Skip to main content

Bringing back this blog

Making a guest appearance, at his desk....

Casey Lartigue​ Jr.! That's right, he has had so many meetings, but he is now back at his desk. I mean, he was "here" yesterday for about 45 seconds, to pick up something for a meeting. And  he was here on Thursday or so because he happened to be passing by and thought it might be polite to stop in to say hello, dust off the cobwebs off his desk...

Years ago, I came across a quote from H.L. Mencken that was something like: "Editorial writers need to get out of the office at least once a week." I have been living that way for quite a while.

That's why I tell people that I'm on Facebook, but I'm not *into* Facebook. I prefer living Facebook--connecting, talking--then sometimes I take a break to post on Facebook what I have done. Then when someone asks me, "What have you been up to?" I can say, "Let's check Facebook so I can remember."

* * *

Social media downdate

It should be an update, but...

I have deleted two of my other blogs, 3 meetup groups, Twitter.

I did join Instagram, it has grown  by 100% since a colleague helped me set it up in late January. Yes, from 1 to 2 photos posted.

I was going to kill this blog, then decided to leave it as a museum. I have decided to start posting my random thoughts on the passing scene here, but my more professional activities at CaseyLartigue.com

* * *

I can prove it

A few days ago a friend of mine told me that she was hearing the same excuses most of us have heard in job searches. Either she is (a) underqualified or (b) overqualified. I told her that it sounds like BS, in my many years of experience that is just a diplomatic way to say they don't want to hire you.

Whenever potential employers told me that I was overqualified for a position, I would tell them, "Just watch me work for a week, you will stop saying that."

* * *

North Korea studies drama queens

Those talkers and stalkers in the North Korea studies field are now predictably freaking out about two main stories:

1) Whether or not North Korea has executed a defense minister. They are trying to prove that the media is incompetent (as if that needs to be proven) and that this is part of a propaganda war (is it a surprise that people searching for propaganda find it in every story, the way Jesse Jackson or Al Sharpton even seem to see R-A-C-I-S-M spelled out in their alphabet soup).

Last fall, those alleged experts were falling all over each other to prove the same things about the reporting about Kim Jong-Un when he was out of sight for a while.

2) A peace march by some loony leftists. Let them have their march. There are, of course, some people opposed to that march. My suggestion to them: Stop bitching about what the others are doing, and hold your own counter march.

* * *

Mini-me KC

Guarding my desk while I was away.



* * *

Father time marches on update

"I know my time is winding down, so I'm enjoying it more."
--Tim Duncan, about  his NBA career, but I would add, that's about life in general.

Popular posts from this blog

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...

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...

Michael Jackson & Prince

Michael Jackson, born August 29, 1958 Prince (Rogers Nelson), born June 7, 1958 Note: Originally posted 1/31/05; reposted in honor of Prince performing at the Super Bowl this weekend... Once upon a time, I wanted to be Mike. Michael Jackson was the lovable lead singer of the Jackson 5 during the 1960s and 1970s. His family had been poor, so it is no surprise that they were releasing at least one album a year. Michael was the family's lottery ticket. I was a big-time fan. I was a member of the Jackson 5 fan club. My brothers and I tried to be just like Mike. I'm the tallest of the three. Check me out, I was so C-O-O-L ! Look at that 'Fro. Could there have been a cooler Bible-carrying kid? I could have hid entire African villages under that cap. And the African villages that could not have fit in that Afro could have squeezed into my bell bottoms. You'd have to pay me money to wear those beads today, but I was stylin' then. But it was clear that I was destined to beco...

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 ...

Does a flower turn to the sun?

I tend not to address points raised by people commenting on posts. In the back-and-forth of such discussions, people sometimes say things they don't mean or take extreme positions. In other cases they are just trying to be provocative, especially when they can remain anonymous. But a discussion on Greg Mankiw's blog caught my attention. That's because a couple of the folks suggested that parents don't really have the knowledge to make decisions about the quality of schools. Between 2002-2004 I was actively involved in the fight to get school vouchers for families in DC. I often heard the argument that parents don't know how to choose between good and bad schools and that, anyway, parents had enough choices with the school system's "out-of-boundary" options and charters (that had also been opposed). Without getting too deep into the out-of-boundary program, I'll point out that Woodrow Wilson HS, considered one of the best schools in the city, recei...