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Friday, November 16, 2007
Days of Our NPRI'm all wrapped up in the Pakistan drama as it's revealed to me each morning by NPR. This morning I made my boyfriend listen to it, and then we found out details that compelled me to look up these people's photographs online today. Because I'm a visual learner, and I need to see names spelled in order to remember them. Photos of their faces seal the deal.
President Gen. Pervez Musharraf is the current leader of Pakistan. George Bush & Co. have been sending him money to "help fight terror" or whatever. But Musharraf's term is about to end, and he's not eligible to run again. So guess what he did. He declared a state of emergency, put on his military uniform, and sent out soldiers to deal with the lawyers who immediately started protesting this BS.
Benizar Bhutto is Pakistan's former prime minister, and she's been calling for Musharraf to leave office. So he put her under house arrest. But she didn't stop talking. She just called a press conference from inside her house.
Imran Khan is the cricketeer-turned-politician who's trying to incite university protest, if he could only keep rival groups from kidnapping him before he even takes the mic.
Jemima Goldsmith is Imran Khan's British billionaire heiress ex-wife. That has nothing to do with what's happening in Pakistan, of course. But it's brilliant backstory, isn't it?
How long before this becomes a movie, or a miniseries at the very least?
I'm also following the French public-transit-worker strike, but haven't yet felt the need to do Google image search on that one.
Speaking of NPR and Sexiness
What is with people fantasizing about the voices on NPR? I read a piece on Nerve about Sarah Hepola getting off Ira Glass's voice, and now Salon or someone has voted him "sexiest man living" (as if that's not Clive Owen--please), and then of course Gawker got hold of that... and every time I read a post about this, everyone and their dog is chiming in with comments about which NPR peep they'd like to do.
And that is so bizarre to me. I mean, I'm not judging. I think it's totally cool to fantasize about the NPR people, if that's what works for you. Obviously, I enjoy reading people's comments about it. But I never, ever, ever thought of any of them in that way. Here are the three most personal thoughts I've ever had about NPR people:
1. "Renee Montagne sounds like she doesn't take crap from anybody. She seems kind of awesome."
2. "I guess it would be kind of cool to have Carl Kassell do my voicemail greeting."
3. "Why does the local weather guy on our NPR station have to say his name like that? So annoying."
And that's it. Their voices sound like newspeople voices to me. But other people are like, "Steve Inskeep sounds like he'd be considerate yet dirty in bed," or "Mee-chelle Norris is probably the best dominatrix ever. She sounds like a size 4, but with good stiletto feet and a light sprinking of freckles." And I'm like, "What? What the? Where are y'all getting this from?"
Please feel free to share your NPR sex fantasies in the comments, though. Please don't let me stop y'all from doing that.
I want to cut my hair.
I'm saying this now so that, when my boyfriend reads it four days from now, it can help break the news to him gently.
I kind of want to cut my hair. My hair's all long with layers now -- same cut I had when I was 15, and again when I was 22, and now I'm 35 and I think that's a little too old for this hair.
You know? I feel like I'm trying to be in a metal rock video, and those aren't even on MTV anymore. You know what I'm saying? I want a more coifed sort of thing, yet still leave it long or medium length. But I know my boyfriend will cry if I cut it. He won't cry where I can see him. No, he'll keep it secret, like a man. But still.
Last time I was this size, I had *really* short hair and it looked pretty decent, I thought. And I don't even want to go that short now. So I think it should be okay. I think it's safe for me to purchase a Hairstyle Guide magazine... 11:55 AM #
Comments:
My boyfriend read my blog and sent me this email:"that's funny baby. please don't cut your hair short, or else I will be forced to break up with you. that's something that women do when they get married, and we're not married yet, so wait til then, ok?"
I think I accidentally turned him latino.
# posted by
Gwen : 12:45 PM
That comment cracks me up.
Also, I love Carl Kassell, but, you know, not like that.
# posted by
jagosaurus : 6:47 PM
After decades of long, long, long hair, I realized I wore it that long to pull it back, up, off, away, from my face. I stared at myself in a mirror, realized it had to be the most unflattering hair on the planet, and had all of it whacked off. It is seriously strange going from two feet to two inches of hair. Everyone thinks I lost weight...
# posted by
funtime42 : 8:30 PM
Jemima Khan, until recently, was dating Hugh Grant. More dramz!
