The ridiculous ramblings of Rush

Rush Limbaugh speaking last week saying that the Democrats wanted the U.S. to lose in Iraq.

Rush said: "Ladies and Gentlemen of the United States, the Democrat Party has actively not just sought the failure of Republican presidents and policies, and now wars for the first time... The democrat party doesn't stop at failure. Talk to Robert Bork, talk to Judge Clarence Thomas, they try to destroy lives, reputations and character."

Jimmy Kimmel: The George Bush Comedy Tour

The annual whine of the Chinese government

The recent release of the U.S. State Department's report on global human rights called China's respect for rights not just "poor," but worsening in its persecution of ethnic minorities and dissidents.

And, right on cue, through state controlled media, the Chinese elicited the standard whine.

"The report turned a blind eye to the efforts and historic achievements China has made in human rights that have been widely recognized by the international community," said Xinhua News agency.

The gall of the Chinese government is always a sight to behold. This after it spent the weeks preceding U.S. Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton's visit, rounding up and/or running surveillance on Chinese human rights and democracy advocates within its borders.

The U.S. report also stated that as many as 1,100 Tibetans had disappeared after last years protests and their whereabouts are still unknown. This includes one "highly revered" Tibetan Buddhist leader, as well as two men who had produced a film documentary about Tibetan views of the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics.

The caustic response Thursday by China was nearly the same as its reaction to the human rights assessment delivered by the Bush administration a year ago. Xinhua's five-paragraph statement repeated, sometimes word for word, its 2008 response to the American human right's report.

"The U.S. practice of throwing stones at others while living in a glass house is a testimony to the double standards and hypocrisy of the United States in dealing with human rights issues and has undermined its international image."

While America is by no means perfect, it is a millennium ahead of China concerning the most basic human rights. From the right to choose leaders, to visiting the website of your choice. Even this one --which is still blocked in China.

I agree that China is making changes and those changes should be recognized. But when evidence of abuse comes out, it is a PR folly every time the Chinese government tries to pretend as if none of it were true.

Korea's curious world of senior citizen sex and prostitutes

There's an interesting article in today's Korea Times about some geriatric-gettin'-it-on. I can't resist the alliteration, because the tawdry tale of tarts and tomcats is of the remunerative variety rather than the romantic.

Though you might call it a recession resistant romance revenue review. And so it goes.

At Jongmyo Park in downtown Seoul, retired men gather to enjoy traditional Korean boardgames, smoke cigarettes, converse with friends ---and take in the occasional middle-aged prostitute.

Around 1 p.m., several neatly dressed females seemingly in their 40s or 50s emerged around the park. However, they didn't join in the activities, instead, they kept staring at the crowd as if waiting for their husbands.

"They are prostitutes,'' said a cobbler working in front of the park. "The number reaches its highest around 3 p.m. Among them are ethnic Koreans from China.'' Noting that at least 25,000-30,000 won ($16.5-20) is needed for a one-time session, he said, "In many cases, men ask for sex first, but the opposite also occurs.''

For Seoul's Silver-haired-Cyrano's, there are even park peddlers selling Viagra. If more traditional Korean stimulants are your thing, try the dried snake parts to enhance the experience of your passion purchase. A guy is selling those, too.

This is not a local phenomena. According to authorities similar prostitute parks for the elderly can be found in many of Korea's cities. Citizen groups have filed protests asking police to get involved.

But, why mess with a good thing?

In a survey of 153 retired men around Jongmyo, 25.2 percent said their regular sex partners were prostitutes around the park. Only three respondents were having sex with their wife on a regular basis. Hopefully the wife is out enjoying herself a middle-aged man, too.

For what it's worth: The Obama administration has promised to put more money into Medicare and other programs to assist America's elderly, but the president's plan is not nearly as comprehensive as this.

It's a shame, too.

I couldn't find statistics on senior sex in Korea, but a U.S. study said 85 percent of Americans over 60 have some sort of intimate experience once a week, including kissing or intercourse. "Kissing" is a fairly broad interpretation of "intimate experience," but whatever the number, if some have to go through the kid's inheritance to make it happen, so be it.

In my early 20's I worked at an old folks home mopping floors for a month. They were a friendly bunch --openly flirting with each other and sometimes me. There was one woman that used to walk around saying "kiss me, kiss me please." Granted, she was a little short on the sanity stick, but there's the point.

Let the geezers graze. (Sorry, there had to be one more bad alliteration.)

Republicans parade the black and brown to heal their black and blue

It was patronizing enough when the Republicans appointed an African American as the new chairman of the national party, but when rolling out Indian (as in India) American, Bobby Jindal, to deliver the Republican rebuttal to the State of the Union, one gets the impression of a party grasping for whatever piece of the limelight it can stop from shining so brightly on Obama.

This is your Republican Party.

Jindal, who currently presides as Louisiana's governor and was recently anointed by Rush Limbaugh as "the next Ronald Reagan," is the polar opposite of not only Obama, but also with Reagan himself. Reagan, like Obama, was a man of platitudes over policy. Both men masters at projecting the right image at the right time.

Jindal is much more like Bill Clinton --a policy wonk, who revels in the details of government, rather than the big picture. In other words, like Bill Clinton, he is a geek.

As Michael Gerson wrote in the Washington Post:

"While Clintonian in manner, knowledge and political sophistication, Jindal is not ideologically malleable. His high-pressure Asian-immigrant background has clearly taught him not to blend in but to stand out. He has tended to join small, beleaguered minorities -- such as the College Republicans at Brown University. He converted to a traditionalist Catholicism, in a nation where anti-Catholicism has been called "the last acceptable prejudice." Jindal, sometimes accused of excessive assimilation, has actually shown a restless, countercultural, intellectual independence."

Independent indeed. Recently he refused to accept federal assistance for unemployment insurance since it would require his state to offer more unemployment benefits to his constituents. Aside of being a clever political adversary, Jindal is the embodiment of a "by the bootstraps" Republican.

