Today I finally made the connection! There are 3 things that I've loved for a while but just discovered why they all three click for me. I now understand why I love each of them!

1. NPR radio. Ever since I can remember my parents have listened to this informative, creative, witty news source. "Car Talk" on road trips, "Science Friday" during our homeschooling years, "Wait Wait Don't Tell Me", and on and on.

2. Super Freakonomics, a book by Levitt and Dubner. I'm smitten by this book. I can't stop talking about it, making connections to the plethora of fascinating anecdotes through out the book as I go through life, or re-reading favorite tid bits... from child safety seats to walking drunk or the environment. It reads like fiction, informs you like NPR, and makes you laugh while drawing what seem like different threads together in to a lovely whole like David Sedaris does with his stories

3. And finally TODAY I came upon "Pecha Kucha" (definition: the sound of chatter). It's an event that is held in over 300 cities world wide, yet began in Tokyo. The idea is that around 12 presenters are given the opportunity to speak using 20 slides (20 seconds per slide) to a group of people. Tonight there were well over 500 people present. It was so wonderful! And felt like a lovely combination of present moment brilliance of NPR and the randomness of Super Freakonomics. We heard from people talking about a youth soccer league, need for school reform, compassionate software, how you don't have to be Buddhist to enjoy nothingness, and on and on. I loved it! I am smitten all over again!