Escaping North Korea-Defiance and Hope in the World’s Most Repressive Country

By Mike Kim
The first of its kind, this book provides a rare and unique inside look into the hidden world of ordinary North Koreans. Mike Kim, who worked with refugees on the Chinese border for four years, recounts their experiences of enduring famine, sex-trafficking, and torture, as well as the inspirational stories of those who overcame tremendous adversity to escape the repressive regime of their homeland and make new lives.

Note: John Stewart interviewed Mike Kim and I just never realized how repressed and how brainwashed the north Korean people are. It's astonishing. Check out the interview below!!

Bring on the geeks, dorks, nerds and dweebs!!

I love Comic Con because it's the only time interesting people are the majority in the Gaslamp. Sailor Moon, Spock, Darth Vader and the Green Hornet can all share a pint at some random downtown bar and the douches and SD hoes just have to put up with it. Comic Con is SOLD OUT so you won't be able to get in if you don't have tickets BUT it's worth getting drunk and people watching downtown!!!
COMIC CON WEBSITE

Screw Gun Control, we need drug control!!

The Director of National Drug Control Policy Gil Kerlikowske said more people die each year from drug overdoses than from gunshot wounds.

DAMN. We already have one of the largest amounts of gun related deaths among first world countries buuuuut apparently that cant touch our prowess in drug overdose deaths. Also we lead in weight related deaths, OVERweight related deaths.
Were number ONE!!!!!

You don't know shit about Iran

On The Daily Show they had a correspondent in Iran interviewing people and getting a sense of life in Iran. Americans picture cities of rubble, gaunt children, women in burquas, and mean faced men in bloody dusty shirts. Turns out Iran is full of educated nice people living in cities and houses just like ours or nicer. Their children play peacefully in parks, it really struck me. We don't know shit about Iran basically. I think we think bombs go off every nine seconds and the people hate us. But in the episodes that aired during those days in Iran you get a sense these people are lively and don't hate America, they have a real sense of politics, world issues and even American pop culture and history. They are a nice and friendly people who live lives just like ours. I think our government would rather think they are evil heroin addicts worth bombing the shit out of. Check out this surreal moment of zen....

The Netherwho??

I get so damn confused when talking about the Danish, Dutch, Hollish, Flemish? So lets clarify:

---The Danish are from Denmark
---The Flemish are from Flanders (a part of Belgium)
---Amsterdam is the Capital of The Netherlands which comprises of Holland, Luxembourg and parts of Belgium.
---The Dutch is a bastardized take on the word deustch used in the English language to name people who are from Holland.
---People from Holland prefer it to be called The Netherlands and call themselves Netherlanders.
(I've read they take offense to being called Dutch and consider Holland to be a province or region of their whole country of The Netherlands.


(Funny Note: the capital of North Harlem is Haarlem, hehe, don't know why that's funny...)

Search Engine Wars: Bing vs. Google

Now I love me some Google, I really do, the colors, the philosophy, the sparseness, their office grounds, their SF location and the simplicity of how it works. But Bing actually has a bunch of differences that I am into. For instance, they have a panel on screen right that breaks down your search into subcategories to get you closer to what you are looking for without having to retype your query. There is a cool website that lets you compare Bing and Google in a split screen, check it out!!
BING vs. GOOGLE

File This Under: Bad Ideas

A mini-saw that gets power via USB cable hooked up to your computer. I'd probably saw my office phone in half on days when I can't take the ringing. They are expensive phones, I'd probably regret it, but I can imagine it feeling sooooo good.....
Buck my advice and order one now!!

If you didn't already know: Meth is a bad idea

Not only is it bad for the skin, teeth, hair and nails. It also could fuck up your life. Take a note from past ice skating Olympian Nicole Bobek. She went from beloved and taltented ice skater to Floridian meth druggie. Yikes.

