i am charlotte addams

nprfreshair:

Ira Glass stocking up before watching a Tuesday night encore screening of the This American Life live show (which will air as a radio episode this weekend).

(@sethlind of @ThisAmerLife is babysitting this Tumblr for Melody)

Dream movie date.

As I’ve mentioned previously, I listen to the Christmas and Commerce episode of This American Life almost every night as I go to sleep. Specifically the Santaland Diaries excerpt. This being my habit, I’m fairly well familiar with it, particularly the first five or so minutes, which is as far as I generally get before completely passing out.

Now, the last couple nights, the wording seems to be significantly different than it had been previously. To the point that it jerks me out of my half asleep daze to wonder if they’ve gone and replaced the audio (the “first aired” date is still 12/20/1996) or if I am losing my goddamned mind. Considering I can’t think of a reason why they would go back and edit a 16 year old story and the fact that I just spelled “mind” as “mined,” I’m inclined to go with the latter option. Which, frankly, is terrifying.

Give it to me straight, Ira. Are you tryin’ to play me for a fool or should I see a doctor?

Edited to add: I swear on my life that it is different, but I’m comparing it to a version I downloaded three months ago and they’re the same. My whole world is being torn asunder and I don’t understand what is happening. I just want the old version back. Even if it’s just a delusion that I’ve been lulling myself to sleep with for months.

PLEDGE DILEMMA ALERTZ!

So, Wait Wait’s pledge gifts were a bust (no Carl Kassel pillow. Weak) but This American Life is on now and their gift is this USB flash drive, which is awesome. My dilemma is this: do I donate now and guarantee an awesome gift, or gamble on Prairie Home Companion having an even greater gift later tonight?

(There’s a rebroadcast of TAL later tonight but I don’t know if I can count on the flash drive being available again. I tweeted @KQED, hopefully they will respond. In the next half hour.)

Edit: OK. I decided to wait it out and see what PHC has to offer. The flash drive is available from the TAL store if I have a “OMG I SHOULD HAVE GOTTEN IT” panic moment, and there’s a chance that PHC’s gift will be (a) awesome and (b) not available in their store.

HEY Y’ALL LOOK WHAT MY MOM JUST EMAILED ME! Way to be awesome, Mom.

Kinda want to fast-track it to the top of my tattoo list, just gotta figure out the placement…

Things I Am Still Mad About:

I had this really, really cool TAL temporary tattoo and I lost it. (There’s a slight chance it’s somewhere at my parents’ but considering I haven’t seen it in years, I probably won’t ever find it.)

From the Public Radio Blood Feud 2012.

Christmas and Commerce is one of my favorite episodes of This American Life to listen to year ‘round, but this is the season where it’s actually relevant. (Though I skip the first act because it’s super loud and go straight to the Santaland Diaries and let David Sedaris lull me to sleep.)

Finally bought the This American Life app because I hadn’t yet because I thought it was like $5 (I know) but it was only like $3 and also I went to the website and read this and it sent me into a guilt spiral that included ordering this book from the TAL store because obviously that’s necessary and relevant and then I just straight donated $20 and I’m so sorry for not paying before Ira Glass, you signed the donation thank you email with “your friend, Ira Glass” and that’s a lot more important to me than it should be.

I even went over to KQED’s site to throw money at them but it was all TV-ish and, like… I’m a radio gal. Oh God I just remembered that you can donate through the app. Must…resist…for now…

P.S. I don’t know if you know this but if I ever get disgustingly wealthy there are are four things I would do with the money (and these are decisions that I made years ago so I know they’re legit):
1. Buy a Wienermobile
2. Buy a KitchenAid in each color
3. Pay off Hanna’s and my student loans
4. Donate lots and lots to KQED. Only not all in one go, but, like… I’d pledge when there was a gift I wanted… AKA during Prairie Home Companion, also during Wait, Wait, also during This American Life, maybe during Car Talk, and then if they need to meet any matching grants, or if they’re short of their goal at the end of the pledge drive I’ll cover it. Basically I love public radio and I love pledge drives and I wish I could just keep giving them money but I also have to pay my phone bill and buy food and stuff.