And as a bit of an icebreaker, I give you… the web’s 10 most hated people. Frankly, I have no idea who a lot of these people are, and No. 9 on the list — Tony Kornheiser — I actually enjoy quite a bit. Listen to his podcast every day,
Open Thread #46
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You too, can run the the Olympic torch relay!
http://www.lcsd.gov.hk/TorchRelay/en/game.php
10. RACHAEL RAY
I’ve seen her show here in Korea. I don’t think she’s a good host. It’s like watching a loquatious 10 year-old. It may be cute when she’s 10, but it’s annoying as hell when she’s 40.
kornheiser isnt that bad
i think pawi comes in at #14 when they release the web’s 20 most hated
Looks like Pinkberry, the Korean inspired yogurt in the states, is getting a certain reputation…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0uowBXXHlGg
http://www.tmz.com/2007/05/18/paris-addicted-to-the-white-stuff/
Someone should notify the FDA…
and #15…mcnut!
@#2:
Not only is she annoying as heck, she doesn’t really cook much either – uses Kraft shredded cheese and precut veggies. She is not the worst program host on the Food Network. That dubious honor belongs to “Semi-homemade” Sandra Lee, whose ghastly creations look like they were put together by a five-year-old. Bobby Flay and Emeril are arrogant pricks, but at least they cook.
sandra lee is hot.
#6,
We once bought some marinated meat that was supposedly prepared according to the recipe of a cooking show host here in Korea. I couldn’t have done worse if I tried. Worst kalbi I’ve ever had.
Speaking of food, here is one of the few things I really miss, being here in Seoul: Greek-style yogurt
I think it’s high time Sonagi post a link to a healthy & tasty recipe for all of us who pump corn syrup into their arteries. A friend of mine made a really good hummus the other day (apparently it’s “Tel Aviv” style…) … anything in that vein?
Wondering what you supply-siders out there think of this little chat:
http://www.nplusonemag.com/?q=financial-meltdown
I’ll bet there are ten hedge fund managers on Wall St. who deserve our hate much more than a few C-tier celebs.
Cure for our inflationary, near-valueless, money.
1) We could do something like what Reagan did. We could hike interest rates up to contract the money supply. Personally I wouldn’t mind 20+% interest in savings, if possible. The downside is that a contraction of the money supply also tightens credit and slows economic growth if not stopping it outright.
2) I favor a return to the gold standard. We’d have to repeal a few laws like the Legal Tender Law and the Emergency Banking Relief Act. At least whatever a dollar’s worth of gold could buy you now would still remain more stable 20 years hence than if we are on our current system of fiat money.
The argument that gold also inflates or deflates is weak. Paper money, by far is easier to print, and easier to abuse than it is to mine gold. If gold deflates (becomes worth more) then mining deeper or more difficult veins becomes affordable and gold settles back down.
Now I’m not saying we should have little piles of gold. There is representative money in which one gold certificate is redeemable at a bank for a certain amount of gold. If you look at the US up until 1913, you will notice that inflation increased no more than 10%. That’s 10% over 120+ years! Today we’re looking at anywhere from 1.5-4% inflation per year! What is with this nincompoopery!
The malady to our current situation is the Federal Reserve, who, BTW, is not a government agency but a private banking cartel. The department of the Treasury used to print the money that used to represent gold, but after 1913, fractional banking came into play and inflation took off! The US government has to pay interest to the Federal Reserve whenever they want to borrow more money. What does the Federal Reserve say? Sure, let me just print more for you Mr/Ms Senator. And just like *that,* inflation and a devaluation of our money.
Wonder how Clinton is going to pay for Universal Health Care without taxing you or taxing you a little? Wonder how McCain is going to go on with the 1000 year war in the Middle East? Wonder how Obama is going to do any domestic social program without raising taxes? (Damn left looneys and blind reactionaries!)
PSST, the government doesn’t like the gold standard because they can’t spend all the money they want. The gold standard empowers the people to create and build wealth and restricts government. As it should be.
Of course, this post wouldn’t be complete without a reference to the Constitution — Article I section 8 and 10. Congress was given the power to stamp precious metals into coins of measured weight and fineness, and to decide how much metal was to be contained in the monetary unit. It was not given power to create some other form of legal tender. Even the states are not given power to “make any thing but gold and silver coin a tender in payment of debts.”
a little springtime cheer from the rear
so to speak
http://www.flickr.com/photos/14963256@N03/1583104296/
and on the extreme opposite end of the spectrum i give you
http://news.yahoo.com/nphotos/London-Heathrow-airport/photo//080314/photos_ts/2008_03_14t151614_450x300_us_health/;_ylt=ApBGN3Vbbnm5Z1bEdWezCnkDW7oF
I knew it was only a matter of time before a Penn grad became the Internet’s second most-hated person.
