Both involve Republicans. And one's a biggie, happening not too far from me.
Congressman Duke Cunningham of northern San Diego County, a Vietnam War veteran, has just resigned from his position, charged with taking $2.4 million worth of bribes from defense contractors. He may get up to 10 years in prison.
MSNBC Article
And W is in Tucson, pushing his immigration plan. The guest worker program creates instant supply of slave labor for the corporations, and by limiting the workers to a six-year stay in the US, exploits them without giving them the benefits of the American society in return. I am very sure that for certain nationalities that tend to be pro-Republican and socially conservative, like the Nicaraguans, there are some amnesty and other backroom deals being worked out. I am not liking any of these developments on immigration; neither the guest worker program nor the backroom deals will do ANYTHING to solve the core problems in the US immigration policy.
MSNBC Article
28 November 2005
27 November 2005
A very interesting blog
Looking through my old posts on Fallen Goddess, I found a reply leading me to Angry Asian Man, a blog about Asian-American issues.
I will be linking to this blog from now on. Its contents are pan-Asian and very thought-provoking.
Angry Asian Man
I will be linking to this blog from now on. Its contents are pan-Asian and very thought-provoking.
Angry Asian Man
26 November 2005
British Civil Unions
While my physical presence and mental attention have centered around the Far East this month, the civil union provisions, effectively setting up marriage for gays, will be taking effect, over in the UK next month.
One of my idols, Sir Elton John, will take the vows on December 21, the effective date of the provisions.
Best wishes to him, and may it be a positive influence on the rest of the world, just as the Dutch, Belgian, Spanish, and Canadian legalized gay marriages have already been.
MSN Entertainment Article
One of my idols, Sir Elton John, will take the vows on December 21, the effective date of the provisions.
Best wishes to him, and may it be a positive influence on the rest of the world, just as the Dutch, Belgian, Spanish, and Canadian legalized gay marriages have already been.
MSN Entertainment Article
24 November 2005
Thanksgiving Day
Today is Thanksgiving Day.
I won't be giving thanks in the traditional sense. After all, this holiday is a Pilgrim celebration of surviving a harsh winter in Massachusetts (and according to a few accounts, the massacre of 700 Native American neighbors), and since I have left the Christian faith and see it in contempt now, I want to have nothing to do with it. The whole Pilgrim/Puritan story has been corrupted into an argument for a Christian theocracy in the United States, and that's something I will never stand for.
Renovation of my living quarters means that I certainly won't be cooking/eating a turkey this year.
I can, however, still be grateful for getting to know the folks at Democracy Cell Project in the past year, who have kept my sanity alive, and have proven to be a wonderful group of people when I attended the pro-peace activities in Washington, DC in September. I can also be grateful for a window of business opportunities that sent me to South Korea last week; although it's still a crapshoot at this stage, I do hope it can move me forward in the future - and hopefully have me rewriting history both there and here. And I should never forget the great opportunity and circle of people that my writing life has led to, from my memoir to the all-important novel.
I hope the holiday season, which really takes off tomorrow, will not get the better of me.
I won't be giving thanks in the traditional sense. After all, this holiday is a Pilgrim celebration of surviving a harsh winter in Massachusetts (and according to a few accounts, the massacre of 700 Native American neighbors), and since I have left the Christian faith and see it in contempt now, I want to have nothing to do with it. The whole Pilgrim/Puritan story has been corrupted into an argument for a Christian theocracy in the United States, and that's something I will never stand for.
Renovation of my living quarters means that I certainly won't be cooking/eating a turkey this year.
I can, however, still be grateful for getting to know the folks at Democracy Cell Project in the past year, who have kept my sanity alive, and have proven to be a wonderful group of people when I attended the pro-peace activities in Washington, DC in September. I can also be grateful for a window of business opportunities that sent me to South Korea last week; although it's still a crapshoot at this stage, I do hope it can move me forward in the future - and hopefully have me rewriting history both there and here. And I should never forget the great opportunity and circle of people that my writing life has led to, from my memoir to the all-important novel.
I hope the holiday season, which really takes off tomorrow, will not get the better of me.
21 November 2005
Engineers and Marketers Screw Up, Workers Pay
Or so says General Motors, which has just announced a 30,000-worker layoff today.
American cars have lost a LOT of ground, as I found out during my visit to South Korea last week. In the old days, the Korean rich dreamt of getting big, cushy American cars, like Cadillacs. Now, the average luxury import on the streets of Seoul is more likely to be a BMW or a Lexus, and a Cadillac is a truly rare sight. (The Korean Highway Patrol seems to have a penchant for the Ford Taurus, but that's an exception rather than the rule.) And the Koreans have developed their own automotive industry that is now pummeling GM and Ford, right at home in the United States.
Given the marketers' crummy badge engineering, where a Cadillac is little more than a glorified Chevrolet, and the shoddy cost-cutting engineering, there are very few American cars worth buying today. And the assembly line workers end up paying the price. This is not right.
Of course, it can be argued that unionized American assembly line workers add too much to the overhead. But it reveals a further flaw in current American society; healthcare and other benefits have become prohibitively expensive, thanks to the greedy insurers. A reform of the healthcare system is seriously needed, as it is hurting employees, employers, and the entire American economy.
MSNBC Article
American cars have lost a LOT of ground, as I found out during my visit to South Korea last week. In the old days, the Korean rich dreamt of getting big, cushy American cars, like Cadillacs. Now, the average luxury import on the streets of Seoul is more likely to be a BMW or a Lexus, and a Cadillac is a truly rare sight. (The Korean Highway Patrol seems to have a penchant for the Ford Taurus, but that's an exception rather than the rule.) And the Koreans have developed their own automotive industry that is now pummeling GM and Ford, right at home in the United States.
Given the marketers' crummy badge engineering, where a Cadillac is little more than a glorified Chevrolet, and the shoddy cost-cutting engineering, there are very few American cars worth buying today. And the assembly line workers end up paying the price. This is not right.
Of course, it can be argued that unionized American assembly line workers add too much to the overhead. But it reveals a further flaw in current American society; healthcare and other benefits have become prohibitively expensive, thanks to the greedy insurers. A reform of the healthcare system is seriously needed, as it is hurting employees, employers, and the entire American economy.
MSNBC Article
20 November 2005
19 November 2005
Final Post from Korea
I am at Incheon Airport's departure lounge. It's still a bit early, and my flight to Los Angeles is not at the gate yet.
Both my carry-on and checked baggage were hand-searched today. It seems that all US-bound passengers are being hand-searched today.
It was a very crazy week here in Korea. I got a mixed signal out of my visit. Some aspects of the Korean society and life, like the advanced telecommunications technologies and the transportation system, impressed me. Others, like the backward social customs, still keep me restrained and less than free.
I enjoyed re-tracing my steps of my childhood, and discovering new hangouts.
Most importantly, I have new business ideas that I hope will be of use back in the United States. I hope to make the business successful so that I can make many more trips back here. But more importantly, I want it to give me the freedom that I desperately need, as well as my identity back. Again, I look forward to being one of Seoul's numerous plaid skirts in the future.
