The Casey Lartigue Show! does Seoul

Education in South Korea

2009-07-17T05:10:00.004-04:00

The Marmot Hole links to an Atlantic Monthly post, Teaching Pays in South Korea.

A few random points from me.

1) Superstar Effect: There are many fields in which a handful of people make a lot of money while most people struggle even though there might not be much of a difference in their talent levels. In Hollywood, there are actors making millions while others are delivering pizzas. A major league baseball makes millions traveling around first class while a minor league baseball player who is just slightly less talented makes much less and travels on buses.

2) Man-Bites-Dog stories: Reporters naturally are more interested in stories about the exception rather than the rule. Some teachers in Korea reportedly make as much as $4 million a year. That's a story. Most teachers don't. Not a story and not worth blogging about, either.

3) Culture: When I was teaching in South Korea many moons ago, I often had parents offer me extra cash and gifts. This was in AFTER-SCHOOL programs. There were no grades being handed out. How many American parents are even suspected of bribing teachers? Seoul has yet another initiative to crack down on Korean parents who give extra cash to teachers.

4) CJL Archives: Here's a piece I wrote nine years ago for the Washington Post about private education in South Korea.

CJL

Today's roundup: Can't tell the womens from the mens!

2009-07-16T20:55:00.007-04:00

* This chick was once a dude.

* Wouldn't that be something? The sexy supermodel of your dreams may have once been a guy.

* I suspect there are some Korean women wondering if they can have the same surgery to look like the former Mr. Choi.

The woman pictured on the left is now a contestant in a Super Model Contest in Korea. According to the Korea Times: "Choi Han-bit, 23, was among 50 participants selected from a list of 1,200 candidates at the preliminary stage of the contest on July 2. She still has to pass another preliminary on July 28 to be included in the final selection, but if she does, Choi will be Korea's first transsexual super model. A dance major at the Korea National University of Arts, Choi underwent a sex change operation in 2006, and was legally recognized as a woman by a court."

The article also mentions: "In 2005, before undergoing the sex change operation, she appeared in a television show as a man who was disguised as a woman."

* * *

Diet a great success!

I stepped up my diet plan last night, spending quite a bit of time walking around lost last night. I even showed the map (in Korean) to some Koreans who were pretty sure the place was nearby, but they weren't quite sure where it was.

I guess I should feel better. Yesterday when I was out looking for a new place to live I noticed that the real estate agent had trouble finding the location.

* * *

Today's National story of the day

"Teachers Come to Blows in Front of Students"

According to the Korea Times: "Two apparently inebriated high school teachers got into a fist fight in front of the school gates ― leaving onlooking students in a state of shock.The pair, who teach at a school Pyeongchang, Gangwon Province, are now facing disciplinary action after the incident, which occurred at around 6 p.m. on July 7, led to one of the alleged culprits taking time off due to the injuries he incurred, according to the provincial office of education.

"The drama unfolded as the teachers arrived back at the school after an argument developed at an event to mark final term examinations, the office said. But the verbal volleys quickly turned physical and a fight ensued at the school gates, the office added. Students who had stayed on campus to study were reportedly shocked, a report filed by the office said. The school is planning to file disciplinary action against the pair after the wounded teacher returns to work. The educational office said both had blamed the alcohol and each other for the incident. "

Unfortunately, there is no video of the incident.

* * *

They can call me as often as they want!

No Night Calls From Loan Sharks

I say that anyone who teaches them English should be sentenced to death.

* * *

Stop breaking the law, assholes!

One of the funnier scenes in the movie "Liar, Liar," was when the lawyer (played by Jim Carrey) shouted into the phone to one of his troublemaking clients, "stop breaking the law asshole."

Apparently there needs to be a line like that in the Korean Constitution. As noted in today's Korea Herald: "Crime surge mars Constitution Day."

"The number of minor offenses in the first half of this year rose by 24.1 percent to 473,936 cases from the 381,716 last year, the National Police Agency said yesterday.

"The greatest leap was in public order offenses, with 92,871 cases identified, a 67.1 percent rise from last year. The number of acts of violence under the influence of alcohol rose to 41,289 cases, a 62.8 percent rise. Traffic law violations also saw a 74 percent rise, from 1.18 million cases to 2.06 million cases. "

CJL

Land of the Drunken Tiger

2009-07-15T20:27:00.007-04:00

The Korea Times and Korea Herald both report today that the nation's tourism slogan, "Korea, Sparkling," may be dropped.

The "branding chief" says that, and "Dynamic Korea" need to be replaced with another bland name that won't attract anyone. Those weren't his exact words, but that's what will happen.

