Bless Your Heart, Radiolab

I make no secret of the following two things: 1) I love me a good educational podcast, and 2) if there's a soccer game on, hide the knives. 

If you've ever accompanied me to a Sounders game or watched a match on TV in my presence (from your seat in the corner of the room as far away from me as you can get) you'll know that I really do transform into a raging lunatic once the game clock starts ticking. I scream obscenities at the ref, ring my cowbell in jubilation every time someone on the other team gets carded, insult players who have what I deem ridiculous and/or unnecessary hair/names/insert your own noun here. If we win, I am elated and apologize to those around me for my unpleasant and irrational behavior. If we lose, though, boy howdy do I feel bad for you if you and I cross paths. Each loss is like a diabolically calculated personal attack. Some catapult me straight into the fifth level of Hell where I remain, wallowing in my own misery and anger, for upwards of a week. And I never knew why.

Cue this past week's episode of Radiolab, a science-meets-philosophy program that delves into the most labyrinthine, minute components of human behavior. Last week's podcast, entitled "Games," was marketed with the following preview:

"A good game - whether it's a pro football playoff or a family showdown at the kitchen table - can make you feel, at least for a little while, like your whole life hangs in the balance. This hour of Radiolab, Jad and Robert wonder why we get so invested in something so trivial. What is it about games that make them feel so pivotal?"

In the very first story, a man wonders why a San Jose Sharks hockey game makes him question the very core of humanity. Why do the glittering lights across the San Francisco Bay cease to fill him with wonder on his way home from the rink? Why does the world seem inundated with devil worshipers and rotting flesh the instant his team loses?

To which I say, Hallelujah. Praise the powers that be for Jad Abumrad and Robert Krulwich, who week after week manage to unravel the complex knot of brain matter in my own skull. It's like having two locksmiths on call every time you lose the key to your thoughts. I appreciate this very much, as there ain't a keychain in the world big enough to get me off the stoop and into the dimly lit recesses of my own head.

I encourage you all - all three of you - to visit the Radiolab website and listen to the full hour-long episode here. I promise you won't be disappointed. Plus, you'll be that much closer to learning how my mind works. Heck, you'll probably know more than I do.