Ed Weiss

February 8, 2000

Post #1034 – 20000208

Great DP,

While in the past I may have been a true fan of yours, I now stand in complete awe. And here’s how it happened… Having received unconditional use of my brother’s car for a three-week period (whilst he was cavorting in a distant region of the world), I thought it would be the perfect time to enjoy my brand-new copy of Borgel on audiocassette (It actually turned out to be the abridged version, which disappointed me, but can one be truly disappointed with Borgel?). Enjoy it I did, (especially since Borgel ended up sounding like someone from my grandfather’s synagogue) but I committed the evil of all evils – leaving the tape in the car’s tape deck. The car went back to its rightful owner, who just tonight called to let me know that he started listening to Borgel and became so enraptured with it that, while on a trip to the Bronx from Brooklyn, he took the Triborough instead of the Whitestone and ended up in Yenemsvelt, Queens. That never happens with my brother. Never.

Bravo, DP, bravo.

Daniel replies:

Great Aileron! Here is the story of why Borgel on tape is abridged. The outfit that distributed those tapes is the very very worst in my whole experience of bad. (And they have never send me a royalty statement--may they be be attended by the finest doctors in the land). I recorded the whole book! However, someone at the tape publishing company ordered the wrong box...with the cut-out for only one cassette. See what happened? I plan to read Borgel in installments on Chinwag Theater, but we are not going to sell tapes, so only a dedicated listener will be able to tape the whole thing off the radio--or a listener with a VCR hooked up to the stereo. Since you frighteningly remind me that you are driving around on local roads, I will take this opportunity to mention my new car! I bought a VW New Beetle, because it scored highest in the tuchas test, to which I subjected a great many makes and models. 
You can hear my remarks on the subject on Car Talk this coming (Feb. 12-13) weekend on Car Talk on NPR. Nice to hear from you, Ed, originator and inventor of this website, and a legend in parts of Brooklyn.