Both my carry-on and checked baggage were hand-searched today. It seems that all US-bound passengers are being hand-searched today.
It was a very crazy week here in Korea. I got a mixed signal out of my visit. Some aspects of the Korean society and life, like the advanced telecommunications technologies and the transportation system, impressed me. Others, like the backward social customs, still keep me restrained and less than free.
I enjoyed re-tracing my steps of my childhood, and discovering new hangouts.
Most importantly, I have new business ideas that I hope will be of use back in the United States. I hope to make the business successful so that I can make many more trips back here. But more importantly, I want it to give me the freedom that I desperately need, as well as my identity back. Again, I look forward to being one of Seoul's numerous plaid skirts in the future.
Wrapping up my stay in Korea
I'm enjoying a laid-back Sunday morning. My flight leaves late afternoon, so I will need to start heading for the airport in a few hours.
I've just spent time with a cousin talking about various things, especially those related to computer games. He complained that the Chinese hackers were breaking into online games meant only for Korean nationals, and creating all sorts of problems. He also told me that he was fed up with the "homos" who were increasingly visible in the Korean society (he doesn't know anything about my own issues).
I told him that being different - be it Chinese or gay - is NOT a bad thing, and that the citizens of a truly advanced, civilized society is able to digest those differences well. And I told him that this is precisely what the Koreans lack; they cannot tolerate differences. There is a reason why Korean cities do not have sizable Chinatowns anymore, as the Chinese in Korea have been forced to assimilate (like my mother) as Koreans and lose their Chinese identities, or move on to a more tolerant society like the US or Canada. I finally told him that the Koreans should consider running online games open to non-Koreans, so that the Chinese hackers will have less incentives to hack - and a foreigner like me would be able to log on too. (Considering that the Koreans have the best online games in the world, they should really open up to foreigners.)
This is a reminder that as I keep returning to Korea for my business opportunities, I will run into lots of obstacles. This is a society that cannot tolerate differences well, even differences that are innate and unchangeable in character. And this is something the progressive community back in the United States should remember as well, as they deal with the Korean-American community and its xenophobia, racism, and homophobia.
I've just spent time with a cousin talking about various things, especially those related to computer games. He complained that the Chinese hackers were breaking into online games meant only for Korean nationals, and creating all sorts of problems. He also told me that he was fed up with the "homos" who were increasingly visible in the Korean society (he doesn't know anything about my own issues).
I told him that being different - be it Chinese or gay - is NOT a bad thing, and that the citizens of a truly advanced, civilized society is able to digest those differences well. And I told him that this is precisely what the Koreans lack; they cannot tolerate differences. There is a reason why Korean cities do not have sizable Chinatowns anymore, as the Chinese in Korea have been forced to assimilate (like my mother) as Koreans and lose their Chinese identities, or move on to a more tolerant society like the US or Canada. I finally told him that the Koreans should consider running online games open to non-Koreans, so that the Chinese hackers will have less incentives to hack - and a foreigner like me would be able to log on too. (Considering that the Koreans have the best online games in the world, they should really open up to foreigners.)
This is a reminder that as I keep returning to Korea for my business opportunities, I will run into lots of obstacles. This is a society that cannot tolerate differences well, even differences that are innate and unchangeable in character. And this is something the progressive community back in the United States should remember as well, as they deal with the Korean-American community and its xenophobia, racism, and homophobia.
More Images from Seoul
While the corruption continues back in the United States - an attempt by Rep. Murtha (D-PA) to immediately set up a withdrawal timeline from Iraq was shot down in Congress - I am, still for now, away from all that mess, enjoying myself in Seoul. As long as I don't watch APEC-related news and its inevitable focus on W, I am okay - for the most part.
Here are some more images from my day in Seoul. I was visiting downtown and a few other areas to re-visit my old hangouts, find new hangouts, and visit places relevant to my novel, Perfect Girl. The novel-related pictures have been uploaded to the novel blog.
The National Medical Center is located near the old city's East Gate (Dongdaemun). It is noteworthy as my birthplace - and also where I returned throughout my childhood for regular checkups.
Walking from the National Medical Center past a row of Cyrillic signs, I came to this noodle house, serving North Korean cold buckwheat noodles (naengmyon). The place is called Hungnam House; Hungnam is the port for the North Korean city of Hamhung. Founded in 1953, this place is extremely popular with North Korean refugees and their descendents. I was a regular here too as a child, but was unsuccessful tracking this place down on my own until last year. I had my lunch here today.
The United States Army Corps of Engineers maintains the Far East District, which serves US military and civilian installations throughout South Korea. The red building in the center is one of the buildings of the Far East District headquarters, located next to the National Medical Center. Security is tight here, as is the case at all US facilities throughout South Korea.
Cheonggye Cheon (Creek) flows east through the heart of downtown Seoul. In a sign of progress, the heavily polluted creek was paved over in 1959, and a wide boulevard and an elevated highway were built over it. In a sign of further progress, the boulevard and the elevated highway were demolished, and the creek cleaned up and restored, in the past few years; the work was finished on October 1, 2005.
I headed over to the Insa-dong Antique District to explore places I mention in my novel. I ran across this woman doing on-the-spot calligraphy. She was writing what she called "butterfly letters."
Heading south across the Han River, I visited the Rodeo Street in Apgujeong-Dong district. There were lots of boutiques, restaurants, and such, allowing me to experience the cutting edge in Korean fashion. Too bad I did not have the "proper" presentation; I was badly wishing to be one of the numerous plaid skirts that line the streets of Seoul these days.
The feeling only intensified as I moved on, returning to Jamsil to visit the Lotte Department Store there and see the latest Korean and foreign fashions. It felt so bad to see a MAC Cosmetics counter there and NOT be able to get a makeover this time!
Jamsil's Lotte Department Store is part of Lotte World, a giant complex including a hotel, a shopping mall, and the world's largest indoor amusement park. I went to Lotte World's skating rink and found this band playing Christmas carols. The numbers were mostly traditional, but also included Mariah Carey's "All I Want for Christmas Is You," a very appropriate number, as back in 1994, I had spent a lot of time here at Lotte World listening to Mariah Carey - and lived to tell Mariah herself about it when I met her later that year.
This is it. Maybe I'll log on from Incheon Airport one more time tomorrow, but this wraps up my Korean itinerary as I return to California tomorrow.
Here are some more images from my day in Seoul. I was visiting downtown and a few other areas to re-visit my old hangouts, find new hangouts, and visit places relevant to my novel, Perfect Girl. The novel-related pictures have been uploaded to the novel blog.
The National Medical Center is located near the old city's East Gate (Dongdaemun). It is noteworthy as my birthplace - and also where I returned throughout my childhood for regular checkups.
Walking from the National Medical Center past a row of Cyrillic signs, I came to this noodle house, serving North Korean cold buckwheat noodles (naengmyon). The place is called Hungnam House; Hungnam is the port for the North Korean city of Hamhung. Founded in 1953, this place is extremely popular with North Korean refugees and their descendents. I was a regular here too as a child, but was unsuccessful tracking this place down on my own until last year. I had my lunch here today.
