Happy Lunar New Year!

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Today is the day that Seol-Nal is officially celebrated. It is a 3 day holiday for our Korean employees, and US employees get tomorrow off.

This holiday is a real big deal, most businesses close and lots of people travel out of the city to honor their ancestors. And of course, Koreans are all one year older today!

So, I doubt I will be able to find any collard greens, black-eyed peas, butter beans and cornbread on the menu anywhere, but Happy Lunar New Year to you where ever you may be, and welcome to the year of the Rooster!

Thoughts on the blogging experience

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Ok, a little disclaimer. I admit to keeping an eye on my numbers. And I do like knowing people are coming by for a read and hopefully a comment. I went into this almost two months ago, and I did so with low expectations. But I also knew that if my only readers were family and friends, it would still be a great way to stay in touch and document this period of my life.

And I am having a great time blogging. I post things that I find interesting. Selfish or not, that really is my standard. Obviously, a lot of the stuff I write or link to is not for everyone. So if at times I bore you, I hope I keep things varied enough that you will come back another day. Or not if my view of interesting is something that rarely appeals to you. I don’t know how I would catergorize this blog or its readers, but I appreciate you all. If I attract a larger audience over time that would be great. If it remains just “us”, hey, that’s cool too. Sometimes it’s not the destination that matters, it’s the ride.

So, last week I got linked for the first time by the blogfather himself, Glenn Reynolds of Instapundit fame. It was actually a “sub” link (an update to a previous post, which does not generate the traffic of a “unique” link.) For those who don’t know, Glenn gets 200,000 readers a day on average, I am somewhere just over 100 (a little rodent in ecosystem). Take a look at this chart for an idea of what even a sub link from Glenn will do:

Pretty amazing, huh? Anyway, it is truly an honor to be linked by anyone, whether or not it generates a spike in traffic. It means someone likes something you posted well enough that they are willing to send people your way to check it out. That’s the ultimate compliment in the blog game.

So what I guess I meant to say when I started this post is thank you all. Sincerely.

A portrait in bias

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Today I wanted to briefly share my thoughts on media bias. Not the obvious kind we see from the likes of Dan Rather or Bill Moyers. The examples are countless and displayed on a daily basis, so I’m not going to rant about the liberal slant in the way news is reported. If you haven’t figured that out by now you likely aren’t the type of person who cares about the truth. And if you have, then you have found other resources to fact check what we read in our newspapers.

What is more insidious is the liberal bias in what the MSM chooses to call news, and just as importantly, their bias in what they choose not to report.

Exhibit 1: The media feeding frenzy over the remarks of LT GENERAL James Mattis. Yes, this warrior had the audacity to say killing the bad guys was fun. Every major news organization in the US (and throughout the world) jumped all over this “story”. OK, maybe it was not a delicate or PC thing to say. And maybe the harsh truth of the General’s feelings towards our enemies was shocking to some. Was it news? If so, did it warrant the level of coverage the media devoted to the story?

Exhibit 2: The Eason Jordan affair. “CNN’s top news executive, said last week at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, that the U.S. military had killed a dozen journalists in Iraq, and that they had been deliberately targeted. When challenged, Mr. Jordan could provide no evidence to support the charge, and subsequently lied about having made it, though the record shows he had made a similar charge a few months before, and also earlier had falsely accused the Israeli military of targeting journalists.”

Now that is news. If true, the press should be all over this story. A huge scandal. Mr. Jordan told a conference of world leaders that American soldiers had engaged in the systematic murder of journalists. Where is the outrage? Where are the Congressional investigations? This goes far beyond mere “torture”.

Oh wait a minute. Jordan has no evidence to support his scurrilous claims. And that is news too. Here we have the head of a major news organization disparaging our troops with false accusations, and for over a week the MSM has refused to report the story. As amazing as it is disgusting.

Well, the story will break soon. And I predict Eason Jordan is toast. But if not for the blogosphere, the MSM would have never exposed one of their own.

A soldier says he finds fun in killing the scum we are fighting. The press is outraged. A news executive blantantly lies when he calls our soldiers murderers. *chirp* *chirp* That’s the bias I’m talking about. It is sick and it is wrong.

