Movie idea: Snakes in a Post office

Snakes on a plane -> in a post office

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/5215506.stm

North Korea + Nukes = Noodles?

We’re all aware of the tension in South east Asia over the recent North Korean missile tests. Anyway, I was chatting with a Japanese friend the other day, and commented that things must be quite stressful over there. However, she put my fears to rest and made me smile.  Apparently, the longer range missile  - the Taepodong - sounds like a type of Japanese noodle so no one is taking it that seriously!

For further relief see ther “Rocket man” cover of the Economist a couple of weeks back, and imagine Elton John playing in the background …

Quality (FM) radio in the Bay Area

I’ve just had to go through the most troublesome part of getting a new car (until you get your first scratch) - tuning the radio. Here are my essential stations for (1) avoiding ads, (2) getting good music, (3) learning what is going on beyond PST. Kudos to Mor, silentway, sfgate, andrea for their guiding light.

NPR

• KQED - NPR San Francisco (88.5)
  Lots of quality news and talk during the week. Deteriorates into 24 hour prairie home companion as far as I can tell at the weekend
• KALW - alt.NPR San Francisco (91.7)
  Lots of overlap with KQED, with benefits of occasional music (KQED is all talk), extreme leftism (for the US), BBC at random times, and less PHC.
• KPFA - alt. NPR Berkeley (94.1/89.3)
  Apparently an “East Bay KALW”

College Radio

One of the joys of living in America …

• KUSF - San Francisco Uni (90.3)
• KALX - Berkeley Uni (90.7)
• KZSU - Stanford Uni (90.1)
• KFJC - Foothill De Anza Community College (89.7)

Other specialist music stations

• KCSM - Jazz, San Mateo (91.1)
  Truly smooth.
• KFDC - Classical, San Francisco (102.1)
  A good cure for road rage, even with the ads.

Notable mention

• KFOG - Alternative rock, (104.5, 97.7)
  OK, so forget it in rush hour, but its pretty listenable at the weekend. Also 10 at 10 (both AM and PM) is good and commercial-free.

References

• A Guide to Bay Area Radio That Doesn’t Suck (awesome 1997-esque web design, but good tips)
• Complete list on andreas.com (uncensored)
• Complete list on sfgate.com (uncensored, but has benefit of showing who owns what - no surprises that ClearChannel is the winner with 8 stations. Still the list above adds up to 10 so there).