And if you have anything left after reading Pynchon's book ...

From a Guardian article, "For those about to rock, Kim Jong-il salutes you" about a proposed music festival next May:

Rock For Peace, which takes place next May in North Korea's capital, Pyongyang, "will be the 2007 version of Woodstock rock festival in 1969 but in a different location and with different goals".

Though not a place historically associated with free love and hippy wig-outs, all that is about to change, with organisers embracing "capitalist popular music" for the first time. And, in keeping with the laissez-faire spirit of rock festivals, there are few restrictions: "Lyrics should not contain admirations on war, sex, violence, murder, drug, rape, non-governmental society, imperialism, colonialism, racism, anti-DPRK (Democratic People's Republic of Korea), and anti-socialism."

Update (November 29, 2006): U.S. tailors sanctions to annoy N. Korea's Kim: Ban on iPods, plasma TVs, jet skis targets leader's swanky lifestyle

No word yet on how this will affect Rock for Peace.