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Open Thread #54
This entry was written by Robert Koehler, posted on June 14, 2008 at 11:52 am, filed under Open Thread. Bookmark the permalink. Follow any comments here with the RSS feed for this post.
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48 Comments
**insert jingoistic/racist comment here**
think you’ve seen it? here’s a black american named jero. he sings in japanese. yeah, so? he’s sings enka only. understand he’s helping repopularize the music. have a look. sounds like a cross between deep voice nam jin and high voice na hoon a.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CwTFJ-Vwbgs
Is there any way to fix the whole ‘delay the comments with url’ situation? It is getting a bit inconvenient.
i think he’s already taken care of that, bum. my post went up right away.
As golf crazy as Korea is, I’m surprised I can’t find the US Open on any channels. When I got out of high school my first job was to pull the golf carts down from the cart shed near the driving range at Torrey and stage them near the first tee. I then sold range balls the rest of the day. I’d like to see what they’ve done to the place. Hard to believe they’ve taken that over-played muni and made it open ready.
Hmm… mine wasn’t. It linked to an MSN article about Tim Russert being dead. Oh, and Tim Russert is dead. Once again, fuck.
The Jero link has been removed, but you can find other ones in the Youtube sidebar.
Interesting - so enka is the Japanese counterpart to trot, I take it?
Japan is the land of kitch and what not. Of course Jero would get a deal there. Not that that’s a bad thing. It’s just rather predictable.
I like Na Hoon Ah’s music… I think I’ll listen to him right now, with a couple of shots of vodka on the side, thank you very much.
Tim Russert…Yes, it’s sad. But after a few minutes of mourning I stop caring. Such is life.
the link is active for me.
‘Interesting - so enka is the Japanese counterpart to trot, I take it?’
well, yes, but i would point out to be fair that korean trot is derived from japanese enka. both forms have seen better days. perhaps some young stylish young people in korea could help revive trot like the african american dude is helping to do in japan (from my understanding.)
intersting fact: the sound of the zither in enka/trot is acually a modified guitar!
nice avatar, abcdef! i like na hoon a too, but nam jin is better. i saw him sing once. sounds just like he does on cd.
I watched the final few holes of the US open this morning. It was on ESPN MBC.
The later rounds are usually on the normal channels…I think.
I’m writing the narration for a training video on a new cell phone right now. It says it has a feature that goes beyond face recognition, to actually detect when the person smiles, automatically taking the photo at that instant. Does that shit really work? (I’m still using StarTac)
#12 Linkd,
I just learned such cell phones exist.(eg docomo FOMA 906i, sony cyber-shot T200/T70) So I did a search in Japanese. came up a lot of info including developer’s interview. Unfortunately, they are all Japanese and I personally don’t have that kind of cell phone.
ps. A big earthquake hit Japan. Be aware that earthquake will take place anywhere anytime. Be prepare while you can! Peace.
To me, Bongjak or trot is cool in the same way that Mexican or latin American music in general is cool - it’s the product of instruments from abroad put into the hands of musicians who, not familiar with the usual forms those instruments took, made something quite new and locally flavored with them.
Back in, say, 1800 Europe, a bunch of brass horns would have a clear purpose: to make classical music. Give them to a European musician and immediately his brain would want to play them the way they were ’supposed to be played.” But somehow as the same brass instruments ended up across latin America, it’s obvious the local musicians took them, puzzled over what to do, and let their Spanish and native American music bleed into the truly original style that is Mexican, Cuban, lets say latin American music today.
I know nothing about the origins of trot, but I imagine early synths, electric guitars, mics, etc. making their way into the hands of Korean musicians who made their own music with them. You can hear some elements of traditional Korean music that have leaked in - heavy emphasis on the vocals (Koreans love the voice and singing), a droning kind of backbeat, well that’s it maybe.
It would be an interesting experiment to give a bunch of Korean instruments to a group of Julliard students, order them to learn to play them by themselves and make songs, and see what came out.
docomo and sony, huh? I was curious just about the technology. Now I’m curious how much the Koreans paid to license it.
Linkd,
I just asked a Korean who has a camera(cannon), and he said it works.
It’s called “smile shutter“. You can google it. And here is the developer’s interview in Japanese. He seemed collected many pictures of smile faces from all over the world and created a huge database of digitalized data.
…I wonder if they’ll notice if I insert “manufactured using the latest Japanese technology…”
Where can I get an affidavit for a US case done?
Stayed up to watch the Euro 2008 group of death games last night/this morning. The Netherlands is looking just plain nasty.
