Thanks Mrs. B

Last night, Betakate and I had one of our marathon phone conversations. It was one of those conversations where we talk about a whole lot o' nothin' but somehow seem to have wasted nearly two hours. I guess I shouldn't be surprised - we did once have a ten minute conversation about spatulas.

I asked Beta what she wanted me to call her in my blog (which, let's face it, is primarily written for her). She foolishly told me it was up to me. We'll see how she feels when I start referring to her as Busty McFadden.

Anyway, I started prattling on about NPR, per usual, and Betakate started talking about an article in the New Yorker and how she's ashamed she loves the New Yorker because it seems rather snobby. She made the succinct analogy that the New Yorker is like the print version of This American Life. I agree.

So, as for NPR, today on Morning Edition, there was a piece on Teach for America. Apparently Teach is attracting a record number of college seniors - the focus was on Dartmouth - 11% of their graduating seniors applied to the program this year. On the one hand, good for them. That's awesome. On the other, I hope this program keeps these kids committed to public service, but I'm afraid it may send them skittering towards cushier jobs in publishing. One of the interviewees is going to Brick City (Newark to you non-Jersiers) to teach special ed. Gulp. If serving as a special ed teacher in Newark doesn't send you running into the arms of law school or the publicity department of BMG, I don't know what will.

That being said, I have to give respect to the teachers of Newark. Last year while I was working at the Women's Fund, I got to run Take Our Daughters to Work Day. The teachers who came along were so committed to their students, and the girls were just tremendous. All right, enough with the sappy. I promise I'll stop.