The state of American Relationships

We trade our cars in for new models, upgrade our cell phones, move to different neighborhoods and houses, buy a new coffeemaker 3 times a year, get the newest ipod, upgrade programs, switch jobs and throw out our old clothes for new ones every season. We are always looking for the next best thing in everything we do, we are constantly changing the things we have in our life and replacing items the minute they become obsolete, even if they aren't broken. How then are we expected to keep the same boyfriends and girlfriends, husbands and wives?? Now through the media and sadly reality, we are learning to trade in our loved ones for newer models whenever we want, not willing to put in the hard work of making a relationship work but craving the old ideas about what marriage can be. I read an interesting Time article called, Is There Hope for the American Marriage?. I sure hope so, this quote from the article warns of bad things to come if not:

"Think of it this way: the current generation of children, the one watching commitments between adults snap like dry twigs and observing parents who simply can't be bothered to marry each other and who hence drift in and out of their children's lives — that's the generation who will be taking care of us when we are old."

New SD Slogan: Happy Happens...

So in place of past city slogan, "America's Finest City" the City Bureau has chosen "Happy Happens." Outside of being incredibly vague (because happy ALSO happens in San Francisco, Vegas, NYC, Paris, Chile, Hawaii, the list goes on...) the accompanying commercial does NOTHING to show the things I actually think are rad about San Diego. DUH. We have beaches, doesn't mean 90% of the commerical needed to drive that point home. There are fleeting shots of gorgeous Balboa Park, the only culture we have here and even douche bag laden but none-the-less historical Gaslamp Quarter is given only 3 seconds to shine. Also, take note that they've done a wonderful job of covering up any Mexican influence our city has in addition to showcasing the fact that this city is made of up gorgeous white people who spend more time in spa's and over priced condo pools than gathered on a blanket in a park discussing art, politics or life. Ok, actually the video does a wonderful job letting you know just what you're going to get: Beaches and sun for months. And bored.

Cinemash

A new web series that "mashes up" two movies. For instance, Cheech and Chong Cinemash Tron. Sweet. You can watch new rom-com medicocre talent Zooey Deschanel and Joseph Gordon-Levitt doing Sid and Nancy mashed up with their upcoming rom-com 500 Days of Summer and stars of "Reno 911!" and "Human Giant" taking on Point Break. It all sounds hilarious. Not hilarious enough?? Did I mention Will Arnett is doing Carrie?? Yea that's what I thought!

Watch Zooey Douchenel be Sid Vicious

Check it Out the Cinemash Schedule

Michael Jackson's Memorial Ceremony is Today

Time: Today, 10 AM on the West Coast and 1 PM on the East Coast
Airing On: All major networks and streaming online on CNN among other places

Participants: The Staples event is expected to feature singers Mariah Carey, Lionel Richie, John Mayer (?!), Usher, Smokey Robinson and Stevie Wonder. Also participating will be basketball stars Kobe Bryant and Magic Johnson; ; and activists Martin Luther King III and the Rev. Al Sharpton, according to an announcement released on behalf of the Jackson family.


Read More on CNN

Times Places to go to Honor Michael Jackson



Does anyone know any place in San Diego where they are airing this or where any vigils or get together's are being held tonight or in the future?? I really need the energy of being around fan's and appreciators.....

By local painter: Jeff Yeomans

He is married to a lady in my office and is well known in the regional art scene for painting impressionist style paintings of the southern California coast. This is a painting inspired by a past trip to Florence. He is having a show from July 16th (opening reception 6-9 pm) through September 12th at La Jolla's Art Expressions Gallery. The paintings maybe familiar subjects but it will refresh your love for our gorgeous coast and land in sunny SoCal.

Art Expressions Gallery
www.artexpressionsgallery.com
2645 Financial Ct # C
San Diego, CA 92117-3474
(858) 270-7577

Retarded Car Decals

I took this picture of a car that always parks outside my apartment. Is the point of having the decal face inward to pump yourself up everyday that you are in the US Army or is it an ironic mistake symbolizing the ineptitude of our nation's forces? Either way, it makes me pretentiously chortle every time.

So the mystery Doritos Flavor was....

In 2008 Doritos launched a marketing campaign where you had to guess the flavor of their newest chip, clad mysteriously behind cellophane in a black bag. You could win $100,000 somehow but I still didn't play. I don't even know what ingredients are in the Doritos chips WITH names (pork enzymes by the way is an ingredient for you hardcore vegetarians and vegans). So guess what the flavor turned out to be?? None other than fellow PepsiCo product, Mountain Dew. Mountain Dew flavored Doritos. Very unappetizing....

