I got two shoes…

and one new husband.

Well, since she changed her Facebook status, I guess it is okay to announce to the vast readership of LTG that Jenn of I Got 2 Shoes fame has done gone and got hitched.

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Jenn and her man Fahid.

Had a nice visit with the happy couple last weekend while they were in town taking care of business at their respective embassies.  Jenn has finished her contract at the hagwon in Ulsan and will be flying home to Canada later this month.

Good luck and much happiness to you both in the future!

Duke’s girl

Congrats to Duke and Ji Young on the birth of their beautiful baby girl Kyla Kim.

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Now, Duke didn’t pass along any vital statistics like date of birth, weight and length, how long Ji Young was in labor etc.  So all I know for sure is that the baby has an amazing head of hair and the good fortune of having her mother’s good looks!

Vindication

Well, it’s been awhile since I’ve weighed in on the whole global warming global cooling climate change issue.  And no, I’m not going to get snarky and mock Al Gore’s marriage woes.  I’ve noticed that the alarmists have been oddly quiet of late (hey, less hot air is a good thing right?).  And it’s no wonder given recent events.

All I’ve ever argued was that the science was far from settled.  So, with this I’ll consider myself vindicated.

Britain’s premier scientific institution is being forced to review its statements on climate change after a rebellion by members who question mankind’s contribution to rising temperatures.

The Royal Society has appointed a panel to rewrite the 350-year-old institution’s official position on global warming. It will publish a new “guide to the science of climate change” this summer. The society has been accused by 43 of its Fellows of refusing to accept dissenting views on climate change and exaggerating the degree of certainty that man-made emissions are the main cause.

The society appears to have conceded that it needs to correct previous statements. It said: “Any public perception that science is somehow fully settled is wholly incorrect — there is always room for new observations, theories, measurements.” This contradicts a comment by the society’s previous president, Lord May, who was once quoted as saying: “The debate on climate change is over.”

Maybe now I won’t have to die a slow and painful death from cancer, right Jacob? (heh, I see Jacob has sent his blog posting down the memory hole.  Not as sweet as an apology and admission he was wrong, but sweet just the same).

Conflicted…

Ok, it is no secret that I’m a federal civil servant.  Have been working for my Uncle Sam for over 33 years.  And I have another 89 days to go until I retire.  At the tender age of 55.  And I’ve earned a comfortable pension that I hope to collect for at least the next 20 years.

So, I guess this video is directed at me.

I think I’ve made some valuable contributions over the years and done generally very good to excellent work in public service.  In other words, I think I’ve earned my salary (or at least kept my end of the of the employment bargain of “a fair day’s work for a fair day’s pay”).

But yeah, the disparity between the government sector and the private sector is pretty shocking.  Makes me glad to be gettin’ out while the gettin’s good, because I expect there is a reckoning out there on the horizon.

So, I guess this makes for a classic case of cognitive dissonance.

Oh, and I used to work at the U.S. Department of Education.  It was cool to see the old building at the end of the video.  Although I can’t believe those crappy red school house structures are still there.  They were originally built as temporary structures to protect folks from falling marble from the buildings facade.  But they became a minor tourist attraction.  I used to stand out there and smoke and be amazed as tourists posed for photos in front of the plywood sheds.  No joke.

Is Obama black enough?

I thought when we elected a black president, we were going to get a black president. You know, this [BP oil spill] is where I want a real black president. I want him in a meeting with the BP CEOs, you know, where he lifts up his shirt where you can see the gun in his pants. That’s — (in black man voice) we’ve got a ‘motherfu**ing problem here?’ Shoot somebody in the foot.”

And just when did Bill Maher join the Tea Party

You gotta laugh…

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Ok, so maybe the banging of drums and rattling of sabres is nothing to take lightly.  War is hell and lives are at stake and all that.  Still, for sheer audacity and rhetorical flourish, you have to give the Gold to the NORKs.           

Here’s the official response from the Korean People’s Army (KPA) to the sanctions imposed by South Korean President Lee:

Important notice from the Korean People’s Army [KPA] General Staff: “Shall Smash, Without Mercy, ‘Countermeasures Against the North’ the Traitorous Gang Brought Forth”:

 

In a so-called “address to the people” on 24 May, traitor Lee Myung-bak declared all-out anti-Republic confrontation as a “national policy.” Then, top-level servant bastards of the puppet Ministries of National Defense, Unification, and Foreign Affairs and Trade unanimously began clinging to the realization of an already concocted manuscript of confrontation with fellow countrymen.

