Today's roundup: Can't tell the womens from the mens!

* This chick was once a dude.

* Wouldn't that be something? The sexy supermodel of your dreams may have once been a guy.

* I suspect there are some Korean women wondering if they can have the same surgery to look like the former Mr. Choi.

The woman pictured on the left is now a contestant in a Super Model Contest in Korea. According to the Korea Times: "Choi Han-bit, 23, was among 50 participants selected from a list of 1,200 candidates at the preliminary stage of the contest on July 2. She still has to pass another preliminary on July 28 to be included in the final selection, but if she does, Choi will be Korea's first transsexual super model. A dance major at the Korea National University of Arts, Choi underwent a sex change operation in 2006, and was legally recognized as a woman by a court."

The article also mentions: "In 2005, before undergoing the sex change operation, she appeared in a television show as a man who was disguised as a woman."

* * *

Diet a great success!

I stepped up my diet plan last night, spending quite a bit of time walking around lost last night. I even showed the map (in Korean) to some Koreans who were pretty sure the place was nearby, but they weren't quite sure where it was.

I guess I should feel better. Yesterday when I was out looking for a new place to live I noticed that the real estate agent had trouble finding the location.

* * *

Today's National story of the day

"Teachers Come to Blows in Front of Students"

According to the Korea Times: "Two apparently inebriated high school teachers got into a fist fight in front of the school gates ― leaving onlooking students in a state of shock.The pair, who teach at a school Pyeongchang, Gangwon Province, are now facing disciplinary action after the incident, which occurred at around 6 p.m. on July 7, led to one of the alleged culprits taking time off due to the injuries he incurred, according to the provincial office of education.

"The drama unfolded as the teachers arrived back at the school after an argument developed at an event to mark final term examinations, the office said. But the verbal volleys quickly turned physical and a fight ensued at the school gates, the office added. Students who had stayed on campus to study were reportedly shocked, a report filed by the office said. The school is planning to file disciplinary action against the pair after the wounded teacher returns to work. The educational office said both had blamed the alcohol and each other for the incident. "

Unfortunately, there is no video of the incident.

* * *

They can call me as often as they want!

No Night Calls From Loan Sharks

I say that anyone who teaches them English should be sentenced to death.

* * *

Stop breaking the law, assholes!

One of the funnier scenes in the movie "Liar, Liar," was when the lawyer (played by Jim Carrey) shouted into the phone to one of his troublemaking clients, "stop breaking the law asshole."

Apparently there needs to be a line like that in the Korean Constitution. As noted in today's Korea Herald: "Crime surge mars Constitution Day."

"The number of minor offenses in the first half of this year rose by 24.1 percent to 473,936 cases from the 381,716 last year, the National Police Agency said yesterday.

"The greatest leap was in public order offenses, with 92,871 cases identified, a 67.1 percent rise from last year. The number of acts of violence under the influence of alcohol rose to 41,289 cases, a 62.8 percent rise. Traffic law violations also saw a 74 percent rise, from 1.18 million cases to 2.06 million cases. "

CJL

Get rid of that watermelon!

Part 1: When I was a youngster I used to collect Confederate money, posters and photographs with caricatures of blacks, and "No blacks allowed signs." I loved the money because it was a reminder of how far the sorry Confederacy had fallen. I had one poster of a dark-skinned black boy munching on a watermelon. I would look at that small poster and wonder, "What in the world is wrong with anyone wanting to eat watermelon?" Yes, white people, I'm talking to you. Your parents, grandparents, and other ancestors who thought making fun of blacks for eating watermelon were crazy ! Even people who say that nothing has changed in race relations must acknowledge that the many stereotypes of blacks are no longer prevalent. But then, there are also some ready to remind us of days-gone-by by debunking stuff that doesn't need to be debunked today. According to the Washington Post: The sound you just heard was yet another racial stereotype going kersplat ! Some ...

From nothing to something super special (2023-02-10)

FSI has moved into a better institutional neighborhood where we are the poorest in the area. In August 2022, I was elected as Chairman of the Board of Directors of Freedom Speakers International (FSI) and in January 2023 FSI achieved incorporation status in South Korea. This has meant that FSI must upgrade operations and structure and I am the one, as chairman and co-president, who will be blamed if it doesn’t happen. I really should not be the chairman, for a variety of reasons, but anyway I am. Eunkoo and I are not the typical executives of a growing organization. In addition to being mainly responsible for building and fundraising for the organization, we are the hands-on leaders who are constantly in contact with North Korean refugee speakers. We look forward to the day we can afford staff to handle many tasks. Until then we can expect to continue having more days like yesterday, even on Eunkoo’s birthday. 2023-02-10 Meeting #1: planning We started Eunkoo’s birthday with a planning...

2020-05-21 Goodbye, Katty Chi

I had heard through the grapevine and now it has been verified: Human rights activist Katty Chi has passed away. She is one of the first people that I met when I got involved in this cause. The first time was in 2012, at an event at the South Korea's National Assembly. She was super cool, one of my favorites as I used to say even when she was alive. And that is the important time to say such things, when people are alive. Whenever we met, I would say to her, "You know what happens when you meet me?" She would say, "Yeah. Time to take a photo?" I'm glad we did. And from Hyun S. Song, a close colleague of hers: And from Liberty in North Korea, the definitive announcement, August 4, 2020

Scam? Yo Momma!

Note: This was originally posted shortly after Jesse Lee Peterson's book was published, reposted in 2005, and now because of a fight between black customers and a Korean merchant in Dallas, Texas. Scam? Yo Momma! During the summer of 2002 I was an observer to a dispute between the Asian owners of a Chinese takeout and some of their black customers in Washington, D.C. The month-long boycott began when a local activist accused a cook at a Chinese takeout of attempting to cook a piece of chicken he had allegedly dropped on the floor. Despite the best efforts of human rights activist Dick Gregory, popular talk-show host Joe Madison, and Rev. Walter Fauntroy, the protestors were unable to coax any media to report on the protest. On some days there were, by my unofficial count, as many as 100 people chanting songs and marching. But one key person was missing: Rev. Jesse Jackson. It was important to the foot soldiers at the boycott that someone from the media report on...

Korea Times bloggers' night (2018-12-12)

There are some well-known media outlets in this world that occasionally stumble upon Freedom Speakers International (FSI). But they usually pick themselves up and carry on as if nothing had happened. They sometimes quote or mention us after we help with a story but more likely they don't (especially NPR and the New York Times). The most important media outlet in the world for Freedom Speakers International: The Korea Times. They occasionally write stories about our work. I have a monthly column and a regular blog there. Here's my blog at the Korea Times, "Voices from the North." http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/sublist_728.html And my monthly column. http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/sublist_626.html Instead of the Korea Times stumbling across us from time to time, I get regular reminders from editors reminding me to send in my column and blog. I know that many of the people following FSI are clicking around the internet and following many organizati...

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