Year Summary-- Best of Music, 2008

January--Israel Kamakawiwo'ole, Somewhere Over the Rainbow
February--Ekolu, Ekolu Music. Warren G., I want it all. America, Ventura Highway
March--Ekolu, Honestly. Puressence, Don't Forget to Remember (and others)
April--Katch-a-fire. Love Letter, Skankin (and others)
May--MIKA, Big Girl, Grace Kelly (and others), Bob Marley, Wait in Vain
June--(Park Pop) Morgan Heritage, Raid Roots Dance. Neil Diamond, Coming to America
July--Cold Play, Viva la Vida. Travis, Re-offender.
August--Tracy Chapman, Fast Car. Jeff Buckley, Hallelujah.
September--님은 먼것에, 늦기전에
October--The Avett Brothers, Paranoia in B Major. Van Morisson, Stranded.
November--Alicia Keys, If I ain't got you. Estelle, American Boy.
December--리자, 인연. Paolo Nutini, New Shoes, Rewind. Marc Cohn, Walking in Memphis

Christmas Project 2008

Seven years ago when a friend and I were proselytizing in the neighborhood just behind Korea's Blue House when bumped into a wiry old guy named Kim Ilyong. We spent about 10 minutes talking with him in the street and later visited him at his house which wasn't far from there. We learned he was an artist. His office was littered with scraps of ink-stained chart paper. The walls were just as cluttered--with his finished products--dozens of carefully drawn emblems, poems, songs, and Korean national declarations no doubt. I never anticipated that I'd ever go back to his place but this Christmas proved the occasion. Mr. Kim spent about 6hrs on a Sunday afternoon etching out these wall scrolls for the family. He let me dab the ink.

More creative work

Dreality

To Dream is above all divine
Reality is too full of
Skunk spray
Weary baggy eyes
Cigarrette smoke
Weary ugly lies

Yet Reality will draw a line
Dreams are but fools of
Pungeance
Marrowed bones
Satience
Wind chime tones