Has Korea tourism ever had a slogan that would attract tourists? If so, why did they scrap it? It might be better to find something that works, and stick with that.

But with a "branding chief" in place, there is probably always someone under pressure to come up with a snazzy name. The branding chief's suggestion of "Miraculous Korea" sounds more like it is a religious cult.

I would guess cheap airline tickets would probably get more tourists to Korea. Cheap hotels would probably also attract more folks. Cool stuff to do? That's not clear before you get here what would be cool to do. Fixing the situation with North Korea might also help. Unfortunately, there are constantly headlines with North Korea threatening to turn South Korea into a "sea of fire" or some such thing. That is not attractive to tourists.

I'd recommend "Drunken Tiger" (which is also the name of a popular Korean singing group).

Last night I went out with my colleagues. We had great food and drinks before going out singing. I sang Gangsta's Paradise by Coolio in a mix of English and Korean.

I wish I could say some of us got drunk. It would be more accurate to say that the whole company got drunk. I'm not much of a drinker, but I did put away quite a bit of Yogurt Soju. They say it is a girlie drink, in which case I became a full-fledged woman last night based on the amount I drank.

How many are having the Korean soup Heh Jang Guk (해장국), which Koreans have after a night of heavy drinking? I usually get to work about an hour early. I got in about 30 minutes later than usual, I wasn't sure that anyone would be sober enough to open the door.

* * *

Cato Institute, in the Korean press

The Korea Herald reported on a forum held by my former colleagues at the Cato Institute. The Korea Times published an op-ed by Indur Goklany, author of various Cato Institute publications

* * *

WOW! Nice car!

This might help with tourism more than any slogans. Oh, and Kia Motors is launching a new hybrid.

First photo is from the Korea Herald. The second is from the Korea Times.

CJL on mini-speaking tour

2009-07-14T09:33:00.001-04:00

Just when I thought I was done with American public policy...

I've been invited back to go on a mini-speaking tour in North Carolina sometime in September or October. I'll be speaking at 3 universities in 2 days.

I will also be going to Boston to attend a conference in Feb 2010.

Here's a taste of me speaking last year.

CJL

Job titles, birthday party

2009-07-14T09:19:00.001-04:00

My colleagues are debating what title to give me. I've been wearing out the Korean-Language dictionary on my cell to find all kinds of wonderful, lofty titles.

One suggestion from someone with the power to make it happen: 연구소 소장. That is probably pronounced youn gu so so jang (meaning: Head of the Research Institute).

My pay won't change as a result of the title so I won't worry about it.

Also, I'm sure by the time everyone has given an opinion that I'll be downgraded to a lower position anyway once it is time to make the business cards...

* * *

The assistant director's birthday is today. We'll probably all go out to eat, drink, and then sing.

I was starting to get disappointed in Korea. I've been here for more than a week now and I've only gone out to sing once. That's even though I've already met with several groups of people.

I had assumed that I would spend so much in the karaoke places that I should buy karaoke stocks.

I won't be posting any video of myself singing, by the way, thanks for asking in advance, and will delete any such links that are posted here...

The Korean (and Japanese) style of Karaoke is a little different from America. Instead of singing on stage or in a bar surrounded by a bunch of drunken strangers, you sing in a small room with your drunken friends. The Korean word is 노래방 (noraebang).

* * *

By the way, I learned a long time ago not to take out Korean friends on my birthday. I fell for the trick years ago. In Korea, it is customary for the person who is celebrating a birthday to treat friends. That's right...your birthday, you pay. I learned the fact when I was out with friends many moons ago...

I wasn't particularly happy about it at the time when the bill came and they tried to convince me that I really had to pay it. I could understand their glee during the night as they ordered drinks, knowing they wouldn't have to pay. Some of them were trusted friends so I believed them...

Some later tried to slip me some cash but I refused, keeping my pride and not having any other money to spend for a few weeks...

CJL

It also has the fastest delivery men...

2009-07-14T08:01:00.003-04:00

The Korea Herald bills itself as the nation's number one English-language newspaper. According to my count, there are two English-language newspapers in Korea. The Korea Times has no such claim in its paper so I suppose that it has conceded that particular point. Instead, it claims that it is First in the Nation. First at what?

I've also heard that the Seoul Times is published in English, but I've only seen it online, not at any newsstands.

The Herald and Times use most of the same wire services. They occasionally focus on different stories they almost always write about the same day.

The main differences between the two papers:

1) The Herald is printed on colored paper, the Times on regular white paper.

2) The Herald editorial pages is mostly wire and syndicated columns, the Times uses more local columnists and freelancers in addition to the wire and syndicated stuff.