@19
No shit. 7-1 over the world cup finalists(!) is pretty much unheard of.
The confidence that they must have now….
#11..The Open was on my cable also. I think the local Korean channels do a pretty good job of covering world sport for the most part. Playoffs for the Big 3 (NFL, MLB & NBA) are always live, there’s always at least one regular season MLB game on live in the AM and the EPL gets good coverage too. And lets not forget the WWF. ha ha. I just wish they had Star TV & Star Movies here. They used to.
How dare they sell 4 L of 35% soju for 10,000 Won and expect me to behave properly.
I should be excused because I have had a hard life
“Nobody knows, the trouble I’ve seen.
Nobody knows but meeeeeeee !”
I’m off to the noraebang.
Think I’ll take my foreign registration card, medical insurance card, a fat envelope of stuffed with bribery money just in case.
I hope nobody bumps into me on the way home.
I feel like a fight.
“What a wonderful world.”
Tim Russert was a real journalist, lauded by all political affiliations. If only Korea had a talent like Tim Russert.
“No shit. 7-1 over the world cup finalists(!) is pretty much unheard of.
The confidence that they must have now….”
I caught the Netherlands vs. Italy game. The second goal by Netherlands was just awesome. Guess I have another team to root for during 2010.
@#5
went to the practice round on monday.
you would be proud. oh so proud of what they did to set torrey pines up for the us open.
i don’t know if you can get this link or not:
aehtch_tee_tee_pee http://www.usopen.com/en_US/video/index.html
I hear lawyers are generally a good place to start with stuff like that…
Joking aside though, the lawyer who’s handling the case in the US should probably be the one who actually arranges this sort of thing, since different jurisdictions have different rules as far as what’s acceptable, far as my understanding goes.
IRAQ: U.S. DEATHS BY ETHNICITY
RACE/ETHNICITY Army AirForce Marine Navy Total Percentage
American Indian or Alaska Native 41 1.01%
Asian 60 1.48%
Black or African American 384 9.46%
Hispanic or Latino 436 10.74%
Multiple races, pending, or unknown 361 1.5%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 45 1.11%
White 3031 74.69%
Total 4058
Last update from the DoD: Thursday, May 15, 2008
I really dislike the Koreacupid ad that litters this blog.
It’s kinda embarassing when using a public computer and it pops up. “What’s that lecher lookin’ at?”
And the girl in the ad is too much of a pie face, me thinks.
Ad’s color scheme sucks also.
@Seoulout:
Think of the alternative - the gay Asian male singles ad although that one’s not quite so prominent.
The new Sony camera with smile detection really works. I have tried it on numerous relatives (not always known for their smiles unless drunk) and the second they smile off goes the camera. I have tried it on frowns too … nothing. What an amazing idea.
I appreciate the effort and the link, James. No, it’s not regionally ok’d.
I must have a different cable network because I’ve tried at every possible time, varying hours and still can’t get a peep. I have about three golf channels and all are strictly women’s and Korean golf right now. MBC is only doing news, dramas and the group with the Korean Vulcan and his buddy with the dye job.
It’s a pain cause my channel changer’s busted so I have to do it manually which is a lot of work. Still, nothing.
Yeah, the course looks amazing! They’ve miniaturized alot of the greens. Torrey used to have the biggest greens in golf, but the biggest thing is what they’ve done to 15. Those eucalyptus trees are really in play now.
Tiger Woods has the touch of an alien! Those last six holes, playing on pretty much a busted stick, absolutely stupid!
It’s strange. Right after the Chinese got miffed at CNN my cable discontinued them. I get Russian news!
I’m not a huge fan of CNN but there is nothing close to an alternative.
Free your mind, Maddlew. Of course there are alternatives. Because CNN isn’t news, it’s just white noise filler, infotainment. You can replace the filler with books, hobbies, sex, cooking, exercise or blogging. CNN’s only strength as a news organization is its speed to the site of fast-breaking stories. But really, those are few and far between - a few days a year, I think. You’re better off without CNN in your life.
My cable provider has BBC World and its news service is pretty good. And no Richard Quest!
Thanks Pawi for the stats re: “IRAQ: U.S. DEATHS BY ETHNICITY”
Looks like the percentage of deaths by ethnicity is roughly similar to the percentage of each group in the general population. So much for the leftist claim that minorities are sent in as cannon fodder. It’s just a shame that so many Americans have ended up dying. In the long run, I hope it hasn’t all been in vain.
yeah, snow, i noticed that too. that’s why i wanted to put it up. 4000 is a lot of people.