MORE WEIRD DORITOS FLAVORS
# Doritos Blazin' Buffalo & Ranch Tortilla Chips
# Doritos Chilli Heatwave
# Doritos Collisions Chicken Sizzler Zesty Salsa
# Doritos Collisions Hot Wings Blue Cheese Tortilla Chips
# Doritos Collisions Pizza Cravers/Ranch
# Doritos Collisions Zesty Taco Chipotle Ranch
# Doritos Gold Peking Duck
# Doritos Gourmet Fried Chicken and Green Onion Sauce
# Doritos Gourmet Sausage
# Doritos Guacamole!
# Doritos in orange bag (Israeli)
# Doritos in yellow bag (Israeli)
# Doritos Italiano Tomato & Cheese
# Doritos Jalapeño & Cheddar
# Doritos Jalapeno Cheese! Golden Toast Crackers
# Doritos Ketchup
# Doritos Late Night Last Call Jalapeno Popper
# Doritos Late Night Tacos at Midnight
# Doritos Megawhat Chilli Cheese
# Doritos Megawhat Salsa
# Doritos Mexican Hot Flavour
# Doritos Mexicana
# Doritos Nacho Italiano
# Doritos Natural White Nacho Cheese Tortilla Chips
# Doritos Pizza-La Curry Monterey
# Doritos Poppin' Jalapeno
# Doritos Queijo Nacho
# Doritos Ranchero Tortilla Chips
# Doritos Rings Grill Flavor
# Doritos Sizzlin' Picante
# Doritos Smokin' Cheddar BBQ Tortilla Chips
# Doritos Sonic Sour Cream
# Doritos Spicy Sweet Chili Tortilla Chips
# Doritos Spirals Sweet Barbecue
# Doritos Taco
# Doritos Wild White Nacho Tortilla Chips

On This Day in History: "When Doves Cry" hits No. 1

"When Doves Cry," the first single to be released from Prince's 1984 album Purple Rain, hits the top of the charts. The song stayed on top for five weeks and became the best-selling single of 1984. Meanwhile, the album topped the charts for 24 weeks and sold more than 10 million copies.

Prince, born Prince Rogers Nelson in Minneapolis, was the son of a jazz musician. He began learning piano as a child, and by his teenage years he had also learned guitar and drums. He played with several bands during his high school years. After his parents divorced, Prince lived with various family members and finally moved into the basement of a friend's house. His mastery of multiple instruments soon brought him a gig working on a local radio commercial in exchange for free studio time. He cut a demo and landed a record contract with Warner Bros. in 1978.

Prince released one album a year from 1978 to 1982. His 1982 album, 1999, included two Top 10 hits, "Delirious" and "Little Red Corvette." With the video for the latter, Prince became one of the first black performers on MTV. In 1984, Prince starred in a partly autobiographical film, Purple Rain. The album's soundtrack, recorded with his band, the Revolution, was an enormous success. In addition to ringing up huge sales, it won two Grammys.

On Prince's first five albums, he not only sang but also produced the albums and played all the instruments. He continued his frenetic pace, writing songs for other performers in addition to releasing an album a year: Although he would have liked to release more, his record company refused to accelerate the pace. This was just one of Prince's frustrations with the music industry.

In 1993, to protest the terms of his long-term contract with Warner Bros., he changed his name from Prince to an unpronounceable glyph combining the symbols for male and female. For the next seven years, journalists referred to him as "The Artist Formerly Known as Prince." After Prince's Warner Bros.' contract expired in 1996, he released an album called Emancipation. When his publishing contract with Warner-Chappell expired in 2000, he changed his name back to Prince.

In his battles against the record industry, Prince has sought out new ways to distribute his music. An avid supporter of Napster, he launched his own music subscription service in 2001.

New most incredible thing I've seen in my life

I spent my 4th of July weekend up in Ojai, CA with friends before heading to LA's Hollywood Bowl on Sunday night for a show with The New Pornographers, Tegan and Sarah and Death Cab for Cutie. I love that bowl, you can bring wine and food in, the prices and grounds are great, the music always spectacular. In addition to putting on a great show with the LA Philharmonic backing them, there was this insane, life altering ending to the whole event. To the huge growing song of Transatlanticism the orchestra and Death Cab played as the most epic thing I have ever seen in my life occurred. They timed this incredible fireworks display perfectly to that song. Everyone was freaking out, it's been a long time since I've been in such awe, seen such an incredible, amazing, literally breath taking thing. I feel insanely lucky to have been there. The video can't do it justice but, wow. There are hardly words to do it justice....

