I'm going to be so hot in Japan...

So I was walking out of Hillsdale's NASCAR-themed diner after brunch on Sunday with a few compadres, when a trio of well-dressed Japanese people who looked so far out of their element that they might as well have come from another planet walked up to me with a TV camera and a microphone and politely asked if I knew anything about Michael Sessions, our new 18-year-old mayor. They explained that they were the New York-based American correspondents for some Japanese TV station or another, gathering "people on the streets" segments for their coverage of Sessions' election. I warned them of my lack of informedness, but since they're the media they seemed to welcome this, so they stuck a camera and a microphone in my face and I told them that I knew very little about the whole ordeal and was somewhat skeptical of the ability of someone to fulfil civil service who has only just become eligible to vote, but that I admire his ambition, they asked a few more random opinion questions, and we parted ways. I sort of expected to run into Rod Serling on the way back to the car, but he didn't show up, so I'm compelled to beleive that the surreal episode really happened. There were even witnesses. Weird.

Not to degrade the folks, they had to drive their news van out from NY to some obscure hick town in Michigan and they have my pity, but why does anyone in Japan care about Michael Sessions? I barely care, and I've lived in this town for the last three school years (no, I'm not registered to vote here). In other election news, although you've probably both heard by now, everyone's favorite thug named Kwame somehow managed to get re-elected to the Mayorship of Detroit this month, despite rampant and well-known corruption throughout his administration. The only effect this has had on me personally thus far is that I've ceased to feel sorry for Detroit the way I used to. At this point, they've got what they deserved. Get elected once, shame on Kwame. Get elected twice? Shame on Detroit. Shame.

Today I had to bring the trusty carhart out of retirement, and I expect that it will probably stay in use until March. It really has been beautiful, though. Even as I write there's a light dusting of snow blowing around in the heavy winds, and if I step outside, my face will be frozen within a few seconds. Ah, winter.

Finally, I've stolen some pictures from the inimitable Jonathan Walker's blog (http://corkfork.blogspot.com/), which he took at a recent Searching For Shoes gig, again featuring yours truly on bass. Enjoy!

Noah on guitar

Tory on vocals and keys, and me on bass

Josh on drums

Cameron stepped in to work his magic on the keys for one song, and a splendid time was had by all. That's all for now I hope you're both having a great week thus far. Thanksgiving is only a week away...