Shooting loudspeakers

YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT?

Some days I really enjoy the things I eat here. This is one of my favorites, I ate it last night.

Koreans constantly tell me that it is a summer dish and that restaurants don't serve it now. Yet, for the past few months, I have constantly found places that serve it year-around. I guess I am one of those people who likes what he likes when he likes it, I don't wait for a particular season or time to eat something. That is not just about Korean food. I don't particularly like turkey and would never choose it at a restaurant. I don't like it more on Thanksgiving Day than I do on other dates.

But...I'm not even sure what those things below were. I didn't bother asking. I just made sure those things were cooked thoroughly when they got to my table a few minutes later.

* * *

PROMISES, PROMISES

I happened to be in South Korea in 1994 when North Korea's founder, Kim Il-sung, finally kicked the bucket. North Korea closed the border for a month and cut off communication with the world. I remember that friends and relatives were alarmed that I might get caught up in a civil war.

Today's Korea Times tells us: "North Korea said Tuesday that it will cut all relations with South Korea and will have no contact with the Southern authorities during the remaining tenure of President Lee Myung-bak."

Such promises.

Assuming he serves out his term, Myung-bak will be in power until 2013.

So North Korea will go without handouts from the South for at least three years? Or do they plan on being good communists and just TAKING what they want?

* * *

I have been asking my Korean friends about the North. Their main two responses:

* MB is crazy and eager to start a war.

These seem to be the same people who thought the ship that sank may have been an inside job.

* The two previous liberal South Korean presidents were too soft and have encouraged North Korea to feel like an entitled bully.

I haven't yet told them what I think about it, I really wanted to hear what they thought.

* * *

NO NAME-CALLING (yet)
A wonderful thing is happening. My comments about the Civil Rights Act violating private property rights were posted on a black issues blog. So far, none of the people commenting have called me a sell-out or questioned my sanity as a black man.

Of course, that can always change, especially after pointing it out. I think it helps that I'm not in America now. I'm clearly not angling to get a job with Republicans or selling out in some other way (that seems to be a major concern of blacks who lean to the left). I'm really saying what I think and I guess they are accepting it.

In response to questions, I recently told a black friend in Korea that one wonderful thing about being here is that no one can accuse me of doing well here because of affirmative action.

Things I get here are despite my race.

* * *

WHO NEEDS A TEAM DOCTOR?

NBA player suffered a broken nose during a game the other night. He kept playing in the game.

Let's just say that if I suffered a broken nose that I wouldn't play basketball for a while. Or probably do many other things.

Incredibly, he adjusted his broken nose himself during the game!

* * *

SHOOTING AT LOUDSPEAKERS
According to the Korea Times:

North Korea threatened to fire at South Korean loudspeakers along the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) and destroy them, Monday, if Seoul resumes propaganda broadcasting suspended since 2004.

"If South Korea installs new speakers for psychological warfare, we will directly aim at them and open fire to destroy them," an unnamed North Korean military commander said in a statement, carried by Pyongyang's official Korean Central News Agency.

"If the South Korean traitors challenge our rightful response, we will counter with mightier physical strikes to eliminate the root cause of their provocation," the statement said.

I know North Korean leadership hates freedom of speech but this is ridiculous even for them. If the Korean War resumes then I hope it won't be because of some idiots shooting at loudspeakers.

CJL

Michael Breen discussion at 10 Magazine

Yesterday I attended a discussion with writer Michael Breen, hosted by Barry Welsh. Very often, when I attend a speech or discussion about a topic I know a lot about, I often think about ways the speaker/facilitator/discussant could have done better. But I didn't feel that way about Breen, it was one of those times that I really felt like I had a lot to learn and should listen more than talk. He's been in Korea for three decades, working as a reporter, commentator, communications specialist. He reminds me of Andrei Lankov in that his analysis seems to be based on observation of how things work rather than trying to get the world to fit his biases. I don't know him, so his friends may say he is a raging ideologue, but that's not the impression I had yesterday and based on his writings. Michael Breen (L) and Casey Lartigue I first read his book The Koreans about a decade ago. It was a delightful read, that was both warm to Koreans but also critical at times. Yes...

"Yoegi Anjuseyo!"

* I have a short reflection in today's Korea Times about an encounter with an unfriendly looking Korean man on the subway. It was a reminder not to be too quick in judging people in Korea. 09-13-2011 16:47 'Yeogi Anjeuseyo!' By Casey Lartigue Jr. The recent incident in which an American English teacher bullied an elderly Korean man and other passengers on the bus reminded me of a more pleasing incident from years ago. I was on the subway, taking the train outside of Seoul for a work assignment. I have the habit of standing on the subway to strategically position myself near the doors in case my stop magically appears. On that particular day, there was a Korean man STARING at me. Not just looking at me, but intensely staring at me. He had an incredible frown on his face. Not just for one stop, but for several stops the guy just kept staring at me. If I had known more Korean then I would have been able to curse him ...

2020-11-26 My basketball story

This photo was uploaded today by my aunt Annette. This was back in the day, when 1) I had a head full of hair and 2) played basketball a lot. That first year of playing organized basketball, I focused on playing defense. It seemed that everyone wanted to shoot the ball, so I passed the ball and played defense. I probably led the league in steals, rebounds and blocked shots. I enjoyed taking on the best player from the other team, I felt like I would get better, quickly. The second year, I was a different player. I will never forget the first game that second year--we lost 29 to 26, I scored 18 points. I probably led the universe in scoring that second year, although we didn't win much. One thing I learned from that experience is that one great player 9 (at least in his own mind) can't beat a team. An eye injury ended my pro career before it began, to this day I still have floaters in my eyes because of the injury. I started wearing glasses, but the problem never went away. On t...

Humanitarian with a guillotine (Korea Times, February 1, 2013) by Casey Lartigue, Jr.

Former U.S. President Ronald Reagan said the nine most terrifying words in the English language are, `` I’m from the government, and I’m here to help .” For many well-intentioned activists, politicians, and intellectuals, that should be updated as: ``We are here to help you. You’re under arrest.” For example, ``sex workers” around the world oppose anti-prostitution laws. Prostitutes may not know the theoretical arguments but they do know in reality that prohibiting prostitution means they lack protection in dealing with abusive pimps and madams, violent patrons and crooked cops. Locally, a Korean woman busted for prostitution recently appealed to the courts pleading , ``I cannot survive without this job. I don’t want to be treated as a criminal for making a living the only way I can.” How should someone who genuinely wants to help her respond? If you say ``arrest her” then you are qualified to be a “harmful humanitarian.” In your desire to help, you have elimin...

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 ...

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