Weird

Stilletos for babies. Sure they don't give the babies the same mind numbing leg and foot pain but it's still very odd. Word is they are selling like hot cakes in our country and abroad. They just look creepy. Let's just hope the message their sending to little babies is lost on them...

Not Invited to Michael Jackson's Memorial...

Along with the other millions of people...This weekend Michael Jackson fans were offered a try at getting one of the 11 thousand seats at Michael Jackson's memorial in LA on Tuesday. You signed up online and they e-mailed us all Sunday morning to tell us if were getting or not, like some crazy Willy Wonka type competition. A half a billion people signed up in the first 90 minutes. Odds are slim at that point. I did not get a Golden Ticket... You get two tickets per invitation and I bet those memorial tickets will go for thousands. This is a huge historical moment, performers, musicians from all over will be there. I wish I could go, still bumming over the King's death...

Costa Rica, not Disneyland, happiest place on earth

Oh also, out of 143 nations, America ranked 114th as the happiest places on earth. Sounds about right...

(CNN) -- Forget Disneyland! Costa Rica is the happiest place in the world, according to an independent research group in Britain with the goal of building a new economy, "centered on people and the environment."

In a report released Saturday, the group ranks nations using the "Happy Planet Index," which seeks countries with the most content people.

In addition to happiness, the index by the New Economics Foundation considers the ecological footprint and life expectancy of countries.

"Costa Ricans report the highest life satisfaction in the world and have the second-highest average life expectancy of the new world (second to Canada)," the organization said in a statement.

They "also have an ecological footprint that means that the country only narrowly fails to achieve the goal of ... consuming its fair share of the Earth's natural resources."

Read The Rest

On This Day in History: Paul McCartney meets John Lennon

On this day in 1957, 15-year-old Paul McCartney attends a church picnic in the village of Woolton, near Liverpool, where he meets 16-year-old John Lennon. Lennon had formed a band called the Quarrymen, which was playing at the picnic. Between sets, McCartney played a few songs on guitar for the band, and a few days later Lennon invited him to join. At first, McCartney didn't take the group seriously-in fact, he missed his first performance with the band because he had a scouting trip.

Soon, however, the group had a loyal following. The group changed its name to Johnny and the Moondogs and recruited McCartney's friend George Harrison. After bassist Stu Sutcliffe joined, they changed the name again, to the Silver Beetles, eventually modified to the Beatles. Tommy Moore joined the band as drummer and was replaced by Pete Best in 1960.

After a tour to Germany in 1961, Sutcliffe left the band to become a painter (he died of a brain hemorrhage less than a year later), and the band returned to Liverpool. Label after label rejected them. In 1962, Best left the band, Ringo Starr joined up, and the Fab Four--McCartney, Lennon, Harrison, and Starr--recorded "Love Me Do," the group's first Top 20 hit in the United Kingdom.

Two years later, they were introduced to American listeners. When they landed at Kennedy Airport in 1964 to start their first U.S. tour, a frenzied mob of fans greeted them. Their debut album in the United States, Meet the Beatles, became the fastest-selling album in U.S. history up to that time. The Beatles went on to score more No. 1 hits on the Billboard charts than any other group in history, with 20 chart toppers. They received the Member of the Order of the British Empire in 1965 at Buckingham Palace.

The band broke up in 1970, and each member either pursued a solo career or formed a new group. Although there was frequent speculation about the possibility of a reunion, Lennon's tragic murder by a deranged fan in 1980 ended that possibility.

Eight years later, the Beatles were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and a retrospective anthology was released in 1995. It included the previously unrecorded "Free as a Bird," written by Lennon and recorded by surviving band members in 1994 and 1995. It became one of the fastest-selling albums in history.

10 Year Olds Just Chillin' at Studio 54

So I see this moment of zen on The Daily Show where Anderson Cooper (Popular and SEXY CNN Anchor and Silver Foxxx) is saying he met Michael Jackson when we was TEN at Studio 54!?
a. What the fuck are you doing at Studio 54 when you were 10????
b. That is so fucking awesome.