The United States Army Corps of Engineers maintains the Far East District, which serves US military and civilian installations throughout South Korea. The red building in the center is one of the buildings of the Far East District headquarters, located next to the National Medical Center. Security is tight here, as is the case at all US facilities throughout South Korea.
Cheonggye Cheon (Creek) flows east through the heart of downtown Seoul. In a sign of progress, the heavily polluted creek was paved over in 1959, and a wide boulevard and an elevated highway were built over it. In a sign of further progress, the boulevard and the elevated highway were demolished, and the creek cleaned up and restored, in the past few years; the work was finished on October 1, 2005.
I headed over to the Insa-dong Antique District to explore places I mention in my novel. I ran across this woman doing on-the-spot calligraphy. She was writing what she called "butterfly letters."
Heading south across the Han River, I visited the Rodeo Street in Apgujeong-Dong district. There were lots of boutiques, restaurants, and such, allowing me to experience the cutting edge in Korean fashion. Too bad I did not have the "proper" presentation; I was badly wishing to be one of the numerous plaid skirts that line the streets of Seoul these days.The feeling only intensified as I moved on, returning to Jamsil to visit the Lotte Department Store there and see the latest Korean and foreign fashions. It felt so bad to see a MAC Cosmetics counter there and NOT be able to get a makeover this time!
Jamsil's Lotte Department Store is part of Lotte World, a giant complex including a hotel, a shopping mall, and the world's largest indoor amusement park. I went to Lotte World's skating rink and found this band playing Christmas carols. The numbers were mostly traditional, but also included Mariah Carey's "All I Want for Christmas Is You," a very appropriate number, as back in 1994, I had spent a lot of time here at Lotte World listening to Mariah Carey - and lived to tell Mariah herself about it when I met her later that year.This is it. Maybe I'll log on from Incheon Airport one more time tomorrow, but this wraps up my Korean itinerary as I return to California tomorrow.
18 November 2005
Update
I have left Seoul for the suburban city of Seongnam, the birthplace of South Korea's most famous transgender woman, entertainer Harisu. At my current place, there is a WiFi hotspot near enough that I get a weak but usable signal, allowing me to log on the Internet without having to haul my laptop all over the city. I love the privacy.
I've been tuning into KBS News. With the APEC summit being a great opportunity for South Korea and its corporations to show themselves off to the world, the anti-APEC summit protesters are looking like pests to them, and KBS News's attitude shows it. This is despite the fact that APEC's libertarian philosophy is not necessarily beneficial for the poorer members. Let's remember that South Korea's own automotive industry would not have taken off in a "free trade" environment; only by banning all imports for a while, and keeping Japanese imports banned for a bit longer, did the Korean automakers get enough of a volume to get the momentum rolling for more research and development, and eventually better cars that can survive a free trade environment.
The other major news item worries me a bit, as Asiana Airlines had three of its six Boeing 777s develop malfunctions simultaneously. Although I am flying a 747 back to Los Angeles, this may reveal a flaw in Asiana's maintenance regimen, which will be bad news. I'm already avoiding Korean Air like a plague because of safety issues, and if I have to ditch Asiana, I'll have no choice but to put up with United and its inferior service and inconvenient schedule the next time I return to Seoul.
I'll look forward to one more full day here in Korea, as I wrap up by making a day trip back to Seoul and spending time in the downtown area, again retracing my old steps.
I've been tuning into KBS News. With the APEC summit being a great opportunity for South Korea and its corporations to show themselves off to the world, the anti-APEC summit protesters are looking like pests to them, and KBS News's attitude shows it. This is despite the fact that APEC's libertarian philosophy is not necessarily beneficial for the poorer members. Let's remember that South Korea's own automotive industry would not have taken off in a "free trade" environment; only by banning all imports for a while, and keeping Japanese imports banned for a bit longer, did the Korean automakers get enough of a volume to get the momentum rolling for more research and development, and eventually better cars that can survive a free trade environment.
The other major news item worries me a bit, as Asiana Airlines had three of its six Boeing 777s develop malfunctions simultaneously. Although I am flying a 747 back to Los Angeles, this may reveal a flaw in Asiana's maintenance regimen, which will be bad news. I'm already avoiding Korean Air like a plague because of safety issues, and if I have to ditch Asiana, I'll have no choice but to put up with United and its inferior service and inconvenient schedule the next time I return to Seoul.
I'll look forward to one more full day here in Korea, as I wrap up by making a day trip back to Seoul and spending time in the downtown area, again retracing my old steps.
Images of Busan
Here are some images from my trip to South Korea's No. 2 city, Busan (Pusan).
My bullet train is speeding at 294.7 kilometers per hour just south of Seoul. Eventually I hit 301 km/h. By comparison, Amtrak Acela only hits 200 km/h.
This banner at Busan Station commemorates the Asia Pacific Economic Council summit, in session in Busan. In fact, while I was speeding to Busan, W was having a summit with the South Korean president in nearby Gyeongju.
The distant Haeundae Beach resort area is seen from the beautiful Taejongdae headlands.
Yongdusan, or Dragon Head Mountain, is a hill in downtown Busan. It's crowned by the observation tower which rises 130 meters. I went in there.
At the foot of the tower, there was a Korean cultural festival going on, for visitors on APEC business.
Downtown Busan and the city's gigantic port, as seen from the tower.
The Jagalchi fish market, seen from the tower.
This memorial, at the entryway to the only United Nations cemetery in the world, recognizes the contributions of sixteen of UN's member nations, including the US and the UK, in protecting South Korea's sovereignty during the Korean War.
This plaque is in the Nampo-Dong District at the Busan Cinema, where the annual Pusan International Film Festival (PIFF), now a major cinematic event in Asia, is held.
My bullet train is speeding at 294.7 kilometers per hour just south of Seoul. Eventually I hit 301 km/h. By comparison, Amtrak Acela only hits 200 km/h.
This banner at Busan Station commemorates the Asia Pacific Economic Council summit, in session in Busan. In fact, while I was speeding to Busan, W was having a summit with the South Korean president in nearby Gyeongju.
The distant Haeundae Beach resort area is seen from the beautiful Taejongdae headlands.
Yongdusan, or Dragon Head Mountain, is a hill in downtown Busan. It's crowned by the observation tower which rises 130 meters. I went in there.
At the foot of the tower, there was a Korean cultural festival going on, for visitors on APEC business.
Downtown Busan and the city's gigantic port, as seen from the tower.
The Jagalchi fish market, seen from the tower.
This memorial, at the entryway to the only United Nations cemetery in the world, recognizes the contributions of sixteen of UN's member nations, including the US and the UK, in protecting South Korea's sovereignty during the Korean War.
This plaque is in the Nampo-Dong District at the Busan Cinema, where the annual Pusan International Film Festival (PIFF), now a major cinematic event in Asia, is held.
17 November 2005
Some Thoughts from Busan
Just a few hours ago, I returned from an all-day trip to Busan. I didn't get as much sightseeing done as I had hoped, due to W being in town and closing up some attractions; nevertheless, I was able to make some observations.
