I (heart) Ira Glass

For anyone who has questions about or is interested in or has heard about the financial crisis here in America, listen to this. (Yes, it's NPR. Don't knock it before you try it. & I mean really try it, listening to Terry Gross for 5 minutes doesn't count. This Amercian Life is the best show on radio, & if you don't think that's saying a lot, then you've never listened to The Sunday Puzzle with Will Shortz or Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me. I know, I know, I'm a big nerd.) In The Giant Pool of Money, they explain how the mortgage crisis got started, and turned into the credit crisis, which turned into the brink of disaster we're at now. They explain NINA's (no income, no asset loans) and CDO's (collateralized debt obligations). It's fascinating and infuriating at the same time. It will be worth your time, I promise. Then you'll be all ready to listen to part two tomorrow, Another Frightening Show About the Economy. You'll also increase your I.Q. just by listening to NPR.

After all that, if you need a pick-me-up, try Going Big, an episode about the Harlem Children’s Zone and it's founder Geoffrey Canada. Good what-a-difference-one-person-can-make stuff. It'll make you want to go out and found your own non-profit organization to help children living in poverty. Or at least read to your kids tonight.

Of course, if you really want to know how to best survive these troubled times, listen to this.