Shut up Katie Couric!

A few years ago I took a class on collecting qualitative data. These data are often used to write ethnographies or in other sociological research. These data include observations, interviews, etc. One of the first things I learned about interviewing was to carefully construct questions to allow the respondent the opportunity to provide as much detail as possible. For instance, you wouldn't ask, "Did you like your mother?", because the respondent could just say "yes" or "no" and then you don't have much information. Rather, you would say something like, "Describe your relationship with your mother." That kind of prompt may open the door to information you hadn't even anticipated -- really rich stuff that could make your study special.
I always imagined that this was the same kind of model that news reporters used for interviewing as well. However, I have noticed over the past few years that some of our [top] news personalities could use a bit of a refresher on how to interview. One particular person jumps out at me -- Katie Couric.
Katie apparently values her own opinions and insights a great deal more than those of the people she interviews. A sample question from Katie goes something like this:

"I would imagine that losing your daughter in such a violent way would be devastating. In other words, having your daughter taken away from you so abruptly must be very difficult, right?"

Although this isn't verbatim, it is awefully close to many Couric interviews. She almost always paraphrases how she thinks the respondent feels and then finishes with a "yes or no" question. Apparently, this is just to confirm the extent to which her own insights are correct.

In addition, she doesn't hesitate to throw in a personal anecdote even when the entire interview may only last 4 minutes. I suppose the American public just can't get enough of Katie, so she feels as a public service she should pre-empt Clint Eastwood, Conde Rice or anyone else to be sure that she provides her viewing audience with information about how she or her daughters feel about an issue.
And one last thing, her overuse of the word "meanwhile" has become an extreme pet peeve of mine. If you haven't noticed, tune in. I promise it will become like nails on a chalkboard in less than a week.
To be sure, I can watch something else. It is my own fault for subjecting myself to awful interviewing techniques, too much lower lid eyeliner and overuse of irrelevant vocabulary. However, I really like Al Roker. What's a girl to do?

The Accidental Caller

I have many pet peeves. One of my pet peeves is when people ask questions to which they already know the answer. Tonight I heard someone's cell phone ringing. For some reason, they chose not to answer. Instead, a few minutes later they returned the call and immediately asked, "Did you just call me?". I will assume that the person on the other end of the line denied the call because his next statement was, "Really, because I just got a call from this number."
Oh, ok Einstein, then why the hell did you begin by asking the question if you already knew the answer?
This is particularly bothersome to me because I have been in the position where I accidentally dialed a number and just hung up when I realized it. Because of the damn oversensitive touchscreen on my overpriced phone, this happens often. And, because I refuse to clean up my contact list, I may easily dial an ex-boyfriend, former employee, former friend, or someone I plain old just don't even remember. I don't want any of these people calling me back and asking if I " just called them".
Clearly if I did, it was a grievous error on my part. And furthermore, if I wanted to speak with them I would have waiting until they answered or left a message. C'mon, if someone doesn't leave a message asking for a return call -- don't call them back. This seems obvious to me. I love it when people don't leave me messages. First, I don't like listening to long winded ridiculous small talk directed to a machine and second, if you don't leave a message I assume it is not important or that perhaps you dialed my number in error. If it is the latter, why would I choose to make you feel uncomfortable by calling back to ask you why you were calling? Or, if you were calling?

The Devil causes traffic jams...

Recently I drove from Pennsylvania to Florida and back. Three factors struck me as significant.

1. I-95 is the most uninteresting road ever built.
2. "South of the Border" is a shithole.
3. Radio stations are almost painful to listen to once you get south of Delaware.

First, driving I-95 is aweful. There is absolutely nothing to look at along the way. I was surprised that even the foilage doesn't seem to change along the way. So, when the flood of signs advertising "South of the Border" begin to appear it is appealing. However, the SOB folks are just preying on the boredom of those traveling this desolate highway.
I fell for it and pulled off. I was dreaming of nachos and guacamole. I was greeted by the biggest tourist trap I had ever encountered. There were giant replicas of sombreros, charicatures of Mexican people that the ACLU should definitely see, and establishments that looked like the Board of Health's "don't" list. I was back in my car within 5 mintues and actually looking forward to getting back on I-95.
The last painful variable for this drive was the radio programming. I learned a lot as I flipped through the stations. First, I was offered many different ways to incorporate Jesus into my life. I learned that "in order to make a difference, I have to be a little bit different". This reprise was sung as part of a song encouraging us to make Jesus a bigger part of our life. I also learned that everything that goes wrong in the world, is caused by the devil. Apparently, the devil is the cause of floods, fires, and the traffic jam that was plaguing Route 16 through Georgia on Saturday.
I wonder if I was more accepting of Jesus, I would have missed the traffic jam altogether. In fact, I imagine that I-95 would have become very beautiful and lined with blooming flowers, Rita's water ice every mile, and live bands. In fact, I bet that truly accepting Him into my life would cause South of the Border to completely disappear just like the house at the end of Poltergeist.

Not the hood

Earlier tonight I was picking up Chinese food in a local shopping center. As I walked toward the restaurant, I noticed a group of teenagers hanging out. This town is actually overrun with teens. Most of the girls are shockingly underdressed and the boys look and act like they are dangerous. However, this is a fairly affluent town, so I suspect that it is in fact "an act" -- just some teenage White boy hypermasculinity. Still, I don't want to be near them as it is unnerving.
On my way out of the restaurant I overheard one of the girls saying to one of the boys, "You're not in the f***ing hood, you're in f***ing Doylestown!". I couldn't help but thinking that was the smartest thing I have heard a teen in this town say.
As I pulled out of the parking lot, I noticed another one of the teens walking toward the group with a thick cardboard tray loaded with Starbucks coffee cups. Now I am sure "it's not the f***ing hood."

Gettin' bigger...

Here it is at 11.2 weeks. Still don't feel anything, but it is definitely in there and getting bigger.