We Report...You Decide

*I want everyone to know that the blog that follows has been written with a grand twinkle in my eye. I LOVE the friends I shall refer to and think diversity in beliefs is a wonderful thing.*

I have two friends who I enjoy immensely. We do not see eye to eye on politics. Let's face it, we don't see eye to knee on politics.

I loves me some NPR.

They loves them some Rush Limbaugh.

That pretty much sums it up. I think that NPR is fair and balanced, they think it's left-wing liberal propaganda. They think Rush is a great truth teller, I think he's a hate-spreading nut job. And basically...I think I'm right.

So we're always on each other about the information we've received from our various news sources - battling it out over "Obamacare" or gun control or foreign policy...you name it. So this week I had an idea. I challenged Terry to listen to NPR for one week and I'd listen to Rush for a week. (*Inhale Sharply* What have I just done?) He did not think he could go for a week without listening to Rush. (Oh for crying out loud.) So I said, fine. We'll both listen to Rush from 12:00-2:00 and then we'll switch to NPR for "Talk of the Nation". A better idea anyway so that we're both listening to the same discussions. Felicia agreed to join us as well. My goal in this experiment is to get a better sense about where the other person is coming from rather than just having heated debates every time we're together.

Also, I'd like to convert them into NPR fans. There. I said it. It's not a totally altruistic experiment. I want to bring them over from the dark side.

So yesterday, listening to Rush, I learned what a "waitress sandwich" is (in reference to something Ted Kennedy once did in a restaurant with another man and a waitress). I also discovered that, technically, the health care plan being proposed by the Obama administration is not socialist. It's fascist.

And then I switched to NPR and breathed a huge sigh of relief.

Terry called me later to check in on the experiment. I listened to 1.5 hours of Rush. He listened to 20 minutes of NPR!!! He said he couldn't handle it. It was too boring. Hmmm...you mean boring because there aren't people ranting and raving - rather they are carrying on conversations in a rational and intelligent manner? Yeah. I guess I can see how that might be boring to some.

But the experiment continues. Currently it's eight minutes till Rush.

I can't wait to see what I learn today!