Oh Terry

It's been way too long since I've written in this space and it's been even longer since I mentioned my fascination with Terry Gross.

But I think this exchange sums up a typical Terry Gross interview. What used to infuriate me now amuses me to no end. It's all there. The giggles are the best part of course.Either that or the lack of a real question. I love that the transcript mentions the laughter. But there were at least 2 or 3 other moments of nervous giggling and stammering as she led up to asking the question (or non-question).

GROSS: If you're just joining us, my guest is Thanassis Cambanis, and he's the former Middle East bureau chief for the Boston Globe. He now writes the foreign policy column for the Globe. He teaches at Columbia University and is the author of the book "A Privilege to Die: Inside Hezbollah's Legions and Their Endless War Against Israel."

Now you covered the war between Lebanon and Israel in 2006. You continued to cover Lebanon after that. You've covered the entire Middle East. So, Hezbollah is now an important part of the picture in terms of how the Middle East is changing in such a rapid way. Hezbollah now controls the government in Lebanon. So let me start by just asking you to connect the dots a little bit. Since you're looking at the region, I'm not sure what my question is here, so...

Prof. CAMBANIS: I have an idea of what the answer might be...

(Soundbite of laughter)

Prof. CAMBANIS: ...or the beginning of the answer.

GROSS: Okay. Then just take it. Go ahead.