...and kicking.

Well all, I am about ready to leave training and head to Iraq. However, I really can't say much right now (for obvious reasons).

I guess I could tell you all that training in and of itself was pretty uneventful, busy, but nothing really exciting. It wasn't terribly difficult. It was just mainly check-the-block mobilization type stuff, that is, when they call up reservists they have to make sure they are all up to date on various blocks of instruction, weapons qualification, immunizations, etc. There was a bit more to it than that, but again... can't really say much. I did hit my targets just fine, and no one in my unit wrecked a Hummer. *smile*.

Anyhow, we are getting a few days pass to be with our families, after that- Iraq bound. I have missed my "Yeobo-ya" (spouse in Korean) very much this past month. Being away from her is by far the hardest part about this. I could go on about all that for awhile I guess, but I wouldn't want to get all soft and mushy here... it would get pretty f--king disgusting anyways.

Again... don't know how long it will be before I can blog again. But I will try.

Thanks to those that keep coming. I'm really sorry I don't have time to go through my comments, but thanks and likewise to all those that wished me well.

Take care!

...during the debate.

What he basically said was how can a commander in chief on one hand say he has respect and admiration for the service of America's soldiers and on the other hand say that the war in Iraq is a distraction.

That point seems lost on so many liberals.

Lately, since I am getting ready to deploy, I've heard this phrase (or something similiar) many times...

"Gee, that's too bad. Well... good luck and be careful. You know, I really don't think you should have to go, I don't agree with this war."

Well... THANKS FOR NOTHING! Whenever I hear things like that, it does annoy me... but I usually chalk it up to someone just being ignorant of what it is to be a soldier.

What are people thinking when they say something like this? What are they trying to say? "Gee... sorry you have to go, but just remember, I don't agree with what you are doing and any sacrifices you make are pretty much worthless in my eyes."

Whatever. Anyone who is reading this and is against the war, just take this bit of advice... if you know a soldier, the best thing you can say is, "Good luck" or "take care." Don't try to tell that person what you think of the war. It is just plain wrong.

Anyhow- I don't know if I'll be able to blog at all for a long time, I leave in a matter of days for training, but I will try to write something every once in awhile.

Take care all!

It's official, I'm getting deployed. More later...

...HAHAHA!

[link]

Yah... Fox news are the biased ones. This nonsense has gone far enough. CBS would do just about anything to smear the President and now this time the clowns were caught red-handed being idiots.

Now, by the time I saw the documents I already heard they may be fakes. However, it still struck me as to how obviously fake they were. When I saw them, the first thing that came to mind was... "Hey, that’s EXACTLY the same format as every military memo I've seen or written... ummm... wait a minute, these are supposed to be from the 70's?!"

CBS is desperately trying to defend their story now...

[link]

Read their lame defense if you like, or I could sum it up for you...

1) The documents COULD be real because OUR "experts" say so.

2) Even if they are fakes, a bunch of people told us that what was in them was true anyway, so we stand by our story.

WEAK.

In case anyone cares, at the time, you needed "50pts" of service in the reserves for a good year, here's Bush's, from Byron York-

[link]

Did Bush use his influence to get into the Guard? Probably... but so f---ing what? He wasn't running off to Canada and he didn't shoot himself in the foot. He stayed out of an unpopular war by joining the Guard... ooohh what a BAD man he was. Had he gone to the war, he would have been accused of killing babies or burning villages.

Sen. Kerry should have just remained silent on Vietnam. Bush may have "gotten out" of going to Vietnam, but Kerry possibly lied about what went on there, and as I said before...

[link]

Sen. Kerry's actions immediately after Vietnam reflect poorly on his character.

Dan Rather is done, finished... turn in your keys and clear out your desk, you can't play here anymore. Good riddance.

...and Chris Mathews can't take it.

This isn't really about Korea folks, but I couldn't help but blog about this one.

Here's the short version, as I don't have much time for blogging these days, and haven't blogged in sometime.