I couldn’t be prouder. I hope he comes to alumni weekend.
‘and now this really shows your inept ability to be logical or rational. the west created radical islam.’
really? then who created radical islam? why is the west their enemy number one? and why are so many people in the arba world attracted to it?
the west created radical islam.
the koreans better think twice about becoming their targets too.
btw, how do like my avatar? i took a painting of a geisha portrait and joined a copy of her right side with her ride side. i put the red dots there to imply korea and also create the illusion of a ghouls face. focus on the dots and you will see.
that’s what japan has been to korea.
My new hero is Skyy vodka:
SKYY® Vodka, Made in the USA, Proudly Supports Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo
http://www.businesswire.com/portal/site/google/?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20080411005171&newsLang=en
I only half-skim Deadspin and other sports blogs these days, so I have no idea why Tony Kornheiser is on that list. I’m surprised they didn’t put ESPN DJ Colin Cowherd up there. He is probably the most hated mainstream sports guy in the sports blogosphere. A distant second is probably Stephen A. Smith. But the only negative thing I’ve heard said about Kornheiser is that he doesn’t work as a broadcaster . . . but you can say that about a lot of people.
@#10:
Glad to oblige with a delicious Turkish dish made with red lentils. I was introduced to it by a student’s mother, who sold homemade Middle Eastern goodies in the family grocery store.
Mercimek Kofte (red lentil patties):
http://paulaerbay2.wordpress.com/2007/11/15/mercimek-kofte-or-turkish-red-lentil-patties/
The recipe calls for a Mayan onion. Have no idea what that is; I just use a regular yellow onion (yangpa in Korean). Residents of Seoul can probably find red lentils and bulgur at that expensive imported food shop in Hannam-dong. The Bulgur could probably be replaced by cooked brown rice. The lentils are essential to the lovely reddish color and flavor of the dish.
If you live near a grocery store that sells Indian food and spices, you might try this great dish, Patra.
http://www.insurat.com/Recepies/Gujarati_Farshan_Patra_Bhajia.htm
It’s made with large leaves called patra, or colocasia leaves, from the taro plant. Other special ingredients include gram/besan flour, known in plain English as chickpea flour. This is available in the health food section of our local Martin’s and Food Lion and can probably be found at Whole Foods or Trader Joes. You will also need tamarind and a common Indian spice called asafoetida. I found it at my local health food store, sold under the brand name Frontier. Tamarind pods can be found in the Latino food section at Walmart. In short, if you do not live near an Indian grocer but do live near a Walmart and a good health food store, you can probably find everything you need, except for the patra leaves, which could be substituted with collards.
Lastly, if you have never made broth at home, I urge you to start this wonderful habit. Broth is so easy to make in a slow cooker. Put in bones or meat pieces. Add water to cover the top. Turn the slow cooker on high. When the water is hot and bubbling, add a couple tablespoons of vinegar to draw out the minerals from the bone and simmer the broth on low for several hours. Season with salt, pepper, whatever you like. I sometimes toss in an onion, carrots, and celery about 30-45 minutes before the stock is done. You don’t want to cook the vegetables too long or they will turn bitter.
I use stock/broth to make a soup for my lunch every day. Just pour into a pan, add chopped veggies, heat and put into a flask. How easy is that? Sometimes I get fancy and add special ingredients like coconut milk, cumin, turmeric, and curry powder to make chicken curry soup. Yum, yum.
Store-bought broth sucks. Most of it is very high in sodium and every single brand, like almost any other prepared savory food in a can, jar, or frozen package, contains hidden MSG in ingredients like autolyzed yeast extract or hydrolyzed soy protein. It is legal to label a food product with these ingredients “no MSG” as long as MSG itself has not been added directly. Most people don’t get MSG headaches or experience other obvious side effects from consuming free glutamic acids, but they are excitotoxins (so are most artificial sweeteners like aspartame and sucralose/Splenda) that can cross the blood-brain barrier and overstimulate nerves to the point of destroying them. The damage accumulates slowly over time, which is why these food additives are declared safe to eat.
Enjoy the koftes and patra!
no seoul mag this month? Havent seen it at my fav watering hole
The patra recipe didn’t include a photo. I found another version, called alu (another name for the same leaf), with photos:
http://madteaparty.wordpress.com/2007/05/10/patodealu-wadi-taro-leaf-spirals/
Why wasnt Dr. Phil on that list? He is the most annoying person on tv. I like Kornheiser on Pardon the Interruption which i d/l for my ipod, his radio show is supposedly not bad
I will agree with Rachel Ray, when I was in the states I found her to be so annoying and didnt get why she was so popular there
You know, this comment moderation of yours is awful. I’ve had no less than 3 innocuous comments not make it through.