As I boarded the train in Seoul, the train's television screens reported that John Bolton, the US ambassador to the UN, is suggesting an organization to replace the United Nations. This is absolutely disgusting. Because the UN is not going along with the US's ridiculous war plans and cowboy diplomacy, Bolton is going to work on an organization that will cower before him. No wonder the entire world hates the US. Here in South Korea, the UN was instrumental in helping the US defend South Korea from the Communists during the Korean War, and even the conservatives who would rather turn South Korea into the 51st State than put up with the current left-wing regime agree that the UN is a valuable organization and not to be messed with.
Once in Busan, the Railway Workers' Union had banners alerting me that the female workers of the KTX bullet train service were all underpaid temps, and that they had neither the pay, the job security, nor the benefits of their male counterparts as a result. On my way back to Seoul, I noticed female attendants wearing subtle red ribbons on their chests announcing the same. I guess South Korea is the only country advanced enough to run bullet trains AND primitive enough to discriminate workers on the basis of sex.
A sign at a women's restroom in Busan, warning "men" not to enter or risk a misdemeanor charge, seemed to be targeted less at voyeuristic men, and more at people like me, and that made me feel uncomfortable. Busan may look like San Francisco in its geography and its large foreigner population, but it does not have San Francisco's progressivism.
I've run into a few lunatic Christian missionaries screaming "The Apocalypse is coming! All disasters are God's wrath! Repent and believe in Jesus to save yourself!" in Busan. I'm still incensed at them, since I come from a country, the United States, where their ilk has done severe damage to the society and the economy. It didn't help that I was thinking of their figurehead, W, being in Busan as I was visiting.
While riding the Busan Subway, I was given a bilingual (Korean/English) flyer, produced by a pro-labor organization, regarding Samsung's foul practices. It described Samsung as a neoliberal (read: libertarian) evil empire hell-bent on gaining political influence in the South Korean government, rewriting laws in its favor, replacing South Korea's national health system with its own, and quashing any attempts by its employees to organize. To think about it, I've heard about union activities at other large Korean companies like LG, Daewoo, Hyundai, Hanjin (Korean Air), and Kumho (Asiana Airlines), but never at Samsung. There indeed has been a major scandal in South Korean politics, dubbed the X-Files, where Samsung officials have been implicated. And it is alleged that Samsung is using Wal-Mart like tactics to crush any attempts by workers to organize. I'll check with other sources to verify these allegations, but it appears that Samsung seems to be a really bad corporate citizen and an enemy of the average Joe, up there with Japan's Toyota. One could argue that Samsung's products are competitive, but the truth is that Samsung is good only at manufacturing, and not good at R&D and engineering, even today.
Many thoughts as I made the trip to Busan and back to Seoul. I am wondering if the Korean society, which has not been kind to the female railroad workers and Samsung employees, has room for the likes of me to fluorish in business, or if I am just wasting my time here and should start looking at other countries. Even with all the wireless Internet hotspots, the bullet trains, and other modern conveniences, I still see primitive customs still persisting, and that may hurt me in a big way.
As I boarded the train in Seoul, the train's television screens reported that John Bolton, the US ambassador to the UN, is suggesting an organization to replace the United Nations. This is absolutely disgusting. Because the UN is not going along with the US's ridiculous war plans and cowboy diplomacy, Bolton is going to work on an organization that will cower before him. No wonder the entire world hates the US. Here in South Korea, the UN was instrumental in helping the US defend South Korea from the Communists during the Korean War, and even the conservatives who would rather turn South Korea into the 51st State than put up with the current left-wing regime agree that the UN is a valuable organization and not to be messed with.
Once in Busan, the Railway Workers' Union had banners alerting me that the female workers of the KTX bullet train service were all underpaid temps, and that they had neither the pay, the job security, nor the benefits of their male counterparts as a result. On my way back to Seoul, I noticed female attendants wearing subtle red ribbons on their chests announcing the same. I guess South Korea is the only country advanced enough to run bullet trains AND primitive enough to discriminate workers on the basis of sex.
A sign at a women's restroom in Busan, warning "men" not to enter or risk a misdemeanor charge, seemed to be targeted less at voyeuristic men, and more at people like me, and that made me feel uncomfortable. Busan may look like San Francisco in its geography and its large foreigner population, but it does not have San Francisco's progressivism.
I've run into a few lunatic Christian missionaries screaming "The Apocalypse is coming! All disasters are God's wrath! Repent and believe in Jesus to save yourself!" in Busan. I'm still incensed at them, since I come from a country, the United States, where their ilk has done severe damage to the society and the economy. It didn't help that I was thinking of their figurehead, W, being in Busan as I was visiting.
While riding the Busan Subway, I was given a bilingual (Korean/English) flyer, produced by a pro-labor organization, regarding Samsung's foul practices. It described Samsung as a neoliberal (read: libertarian) evil empire hell-bent on gaining political influence in the South Korean government, rewriting laws in its favor, replacing South Korea's national health system with its own, and quashing any attempts by its employees to organize. To think about it, I've heard about union activities at other large Korean companies like LG, Daewoo, Hyundai, Hanjin (Korean Air), and Kumho (Asiana Airlines), but never at Samsung. There indeed has been a major scandal in South Korean politics, dubbed the X-Files, where Samsung officials have been implicated. And it is alleged that Samsung is using Wal-Mart like tactics to crush any attempts by workers to organize. I'll check with other sources to verify these allegations, but it appears that Samsung seems to be a really bad corporate citizen and an enemy of the average Joe, up there with Japan's Toyota. One could argue that Samsung's products are competitive, but the truth is that Samsung is good only at manufacturing, and not good at R&D and engineering, even today.
Many thoughts as I made the trip to Busan and back to Seoul. I am wondering if the Korean society, which has not been kind to the female railroad workers and Samsung employees, has room for the likes of me to fluorish in business, or if I am just wasting my time here and should start looking at other countries. Even with all the wireless Internet hotspots, the bullet trains, and other modern conveniences, I still see primitive customs still persisting, and that may hurt me in a big way.
15 November 2005
Looking Back to the US from Abroad
It's early Wednesday morning, but by the time this post actually makes it to the blog, it'll be Friday the 18th. I will be taking a long bus ride to Jinju, on the Korean peninsula's south coast, today, as part of my business, followed by a train trip to Busan, the nation's No. 2 city and also on the south coast, tomorrow for sightseeing. And I have no intention of hauling around my laptop to log on to the Net today and tomorrow. With W arriving in Busan anytime now, security will be super tight, and every cop will want to inspect my belongings and check my passport.
It is so nice to be away from the ugly mess back home in the United States. Based on the news I am picking up, Pat Robertson seems to be glad that his God punished New Orleans with Katrina because of Ellen DeGeneres hosting one of the Mardi Gras festivals, and is warning the city to replace her with a heterosexual host, or face even more wrath. It is amazing that this guy continues to be taken seriously by the American media and people; even here in Korea, with its large population of evangelical Christians, Robertson would be considered insane by the vast majority of the people, and few would sympathize with him.
Supreme Court nominee Samuel Alito seems very proud of his anti-choice record, which is just as disturbing a news to hear.