3) The Herald has a special "climate change" page. That may explain the type of recycled paper they use. I guess they won't go paperless because they are proud of being the number one English paper in Korea.

4) The Herald is 1000 won, the Times 700 won.

5) I called both last Friday to request subscriptions. The Korea Herald showed up in my mailbox this morning for the first time. No sign of the Korea Times yet. The Korea Times may be "First in the Nation," but it wasn't first to my door.

CJL

If it bleeds, it leads in this post

2009-07-14T00:02:00.003-04:00

1,109 murders in Korea last year

According to the Korea Herald: "Last year a total of 1,109 murder were a 2.3 percent increase from the 1,084 in 2004, according to the ministry data. The number of reported rapes leapt by 42.2 percent from 6,956 in 2004 to 9,893 last year."

So a little more than 3 people are killed every day in Korea, mostly Koreans done in by other Koreans (the American cases get attention the way racial cases in America get more attention). There are about 50 million people in this country.

I recently arrived from Washington, D.C.. With a population of less than 600,00, had 186 homicides in 2008. That's a lot, but something to celebrate compared to the early 1990s when D.C. was the undisputed murder capital. With the same murder rate as D.C., more than 15,000 people in Korea would have been killed last year.

* * *

313 killed on bicycles

"According to the Road Traffic Authority, Tuesday, Korea had 7,922 accidents involving bicycles in 2006, but the figure jumped to 10,848 last year, a 37 percent hike. Most of the accidents were collisions involving bikes and cars.

"From those accidents, 11,425 people died or were injured last year, up 38 percent from 2006's total of 8,291. Among the casualties, 313 were fatal, accounting for 5.3 percent of the total number of people who died from traffic accidents last year, 5,870.

The increase in bicycle accidents is contrary to the decrease in total traffic accidents: there were 215,000 traffic accidents in 2008, down 26 percent from 290,000 in 2000. But during the same period, the number of bicycle accidents skyrocketed by 71 percent."

In the inevitable call for more government spending:

"We need infrastructure for bicycles, and especially that for daily living rather than riverside ones for leisure. It is more convenient to ride a bicycle than a car when going to a close place, but people take cars when visiting a market just 500 meters away from home because the road conditions are unsafe and inconvenient for bike riders,'' Kim Young-bok, head of the Korea Bicyclists Association's Seoul branch, said.

He forgot to mention that it is also easier to haul groceries in a car than on a bicycle.

* * *

Constitutional revision gains momentum

According to the Korea Herald: "According to a recent survey jointly conducted by the Herald Media and the KM Research, more than 44 percent of citizens felt a constitutional revision was necessary, whereas 26 percent believed it was not needed and another 29 percent were unsure."
Such surveys never report the percentage who said, "Leave me the hell alone."

In a story about Americans like this, I would wonder what percentage of the people surveyed had recently read the Constitution. According to a previous survey of Americans: More Americans Can Name Rice Krispies Characters Than Supreme Court Justices!

According to that poll, from the Polling Company:
Washington DC- A recent poll of 800 Americans found that the nation is vastly unaware of WHO -- or even HOW MANY -- Justices sit on the United States Supreme Court.

I would suggest before pollsters ask about the Constitution that people be required to READ it before answering...

But then, U.S. Congressmen and presidents have been known to sign legislation without reading it, so I may be asking for too much...

* * *

30 Percent of College Students Seek Cosmetic Surgery

According to the Korea Times: "In fact, more than 30 percent of 921 male and female university students said in a survey Tuesday that they plan to seek some kind of plastic surgery during their summer vacation."

CJL

A great way to lose weight

2009-07-13T19:55:00.005-04:00

Getting off the plane to Seoul. I felt like I had lost about 10 pounds. So many Koreans are slim in comparison to Americans in general and even with Koreans in America.

It should not take me much time to lose that weight. I've found the perfect diet: Walking around lost in Seoul.

Some diet plans are difficult to follow. You must constantly consult the diet plan to make sure you are following it. But this one is easy:

1) Choose a destination in Seoul.

2) Take the subway there.

3) Walk around for two hours trying to find the place. You may need to reject Koreans offering to help you get to your destination. They are enablers trying to keep you overweight.

By the way, some Korean friends couldn't stop laughing the other day when I described the subway map as looking like someone had stepped on a pretty spider.

Casey

복날

2009-07-12T23:48:00.007-04:00

Tomorrow is 복날 (bok nal). It seems to mean that it is start of the dog days of summer. So we'll be eating 삼계탕 (sam gye tang, which is chicken broth with ginseng) to celebrate the day before the rest of Korea does so.

Update #1: You must literally rip the chicken apart with chopsticks and a spoon. It helps to wear a bib so it won't get on your clothes.

