two things that don't suck...and one that does

killing yourself to live by chuck klosterman
that's right, i read. his sex, drugs, and cocoa puffs is the funniest thing i've ever read...one of those where you're embarrassed when you start laughing loudly in the middle of an airplane. always uncomfortable. while this book is not as good as his first, it's definitely worth a read. anyone who picks it up hoping to learn about the advertised topic (a road trip to the sites of famous rockers' deaths) will be sorely disappointed. those (like me) who pick it up just to hear klosterman's voice should be pleased. i could have dealt without his drug addiction, but his relationship troubles are hilarious.

hustle & flow directed by craig brewer
ah, movies...something i'm much more comfortable reviewing. no one reading this probably remembers the original world of normalcy and the movie reviews therein. or its webmaster, the cheez. or the "x out of 7 weiners on a stick" rating system. those were the days.... anyway, i thought this movie was surprisingly good. i thought it would be just another rehash of the "pimp who wants to become a rapper" story (first put forth by austen i believe), but the cast made it their own. terrence howard is incredible in this movie. i was particularly impressed, as i had seen him earlier this year in crash playing a diametrically different character. add to that the trailer for the new 50 cent movie, and hustle & flow is a must see.

mr. a-z by jason mraz
wow...this is a tough one. not the review itself, as the album is plain terrible. but it hurts me to have to say bad things about my boy mraz. his live album from 2001 is one of my favorites, and waiting for my rocket to come was second only to mayer in cleverness. but this new new one...i tell you, i don't know if the entire cd is meant to be ironic or tongue-in-cheek or something, but i don't get it. let's say i'm the father of a three year old, and i give said three year old some crayons and a coloring book. on page one, he colors a hen. he uses the appropriate browns and reds, stays well within the lines, and even outlines in a darker shade! i'm so proud of my boy and i take his hen to work with me. later, he moves on to page two. he colors the clown (this is a strangely eclectic coloring book) with what seems to be every color in the box, and i can barely even see the clown under the frantic scribblings of my three year old. i still love my boy, but i won't be taking this clown to work. this analogy demonstrates two things. first, i will most likely be a terrible father, only satisfied when my child achieves perfection. second, mraz's new album is all over the place--different styles, paces, overly self referential, clever to the point of being cheesy--and though i still like him, i will not be taking his album to work with me.