But for now, I've been feeding the folks at Democracy Cell Project, and its blog, with the observations I make about the Korean society, and what America can learn out of it, particularly in the light of Korea's past fascist regimes and the recent democratization. And I've been getting my news primarily from Korean Broadcasting System (KBS); though KBS is owned by the government (collecting television license fees as a result, like the BBC in the UK), and often reflects the current regime's bias, it is far fairer than the corporate media (especially Fox News) back in America. Korean speakers can tune into other media here, like MBC and YTN, for even more viewpoints. In any case, it is so refreshing to be away from the likes of Pat Robertson and Samuel Alito.
And contrary to what the American media would like people to believe, I am not feeling much in the way of anti-Americanism. Granted, W is not welcome here. But start talking about Britney Spears (even though she supported W) or Mariah Carey, and the Koreans light up.
Last, but not the least, Korea Telecom (KT) seems to be allowing me to access just about anything on the Net, including lesbian and transgender websites. Granted, my username is only temporary (good for 24 hours only, off of the prepaid cards) so KT can't identify me personally, but it's still nice to know that the censors are no longer shutting me up unlike the way they supposedly would've done just a few years ago. If I were a Korean with a normal KT account (and KT had my National ID number as a result), I would worry a bit more though.
It is so nice to be away from the ugly mess back home in the United States. Based on the news I am picking up, Pat Robertson seems to be glad that his God punished New Orleans with Katrina because of Ellen DeGeneres hosting one of the Mardi Gras festivals, and is warning the city to replace her with a heterosexual host, or face even more wrath. It is amazing that this guy continues to be taken seriously by the American media and people; even here in Korea, with its large population of evangelical Christians, Robertson would be considered insane by the vast majority of the people, and few would sympathize with him.
Supreme Court nominee Samuel Alito seems very proud of his anti-choice record, which is just as disturbing a news to hear.
But for now, I've been feeding the folks at Democracy Cell Project, and its blog, with the observations I make about the Korean society, and what America can learn out of it, particularly in the light of Korea's past fascist regimes and the recent democratization. And I've been getting my news primarily from Korean Broadcasting System (KBS); though KBS is owned by the government (collecting television license fees as a result, like the BBC in the UK), and often reflects the current regime's bias, it is far fairer than the corporate media (especially Fox News) back in America. Korean speakers can tune into other media here, like MBC and YTN, for even more viewpoints. In any case, it is so refreshing to be away from the likes of Pat Robertson and Samuel Alito.
And contrary to what the American media would like people to believe, I am not feeling much in the way of anti-Americanism. Granted, W is not welcome here. But start talking about Britney Spears (even though she supported W) or Mariah Carey, and the Koreans light up.
Last, but not the least, Korea Telecom (KT) seems to be allowing me to access just about anything on the Net, including lesbian and transgender websites. Granted, my username is only temporary (good for 24 hours only, off of the prepaid cards) so KT can't identify me personally, but it's still nice to know that the censors are no longer shutting me up unlike the way they supposedly would've done just a few years ago. If I were a Korean with a normal KT account (and KT had my National ID number as a result), I would worry a bit more though.
13 November 2005
Next step
Now that I am done with Jamsil, I will move to nearby Songpa, where I spent the rest of my childhood before moving on to Los Angeles.
Reporting from Jamsil
I have decided that the pictures of my past will be hosted here at my main blog, instead of my other blog, which will concentrate on my novel and not my memoir.
Moments ago, I have just taken some pictures of my former hangouts in the Jamsil district of Seoul.
Jamsil was a very important part of Seoul in the 1980s, developed virtually overnight from silkworm farms to the host of the 1988 Summer Olympic Games. (Don't ask me how South Korea's fascist dictatorship got it right after a Tian An Men-style massacre.) There are many Olympic facilities scattered throughout the district. And this is where, in the early 1980s, I grew up and started schooling.
The green sign to the right reads "Seoul Shincheon Elementary School." This is where I went to kindergarten and the first few years of elementary school. The kindergarten bungalow is no more though...
Nearby is this apartment building, where I lived. Part of Jamsil Apartment Complex 5th Phase, it may be torn down and rebuilt like the first four phases (which, unlike the 5th phase, were coal-heated 5-story ancient buildings with no elevators). Speaking of the five phases of the complex, I also lived in the now-demolished 2nd and 3rd phases, but was too young to remember anything.
Not too far away is the Jamsil Olympic Stadium, which hosted the 24th Summer Olympic Games in 1988. I was off to Los Angeles already by then.
Earlier today, I was in downtown Seoul, in the Myongdong shopping district, where I took many trips as a child, while living in Jamsil.
This is the main drag in Myongdong.
This Baskin-Robbins store used to be a bakery called Cake Parlor, and that's how I will always remember it. My mother was a regular there.
And a bonus picture...
An Asiana 747 sits in Los Angeles on Saturday the 12th, preparing to bring me to Seoul.
Moments ago, I have just taken some pictures of my former hangouts in the Jamsil district of Seoul.
Jamsil was a very important part of Seoul in the 1980s, developed virtually overnight from silkworm farms to the host of the 1988 Summer Olympic Games. (Don't ask me how South Korea's fascist dictatorship got it right after a Tian An Men-style massacre.) There are many Olympic facilities scattered throughout the district. And this is where, in the early 1980s, I grew up and started schooling.
The green sign to the right reads "Seoul Shincheon Elementary School." This is where I went to kindergarten and the first few years of elementary school. The kindergarten bungalow is no more though...
Nearby is this apartment building, where I lived. Part of Jamsil Apartment Complex 5th Phase, it may be torn down and rebuilt like the first four phases (which, unlike the 5th phase, were coal-heated 5-story ancient buildings with no elevators). Speaking of the five phases of the complex, I also lived in the now-demolished 2nd and 3rd phases, but was too young to remember anything.
Not too far away is the Jamsil Olympic Stadium, which hosted the 24th Summer Olympic Games in 1988. I was off to Los Angeles already by then.Earlier today, I was in downtown Seoul, in the Myongdong shopping district, where I took many trips as a child, while living in Jamsil.
This is the main drag in Myongdong.
This Baskin-Robbins store used to be a bakery called Cake Parlor, and that's how I will always remember it. My mother was a regular there.And a bonus picture...
An Asiana 747 sits in Los Angeles on Saturday the 12th, preparing to bring me to Seoul.
Papers Please
Getting prepaid WiFi access cards turned out to be a bureaucratic mess. I tried in vain to get WiFi cards within Seoul; I was eventually forced to return to Incheon Airport, where I am now, to buy the cards.
Due to the APEC summit in Busan this week, the entire nation is in high security mode. I had to show my passport to armed troopers just to enter the airport.
The requirement to use a National ID number for everything, combined with having to show an ID just to enter a facility, makes life a hassle here. It makes South Korea's outstanding WiFi network unavailable to many foreigners, particularly those unlucky enough to land late like I did last night. Moreover, the birthdate and gender information plainly embedded in Korean National IDs gives away information I wouldn't want others to have about me (especially gender). And it's probably a good thing that I am not in my "proper" female presentation right now, because I had been forced to give up the IDs to back them up, and cannot prove my identity in a "Papers Please" society like South Korea.