The problem is that Jindal often comes off as the odd kid out in school. The one who stands out just to stand out, which can distract from other honing in on what he stands for.

It will be interesting to see how voters respond to the new faces of the Republican party. To be sure, they will win a few more votes come mid-terms. And who knows, there could be a Palin-Jindal ticket down the road. Or vice-versa.

Is Obama spreading America too thin?

Watching Obama deliver the State of the Union I was struck by the enormous task on his plate. The task, not one in particular, but a multitude of "solutions" to the multitude of problems. Job creation, alternative energy, education, health care, bank and automotive industry bailouts and fighting an unpopular war on two fronts.

As the President said a few days ago, "We cannot successfully address any of our problems without addressing all of them."

But, is it possible that he might be spread our resources too thin? I realize that in dire times, when so many things are going wrong, logic seems to dictate that we must come out swinging and take our best shot at each and every one of them. Yet, history shows that this is not always the best approach.

I am reminded of the Asian tiger economies. They were beset with a more daunting task than our own. Unlike the U.S., they were not seeking to pull themselves out of a hole they themselves created, they were trying to get out of a whole they had always been in since colonial times. They were set not with this task of rebuilding, but of actually building. In response they chose a few industries and focused their energy solely on those.

The South Koreans come immediately to mind. A country that just a few decades ago had a GDP on par with sub Saharan Africa. They picked their spots wisely --one of them being automobiles. It was not an easy road, if you'll pardon the pun. The first Korean cars to arrive on American shores were riddled with problems. I remember riding in my friends Sonata as the rain dripped down onto my leg through the windshield.

But the Koreans stayed focused, and now their cars enjoy booming sales the world over. More than 700,000 last year in the U.S. alone.

Is this more narrowed perspective something America should employ as well? Picking what we are good at --or should I say, once good at-- and plying all of our energy behind those industries? Cars are only one example. As Obama said in his speech. "The nation that invented the automobile cannot walk away from it."

He spoke about health care, energy, education, the financial system, the exportation of jobs, law enforcement, mortgage relief and on and on...

And while this broad based approach sounds inspiring, I just wonder if throwing so many different proposals against the wall and seeing which of them sticks is not another of America's short term fixes to what have over the past twenty years proven to be long term problems.

And, by the way. A German named Benz had the first gas powered vehicle patent.

The Week We View - Feb. 23rd

>The NAACP wants the New York Post to fire the editor and the cartoonist responsible for this week's controversial cartoon that they say likens President Barack Obama to a monkey being shot by police. In a related story animal rights activists are also calling on the paper to fire the pair, saying that it is a grave insult to suggest that a higher primate would be stupid enough to run for office.

>While on a diplomatic tour of Asia, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton took a notably softer tone against China on issues such a human rights, Tibet and Taiwan. Clinton said, "Until Chinese democracy activists, the Tibetans or the Taiwanese can afford to finance our huge national debt, we can't consider them viable players on the world scene."

>In a related story, more than a dozen Chinese dissidents were questioned, followed or detained during Hillary's visit to Beijing. I am sure the Chinese were simply helping the dissidents to avoid the large crowds.

>M.I.A., the rapper who created a buzz for her pregnant performance at the Grammy Awards, is up for an Oscar for her song on the Slumdog Millionaire soundtrack. After taking a brief run through a few of her You Tube clips, I am convinced that she should not have been allowed to reproduce. How are these for treasured maternal mantras? "All I wanna do is, bang bang bang and take your money." Or the utterly appealing, "I Get high like planes."

>More encouraging news from the Hip Hop world this week as a photo of a Chris Brown-battered Rihanna was leaked to the press. Even more bizarre was the reaction of the performer's fathers. Rihanna's dad expressed anger over "sloppy" police work by the LAPD for letting the photo get out, and Brown's father, when asked how he felt about his son, responded, "As a father, I couldn't be more proud … He's the light of my life." I am starting to rethink the tough love approach of Joseph Jackson. At least none of his kids were arrested for battery.

>Former Clinton family pet "Socks" the cat lost its battle with cancer and died at 19-years-old this week. Unlike its owner, Bill Clinton, Socks apparently had only one life.

>The Chinese government launched a comprehensive sex education program last week. As part of the kick-off event they sponsored a national kissing contest. Next week they will teach the populace how to get to second base.

>Rush Limbaugh said this week --several times--that he wants Obama and the stimulus package to fail. Even right wing Christian preacher, Pat Robertson, denounced Rush. Robertson said: “That was a terrible thing to say. I mean, he’s the president of all the country. If he succeeds, the country succeeds. And if he doesn’t, it hurts us all. Anybody who would pull against our president is not exactly thinking rationally.” Check the temperatures in hell --for once I agree with Pat Robertson.

>DC council member and former Mayor, Marion Barry, recieved a kidney transplant this week. Doctors say he is not out of the woods yet, as Barry's people and hospital staff continue to scour the country for a brain donor.

>And finally, an environmental group in Australia says that successful efforts to clean up coastal waters is having the unexpected effect of increased shark attacks. Apparently the cleaner waters are attracting more sharks closer to shore. So, the next time you are shunned for tossing that empty Bud Light can into the drink, you can say with confidence that you are doing your part to help mankind.

From the mouths of babes

Have you seen this 12-year-old girl on You Tube arguing against abortion? She's pretty sharp, if not misinformed. She, of course, mentions God, "Their wonderful creator who knows them all by name."

Someone might want to tell das wunderkind that the number of natural miscarriages everyday far exceeds the number of abortions --thus making God the worst abortionist of them all. Stick with the normal cool-aid, kid.

Republican comedy. Who said conservatives can't be funny?

I would like to think that I do a fair job of walking the political center. Some issues I lean left, others I lean right and some I lean out the window and throw-up.

This is a clip from News Busters, a conservative comedy site whose stated mission is, "Exposing Liberal Media Bias." Whether you agree or disagree with what they have to say, they are very funny. And, I might add, a necessary fixture in the marketplace of ideas.