The food is cooked after you order it or call ahead with reservations.

Update #2: It is pronounced by me as bok nal, but when I say it Koreans around me don't understand until I pronounce it as "bok nallllllll." This is a common problem with the little Korean that I can say. I'll say it, Koreans will say I speak Korean well, then ask each other in Korean, "What did he say?"

Update #3: James explains that I am probably pronouncing bok nal incorrectly. Instead, it is probably better to pronounce it "bong nahl." I have the feeling I still won't be understood unless I say "bong nahlllll."

CJL

Still not muddy in Seoul

2009-07-12T20:23:00.015-04:00

I can't believe I skipped this! I was invited to attend--or participate--in the Boryeong Mud Festival. I declined, preferring to stay clean in Seoul for the weekend. I may make the news one day while I'm in Seoul, but I guess this is not what I want to be known for...

The festival runs through July 19 so you still have time to hustle to the event...

I had a relatively quiet weekend, I guess the heavy rain slowed things down. Yesterday I participated in a language exchange group with about 30 people (2 Americans, 1 Chinese, 1 German, about 20 to 25 Koreans). After about 2+ hours, we had dinner, then went drinking for a few hours at a place called 70s Radio. It appeared to be all Beatles, I guess they put on the Best of the Beatles with subtitles in Spanish.

The Long Island Iced Tea was stronger than any I've ever had. I had wanted to try Cherry Soju or Lemon Soju but they didn't sell it there. 8,000 won or about 6 dollars for the Long Island Iced Tea.

I'm not wondering over here!!!

The Korea Times ran a piece from Dan Walters of the Sacramento Bee wondering about whether or not Californians are getting paid too much.

I'm not wondering over here! The tax rate in Korea is 3.3%. No sales tax. No tipping.

Koreans Curious about Secret Behind Jewish Education

Listening to Jewish friends talk over the years, they are also curious...

Anyway, there's an article in today's Korea Times featuring the Israeli ambassador to Korea pontificating about why Jews are so great at education.

The most noteworthy items:

"Children are taught to challenge everything, not to take things for granted,'' he said when it comes to education."

"A strict teacher is a bad teacher and a shy student is a bad student,'' which means teachers should not dictate to students, and students should not be shy about making mistakes and asking questions.

East meets West, on an exotic island

There's at least one way Korea reminds me of back home: organizations holding events in really nice places. The Korea Federation of Small and Medium Business on Jeju Island held a forum over the weekend on Jeju Island (which Koreans call the Hawaii of Korea). There's nothing like solving the world's problems after you've been sipping pina colada on the beach the day before.

Ohmae Kenichi gave out some tough love to Koreans and Americans at the event, suggesting that Korea and the U.S. are in for rough times, that Korean companies should focus on their core businesses rather than expanding into other sectors, that the rest of the world should stop relying on the U.S.

They almost got away with it!!!

My favorite section of the Washington Post has always been the Metro section. It is that slice of life not quite worthy of being front page news, but too hilarious to be left out of the paper.

In the Korean equivalent, the National page, we learn that two Korean "businessmen" attempted to buy a company with two forged checks. Checks forged in the amount of about $20 million.

According to the Korea Times: "The two, identified as Kim and Park, both 45, met when they were in prison in May and agreed to 'a big project.'"

Trying to pass a $20 million check is certainly a big project. But why didn't they just try to buy Seoul instead? A $20 trillion check might have at least gotten them in the door to talk with the mayor...

The funny part of the story...they almost got away with it!

According to the article: "They approached another man who was interested in taking over the target company and agreed to jointly invest in it. Providing the deposit certificates as collateral, they succeeded in signing a contract to buy management control of an unidentified Kosdaq firm for 16 billion won. However, at the last minute, the joint investor became suspicious during the process of confirming the validity and asked a legal documentation handling firm to verify the authenticity of the checks."

CJL

Libertarians in Korea

2009-07-11T01:59:00.005-04:00

I couldn't believe my eyes. Some American Libertarians s in Korea were getting together to have a meeting?

Surprisingly, seven of us got together at the Starbucks in Itaewon last night.

Libertarians are hopeless in America. What in the world can they expect to accomplish in South Korea? They might as well as be selling fresh ham in Saudi Arabia.

There is a Korea-based think tank (자유기업원) with a free market focus. I had lunch with the president of the organization a few days ago. He told me that there is at least one Korean politician who is openly libertarian. Unfortunately, he doesn't speak English so I doubt that I will be able to help him much.

CJL

I officially love my boss

2009-07-11T01:37:00.007-04:00

I've had some great bosses and supervisors over the years.

