Why I Love NPR (In no particular order)

* It's fun to be obsessed.

* If I listen to NPR then I don't have to read the paper or watch the news. And I can sort of participate in discussions about current events with the knowledge I have gleaned from my beloved.

* It's something I actually have in common with my mother.

* I don't like much other radio and NPR doesn't have any real commercials.

* I can learn stuff in the car, which is time I would otherwise spend spacing out.

* It gives me something to do at work, which is not work but can be done at the same time as work.

* By donating to NPR I get cool stuff like mugs. This helps me advertise my endearing NPR-nerdiness.

* NPR is sometimes self-referential and I feel smart when I can pick up these instances.

* It's free, unlike cable.

* In a trip from DC to New York. I can listen to NPR almost the whole way by first listening to the DC station, then the Hagerstown station, then the Philadelphia station, and then the New York station.

* By listening to NPR at the exclusion of all other reputable news sources I always know where I've gotten my information.

* I can fantasize about having all the regular contributors to This American Life sit in a room and eat eggs with me (like a modern version of the Algonquin round table). I would film this event, make it into a feature length documentary and take it to cool movie festivals around the world. The movie would become famous and I would be asked to join the elite group of TAL friends/contributors. From then on I would have breakfast with them every Sunday morning.

* Whenever I feel like hearing stuff about my favorite celebrities I can go to and click on archived shows. From there I can type in the name of the celebrity I want to hear interviewed. If Terry has interviewed that person in the last five years then I can get a much needed dose of celebrity news.

* Dude, do you think I should record a version of this to put on the website? It could so NPRy...