Outrage over Obama monkey cartoon

The New York Post has created a stir with a comic that critics say likens President Barack Obama to a monkey. The Post is owned by Rupert "I think a newspaper should be provocative" Murdoch --who also owns the right wing mouthpiece, FOX Network.


The "parody" is based on a story this week of a TV commercial chimp that put a 55-year old woman into critical condition before focusing its attack on a Connecticut police cruiser. The officers were left with no choice but to shoot the 200-pound animal.

Owner Sandra Herold, 70, initially tried to stop her rampaging pet, "Travis," by stabbing him with a butcher knife and hitting him with a shovel, but he fended off the attack before going after the police car.

Apparently Travis was on medication to treat Lyme disease. Whether the owner is making use of the same, "I was on medication" excuse of the drunk Japanese finance minister is up for debate. He ended up resigning and reports say he will not be shot.

As The Huffington Post's Sam Stein writes: The New York Post's cartoon, "at its most benign," merely suggests the stimulus bill was so bad that it could have been written by a monkey. At its worst, it's a racial swipe that compares the nation's first black president "to a rabid chimp."

"How could The Post let this cartoon pass as satire?" said Barbara Ciara, president of the National Association of Black Journalists. "To compare the nation's first African-American commander in chief to a dead chimpanzee is nothing short of racist drivel."

While I agree the cartoon walks a fine line between racism and humor, where were the complaints when former president, George W. Bush, was compared to a chimpanzee? There is even an entire website devoted to Bush/Chimp comparisons.


Or how about Bill Clinton of the Urban Jungle?

While it is great fodder for the Punditocracy, Americans are going to have to get used to the fact that Obama is no longer a black man (who is actually half white), he is simply "Mr. President."

In other words, open game.

That said, there are those times when the line is crossed. I won't post the photo, but here is a link to the depths of tastelessness from a conservative blogger. And then of course there is this depraved joke I heard several times when I was back home visiting Florida: "Did you hear that President Obama's first act will be to convert the White House Rose Garden into a watermelon patch?"

Oh well. Life goes on, so must we.

Korean court rules Mad Cow protesters were foolish

*This post has since been published in the Feb. 20th Korea Herald.

A South Korean court has dismissed a lawsuit filed in September against TV news magazine, PD Notebook, for igniting last year's massive protests by falsifying the threat of Mad Cow disease from American beef. Protests that saw hundreds of thousands of Koreans take to the streets for more than a month.

By relieving PD Notebook of liability, the court ruling implies that protesters --wearing cow costumes, wasting tons of wax in candlelight vigils, burning cars and in general, embarrassing the country-- were nothing more than a bunch of gullible fools. And slanderous at that.

One more time for the record: No one has ever contracted Mad Cow disease from American beef.

The collective suit was filed by 2,455 people, many of them Korean business owners demanding 2.45 billion won ($1.68 million) in compensation for damages caused by what they called an "inflammatory report."

The court papers had charged PD Notebook with the following distortions:

-Video footage of a “downer” cow (a cow afflicted with any of several disorders, but not Mad Cow) being sent to slaughter, was misrepresented as a "typical" case of an infected Mad Cow being killed for human consumption in America.

-The show featured an interview with an American mother whose daughter had died from unknown causes. In the PD Notebook translation, the women was misquoted in Korean as saying her daughter "probably" died from Mad Cow --a complete fabrication of the fact. An assistant producer would later confirm that this was an intentional distortion by senior producers.

-PD Notebook also made the extraordinary claim that 94% of Koreans have a specific gene that increases the likelihood of contracting Mad Cow disease. To back this up they quoted a Korean scientific report entirely out of context --even the scientist vehemently spoke out against the misuse of his findings. In response, protesters egged his house, calling him a traitor to his country

Once again: No one has ever contracted Mad Cow disease from American beef.

In a press release, even senior producers at PD Notebook acknowledged that, “there were errors in translation and exaggeration about the risk of mad cow disease."

Choi Gyo-il, a senior prosecutor in charge of the probe, said, "There are fifty-nine things that can cause animals to become downer cows, but ‘The Producer’s Notebook’ (PD Notebook) featured information about downer cows infected with mad cow disease, while ignoring all of the other reasons.”

Choi also added: “The Producer’s Notebook incorrectly argued that some of the ingredients in instant noodles, pharmaceuticals and cosmetics could lead people to become infected with mad cow disease."

So why is PD Notebook being let off the hook for blatant fabrications? Actually, they are not.

To their credit, the ruling court interpreted the lawsuit in very finite terms. The most basic question raised was this: Was PD Notebook's negligence reason enough to ignite hundreds of thousands of people to take to the streets for over a month? Or were the masses really that stupid?

The court has made it clear: The masses really were that stupid.

While the producers of PD Notebook should be banned to North Korea for life, they cannot shoulder all of the blame for the masses gone mad. There are and were countless other sources of information available to protesters.

Aside of information worldwide, even several Korean papers, such as the Chosun Ilbo, went to great lengths to convince people that there was no more danger of contracting mad cow than there was of being killed by Kim Chi.

And several Korean leaders took to the airwaves to calm fears --President Lee Myung-bak was quoted in the international press as saying he was "baffled" by the protests and a senior cabinet official had a televised-meal of American beef with his family .

All to no avail, as the world watched on, scratching its head in bemusement at the anger in the streets.

So, add another chapter to the ongoing tale of reactionism in Korea. From the time protesters picketed a movie theater in Seoul when James Bond's nemesis was a Korean, to farmers lighting themselves on fire to protest free trade, the examples are endless, and the next protest waiting right around the bend.

Perhaps this is a good opportunity for Koreans to step back and assess this national characteristic that they euphemistically refer to as "passion."

And for the final time: No one has ever contracted Mad Cow disease from American beef.

If you don't believe me, ask the South Koreans. Since the resumption of American beef imports, the dreaded American cow has been flying off the shelf and onto plates across Korea. Though there are numerous reports of parents telling their children that the beef is from Australia.

Girls kissing in bikinis: PETA is starting to look pathetic. Not that I'm complaining.

