LMNOP

I tend to justify my excessive consumption of tabloid and gossip media by rationalizing that since I am still well-informed in real current events like politics and shit, I can read all the celebrity crap I want--i.e., it's not like I'm focusing on Britney's weave instead of the war in Iraq; it's in addition to it.  Up till this week my hellish commute home from Tyson's Corner let me catch at least 60 minutes of All Things Considered on NPR each afternoon, and while I may have been insanely disgruntled about traffic, I could at least say I was informed, dammit.

When I accepted my new job, which is all of 15 minutes from home, I was so excited about the decrease in drive time (not to mention the reductions in gas expenditures/the number of times per week I make a pretend gun with my fingers and hold it to my temple), I didn't even think about how it would affect my means of staying informed.  Now, after a week of the 15-minute commute, I realize I have absolutely no idea what is going on in the world.  (On the other hand, I am happier, more rested, and free of headaches.  Looks like "Ignorance is bliss" is in no danger of being stricken from the Usable Cliches list anytime soon.)

I'll probably end up reading the paper more to compensate for my lack of radio news, but I know I will get nowhere close to the level of depth one gets from listening to 5+ hours of public radio each week.  Whatever.  I'm fine with that.  All I really need to do is hear at least one traffic report a day--so I can laugh at it.  Because it doesn't apply to me anymore.