Invisible Host
Hello.
Well, the cat-on-the-shoulder question garnered some interesting responses (see the November 4th comments for a full report). It seems that only a single reader thus far is actually a cat-carrying citizen, he hid the cat inside of his beard no less. For the record, some of the bands he likes right now are Battles, Apples in Stereo and Arcade Fire; meaning that he likes some of the same bands as myself, and I would imagine that some of you share his tastes as well.
A few of the other answers were:
The Stray Cats, Catpower, Cat Stevens, and Josie and the Pussycats. Genre guesses veered towards Industrial, Metal, or Goth, while others conjured softer, gentler tastes such as Alanis Morissette or Sarah McLachlan. A few readers rightly pointed out that carrying around an animal wasn't necessarily attention-seeking behavior but merely illustrated affection for our pets. I did sense an underlying fear of Jimmy Buffet and we can explore that later. And for those of you wondering, this was an earnest question.
Now that I am part of the extended NPR family (in the same way that my aunt's second cousin's mailman is part of mine), I went ahead and explored npr.org. Since you are reading this blog, I suppose some of you have already checked out the myriad of features on NPR's website. But here is a warning if you haven't: PROCEED WITH CAUTION. After clicking on "people at NPR", I found myself unable to turn away from the pictures of the on air personalities. I started with Ira Flatow, host of "Talk of Nation's Science Friday". I wanted him to look like Harold Ramis and, frankly, he doesn't. And that was only the beginning. Ira Flatow became my gateway to further disillusionment. If you are like me and you want to preserve your mental image of NPR hosts as bodiless, omnipotent beings with stentorian voices who keep their sibilance in check and whom you send money to once a year, or who are a centimeter tall and live inside of your stereo/computer/iPod/car, then I suggest that you use self-restraint when searching the site. I am in no way suggesting that my disappointment stems from these hosts having "faces for radio". Not at all. In fact, some of them are TOO good looking. It's myself, as a listener, with whom I am disappointed. It's like showing up for a blind date assuming you're the one who'll be laughing about it later with your friends and then realizing that it's your date who will be laughing. Basically, I no longer feel attractive enough to be an NPR listener. Thanks Madeleine Brand and Luke Burbank.
Next item of business: Not to be too self-congratulatory, but I just wanted to note the accuracy of my first post. Yesterday, I mentioned that I live in "Portland a.k.a. the city sponsored by The New York Times". Well, apparently The New York Times has my back because on the exact same day they came out with yet another article about Portland, which you can read here:
This is a subject that I have been and will continue to keep track of. What do New Yorkers think about this, by the way? Are you suspicious? Curious? Indifferent? Are people in other cities jealous? Or, if you live in great places like Madison or Asheville (who did have at least one article in The Times), are you just grateful not to be in the spotlight? Or maybe Portlanders are the only ones who notice.
And last but not least:
Song stuck in my head: Theme from "Curb Your Enthusiasm"
Maybe because it's the only aspect of the current season that isn't brutal. And it's the only part of the show I can repeat out loud without offending anyone.
Most recent album I learned to love only by listening to it as background music: The National's Boxer
Enjoy your Tuesday.
Tags: BACKGROUND MUSIC | CATS ON SHOULDERS | CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM | MUSICAL TASTES OF CAT CARRYING CITIZENS | PORTLAND | THE NATIONAL | THE NEW YORK TIMES
6:00 AM ET | 11- 6-2007 | permalink
