North Korea

Korea has been in the news (a bit more than usual) since yesterday's attack on Yeonpyeong, which killed two South Korean soldiers.  I learned a bit out North Korea in college, and have kept up with the goings on since then.  If you are interested in learning more, I have a few suggestions:

The Guardian's coverage of North Korea  - (Andy's sister-in-law, Tania Branigan, does much of the reporting.)
National Geographic: Inside North Korea  - This documentary brought me to tears.
A State of Mind - A documentary about the mass games.  A spectacular look at Korean society.

(Both documentaries are streaming on netflix.)

it gets better

I love what Dan Savage is doing to reassure gay kids that it gets better. Yes, being a teenager sucks. Bullies suck. Homophobes suck. These cats are awesome.

there's something about Scandanavia...

I hope everyone had a great long weekend celebrating the USA. Now for a look at two countries that are also pretty excellent: Finland and Iceland.

daily show

When I was planning our last visit to New York, I tried to get tickets to see The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. The next available tickets were for more than a month later, so another trip was quickly planned.

There I am, saving our place in line.

The sign above the door to the studio, which reads "Abandon News, All Ye Who Enter Here."

Of course no photographs could be taken inside the studio, but you can watch the entire episode online, if you so desire. Here's a link to the episode in which Phil, Priya, and I were part of the audience: Monday, June 28. The guest was David Axelrod, President Obama's most senior adviser. Jon was critical of the Obama administration, but Axelrod came back with some great points about the steps the president has taken to get his campaign promises done.

After the taping, we planned to meet up with Cindy in Hell's Kitchen for noodles. While we were down there, we happened upon a fantastic cheese and wine bar. Such a great find! (Priya showed off her amazing German language skills when she ordered a German wine.) Cindy met up with us just in time to devour a slice of lemon meringue ice cream cake deliciousness. And it was so great to see Cindy and here about her first year in New York and medical school. That girl is seriously awesome!

I love LA

No more plastic bags!

Now maybe I won't look like such a hippie when I ride my bike to Trader Joe's and carry my food home in canvas bags.