“Good people sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf.”

A special thanks to some of the many bloggers who have taken the lead to make sure this outrage does not stand:

Captain’s Quarters
PowerLine
LeShawn Barber

Hat Tip to: Cao’s Blog
and Mudville Gazette

cross posted at The Wide Awakes

Super Bowl ads

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Ok, I missed the Super Bowl this year. Came on during working hours here Monday morning, and things are just too busy to get away. Sounds like it was a great game. NIF has kindly posted a link to the commercials so I can keep up with that particular piece of Americana. Haven’t watched them all yet, but I did enjoy the Anheuser-Busch “Thanking the Troops” spot. You can find it (and others) here.

I was at the airport in New Orleans last year and something very similar happened. I remember hearing all the commotion and figured some celebrity had arrived. Then I turned around and saw a small group of soldiers arriving in the terminal. The mixture of astonishment, pride, and happiness on their faces was priceless. It was a great moment.

When Johnny comes marching home again,
Hurrah! Hurrah!
We’ll give him a hearty welcome then,
Hurrah! Hurrah!
The men will cheer, the boys will shout,
The ladies they will all turn out,
And we’ll all feel gay
When Johnny comes marching home.

The old church bells will peal with joy,
Hurrah! Hurrah!
To welcome home our darling boy,
Hurrah! Hurrah!
The village lads and lassies say
With roses they will strew the way,
And we’ll all feel gay
When Johnny comes marching home.

Get ready for the Jubilee,
Hurrah! Hurrah!
We’ll give the hero three times three,
Hurrah! Hurrah!
The laurel wreath is ready now
To place upon his loyal brow,
And we’ll all feel gay
When Johnny comes marching home.

Let love and friendship on that day,
Hurrah! Hurrah!
Their choicest treasures then display,
Hurrah! Hurrah!
And let each one perform some part
To fill with joy the warrior’s heart,
And we’ll all feel gay
When Johnny comes marching home.
—American folk song, circa 1863

Meanwhile, in Afghanistan

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Arthur Chrenkoff has his latest comprehensive report from Afghanistan. Since only bad news is “news” in America, you likely have missed all the good that is being accomplished there. Well, now you can read all about here. Of course my favorite part talks about what our soldiers are up to these days:

THE COALITION TROOPS: Most of the time it’s providing security; often it’s helping to rebuild the country; always it’s an effort to make lives better in many ways, big and small. Recently, the troops have been instrumental in enabling pilgrims from Afghanistan to attend their annual pilgrimage to Mecca: “Scores of commercial flights from four locations in Afghanistan – Kabul, Kandahar, Mazar-e-Sharif and Herat – have been coordinated in some way or another by Air Force, Army and Marine personnel. [Marine Maj. John] Forti said the number of pilgrims processed through the four sites totals 26,387, up by nearly 2,000 from 2004. Some Afghans even came from refugee camps in Pakistan. The U.S. military provided broad assistance, from security and accommodations in Kandahar to fire trucks in Herat.”

The troops are also active in the reconstruction effort. These units have been working throughout the sixteen provinces of eastern Afghanistan:

“While continuing small-scale projects, the command is committed to initiating what [Army Col. Gary] Cheek called ‘capacity-building projects’ — creating road networks, revitalizing downtown areas, establishing irrigation and water systems, and bolstering economic infrastructure. ‘We are working with each of our provincial governors to develop five-year reconstruction plans that will set a course for reconstruction in each province,’ he said. ‘We will also continue to equip and train Afghan police forces to improve the security posture across the region.’

“Since June, Cheek said, eight provincial reconstruction teams within Regional Command East have spent more than $24.8 million on reconstruction projects. These projects have focused on education, water and sanitation, healthcare and governance, he said. They included full renovation of the Ghazni Public Health Directorate Civil Hospital, which serves an estimated 1.5 million people, and the nearly completed Matun electric grid project in Khost province, Cheek said. By late February, the Matun project will provide electricity to some 85,000 residents.

“Other successes included purchasing 110 police vehicles and 7,260 police uniforms, facilitating the first meeting of the Ghazni Women’s Council, and progress in promoting winter wheat and other crops in lieu of poppies.”