I am all for the cause. And if the folks at PETA want to help save some critters, then by all means go for it.

But what started as a clever PR strategy several years ago has devolved into silly antics that would make PT Barnum rethink his theory on the the birthrate of suckers.

Far be it from me to discourage women in bikinis from making out in public, but when I saw these women kissing each other, the only animal I was thinking about was me. Nothing even remotely about the four-legged and the furry. Oh, well. Carry on.

If they really want to draw attention to cruelty, get a couple of beer-bellied men out there in g-strings making out. That is truly cruel to the senses.

UAE's hapless ban of Israeli tennis player

The uniquely tennis way of scoring a zero as "love," isn't working out for Israeli player, Shahar Peer. The 48th ranked woman in the world is feeling no love from the United Arab Emirates. They denied her visa, effectively banning Peer from playing in the World Tennis Association's tournament in Dubai this week.

Sadly, the toothless WTA simply issued a statement calling it "regrettable." Tournaments in the Middle East have been a cash cow since they started in 2001. It is unlikely the WTA will grow a set of tennis balls so close to their wallet and pull their their sanction from the event --as they should.

Game, set and scratched. Peer.

I remember back in 1998 when the American wrestling team went to Iran. It was the first time any American had been there since the Shah's welcome fall and the equally unwelcome uprising. It was an awesome sight seeing those young American wrestlers greeted by Old Glory-waving Iranians.

They still go there to a warm reception.

Oddly, the UAE has for the last several years been selling itself to the world as the "New" Middle East. The business-development commercials run incessantly on international cable networks, with this Omar Shariff-styled older guy pitching the perfect standard of living. I would not be surprised if business interests soon intervene and sway the government to issue the visa.

No one is asking that they role out the red carpet for Shahar Peer when she arrives. Just toss her in a taxi and get her to the match. Geez.


Great pics of Dubai on La Route D'Eldorado

Don't worry. God and Chris Brown will work it all out

Chris Brown, is going through the motions. Motions that are as American as apple pie and enormous debt.

Brown is now member to the ever expanding group of public figures who over the years have been shunned for moronic behavior, and tried to rectify it by trotting out their friends and family for the press, shedding a few tears, and finding God.

And a good PR firm.

Brown, hired a public relations company that specializes in crisis management to issue a five-sentence statement of contrition in which he expressed regret, while claiming that many media and blog reports have been wrong about him. (Surely not mine)

"Words cannot begin to express how sorry and saddened I am over what transpired. I am seeking the counseling of my pastor, my mother and other loved ones and I am committed, with God's help, to emerging a better person."

The statement went on: "Much of what has been speculated or reported on blogs and/or reported in the media is wrong. While I would like to be able to talk about this more, until the legal issues are resolved, this is all I can say except that I have not written any messages or made any posts to Facebook, on blogs or any place else. Those posts or writings under my name are frauds."

It is not surprising that Brown hired someone to craft his apology. He doesn't write his own songs, I guess he can't be expected to write his own apologies.

What he (or his PR firm) neglects to say is, "I screwed up," or anything remotely close to an admission of wrongdoing. God could not be reached for comment.

I am curious though. Does this new deal he has with God mean that Chris Brown will stop singing songs that promote the degradation of women? Will he donate his sizable wealth to charity? Not likely.

As Hip Hop historian, Dave "Davey D" Cook wrote, this whole mess will fade all too soon from America’s short-term collective memory.

"Chris Brown is a hot commodity making money in a crumbling industry that celebrates abusive culture, i.e. pimping. He’ll be protected and held up to high esteem just like Ike Turner, Dr. Dre and Big Pun and numerous other artists and entertainers accused of domestic violence."

Do the crime, pay your fine, shed a few tears, find God and move on. True Americana.

The Week We View - Feb. 15th

>News of Britain's 13-year old father fascinated the entire world this week. In response, several parent groups have launched a class-action lawsuit against the birds and the bees.

>The Mayor of Mexico City, Marcelo Ebrard, has launched a program that distributes Viagra to men over sixty years old. With elections scheduled for July, I assume Ebrard is hoping to sway constituents with a pole before they go to the polls.

>On the subject of stimulus, Barack Obama got his 1100 page package for stimulus through --all $787 billion of it. The country is relieved not so much that money will start flowing into the economy, as much as the fact as we don't have to hear members of congress bragging about who has the better package anymore.

>The hits just keep on coming. Author and New York Times blogger, Judith Warner, wrote about her sexual fantasies involving Barack Obama and contends that the phenomena is common amongst women. Insert any punchline you wish using "stimulus" and "package." I am done with it.

>Thinking about killing your old boss, or maybe that kid back in high school who called you "pizza face?" According to the National Academy of Sciences, now is your chance --the nation's crime labs are riddled with shoddy scientific practices and in need of an upgrade. I was thinking of putting a hit on Manny Ramirez if he signs on with the Dodgers again.

>This week marked the 200th anniversary of the birth of Charles Darwin. Famed naturalist and documentary host David Attenborough has put together a TV special on the father of evolution. He recently told reporters that he has recieved reams of hate mail from Christians. Attenborough said: "I always reply by saying that I think of a little child in East Africa with a worm burrowing through his eyeball. The worm cannot live in any other way, except by burrowing through eyeballs. I find that hard to reconcile with the notion of a divine and benevolent creator."

>Archaeologist have determined that the mysterious jars of the Pueblo Indians in the South Western United States were used for drinking liquid chocolate. The final piece of the puzzle was found last week when scientists on a dig unearthed a flyer for Jenny Craig buried amongst the ruins.

>Muzzammil Hassan, a prominent businessman and member of the Muslim community in Buffalo, has been charged with beheading his wife. The irony is that Hassan was founder of Bridges TV, a station whose stated goal is to cast a positive light on Muslims in America.

>An Ohio transgender woman has pleaded guilty to reckless homicide for exercising her 73-year-old husband to death in a swimming pool. A surveilance video showed Christine Newton-John, 41, refusing to allow her husband out of the pool a total of forty-three times. Look for the anti-gay marriage folks to use this in their literature.