Chris Matthews of Hardball [link] has always come across to me as kind of an ass. People like him and Bill O'Reilly are just plain nasty. YES, I said it, can you believe it? A conservative that doesn't like the way O'Reilly brow beats, talks down to, and interrupts his guests. Those are the same debating tactics Chris Matthews and Michael Moore use. They are just really good at shouting down people and pushing their own views without really debating an issue. 

Anyhow... Chris Mathews was especially nasty with Michelle Malkin not long ago. She blogs about it on her site here... [link]. She was essentially talking about the charge that Sen. Kelly's wounds in Vietnam were "self-inflicted" (meaning shrapnel from his own weapon hurt him) NOT "he shot himself" as Chris Mathews was (and still does) accuse her of saying. There is a BIG difference.

So… Sen. Miller got on Chris’s show and gave him some of his own medicine. You can find the transcript here…

[link]

Michelle talks about it here… [link]

I was going to quote some of my favorite parts but I found myself quoting just about the entire segment when the senator was on.

Basically, Chris started brow beating the Senator and the Senator shot back (rightfully) with his own fire.

Now… TO BE FAIR… Chris WAS making a GOOD POINT! It’s a shame that when people like Chris and O’Reilly have good points to make they go and ruin it by shoving the point down people’s throats.

Chris was making the point that liberal democrats often attack conservatives by saying they want to “to starve little kids, they want to get rid of education, they want to kill the old people.” So, if it’s OK to attack Sen. Kerry by saying he wants to defend the US with spitballs then is it also OK for those liberal democrats to attack conservatives in the same fashion? Good point… too bad he ruined it by being an ass and pushing the Senator to a point where little real debate was possible.

Anyhow- Good job Sen. Miller! Chris Mathews really needed to be shut up at some point.

Seems that I have had somewhere on the order of a few thousand hits since the last time I blogged about a month ago.

To all of you that continue to read my site, thank you... to those that just floated here from links elsewhere, welcome.

So... onto the Korean news...

There really is none. My quick glance of the headlines and major topics of the past month in Korea include the US troop withdrawal, the death of Kim Sun-Il in Iraq, and Nicholas Cage marrying some 20 yr old Korean gal.

So, here they are in a nutshell...

US troop withdrawal- is actually happening and they are really, really, really serious this time. Hell, they might actually give back Yongsan sometime in the next 5-10 years for real this time.

Kim Sun-Il- everyone and anyone is getting blamed other than the terrorists or Kim Sun-Il himself. Truly, with much respect to the dead, the man KNEW THE RISKS and WAS MAKING MONEY! I think the current flavor is to blame the AP in some fashion. Regardless of whether or not there is some part the AP played in the tragedy by not getting the full word out fast enough it is still a very small part at best.

Nicholas Cage marries some young Korean gal- way to go Nick! Honestly and truly though... the guy just married a 20-yr old waitress in Cali; how long do you all think this will last? We all know overtime the stars in this gal's eyes will fade. Hell... at least she will be rich beyond anything she could have ever hoped for... one way or another.

Anyway- that’s it. I have been awfully busy now again lately since I finally found a job I can be proud of and make a career out of. I am now a purchaser for a manufacturer that does defense contracting. It's a great job all around and a growing company. I am very happy to be out of working in retail which was really just a way to keep the income flowing until I found what I wanted.

Things have been very busy at my reserve unit as well, loyal readers cross your fingers for me... ugly rumors of deployment abound.

...let me see, what can I say about this that hasn't been said already?

Well... before I get onto that, if you want the full details I suggest the Marmot

[link]

or

Rathbone

[link]

Here's the quick and dirty version...

Islamic extremist scumbags capture a South Korea in Iraq. Scumbags threaten to kill said South Korean unless the South Korean government pulls out of Iraq. South Korea refuses (good on you Roh!), citizen gets beheaded.

Anyhow- there is now talk that the US is somehow to blame because it didn't notify the South Koreans in time. That is utter nonsense and if you need me to explain the logic of why that is then I have to wonder how is it that you managed to turn on your computer.

There is also some talk that a business partner of the victim was attempting to negotiate with the kidnappers. That sounds really strange and I just don't know what to make of it.

