Random Thoughts
#1
My website is boring.
#2
North Korea isn't so scary. (yet)
Even a nuke test doesn't shake anyone up here. The newspaper covers were suprisingly boring, and people around the world seem to be more worried that they'll sell the bombs than use them.
China sounds like it might actually say "Be Nice" to North Korea, which should be fun.
And it turns out Mr. Jong-Il isn't as crazy as I/everyone thought... I recently read a book including interviews with South Koreans who've met him, and none were very scared. It seems he's probably the most rational person in the N.K. military, and he's very respectful of his elders when he meets people like the head of Hyundai -- which is a good sign that he's still a decent Korean gentleman. (I wonder if he screams at women on the subway for wearing short skirts?)
#3
The most recent winner of the Booker Prize proves once again that you can be a respected novelist if:
1) you're from India, ie. third-world former colonial of England.
2) the daughter of an already respected novelist
3) did I mention it's good to be from a third-world former colonial of England? Or at least to LOOK like you are... She lives in New York.
I'm going to go out on a limb and say this book is at least semi-crap... Thinking back on all the Booker Prize winners I've read (at least half a dozen), they don't bring back fond memories. I've read a lot better books that were nominated though.
I'm sort of glad that Oprah's book club is 10x better at promoting a book than the Booker Prize, which is supposedly the best book written in the Commonwealth each year.
#4
Finding out I could watch Pardon the Interruption on the ESPN website is probably the highlight of the last three months.
#5
Seoul has gotten really disgusting again.
I thought it was only in the summer when I first got here, and then it stopped for most of August and September, but the fog and the smog don't cease.
My website is boring.
#2
North Korea isn't so scary. (yet)
Even a nuke test doesn't shake anyone up here. The newspaper covers were suprisingly boring, and people around the world seem to be more worried that they'll sell the bombs than use them.
China sounds like it might actually say "Be Nice" to North Korea, which should be fun.
And it turns out Mr. Jong-Il isn't as crazy as I/everyone thought... I recently read a book including interviews with South Koreans who've met him, and none were very scared. It seems he's probably the most rational person in the N.K. military, and he's very respectful of his elders when he meets people like the head of Hyundai -- which is a good sign that he's still a decent Korean gentleman. (I wonder if he screams at women on the subway for wearing short skirts?)
#3
The most recent winner of the Booker Prize proves once again that you can be a respected novelist if:
1) you're from India, ie. third-world former colonial of England.
2) the daughter of an already respected novelist
3) did I mention it's good to be from a third-world former colonial of England? Or at least to LOOK like you are... She lives in New York.
I'm going to go out on a limb and say this book is at least semi-crap... Thinking back on all the Booker Prize winners I've read (at least half a dozen), they don't bring back fond memories. I've read a lot better books that were nominated though.
I'm sort of glad that Oprah's book club is 10x better at promoting a book than the Booker Prize, which is supposedly the best book written in the Commonwealth each year.
#4
Finding out I could watch Pardon the Interruption on the ESPN website is probably the highlight of the last three months.
#5
Seoul has gotten really disgusting again.
I thought it was only in the summer when I first got here, and then it stopped for most of August and September, but the fog and the smog don't cease.
posted by Timothy Holden at
5:52 AM
5 Comments:
Well, its come to this:
Tim's turned into an apologist for a dictator who's immune to modern concepts such at "hairstylists" and "tailors"
PS:
Those South Koreans like their dictators as well (Rhee, General Kim, every other politician up until the 1990s).
At least they have better fashion sense.
PPS:
Did Zadie Smith and Salman Rushdie win Bookers as well? I know google is hard, etc.
By
Anonymous, at 6:38 AM
I believe Smith was shortlisted for the Booker last year for that Howard's End homage book she wrote, but she lost to some other guy I hadn't heard of.
By
DH, at 7:05 AM
Yes, Rusdie won in 1982(?) for Midnight's Children, which was recently picked as "the best book to win the Booker."
Zadie Smith was indeed nominated for the Booker for "On Beauty," but lost to, oh crap, I kind of forgot. Oh yeah, John Banville's The Sea.
"White Teeth" wasn't nominated, but did win a few "first book" awards I believe.
... and Daniella, I'm not dead. I'm just going to bed really early.
By
Timothy Holden, at 9:18 PM
Ooops, did I say RECENTLY.
Rushdie got that award in 1993.
Hehe.
By
Timothy Holden, at 4:58 AM
Hahaha
While we're on the subject of literary awards, Cormac McCarthy's new INTENSELY DISTURBING novel was shut out of the National Book awards.
Unlike the other books nominated, there was not enough 9/11 in it for the jury panel.
But hey, beating to death the "loss of innocence as a nation" takes precedence over HOLY SHIT WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS
By
Anonymous, at 7:28 AM
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