BTW, that thing about IIA being the world’s best airport in the world. The Korean version says it’s the airport with the best service in the world — not quite as all-encompassing as “world’s best airport”, and even then I still quite don’t agree, especially these days with all the extension work and more than a 100 gates. Most possibly the people awarding the titles don’t have to walk back and forth in that mile-long airport terminal.
It looks to me like a very angry little Astro Boy, which is rather what Korea has been to Japan.
The most annoying Canadian by far is Don Cherry. I flicked on the TV the other night and there he was, dressed up in an even more silly clown suit than the last time I had the pain to see him. The guy’s only claim to fame was by some total fluke, he managed to get the best team money could buy the Stanley Cup. They won it despite him, the players all detested Cherry. He then proceeded to bomb the rest of his coaching career. He then got a job as a hockey “pundit.” I hate pundits and Cherry has to be the worst of them all. The only thing he can say, in his caveman drawl is:
“Duhhh, them guyz gotta hit more and play like a team and them Yourapeein playerz is all ferries.”
It is like the Canadian Homer Simpson, sans animation. And you know what, the kids on the prairie eat it up because if Europeans are so bad, they can get into the NHL
Even the CBC hates him. Only knuckle draggin’, pick up drivin’ retards like him. But wait, these are the people that drop $1000 for a hockey game. They drive in from the farm, get a hotel, hookers, coke and beer and watch the game. The CBC tried to shitcan Cherry a couple of years ago but the groundswell of morons had him reinstated.
Speaking of hockey, and professional sports, I have never understood it. Look at out much vaunted Vancouver Canucks. Never won the cup. Got into the final ONCE and got beat four straight. Failed to make the playoffs two years out of three, which is pretty hard in the NHL which plays all year only to eliminate the one team in the divisional basement.
Why, pray tell, are the Canucks so bad? Because they don’t have to be good. They have sold out something like the last 200 games. Clonebot retards line up to but they made in China overpriced merchandise like the good little clones they are supposed to be. They even change it every few years and the clones still pay $200 for a mesh jersey that cost $2 to make.
It was hilarious to watch the press conference after the Canucks bombed. All the management had sullen faces. The didn’t say much. They didn’t have to; they had accomplished their goal. They had made the team owners a pile of money. After their hang-dog act, they went into the back room and broke out the bonus cheques.
It is not just hockey, it is all sports. I really respect the parents of the kids I teach,. All are very, very wealthy people. They all, to a one, strike me as intelligent, kind people. They are SMART. Their kids are cramming calculus instead of wasting their time trying to be an NBA star
(or any other star for that matter). Now, if you really want it, how do the odds of being a Civil Engineer rank compared to being an NBA star?
Any kid will have a much better chance at being an engineer than being a “professional athlete.”
‘It looks to me like a very angry little Astro Boy, which is rather what Korea has been to Japan.’ dogbert
a lie sprung from irritation. korea has been much more than that to japan- a source of culture, art, and technology. indeed, even language and people.
and japan to korea? a source of misery. that’s it. nothing more.
you know it. i know it. the koreans know it. the japanese try to hide it.
sorry.
Matt used an image of Lee Wan-yong as his gravatar for months before Pawi and others started speculating about it. Pawi changes his gravatar and immediately elaborates on his choice to an audience that couldn’t care less.
#25 – I wondered about that, but on closer inspection notice that (in English) IIA doesn’t claim to be “THE world’s best airport”, instead they are “A world best airport”. Subtle difference, too subtle I think. I don’t like the slogan, regardless of the quality of the airport.
“korea has been much more than that to japan- a source of culture, art, and technology. indeed, even language and people.”
A lot of historical truth to that, but can you come up with anything in the last 1000 years? (Not that you’ll try, but you probably cannot.)
“and japan to korea? a source of misery. that’s it. nothing more.”
Nothing more, eh? Japan hasn’t been a source of technology for Korea? You don’t actually believe the crap you write, do you?
As far as culture goes, Japan also seems to have been the template for k-pop, tv dramas, goofy talk shows, and animation. Mostly miserable, I have to admit, but not exactly Korean originals in many cases.
I could not care less about Japan-Korea relations, pawi, I was just trolling you. You are now “pwned”, as the kids say.
It still looks like an angry little Astro Boy face, though.