So, onto what I was going to say-

It should be very clear to MANY Koreans now who the BAD GUYS are and who the GOOD GUYS are.

Now, I'm sure that there are going to be more than a few closet commies, college kids, idiots, or otherwise trying to somehow pin this on the US. I'm sure these people are going to try and say that the "freedom fighters" only beheaded an "innocent" Korean because they were lashing out against US Imperialism. I'm sure some Koreans would even go so far to say that the victim was a greedy mercenary working for the evil US and had it coming. I'm sure there are more than a few Koreans that will cover their ears and hum "Evil US" until they are blue in the face.

However, I do think now that many Koreans that were borderline are now going to be solidly behind the war effort. As sad as it is, I don't think the horror of what terrorists do really hit home with all Koreans, until now.

There are going to be many Koreans now that are going to say, "Gee, these guys don't care that Korean soldiers are there just to help." Many Koreans are going to say, "If these are the guys the US is trying to kill, then maybe the US is doing a good thing." Some Koreans might even say, "Hey, we should be helping the US kill these bastards!"

The terrorists have demonstrated to the world once again that their hatred has no bounds.

It was a terrible thing, a very terrible thing, and who is to blame? Roh? The US? The Korean firm the man worked for? No one is to blame except the people that held the knife, and I think any Korean can plainly see that now.

What is it about Korean Women that Western Men Like?

[link]

The Marmot,

[link]

and Rathbone

[link]

covered this completely already but I couldn't help myself...

What the hell are the people that wrote this article smoking?

Furthermore- why is it that they only manage to quote obvious foreign FOBs / newbies to Korea?

The article poses the question...

Why are American film stars into Korean women?

Well, actually I thought American film stars were into blondes with enormous (and obviously fake) boobs, but what the hell do I know?

Anyway... the article quoted a few expats with some half-ass explanations. Explanations that I must have heard about a billion times from people who have lived all of a week or less (or none) in Asia.

Kenny, an executive (liar) at a LA Koreatown broadcasting company, said in an interview with a Korean broadcaster that, “Korean women are submissive and kind. They are known to make breakfast, lunch and dinner for their husbands, help their husbands well, and raise children well."

24-year-old James Cecil, an American (just flown in from Alabama courtesy "Engrish Wunderand") living in Korea, said, “Even Korean women who are not though(t) of as pretty by Korean men can give a sense of mystery to Western men.” (Cecil attributed this brilliant insight to some psychology classes he took in community college.)

29-year-old English teacher (and aspiring space cadet) Mike Conforty said, “Korean women are gentle, feminine and quiet. I think Korean women are the prettiest of all East Asian women.”

25-year-old USFK soldier Blake Selesnew said, “American women are too materialistic, but Korean women aren’t. They seem less snobby.” (SGT Selesnew then paid for his bar tab, including $200 US for 'ladies drinks,' and left.)

Korea University English instructor Zane Ivy said, “Korean women are conservative. They are conscience of what people around them think, depend on their families and parents and are submissive.” (Ivy was later mobbed and beaten to death by a Korea University Woman's Right's group)

I am guessing they either didn't take the time to interview any foreigners married to a Korean woman or they did and figured... "well shit, THAT doesn't fit the racist slant we were going for, now how are we going to show that whitey only wants a Korean slave-girl?"

Anyone, myself included, who is married to a Korean woman can testify to this... any myth about "submissive" Asian women is total BS. In fact, I nearly burst out laughing when a coworker mentioned something to that effect about 2 weeks ago after I mentioned my wife is from Korea. There are cultural differences and differences in the manner in which they express themselves, I WILL concede to that, but mistake those traits as "submissive" at your peril.

Finally, who the hell wants a "submissive" GF/wife anyway? What kind of self-centered, insecure shmuck wants a slave rather than a companion and lover?

Anyhow- let me move on to another related topic...

I wish people would quit mentioning Woody Allen when it comes to famous Western / Korean couples, I mean Jesus, doesn't anyone remember the current Mrs. Allen was Woody's ex-lover's adopted daughter? Furthermore, what about the charges Mia Farrow brought against Woody that he fondled the other (their?) adopted daughter?