Turns out his mom was fashion, socialite, heiress Gloria Vanderbilt, yes, a real Vanderbilt. She was hot shit back then and it's no wonder she'd be rubbing shoulders at Studio 54 where only the coolest people partied. Why she decided to bring her kid along though is beyond me. Seems they get in the way of getting wasted, doing lines and dancing all night.....

ALSO: On July 7, 2009, the 85-year-old Vanderbilt will release a novel entitled "Obsession: An Erotic Tale." The novel has garnered media attention for its racy content, including, "scenes involving dildos, whips, silken cords and golden nipple clamps... spanking... Mint, cayenne pepper and a fresh garden carrot.. deployed in ways never envisioned by "The Joy of Cooking." And there is also a unicorn, though, blessedly, it remains a bystander.
Anderson Cooper's take on the book

Sister Rosetta Tharpe - Didn't It Rain

A friend posted this and I was mesmerized. First of all seeing a women play blues guitar and WELL is incredible, then it's in the 60's!! And the venue is this awesome old train station. In April - May 1964, at the height of a surge of popular interest in the blues, Sister Rosetta Tharpe toured the UK as part of the "American Folk Blues and Gospel Caravan", alongside Muddy Waters and Otis Spann, Ranson Knowling and Little Willie Smith, Reverend Gary Davis, Cousin Joe and Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee. Tharpe was introduced on stage and accompanied on piano by Cousin Joe Pleasant.

Cutest thing EVER!

What is this??? More importantly, where can I get one???!!!

On This Day in History: President Garfield is shot

...in 1881. He died a few months later from complications. I had no idea. So Lincoln, Kennedy and Garfield were assassinated presidents, anybody any others??

Read More on the History Channel

Stuart Smalley becomes a Senator

So his old adage turns out to be true: "I'm good enough, I'm smart enough, and doggone it, people like me!! If you watched Al Franken (both writer and actor on SNL) then you watched Daily Affirmations with Stuart Smalley, Americas favorite inept self-help guru, now our newest Democratic Senator. Bad Ass!!! Hilarious AND politically minded?? I dig it, congrats!!

The Brief Story:
After nearly eight months of waiting, almost 20,000 pages of legal briefs, and millions of dollars in election costs, Al Franken emerged Tuesday as the next United States senator from Minnesota, ending one of the most protracted election recount battles in recent memory.

Mr. Franken, 58, a former comedian and author, could be seated in the Senate as early as Monday, leaders there said, providing Democrats with something they had long hoped for: 60 votes, and thus at least the symbolic ability to overcome filibusters.

FUNNY Stuart Smalley Quotes
(Also funny, Republican shit head pundit Bill O'Reilly refuses to call Al Franken anything but Stuart Smalley haha)

# That's just stinkin' thinkin!"
# "You're should-ing all over yourself."
# "Denial ain't just a river in Egypt!"
# "I'm good enough, I'm smart enough, and doggone it, people like me."
# "I am a worthy human being."
# "...and that's...okay."
# "I don't know what I'm doing. They're gonna cancel the show. I'm gonna die homeless and penniless and twenty pounds overweight."
# "It's easier to put on slippers than to carpet the entire world."

Justin Long: Way to Step it Up!!

From pretentious Apple Computer Commercials Guy (The Dell dude way more amiable) to a HILARIOUS role as flamboyant gay porn star in Zack and Miri Make a Porno, Justin Long has really stepped up his game. What other commercial actors delve into movies with such success? I will say that Justin Long should have stayed far away from the worst movie in the last five years that I have had the horror of seeing, He's Just Not That Into You. Ok, I just checked out Justin's IMDB and he's been in a BUNCH of stuff. Including super odd but funny when you're high stoner movie, Strange Wilderness.

Great Quote

"I look to the future because that's where I'm going to spend the rest of my life."
-George Burns

Swedish Men have the right to show a little leg

A friend of mine moved to Sweden and observed the latest fashion craze for Men, they call them 3/4 shorts we call them capris or peddle pushers, at least that what we called them when people actually wore them in 1997, scratch that, when WOMEN actually wore them...I like them paired with the MANdals best....

He is risen indeed?

Is Comedian Gary Owens a psychic? Michael Jackson related standup from 2008