Monster Island (actually a peninsula)*

Pearls of witticism from 'Bo the Blogger: Kushibo's Korea blog... Kushibo-e Kibun... Now with Less kimchi, more nunchi. Random thoughts and commentary (and indiscernibly opaque humor) about selected social, political, economic, and health-related issues of the day affecting "foreans," Koreans, Korea and East Asia, along with the US, especially Hawaii, Orange County and the rest of California, plus anything else that is deemed worthy of discussion. Forza Corea!

Wednesday, October 14, 2009

Korea news links for October 14, 2009

Things have quieted down a bit in relation to the surprise launch of five missiles by North Korea, especially with attention focused on the inter-Korea talks Pyongyang has agreed to in Kaesŏng, just a bit north of the DMZ. We'll have to see what comes of the one-day talks, so be sure to check out tomorrow's KNL post.

Seoul says Pyongyang agrees to wide-ranging talks covering issues ranging from continued family reunions to cross-border flooding along Imjin River (BBC, Yonhap, WSJ, AFP, Korea Times, Joongang Daily)
ROK government reports says North Korea may launch more missiles ahead of talks (Reuters via NYT, Bloomberg, Chosun Ilbo)
China's Foreign Ministry says North Korean missile launch won't damage thaw (Reuters)
Education Ministry report says physical condition of South Korean students is worsening (Yonhap)
Sixty-seven-year-old woman is South Korea's fifteenth H1N1 "swine flu" death (Yonhap)
The son of Reverend Billy Graham visits North Korea to deliver food aid (AP via WaPo)
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton says Washington has no intention of relaxing North Korean sanctions (AFP)
World Bank predicts 4% growth for Korea next year (Yonhap)
ROK Navy says it will deploy six mini-Aegis destroyers, starting in 2019 (Korea Times), Chosun Ilbo)
Unification leader Moon Sun Myung will perform mass wedding of 40,000 people (AP via WaPo)
Rechargeable batteries and petrochemicals lead LG Chem to a record high $624 million in third quarter of 2009 (Korea Times)
Buddhist clergy from South Korea's Chogye order and representatives of the DPRK's Central Committee of the Buddhist Federation jointly hold mass pray-in for unification at North Korea's Kŭmgangsan resort (Xinhua)
North Korean soccer team draws against Congo, 0-0, a week after drawing against France (USA Today)
Singapore authorities apprehend rogue proofreader responsible for thousands of 'Engrish' clothing items; says police chief: "We've been close to arrest ever since Too Drunk To Fuck" (The Straits Times)

2 comments:

SUPER EAGLEWednesday, October 14, 2009 3:00:00 PM
i'm down with 'too drunk to fuck' t-shirts... it makes it seem like non-english speakers LOVE the dead kennedys
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kushiboWednesday, October 14, 2009 3:05:00 PM
Just so everyone is clear what we're talking about, you can find the "Too Drunk To Fuck" t-shirt right here, modeled by someone who really, really, really, really should not be wearing it.
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Ask Kushibo.

My Google/Blogspot data shows that a lot of the 2 million people who have landed on my site (yes, that's the real number) are looking for cultural information on Korea (e.g., “When did Syngman Rhee die?” “What did the Indians bring to the first Chusŏk?’ etc., etc.), as well as practical or historical stuff.

That got me thinking that, hey, I have a master’s degree in Korean studies and a minor in Japanese studies, I’ve lived in Seoul far longer than most foreans my age (whether they're kyopo or non-kyopo), I teach introductory courses on Korea and its cultural trappings and history, so why not offer a free service where I attempt to answer people’s questions, point them in the direction of where they can get them answered, and/or offer my regulars (that’s you!) a chance to take a stab at some of this stuff, too.

So if there’s something you’d like to know from a “contrarian scourge,” click on ASK KUSHIBO and just ask a succinct question in the comments section below.

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九十五大怪獣란? 쿠시보의 몬스터 아일랜드란?

Pearls of witticism from 'Bo the Blogger: Kushibo's Korea blog... Kushibo-e Kibun...
Now with Less kimchi, more nunchi. Random thoughts and commentary (and indiscernibly opaque humor) about selected social, political, economic, and health-related issues of the day affecting "foreans" ("foreigners" in Korea be they kyopo or non-kyopo), Koreans, Korea and East Asia, along with the US, especially Hawaii, Orange County, and the rest of California, plus anything else that is deemed worthy of discussion. Forza Corea!

* Monster Island (actually a peninsula)

The name of this blog comes from a line in "Lisa on Ice," a beloved episode of The Simpsons, perhaps my all-time favorite television show (even though for several seasons there, it really did suck). Lisa is imagining being sworn in as president, but at the last minute, it is discovered that she failed P.E. (physical education) and she is thus "sentenced to a lifetime of horror" on Monster Island. "Don't worry," the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court confides in her, "It's just a name."

Fast forward to Lisa and other prisoners running in panic through a tropical jungle, chased by Godzilla-like creatures, including a monster turtle and a monster firefly.

"He said it was just a name!" Lisa screams to the man next to her. While he, too, runs for his life, the unidentified man calmly says, "What he meant is that Monster Island is actually a peninsula."

Anyway, I thought in some ways that punchline summed up modern-day Korea in a nutshell. For many people—foreigners and Koreans—the ups and downs and everyday travails of the Republic of Korea make it as precarious as a Monster Island would be (and with the DMZ being the only land border, it really is like an island). But it actually is a peninsula. Okay, it made sense in my head.

So as you can see, despite the hits I get from people looking for Japanese tentacle porn, it has nothing to do with anything salacious as that.