I believe that at worst he's a sick fucking pedophile that got away with his crime. At best, he's just a fucking jerk. Afterall, What kind of asshole bangs their lover's daughter?

If Woody wanted to get his 'woody' into a barely legal girl (Asian or otherwise) so badly he could have found plenty of others all over the world (that weren't adopted by his lover) that would have obliged him for a myriad of reaons.

Ahh the voices...

"But Polymath! He loves her!"

Bullshit... a man that's been divorced as many times as he has doesn't have a clue what love or commitment is.

I am not going to stop there either. What kind of daughter bangs her mom's boyfriend? Both Mr. And Mrs. Allen are self-centered jerks.

The whole thing is just plain fucked up. Mrs. Allen is actually the stepmother of her adopted siblings... WTF?

Anyhow, my point is this... Mr. and Mrs. Allen should be shamed for their relationship rather than lauded by the Chosun Ilbo as some kind of example of how western men dig Asian gals.

*sigh* I am going to bed. The wife's got her Driver's test tommorrow. Good luck sweetheart!

I apologize to the readers that I have for not updating my blog.

The big news in Korea right now is the US troop reduction. There are plans now to move some 12,000 US troops out of Korea.

Make no mistake, this has far more to do with the state of the alliance between the US and Korea than it does with the war in Iraq.

Sadly, I don't have the time to blog about it right now. I have found a new job recently. It is a management position for a major retail company and it's keeping me very busy. It doesn't pay as well as defense contracting but the hours are better. Furthermore, the hours are much better than the Army and it beats the shit out of teaching English in just about everyway *smile*. On top of that... I have a great deal of work to do at my reserve unit as well.

So, hold tight folks, and those of you in Korea, keep the faith!

Just about every another Korean blogger has this issue well-covered.

So... I will do what I normally do, I'll give a brief summary and then add my two-cents.

A few GIs and a KATUSA were hell-raising in Shinchon (where they shouldn't be anyway because it's off-limits).

Somehow- an altercation started between Koreans and Americans. Who started it? Who knows. A GI had a knife, a Korean's throat got cut- he wasn't killed.

I doubt we will ever know the full details of this story but my guess is both parties are guilty to some degree.

Some say the GI with the knife panicked and was trying to defend himself from a lynch mob. Others say the soldiers were dangerous criminals.

MY GUESS IS that AT LEAST one of the soldiers deserved to get his ass kicked, and then once that started happening- Koreans looking to rain justice down on Americans swarmed, and it went downhill from there.

The soldiers are completely fucked and I don't think there is any question they screwed up. They have caused the US a great deal of problems for being irresponsible at least, or criminal, at worst.

According to SOFA they are going to be thrown to the wolves. Regardless of whether or not any Koreans did ANYTHING, they won't be charged.

HOWEVER... I am really curious to hear from the KATUSA. What was he doing? Is he charged with anything? My prediction is though, we won't hear much in the Korean press about the KATUSA.

This crap is going to play out just like all other similiar incidents- there will be nothing in the way of objective reporting on the Korean side and even if they throw this kid(s) in jail for life it still won't placate the anti-US crowd.

US soldiers raising hell downtown, going nuts, acting stupid, and weilding knives are wrong. Lynch mobs of "concerned citizens" (20 something drunken anti-US college kids) are also wrong. Biased reporting is wrong too. There are many things I miss about Korea, these are a few things I don't miss.

I found this when reading the comments section over at the Marmot's site...

[link]

Taxi driver's rape conviction overturned

[link]

"The appeals court ruled that the woman had shown no evidence of having refused the man's advances, and that he used "not enough violence to constitute rape.""

This is bullshit. Korea has a long way to go as far as women's rights are concerned. The fact that this particular case involves a Korean man and an American women means little. Had the woman been Korean the result would have been more or less the same. Needless to say, if a Taxi cab driving can get away with raping a customer 30 years his junior... things like "date rape" or "acquintance rape" are, for the most part, alien concepts in Korea.

