Thursday, November 30, 2006

U.S. BANS SALE OF iPODS TO NORTH KOREA

by Rochelle Ratner


Poor Kim Jong II. He'd wanted a few of the new photo iPods for
Christmas. He even had an iPod dock built into his new BMW, and
a huge iPod-only speaker system in his favored bedroom right
alongside his 40-inch plasma tv. IPods aren't made in China and
Japan refuses to sell to him. Six hundred people on his staff have
looked everywhere. They've called in long-overdue favors from
neighbors, subordinates, and distant cousins. All of a sudden even
one-gig shuffles are not to be found, even in the stores that sold
them just last week. Something about a battery recall. Something
about dangers and power.


Rochelle Ratner's latest poetry books include Balancing Acts (Marsh Hawk Press, 2006), Beggars at the Wall (Ikon, 2006) and House and Home (Marsh Hawk Press, 2003). She is the author of fifteen previous poetry collections and two novels (Bobby’s Girl and The Lion’s Share) both published by Coffee House Press). More information and links to her writing on the Internet can be found on her homepage.