 

Such moves by the traitorous gang are acts of complete abrogation of the historic 15 June Joint Declaration, a joint achievement of the nation, and its practical program, the 4 October Declaration, and specially gross criminal acts of driving North-South relations into a state of war.

 

Inasmuch as the traitorous gang has dared to start making a clumsy fire of all-out confrontation against us, the KPA General Staff solemnly notifies that our revolutionary armed forces’ actual important measures  will be taken in response.

 

1. With respect to North-South cooperation and exchange, we will completely withdraw all military assurance measures that our army is supposed to implement.

 

For the present, we will begin reviewing closing the military communications liaison offices in the East and West Sea [Sea of Japan and Yellow Sea] Districts and completely cutting off overland passage related to the Kaeso’ng Industrial Complex.

 

2. Regarding the anti-Republic psychological warfare maneuvers the puppet military is attempting to resume, we will respond mercilessly across the entire front, as the commander of our army front’s central zone has already warned the enemy side.

 

3. [We] will completely nullify the bilateral agreement that was concluded to prevent a contingent clash in the West Sea of Korea.  In connection with this, [we] will completely stop using international maritime ultra-short wave walkie-talkies and will immediately cut off the communication line that was opened to handle an emergency situation.

 

4. An immediate physical strike will be inflicted upon an act of violating our side’s maritime demarcation line in the West Sea of Korea.

 

5. [We] will completely disallow the passage of the traitor gang’s naval vessels, aircraft, and other means of mobility through our territorial waters, territorial air, and territorial land.

 

6. We will strictly ban the traitorous group, including the puppet authorities, from coming in and out of the premises [kyo’ngnae] of our Republic.

 

7.  We will disclose to the end the identity of “the fabricated act” and “the smear act” as long as the act of blocking our National Defense Commission [NDC]’s inspection team continues.

 

The aforementioned measures are our revolutionary armed force’s first-stage response to the reckless anti-Republic confrontational maneuver of the traitorous gang who are confrontational fanatics and flunkeys nation-sellers.

The traitorous gang will fully realize how big a price they will pay for the consequence for having driven the 15 June Joint Declaration and 4 October Declaration to a complete rupture.

 

Yoja of the Week

Ok, back with the YOTW feature after a brief hiatus.  It’s going to be tough to top this video of some fine Korean models over at ROKdrop.  Well, I can’t top it, but let me introduce Ms. Yoon Sun Hee, a popular “racing” model…

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Hot cars and fast women, what’s not to like?

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She could be the girl next door.  Nah, I’ve actually seen the girl who lives next door….

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See guys, she’s got an umbrella.  No need to wear a raincoat…  Yeah, that was bad.  Very bad…

Opinions are like, er well, navels…

…everybody has one.

This guy speculates on what war would like should things take a worse turn here on the Korean peninsula.

A North Korean Attack: Though war would be catastrophic for both countries, South Korea would suffer the most in the first days of a full-scale conflict. Its capital of Seoul lies just 50 miles south of the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) — as big a misnomer as you will find, since the area is one of the most heavily militarized areas on the planet. On this de facto border, North Korea has amassed about 13,000 artillery pieces, rockets, missiles and other ordnance that can reach Seoul in a matter of minutes. Seoul, a city of 1 million, could be flattened; also at risk are the 28,500 American troops stationed in the country. Additionally, North Korea could release its dams and flood much of the South, writes Christopher Hitchens. There’s also its 1.2 million-member army to consider. And were North Korea to deploy nuclear and chemical weapons, the devastation would be much much worse.

Is he wrong?  Well, the fact that he says Seoul has a population of 1 million doesn’t inspire much confidence.  I have probably a million people living in my neighborhood (Seoul has well over 10 million citizens).  Now, Kim Jung-il could certainly rain some fire, death, and destruction down on our heads, but there ain’t no way he could flatten the city (unless his nukes are a lot bigger than what he’s tested thus far).