Why is pawikirogi still allowed to write here? I get that it’s an “open thread,” open to various opinions and ideas (except for the comments that get moderated out), but here’s a guy who contributes nothing and whose only purpose is to get other posters fired up with racist and asinine statements. Half the comment sections on this site get bogged down with his crap.
This Page dude, of course he has to go by three names. And what is it about mensa members that seems messed up? Are they so insecure that they need a club to reaffirm their abilities? Do they have cards that they flash like FBI agents? Isn’t being smart enough? Do they sit together in verbose gatherings stroking each other’s egos?
I like the list of the things he owns and accomplishments. As if any of those things would negate his being a douche-bag. “I can bench/squat/leg press over 1200lbs.” I can even walk upright despite my over-inflated head.
Kissinger, too, thought that the office he held would and should make women fawn all over him. He thought it made him more than the weasel he was.
Nice picture Mcnut. If that’s a girl, I’m a sandwich.
Oh yeah, and that lunch. What an honor it must have been for the Secretary of Defense.
33: brian: interesting question — the page is more frustrating with Pawi here stirring the pot, but also more fun. Without all the piss and vinegar hanging all out on these comment boards, I probably wouldn’t come by as often.
27: Speaking of which, Kimchipig, take a page from Pawi’s book: if you want to provoke Canadians (good luck, eh?) ya gotta focus your rantings a little better.
Pawi will smear the chinese, the expats, the japanese, and god knows which other groups, but s?he only takes aim at one group, and usually only one feature OF that group, per post. If she/he were writing “Chinatowns everywhere are dirty dissident-breeding holes of subversion, and Japanese are worse than Nazis and two-faced liars to boot and expats are jizz-brain horndogs and America is the great imperialist Satan” every time she/he posted, nobody’d bite, because his/her attacks were too indiscriminate.
Harp on Don Cherry, and you might get a reaction; take aim at the Vancouver Canucks, you might get a reaction. Dig on the Canucks AND Don Cherry, AND greedy/smug team owners, AND sports culture in general, and the kind of people who respond to inflammatory statements won’t answer, because they want to fire off badly spelled flames in one-syllable words and half-formed paragraphs, not to engage in point by point breakdowns.
That said, yeah, Don Cherry’s loud, but (as Ann Coulter teaches us) when you’re loud, people can’t look away. Plus, if you turn down the volume on the TV, ignore his Canayjun prejudices about Yurapee’n players, and listen to him break down a play or a game, you’ll notice how often his “If Toranna wants ta win dis game, dey gotta. . . ” statements are correct.
As far as anyone I’ve ever checked with knows, the Bureau of Engraving and Printing is still a part of the Department of the Treasury. But hey, if Ron Paul says it, it must be true, eh?
Very interesting, sesame seed, to see that someone who was ‘in the sand’ so recently also has the macroeconomic understanding shown in #12. No offense intended to you or your compatriots – I have met many bright soldiers, still…unexpected.
All you say is true, IMO, but I’ll just add that there is very good reason why central banks are usually ‘independent’ of modern democratic governments. If the party in power has the ability to print, then they’ll just print a ton of money 6 – 12 months before every election to create a dizzy prosperity boom. The boom will go bust, but only after they’re re-elected.
America’s Fed might benefit from a clearer mandate: it is tasked with price stability and full employment. These objectives are often at odds. Narrow it down to the first, and the type of discipline that a gold standard would impose might in large part be achieved.
#30
Yes and no. Their slogan, indeed, is “A World Best Hub” — which is pretty silly. But what I was referring to is not the slogan, but the “award” they got for three years in a row. There are huge banners in Korean and English — and the Korean version is more detailed than the English, and says IIA got every year between 2005 and 2007 the award for the airport with the best service. Dunno from whom, but there you go. Of course in English it got translated as Best Airport…
Update
http://www.airports.org/cda/aci_common/display/main/aci_content07_c.jsp?zn=aci&cp=1-7-46%5E21375_666_2__
‘A lot of historical truth to that, but can you come up with anything in the last 1000 years? (Not that you’ll try, but you probably cannot.)’
are you fricking serious? do you know how foolish you look right now? you obviously don’t know the history between the two countries. anyway, let me give you one of the names the japanese use for the imjin war:
the war of ceramics and metal type printing.
you understand now? imjim war happended in the late 1500s.
as for you, dog, i know you were shaming. i know you know korea so i knew what you wrote was bs. even so , i had to counter you for the sake of the fair minded who pass by this place.
lastly, the WEST modernized korea VIA japan
Stephen A is much more hated than Kornheiser
also, anybody know that Kim Jong-Il is an NBA fanatic?
http://www.detroitbadboys.com/archives/2006-10-29/how-do-you-say-i-love-this-game-in-korean/
modernizing investment came from the US not Japan. We imported good from them back then but it did not contribute to infrastructure and technology.
goods*
It’s funny that you think the Japanese would actually help us modernize. According to my professors when I was studying the Japs were near desperate to kill the Korean image out of fear.
