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!

Sunday, March 14, 2010

Loose change for March 14, 2010 (Part 2)

Economic news

The Samsung Economic Research Institute (SERI) estimates that the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics earned the city direct and indirect benefits totaling some $18 billion, which is all the more reason for Pyongchang to go ahead with its hosting plans.
Win an LED TV from Renault Samsung!

North Korea news and stuff

Michael O'Hanlon of the Brookings Institution says that the US should rethink handing over wartime control of the ROK military in order to better counter the threat from North Korea.

Other Korea-related stuff

Donald Kirk of the Christian Science Monitor gives his take on KAIST's wireless electronic vehicles, which can be driven to room salons.
Enjoy Korean food without knowing it! That noise you hear is TheKorean screaming and pulling out his hair.
The 2002 Miss Korea known for brains as much as beauty is set to go to Miguk and get a doctorate in something.
Seoul needs more romantic storytelling to be an attractive city.
McDonald's says it will select a "player escort" to walk into the stadium during the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. No, not that kind of escort.

Americana and miscellany

Google Maps is adding a get-their-by-bike option for their directions. Bugs still being worked out.
Five must-have iPhone photo-editing apps.

2 comments:

John from DaejeonSunday, March 14, 2010 11:19:00 PM
Wow! Even a smart beauty can be subject to rejection and 26 times no less.

I also agree with what Matt said in the other posting. You probably have the most fair and balanced blog one can find in the K-blogosphere.
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Replies
RobertMonday, March 15, 2010 5:07:00 PM
Wow, where can I get my "by-bike" option? (Sorry!)
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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.

Oh, and play nice. Please don’t make me regret this.

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.