It's a shame that the equally important and dramatic events happening in Venezuela and Georgia (the country) are not getting as much play as the Pakistan situation. As a friend of mine noted, maybe Musharraf should put on a Ché Guevara t-shirt if he wants the media to back off him. Works for Chavez.
# posted by
jax : 10:26 PM
Uh, that is hilarious up there, what your boyfriend said.
So I have to say that for the past several weeks as I hear the Pakistan updates on NPR I've been thinking "Wait, I missed the beginning of the story. I want to go to someone and ask them to give me the basic details so I can follow." And there you go! What you wrote is exactly what I was looking for. No more, no less. Now I can do my own independent study (Google image search).
I first got hooked on NPR in 1995 when I moved from a small southern town to another small southern town. They had a great NPR jazz/vocals station that played Ella Fitzgerald and Blossom Dearie and Louis Armstrong. The station became my best friend and I became deeply involved with all the personalities. A couple of years later I discovered the website had PHOTOS of them, and it was the best 10 minutes of my life, finally seeing them. I always crushed on Ray Suarez. I find most people are interested in what Terry Gross looks like.
I have a friend in Nashville who I can make laugh just by saying an NPR name in the style of the person. *Pinches up face* "I'm Robert Seigel." *Becomes prim* "I'm Linda Wortheimer."
Oh and I hate how she says "The Dow Joe-nes inDUStral average."
# posted by
Marigoldie : 7:51 AM
OK, I do love Ira Glass' voice and deadpan delivery, but I've never fantasized about him. About MEE-chelle Norris, though, I have to say -- I know, I know, it's your name, you can pronounce it however you like, but AFAIK the usual ways to pronounce it are "Mshell" (English) or "Mee-CHELLE" (French). I don't know why her choice drives me nuts, but it does. I don't think this will keep her up nights, though.
Sorry about your newly Latino boyfriend. Now what are you going to do?!
# posted by
Janet : 9:13 PM
jemima goldsmith has also dated the actor hugh grant for a couple of years. current events are fun!
# posted by
sayra : 7:18 AM
Plus Jemima Khan dated Hugh Grant for a few years.
Oddly enough, I'm 'dating' (that isn't the right word, but I don't know what to call it) a former NPR and current CPR (Colorado Public Radio) host at the moment.
# posted by
tina : 4:16 PM
I am disappointed whenever they have actual audio tape of Supreme Court proceedings, because I love it when Nina Totenberg recites the transcripts herself. I swear she has different voices for all the justices. It's so cute!!!!
# posted by
Wendy : 11:50 AM
So, Gwen, not wanting your girlfriend to cut her hair is a Latino thing? I did not know that. I guess that explains why, if I even mention the phrase "trim my hair," my boyfriend gets all pouty (he's Latino).
I just learned something new today...
# posted by
Carol Elaine : 6:00 PM
Jag: But if you secretly *do* love him like that, it's okay. You can tell me and I won't judge. You do, don't you? Do you?
Funtime: Funny. I hope you like it, though. You didn't say.
Jax: I know -- what's up with the Venezuela blackout? And Georgia... last time I heard about anybody in the USSR, they were having traffic problems. I don't even know what you're talking about. Time to edumacate...
Marigoldie: I don't know which one Ray Suarez is. Have to look him up.
Cornily enough, I got hooked on NPR because of Prairie Home Companion. I think I even talked about it on the blog, before I figured out the name of the program, and one of you guys clued me in.
Janet: I know, right?! Like, far be it from me to tell a woman how to say her own name, but... yeah. Kind of grates, especially the way she says it in that sort of challenging voice.
Boyfriend: I didn't cut my hair short, but not because of what he said. :)
Sayra: I love that y'all know that.
Tina: It's taken me all this time to respond to comments here, but please know that your personal NPR-related info has stuck with me, and I am 7-degrees-of-Ira-Glass impressed.
Wendy: Awesome. She's like Mike Smythe's mom, reading Pooh characters to him at night. :)
Carol: It is, but it's also (way more, maybe) an Asian thing. My boyfriend's family lore contains a story I probably shouldn't tell without permission. Let's just say it involves a woman cutting her hair as punishment for a man... then screaming with grief when she was done.
# posted by
Gwen : 7:51 PM
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