****
here’s something i found written by a japanese guy explaining korea’s enculturation of the japanese people:
‘In that sense, we have never been one state. Until mid 7th century, Japan occupied southern part of Korean peninshula, and had strong influence on 百済(Pekche), and after Japan lost the war against 唐 and 新羅 (Tang dinasty in china and Silla) we retreat from the peninshula. So I would say we had had closer tie before this event, but after that, Japan and Korea were kept separated until the annexation.’
so full of lies and half truths. toru, do your people really believe such nonsense? the japanese will do just about anything to deny their korean roots. man!
Link’d, sorry I wasn’t specific. I’m getting rid of cable this month because it offers insignificantly more than nothing and with our pending departure in September it’s gotta be done anyway. The best thing was SpongeBob!
I do, in fact, read alot. I have a bit of a commute every day and manage to go through a book a week in just the two or so hours I spend in subways during the work week a day. I was getting two newspapers a day read but they were starting to depress me too much.
I was using CNN for quick delivery of primary coverage while eating.
RE: Euro 2008
Yeah, the Netherlands looks good this year–it was painful to see Sweden lose right at the end against Spain last night. But with Portugal, Croatia and the Netherlands all playing strong there’s no one dominant team. The only problem is I’m drinking too much beer….
RE: Mad Cow Madness
I was walking through City Hall station yesterday afternoon and passed three three high school students holding up Krazy Kow posters…they looked exhausted, anxious, directionless. There’s an article in Asia Times that describes the protests and to me underscores how pointless they are:
http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Korea/JF13Dg01.html
It looks like it will be another summer of discontent in Korea, a country that is better off than most of the nations on this planet….
Ah, yes, the mutually parasitic relationship between CNN and your nation’s ubiquitous and eternal presidential campaigns is something else indeed. I’d think a total blackout in that area, as well, would not be a bad idea.
http://livefooty.doctor-serv.com/
Number 5, if you can’t watch it on telly, you can see it here. Requires download of sopcast software, which is safe.
A little levity.
http://video.msn.com/?mkt=en-u.....;GT1=42003
These Star Wars geeks are something else.
Amazing picture of a tornado HERE.
A funny ad on Marmot’s Sponsored Links: http://weagookinmall.com
“Foreign person” mall sells (resells?) Ikea furniture to you foreigners “for better your life in Korea” [sic]. So, Bravo Your Life!
You foreigners can even contact them, I think: “When it writes the writing from here and the consultation unit field reply does as a favor with directness E-Mail.”
A funny ad on Marmot’s Sponsored Links: http://weagookinmall.com
“Foreign person” mall sells (resells?) Ikea furniture to you foreigners “for better your life in Korea” [sic]. So, Bravo Your Life!
You foreigners can even contact them, I think: “When it writes the writing from here and the consultation unit field reply does as a favor with directness E-Mail.” http://weagookinmall.com/board/custom_input.php
June 16th, 2008 at 10:16 am Jee: 68
Dear Sonagi,
I had a look at the NYT and NPR articles. There is nothing new or of relevance to the issue of importing US beef. Any stories contrasting US beef with Japan’s or Europe’s are irrelevant in the context of Korea. Stories about killer tomatoes and spinach are likewise irrelevant since the issue is beef.
so anything, anybody and any articles or researches not helping to sell US beef, regardless of where the source of origin is, are all irrelevant? I insist that anything supporting Koreans to judge, compare and choose produce that eventually makes them pay their money is relevant’. so how other countries handle the same issus and even the spinach or tomato cases which paralyze the whole nation can be good examples of understanding US foods chain. how the country which cannot control its own foods chain can handle the international foods export? Isn’t it certainly we can think about as a person who is paying for it?
US beef meets Korean safety standards. Korea’s testing for BSE is even less than the US, so arguments about the safety of US beef fall flat.
this is really dissapointing part. So, sounds like that you guys do not mind applying different standards to different countries? where has you guys public morality gone?
One of the great things about America, Jee, is consumer choice.
You missed something very important here. it is your country want to sell your produce and we are your customers. and we want to buy only certain things from you by paying our money. what kind of salesman is forcing and threatening their client? the salesman seems to need special education about sales.
we want your ‘beef of less 30 month old without bones’ and we want to stop if you fail to meet our condition. that is what we are saying. please give your customers some choice. what do you think?
You can’t find what you don’t test
Exactly! that is what Koreans have been talking about. you guys are not testing enough because you guys do not want to find it.
If you and other Koreans really want to eat healthy, you should avoid both US beef and Korean beef and eat Australian beef instead. Australian beef is grass-fed, so its nutritional profile is superior.
as I mentioned earlier, it is you guys try to sell your beef and we are not interested in selling Korean beef in America.