FYI, I have been to other nations where the law requires carrying a National ID card. But none of them actually went as far as requiring me to actually show an ID just to stroll around or do basic stuff.
I am afraid that the Real ID Act will cause the United States to fall into the same crap. And given the fascist tendencies of the US government right now, that's a scary proposition.
Due to the APEC summit in Busan this week, the entire nation is in high security mode. I had to show my passport to armed troopers just to enter the airport.
The requirement to use a National ID number for everything, combined with having to show an ID just to enter a facility, makes life a hassle here. It makes South Korea's outstanding WiFi network unavailable to many foreigners, particularly those unlucky enough to land late like I did last night. Moreover, the birthdate and gender information plainly embedded in Korean National IDs gives away information I wouldn't want others to have about me (especially gender). And it's probably a good thing that I am not in my "proper" female presentation right now, because I had been forced to give up the IDs to back them up, and cannot prove my identity in a "Papers Please" society like South Korea.
FYI, I have been to other nations where the law requires carrying a National ID card. But none of them actually went as far as requiring me to actually show an ID just to stroll around or do basic stuff.
I am afraid that the Real ID Act will cause the United States to fall into the same crap. And given the fascist tendencies of the US government right now, that's a scary proposition.
First Post from Seoul
After a whopping 13-hour flight, I arrived in Seoul. I am now writing from an apartment next to the former US Army Base in Yongsan, with a picturesque view of the Han River to the south, and the stunning lights of Namsan Tower to the north. Beyond Namsan Tower would be downtown.
Asiana Airlines was impressive, even more so than when I last flew with them 3 years ago. It appears that its service level has gone up since joining Star Alliance, with printed menus and shrimp sushis even in economy class, not to mention super-attentive flight attendants. The 747 I flew on today was the exact same example I flew on for my very first Asiana experience 3 years ago, and I was pleasantly surprised to find that it had been completely refurbished during that time. (Upon arrival at Incheon Airport, it parked between two other Asiana planes I flew 3 years ago - the 747 that took me back to Los Angeles, and the 777 that took me to Beijing.) With such great service and attention to detail, Asiana is worth the $200-300 premium over the inferior service provided by United and Northwest, with their underpaid flight attendants and crummy infrastructure. Instead of cutting corners and digging themselves deeper into their graves, the US airlines should consider some well-placed investments in service quality. And yes, since Asiana is part of Star Alliance, I still get United miles for my flight today.
Tonight was also my first arrival into Seoul at night - at least the first one in at least a decade. The city lighting is very impressive outside; now, the bridges of the Han River are spectacularly lit too. Seoul keeps getting more and more modern and impressive with each return visit I make here. The economy is supposedly stagnant, with serious unemployment problem, but it's still showing solid growth, thanks to all the high-tech products the major corporations and small businesses here now crank out - and I am here to acquaint myself with these technologies. How things have changed over a generation! A generation ago, Koreans had to travel to America for the state of the art, and now, it's the other way. The US is still socially more progressive, but I wouldn't count on it a generation from now, given the religious fundamentalist movement in the US and increasing liberalization here in Korea. For now though, the customs asked me to declare any obscene materials, which I didn't carry anyway.
The bureaucracy got the better part of me tonight though. Because of the national ID number requirement (which I obviously can't meet as a foreigner), I can't just roam through Korea Telecom (KT)'s WiFi network using my T-Mobile account; I must set up a KT account, which normally requires a national ID number. My only solution without a national ID number is to get prepaid cards, and the only place I know of that sells them - KT Plaza at Incheon Airport - was closed by the time I was able to get there. As a result, this message is composed offline, and by the time it is posted, it'll be Monday midday at the earliest. If I can't get prepaid cards, I may have to use the ubiquitous PC rooms, which won't be as fun. (And the national ID number requirement creeps me out, because one's birthdate and sex are plainly embedded in it.)
It will be a wonderful week here in Korea. I will see what happens.
Asiana Airlines was impressive, even more so than when I last flew with them 3 years ago. It appears that its service level has gone up since joining Star Alliance, with printed menus and shrimp sushis even in economy class, not to mention super-attentive flight attendants. The 747 I flew on today was the exact same example I flew on for my very first Asiana experience 3 years ago, and I was pleasantly surprised to find that it had been completely refurbished during that time. (Upon arrival at Incheon Airport, it parked between two other Asiana planes I flew 3 years ago - the 747 that took me back to Los Angeles, and the 777 that took me to Beijing.) With such great service and attention to detail, Asiana is worth the $200-300 premium over the inferior service provided by United and Northwest, with their underpaid flight attendants and crummy infrastructure. Instead of cutting corners and digging themselves deeper into their graves, the US airlines should consider some well-placed investments in service quality. And yes, since Asiana is part of Star Alliance, I still get United miles for my flight today.
Tonight was also my first arrival into Seoul at night - at least the first one in at least a decade. The city lighting is very impressive outside; now, the bridges of the Han River are spectacularly lit too. Seoul keeps getting more and more modern and impressive with each return visit I make here. The economy is supposedly stagnant, with serious unemployment problem, but it's still showing solid growth, thanks to all the high-tech products the major corporations and small businesses here now crank out - and I am here to acquaint myself with these technologies. How things have changed over a generation! A generation ago, Koreans had to travel to America for the state of the art, and now, it's the other way. The US is still socially more progressive, but I wouldn't count on it a generation from now, given the religious fundamentalist movement in the US and increasing liberalization here in Korea. For now though, the customs asked me to declare any obscene materials, which I didn't carry anyway.
The bureaucracy got the better part of me tonight though. Because of the national ID number requirement (which I obviously can't meet as a foreigner), I can't just roam through Korea Telecom (KT)'s WiFi network using my T-Mobile account; I must set up a KT account, which normally requires a national ID number. My only solution without a national ID number is to get prepaid cards, and the only place I know of that sells them - KT Plaza at Incheon Airport - was closed by the time I was able to get there. As a result, this message is composed offline, and by the time it is posted, it'll be Monday midday at the earliest. If I can't get prepaid cards, I may have to use the ubiquitous PC rooms, which won't be as fun. (And the national ID number requirement creeps me out, because one's birthdate and sex are plainly embedded in it.)
It will be a wonderful week here in Korea. I will see what happens.
11 November 2005
US State Department lets me down
I still haven't left Los Angeles, but I had to make this observation as I tried to obtain travel advisories for South Korea.
My first destination, of course, was the US Department of State. It specifically wanted me to be aware of possible attacks by al-Qaeda, due to South Korea's participation in the Iraq war, though no specific threats were named. Beyond that, it was not of much use, maybe except for generic warnings against anti-American protests.
For comparison, I checked the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office, as any savvy American traveler knows to check at least another English-speaking country's advisories. It correctly noted that the terror threat is worldwide, and that a trip to South Korea should be relatively safe. It also wanted me to be careful in Busan, due to the APEC summit and the accompanying demonstrations. (The State Department did not alert me to that, even though W is attending. Tsk tsk.) Lastly, it advised me that there are no anti-gay laws in Korea, but that gay travelers should be careful around older people; it further told me that younger people are accepting of gays, and that there is a small but established gay scene. (The State Department provides no advice for gay travelers, even though Uncle Sam punishes gays with higher tax rates. Tsk tsk tsk.)
