Basie's Best

Yeah!

The Spine

Definitely one of my favorite TMBG albums -- I brought it out because I wanted to hear Museum of Idiots again. Wearing a Raincoat is probably my favorite song on the album.

Strategic Grill Locations

And here, finally, is Mitch's first CD. I wish he had more than just the three. He was so smart and clever, and had so much promise. Who else could come up with silly, simple jokes like "I haven't slept for ten days -- because that would be too long." Other jokes are eerie portents: “A girl came up to me and asked, ‘Why do you drink red wine, doesn’t it give you a headache?’ I said, Yeah eventually! But the first and the middle part are amazing. I’m not going to stop doing something for what happens in the end. ‘Mitch you want an apple?’ No, eventually it will be a core!”

Bah. Come back to us, Mitch.

Mitch All Together

This is Mitch's second CD, and it comes with a DVD as well, which is actually completely different material from what is on the CD. The CD and DVD seem such an interesting contrast -- on the CD, he seems so at ease, so comfortable. But on the DVD he is clearly very uncomfortable, to the point that it kind of spoils the performance.

So many great jokes on here. I think this is probably the strongest of his CD's.

Do You Believe In Gosh?

I finally got around to finding some Mitch Hedberg CD's -- I always found him a fascinating comedian. There is something about his combination of innocence and intensity that makes him more than just funny -- he seems like a guy it would be fun to hang out with. Zippy the Pinhead says that comedy is the unity of opposites, and Mitch Hedberg is a perfect example -- a cool, stoner character who stands up telling corny one-liners like Henny Youngman. Part of his charm is that he never seems comfortable onstage -- he always seems nervous, like he doesn't belong there. But on the other hand, you can tell that he thinks a lot about to how best present his material. "A comedian has to start strong and finish strong. You can't be like pancakes: all exciting at first, but by the end you're sick of them."

This album was released shortly after his tragic drug overdose. I keep wondering ... was his drug use just recreational, or was it related to his insecurity? Or was the insecurity all an act? Or was it all one inseparable package? All I know is, it sucks that you left us, Mitch. We miss you.

Classics of American Literature, Part I

This lecture series (seven parts, twelve lectures each) is surprisingly enjoyable. I like literature a lot, but often lectures about it are dull, or overly pedantic. Professor Weinstein makes his topics very interesting, even if you haven't read the works he is discussing. In the first set of 12 lectures, he covered Franklin, Irving, Poe, Emerson, and Thoreau. While I've read a lot of Franklin, Poe, and Thoreau, I never read much of Irving or Emerson -- and I must admit that I am intrigued to read Emerson now. In a lot of ways, he really seems like America's first real philosopher. Anyway, I'm already into Part II of this series, and I'm glad there are so many more to look forward to!

The Game of Sunken Places

I bought this at the Scholastic Store a couple years back -- but only got around to reading it recently. It was simple and fun. It is interesting to compare the works of M. T. Anderson and Daniel Pinkwater. They both write irreverent stories of magical worlds that contain deep topics, and personal exploration. But one difference I can't help noting -- Anderson's stories seem to center around friends, whereas Pinkwater's normally have protagonists that are loners.

Anyway, this was charming and fun. And I'm pleased to say that the twist at the end caught me totally off guard! It is interesting that it is a rewrite of something Anderson wrote as a teenager! I learned this from the "AfterWords" section at the end of the book, which is something like DVD extras for a book -- an interesting idea. I wonder if it will catch on?

It could be a movie... I bet it has already been optioned... but I wonder if it will become one? The right director could make it a masterpiece.