Speech at Handong Global University (2021-11-10)

I had a great time speaking at Handong Global University in Pohang, Korea. They treated my speech like it was a big deal and treated me like I was a VIP. They insisted on even carrying my bags around. When I was on the train coming back to Seoul, I was wondering why I was returning.

My schedule was arranged by FSI co-president Eunkoo Lee and Handong Global University staff. That meant I didn't have a free moment to myself. I had one meeting after another. Even if I had tried to get lost, it seemed there would have been someone from Handong Global University waiting there to point me in the right direction.

I had a wonderful meeting with a North Korean refugee who drove 40 miles to meet me. She had recently learned about FSI. She gave me her book, which then started the fight. I saw the price of the book, so I insisted on buying it from her. Many people want free copies of a book, even though authors put so much time into them. Some people even ask for free copies before you finish the book.

She refused to take the money, I refused to take it back. It was a tug of war with both sides throwing the rope away. Finally, when she insisted on buying me something to drink, she finally relented and took the money for the book.

I have had similar battles. Check this post for "Reverse Robbery" when I battled with a different North Korean refugee author and "Worthy Paycheck Fight" when I battled with Changyang Ju.

Some nitwits have accused North Korean refugees of being in a "cottage industry," as I wrote in a recent Korea Times column. As I noted, it takes North Korean refugee authors on average more than a decade to publish a book. This author published her book 13 years after arriving in South Korea.

A great thing about our work is that we don't recruit North Korean refugees. We are offering something valued by those who find us.

Greg Brown was also part of the welcoming team. He has published 35 books, so he also gave us some tips about our book publishing adventure. He's also from Texas.

After my speech, several of the students came up to ask questions. For some reason, people get surprised when I then ask them to take a photo. One of the ladies said I am a celebrity so she was honored. I asked, "If you think I am a celebrity, then when did you first learn about me? And how many celebrities ask other people to take photos with them?"

The inquisition didn't stop. The staff and attendees were asking me numerous questions over dinner.

He picked me up from the train station. It was his job to make sure I didn't get lost!

Yes, it is true, I finally made it to Pohang.

Park Jin welcoming remarks to FSI (and Casey Lartigue)

National Assembly member Park Jin makes the welcoming remarks at FSI's conference featuring North Korean diplomats. Park Jin | Greeting message to FSI and Casey Lartigue mention - YouTube

Back in America, 4 days and counting

I got back a few days ago, I'm still unpacking... Some of the highlights so far: * Friday morning I was in the audience for a CNN/The Root discussion about being Young and Black in America . As a veteran of so many of these Washington talking events I am less than enthusiastic about them these days. Still, I bumped into a few friends, some of whom are neither young nor black. The discussion seemed so 1980s, with the panelists trying to figure out how to politically empower young black people. I guess it was appropriate then that the head of the NAACP was there. His most irrelevant concern was about hate talk radio...or I guess Rush Limbaugh being on the air all these years explains the high level of black-on-black crime. 20 years later, how is the Stop the Violence movement working out? The highlight of this particular panel was running into old friend David Plotz, who is now editor of Salon Magazine. I don't think I've seen him since college but he recognized me. I forgot...

Still writing (Korea Times, 2023-12-19)

Still writing by Casey Lartigue Jr. The Korea Times December 19, 2023 https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/opinion/2023/12/626_365284.html

Michael Vick ain't got nuthin on me!!!

After football player Michael Vick admitted that he had been running a dog-fighting business I wrote that he was an idiot. If he was going to engage in such activity he should have gone to Indonesia or somewhere else. He certainly had the money to do so at that time. If he knew then what he knows now then he would have spent $10 million to run his dogfighting ring in Manila. Today I did something that probably not even Michael Vick ever did: I ate dog meat. I never expected that I would do so. It is a bit scandalous because Koreans don't just kill the dogs and eat them. Rather, they will beat them to death while they are still alive. That allegedly is to get the adrenaline flowing which allegedly makes the meat more tender which allegedly improves a man's stamina. I had told a friend that I wanted to give it a try. But as we sat down to eat I said: "I want to try this but don't give me any details until after we are finished eating." It just looked like regular me...

How not to get your ass beat by the police

The black president of the United States stupidly commented on the arrest of a black Harvard professor in his own home by a white police officer. Some random thoughts and memories: * I'm sure most people are still trying to figure out who Prof. Gates is. As G.K. Chesterton once wrote: "Journalism consists largely in saying 'Lord Jones is dead' to people who never knew Lord Jones was alive." * Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick said Gates' arrest was "every black man's nightmare." Perhaps. But having a criminal in my house is even more of a nightmare. Also, having the president of the United States talk off the cuff about me about something he doesn't know is pretty bad. And getting shot by a cop after I escalated a situation would also be worse than getting arrested. Anyway, I have had my own dealings with the police over the years: * Back when I was a college student many many moons ago, one of my brothers and I got stopped by police in Bro...

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