Hey, this is that place where I post random songs from my iPod! What a world!

Recent viewings:



The Corner - This is the mini-series that made The Wire possible, based on a true story of a family torn apart by drugs. The book was written by David Simon and Ed Burns, the creators of The Wire, and produced by Robert Colesberry (who produced The Wire and played Ray Cole until his untimely death shortly before S3). Many of the actors later turned up in roles both small and large on The Wire. Anyway, the mini-series (6 1-hr episodes) is profoundly affecting, especially when the real people portrayed in the story appear at the end (and, watching the end credits, you realize how many people whose lives are being dramatized in this thing have appeared in little roles). Given The Wire's inherent pessimism, don't be surprised to find that the moments of uplift and grace are few and far between, but that makes them so much sweeter.

I've started the BBC's Bleak House, which has been wonderful so far (although the transitions are extremely odd and jumpy, as if they brought in Renny Harlin to help change scenes), but Netflix, for some reason, refuses to send me the 2nd disc. I conjecture that they have only one, and it's been taken out by someone who keeps discs for 6 months or more.

The first season of the U.S. version of The Office was the slightly-more shallow little sister of the absolutely brilliant British version. Highly recommended. It lacks the solid gut-punch of the original, but that, to me, makes it slightly more easy on the eyes and noggin. Speaking of self-important bozos, I also highly recommend the smart and funny Tristram Shandy: A Cock & Bull Story, about the egos involved in filming an unfilmable novel.