Another Reason to Love Joss Whedon (as if I needed one)

His recent rant on Dua Khalil’s execution.

On a related side note, check out this awesome upcoming Whedonesque extravaganza at the Drafthouse. Firefly and Buffy and Angel, oh my.

Wine Review - Screw Kappa Zinfandel.

The attached is somewhat cryptic and indecipherable.

Deal.

TSOTAL - Episode 8: New Year

Ira opens the New Year episode with an interesting idea. He suggests that by the end of 1995 there are no more sacrosanct figures. His evidence is the Beatles Rare Photo and Interview CD in which the Beatles are revealed to be boorish and boring. Unfortunately he underlies this piece with a short guitar loop of Baby, You Can Drive My Car and it gets annoying quickly. The brave who tough out the grating sample are rewarded with a review of the year from Chicago’s Spanish community as presented by a young Claudia Perez, and stories of Chicago integration and interesting perspectives on why the city is still almost completely segregated.

Rating: 4 out of 5

TSOTAL - Episode 10: Double Lives

This is the first episode that I would say is important. Important in that it it sheds the normal sheep’s skin of ebullient life-affirming stories and displays the disturbing wolfen assault of journalism in it’s purest form. Ira opens the episode with an author whose father lived a double life, a devout religous family man who would often slip away surreptitiously from his family to have sex with men; an interview with a man who is “out” to his wife, but hides his sex with men from his children; and the story of a family whose father contracted HIV from his secret gay sex life, gave it to his wife and AIDS killed them both. Like a true journalist the subjects of Ira’s stories are allowed to express their emotion and bias while Ira does his job properly — setting himself apart from judgment.

I would say everyone should listen to this episode. The content may disturb you but it will create for you a moment to ponder and hopefully expand you grasp on the world.

Rating: 5 out of 5

TSOTAL - Episode 7: Quitting

Maybe it’s too foreign to me but Quitting is the weakest episode of TAL that I have heard. The lead story covers a woman who edits a ‘zine called Quitters Quarterly and the niche demographic for this magazine is as far removed from my lifestyle as this episode. Although I am proud to call Austin my home, particularly for the overwhelming numbers of devoted slackers, I just can’t get behind the idea of focusing on “the quit” or glorifying it. I will note, however, that one of my prized CDs is featured in this episode. Shut Up, Little Man is a set of recordings of two bickering old men that is almost unlistenable but can draw you in with it’s wretchedness. At least they never quit, though.

Rating: 2 out of 5

TSOTAL - Episode 6: Christmas

How innocent is it that way back during the first fledgling season Your Radio Playhouse they title their year-end episode simply Chirstmas? The chocolate coating of this Christmas treat is a set of Gospel songs from Faith Tabernacle Baptist Church, the sugary center is a pair of Christmas stories of the less fortunate, and the cherry center is a “hold your aching sides while you laugh” radio play from Amy and David Sedaris and the Pinetree Gang about a class of wannabe writers who learn to craft short stories specifically for the magazine Christmas season. Becky and I had tears rolling down our faces.

For the love of Christmas! Who’s seen Patty McShane?!?

Rating: 5 out of 5

TSOTAL - Episode 5: Anger and Forgiveness

This episode is MIA so, please, let me know if you hear from it.

Rating: TAL Fan Sadness out of Loss

TSOTAL - Episode 4: Vacations

Ira opens this episode about Vacations “showing” some photos from his vacation in Hawaii with his family. Originally broadcast under the Your Radio Playhouse moniker, this episode is now available with some obvious overdubs calling the show This American Life for the first time in my audio journey. Two solid TAL pieces in this episode come as a story about two American immigrants — Chinese and German — who take their family on vacation to Ethopia, and a haunting David Sedaris story about his journeys hitchhiking.

