Urban Home Companion

Salute to a one-year run for a great radio show on Air America. Although I caught it only about once a week because of its late-morning time slot, Unfiltered had a great trio of voices. Brainy, funny, and hip, but now with the mysterious departure of Lizz Winstead, it'll take a while to regain its bearings (if it doesn't get cancelled). They actually had the guts to feature long segments where they discussed things like fuel efficiency standards.

To somebody on the Unfiltered blog who said the sudden change felt like a punch to the stomach, I empathize. I don't know why it hit me so hard, but I started thinking about the many times Lizz referred to her parents with such reverence, who if I remember correctly are in their 80's now. ...

The best comedians mine territory that hits home, that's why she and the show really worked for me.

One show in particular I remember where they all discussed John Kerry's daughter reminiscing (during the DNC) about her dad giving their hamster CPR. And then Chuck D out-of-the-blue volunteering some hilarious tale about his family's cat that went through all kinds of near-death experiences when he was a kid. As I recall it got electrocuted at one time, and his father or grandfather actually succeeded in resuscitating the pet.

Classic stuff, the show to me became a Prairie Home Companion transformed to a multi-cultural, urban setting.

Apologies to Liz Phair, but this Lizz was the whip-smart one.