Skip to main content

Bad planning...


According to the Korea Times: "Man robs homes to pay for plastic surgery."
By the way, I don't know if there is prison rape in Korea, but I would guess that a man might not want to have plastic surgery shortly before going to prison.

In a different story: "10% of Korean Men Wear Makeup."


* * *

Over 70% of Seoul students receive private education, according to the Korea Herald
76% of parents said they are feeling pressured financially to teach their children.

Question: How long until some of those parents start robbing their neighbors to pay for private education? Back when I was in Korea in the late 1990s, there was a story about a Korean woman caught for prostitution explained that she did it to pay for private tutoring for her children.

* * *

CNN's John King apparently was the first to report that a suspect in the Boston Marathon bombing was a darker-skinned or black male.

1) CNN has re-learned the lesson that it is good to be first, but you want to be RIGHT! Was there anyone besides CNN reporting it was a darker-skinned or black male?
 
2) It seems that initial reports about such incidents are usually wrong. I rec
all the case in 1996 in which Richard Jewell, a white police officer working as a security guard at the Atlanta Olympics who discovered some pipe bombs, was falsely accused and much ridiculed as a suspect (someone in the FBI tipped off a reporter, the actual criminal wasn’t arrested until 2003).

 
3) It is a reminder that it isn’t only online media that spreads lies and misinformation. The traditional media is damned good at that, too.


On Facebook

* * *

The Korean government continues its push to increase growth.

Here's the latest crime report from the Korea Herald:

* Shinsegae vice chairman fined 15 million won for not attending parliamentary hearings over the company’s alleged infringement of small retailers. The Hyundai Department Store received a 10 million won fine.
* The Seoul Central District Court has ordered the heads of Hyundai Department Store, Lotte Group and Shinsegae Department Store, and the Shinsegae Group to stand trial as part of the government’s probe into large conglomerates dominating mom-and-pop businesses.
* And to protect mom-and-pop and traditional markets, the Cabinet earlier this week decided to slap higher fines on large retailers for violating rules on reduced operating hours.


On Facebook

* * *

An irrelevant statistic in American politics is that 90% of Americans support gun control. An irrelevant list is the names of Congressmen who opposed the gun control bill.

Here's something more important, gleaned from a National Journal article: " Three vulnerable Senate Democrats seeking reelection in 2014 joined most Senate Republicans in thwarting the bipartisan amendment mandating background checks for gun purchasers on Wednesday.

“Just four Republicans -- including one up for reelection in 2014, Susan Collins of Maine -- voted for the bill.

“Other Republicans voting for the bill are up in 2016: Sens. Mark Kirk of Illinois, John McCain of Arizona and Toomey.”

http://www.nationaljournal.com/blogs/hotlineoncall/2013/04/in-cycle-dems-baucus-begich-pryor-oppose-background-check-amendment-17

My point: national polls and full lists don't mean anything to politicians up for election in districts or states where polls either go in a different direction or that the issue is not as burning as the national media presents it.


* * *


Popular posts from this blog

2022-12-09 Seoul Honorary Citizenship (ceremony & media roundup)

  On September 29, 2022, I was informed that I had been awarded Seoul Honorary Citizenship. December 9th, I was one of the 18 non-Koreans to receive Seoul Honorary Citizenship.  I was delighted to have several colleagues and supporters join me at the ceremony. They all have had a special role in my activities here. Here's the media roundup so far: The Korea Times (English) https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/nation/2022/12/113_341484.html Yonhap (English) https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20221211001200320 (Korean) https://www.yna.co.kr/view/AKR20221210022100004 (French) https://fr.yna.co.kr/view/AFR20221211001000884 (Spanish) https://sp.yna.co.kr/view/ASP20221211000900883 K-Odyssey https://m.k-odyssey.com/news/newsview.php?ncode=179556481389320 Newsis https://www.newsis.com/view/?id=NISX20221209_0002118460 Chosun https://www.chosun.com/national/national_general/2022/12/11/S2OA76535FCBHFIQI7R5P7HYYM/ Daum News https://v.daum.net/v/20221211111512898 MSN https://www.msn.com/ko-kr/news/n...

2015-01-09 Asia Liberty Forum (Kathmandu, Nepal)

I was pleased to be one of the speakers at the 3rd Asia Liberty Forum, held this time in Kathmandu, Nepal. Freedom Speakers International has presented at the Asia Liberty Forum several times. I was invited in 2014 and have been able to invite North Korean refugees to also speak at the forum. 2014, New Delhi, India Speakers: Chanyang Ju, Casey Lartigue Jr. https://caseylartigue.blogspot.com/2014/01/07-09-ALF-India.html http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/opinion/2014/01/137_149698.html https://www.facebook.com/CaseyLartigue/posts/1308010646009594 2015, Kathmandu, Nepal Speaker: Casey Lartigue https://caseylartigue.blogspot.com/2015/01/2015-01-09-asia-liberty-forum-kathmandu.html 2018 Jakarta, Indonesia Speakers: Eunhee Park, Casey Lartigue FSI was named a finalist for the Asia Liberty Award https://caseylartigue.blogspot.com/2021/01/11-Asia-liberty-award.html https://www.atlasnetwork.org/news/article/organizations-from-afghanistan-nepal-south-korea-named-finalists-for-asia-l 2019, Colomb...

Race, race, race

On the issue of race: Clinton goes first, (surprisingly) without her Selma accent. Biden doesn’t mention that there is a clean and article black person on the stage. Richardson says the next president must talk about race…we need less talk about race, and more about individual action. Edwards said something, apparently to help us transition to the only somewhat black candidate on the panel. Obama has the home field advantage being at Howard, but doesn’t do much with the initial question. Kucinich says that people are told to raise themselves up by their own bootstraps, but then they steal the boots. He gets the loudest cheers. This will be a long night if that continues... Gravel —who? Dodd —like the 64th team in the NCAA basketball pool, Dodd should be one and done. Brb, I’m checking on the NBA draft… CJL

2016-01-31 Speech coaching

  On February 2, 2016, Teach North Korean Refugees (now Freedom Speakers International) will be introducing itself to the American Women's Club. Co-directors Casey Lartigue and Eunkoo Lee will be telling AWC about the wonderful project we co-founded in March 2013. Then three refugees participating in our project will give speeches. One of our speakers is Ken Eom. He's a wonderful guy, he's been in our program since last March. Thanks to his tutors and coaches, as well as his own effort, he has improved so much. His natural sense of humor has always been there, and now with practice and assistance, he has improved so much. The two other speakers will be giving their first public speeches. One of them was a bit nervous, so she asked if she could meet Eunkoo and me today.. Even though I have known her since early 2015, I had never heard her story so it was good for me to get a preview.  I'm sure she will do quite well. 2021 update: The lady hiding her face is Eunhee Park. ...

Breen's column that outraged Samsung

“What People Got for Christmas” Michael Breen The Korea Times December 25, 2009 At this time of year when Seoul’s bare winter trees are wrapped in beckoning lights ― blue and white are the in colors ― and Merry Xmas signs at hotels and department stores are really saying come-hither-gentle-reveler-and-empty-your-purse, and when expensive restaurants belch noisy year-end office party groups onto every street and the karaoke rooms are full, it is tempting to declare that Christmas has lost its soul. But that would be a mistake. Christmas is a time for giving, and, before they can be given, gifts have to be bought. Commerce is good. Here, as proof, is a round up of some of the gifts given and received today by people in the news. Samsung, the world’s largest conglomerate and the rock upon which the Korean economy rests, sent traditional year-end cards offering best wishes for 2010 to the country’s politicians, prosecutors and journalists, along with 50 million w...