Delightful dysfunction [#26]
Greetings!
I am in between trips and sleeping a ton here in Seoul. Up next is Laos on Saturday. It will be my first time and President Obama's first time. Barry and I have so much in common.
What I Read
A link between intelligence and lying. America's conservative movement is intellectually independent of racism, but politically dependent on racism. White flight from Asian suburbs. The Clinton Foundation should die. Gawker's dead. Britney's hair tells us so much. British pets are getting skinnier. The delightful, dysfunctional shower our NPR reporter got in Rio. North Korean viagra probably works. Korea's plastic surgery craze traces back to an American doctor. Love, loss and kimchi.
What I Wrote/Made/Talked About
What's up with North Korean diplomats defecting. The Japanese Emperor really wants to retire but can't explicitly say so. Musings on my 12th grade geography teacher. Chasing around nearly naked Japanese boys: it is a thing I did.
What I Watched
Britney's Carpool Karaoke. John Oliver on the dying journalism industry. Night Of just ended so I have nothing to obsess about between episodes. Ali Wong's one-hour special (available on Netflix) had me LOLing all over the place. If you don't have an hour, at least get to the part about the TI-82 graphing calculator.
Recommendations
Book: Re Jane, a Korean-American twist on Jane Eyre
Podcast: You vs Future You (or Why We're Bad At Predicting Our Own Happiness)
Misc: The work of LA Times reporter Julie Makinen, before she goes on a grant-related sabbatical. I love her verve.
WAVING HELLO to the new subscribers, all two of you. If you like this newsletter, forward to your friends and countrymen and have them subscribe! Also I love getting links/ideas for what to include from y'all so send me anything you think this community would enjoy.
Hugs
E