I enjoy having my thoughts challenged, but I don't want them charred by hotheads from either the far left or far right of the political spectrum. Mark Levine is a LA, hothead host, who is rude, inflexible and..."sin"dicated. Unfortunately, there are Mark Levines everywhere, turning talk into rant.

Often good sportsmanship has to be found on channels like ESPN. I listen to sport talk, but not the games they talk about. I can't picture games in my mind without the late Chic Hearn of the Lakers and Vince Scully of the Dodgers, who have verbally turned radio into television - who aren't just another great voice. God seems to give great voices to many radio broadcasters to compensate for their looks.

Because it's not picture perfect, because it requires imagination, there were many in the fifties who thought Marconi's invention wouldn't survive television - wrong. Listenership remains strong - strong enough to take on IPODs.

Because the "talking box" has succeeded in morphing into new forms, it's seen in more places than Paris Hilton. Although its principal domains continue to be in cars and clocks, it also gets around via headsets and arm bands. I listen via an ear bud when I'm at the gym. By listening to news, I always hear about someone in worse shape than I am.

My sister has the satellite version so she can listen to Boston Red Sox games in Indiana, but I'm satisfied with LA radio. Talk, sports, news, weather - it's fulfilling, but still loCAL.

Nevertheless, I'd like to be able to use TIVO for those times when the phone rings, the doorbell buzzes or I just want to speed through commercials, which are just as annoying to one of the senses as they are to two.

I listen on and off, so to speak, throughout the day; but I don't want it to wake me in the morning. I don't want the real world to pull me out of the arms of Robert Redford when he's begging me to star in his new movie. That would endanger our friendship. I consider the radio a friend - a friend worth listening to.