing story. They still have Duki, and the older sister actually calls the younger one just to speak with him. It a cute story. But I can’t even fathom calling my brother to talk to a puppet? Its hard to discern if this family is close. I mean it seems like it, but it’s like they’re relationships are dependent on Duki. It was cute, don’t get me wrong, but it just really made me thankful for the great family I have.

The second act was about a family that worked on a turkey farm, and this was their main source of income. The two little girls worked on the farm to help their dad. Somehow the turkeys got out, and they had to stay up all night herding them. Then it started raining, and somehow they ended up in a huge turkey pile. Where none of them will leave, and they’ll suffocate before leaving the pile. In short, turkeys are dumb, and I felt terrible for the family that had to keep them from killing themselves.

wah. more poetry.

The best way to tell if fried chicken is done? By the sound says Verda Mae Grosvenor. They test her, and she pretty much gets it right! Her daughters come on and complain that their mother won’t share her recipies. Verda says that she’ll give them to them, but have ingredients like “a dash of salt”. You have to learn things for yourself she says, and I can’t agree more.

David Sedaris hunts at the NYC flea market, and finds a turkeys head attached to a leg. Ends up paying too much, but left feeling everyone else was the sucker for passing up a deal.

Chicken man. Surprisingly funny and cute. I really loved it. It was about him trying to find a desk job. It’s really the subtle comments and jokes that made that story for me.

Overall episode highly recommended. I’ll link this one even! p.s. it’s still our radio playhouse. countdown to name change!

http://www.thisamericanlife.org/Radio_Episode.aspx?sched=588

Funny how TAL always manages to be in perfect step with my life. My roommates and I had the same conversation last week. A lot of religions say that every sin is equal, but is it really the same thing to tell a white lie or kill someone? I think not. Intention is where the difference lies here for me (that or the harm of others).

Each of these “small scale sinners” Ira interviewed, stressed that they weren’t bad people. There was one boy pseudo-named “Fred” who was a 15 year old computer hacker, who tried to steal credit card numbers to buy computer supplies etc. He went to one of the most expensive prep schools in the country, and he said he stole because he had to. He also made it a point to say that these crimes were victimless. That he would steal the number, they’d call visa or whomever and visa allots a certain amount of insurance in their budget for things like this. Is it really victimless? Does it make a difference that he goes to a rich prep school?

This is the part where I feel shallow, he had a poet on the show. I just found myself tuning him out. Don’t get me wrong, I can appreciate poetry, I just don’t like it. Shortly after I tuned out the poet, Ira talked to another hacker whose handle was acidphreak. He was imprisoned and then put under house arrest for how much he hacked (NASA, the government, credit card companies etc). He was hacking into computer systems to get the numbers of celebrities, and prank calling them. He got the number of the Queen of England even. Here’s the quote of the episode that stuck with me: “What do you do once you’ve got the queen on the phone? There is an emptiness there”. It’s true though. The fun was in the chase for them, what were they going to do once they got her on the phone? Ask her what kind of breakfast she had?

Acidphreak expressed that he was done hacking. He was under house arrest, and could have easily hacked the computer that tracked him, but he didn’t. He said hacking was a teenage thing to do. And that sometimes, people quit being bad (or doing bad things) just because they’re bored of it.

So i figured, since I am in love with the show. That I would listen to it from start to finish, repeats and all. And these are my findings…

Episode 1:

Ira, what a perfect subject to start on! Let me say thank god the show isn’t titled “Our Radio Playhouse” anymore, I might not be the fan I am. “There are new beginnings we wish for and the ones we actually undertake”. As I embark on my final semester of school, this one really stuck. It’s common knowledge that I am moving in January, and I am so focused on that. This entire episode was focused on people who undertake challenges where they’re required to live in the present. The result: it is difficult to be human without a future. It is part of our make up to acknowledge our past, present and future.

Ira, solicits a few people for advice on starting this new radio show. I think there are two worthy pieces here.

1. Always make eye contact and learn to fake sincerity.
2. Most people are good at beginnings, but flounder in the monotony of the middle.

My advice: Always make eye contact and be sincere. As Ira admitted, I also believe I am much more successful at the middles rather than beginnings. Most of life is made up of middles anyways (to steal a line from his mother).

I’m going to aim to get one done everyday, it’ll be a great distraction from portfolio! Until next time!