Korea Fighting!

Years ago I read an article about a man who kept a detailed diary about his life. I think it was 70 years of diaries. Nothing was too insignificant for him to mention.

I remember reading it and wondering, "Yeah, but will anyone ever read those boxes of diaries about him going to the bathroom?"

I guess he often wrote about himself writing...

These days I'm having the opposite problem...

I'm living it up so much that I don't have time to write...

Can you really enjoy life and record it all?

If I had time I would blog about...

* going swing dancing
* getting treated at the Kkunnori restaurant in Jamsil by two friends who insist I'm the luckiest man alive because I know them.
* then getting treated to an hour or two at the Luxury noraebang near Kkunnori.
* the "call" button in Korean restaurants
* Koreans ordering too much food whenever they eat together
* Meeting with Gong Byeong Ho (공병호) for the first time in 10 years.
* how damn energetic Seoul is
* how much fun it is drinking here. I'm sure you can have fun here without drinking, but it would be like going to Vegas without gambling.
* myself being too cheap to buy a real camera.
* and being too cheap to buy myself a new computer (the good thing is that I'm out cruising Seoul instead of cruising the Internet)
* and being too cheap to even buy a new iPOD.....noticing a pattern here?
* drinking Strawberry soju last night--wasn't much soju in it and/or I'm getting used to the taste of soju
* the centers in subways where you can recharge your phone for free (as long as they can find the rechargers)

From today's newspapers

* the hilarious brawls Korean politicians are having--over legislation. If the nation's security were at risk then I could understand the brawls.
* The government is looking for a new slogan. My latest suggestion: Korea Fighting! As in, Korea fighting Japan, Korea fighting history, Korea fighting for its image, S Korea fighting N Korea, Korea fighting itself...
* the South Korean president told the national assembly he won't

intervene in the legislation. I guess he doesn't want to rassle with anyone.
* The hilarious fight I saw yesterday between two Korean friends inside a restaurant.
* Seoul inviting Korean war veterans--a gesture I support, but that goes against those in tourism who don't want Korea to be pictured as a war-torn country
* the smoking rate increasing among Korean men--I wonder if it is really increasing or because the government crackdown has slowed that more are willing to admit it again
* yesterday's solar eclipse...an alert friend sent me a text telling me it was about to happen, my co-workers all risked going blind....
* Koreans are trying to polish their image...but advertising on CNN for a week is a mistake, they should go with Fox News or a different channel that people actually watch.
* the 34th annual forum hosted by the Korean Chamber of Commerce and Industry...is a 35th really necessary?
* Non-Koreans often complain about some signs not being in English, but Koreans and the Korean government go out of their way to accommodate English speakers
* The Korean government is determined to get Koreans out of their cars and onto bicycles...not sure how the chicks who always insist on wearing high heels will adapt. Plus, the monsoon season might not be the best time to promote such a policy.
* I actually agree with criticism from a Chinese newspaper that the NBA season is too long--the NBA should stop acting like this is the 1950s with teams stopping in different cities different nights, instead have teams stop in different cities for 3 or 4 games a week in one city like baseball.

But then, if I blogged about all of those things then who would read them all?

CJL

Rich talking back

The rich are talked about very often in negative terms, but how often do the rich respond in kind? Australian billionaire Gina Rinehart, who inherited most of her money but apparently has also done very well with it, recently railed against class warfare and had some advice for the non-rich : "There is no monopoly on becoming a millionaire," she writes. "If you're jealous of those with more money, don't just sit there and complain. Do something to make more money yourself - spend less time drinking, or smoking and socializing and more time working." She complained about politicians raising taxes, regulations that slow investment, and other anti-business policies that harm the poor. "If you want to help the poor and our next generation, make investment, reinvenstment and businesses welcome."

Common Sense on North Korea (Korea Times, April 2, 2012)

By Casey Lartigue, Jr. As interesting as Kookmin University professor Andrei Lankov’s writings are, there is nothing quite like attending one of his lectures. He can barely restrain himself behind the podium, often pointing and waving his arms. I also enjoy his unscripted speeches, but his answers in Q&A sessions are like the difference between watching Michael Jordan shoot baskets in warm-ups and an actual game. I have finally discovered the secret behind Lankov’s consistently solid analysis about North Korea: Use common sense. At an Asan Institute conference last summer, he argued that North Korea watchers should try to understand North Korea from its perspective. Don’t most people know that you must understand the mindset of others you are dealing with? Yet, common sense in theory gets ignored politically. From the North Korean perspective, nuclear weapons are the best thing they’ve got going. They will NOT give them up easily, even if President Obama ...

Last weekend: Suicide, Kim Young Ha, NK

Credit: Joanne Cho Event 1: Friday night I went to a talk given by Fulbright junior researcher Joanne Cho. She did a great job putting together statistics about some of the most commonly cited reasons that so many Koreans commit suicide. Probably the most provocative tidbit: Cho watched 86 dramas from the spring of 2012 to now, she says that 63 had "scenes depicting or discussing suicide" in a favorable light (as a way to solve problems, that troubled people can be forgiven for their sins and are even seen as sympathetic). Another interesting tidbit: While it is often cited that Korea is number one in the world in suicide (among countries reporting reliable statistics), what I had not realized or had forgotten is that Korean men are number 8 in the world compared to men in other countries with reliable statistics, Korean women are #1 in the world when compared to women in other countries. My questions for the speaker: 1) What was a finding in your research th...

Random photos from today

I went walking around today. Whereas some people like to go walking in the mountains, I enjoy walking around in the city. Well, not D.C. or other cities with many homeless, crazy and/or armed people walking around... * * * Here's where I had lunch today. About $1.90 for a hamburger hamberger. * * * Ha-ha! Bet you never would have guessed that Batman is a drinking place in Korea! * * * Man Clinic? The Koreans walking by seemed to be very curious about why I was taking a photo of a "Man Clinic." They may know something I don't know...Actually, I wasn't curious enough to go in and find out what it was... * * * Right down the street from the Man Clinic...there's a Love Shop! I love the euphemism. "Love Shop" sounds much better than Sex Shop. I'm guessing that if you don't go to the "Love Shop" to buy condoms that you may need to visit the Man Clinic a short time later? * * * Nobo...

To be a good volunteer, use your brain (Korea Times, December 5, 2012)

By Casey Lartigue, Jr. There is probably an unwritten rule that a celebrity offering to do volunteer work for a good cause should immediately be embraced. Well, that’s not what happened to Jeong So-dam, the glamorous Korean cable TV announcer when our paths crossed on Nov. 29. Ms. Jeong was the MC of an event about American political philosophy hosted by the Association for Economic Evolution. During my speech about American libertarianism since 1940, I discussed my volunteer work for North Korean refugees. After the speech, Jeong approached me, asking how she could help. I gave her the same tough love I give to potential volunteers by asking: “Who are you?” After all, if you are Bill Gates, then open your wallet. If you speak four languages, then help with translation work. So I first stress to potential volunteers: Use your brain. Tell us about your skills and interests so together we can figure out your initial role. Jeong was good-natured about it, rather than c...

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