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With the advent of satellite radio and podcasts, radio talk shows have grown exponentially in the last few years. With the usual time restraints imposed by daily life, making a selection from the vast number of choices out there can be particularly daunting.

The elements of any good talk show, however, are pretty universal. The talk must be engaging, informative and, hopefully, entertaining. As a Mom, always in my car or in the kitchen or laundry room, a good old fashion talk radio show serves as a faithful companion to occupy my attention away from these kinds of boring daily tasks.

My favorite radio program at the moment is "The Stephanie Miller Show", hosted by the always hilarious, self-effacing comedienne and self-described liberal progressive, Stephanie Miller. Together with her beloved sidekick "mooks", Jim Ward, voice man extraordinaire; and ever opinionated show producer, Chris Lavoie, Stephanie brings a fresh and comedic voice to the airwaves. Her daily three hour talk show takes on the latest political and entertainment headlines of the day, all in a style similar to Jon Stewart's "Daily Show" but without the visuals. While filling a 3-hour time span everyday is no easy task, Stephanie's show just seems to clip along at a rapid fire pace, entertaining any and all who hang on for the ride.

Always with a hilarious, and at times ridiculous point of view, Stephanie manages everyday, without missing a beat, to inform and entertain her listeners. An especially favorite feature of mine is entitled, "Right Wing World", where Stephanie replays clips featuring some of America's crazy right wing spin doctors (Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity and Bill O'Reilly) from the previous day's broadcasts, adding in her own delightful brand of hilarious commentary and analysis. Listeners contribute also by calling to debate or agree with her. Some even take the time to supply her with funny homemade musical mashes.

Stephanie encourages all listeners to call in to her switchboard to share their viewpoints with her, and many, including people from the right side of the political aisle, actually do. Stephanie lovingly refers to these callers as her 'right wing love muffins', and she greets them all warmly. While she lets every caller make their point, her kind and soft hitting ribbing usually permits her to get in the last word. Not able to please everyone, Stephanie does get her share of hate mail from angry and hostile listeners. In true Stephanie style, she always finds the humor and actually seems to enjoy getting and reading her "hate mail" on the air. About a year ago, one caller even made a not-so-veiled death threat against her, but the laughs kept on coming anyway. One of Stephanie's listeners even made a catchy musical jingle about the unfortunate incident which Stephanie enjoys playing even to this day. This is, above all, a comedy show, and Stephanie finds humor even in the insults waged at her.

Whatever your political inclination, The Stephanie Miller Show will draw you into a demented world where comedy and politics collide. You may not agree with everything she says, but you will surely be entertained. Stephanie's show is nationally syndicated and can be found across the US market on the AM radio dial. For those unfortunates who live beyond the radio signal, her website can be found at www.stephaniemiller.com. As a tease, Stephanie posts daily clips of some of the highlights of her show, and she offers a paid podcast subscription. Check it out, you won't be disappointed!

Learn more about this author, Roz Romero.
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