>And finally, the California mother who gave birth to octuplets to go along with her six other children has lost her PR firm after they recieved death threats from people angry that she used in vitro fertilization and recieves government aid. Anyone taking bets that some of those letters were from pro-lifers? One of the threats recieved by a woman at the PR firm: "They'd put me in the wood chipper and throw me in the bottom of the ocean and hope I die." Wood chipper? Dead giveaway. Had to be a redneck.

South Korea moves forward with plans for first nude beach

In a county where citizens risk jail time for cheating on their spouse and where only blind people are allowed to give a massage, it seems an odd idea to open a nude beach to attract foreign tourists. But the plans are in motion on popular domestic tourist destination, Jeju Island, where a recent sounding out of the public received positive feedback.

"If a nude beach is created in Jeju, it will become the first of its kind in Korea. It will boast openness comparable to famous ocean resorts in Europe and Australia," said Lee Jong-man, Chief of the Marine Affairs and Fisheries Bureau of the Jeju Provincial Government.

I will leave the joke about nude sunbathers and "marine affairs" alone --as tempting as it is. And far be it from me to discourage the Korean desire to host foreigners at beach-side Kim Chi parties in the buff.

But not all reactions to the idea of foreigners frolicking nude on Korean shores are positive. "I am sure it will attract foreigners and congregate curiosity. But I am not sure whether Korea is ready for it. It won't modernize Korea, nor make it an open place,'' said Jon Huer, a sociology professor at UMUC-Asia.

Whether the bare will bear new profits for Korea's struggling tourism industry remains to be seen. (Or gawked at, rather) But credit must given to the Koreans and their creative attempt to attract foreign dollars to a country that has found it difficult to do so in the past. While travel accounts for 10.5 percent of GDP in China and 8.9 percent in Japan, tourism accounts for only 4 percent of Korea's GDP.

It is not the first time that a local government in Korea sought to open a nude beach. Local officials in Gangwon Province tried, but had to drop the plan due to negative public reaction. Jeju Island, which is known for being more liberal than much of Korea, could sidestep such obstacles.

I personally hope it doesn't become a reality too quickly. I need to lose a few pounds first.

Korea Times cartoonist goes too far. Again

Someone should really pull the editors of the Korea Times aside and give them a good thrashing. How they can run an editorial cartoon that equates global warming to people dying in Australian wild fires is well beyond the pale.


A complete lack of sensitivity to other nationalities is not so unusual in Korea media. I remember when I first visited shortly after 9/11. I was in the subway station in Seoul looking at a video monitor running various ads. On came an ad for a Korean newspaper which parodied the 9/11 tragedy --complete with a hijacked plane doing figure 8's in between the Twin Towers.

The plane was chasing Super Girl, who had apparently so angered the terrorist by reading the competition's paper, that he directed the pilots to go after her, rather than the Twin Towers. The 30-second spot ended with Bin Laden sighing in a cave somewhere.

Later, I mentioned it to some Koreans and they saw nothing wrong with it. Then I asked, "What if Band-Aid brand bandages used the Kwang-ju massacre as an ad prop?

Voiceover to image of Korean man being pummeled by a police officer: "Have you been beaten down by police? Well, you need Band-Aid brand bandages!" At that point the Koreans grasped my meaning.

The cartoon has been pulled following several complaints after Robert Koehler posted the link on his popular ex-pat blog, "The Marmot's Hole."

Here is another choice gem from the"editorial" cartoonist, who is actually a Westerner living in Thailand. How lucky he is to have such editors that are oblivious to his creative whims that walk too far out on limbs.

Does Chris Brown likes his women black and blue?

In 2005, a 16-year old Chris Brown released a nice little groove called "Run It. " It was an unabashed pledge to older women that doing jail time for sex with a minor should be of no concern. The classic line of course, "I do big boy things."

Truth be told, Brown had the nuggets to say what most boys were thinking in high school anyway. But wary be the brazen. Next thing you know, you are 19, on top of the world and, wait... out on $50,000 bail for beating up your girlfriend, the lovely Rihanna.

The pathology from there to here comes with a bit of history --Brown's mother was severely abused by his stepfather. Six years in she finally figured it wise to leave and prudent to shop her 13-year old boy to record companies. Boom.

From there you know the tale, it is patent Americana: Few years childhood star, an entire life adult loser.

I guess one thing is looking up for Brown. If the victim/girlfriend, Rihanna chooses to stick with him, then he'll have found a girl just like dear old mom. That's something.

I hope he can turn it around, and not become another in the long line of children run through the American celebrity machine and spit out the other end a social problem.

Obama nails his first press conference

He's good. Real good. Though long-winded enough that when his answers finally get to phrases such as, "My bottom line," or "In short," a collective sigh of relief can be heard the world over. One answer ran twenty-six paragraphs of transcript.

Yet, there are few more eloquent men. A precious commodity in times such as these --especially following eight years of those.

Obama's eloquence brings with it an undeniably comforting way of telling us that we are screwed. And just when his forthrightness lulls you into accepting the inevitable present, he changes tone and slips in enough of a heebie jeebie to scare a country into action.

Good cop bad cop. All wrapped up in one man from Hawaii and the south side of Chicago.

The first press conference ran a brisk and windy fifty minutes. Opening statements were brief, then he opened himself up to the press. Since his answers run so long there was only time for a mere 13 questions. One made a bit of history, when Sam Stein of the Huffington Post became the first blogger to be called on by a president. (But who really thinks that Huffington Post is a "blog" anymore?)

Aside of the Washington Post's Michael A. Fletcher asking about A-Rod, one of the lighter moments came when FOX reporter Major Gordon's tried to trip Obama up with a query on the recent random blathering from his vice president, loose-lips-Joe.

Obama made light of it at Biden's expense, "You know, I don't remember exactly what Joe was referring to, not surprisingly." It was the one time during the press conference where the straight playing Obama smiled.

Presidential?

