This is how I envision my TFA interview proceeding

I can find a mermaid for a position.

Dylan's Christmas in The Heart

Dylan's new holiday offering is quite possibly the worst Christmas album I've ever heard. However, I find it remarkably entertaining. Fortunately, Jim DeRogatis and Greg Kot eviscerate the charity album--both labeled it a trash it--with DeRogatis rather humorously spearing Dylan's singing and presence as the raspy voiced uncle who ruins Christmas with his antics. Although both dub him a living legend and claim that he is one of the most important artists of the last fifty years, they cannot bring themselves to insist that the album sustains any redeeming qualities. The Sound Opinions duo paste Christmas in the Heart as campy and sloppy. A more accurate truth cannot be stated. Despite that fact that album could be named Dylan Murders the Christmas Classics, I foresee several playings around the holidays. Hear the review.

Vonnegut's New Collection of Short Stories: Look at the Birdie

Kurt Vonnegut's second posthumous work, Look at the Birdie, is slated to appear on bookshelves soon. It is a collection of short stories from KV's career, and I believe they were composed early in his career. Armageddon in Retrospect was a bit of a disappointment as the stories seemed hurriedly assembled to coincide with the market for his material following his death. While I know I cannot expect Monkey House with every collection, I'm a bit more hopeful for Birdie. "Look at the Birdie," the title story, is offered for free via the LAT. The sly, artful use of language is present and the story ends in typical Vonnegut fashion after odd twists and turns with a conclusion that neither settles nor awards.

Marisa Biaggi Answers My Queries on Bubbles the Chimp

Ayn Rand Bio

The New Republic's senior editor Jon Chait assessed a recent biography of Ayn Rand, titled Goddess of the Market: Ayn Rand and the American Right by Jennifer Burns. I'd be lying if I claimed that the article was an honest book review rather than describing it more accurately as a third review, a third attack on Rand, and a third editorial on the hysteria of conservatives over tax matters and governance. With that being said, Wealthcare is a fantastic yet long read that exposes Rand's vicious, imperious personality and how her ideas took hold in modern conservatism. Her acolytes adopted a cultish following where Rand wielded a totalitarian-esque cudgel within the group that demanded strict adherence to her writings and thoughts as well as unflinching loyalty to her as a person. Excommunications and personal attacks followed those who committed minor transgressions or questioned her will. All in all, a fascinating article with, for me, agreeable commentary on how the right's concern on taxes for the rich is unfounded. I'm tempted to purchase the book for my trip, but I'm uncertain if I need additional history luggage.

Winning the Nobel and Renewed Faith in the US

I am proud that our president received the Nobel Peace Prize. Like everyone else, I do not believe that his actions so far merited the award. Obama does not deserve the enmity directed at him by select Republicans and members of the conservative media junta. I doubt Obama wanted this now or at any time in his presidency. Politically, it's a wonderful honor, but a sticky one that carries positives and negatives.

Nevertheless, as I flipped through various news stories, I couldn't help but think that saying "he didn't deserve it yet" sees this from a limited perspective. I think we, as Americans, need to be clear on a few characteristics of the US's role in the world. Our country engaged/engages in unnecessary wars and has put its economic and social interests above those of every other country in the world. The developing world suffered disproportionately and continues to bear a greater burden as legacies of colonialism and neocolonialism hinder growth and peace.

With that being said, it would be foolish to not recognize the US's impressive power and basic fact that the US piloted the Western world through a long period of peace, stability, and prosperity. Despite prickly relations with France at points and several other states, since entering the Second World War, the US assumed and was invited to adopt a leading position in the world. I'm dismayed whenever I hear people claim that the US should remove all of its troops abroad and focus solely on the US. Rejecting a history of American responsibility as a global hegemon (imposed and invited) is dangerous and blind to the nature of international relations. Does that imply that the US should persist in supporting policies that magnify suffering? No, not at all and we as a country could do much more to alleviate hunger, war, etc. Still, it's an imperfect system with players who consistently attempt to one-up other states for material gain. As I mentioned in my reviews of John Perkins' books, there is no proof that an equitable set of global affairs or states will replace a receding US.

Quite possibly, the Nobel committee and certain states have restored faith in the United States to lead, and the peace prize should not be seen as a testament to what he has accomplished, rather his potential as well as renewal of faith in the United States. I think it's disingenuous to believe that the award was given as a reflection on Obama's score card and not as a hope to encourage the president on the part of the committee. Of course, one could discuss ideas of Western normative modernity and what the award represents from a handful of Scandinavian lefties.

Certainly he's not George Bush, however, I think it's simplistic to say that he received the award for simply not being Bush. All the political bluster of a year ago aside, John McCain wouldn't have been Bush. Would the Nobel committee have selected McCain? Unlikely. Obama reached out to the world in a fashion that many presidents never attempted, especially in such a narrow window. His early diplomatic efforts that occurred from the nomination in February until the voting in September should be praised. Still, it puts the onus on him to generate results from his initial successes. Although the Nobel bolsters the diplomacy of the past few months, it lands at an ironic time as the White House contemplates increasing troop levels. So Obama has to earn it and persevere regardless of Afghanistan. Even Michael Moore encourages the president to earn the award. It will be tricky, but I believe he won't languish and it's counterproductive for the US's stature to wish that he fails.

Orson Wells, Master Thespian