When you love something, it's natural to be worried when the object of your affection undergoes a change.
Many people wondered if HBO's "Curb Your Enthusiasm" was going to be bogged down by this season's "Seinfeld" reunion plot line. We're happy to report the show is as funny and cringe-inducing as ever.
In addition to "Curb," we've got some great music reissues, a cool Web site and a neat TV series on our list for this week.
These are a few of our favorite things this week:
Season 7 of "Curb Your Enthusiasm" on HBO -- When I first heard that they were going to do a "Seinfeld" reunion, I was excited and a little skeptical. "Seinfeld" is one of my all-time favorites, but I figured that there may be a "'The Brady Bunch' is getting tired so let's add Cousin Oliver" tint to this season. That simply hasn't happened. Larry David's neurotic semi-autobiography is still capable of making you cringe and laugh out loud, sometimes simultaneously. The "Seinfeld" storyline has been downplayed to date, but the interplay between Larry and Jerry is priceless. For me, the highlight of Sunday night's episode wasn't the assistant with love handles and a penchant for wearing cropped shirts or Larry accidentally urinating on a painting of Jesus (you have to see it to understand), but it was the scene when Larry and Jerry can't decide who should move over at the diner to make room for Richard Lewis, who is ignored and exasperated enough to exit. The show hasn't lost its fastball. --Drew Olson
Sonny Rollins' "Moving Out" and Thelonious Monk's "Monk" (Prestige Rudy Van Gelder Remasters) -- Neither of these classic LPs (both of which feature Rollins and Monk) needs an introduction for jazz fans and non-fans can just note that they are two great, respected sessions from 1954. These reissues are part of the series of discs remastered by original engineer Rudy Van Gelder (sort of a George Martin of jazz, but with a far more extensive reach), which follows Blue Note's similar RVG series. Like the Blue Notes, these also have the original liner notes alongside new notes that put the sessions into context. And one doesn't have to be design-savvy to see that the back covers and spines are starting to look exactly like Blue Note's. But that's OK. Prestige sessions have always had their own personality (they tended to be more free-flowing, less rehearsed) and the jackets their own unique style, so these newfound similarities are little more than cosmetic. And they are attractive. Pair that with amazing music and the results are essential. --Bobby Tanzilo
Thefuntheory.com -- There's something wrong if there's no fun in it. This is a pretty good philosophy. And this site is a very good reminder that simple things, when infused with a bit more fun, become -- well -- fun! Check it out and push for your community to implement more fun in our public spaces. --Jeff Sherman
ESPN's "30 for 30" -- Normally, I'm skeptical of anything put out by the "Worldwide Leader in Sports." And when I heard that Bill "The Sports Guy" Simmons was behind this latest project, which employs 30 well-known filmmakers in telling 30 not-so-well-known sports stories, I naturally raised an eyebrow. Two installments in, I am totally and completely hooked. The series of one-hour documentaries looks beyond the surface. Episode one, produced and directed by Peter Berg ("Friday Night Lights"), told the story of Wayne Gretzky's shocking trade from Edmonton to Los Angeles in 1988. Barry Levinson's edition dealt with the Baltimore Colts Marching Band, a group that played on long after the Colts themselves marched to Indianapolis in 1983. Mike Tollin looked at the USFL and Donald Trump's role in the league's demise. Simply brilliant. The best part is (aside from a total lack of ESPN's talking heads), there are only minimal commercial interruptions. Catch new episodes at 7 p.m. Tuesday, with replays later in the week on ESPN's family of networks. --Andrew Wagner
Lewis Black's riff on drinking in Wisconsin -- Remember when Lewis Black was a fixture on the comedy stage at Summerfest? The guy has always had a big following in Wisconsin and this routine is one of the reasons. He gets us! (Warning: The language is a little rough. If you're easily offended by nasty words -- or drinking-related humor -- you might not think it's funny). --D.O.
Beatles remasters (Capitol) -- The 13 U.K. Beatles LPs -- and the "Past Masters" double-disc of non-LP tracks -- have finally gotten a long-awaited and much-needed overhaul. The packaging of the initial CDs was wanting and unchanged in 25 years and these versions sound better than ever. (Mono fans can buy a boxed set of all the mono discs, too.) So far I've heard a two-disc sampler with a couple tracks from each disc and the entire new versions of "Revolver," my favorite Beatles' LP, and "Abbey Road." The glossy "non plastic" packages have great photos and brief essays called, accurately, "Historical Notes" and "Recording Notes." The running orders of the original LPs are maintained, although initial versions of the discs also include five-minute mini-documentaries on the making of each record. I have trouble finding fault with anything on the discs I've seen and I'm happy that the Beatles catalog is starting to look as good as it deserves to. And, especially on "Revolver," I feel like I can better hear lots of great harmonies and overdubs. However, I think double-disc deluxe editions, with a second disc full of outtakes (the breadth of Beatles bootlegs suggests there's plenty!), are inevitable and I'm surprised that these sets are not like that. Maybe there's a devious plan afoot somewhere to get us to buy all these records again a decade or two in the future! -- B.T.
A foolproof way to remember where you parked at the airport -- I used to travel quite a bit and developed a sixth sense for remembering where I left my car in the structure at Mitchell International Airport. Admittedly, part of the secret was parking in the same general vicinity every time I could. I don't travel as frequently now, but I've found an easy method. I take a cell phone picture of the location sign on the pillar nearest my car. When you're waiting for your bags, look at it and remove the doubt. --D.O.