One of the things I was looking for in the new president was a level of ferocity. I've wondered what kind of war time leader Obama would be. I worried that he was too soft. But, when discussing ways to work with Pakistan on their Al Qaeda infestation, somewhere from under the infinite layers of buffered cordiality, I got the impression that the President, now fully engaged in the conflict, was readying special forces to infiltrate border camps and piss into Bin Laden's water.

One brief smile, one hint of danger, very presidential.

His intellect can be a bit unnerving though, as all throughout he displays the composure of a well-trained lawyer who can walk you away from a question, get lost in a clever anecdote for a short spell, finally answer, and then work his way back on message.

It was interesting watching the new president continued to play the bipartisan card so strongly. Whether sincerely or not is up for speculation, but he continues to play it well. Not that the ostentatious republicans aren't giving him a bumbling enough opponent. With seventy-five percent of Americans recently responding to a poll that republicans are holding the recovery up, it would seem most of us have noticed the elephant at the table.

Someone should really tell the GOP it's time to let it go and pass the stimulus. They did well in gutting extreme liberal offerings at the onset of the stimulus package draft, such as condoms for fetuses or free abortions for transgenders. But, now let's move on. Start throwing some money at the problem.

Obama put this point best at the very end. Neatly tying up a smoothly-conducted first press conference with a reference to constipation.

"And so when I hear people (republicans) just saying, 'Ah, we don't need to do anything,' 'This is a spending bill, not a stimulus bill,' without acknowledging that, by definition, part of any stimulus package would include spending -- that's the point -- then what I get a sense of is, is that there's some ideological blockage there that needs to be cleared up."

Why A-Rod won't be another Bonds or McGwire

Barry Bonds was and always will be my favorite player. The allegations that he used steroids did little to tarnish my opinion of the man as I watched him day in day out, awed by his presence at the plate. Others were not so forgiving and nailed him to the Louisville cross.

In some ways he deserved it. Considering that his hat size increased from steroid use, the guy truly had a big head following his success. In short: Bonds was and always will be a first-class jerk.

Mark McGwire was, too. While his teammates and those in the media who he allowed in will tell you different, McGwire came off as the arrogant jock from high school who you were better off simply leaving alone. When the allegations of steroid use surfaced with the Jose Canseco book, reporters who had been given the cold shoulder by McGwire were blood-thirsty in their pursuit.

Alex Rodriguez will not suffer the same condemnation. His position is akin to what Rock Hudson's was for the AIDS movement. People looked at Rock and thought, "Oh, even him?" A-Rod has --aside of his extramarital missteps-- done well in winning the people's hearts and minds. This is what the sport needs right now --a role model who can say, look kids, even I make mistakes.

Actually he said just that to ESPN. "Back then it was a different culture. It was very loose. I was young. I was stupid," said Rodriguez. "I was naive, and I wanted to prove to everyone that, you know, I was worth, you know -- and being one of the greatest players of all time."

Now, perhaps baseball can root out these problems and get back to the days of Babe Ruth. All natural, with a steady supply of booze and over the counter narcotics.

The incredible Robert Newman

Being as there isn't a Blockbuster near my home, I do from time to time pirate movies. Here and there, sporadically; nothing deserving of a letter from the MPAA, but I have acquired more than a few from the torrent sites.

While searching "documentary," I came across this British, well... I am not sure what to call him. Philosopher? Comedian? Renaissance man? I don't know.

Best you have a look-see for yourself. It's a short clip of a larger performance. Give it a little while to sink in, the man is a stone-cold genius. This is from 2006, his latest work is called, "History of the World Backwards."

The Week We View - Feb. 8th

-Iran launched her first satellite this week. Though leaders deny it has military capacity, the average Iranian is thrilled that their selection of government run TV channels will expand.

-India's national security adviser, MK Narayanan, warned President Barack Obama that it would be a mistake to try brokering a settlement between Pakistan and India over the disputed territory of Kashmir. “I do think that we could make President Obama understand, if he does nurse any such view, that he is barking up the wrong tree." Someone call the metaphor police.

-India also announced this week that it will begin production of a $20 laptop to compete with MIT's $100 model for children in poor countries. The Indian version is nearly the same, and with a $79 upgrade the keyboard will include vowels and punctuation marks. Save a buck!

-The Chinese government reported Monday over 20 million rural migrant workers have lost their jobs since the economic slow down. In response, Chinese authorities agreed to boost production of tainted products to get people back to work as soon as possible.

-US swimmer Michael Phelps was suspended from competition for three months and has lost his Kellogg sponsorship after photographs were published showing him smoking pot. Once again, please remind me. If the picture had shown Phelps binge drinking, what would have happened to him? Oh, yeah. Nothing. I hope Capn' Crunch cereal picks Phelps up as their spokesman. I used to love eating it when I had the munchies.

-Despite deep discounts, U.S. auto sales hit a 27-year low this week with sales for Chrysler down 55 percent, General Motors 49 percent and Ford 40 percent from the year before. Japanese auto sales were down 30 percent over all, which is odd, because Japanese cars are 100 percent better than American cars. Call in the gravitationally challenged lady. This show should be over.

-The Facebook, "25 Random Things" phenomena has reached epidemic proportions. The Center for Disease control has offered no light at the end of the tunnel. Much like the economic crisis, we are just going to have to ride this thing out and let it run its course.

-The world is in an uproar over the Catholic Church and the latest round of ludicrous Holocaust denials. Fair enough. What more are we to expect from an organization abiding by the belief that a man living in the sky told Noah (who the bible says lived to be 950 years old) to build a boat, collect two each of an estimated 1.5 million earthly species, and then float around while everyone is killed by a flood?

-For those of you who still doubt whether the Bush administration had its priorities wrong, just look to former Bush Chief of Staff, Andrew Card repeatedly whining about how Obama dresses when in the Oval Office. He told Inside Edition this week: "There should be a dress code of respect. I wish he would wear a coat and tie." Refer to Mr. Bush on your left. Card graduated from the University of South Carolina before attending Harvard's JFK School of Government. Money well spent.