I had made a similar comparison last year for another Seoul trip back then, and I did find the British advisories to be more accurate and useful at that time too. Time for Uncle Sam to play less politics and get real about the world.
My first destination, of course, was the US Department of State. It specifically wanted me to be aware of possible attacks by al-Qaeda, due to South Korea's participation in the Iraq war, though no specific threats were named. Beyond that, it was not of much use, maybe except for generic warnings against anti-American protests.
For comparison, I checked the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office, as any savvy American traveler knows to check at least another English-speaking country's advisories. It correctly noted that the terror threat is worldwide, and that a trip to South Korea should be relatively safe. It also wanted me to be careful in Busan, due to the APEC summit and the accompanying demonstrations. (The State Department did not alert me to that, even though W is attending. Tsk tsk.) Lastly, it advised me that there are no anti-gay laws in Korea, but that gay travelers should be careful around older people; it further told me that younger people are accepting of gays, and that there is a small but established gay scene. (The State Department provides no advice for gay travelers, even though Uncle Sam punishes gays with higher tax rates. Tsk tsk tsk.)
I had made a similar comparison last year for another Seoul trip back then, and I did find the British advisories to be more accurate and useful at that time too. Time for Uncle Sam to play less politics and get real about the world.
Final post before Seoul
This will likely be my final post before leaving for the trip tomorrow.
My itinerary is pretty much set, and I don't expect to have any privacy whatsoever, preventing me from presenting myself as a woman on the streets of Seoul. This will dampen the spirit of the trip. But given the business potential of this trip, I will do my best to maximize its impact.
If the business succeeds, I will be a regular in Seoul. I should be able to have plenty of opportunities to present as a woman then, and to connect with the lesbian community there if possible. The goal will be to actually have a passport that identifies me as Rachel.
Once in Seoul, I will use this blog to discuss the ins and outs of Korean current events, as they relate to global and American events. This blog will continue to be an American blog in character. Whenever I travel elsewhere in the future, a similar program will be in effect; the local current events will be researched and discussed in relation to global and American ones.
I will switch this blog to Korean standard time, which is GMT +9, until I return home.
My itinerary is pretty much set, and I don't expect to have any privacy whatsoever, preventing me from presenting myself as a woman on the streets of Seoul. This will dampen the spirit of the trip. But given the business potential of this trip, I will do my best to maximize its impact.
If the business succeeds, I will be a regular in Seoul. I should be able to have plenty of opportunities to present as a woman then, and to connect with the lesbian community there if possible. The goal will be to actually have a passport that identifies me as Rachel.
Once in Seoul, I will use this blog to discuss the ins and outs of Korean current events, as they relate to global and American events. This blog will continue to be an American blog in character. Whenever I travel elsewhere in the future, a similar program will be in effect; the local current events will be researched and discussed in relation to global and American ones.
I will switch this blog to Korean standard time, which is GMT +9, until I return home.
Pat Robertson threatens Dover, PA
The town of Dover, Pennsylvania, where the school board became the first in the nation to require Intelligent Design to be taught, threw out all school board members up for re-election this week. Now its science curriculum is in doubt, most likely to be switched back to evolution.
An enraged Pat Robertson threatened the town, warning it of "the wrath of God."
Pure nonsense. Besides, how does this guy sleep, knowing that his God is such a mean hatemonger that cannot tolerate any dissent? There is a reason why human beings are capable of thought, and even the Book of Genesis talks about that.
Goddess please bless the people of Dover and support their decision to support science over religious dogma.
Reuters article from Yahoo! News
An enraged Pat Robertson threatened the town, warning it of "the wrath of God."
Pure nonsense. Besides, how does this guy sleep, knowing that his God is such a mean hatemonger that cannot tolerate any dissent? There is a reason why human beings are capable of thought, and even the Book of Genesis talks about that.
Goddess please bless the people of Dover and support their decision to support science over religious dogma.
Reuters article from Yahoo! News
10 November 2005
Off-topic post
I just read an article that shows the ambitions of a highly talented actress I've considered a role model for myself.
In fact, I named myself after her most famous character, Rachel Green from Friends.
Best wishes to Jennifer Aniston, as she tries to break away from typecast roles and establish herself as a versatile, serious actress.
And since this IS a primarily political/current events blog, I will also add that I sincerely appreciate Jennifer's progressive politics. Wikipedia explicitly names her as a pro-choice celebrity.
MSN Entertainment article
In fact, I named myself after her most famous character, Rachel Green from Friends.
Best wishes to Jennifer Aniston, as she tries to break away from typecast roles and establish herself as a versatile, serious actress.
And since this IS a primarily political/current events blog, I will also add that I sincerely appreciate Jennifer's progressive politics. Wikipedia explicitly names her as a pro-choice celebrity.
MSN Entertainment article
09 November 2005
Election Update
Good news: all of the Governator's propositions failed. Actually, ALL propositions - good and bad - failed in California. The margin was quite narrow for Proposition 73 (parental consent before teen abortion) and Proposition 75 (limiting union political power) though; it was a close call.
The county-by-county map showed predictable results; Bay Area and Sacramento Area counties opposed the Governator, while the rest of the state solidly supported him. Los Angeles County is an anti-Ahnuld island in a sea of pro-Ahnuld counties, but even then, only the City of Los Angeles plus the likes of Santa Monica and West Hollywood are solidly in the progressive camp, with the rest being just as Republican as the neighboring Orange County. Ventura County and Inland Empire were pro-Ahnuld, but barely.
Bad news: the Texas gay marriage ban passed 3-to-1. Texas made it clear: if you are gay, you are NOT human. I'll make it clear now: I will avoid doing business with Texas-based companies, especially the likes of Dell Computers, if at all possible. I will make a very small number of exceptions for the more enlightened Texas companies, such as American Airlines.
All sorts of California proposition information can be obtained from the Secretary of State website.
The county-by-county map showed predictable results; Bay Area and Sacramento Area counties opposed the Governator, while the rest of the state solidly supported him. Los Angeles County is an anti-Ahnuld island in a sea of pro-Ahnuld counties, but even then, only the City of Los Angeles plus the likes of Santa Monica and West Hollywood are solidly in the progressive camp, with the rest being just as Republican as the neighboring Orange County. Ventura County and Inland Empire were pro-Ahnuld, but barely.
Bad news: the Texas gay marriage ban passed 3-to-1. Texas made it clear: if you are gay, you are NOT human. I'll make it clear now: I will avoid doing business with Texas-based companies, especially the likes of Dell Computers, if at all possible. I will make a very small number of exceptions for the more enlightened Texas companies, such as American Airlines.
All sorts of California proposition information can be obtained from the Secretary of State website.
08 November 2005
Election Returns
The good news: Tim Kaine has won the Virginia gubernatorial race. Tom Corzine has won in New Jersey. Ahnuld looks like he'll lose.
The bad news: Gay marriage is constitutionally banned in Texas. Kansas Board of Education wants to now teach "Intelligent Design," a thinly veiled version of Christian Creationism, as science. Ohio's election system is more broken than ever.