‘but here’s a guy who contributes nothing and whose only purpose is to get other posters fired up with racist and asinine statements. Half the comment sections on this site get bogged down with his crap.’ brian
at this man’s site, there is a picure. in the foreground of this picture sits a caged monkey with it’s hands clasped to his face looking down. in the background off to the right, is a zoo employee sitting down with his right hand holding up his chin. he seemed relaxed or bored. there are no other living things within this picture, and yet here’s is what
martin-luther-not wrote in the caption:
‘Burying its face in its hands and feet. The Zoo Zoo employees in green (background) let passers-by wake up the animals by banging on the cages.’
i’ll just bet he thought writing ‘employess’ would be his insurance. there is only one human in this picture and one monkey. there’s no need to point out who the emplyee is. it’s patently racist and yet i can already conclude that not a single expat would ever call a spade a spade when the spade’s an expat.
and save me the line that he didn’t write it here. rhie didn’t write here either.
i’m going to contact the svc and ask them to have a look at his blog.
man, people need to go and visit this man’s blog because it’s just filled with racist comments! i’m kind of stunned that this is the guy who alerted the media. he’s got no room to call koreans on their racism.
snoop around his place, it won’t take long.
http://briandeutsch.blogspot.com/
and can we have an expat just once condemn another expat for his racism? CAN WE? just once?
What on earth are you talking about?
It’s apparently taken you a long time to find racist comments, since you’ve been on my page for nearly 40 minutes. Did you find something yet?
‘Speaking of which, Kimchipig, take a page from Pawi’s book: if you want to provoke Canadians (good luck, eh?) ya gotta focus your rantings a little better.’ roboseyo
‘Pawi will smear the chinese, the expats, the japanese, and god knows which other groups, but S?HE(my emphasis) only…’ roboseyo
it’s seems you’re taking a page from my book too, rob. i’ll give it a 4 on a scale of 10 for it’s subtle ability to irritate. good one.
of course, now that i know…
ps do you like my avatar?
‘It’s apparently taken you a long time to find racist comments, since you’ve been on my page for nearly 40 minutes. Did you find something yet?’
BULLSHIT
btw, it only took me till the first page to find your racist garbage. you compared a korean to a monkey.
i’m going to contact the swc about you. you’re nobody to talk about other people’s racism.
No, I didn’t. Learn to read. Even if you feel offended, that’s no reason to attack me for being a racist. After all, two wongs don’t make a white. *Ooops.*
Look, Brian, you know I hate to agree with this guy, but I too found some of your race-based posturing offensive — the Russian girl is around “just for poking”? Wow.
Well, I don’t think that warrants such a reaction. Have you seen the show? It’s one of those typical late-night softcore porn shows. What is the stereotype held here of Russian/foreign women? And what role does she fill on the show?
wow! I went out for the afternoon, had dinner with a friend, got back, and suddenly things got mean on the Marmot open thread.
Brian remains my K-blogger of the month for his Coreana posts, and generally exhibiting a level head in his comments here as well, and other marmites turning their heads sideways, squinting and, gasp! finding what they headed in looking for (big surprise, that) isn’t going to change that.
I haven’t seen the show, but I’ve seen enough of Brian’s posts to give him the benefit of the doubt when marmizens decide to pile on.
Heck, his comments have been kinder than mine even just in this thread.
Gonna try and find some racism on my blog now, Pawi? (can’t see your avatar closely enough to care either way, either. sorry, bud! have a great day, though!)
@#45:
I looked at the photo and caption that offended you Pawi. I don’t see how it could be interpreted as comparing Koreans to monkeys. I wouldn’t have known that the man was a zoo employee if Brian had not identified him as such.
@#53:
The “poking” comment was possibly sexist but not racist. A woman of any other nationality, race, creed, color, or religion in the same situation – pose in sexy lingerie on TV, don’t say much – could be described in the same way. As a woman, I wouldn’t even call his remark sexist. He is simply pointing out the tastelessness of the show and the extension of the preference for white underwear models to television.
enough of the bickering, all i want to know is should i take tiger or the field in the final round of the masters tonite and will i be able to see it to the end. today mbc-espn decided to cut off coverage at 8am while they were still on 15 to show a rerun of a kbo game from sat.
Brian’s critical of Koreans on his blog – but that wouldn’t make it racist,per se. What’s the evidence?
Cherry, was last night, wearing a suit with flowers all over it. What a total doofus.
