Hey, Hey, Paula

I was going to devote today to my insights on SF neighborhoods, which have been dominating my thinking and conversations over the past few weeks as I evaluate my current living situation and re-evaluate where I want to buy/sign a more permanent lease in a few months.

However, something WAY more important happened.

To say that my devotion to Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me on NPR borders on fanaticism would be to understate it by a bit. I listen to the podcasts multiple times, and refuse to listen to the live broadcast for fear I will be interrupted and will not be able to pause it. I also have some strong opinions on the contestants appearing on the show, well basically I have two strong opinions: Paula Poundstone is a goddess, and Angela Nissel should be fired (if they fire panelists off of public radio shows, I don't know). You never know who is going to appear in any given week, but it's a sure bet if Paula's on, you will get stared at on the bus for laughing out loud several times as you listen. The other great thing about Paula (beyond her unwavering hilarity) is that she almost never wins the show. The audience has so rallied around this fact, that the one time she did win, they played the final bit and the audience's reaction on a "Best Of" edition last summer.

Well I headed out the door this morning with a fresh downloaded podcast already excited because Trish had mentioned that Paula was on this weekend. But my excitement escalated to heel-clicking joy when Peter Sagal revealed that the last time Paula had been on, she had won but not been given credit for winning due to a scoring error. Apparently her many fans wrote in to lambaste the show over this. So they have 'guaranteed' that she will win this time. I assume this will come in the form of an outrageously rigged lightning round, but she's already won the bluff the listener challenge, so maybe she won't even need the help. Either way, I am so in love with this episode, I may never delete it.