The making of a jianbing – Beijing’s greatest street food

I love jianbing. Really, really love these tasty, cheap, nutritious egg pancakes. This guy is my regular man. He sets up near Pinnacle Plaza every morning and whenever I'm staying with my dear friend Scott Kronick, I set out in search of…

Wait. Did Sarah Palin hook up with Glen Rice?

Now, for a radical change in directions. I came across this rather remarkable tidbit about Sarah Palin and Glen Rice having a one-night stand when U-M was up North for the 1987 Great Alaska Shootout. Could it be? The Deadpsin source,…

Is Catcher in the Rye overrated?

Several weeks ago, I read this Slate article which asked contemporary writers to pick the most overrated famous novels. I enjoyed the whole piece, but was especially interested in seeing that several people picked Catcher in the Rye. I bought…

James McGregor on Big in China

Thank you sir. “Big in China is an inspirational, eloquent travelogue that  flows like a soul-baring letter to friends as it carries readers along on a personal journey of discovery in a land that is rediscovering itself.” -James…

A short Big in China Excerpt, with video: What the Chinese blues mean to me – “Wo De Baobei”

An appreciation of Woodie Alan's great bass player Zhang Yong, whom I am proud to call a friend. From Chapter 22, The House Is Rocking. Wanting to feature more Chinese singing, I translated verses from “Beijing Blues” and “Come…

“Big in China inspired me to be a better husband and father.”

"I’ll admit I felt a vicarious thrill while reading about some of his on-stage experiences. To have a large crowd chanting your name and rocking out to your music is still an unfulfilled dream for most of us. Alan lived that dream and he takes…

RIP Allen Woody – a woolly mammoth of a man

“It’s hard to imagine a better American musical ambassador than Alan Paul. After spent crafting words, he found himself in a situation where words didn’t work anymore and was able to transcend them and make a deeper emotional connection…

How music saved my life – again.

"I hit the city and I ost my band. I know that some of you don't understand..." -Neil Young It was really disorienting to return from Beijing and suddenly be stripped of everything I had so loved about my life in China, probably the band…

A Labor Day roundup of corruption in sports

The NCAA is so far gone that it needs to be blown up,says the Washington Post's John Feinstein. "The NCAA needs to go away, the same way all corrupt organizations must eventually go away. The Berlin Wall fell, and so did the Soviet Union.…

Hiking Electric Pass, Aspen CO – with original music

What a great hike this was... original music is "Come to the Edge," from Woodie Alan's Beijing Blues CD. Listen to Woodie's mournful, beautiful lap steel slide playing. This is the last song on Beijing Blues, and I like it more than I r…