"We describe ourselves as being between Iraq and a hard place." This is a brilliant pun, even as it is, but doubly so when you consider it was uttered by King Abdullah II of Jordan, in a recent interview with Jon Stewart. Jordan! … between Iraq and a hard place. Heheh.
Jon Stewart was in high form, this past week – I tend to go through a weeks' worth of episodes on a lazy weekend morning. The interview with Jimmy Carter was interesting, but mostly serves to confirm just how important Stewart has become in the broad scheme of the 21st century American polity, such as it is.
The bit that preceeded it – in which Asif Mandvi protests "Better Wages for People Protesting for Better Wages," when he discovers that some pro-union people protesting in front of Wal-Mart are in fact non-union minimum-wage-paid temp workers – was utterly fantastic and biting satire. And Larry Wilmore, as usual, is understated comic genius.
Hmm. After my fabulous trip to Suwon / Seoul / Ilsan over the holiday, my return to Yeonggwang was anti-climactic and depressing. I had a gloomy day, yesterday. I had some things I needed to get done – dull and easy-to-procrastinate things, like website maintenance and some overdue paperwork for my accountant. I did none of it. I felt annoyed with myself. I watched videos on my computer (a really funny Korean movie called 무림여대생 = My Mighty Princess, Jon Stewart and Colbert, etc.). I took a long walk. I read a chunk of several of the books I'd purchased in Seoul. I ignored the world.
I guess for each good day, there can be a not-so-good day. It's OK.