-Speaking of the unkempt Obama, this week he announced a plan to limit the income of executives who work for companies that receive federal bailout money. The plan includes a $500,000 cap on compensation for senior officials and new restrictions on stock payouts and severance pay. The Obama message of "hope" reworked for executives into the message of "cope."

-And finally, a man was arrested for engaging in sexual acts with two blow up dolls in a shopping center parking lot in Florida. President Obama seized the opportunity to tie into the story, saying that his economic stimulus bill people will have more money for leisure, thus it will fight against inflation.

The Path of Khan: Out of Pakistani custody and into the nuclear nightmare

Pakistan's nuclear scientist, Abdul Qadeer Khan, has been released from house arrest by the new Pakistani president, Asif Ali Zadari. The loose-lipped Dr. Nuke is father to Pakistan's ascension to a nuclear power and sire to the weapons programs in North Korea, Libya and Iran.

Not the kinda guy you want back on the street.

The U.S. response --at least publicly-- has been dissapointedly though understandably tepid. But rest assured: Khan, now 73, will not be allowed to retire in Florida. If he restarts the terrorist warhead workshop, Florida might not be that nice to visit anyway.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, towing the cooperative company line, said she was "very much concerned," about Khan. "Very much concerned?" I am not sure if the press question concerned the release of one of the most dangerous men in the world, or "How do you feel about Chelsea marrying a Republican?"

Hillary offered little in the way of elaboration on Chelsea's dating regiment or on Khan. But the State Department released an equally innocuous statement early Friday saying his release would be "extremely regrettable" and "unfortunate."

The Obama administration's kid-gloved approach to Pakistan follows that of his predecessor, George W. Bush. While Pakistan is one of the few "friends" the U.S. has in the region, the hand-out of friendship extends only from leaders anxious for western finance--the common folk have no love at all for the infidel Americans.

Conversely, Khan is regarded as a hero by the Pakistani people. Releasing him eases domestic pressure on Zadari, a new president looking to run as far as he can out of the American shadow. Obama's soft response gives him room to do so.

The long term hope is that an incrementally emboldened Pakistani people will come to have enough faith in their leadership to give the democratic process a boost. Tall order for a country with only its second "elected" president.

What makes the release of Khan most troubling is that he has been unrepentant. In July of last year, he openly spoke with reporters about transporting uranium enrichment equipment to North Korea in 2000 with the full knowledge of the country's army.

Well... add this to the myriad of headaches for the incoming Barack O. For now it is wise to take a precautionary tone in public over Khan's release, but behind closed doors he better be lighting a fire under the Pakistani government to reign in their extremists and to get on the ball with the insurgent Taliban at their border.

America should apply to the IMF for debt relief

My tongue is planted firmly in cheek here, but with other options bearing little fruit, why doesn't the American government make a call to the IMF?

America has coaxed and coerced highly indebted nations into doing so in the past. Supplanting their errant ways with the highly rigid guidelines of the IMF to avoid future debt.

With her $10 trillion burden, she could step to the front of the line right behind Burundi, who just recently had an $833 million debt wiped right off the books.

Millions, billions, trillions. What's a few zeroes between friends?

The Highly Indebted Poor Countries Initiative (HIPC) was first launched in 1996 by the IMF and the World Bank, with the aim of ensuring that no poor country faces a debt burden it cannot manage. What about the rich countries getting a little help? A new approach for a new problem. Brother can you paradigm?

A simple changing of the acronym from HPIC to HIRC should suffice. The fledgling program could be nicknamed "Herc," after Hercules, to symbolize that even a mighty power needs help from time to time. It would play well in glossy back page ads on The Economist and Forbes magazines.

President Obama could change his slogan from, "Change we can believe in," to "Change we be needin'." Sally Struthers could head up a new ad campaign: "For just billions a day, you can help ensure that Americans continue to enjoy their most basic needs of iPhones, Nintendo and Humvees. Please call now. 1-976-USA-HELP."

I don't know why our bright cadre of financial minds on Wall Street and in Washington haven't come up with this yet. America foots the bill for a substantial portion of the IMF and the World Bank. Two entities which --basically-- assist countries that have bungled things financially.

America certainly fits the bill in that aspect.

Just remember: There were times when life was worse

Here is a fine Example:

The worldwide whine over American "protectionism"

The world's collective whine over an American provision to limit steel and iron to domestic sources in projects financed by the stimulus bill is gaining steam. Cries of "protectionism!" ring forth from all corners as if it were a new-found word.

And they are quite good at saying it --along with all the requisite rejoinders. Global business interests send out their best groomed, most intelligent sounding spokespeople to make the rounds for the media. Calling on the WTO to stand up to American egregiousness .

Yet, for all their pomp and its perpetuity, they fail to mention the WTO actually allows countries to make exceptions on government procurements for specific industries. The U.S. stipulated iron and steel. The verbose EU stipulated drinking water, transportation, telecommunications and energy; Canada protects steel, motor vehicles, and coal. And so on.

The mantra of "protectionism" by these very countries also fails to mention that many of the steel and iron producers in the U.S. are foreign owned.

Unfortunately, Barack Obama is backing down and promising to halt anymore of this crazy "Buy American" talk. He sent letters to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner warning that the provision to buy American could cause "retaliatory measures." Perhaps it is a noble gesture --Obama not taking advantage of WTO protection provisions.

The high road is all well and good, but not when you travel it alone --absent a world of trading partners who are taking a different route altogether.

Answers About Heaven For Kids. There Will Be Ice Cream

I have a few ads that run here on my blog. They are hosted by Google and they place their own choice of content as they see fit. (Feel free to click them anyway).

Today there was an ad for a website aimed at addressing questions that kids might have about Heaven. It's called HeavenQuestions.com, and it is, quite frankly, bizzarre.

Any half-witted kid that reads Heaven Questions is going to have even more questions after doing so. Here is a perplexing Biblical quote from the site. Isaiah 65:17: "Look! I am creating New Heavens and a New Earth, and no one will even think about the old ones anymore.”

