Songs for musical chairs

Chicago multi-instrumentalist and bad ass whistler Andrew Bird's new album Noble Beast drops on January 27, on Fat Possum Records. No Seoul tour dates yet.

Bird performing the new single "Oh No" from Noble Beast:

The pulse thing was optional: 23 dead people in Ohio were also approved

If you're anything like me, it's hard to get all these economic terms to sink in. This week-old New York Times article about the media trying to make this all less nonsensical helps a little.

“We ordered three, four bottles of Cristal at $1,000 per bottle,” he said on the broadcast, recalling a night when he had a table at Marquee, a nightclub in Manhattan. “They bring it out, you know they’re walking through the crowd, they’re holding the bottles over their heads. There’re firecrackers, sparklers. You know, the little cocktail waitresses,” he said. “You know so you order three or four bottles of those and they’re walking through the crowd and everyone’s like: Whoa, who’re the cool guys? We were the cool guys.”

"This American Life" has a follow-up show here.

Don't need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows

Palin's claim that Obama hangs out with terrorists is tenuous at best. This is a little background on that.

Irishman shares wave with a Great White

"Just imagine being in the barrel and looking at a massive shark like you're at the bloody aquarium or something."

I'm going to pass, but thanks. Story here.

Seeing South Korea

Home and Away Magazine ran a story on their website last month I wrote about traveling in Korea. I wrote the story last year during Chuseok, when I traveled through Gangwando, visiting Seoraksan and Sokcho. The story was written for an American audience without prior knowledge of Korea, so please forgive some of the generalities. From the story:

"If you are the type that needs your vanity affirmed, Koreans are happy to oblige. They often stare from a short distance as though you are unaware, especially children. This takes some getting used to, but once you manage it, stare back. They mean no harm. Some of them are quite interesting to look at."

To read the rest here you have to enter a zip code -- 46032 -- and then click on Web Exclusives on the left. It's probably really of the most interest to you poor suckers living outside of Korea.

Al-Jazeera People Power North Korea

Sing along: The pathetic Americans kneel on the ground/they beg for mercy. A long (22 min.) news program on the North from Al-Jazeera. It looks bleak, devoid of color.



(Stolen from Korea Beat.)

Obama Kids: Sing for Change (Pyongyang Remix)

(Stolen from the Marmot's Hole)

Super Kim

Palin the Post Turtle

While suturing a cut on the hand of a 75-year-old rancher, whose hand was caught in the gate while working cattle, the doctor struck up a conversation with the old man. Eventually the topic got around to Palin and her bid.

The old rancher said, "Well, ya know, Palin is a Post Turtle."

Not being familiar with the term, the doctor asked him what a "post turtle" was.

The old rancher said, "When you're driving down a country road you come across a fence post with a turtle balanced on top, that's a 'post turtle.'"

The old rancher saw the puzzled look on the doctor's face so he continued to explain. "You know she didn't get up there by herself, she doesn't belong up there, and she doesn't know what to do while she's up there, and you just wonder what kind of dummy put her up there to begin with."

Have you ever heard of Philip Roth?

Slate's Adam Kirsch has a nice rebuttal to Horace Engdahl's claim that "the U.S. is too isolated, too insular" to have competitive authors for the Nobel Prize.

It kept on raining

This is old news, but I just watched Spike Lee's "When The Levees Broke," about the causes and effects of the disaster in New Orleans due to Hurricane Katrina. It's a sad and angry documentary, and worth your time. Three years after Katrina bands of armed raiders prowl the asbestos-lined FEMA trailers.

"Use the double-wide!"

Even Homer voted. Will you? (HT to Matt)

3 thoughts on the VP debate

1. Sarah Palin would make an excellent talk show host, but I don't want her running the United States of America.

2. Joe Biden makes me feel like I'm listening to a wise man, but I'm skeptical of his ability to lead the country with real dynamism, and that's what is needed.

3. The lack of potential for controversy is disappointing.

4. Biden won.

Chinese children

Slate has an interesting story here about Asian-Americans in the political system.

"Unless I'm hit by a bus or fall off a horse, I don't see why not."

Do you all remember Sufjan Stevens? C'mon, try hard. He was that indie songwriter with the ethereal textures, the one with all the instruments, that wrote all those songs you liked? Remember?

(Casmir Pulaski Day, from "Illinois")


Does that do it? No? Remember he said he was going to write an album about all 5o states? Well, it's been three years. The rumor was the next one is going to be Oregon, but it's been a long time since I've heard anything. Dude better hurry up or he's going to be double-discing the Dakotas and the Carolinas just to get it done.