When it comes to hockey analysis, Cherry is indeed often right with wonderful, and accurate truisms like:
“Dey gotta play like a team, ya know, eh?”
“Like kids, ya know, that was justa cheap shot, eh and it wuzzint fer da team, eh?”
Don Cherry is from Kingston Ontario. I co not recall anyone from southern Ontario, and I have tons or relatives from there, speaking like an illiterate moron cartoon character.
But then again, Cherry was, incredibly, picked as one of the “Top Ten Greatest Canadians,” proving that talk of hockey, chainsaws, wood stoves, who grows the best dope, pick up trucks and beer will forever be in the Canadian psyche.
bullshit songi, you understood just fine. you’re pretending so you can defend one of the minjok. the guy compared a korean to monkey right after he went ape over a korean actress in a black uniform.
i’ve decided not only to contanct the swc, i’ve also decided i will contact the ad agency he villified. i think they’d be interested in this guy’s racist rants. also thinking about contacting the korean media.
‘Look, Brian, you know I hate to agree with this guy, but I too found some of your race-based posturing offensive — the Russian girl is around “just for poking”? Wow.’ lawyer
Fellow commenters:
Do feed the trolls.
I like how everything I say I wrong, until the day comes that I agree with pawikirogi — then it’s gospel in his book.
I really hope that pawi is a California homeowner, so he can be ruined in the housing collapse.
“I really hope that pawi is a California homeowner, so he can be ruined in the housing collapse.”
Just to be clear, it’s Pawi whose ill will is over the top?
Now you’re getting it.
I’m gonna have to say that that caption on the monkey picture is clearly not racist. He is not comparing Koreans and monkeys. He is simply pointing out who the person in the background is. Since he begins by telling a story about the employees, he references the picture parenthetically.
I checked the rest of the site. He’s very negative about Korea, ridiculously so. He is worthy of some degree of scorn, because he’s very unbalanced and unfair. His blog is garbage. But racist? I don’t think so, unless you think that any criticism of Korea is racist.
Carr has the mind of a mean middle school kid.
“What is the stereotype held here of Russian/foreign women?”
Frankly, I am relieved that when I see a foreign woman in Korea, especially a Russian-looking woman, I no longer have to go through a complicated narrative in my head that although there are many such women in Korea’s sex industry, this woman might also be a student, teacher, businesswoman, or some profession other than a paid fu**-puppet. Brian has assured me that it’s okay to stereotype her as just for poking, and I thank him for that.
Yeah, my bad. When you watch the show you’ll see that she’s actually a professor and a race car driver. She speaks Korean fluently and doesn’t just spit out banmal syllables like a 3-year-old. The part where the villagers force themselves on her is actually an allusion to a Chaucer work that she and her costars so deftly satirize. I read an interview with the producers in the “Journal of Self-Evident Results” that said their motivation in choosing a Russian model for one of the roles was to provide positive role models for Korea’s foreign community, and not to exploit her as a sex object or to play into a Korean male fantasy of the submissive, easy foreign girl. Really remarkable stuff.
And colontos, you’re right, linking to newspaper articles and profiling the region’s attractions is very unfair and unbalanced. Foreigners displaying an interest in Korea doesn’t sit well with the California hypenated-American crowd. I just wanted to give you a heads up that next week I’ll be writing-up Suncheon’s unicorn ranches and Hwasun’s gumdrop fields.
And here I was, thinking Hwasun had little else but old coal mines and two cool temples.
On April 7, a 12-year-old boy living in Seoul left home leaving a message that he would go to a game room he regularly frequented. When he did not return home, his father called him. But the child hurriedly hung up the phone after saying “Daddy I was kidnapped. I’m being taken to a strange place.” The father phoned again but couldn’t reach his son. However, police found the boy at the game room next to his home.
In police questioning, the child said “I lied to skip hagwon classes. And I turned off my cell phone to prevent my parents from tracing my whereabouts.”
http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2008/04/117_22399.html
Just hilarious.
I’m not a hyphenated American, and I have not been to California since I was 4 years old.
Are you telling me that your blog does not present an overall negative picture of Korea?
I’d say it’s pretty balanced. For every story some consider negative, you’ll find something positive. Also keep in mind that I’m not the one who taped shut a kindergarten student’s mouth . . . I’m not the one who beat the hell out of a 4th grader in an elevator . . . I’m not the one who dressed up an actress as a Nazi officer . . . I’m not the guy who threw a turtle at another turtle . . . I’m just the guy who wrote about them. But writing about foreigners who like Korea isn’t very fun, right? Better scour my site for 40 minutes to try and find something racist and offensive. If you want to find overwhelmingly positive news, go read a Korean newspaper or turn on Arirang TV. If you want to read something that doesn’t end with “oh, you can use chopsticks!” go read a blog. Good to know that some acts never get old. Keep up the good work.