Hillary, I know you are out there somewhere doing good things. When you get a minute, write your daddy. We love you and miss you. Be strong, be safe.

Via Vodka Pundit

UPDATE: Carol sent me this picture of Hillary. She was the maid of honor for Ashley’s wedding last August. And deployed to Afghanistan two days later.

Team America: banned in Korea

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In both the North and South parts of the peninsula. But coming soon to a theatre in Czechoslovakia. Seems the folks north of the DMZ believe it hurts the image of that fair paradise. Down here in the south, they don’t want to antagonize a country with 3 million troops stationed near the border. As reported in this press account:

“It harms the image of our country,” the Lidove Noviny daily quoted a North Korean diplomat as saying. “Such behavior is not part of our country’s political culture. Therefore, we want the film to be banned.”

The Czech Foreign Ministy said the film would not be banned in the Czech Republic.

“We told them it’s an unrealistic wish,” ministry spokesman Vit Kolar was quoted as saying. “Obviously, it’s absurd to demand that in a democratic country.”

Let freedom ring, baby. I’m getting the DVD and showing it to ALL my friends here in the ROK (well, I don’t technically have any friends yet, but maybe this DVD will be my entré into polite company). Or not. Who cares, the movie rocks and I am up for a good laugh!

Via The Marmot’s Hole

My haircut

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Ok, some might think that blogging about my haircut is pretty lame. And some might be right. And I am going to do it anyway. Because this is not just your ordinary, run of the mill haircut, this is my first Korean haircut.

It was quite the experience really. The first thing I said was don’t use the shears, just scissors. I may work for the Army, but with all due respect, I don’t have to wear an Army cut and I choose not to do so. So the barber nodded and asked if I wanted the shampoo and massage. I responded confidently “sure”. Now, I am used to having my hair washed prior to the haircut. So when the barber proceeded to cut my hair dry, I figured she had misunderstood my confident “sure” as a declination.

Well, the haircut proceeded in the usual fashion, and she did a nice job clearing the jungle in my ears (shut up!) without my asking. Then she asked if I wanted my moustache trimmed and I said “sure” but with less confidence. Probably should have given a decisive “no” in retrospect, but one thing about hair, it does grow back.

So I figure that’s about it, when another person comes up and loosens my tie and unbuttons my shirt halfway. Puts a towel around my neck and reclines the barber chair so my head is in the sink. Interesting, I did get the shampoo after all (and after the haircut). So, when she is done with my hair, she turns the chair, raises the footrest, and all of the sudden I am prone in the chair, much like my recliner at home.

Next thing I know I have a hot towel on my face, which felt pretty good. Then that towel was removed and a cool towel was placed over my eyes. Then I felt this lotion being rubbed into my face. Not exactly a scent I would have chosen, but I could feel my skin begin to firm up almost immediately (and at my age that is an unusual feeling). While this is going on, another pair of hands starts a gentle pounding on my right calf. And then rubbing my leg (all from the knee down, so get your mind out of the gutter!). Then she moved up to my shoulders and neck. While another pair started in on the right side. Then my arms, hands, and fingers. After that was done, it was another hot rag on the face.

Then came gel in my hair. No blow dry, just slicked it on back. Definitely a new look for me. Needless to say, I left much more relaxed than I came in. And all this for half of what I paid for the standard cut in DC.

So I have now confessed to the fact that I had by my count three pair of female Korean hands on my body today and I don’t feel the least bit guilty about it.

I guess I understand why you ladies enjoy the spa experience so much.

I wonder if my hair will grow faster here. Or maybe I will just go back tomorrow and say “you missed a spot”. (On my head! Y’all have such dirty minds!)

Anyway, that is the story of my first haircut in Korea. I am quite certain you could not possibly have enjoyed it as much as I did!

You go, Condi!

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Our new Secretary of State explains to the Europeans that we are not in fact European.

Money quote:

When Europeans talk of “stability” and “constructive engagement”, what they often mean is doing deals with dictators. A case can, of course, be made for such an approach. But, whatever else it is, it is not ethical. Miss Rice, by contrast, talks without embarrassment about exporting liberty.

