So I've been dormant again. Could be worse. I could be Jason.

Well, if I'm poking my head back into this here locale, you know it's gotta be for something good, right? And not Paris-Hilton-sings good. GOOD good.

Okay, it probably is actually more Paris-Hilton-sings good, but this clip is simultaneously literary, hilarious, disturbing, brilliantly insightful, and just plain wrong. Not surprisingly, Sesame Workshop (aka the Children's Television Workshop) exerted a great deal of energy to stop this short film from getting wide distribution after its buzz-generating debut at the 2002 Sundance Film Festival. But thanks (as usual) to YouTube, we can all now watch in jaw dropping awe...

Confused? Take a quick literature lesson.

[YouTube] Ernest and Bertram

Be sure to tune in to PBS tonight and tomorrow for the premiere broadcast of "Las Vegas: An Unconventional History" on American Experience. From the PBS website:

The story of Las Vegas' last hundred years is a distinctly American saga of optimism and opportunity. By 1999, it had become one of the fastest growing cities in the United States and could lay claim, in the words of one historian, to be "the first city of the twenty-first century." American Experience tells a rollercoaster story, peopled with unlikely heroes and villains, to trace the city's development from a remote frontier way-station to its Depression-era incarnation as the "Gateway to the Hoover Dam"; from its mid-century florescence as the gangster metropolis known as "Sin City" to its recent renaissance as a corporately-financed, postmodern, desert fantasyland.

It's good to see that the city's centennial celebration finally gave someone an excuse to make a serious documentary about the history of the Las Vegas Valley. Until now, just about every "informational" program has focused on casino cheating and conspiracy theories (usually involving Area 51 or the JFK assassination). This historical treatment is long overdue.

Part 1 of "Las Vegas: An Unconventional History" airs tonight. Part 2 follows tomorrow. Check local listings for the channel and time in your area.

If you're a Bob Dylan fan, you'll probably want to tune into PBS tonight and tomorrow when the network airs "No Direction Home," a two-part documentary covering Dylan's career from 1961 to 1966. Directed by Martin Scorcese, the film won rave reviews this month when it was shown at film festivals in Telluride and Toronto.

If you miss this week's broadcast, you can always pick up the DVD. It's already on sale.