“Also keep in mind that I’m not the one who taped shut a kindergarten student’s mouth . . . I’m not the one who beat the hell out of a 4th grader in an elevator . . . I’m not the one who dressed up an actress as a Nazi officer . . . I’m not the guy who threw a turtle at another turtle . . .”
See what I mean? Yeah, these are bad things. And you couldn’t keep from saying them for even the 2 minutes necessary to say that your blog is not negative.
You’re the one using negative news stories as evidence of a negative blog. Perhaps you should stop fixating on them. Perhaps you should find new reading material.
I happened to like Brian’s blog. Sure, a lot of its posts are negative, but a lot of blogs are — they’re personal websites, and negative news is much more likely to inspire someone to take the time and energy to post than positive news. It’s like politics or the media — how many people write to tell their congressman or local newspaper editor just how great things are?
#53: “the Russian girl is around “just for poking”? Wow.”
See, this is what I mean when I say that Carr is the most disingenuous commenter on this blog. The master of irony and indirection really has no clue that this was an ironic aside?
Several of you folks are idiots for letting Pawi get you to pile onto Brian. He’s probably touching himself right now and feeling pretty happy.
Wow.
#38, Zonath,
The Bureau of Engraving and Printing is under the Department of the Treasury, just like the *hehe* Office of Thrift Supervision. I didn’t know that was there!
#39,Linkd,
Contractor. I had a lot of contact with Iraqi’s in training. Did you know that when the Iraqi army, general forces, are trained to shoot, they just fire without aiming? A soldier told me that the Iraqi soldiers told him that Allah would guide the bullets to the target, at least that’s what the translator said. (I think that’s thrice hearsay? It’s bullshit, but plausible bullshit since most of them aren’t very educated, if at all.) Of course the first thing that comes to mind, but is never spoken aloud is: If that’s so, and most of your soldiers died by our rifles and so little died by yours, doesn’t that mean that Allah is on our side? Also, no offense taken.
This election year has given me a new outlook. I had forgotten what our Constitution said, just like so many others. 10th Amendment: “The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.” It literally means, that if it’s not in the Constitution, the government can’t do it! The rest is up to the states and the people to decide. How cool is that! So with Real ID and the marijuana conflict in California and other states, the federal government should just step aside. Too bad the courts can’t seem to remember the Constitution either. Well that’ll be another topic for another open thread.
Especially when Pawi’s ploy was so obviously retaliation after post #33. I mean, not that s/he’s been known for subtlety before, but still.
To transition from anonymous racist blowhards to famous, badly dressed ones:
59, Kimchipig: you win. Maybe I’m just defending Don Cherry out of “been away from Canada too long” nostalgia, and it is indeed a travesty he was on the Greatest Canadian list above people like Margaret Atwood, Wayne Gretzky, Yousef Karsh, the Group of Seven, and every Canadian Victoria Cross winner. Your post was much more focused that time, too — well done!
In the meantime, I’ve decided to call regular commenters on the Marmot’s hole Marmites. How’s that for a posse nickname, o Head Marmot rjK?
‘I like how everything I say I wrong, until the day comes that I agree with pawikirogi — then it’s gospel in his book.’
you are misreading my intent. it isn’t gospel to me, lawyer. it must have pained you to write it. that’s why it was significant.
as for you hpoing for my financial ruin, it just goes to show the large gap that exists between you and me. i’ve never once wished that something bad would happen to you or any other expat. that’s not my way. you are misreading the fire.
but good to know that you hope we lose our home. that’s real nice, brian. hope you have a good day.
excuse me, i meant brenden.
the caption in question could be construed as racist if one decided to withhold the benefit of the doubt. i decided to withhold it. if colontos says it isn’t racist, then i’ll accept it. in any event, this man has a blog that’s simply garbage.
it’s no wonder he doesn’t have the numbers marmot does.
#62, Now that is funny! Pawi is banging on the keys from a home for “special”people.
If it works for you, it works for me.
Yes, no wonder.
Maybe I am misreading you. The endless spew of race-based hate coming from you may have sent me to the wrong conclusion. I should be more empathetic: Life on the Monterey Peninsula must be a living hell for you.
Reading Pawi’s post(s) reminds me of the perverse facination that I have when passing a car wreck on the side of the road.
If lights are flashing, and the rescue teams are on site, best to keep your eye on the road and drive on by.