“There cannot be an absence of moral content in American foreign policy,” she says. “Europeans giggle at this, but we are not European, we are American, and we have different principles.”

Yes indeed.

Heil Hollywood!

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From the Stockholm Spectator:

“The inked fingers was disgusting,” Air America radio talk show host Janeane Garofalo declared on MSNBC in denouncing Republican lawmakers who, before and after the State of the Union, showed off an inked finger meant to demonstrate solidarity with Iraqi voters who dipped a finger in ink when they voted. To mock the display, Garofalo soon held up her hand in a Nazi salute as she predicted: “The inked fingers and the position of them, which is gonna be a Daily Show photo already, of them signaling in this manner [Nazi salute], as if they have solidarity with the Iraqis who braved physical threats against their lives to vote as if somehow these inked-fingered Republicans have something to do with that.”

I had seen this around the blogosphere and decided to let it pass as the ignorance of our betters in Hollywood. Besides, after the takedown administered by the South Park boys in Team America: World Police (where is that DVD!?) who takes these people seriously anyway? But when I found it linked by an Australian blogger from a Swedish blog, I thought I would share in the world wide mocking by posting this from Korea. Janeane, you rock! I bow before your superior intellect!

See also a funny take from Half-Bakered

And more here
from crosswalk.com

Via Tim Blair

And if you are easily offended by coarse language, don’t read this bit from Team America. Funniest quote from the funniest movie of the year in my opinion:
Continue reading →

Our clueless media

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Jack Kelly’s column in today’s Toledo Blade is a must read. He deftly exposes how the media has been missing the story in Iraq. While incompetence may be factor in that, evidence suggests it is a deliberate slanting of the news by overemphasizing one aspect of the story and ignoring much of what has been and continues to be the real accomplishments of our soldiers in Iraq. As one G.I. put it:

“I’m tired of hearing the crap, the whole, well ‘We are barely hanging on, we’re losing, the insurgency is growing,” Marine Sgt. Kevin Lewis told Dan Rather, in Iraq for the election. “It’s just a small amount of people out there causing the problems. It’s a small number, and we’re killing them.”

The blogosphere has been buzzing for days about Eason Jordan, CNN’s top honcho, who recently accused American troops of deliberately targeting jounalists. Oh, you haven’t heard about this? Understandable if you rely on the MSM as your sole source on news. Well, the story is finally beginning to get some traction, thanks in no small part to bloggers like Ed Morrissey of Captain’s Quarters. I expect you will be hearing more on this, I am just waiting to see how the MSM chooses to spin a documented example of anti-American bias from one of their own.

Here’s what Kelly has to say:

The scandalous remarks of Eason Jordan, CNN’s top news executive, last week at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, and the failure of the major media to report them suggest the distortions are deliberate.

Mr. Jordan told a panel that the U.S. military had killed a dozen journalists in Iraq, and that they had been deliberately targeted. When challenged, Mr. Jordan could provide no evidence to support the charge, and subsequently lied about having made it, though the record shows he had made a similar charge a few months before, and also earlier had falsely accused the Israeli military of targeting journalists.

Mr. Jordan’s slander has created a firestorm in the blogosphere, but has yet to be mentioned in the “mainstream” media.

Gee, I wonder why not.

Yes, I wonder. Let’s see how this plays out in the coming days.

Via Captain’s Quarters

UPDATE: LaShawn Barber has a great round-up and loads of links if you want to read more on the Eason Jordan scandal.

Sunday morning

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I actually slept in this morning. I stayed out on the town last night almost to curfew drinking beer. The matchbooks in my pocket say I visited Gecko’s Bar, Casablanca, and the Oasis. Oh, and I dined at Papa’s, although dining is a bit of stretch. The waitress did not speak English so I pointed at something on the menu. I got a pitcher of beer and a plate of dried fish. What do you expect for 12000 Won, right? Anyway, that’s my excuse for over indulging on the beer and the reason for my sleeping in. I might head back into town this afternoon to check out the shopping. Contrary to appearances, I am not that fond of sitting in bars and drinking alone.