"I was too scared to fight" and "I said 'no' many times but he wouldn't stop" translate to "she must have wanted it because she didn't cry / kick / scream / kill herself in shame" in Korea.

Fucking wrong.

My wife sent me this cute email today which she recieved from a friend here in the states. Normally, I consider spam / mass emails / chain letters the work of either the Devil, Communists, Muslim extremists, Aliens, Liberals, Democrats, pornographers, or otherwise perverse individuals, *wink*... but I'll make an exception here because it's funny... enjoy!

POSITION:
Mother, Mom, Mama, Mommy, Ma

JOB DESCRIPTION:
Long term, team players needed, for challenging permanent work in an, often chaotic environment. Candidates must possess excellent communication and organizational skills and be willing to work variable hours, which will include evenings and weekends and frequent 24 hour shifts on call. Some overnight travel required, including trips to primitive camping sites on rainy weekends and endless sports tournaments in far away cities. Travel expenses not reimbursed. Extensive courier duties also required.


RESPONSIBILITIES:
The rest of your life. Must be willing to be hated, at least temporarily, until someone needs $5. Must be willing to bite tongue repeatedly. Also, must possess the physical stamina of a pack mule and be able to go from zero to 60 mph in three seconds flat in case, this time, the screams from the backyard are not someone just crying wolf. Must be willing to face stimulating technical challenges, such as small gadget repair, mysteriously sluggish toilets and stuck zippers. Must screen phone calls, maintain calendars and coordinate production of multiple homework projects. Must have ability to plan and organize social gatherings for clients of all ages and mental outlooks. Must be willing to be indispensable one minute, an embarrassment the next. Must handle assembly and product safety testing of a half million cheap, plastic toys, and battery operated devices. Must always hope for the best but be prepared for the worst. Must assume final, complete accountability for the quality of the end product. Responsibilities also include floor maintenance and janitorial work throughout the facility.

POSSIBILITY FOR ADVANCEMENT & PROMOTION:
Virtually none. Your job is to remain in the same position for years, without complaining, constantly retraining and updating your skills, so that those in your charge can ultimately surpass you.

PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE:
None required unfortunately. On-the-job training offered on a continually exhausting basis.

WAGES AND COMPENSATION:
Get this! You pay them! Offering frequent raises and bonuses. A balloon payment is due when they turn 18 because of the assumption that college will help them become financially independent. When you die, you give them whatever is left. The oddest thing about this reverse-salary scheme is that you actually enjoy it and wish you could only do more.

BENEFITS:
While no health or dental insurance, no pension, no tuition reimbursement, no paid holidays and no stock options are offered; this job supplies limitless opportunities for personal growth and free hugs for life if you play your cards right.

...shifting from Korea to Iraq.

For the scoop on this check out Marmot

[link]

or Rathbone...

[link]

Now for my thoughts...

The fact that they came straight out and said, "we are moving troops from Korea to Iraq" is significant. I didn't think it would happen like this. I wouldn't have been surprised if they said that they were simply downsizing or moving troops out of Korea (as they have been saying).

This is a clear message to the Korean government...

"We have a war to fight and if you guys aren't going to help us then expect less and less help from us."

Honestly, I am glad the US government has decided to take our soldiers out of a place they are unwelcome and help to relieve units in Iraq.

However, I am worried about the future of the US-ROK alliance, I am worried about Korea's future in general, and I am worried about my extended family in Korea.

I wonder how many immigrants my wife and I can sponsor if things get real bad.

I was listening to some morning show yesterday. The host and hostess were talking about how Pamela Anderson had just become a US citizen, apparently she's Canadian.

They went over some of the questions from the citizen test-
[link]

I don't remember them mentioning how Pam did, but obviously she passed.

Anyway, the hostess asked the host the ten questions from the test, and it turns out the host was shockingly stupid.

What do the stars on the flag mean?
Him- Freedom
No, shmuck, they stand for the states.

What do the stripes on the flag mean?
Him- Bravery.
Wrong again idiot, they stand for the 13 original colonies.

What country did we fight during the Revolutionary War?
Him- France.
Fool. France actually helped back then. During the 1700's, France, as a nation, had a pair.