Even so, it is so hard not to slow down and take a peek, always with the aside, “Doesn’t look too serious. I don’t think anyone is hurt! No need to stop here!”
my racist spew? please show me racist spew. lol. pissed you off again didn’t i?
you’re just not a nice person, are you, lawyer?
and you seemed to have misread user 81′s comment.
oh, and empathy? i don’t need it. i just wonder about someone who’d wish for somone’s financial ruin. what kind of person would really want to see that happen to someone else? that’s not my way, but i can see it’s your’s.
btw, how do you like my avatar?
Pawi, if you really want my honest opinion, your avatar looks EXACTLY like a trademark symbol found on so many of the advertisements for Korean whorehouses and massage parlors found plastered all over restaurants, street signs, and shops in K-town, LA. I’m sorry if this offends you, but this is the truth.
This makes me wonder…how exactly did you come up with the idea for your avatar? It it a symbol of your pride and joy?
I think I like your avatar, but I can’t tell for sure because the image is so small here on the Marmot’s Hole. I am, however, still hoping for Double Secret Excommunication.
i’m not offended because i don’t know what the hell you’re talking about. as for the avatar, i wanted to create a piccasso-like one, but when i realized i was using something japanese, i decided to put the red dots for it’s implication of korea. i only saw the ghoul when i saw it on marmot’s page. and that was only because i changed my point of reference to the dots.
i really must say i’m impressed with myself. i think it’s a cool effect. don’t you?
How typical of Korean nationalism to construct a negative identity entirely contingent upon Japan.
When are you actually going to liberate yourselves once and for all?
it’s really better to just ignore nulji. as i’ve mentioned before, his posts are like little doggie turds on a path that you want to get past as quickly as possible.
pawi’s one man battle to impress us about how big of a twat he is on a daily basis has become boring to me. I wish he’d add some wit.
See what happens when I’m not around to remind you guys that Pawi is a troll?
#92: I concur. If we’re gonna keep a token racist/hair-trigger-sensitive blowhard around to stir the pot in the name of freedom of expression, let it be an uproariously funny one, I say!
When does the application period for a new pet provocateur begin?
Y’all are aware that if you keep scratching at that mosquito bite it’s only going to get worse, right?
On second thought, now that the Marmot has restored the larger avatar images, I can see that your avatar sucks. Sorry, pawi.
Wow!
What an “interesting” dialogue.
BUBBLE!
let’s keep in mind that brian is responsible for my nastiness here on this thread. had he not named me a racist, then this thread would not have taken a turn for the worst. don’t blame me, blame him.
yes, you’re right, lawyer, it doesn’t look so good when enlarged. do not worry; i’ve chaged my avatar anyway.
on second thought, it’s still a masterpiece! focus on the dots.
Pawi,
I think a more fitting avatar for you would be the following:
http://a.abcnews.com/images/Technology/nm_gorilla_070808_ms.jpg
I think it sums up your personality and mindset perfectly. Oh, I forgot…you could juxtapose a jar of kimchi or a caption coming out of the subject’s mouth which says, “Korea #1″ to satisfy your insecurities.
How is nationalism a response to insecurity? Its about being proud of your country.
Sounds like you’re the one who’s insecure.
Two entities almost identical but facing different directions, permanently fused together in an uncomfortable position, slyly smiling at outsiders but not revealing what’s inside: Your avatar is a brilliant representation of Korea and Japan!
Wow… a third of the posts here are on some guys avatar…
Rob needs a new entry that gets things back on a more serious track.
who was the guy who had couple of blogs but dropped off from the k-blogsphere once he was exposed?
#104 – Kushibo, wasn’t it?
oh yeah. thanks. what happened to him?
“Kushibo, wasn’t it?”
He whose name(s) shall not be spoken!
#107 – Whoops. Sorry.
As for what happened to ‘him’, I hear ‘he’ holed up for awhile, wrote a couple of ‘best-selling’ (in the books written by expats aged 25-45 genre) books, and started going by the handle ‘King Baeksu’. (I kid! No idea really what happened to “the nameless one”.)
pawi “i really must say i’m impressed with myself.”
I can picture you singing, I’m ronrey, so ronrey…..
@109
Now that is racist.
Joongang is looking for a copy editor
http://bbs.joins.com/content.asp?board_idx=37&page=1&tb_name=jd_notice
#110 Rent a copy of Team America, you might get the joke.
So how does Korea allow overseas Koreans to teach in Korea without a 4-year degree while requiring non-Koreans to have one? They call the salary they pay to the overseas Koreans “a scholarship,” which will be upto 1.9 million won a month.
Does anyone know if you have to pay taxes on scholarships in Korea?
I forgot to post the link:
http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2008/04/117_22585.html
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