So to catch you up on my adventures since my last report there are only two things worthy of note. On Thursday the Director announced that I would be detailed to the vacant position of Chief, Labor and Performance Management Division. No additional pay, but the duties include supervision of several employees, including Korean nationals. So Friday was my first day as acting Chief and it was hopping. I expect I am going to be much busier in this job, but that is what I prefer. In fact, I had thought about taking Superbowl Monday off so I could watch the game, but that will not be possible now as I have a hot project to finish.

Yesterday I decided on my apartment. In Seoul, there are three basic types of housing. Single family homes (rare and expensive), villas, and high rise condos. A villa is usually in a building that is less than four stories, which is what I have chosen. I’m on the second floor, with a decent view of Itaewon and the surrounding environs. Three bedrooms, two baths, and a decent sized living area with fireplace. I saw places that were newer, had better views, and nicer floor plans, but in the end I went for the convienence of location. I am an easy 20 minute walk from where I’ll be working and right above the main drag in Itaewon where I will have easy access to dining and shopping and yes, bars.

Anyway, I am glad to have finally got my housing situation resolved. I should be moving around the 24th of this month. Of course, I have lots of things to accomplish in the interim, but once I am done with this I should be able to settle in to my new life in Korea and lose this feeling of transience. I confess to feeling quite homesick last night (drinking alone in bars will do that I suppose). Well, my motto is one day at a time. I will not allow myself to dwell on the unknown future, I am going to just make the best of each day and see what I can learn from it. (hell, that’s more of a mantra than a motto, isn’t it?)

Addresses are a funny thing here in Korea. In the States, I live in Stafford. Here I live in a neighborhood, that is part of a community, that is part of a city. So, if I were to tell someone where I am going to be living it would be: Itaewon Dong, Yong San Gu, Seoul.

All right then, that’s the news for now. I have ordered room service breakfast (Warsaw omelette, polish sausage, jack cheese, and mushrooms) which just now arrived. And I have my Sunday edition of Stars and Stripes to read (not exactly the Washington Post, but not bad either). So, I will be back later with hopefully something a little more interesting to share with my loyal readers.

Girl Scouts beware….

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Here’s an amazing little news item. Go read what Chasing the Wind has to say about it.

Me, I am just shaking my head in astonishment that people like this neighbor actually exist. That she was successful in court says more about our litgious society than I care to know. Let’s just pretend it never happened ok?

The world is full of rude awakenings
And heaven-born castles shattered to the ground,
Yet still our human longing vainly clings
To a belief in beauty through all wrongs.
O stay your hand, and leave my heart its songs!
–Amy Lowell (from the poem To a Friend)

American hero

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I have seen this all over the web, so don’t know who to rightly credit. I found it here at The Right Report. I cannot begin to express my admiration for all the men and women who serve in the military. Seeing heroic soldiers like this one fills me with so many emotions, but if I had to pick just one it would be PRIDE.

Meet Marine 1st Sergeant Brad Kasal (in the middle). This photo was taken of 1stSgt. Kasal, whose older brother is a former 82nd Airborne paratrooper serving in Iraq, after the most recent major offensive in Fallujah. 1stSgt. Kasal sacrificed his own safety to save a room full of fellow Marines. Though it is hard to see from the photograph, 1stSgt. Kasal lost most of his lower right leg after taking several AK rounds.

During the encounter, 1stSgt. Kasal took rounds in the back, which were rendered virtually harmless due to his vest armor. However, he took one round through his buttocks, which passed through both cheeks, leaving four holes in him. And amazingly, he also took the brunt of a grenade blast after jumping on top of one of his younger Marine brothers to shield him from the fire.

1stSgt. Kasal killed the terrorist who did most of the damage to him and his men, and despite a massive loss of blood he never stopped fighting. Notice he is still holding his pistol.

1stSgt. Kasal, who has been recommended for a Medal of Honor for his heroism that day, is already the recipient of several Purple Hearts for previous battles throughout his career, and has turned down more so he could remain with his unit. While in the hospital, 1stSgt. Kasal has met President Bush, Donald Rumsfeld, and several other celebrities. He said that Bush came in by himself and had a very long, sincere, and friendly visit with him.

Where do they find young people like this? All over America.