Rating: 4 out of 5

TSOTAL - Episode 3: Poultry Slam

Three episodes in and Ira Glass knocks one out of the park. Still broadcasting under the name Your Radio Playhouse this episode of poultry related stories includes a touching story of the night 3000 birds died on a turkey farm, an original — first in 25+ years — episode of Chicken Man, how to cook chicken by sound, and the lead story and grand slam of the show:

Duki’s story. When Danielle’s family serves poultry at their dinner table, no one utters the word “chicken.” Instead, it is always called “fish.” Danielle explains why with the help of her friend “Duki.”

You don’t even know how strange and wonderful TAL can be until you’ve heard Duki’s story.

Rating 5 out of 5

TSOTAL - Episode 2:Small Scale Sin

The second episode of TAL speaks directly to my background so I can’t judge it objectively. The bookends of the episode are interviews with hackers that parallel the beginning and end of my hacking (1989 to 1995) and the discussions from these young men are similar to the things I have felt and said. Non-hackers may be interested to hear the attitude of the hacker mind, but generally I think this episode may be too niche even for TAL. Sandwiched in the middle is an absurdist radio play of dubious quality and some excellent poetry from an African-American Jehovah’s Witness who came to recognize the contentious philosophy’s of his JW indoctrination and his participation in the Black Civil Rights movement.

Rating: 3 out of 5

TSOTAL(The Summer of This Amercan Life) - Episode 1: New Beginnings

Your Radio Playhouse (which eventually becomes This American Life) starts weak compared against the tapestry of TAL as a whole. In the first episode Ira calls Joe Franklin (who many consider to be the father of the modern talk show format), and his mother and father for advice, which is fairly entertaining in a “look behind the curtain” fashion. The meat of the show is a spiritually touching story of a man who decides to live his life as if he were to die in 6 months, and a man wrongfully imprisoned who brought his dream of being a professional musician to reality when his conviction is overturned — split between these great pieces is a rambling, emotionally disconnected pseudo-script based on the true story of a man finding out his HIV status.

In it’s entirety this episode is lacking, but Act One and Act Four really set the stage for classic TAL content.

Rating: 2 out of 5

Guess You Should Have Had a Diet Coke

Diet Coke Plus includes 10% of one vitamin, and 15% of 2 others. Screw broccoli. Finally, a real alternative to eating fruits and vegetables. OK, I admit, I tried it and I liked it. But I’ve felt kindof dirty ever since.

I eat actual friuts and vegetables, have been totally veggie for over a year and I’m thinking about giving veganism a try. I get plenty of vitamins, is what I’m saying. I’m sure all of the negatives of consuming the Diet Coke outweigh the tiny amount of benefit from extra Niacin, B12 and zinc. So, why did I immediately go “OOOH, I should buy that!” when I saw it at the 7-11 the other day? Maybe my husband’s love of all things labeled “new” is contagious?

On A Mission

I have a new obsession. I have recently gone to great lengths to acquire every episode of This American Life as possible — some through legitimate (and costly) means, some through the nefarious back alleys of the interweb. Last summer was the Summer of Buffy and I plan on making this the Summer of TAL. I have one nagging problem, though, and it starts as early as Episode #5 — back when TAL was still called “Your Radio Playhouse”.

This description of Episode 5 sounds like something I have to hear:

…Ira Glass reads a list of words that former U.S. Representative Newt Gingrich had recommended Republican candidates use when referring to their Democratic opponents…angered readers of Hitt’s piece gets a chance to confront him about his plea for forgiveness for Susan Smith…monologues on forgiveness…based on the testimony of serial murderer Jeffrey Dahmer…

The unavailability of this episode is explained in the FAQ thus:

There are a handful of shows…that we’d just as soon never have anyone hear again. If they’re not currently on our website, they’re unlikely ever to be released again (sorry, folks!)…

Surely in the six degrees of my little world there is someone out there who can lay their hands on Episode 5? Ask your friends. Ask them to ask their friends. Please, do it for this NPR fanboy.