What is even funnier about that question was that he correctly answered that we won our independence from Britain in a question just prior.

Man, it's no wonder there are so many damn people that don't know that Korea is still separated and if they do, they can't tell you who is the scumbag commies and who makes Hyundai�s (among other things).

What the fuck did these clowns do in grade school? Eat paste? Jesus, I'm pretty confident *I* did my fair share of paste eating, breaking crayons, etc. in grade School and I still could have told you at the end of 6th grade (and probably before that) that there is a North and South Korea. I most certainly could have told you that the stripes on the flag stand for the thirteen original colonies. God good... I remember that from some song we had to repeat like a mantra about the states...

*cue cheesy music, 3rd grade music teacher starts waving that stupid conductors stick for a room full of children*

"...shout 'em, scout 'em, tell all about 'em... 50 states from thirteen original colonies..."

...something like that.

Goddammit.

Anyhow- I know I have been really neglecting this blog these days, sorry. I am actually still getting hits apparently so I REALLY need to mention this...

Roh's impeachment is over. The Constitutional Court essentially said, �Yah, he broke the law, but he didn�t break it THAT bad, so he�s back.�

Oh well� can�t say I�m happy about it but at least the PROCESS WORKED. As I said in this blog- [link]

�Finally, is this going to cause trouble? YES. Can Korea live with it? YES. Is Korea better off without Roh? YES. Can you say that the opposition party isn't exactly the best sort? YES, however, they LEGALLY voted to impeach Roh... there aren't any tanks rolling around anywhere.�

The process worked. Korea didn�t descend into utter chaos, the Norks didn�t attack, the entire country didn�t go up in flames, and the trains were still on time. That in itself says a great deal.

Read more about this at Marmot

[link]

and Ruminations...

[link]

...in Ryongchon.

OK, I would really be remiss in my duties as a Korea blogger if I didn't at least mention this...

The Norks had a big train wreck near the Chinese border. The trains were carrying something explosive and blew up, naturally doing a lot of damage.

That is about the extent of the "facts." Furthermore, when I say "facts," I use the term loosely because the only things we in the outside world can rely on for facts about the Norks are...

1) Satellite photos.

2) Reports from aid workers that the Norks allow to get out.

So, that being said, any theories about any kind of conspiracy are bullshit IMHO. So what if KJI passed through the same station earlier? It�s on the Chinese border. Just because the Norks are sneaky commies doesn�t mean everything they do is sneaky� this one may have just been plain stupid.

Anyhow, follow this link for news...

[link]

Also, be sure and check out the other Korea bloggers on the left as they most assuredly have a bunch of stuff written about this.

...I rented it from the local Blockbuster. I was happy to find a Korean movie in the foreign films section, sadly, it was the only one.

Anyhow- Shiri wasn't bad. It was a bit predictable, though.

Having watched countless hours of Korean soap operas with my wife, I've noticed overtime that Korean movies / programs have a tendency to do the love tragedy thing.

So... in the first few seconds, you find out that the baddy is a female NK SOF agent. Then, in the first few mintues, you find out that the hero, a SK counter-intelligence agent, has a fiancee. DUH. The baddy is the fiancee.

I said this outloud and my wife said, "Geeez... can't you ever just sit and enjoy a movie? I am glad I already saw this." Hehe... oh well.

What else... well what the hell was it with the "it-looks-like-water bomb?" Why not just make it an assload of plastique? Actually, I did make an incorrect prediction concerning the bomb later on. I thought that maybe the girl was hiding some of the bombs in her fish tanks, silly me.

Oh yah, after the NK male agent finished his rant about how North Korean children are starving and South Korean children have everything, I kinda wished the hero turned around and said, "that's because you are stupid, xenophobic, deluded commies being led by a madman who is your REAL enemy"... but no such luck, big surprise there. However, in the begining of the film, they did portray the Norks rightfully as the ruthless, inhumane loons that they are.

Anyhow- the movie made up for these shortcomings because it had explosions, guns, and commies dying. It was a pretty good action movie overall and it was nice to watch something in Korean with the wife.