As much as I have liked some of them, none can compare to the people I'm working with now..

So here I am, at the office on a Saturday using an office computer because of an unfortunate incident with my laptop computer the other day...

First, the president, CEO and a major investor in the company insisted that I join them for lunch. It is Saturday, I'm wearing a t-shirt I bought in Guam, shorts, and sandals. Then, after lunch, the president bought me some strawberry candy (화과방--딸기영양갱 (Strawberry Thick Jelly) and 커피맛영양갱 (Coffee Thick Jelly). This was after some other snacks and sandwiches during the week.

David Boaz of the Cato Institute was my direct supervisor for four years. The most he ever gave me was a book about William Lloyd Garrison...

DB is a really smart guy, but does he even know what Strawberry Thick Jelly is or where to buy it? And would he share it with me?

I had bought the newspaper with the goal of reading it during lunch while my bosses talked in Korean. They made every effort to engage me in the conversation. The kids at the table next to us were very curious about me, but did their best to pretend they didn't notice me whenever I looked at them.

Casey

Advice one week too late for me

2009-07-11T00:57:00.006-04:00

* Among my many writing accomplishments: I was a contributing author to one of the Lonely Planet books. I honestly don't recall what I wrote to attract their attention but I do remember getting a free copy in the mail and seeing my name among the contributing authors.

* I would seriously recommend that one of the travel book authors print in full the text of what Michael Hurt published in the Korea Herald yesterday. I've been only been here a week but I can already see the wisdom in what he has written. If you know anyone planning to come to Korea then send them that link. Of course, they probably won't take it seriously until they get here...

* But then, the authors of those travel books might not want to publish what Hurt has written because in just one full-page he has summarized what the authors say in three or four chapters.

* In the other direction, I've noticed that many of my Korean friends would overpack when moving to America. They'd bring all kinds of stuff they could easily purchase in America, all the way to a Korean friend who mailed a TV to herself. Hurt's sequel should be a guide for Koreans going to America.

* I brought four bags with me last week. Not enough dress shirts. Really, what was I thinkin'? One suitcase was full of books--my carry-on to keep the other bags from exceeding weight restrictions. Still, there are many other books I left behind or gave to Goodwill before leaving...

CJL

The little black man inside us all

2009-07-10T05:20:00.005-04:00

I rode with my two of my Korean colleagues in two different taxis in Seoul today...

only had two close calls with other vehicles.

The driver in the second taxi was quite balanced. First, he almost collided with a car on his left as he merged into traffic. Then, he almost collided with a vehicle on his right that was merging into traffic. Was a truck headed straight for us next? He took it all in stride, not bothering to curse at either one of the other drivers.

I remember when I was a youngster hearing that mothers would advise their children to wear clean underwear and socks in case they were in an accident. As Bill Cosby pointed out, there is a possibility that such items would be found in the glove compartment after a tremendous accident.

* * *

Speaking of socks...

I visited two Korean businesses today along with my colleagues. The great thing about both companies? Employees were walking around in shorts, sandals. One was wearing a very fashionable cap, the type I would like to wear. I wanted to take a photo of him with the cap on but figured that my intentions would be lost in the translation...

At one place we didn't have to take our shoes off, but at the second place not only did we have to take our shoes off, but wear some nice sandals they had at the front door. The pain! Walking around in sandals at the office?

Thankfully, I didn't bring any socks with holes in them.

* * *

Was this lost in the translation?

I noticed this book when we were meeting with one of the publishers. The title: "The Little Black Man." The author is Fulvia Degl`Innocent.

I initially thought I had come across a racist book. The author is Italian. Based on the context, the "little black man" is the angry side in all of us. Couldn't come across a single black person in the entire book, but I guess those who track the various negative meanings of the use of the word "black" can make hay with it...

I'm just happy that my taxi driver didn't have a little black man inside him--he would have started driving like a maniac...

* * *

Eating Korean

Had lunch with my colleagues. Once again, I wasn't asked or expected to pay. Had lunch a few days ago with the president of a think tank. He waved me off when I offered to pay my half. Met a friend for lunch--she brought me a box of grapes. There are many great things about Korea. Definitely, the way my colleagues and friends treat me is one of them. I just hope it lasts.

The president of the organization I'm working with has been especially generous. She has bought me breakfast, lunch, and dinner on several occasions.

* * *

Speaking of hunger...

I see that the U.N. hopes there won't be hunger by 2025. I'm willing to bet all of the money I have against anyone from the U.N. that there will still be hunger in 2025.

I'm guessing that if I'm Seoul then that I'll probably be doing quite well.

