Usually, it's only Cleveland that ranks dead last in various and sundry lists. But this time it's all of America.

You see, the North Koreans just did a study and they found the No. 2 place for happiness in the world is...North Korea. They suck up to the Chinese and make them No. 1. Rounding out the Top 5 are noted cheerful places like Cuba, Iran and Venezuela.

The USA comes in dead last at No. 203.

Meal of Links

Bill Simmons and his new website, the ESPN-named Grantland. I think the neat thing is some of the writers are going to get more eyeballs on their work. And adding Klosterman and Gladwell to the roster are certainly not bad moves. I've been reading this guy since the AOL days and the good columns still outweigh the duds by a significant margin.

Your home and renting vs. buying. Obviously, the trend is renting.

Older Japanese are volunteering for nuclear plant cleanup. They feel they can't have the young participating.

Letterman has a "Drum Solo Week" next week. Sheila E. and Neil Peart show up.

If you hate Time Warner, read this. Very funny.

Was 2001 a good year for music? Missy Elliott, Daft Punk, Jay-Z, White Stripes and Kylie Minogue. With Minogue's great Michel Gondry-directed video, "Come Into My World". Plus his White Stripes stuff.

Palin's back. Trump and his pizza. He's like Mr. Pitt.

Exercise Yard

Here's how you get a World Cup in Qatar. From the Argentina head: "Yes, I voted for Qatar, because a vote for the US would be like a vote for England, and that is not possible." That's like Sam McDowell throwing a curve to Dick Tracewski.

The English still hate Sepp Blatter. But he ran unopposed and "Captain Corruption" gets 4 more years at the helm.

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