Here at SFist we like to think of ourselves as givers. We give. You take. Again and again. So here you go, we're doing our part. We've got a pair of tickets for you to check out Mike Birbiglia at Cobb's on the eve of Halloween (yes, Tuesday, the 30th).

Mike is one very funny guy-- and nice enough to do a SFist interview. Which makes us feel pretty good since he's a regular on Letterman and Conan. So yes, we're in a good place right now, being a giver, and talking to the Stars. If only we could figure out what to be for Halloween...

Feeling Lucky? Enter by noon on Monday.

What's your take on the comedy scene in the Bay Area?
San Francisco has enough great comedians. It was a tough city to break into they don’t really need imports. Let’s just say there may be more creative people in the Bay Area than in Nebraska City, Nebraska. Is that a place?

Any advice to aspiring comedians?
Don’t be afraid to spend $80 on gas to make $50 to perform. And keep telling yourself that it’s going better than it is.

What makes a joke funny?
I think a grain of truth posed in a way the audience has never considered. Also, bananas and farts and the word “snausages” are very funny.

Is there anything that is not funny?
Well, in many instances comedy and humor are really devices for coping. In my life I’ve laughed at funerals, and with sick relatives in the hospital. We laugh to keep from crying. I believe that’s from Langston Hughes. Or Abrahams Lincoln. But you can credit “Mike Birbiglia.”

Introduce yourself in one sentence
I am comedian Mike Birbiglia.

Favorite place to spend time online
MSNBC, Salon, A Special Thing, Birbigs.com. I once checked to see if hotmale.com was gay porn. It is.

What I'm currently reading 


Some poetry by Louise Gluck. Also, trying to get to The New Yorker every week.

Best deal in San Francisco
Barry Bond’s home run balls. They’re more expensive if they end in “00” or “50,” but I stocked up on #732, #733, and a bunch of the 740s. I got ten of them for less than $400,000.

Favorite mode of transportation


I like those cable cars along the waterfront. Nice one, San Francisco.

Best Band or Musician to come out of the Bay Area
Right now I’m listening to a lot of Huey Lewis & the News, Creedence, Jefferson Airplane, and Third Eye Blind. I’m also hanging out on Wikipedia’s list of bands from San Francisco.

Best movie scene filmed in or about SF
I don’t really know. Was Escape From Alcatraz shot there? b/c I’m pretty into that one.

You have two hours and $15 bucks to kill in SF, what are you going to do?
I’d take my sister Patti out for duck l’orange, sip some Crystal, and then run away when the bill came. If I had any time after that I’d play Ms. Pac Man at the bus station.

I have found/sold/bought the following on craigslist
I bought my A-Team van on Craiglist. It was in Delaware. My sister used to live in Craig’s building. She says he’s pretty chill.

I want all the SFists out there to know
That I’m performing at Cobb’s Comedy Club on October 30th. I’ve got a new CD, an all-new show, some great guests, and a kick ass van. If you show up, I’ll continue to visit on my tours. If not, I’ll continue to visit as a tour-ist.