CJL

Adjusting to living abroad

2009-07-09T20:31:00.002-04:00

Dennis Miller famously said: "Sure, the lion is king of the jungle but airdrop him into Antarctica & he's just a penguin's bitch."

I'm having that feeling now in Korea. Just getting basic things done can be a chore.

Mailing something from the post office? First, I had to figure out where the post office is. Then, I had to figure out how to get there. Then, I had to actually find the place. Then, let the folks there know what I wanted to do.

Thankfully, there's a post office just a block away from where I'm working. That means I only got lost once. I stopped a Korean woman on the street to ask her in Korean where the post office was. I had rehearsed the lines before leaving so I sounded quite fluent when I asked. She seemed surprised that I was asking about the post office. I suspect she thought I was asking her in English so I had to repeat myself before she actually caught on that I was asking her in Korean...

She ended up walking me part of the way to make sure I didn't get lost. I got to the post office without a problem, probably with her watching from a distance to make sure I didn't get lost again.

I mailed the letter without a problem at all. At least on this occasion, Korea was my bitch...

CJL

French tourists are the worst--Koreans surprised?

2009-07-09T20:13:00.002-04:00

"French tourists are the worst in the world, coming across as bad at foreign languages, tight-fisted and arrogant, according to a survey of 4,500 hotel owners across the world."

According to the same survey:
"The Japanese ranked top of the Best Tourist survey, with the British and the Germans judged the best of the Europeans."

CJL comments:

The Korean government periodically cracks down on Korean tourists for being unruly. During the 1990s when I was last here, the Korean government launched an anti-overconsumption campaign. As I wrote in the Korea Times at that time:

"At least citizens receive something they want for the six trillion won they are projected to voluntarily spend overseas this year. The same can't be said for government services, complete with faulty air-raid alarms and crumbling infrastructure at the non-negotiable price of only 56 trillion won in taxes. It is suspicious that politicians focus on the voluntary spending habits of Korean travelers although the government wastes in a day more than planeloads of crazed Korean tourists ever could. According to a Times staff editorial earlier this year, the introduction of numerous government programs has resulted in the size of Kim Young-sam's government increasing faster than the growth of the general population.

"Some might even label the greedy, reckless spending of public officials as wasteful, stupid, of, shall we say, overconsumption. My, my, I guess there is something to this overconsumption theory after all. The addiction might be even worse than claimed by busybody overconsumption theorists. "

CJL

Casey Lartigue Show hits the road!!!

2009-07-09T20:11:00.002-04:00

I've been in South Korea for a week now. I am designing the curriculum for a new school scheduled to start in September. So most of my posts may focus on Korea until further notice. To protect both the innocent and guilty, I won't mention the school by name...

CJL

Reparations

2009-06-19T13:14:00.000-04:00

Reparations

1) I do like the idea of punishing governments for their actions, but the problem with this example is that the people who were in charge of the government when slavery was legal aren't around to be punished. Hanging would be too good for them.

2) There are a few children of slaves alive, but there really are some more pressing issues today that could actually help people.

3) Blacks would be more likely to get reparations if advocates said that they wanted reparations in exchange for ending affirmative action.

4) People deserve punishment for slavery, let's round them up.

5) If my 38+ million black brothers and sisters ever get reparations, I'm buying Nike stock.

6) If a reparations check comes to me, I'm cashing it. I cash any and all checks made out to me.

7) Instead of reparations, I'd prefer to live tax-free for 20 years.

8) Instead of reparations, I'd prefer to be able to opt-out of the government's Social Security program and put my retirement savings in a private account.

9) Education, not reparations, is my focus. Focusing on education as well as reparations sounds nice, but being successful at getting people educated is tough enough already...

10) If I'm paying for slavery, then I want some slaves.

CJL

A Better Way to Honor Sen. Kennedy

2009-06-19T12:53:00.000-04:00

Some members of Congress apparently want to honor Sen. Kennedy by passing major health care legislation.

Couldn't the nation just give him a gold watch and a handshake? That's the way corporations did it in the past for valued employees who were retiring.

It would even be worth giving him a gold watch for each year he has served in Congress. It would be much cheaper than coming up with a plan that would involve NINETEEN percent of the U.S. economy. I'm not a Kennedy supporter but it I would support giving him a parade at taxpayer expense all the way from D.C. to Boston.

I know gold might not seem appropriate to some. After all, Kennedy and his colleagues have done so much to devalue and debase the American currency that it might be more appropriate to give him a paper watch (perhaps even one that is water resistant).

CJL

Destroying some cities to save them...

