…aside from Prisoner of Trebekistan, of course.

And up front, yep, lots of these folks are friends of mine.  But if you enjoy this site or Trebekistan,
then you or a loved one will probably groove on at least something listed below.

If you think anything looks interesting, just hover your cursor over the link for more.

FUN
If you dig Jeopardy!: Brainiac by Ken Jennings, who once killed a man down south.  With his mind.

For readers of ThisModernWorld.com, where I co-blog: Hell In A Handbasket by Tom Tomorrow.

If you smiled at Scott Bateman’s Trebekistan video, try his Sketchbook of Secrets & Shame.  I tossed in a short essay, too.

Anyone who has not yet had their brain seized by the Great Hodg-man (the guy playing the PC in the Apple ads, who is also so funny in print that it’s almost sinister): The Areas Of My Expertise.  About which: the less said, the more accurate.

Firesign Theater fans: the All Things Firesign CD.

Or for anyone who just enjoys a monthly dose of Dave Barry, Molly Ivins, Matt Groening, etc.: a subscription to The Funny Times.

And if you’re not an Emo fan yet, you and everyone you know should be.  Try the E=MO2/Hasty Pudding CD.  Most comics I know consider him of the greatest joke-writers who ever lived.

TRAVEL
If you share my wanderlust (lately too unindulged-in, although that should change shortly), 1,000 Places To See Before You Die.  There are hundreds of things any of us would add or subtract from
the list, but quibbling is half the fun.

In the same aisle of the genremat, consider the derivatively-titled but nonetheless beautifully-photographed Unforgettable Things To Do Before You Die, Unforgettable Places To See Before You Die, and Unforgettable Journeys To Take Before You Die.  Warning: if you order all of these, you will need to live to be at least 700 years old.

Also good for putting serious miles on your armchair: One Planet, The Blue List, The Travel Book, and A Year of Adventures, all by Lonely Planet, What’s On In The World… And When from GlobeTrekker; and of course pretty much anything by Michael Palin — Sahara, Himalaya, you name it.  (These two also have DVD versions here and here.)  Now I just hope to find the time again to go out and do any of this. 

POLITICS
The One Percent Doctrine by Ron Suskind.  I thought I already knew just how insane Bush, Cheney, et al are.  But there’s more.  Dear gods.

Fiasco by Thomas Ricks.  What Bush hath wrought.

Cable News Confidential by
Jeff Cohen.  Jeff probably has more experience presenting an
authentically left side to debate on Fox, CNN, and MSNBC than anyone
else alive.  His behind-the-scenes stories are enough to make you swear
off — and swear at — cable "news" discussions for good.

Iraq For Sale: The War Profiteers, the latest DVD from Robert Greenwald’s Brave New Films.  Title says it all.

Silk Road To Ruin, Ted Rall’s stunning, funny, terrifying memoir of travels through the -stan countries of Central Asia.  With cartoons!

Who Killed The Electric Car?, now on DVD.  If your green friends aren’t already pissed off enough, this should put them right over.

Gus Russo’s Supermob.  Light
reading; only 623 pages.  Thumbnail: original research into Los
Angeles real estate records shows more power in fewer hands during the
growth of Hollywood than previously noticed, much of it centered around Sidney Korshak, who apparently used to hold court walking distance from where I’m sitting.  And it turns out that the best-paying gig I’ve ever had here involved working for the daughter of Korshak’s business partner.  Small, small world.

The Corporation and The Yes Men.  These DVDs should be viewed together, in this order, as a double feature.  Trust me; the gold lam