Something else bears do in the woods

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I received this story and photos via email:

The following (first two) pictures are of a guy who works for the US Forest Service in Alaska and his trophy bear. He was out deer hunting last week when a large grizzly bear charged him from about 50 yards away. The guy unloaded his 7 mm Mag Semi-automatic rifle into the bear and it dropped a few feet from him. The big bear was still alive so he reloaded and shot it several times in the head. The bear was just over one thousand six hundred pounds. It stood 12′ 6″ high at the shoulder, 14′ to the top of his head. It’s the largest grizzly bear ever recorded in the world. Of course, the Alaska Fish and Wildlife Commission did not let him keep it as a trophy, but the bear will be stuffed and mounted, and placed on display at the Anchorage airport (to remind tourist’s of the risks involved when in the wild). Based on the contents of the bears stomach, the Fish and Wildlife Commission established the bear had killed at least two humans in the past 72 hours. His last meal was the unlucky nature buff in the third picture below. The US Forest Service, backtracking from where the bear had originated, found the hiker’s 38-caliber pistol emptied. Not far from the pistol was the remains of the hiker. The other body has not been found. Although the hiker fired six shots and managed to hit the grizzly with four shots (they ultimately found four 38 caliber slugs along with twelve 7mm slugs inside the bear’s dead body) it only wounded the bear – and probably angered it. The bear killed the hiker an estimated two days prior to the bear’s own death by the gun of the Forest Service worker. Think about this – If you are an average size man; You would be level with the bear’s belly button when he stood upright, the bear would look you in the eye when it walked on all fours! To give additional perspective, consider that this particular bear, standing on its hind legs, could walk up to an average single story house and look over the roof, or walk up to a two story house and look in the bedroom windows.

Here’s the grizzly post-mortem:

And check out that paw (and claws):

Ok, the last image is of one of the bear’s victims. It is graphic and grotesque. Fair warning, if you have a weak stomach or don’t care to view a mutilated corpse, don’t turn the page….

Continue reading →

Medal of Honor

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I wanted to help get the word out on the story of a true American hero.

Sgt. 1st Class Paul R. Smith, who spent his boyhood in Tampa, became a man in the Army and died outside Baghdad defending his outnumbered soldiers from an Iraqi attack, will receive America’s highest award for bravery.

President Bush will present the Medal of Honor to Smith’s wife, Birgit, and their children Jessica, 18, and David, 10, at a ceremony at the White House, possibly in March.
…
What Paul Smith did on April 4, 2003, was climb aboard an armored vehicle and, manning a heavy machine gun, take it upon himself to cover the withdrawal of his men from a suddenly vulnerable position. Smith was fatally wounded by Iraqi fire, the only American to die in the engagement.

Here’s the link to a great multimedia tribute to Sgt. Smith

Via Blackfive and My Vast Right Wing Conspiracy

Hmmm, I want to believe this is true…

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Your Dominant Intelligence is Linguistic Intelligence


You are excellent with words and language. You explain yourself well.
An elegant speaker, you can converse well with anyone on the fly.
You are also good at remembering information and convicing someone of your point of view.
A master of creative phrasing and unique words, you enjoy expanding your vocabulary.

You would make a fantastic poet, journalist, writer, teacher, lawyer, politician, or translator.

found at Cao’s Blog

What really matters…

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The President said something else tonight:

One name we honor is Marine Corps Sergeant Byron Norwood of Pflugerville, Texas, who was killed during the assault on Fallujah. His mom, Janet, sent me a letter and told me how much Byron loved being a Marine, and how proud he was to be on the front line against terror. She wrote, “When Byron was home the last time, I said that I wanted to protect him like I had since he was born. He just hugged me and said: ‘You’ve done your job, mom. Now it’s my turn to protect you.’” Ladies and gentlemen, with grateful hearts, we honor freedom’s defenders, and our military families, represented here this evening by Sergeant Norwood’s mom and dad, Janet and Bill Norwood.

Then SGT Norwood’s mother hugged the Iraqi woman seated next to the First Lady, and it looked like President Bush was choking back tears.

So am I.

via Does this offend you and Flight Pundit

UPDATE: Here’s the picture:

via Espresso Roast