What kind of nation ignores the ultimate sacrifices of its military, who died defending the country?
(hey, don’t copy me. it is copyrighted
Is your country always to open all the military incidents? we barely reach those information but have heard that there were soldiers died but true that normal people do not know much about it and neither names of the Korean navy who died then. i believe that it might be related to some kind of military policy not to publicize considering the current N/S.Korea situation. so it is something i cannot say anything about.
however, i send big thanks and pray for the soul of the American sailers.
btw, I would like to ask you if you know name of the south Korean soldiers who died in Vietnam and afghanistan? have you ever thought about the families of them who bravely died for defending your oil? how are you guys and US government honoring them?
About the school girls, I again want you to be very careful to talk about it as I believe you just mention without thinking much. the reason Korean people are more upset about is the US handling the insident afterwards rather than the actual death. It is natural to reconsider something wrong to fix but nothing has been changed much. the main issue that Koreans bring up is to up-to-date the current punishment regulation which was made more than 50 years ago. your comparison this incident to the soldiers just makes me laugh… so irrelevant.
more and more i read your writing, i am more and more convinced how much you guys underestimate value of precious life. even when you are talking about the deads after eating spinach and tomato, you made comment like ‘that was old guys and young kids’ and ‘that was a little little proportion compared to the whole population’. the idea that small sacrifice is ok is very dangerous. the old guy could have been your grandfather, the little babies could have been your children or nieces.
that is certainly totally absolutely wrong. even one single life died from whatever reason, that should be considered very inportant. nothing can excuse it. all sort of problems these….’
well said.
@ 8
Enka is great. Very relaxing after a round of golf on a hot summer’s day and cooling off with a frothy cold mug of Asahi. BTW, who is “Nam Jin: and high voice “Na Hoon A?” Are they enka singers?
@ 13
“A big earthquake hit Japan.”
- Really? Sorry to hear about that. Is Pawi going to follow Korean tradition and throw a huge party to celebrate as a follow up for the Sichuan Earthquake celebration?
Wow, Pawi mixes with Hollywood heavy hitters? cool!
Closest Ive ever came is sharing a comment thread last week with someone who purported to move in New York literary circles.
Well said? heh…where to begin….
Not going to quote as it will turn into much too long of a post but it will follow the general flow of 45
- The comparisons/contrasts with other countries may or may not be relevant. It all depends on how the argument is made and the basis for such comp/cont is valid. Using the 20 month age limit in Japan, for example, is not valid as it does not take into account the standards placed on the domestic industry. Using the EU is equally disingenuous as the basis for those bans have nothing to do with BSE. The issue with tomatoes can show how serious/not serious the regulatory bodies are about food safety. Make your own conclusions.
- It is actually not the US applying different standards to different countries, it is the US following the domestic standards relative to its’ exports. US meat is US meat - it either meets or it does not meet the standards set by the importing country.
- If Korea, as an exporting nation, really wants to set up a trade scheme where a country can arbitrarily set “safety” standards that are against international standards and higher than those of the domestic industry…well…good luck with that.
- The consumer choice argument is a load of crap. If the product is banned, where is the choice? Where is the choice for those that want to buy it? The actions of the protests are not to increase consumer choice but to limit it. Using “we” is also a pretty pathetic generalization.
- No salesman is threatening the client. It is actually the client threatening the salesman. Nobody is forcing the importer to import it nor the purchaser to purchase it.
- Korea is not interested in selling beef to America for other reasons. Furthermore, Korean beef would not meet America’s domestic safety standards in its’ present state.
- the testing is being done in accordance to international standards. The false conclusion being presented that they don’t want to find it has no logical basis. If you stick with that assessment, however, could the same standards not be applied to the Korean beef industry? It is not done because they are scared of what they will find?
- the hypocrisy surrounding the events of 2002 are astounding. The names were published but the (pinko) government did not make an issue out of it despite it being a deliberate act.
Comparing that to the soldiers who gave their lives in other willing combat situations is not really valid.
- the USFK handled the whole incident regarding the two girls in accordance with Korean laws and standard practices with regards to traffic deaths. That the media chose not to report those details to the public is the issue. If you are referring to the SOFA, perhaps you should actually read the document and compare it with SOFA’s that Korea has with other countries and the results of accidental deaths by the hands of Korean soldiers overseas.
- there is inherent risk in absolutely every activity that you do every second of your life. Nobody is downplaying the significance of life at all or making excuses for it. It is just the world that we live in.