Um is contagious

I was trying to listen to an interview on NPR last night with some man and woman that are supposed to be experts on the subject of the economy and found that I was so distracted by the number of "um"s being used by the man being interviewed that I wasn't hearing what he was saying. "blah blah, um blah , um, blah, um, blah blah" GOOD GRIEF!! Where did this guy come from?!? The worst part is that it's not the first time I've heard this dude being interviewed on NPR. I didn't have anything to write his name on the first time and didn't catch the name last night, but since he is supposedly some "expert" of some type on the economy...WTF??? Maybe THAT's what's wrong! Nobody can listen to these guys!

I also observed that not too long in to the interview, the woman who, at the beginning, was extremely well spoken, started doing it. Not as bad but she started using "um" more and more as the interview went on.

THEN, the NPR commentator doing the interview started doing it! Before long, the whole thing is:

NPR: blah blah, um blah um blah blah um blah?
Man: blah um blah um blah blah um
Woman: blah blah blah blah um blah

WTF???

My conclusion is that "um" is contagious and is the reason for our economy's downfall.

As I sit here now writing this (I was writing on a notepad, now I'm typing), I had sort of tuned out the TV. I thought I was through writing and started watching a bit of the Wall Street Journal Report and I SAW it happen!! Radio is one thing. You are HEARING it. This time, I SAW it! The discussion had something to do with education and school vouchers and the Commentator, Maria something or other was interviewing the Governor of somewhere (Roy Romer?) and a Michelle Rey (?). The Guv is doing fine then Michelle starts adding "um" and "uh" more and more, then the Guv caught it, THEN, by the time they got to the last question, the Commentator was doing it! "Blah blah um, uh, blah uh, blah?

I'm telling you. It's contagious!!!