This is supposed to be god the almighty speaking, omnipotent, omniscient and all that. But, it's obvious --according to God's words himself-- that he made a mistake with the old heaven and old earth. Otherwise why would he need to make a new one?

And He seems a bit diffident and lacking confidence that people might look at him disapprovingly for the state of the old heaven and earth. But, he is confident that the new and improved heaven and earth will wipe the past from their minds. The politics of spin ever present even at the highest levels of existence.

The site then goes on to quote Hebrews 9:22 as reference to how God approaches forgiveness: “According to the law . . .without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness.”

Ouch. Fine stuff for kids. I guess the logic (or lack thereof) being that, "if we can't win them over with faith or ice cream, we'll just scare the shit out of them."

They wrap it all up with the Apocolypic-Zombie ending, when all Christians who already died rise from the graves and go to the new heaven while god wipes everyone out on the old earth. Following this the good boys and girls will come back to the new earth. (I guess Santa will be there, too).

Quite circular when you look at the progression. Maybe the reincarnation folks are actually onto something. Or maybe whoever put up this site is on something.

Oh, and just in case you were worried: According to the site, there will be Oreo cookie ice cream in Heaven. Thank God.

Sweet Irony: Democrats Not Paying Their Taxes

If E.T. popped in for a visit and asked you to explain the difference between Republicans and Democrats, the most common contrast you might offer is that Republicans are for lowering taxes and Democrats for raising them.

How sweet the irony as the very party that sees income redistribution as the best form of government, are at their highest levels reluctant to part with their own piece for the pie.

Obama's nominee for Secretary of Health and Human Services, Tom Daschle and the nominee for chief White House performance officer, Nancy Killefer, both withdrew their names today from consideration, citing concerns over unpaid taxes.

Treasury secretary, Timothy Geithner, who has the same aversion to paying taxes, managed to get confirmed. But the feeling is that Obama, only two weeks into his presidency, didn't want to duke it out with Republicans over two more tax cheats.

Daschle's "mistake" is especially puzzling: $128,000 in unpaid taxes? How do you miss paying back that kind of money without doing so intentionally? Daschle more than likely pays a professional to do his taxes. Someone who, unless directed to do so, would be unlikely to make an error for such a high profile client as the former majority leader of the Senate.

And while cheating on your taxes is the American way, when asked by pollsters most Americans respond that it is a big no no. In a survey conducted by the Pew Research Center a few years back, respondents were asked what behaviors they considered "morally wrong." Here were the results:

* 85% Married People Having an Affair
* 79% Not Reporting All Income on Taxes
* 61% Drinking Alcohol Excessively
* 52% Having an Abortion
* 50% Smoking Marijuana
* 50% Homosexual Behavior
* 43% Lying to Spare Someone's Feelings
* 35% Sex Between Unmarried Adults
* 35% Gambling
* 32% Overeating

For Obama this an especially perplexing time --one of his primary campaign themes was raising ethical standards during his administration. As Melanie Sloan, executive director of Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington explained to the New York Times.

"He harped on it, time after time, and he created a sense of expectation around the country. This is exactly why people are skeptical of politicians, because change we can believe in is not the same thing as business as usual."

And when you look at the overwhelming presence of former Clinton people in Obama administration and the questionable baggage they bring along, it is difficult not to surmise that while there is a new face at the helm, it is still the same old nonsense we have come to expect from our "leaders" in Washington --regardless of their party affiliation.

The Week We View- Jan 31st

-Barack Obama's half brother George Obama, was busted with a joint in Kenya this week. Forget what FOX might say --George is justified. Imagine all the occasions since November telling people, "My brother is the U.S. president," and all the times they replied, "Man, you must be high!"

-Brittney Spears was granted three restraining orders this week --against three different men. A male friend, an ex-boyfriend and her ex-lawyer. This is another case of superstars getting preferential treatment. My single request for a restraining order has yet to come through. Every now and then a Brittney song will work its way back into my life against my wishes.

-For 55 minutes on Saturday morning, links to pages found on Google searches took users to a page that carried false safety warnings. Turns out that Google isn't God after all and makes mistakes sometimes. Wait a minute, what am I talking about? God makes mistakes a lot of the time, too.

-Newly elected Republican National Committee chairman, Michael Steele, told FOX news that he is focused on three races in his effort to rebuild the GOP following its ousting from power by the Democrats. Considering that Steele is black, one wonders which race the Republicans are finally focusing on.

-Alaskans are bracing for the possible eruption of a volcano on Mount Redoubt. Perhaps they should embrace the advice often given to Sarah Palin during the presidential campaign and try to cork it. No doubt.

-I have enjoyed watching our new president calling out Wall Street for their "arrogance and greed." Obama was visibly angry when chastising corporate bankers the second time this week for accepting taxpayer bailout money and then doling out $18 billion in executive bonuses. America: Land of the free? Home of knave?

-Swiss police said Thursday they stumbled across a 2-acre marijuana plantation while using Google Earth. They arrested 16 people and will burn the entire crop. An event of great irony for those who enjoy smoking marijuana and then tripping out on Google Earth.

-John Updike died this week. If you haven't read the "Rabbit" series, you really should.

-The Mormon church reports they donated more than $180,000 to Proposition 8, the November ballot initiative that banned same-sex marriage in California. Mormons. Geez. An entire religion founded on an ex-con of questionable sanity who said that Jesus went to America and buried sacred tablets. I think they have bigger concerns than same sex marriage.

-Big stink this week about a provision in the American infrastructure bill. Several American trading partners are upset about the addition of a "Buy American" clause for construction projects. The biggest complaints coming from countries with some of the most protected economies in the world.

-South Korean scientists report that they have successfully cloned a dog using stem cells. Of all places, South Korea is not the a country you want to hear about cloning dogs. Menu please.

-And finally, An Iraqi town placed a giant monument of a shoe to honor the journalist who threw his footwear at George W. It seems an entirely appropriate reminder to how bad the Bush presidency stank.