2009-06-18T12:27:00.010-04:00

"It became necessary to destroy the village in order to save it."
An American major after the destruction of the Vietnamese Village Ben Tre

* * *

I heard on Rush Limbaugh that there is chatter about bulldozing Flint, Michigan. The talk was started by a UK Telegraph piece.

If some lousy cities are going to be bulldozed then I would like to add all or parts of Newark, Baltimore, D.C., and Detroit to the list...

If the areas don't officially get leveled then you can probably get some great real estate deals:

"According to the Michigan Association of Realtors and Detroit Board of Realtors (data here), the average sales price of a Detroit home fell to $11,533 in March (Year-to-Date), a -43.8% decline from the $20,514 average home price during the same period last year (see chart below)."

I guess it shouldn't be surprising that there aren't any major chain stores operating there, according to the Wall Street Journal.

It is also noted in the article: "The city's 22.8% unemployment rate is among the highest in the U.S.; 30% of residents are on food stamps."

In unrelated news, "U.S. Senate passes apology for slavery." According to another article: "Congressman John Conyers, D-Mich., a longtime reparations advocate, will be among dozens of proponents who will address the issue [of reparations for slavery at a gathering in Texas this weekend]."

CJL

Dead ex-felon on the lam

2009-06-17T00:20:00.002-04:00

You would hope that someone in Mayor Fenty's office saw the article and called off the search. A DC agency has been hunting for a dead man. His death has allegedly been confirmed. Still, the agency is searching for him.

There may be a perfectly reasonable bureaucratic explanation for the search, I do realize that...

many priceless quotes in the article, the family is horrified...

But things could always be worse:

* He could cast a vote in the 2010 and 2012 elections. I always hear that an election could come down to a single vote...would be terrible if the dead man decided who would be in office.

* He could be on the payroll in Maryland ("Another state audit this week found significant financial troubles in the Baltimore City public school system -- including wage overpayments in some cases to deceased employees.").

If I were feeling really mean then I would set up a blog with posts from the guy talking about his success in evading the agency reps chasing him...

But I don't kick a dead man when he is on the loose...

CJL

Hitting-n-running...

2009-06-15T10:26:00.007-04:00

Another war we've lost

First, we lost (or tied) Vietnam.

NYT op-ed now declares: "Drugs won the war." I wonder how many people who predicted the war on drugs would be a disaster were dismissed as crackpots who just wanted to get high?

Has anyone with the NYT admitted yet that we've also lost the War on Poverty?

And will it take 40 years to admit most of Obama's plans have failed?

* * *

An Obama plan to be derided in 40 years or less
About Obama's health plan: "The government competes in the private sector the way an alligator competes with a duck."
--Rep. Mike Pence (R-Ind.)

High-Stakes Tests, for real

NYT has the latest "those Asian kids study real hard" story. I taught English in Asia for six years, I learned that those stories are true! When I came back to America, I had a tough time taking Americans seriously when they complained about "high-stakes tests." Studying for 15 hours a day, sleeping just four or five hours, and then just having one shot once a year to take a test that will determine based on numbers where you will go to college?

The Middle East--please, go away...
I was listening to the radio when the announcer man said they were going to play a speech by someone talking about the Middle East.

Several years ago I decided that I wouldn't focus on the Middle East until the year 2018. I figured that nothing would be resolved by then anyway...

At some point Israel will take my advice...just keep trading promises of peace with promises of land...

* * *

National Man Day
No kidding.

And what do they do the other 364 days of a typical year?

CJL

Living (and dying) in America!

2009-06-12T09:41:00.013-04:00

Living in America!

Michael Kinsley says it is time to scrap the Star-Spangled Banner. I'm on board with this. Doesn't sound bad, great historical references and all that, but it is even tough to lip-synch it...

Kinsley makes a couple of tepid recommendations. My choice?

Living in America by James Brown!

Can you get more American than James Brown? Drugs. Women. Jail time. Illegitimate children. Car chases. Mixed race. More women. Battle over his estate.

Not only should the song be the National Anthem, but the video should also be the National Video...

Whistling Past the Graveyard

Last night I picked up the June 6-12, 2009 issue of the Washington Afro-American. A page one article in the paper as well as an opinion piece by George Curry document the recent case of the white woman who claimed she was kidnapped by two black men.

As I recently asked: Why in the world would anyone believe that such a thing could happen? Why didn't she blame Native American Indians?

Looking through the news section, that's the only "crime" story in the news section.

Thankfully, the Washington Post is always on the case to report about crime! There's a story, B4, with the headline, "Despite More Policing, Another Man is Slain."

In this case, the man was shot and killed "just steps away" from a new post where an officer is stationed. There's also a security camera nearby.

Jean Bland, a resident who lives nearby and has "several old bullet holes" in her home from people shooting, says the obvious: "Something has to be done."

