What I Watch at 5 A.M.

Don't you sometimes wish your car were
headed to the Waffle House instead?
--Downtown YMCA desk clerk who checks me in each morning

So the call of the gym at 5 a.m. just isn't that strong but it is enough to beacon me to the YMCA and go running on a treadmill. The downtown Y has a plug-in option on each treadmill so a bum like me can watch television while I run. Occasionally I'll plug into a discussion on BookTV .

To discuss my BookTV habit, even in cyberspace, leaves me conflicted. Here I am, committed to run x number of miles, and I have this opportunity to listen to smart people talk about books. What could be wrong with that? What's wrong with that is I haven't read the book itself and I feel somewhat like an interloper for listening in. Ultimately I've resolved that listening to an intelligent conversation can only leave me better off. Its not like I plagiarize the book, pose as an expert, or even pretend I've read the text. I like smart people. I've been lucky enough to befriend lots of smart people. Why not listen to smart people who happen to have written books?

This blog is a strange, rambling way for me to recommend the following BookTV discussions. In an era of iphones I don't generally make digital recommendations. I have, however, come back to the thoughts expressed in each of the following shows:

Starbucked: A Double Tall Tale of Caffeine, Commerce, and Culture
Plug-in Hybrids: The Cars that Will Recharge America
The Next American Century
In Defense of Food

Days, sometimes weeks, later I find myself glad for my 5 a.m. treadmill date. What kind of sick talk is that, you ask? Occasionally the treadmill brings me smart discussions that challenge me to think new thoughts and that's good stuff. Its not good stuff like hot maple syrup or a side of bacon from the Waffle House would be good stuff -- but its good stuff nonetheless.