…well, ok, most of the time, I cheerfully admit I am. But today (Friday) is the first day since last October that I won’t be listening to the show.

See, he’s running a “Best of Bob” (or BOB, as I refer to them). That’s not normally a problem, since hearing interviews once again is usually a welcomed occurance. But today, for some inexplicable reason, they have chosen to re-run the February interview with Dan Messe and Sally Ellyson, members of the alt-country octet “Hem.” This was the first and so-far-only time I couldn’t bring myself to listen to the 9:00 AM rebroadcast…their music is juvenile, ostentatious, and uninspiring, and their giggling through the interview made me, for the first time since October’s premier, gnash my teeth in anguish. I remember feeling sorry for Edwards, even though he actually seemed to be enjoying the childish banality of these two annoying people. I remember them spending what seemed like hours making jokes about the band’s name, while I wondered if they had anything to say worthwhile to hear. I had to switch to the BBC World Service at the end of the main broadcast to keep from slitting my wrists should I hear the reair. So tomorrow, for the first time since October, I’ll be checking out of the show (ok, ok, so maybe I’ll listen to the opening and closing, just in case there’s something interesting added to the envelope - but you simply can’t make me listen to the meat of that show).

And I don’t get it; the same week this interview was originally broadcast Bob talked to humorist Roy Blount, Jr. (heard frequently on Wait, Wait, Don’t Tell Me) and legendary gospel singer Mavis Staples; and talk about timely, he also talked to Mark Tushnet about his book, “A Court Divided: The Rehnquist Court and the Future of Constitutional Law .” With all of that, who in heaven’s name thought the HEM interview was worthy of a repeat? (I suppose I should be greatful they didn’t chose the interview with the endlessly self-promoting-yet-untalented Joe Bevilacqua, although at least that was only a partial show and was handily redeemed by the conversation with P.G. Wodehouse biographer Robert McCrumb. The HEM interview is the entire, head-slamming, wrist-gnawing, bloddy hour.)

I remember the first time this was broadcast, Bob said, “HEM is here; listen to them. Maybe you’ll like them.” More likely you’ll despise them…and yourself, for wasting the hour of your life you’ll never get back.