Book Banning? I can go eleven better'n that.

With the credit crunch going global, it's time for us to start thinking about ways we can save money and protect our economy at the grassroots level. In my quest for helpyness and overall dogoodernishism, I propose that from now on we ban these things:

1. 1. All fashion shows (FTFY DB Grin), and the puchasing of anything that comes out of them should one or 12 shows make it through the ban filter. (Ladies, go look at that slide show and TELL ME if that's anything you'd ever wear. I rest my case)


2. Scratch-off lottery tickets


3. Post-political debate teevee punditing


4. Professional football cheerleaders


5. Payouts of more than a million bucks per movie for ANY actor.


6. In-store video advertising (WalMart? I'm looking at YOU).


7. Star fruit. Who eats those things anyhow?


8. Cars that get less than 25 MPG. (FTFY Grant)


9. Hair gel.


10. Amy Winehouse.


11. Gossip magazine and websites and tabloids and teevee shows (as much as I love them). Because really? Nobody NEEDS to know that shit.

Got any other ideas of 'stuff that could be wiped off the face of the earth so that we could pump the dough spent on them into the economy in order to shore it up against future poor behavior by the financial system'? Tell us about them, won't you?

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Speaking of poor behavior, have you ever heard of 'credit default swaps'?

Me neither, until this weekend, when they were explained in great and frightening detail on "This American Life." If you have the time, go check out that broadcast, then then bask in the glow of the realization that the 700 billion dollar bailout plan won't even begin to touch the amount of money that could potentially be lost once the house of cards built on credit default swaps goes down.

Even though I now feel a little smarter becuase I listened to that show, I'm not at all comforted by my new knowledge. Not one bit.

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Public radio is seen as a bastion of left-leaning liberalistas with nothing better to do that shake a rubber saber at the foundations of capitalism and bloated pork-basted governmental systems.

That's OK by me, if those left-leaning liberalistas keep providing shows like T.A.L. (my own acronym, because I'm all nicknamey like that) and "Wait Wait don't tell me" and "Car Talk" and "The Diane Rehm Show" and "Prairie Home Companion" and "The BBC News Hour." Public Radio is awesome! It provides smart content with occasional insight coupled with entertainment (depending on when you tune in and where you live).

When I worked in radio, it was at a public radio station that was geared to classical music by day and jazz in the wee hours, but spent time in the mornings and afternoons broadcasting "Morning Edition" and "All Things Considered." I grew to love the crisp sound of the shows, the depth of reporting, the small stories discussed in great detail and the great stories explored in depth. There were actual reporters at our station that covered local news, and when one of their stories went national it was heady business. My experience with the people of public radio was terrific, even down to the station manager who would call me up at 11 p.m. on a Sunday night to school me in the proper way to do breaks (never EVER more than a minute, no matter how fascinating the subject matter).

Public radio - you ought to check it out. Even if you're more elephantine than assinine (:>) in your politics, I'm sure you'll learn something, or at least be entertained.

Tell 'em Tiff sent you.

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And that's my post. Have a good day folks!