Still, it wouldn’t be pretty, that’s for sure.  It would also be an act of suicide for Mr. Kim and his regime.  I am of the opinion that Kim may be a maniac, but he’s not stupid.  The big wildcard in all of this will be where China comes down.  I haven’t seen many positive signs in that regard, but I can’t believe having the North initiate a war would be in China’s interests.  And the Chinese are cold, hard calculators who will likely protect their interests by prevailing on the North to back down.

But that’s just one navel gazer’s opinion…

UPDATE: Here’s another opinion perhaps more worthy of consideration.

My affair with Nikki Haley

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Yes, it is true.  I had a torrid love affair with South Carolina gubernatorial candidate Nikki Haley.

My evidence?  Well, I lived in South Carolina at one time.  And I’m a blogger.  And during my recent trip home I was invited to visit the Statehouse grounds to witness Sarah Palin’s endorsement of Ms. Haley (although due to jetlag I didn’t attend).  In fact, since Nikki Haley is not an insomniac, I can irrefutably assert that while I was in the Palmetto state, Nikki and I definitely slept together.

So, I would say my proof is at least as strong as the claims made by “douche bag” Will Folks.  Who, based on this account, is nothing but a man-slut anyway.

What, me worry?

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So, as you may or may not have heard, tensions are rising to a seemingly fever pitch here on the Korean peninsula.  I don’t have any real insights into where this might go, although I obviously am hoping that the heated rhetoric doesn’t morph into artillery rounds raining down on my balding head.

The sinking of the Cheonan in South Korean waters was a bit more than the usual provocation we’ve come to expect from the idiots up North.  And the ROKs are blessed with an impressive leader in President Lee who isn’t going to let this act of war go unpunished.  But other than the sanctions and further isolation of Kim Jung Il and his cohorts, there’s nothing else short of war to be done.  And war would of course be disastrous.

So, Obama has told our military to be ready for any contingency.  Thanks for that advice Mr. President.  It’s kinda sorta what we do here on a daily basis anyway.

North Korea has responded by severing all ties to South.  An act akin to cutting the proverbial nose from your face.  Or more literally, biting the hand that feeds you.
So we shall see where this goes.  I’ve got 97 days left.  Here’s hoping I live that long.

Photographs and memories

So, I was pleasantly surprised to find that my vacation photos had not in fact been lost when I put the memory card in my new camera…

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Southbound from Virginia I received a hearty welcome from NC and a place to answer nature’s call.

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I was rollin’ down the highway in this fine example of American steel–a retro Chrysler 300.

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A fine ride indeed!

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Although she did drink the fuel…thankfully Pedro was waiting for me just South of the Border in SC…

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Picked my son up from work at the radio network and headed out for dinner in Columbia’s upscale Congaree (river) Vista neighborhood.

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Granddaughter Gracyn kept me company at my parent’s house…

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The next morning mom and dad and me and Gracie headed out to the ol’ Cracker Barrel for an American-style breakfast.

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There’s a knack to doing one of those self portraits…one I obviously lack…

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Kevin with the newest addition to the clan, Alexander.  Just turned one year old!

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Proof that Kevin was born lucky–sweetheart Lauren…

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Lauren, mom and Renee…

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Nephew Joshua…

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Me and the kids (proof that I’m lucky too!)

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Lauren and Renee enjoying Sunday brunch at California Dreaming…

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That’s a LG from Korea!

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Ain’t he sweet?

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I really enjoyed the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum at Dulles…

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Ah, give me the days when airlines cared about service…and legroom!

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The long trip across the Pacific makes you wish supersonic transport was still available…if not affordable.

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That reminds me, I still need to post my photos from Pearl Harbor…

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Blackbird singin’ in the dead of night…

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The space shuttle Enterprise never left Earth’s atmosphere, but still impressive…

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It was really great to see old friends Duke and Dave again and to throw some darts like old times.  Duke’s lovely wife Ji Young seems to have put on a little weight though…

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In fact, I do believe she’s even bigger than me these days.  I understand she will be losing the weight in dramatic fashion next week…

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Congrats to Duke and Ji Young on the impending birth of their daughter Kyla Kim.

Looking forward to their visit to Korea in August…

100 days

I’m back in Korea after a long exhausting trip.  Physically and emotionally.

Back for the last 100 days of my life in the Land of the Morning Calm.  And my last hundred days as a working man.

Suffice to say it is all getting real.  Very real.  I don’t think I’m scared, but I’m definitely starting to freak out.

Ah well.  Time marches on.