Something is right! I'd suggest we spend more time tracking down more white women who make up stories about black men...

* * *

Will he hear this by 2029?

Sherrilyn A. Ifill ties the recent shooting at the Holocaust museum to right-wingers. When I have trouble quickly distinguishing between Jew-hating leftists and Jew-hating rightists then I check with Ifill.

Eugene Robinson of the Washington Post joins in today with the type of hackneyed thinking he should be remembered (then, quickly forgotten) one day.

In unrelated news, noted Republican Rev. Jeremiah A. Wright Jr. says "Them Jews" won't allow Pres. Obama to meet with him.

Pres. Obama sat in Rev. Wright's church for 20 years without hearing the things he said...perhaps he'll catch up with this story by 2029...

* * *

Eugene Robinson is still a clown

When he first replaced William Raspberry a few years I tried to read his writing. I had read Raspberry's columns on a regular basis for about 15 years. While I often disagreed with Raspberry's conclusions when he reached them, I could appreciate that he seemed to be thinking out loud and didn't mind changing his mind or admitting he had been wrong.

But Raspberry being followed by Robinson is like going from Martin Luther King Jr to Al Sharpton. Whereas Raspberry was thoughtful, Robinson is a hack. There were some days that Raspberry couldn't decide which shoes to put on; Robinson prefers clown shoes.

* * *

How much more Magical could he be in person?

According to Ray Friedman of Vanderbilt University, the scores of black students increased after Obama's nomination and election victory.

If true, then just think what the Obama effect would have been if he had given the commencement address at a black college or university?

According to DeWayne Wickham, the White House refuses to answer his question: "I wanted to know how many black higher education institutions have asked Barack Obama to be their commencement speaker this spring."

CJL
linked by Booker Rising and I stole the great graphic from her...

Sonia Sotomayor

2009-05-29T13:45:00.002-04:00

1) A caller to the Rush Limbaugh Show made the point that he could not recall a case of a Democrat appointed or elected to a political position thanking the welfare state for helping them. Rather, they have stories of families coming together. Then, they try to get into office to put more of the welfare state on others.

2) I heard a commentator on NPR commenting on Sotomayor's terrific personal story. It reminded me of an exchange between Treasury Secretary Paul O'Neill and Sen. Robert Byrd, D-W.Va.

"I just want to remind you, Mr. Secretary, that a lot of us were here before you came," said Byrd, 84. "And with all due respect to you, you're not Alexander Hamilton," the nation's first treasury secretary.

O'Neill, 66, paused to gather himself at the witness table, then answered in a voice quivering with indignation.

"I've dedicated my life to doing what I can to get rid of rules that limit human potential," he said. "And I'm not going to stop."

Byrd repeatedly said that he, and not O'Neill, a former chairman of Alcoa, had been elected by voters.

"They're not CEOs of multibillion-dollar corporations," Byrd said of the voters. "They can't just pick up the phone and call a Cabinet secretary. In time of need, they come to us, the people come to us."

O'Neill, who grew up poor in St. Louis, Mo., snapped back:

"I started my life in a house without water or electricity. So I don't cede to you the high moral ground of not knowing what life is like in a ditch."

"Well, Mr. Secretary," Byrd responded, "I lived in a house without electricity, too, no running water, no telephone, a little wooden outhouse." He was raised by his aunt and uncle in West Virginia's coal country.

CJL

False charges and real criminals

2009-05-28T17:08:00.009-04:00

Avery Tooley and Booker Rising both take issue with the white chick who said she was abducted by two black men.

I don't take issue with their comments, not even with Shay's provocative headline ("White Girl, Please: Don't Blame It On The Sunshine..."). But then, I probably wouldn't take issue with someone white writing, "Black Girl, Please: Don't Blame It On The Moon."

I do wonder: Why in the world would such a story about black men seem believable to anyone? After all, she mentioned black men--why didn't she pin the blame on Native American Indians or Sihks?

This seems to be a good time for a Bill Cosby-esque Pound Cake speech...if black hoodlums would stop committing so many damn crimes then people wouldn't be so quick to believe stories about black men...

I understand the concern about the occasional white lunatic or opportunist trying to blame blacks for problems, and the need to publicly flog and criminally punish such people. I've come across a number of black people who want more attention focused on white criminals--I guess the next step in their logic would be more attention on fake white criminals, too. And, of course, there are some who will always believe blacks are criminals, no matter what. But if it is a typical day, then a number of black men today will kill a number of people.

I did notice that American Renaissance, which is good at tracking crimes committed by blacks against whites, hasn't mentioned this case.

CJL