mindpollution.org

You’ll Have That, Vol. 1
… This is the first collection of Wes Molebash’s webcomic strips, published by the great guys at Viper Comics. Maybe it’s my impending 30s talking, but this series about a young, newlywed couple has quickly become one of my favorite comic strips around. It’s one of those comics that connects with anyone who has ever cohabitated with their romantic partner for any stretch of time, and it has the rare ability to elicit just as many laughs from me as it does from her. Heck, it’s also one of the few comic collections I’ve encountered that seems under-valued instead of over-priced.

The Best of Youth
… I’m still amazed that I’m including this on any “favorites” list, since it’s a six-hour foreign film with English subtitles and it doesn’t feature Toshiro Mifune in its cast. That said, the lady turned me on to this Italian film recently when I was absently flipping through the channels and happened upon the opening scene. It’s one of those films that sounds like a royal bore when judged on plot description alone (it follows two Italian brothers’ lives through several generations) - but once I started watching a few minutes of it, I was hooked. I ended up spending the next three hours in front of the television. It’s funny, it’s sad, it’s thoughtful and it’s fun. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to catch the last half of the film, so I can’t vouch for the last three hours of the final product. For all I know, it could be absolutely horrible past the midway point. However, if the second half is anything like the first, it’s worth a shout here.

Mermaid Avenue - Billy Bragg & Wilco
… It’s what I’ve been listening to a lot lately. Most often, “Jesus Christ for President.” Billy Bragg and Wilco take on a bunch of old Guthrie tunes, including a little ballad to Ingrid Bergman and an ode to “California Stars.” It’s a great little album that makes me smile. The “making of” video is pretty interesting, too - if you’re into that sort of thing. It’s the sort of album I can listen to from the first track to the last and never feel the need to skip a song. Good albums are like that, I guess.