I'll check the final results for Ahnuld's propositions tomorrow.
The bad news: Gay marriage is constitutionally banned in Texas. Kansas Board of Education wants to now teach "Intelligent Design," a thinly veiled version of Christian Creationism, as science. Ohio's election system is more broken than ever.
I'll check the final results for Ahnuld's propositions tomorrow.
07 November 2005
Breaking News from RawStory
Boston Globe will print tomorrow that US is cutting its diplomatic ties with Syria.
Faced with falling support, looks like W will use another war to keep the population in fear, and the military-industrial complex running.
Thanks to Christy at ReBelle Nation for alerting me to this article.
RawStory article
Faced with falling support, looks like W will use another war to keep the population in fear, and the military-industrial complex running.
Thanks to Christy at ReBelle Nation for alerting me to this article.
RawStory article
More info on the Ahnuld Propositions
I just received a MoveOn email alerting me to a better summary of the eight propositions on the California ballot tomorrow. Please follow the link below.
They recommend a NO vote on 73-78, and a YES vote on 79 and 80.
Meanwhile, the Republicans have spent a small fortune sending me flyers urging me to vote the opposite and support the Governator. I will ensure that their efforts will go to waste.
Speak Out California
They recommend a NO vote on 73-78, and a YES vote on 79 and 80.
Meanwhile, the Republicans have spent a small fortune sending me flyers urging me to vote the opposite and support the Governator. I will ensure that their efforts will go to waste.
Speak Out California
Tomorrow's special election
Governator Ahnuld's special election is tomorrow. Please get out and vote, and tell him that his special interest politics are not welcome.
I will vote NO on Proposition 73, which will require parental consent before a pregnant teen gets abortion. There are no exceptions, including cases of rape or incest. The backers are counting on California's large Catholic (especially immigrant) population to pass this. Don't cave in to religious tyranny.
Proposition 74 will punish teachers when the real problem with schools is the administrators. Vote NO.
Proposition 75 will require public employees to opt in for their union dues being used for political purposes, instead of opting out as is the case now. There are no similar measures being pushed on the corporate/religious side, so this weakens the Democrats and strengthens Republicans. NO. The public employees (teachers, nurses, firefighters, police) do not need to be punished.
Proposition 76 gives the Governator too much power, giving him even more authority to punish schools especially. He needs to pay back the $2 billion he borrowed instead from the education system. NO.
Proposition 77 lets retired judges, unaccountable to the voters, redistrict the state. Another Republican power grab attempt. NO.
74-77 are being endorsed by Arizona's John McCain. The Arizona I know is an anti-labor, slave-wage state where disposable income is unheard of, and where even experienced engineers have to live on just $30K per year, more than wiping out any advantages from cheaper housing. Don't let California become another Arizona. Vote NO on 74-77.
Proposition 78 is a sweetheart deal for the greedy pharmaceutical companies. The yes camp is heavily funded by them. NO again.
79 is a competing deal where the government negotiates cheaper drug prices. Right-wingers see bureaucratic mess and want me to vote no. I am leaning toward YES but I am not completely set on it yet. Bureaucrats are not good, but the pharmaceutical industry is far more evil.
I will still need to study 80, which regulates electricity suppliers. For now, organizations that I tend to support are pushing me in the YES direction.
If you live in California, please vote tomorrow. Thank you.
I will vote NO on Proposition 73, which will require parental consent before a pregnant teen gets abortion. There are no exceptions, including cases of rape or incest. The backers are counting on California's large Catholic (especially immigrant) population to pass this. Don't cave in to religious tyranny.
Proposition 74 will punish teachers when the real problem with schools is the administrators. Vote NO.
Proposition 75 will require public employees to opt in for their union dues being used for political purposes, instead of opting out as is the case now. There are no similar measures being pushed on the corporate/religious side, so this weakens the Democrats and strengthens Republicans. NO. The public employees (teachers, nurses, firefighters, police) do not need to be punished.
Proposition 76 gives the Governator too much power, giving him even more authority to punish schools especially. He needs to pay back the $2 billion he borrowed instead from the education system. NO.
Proposition 77 lets retired judges, unaccountable to the voters, redistrict the state. Another Republican power grab attempt. NO.
74-77 are being endorsed by Arizona's John McCain. The Arizona I know is an anti-labor, slave-wage state where disposable income is unheard of, and where even experienced engineers have to live on just $30K per year, more than wiping out any advantages from cheaper housing. Don't let California become another Arizona. Vote NO on 74-77.
Proposition 78 is a sweetheart deal for the greedy pharmaceutical companies. The yes camp is heavily funded by them. NO again.
79 is a competing deal where the government negotiates cheaper drug prices. Right-wingers see bureaucratic mess and want me to vote no. I am leaning toward YES but I am not completely set on it yet. Bureaucrats are not good, but the pharmaceutical industry is far more evil.
I will still need to study 80, which regulates electricity suppliers. For now, organizations that I tend to support are pushing me in the YES direction.
If you live in California, please vote tomorrow. Thank you.
Transamerica, the Movie
It looks like the website is finally up, and the movie will be out December. Felicity Huffman will play a pre-op transsexual - a challenging role for her, to say the least.
I hope it's made well - and apparently, it is, with a few minor flaws.
Movie website
I hope it's made well - and apparently, it is, with a few minor flaws.
Movie website
06 November 2005
The Death Cult tyranny at work again
The wholesome lineup of American Girl dolls have been targeted by the Christians over their links to Girls Inc., an organization that provides guidance to young girls, because of Girls Inc.'s support of pro-choice movements and acceptance of different sexual orientations.
This is starting to get ridiculous. The theocracy is really starting to establish itself. If the death cultists cannot accept the fact that there are people with different takes on things, they should do themselves a favor and set up their own nation, not drag the rest of the civilized world with them.
I am starting to really have a bad feeling about this, because the establishment of theocracy in the United States will have a domino effect, and set up theocracy in a number of other countries. South Korea, where I am headed for business opportunities later this week, will surely follow, thanks to its own legion of death cultists who have extra affinity for American Christian politicians and leaders. My livelihood will completely be gone, even if I manage to get myself to a safer country.
Newsweek article
This is starting to get ridiculous. The theocracy is really starting to establish itself. If the death cultists cannot accept the fact that there are people with different takes on things, they should do themselves a favor and set up their own nation, not drag the rest of the civilized world with them.
I am starting to really have a bad feeling about this, because the establishment of theocracy in the United States will have a domino effect, and set up theocracy in a number of other countries. South Korea, where I am headed for business opportunities later this week, will surely follow, thanks to its own legion of death cultists who have extra affinity for American Christian politicians and leaders. My livelihood will completely be gone, even if I manage to get myself to a safer country.
Newsweek article
04 November 2005
Preparing for Korea
Now that my business trip to Seoul has been confirmed and the airline tickets booked, I've been filling in the details of my activities and itinerary for my weeklong stay.
I'll shoot for staying at my late grandmother's empty place, if it's not rented out by then. That will allow me to have some privacy, run to nearby WiFi hotspots for quick Internet sessions, and most importantly, allow me to present myself as a woman on the streets of Seoul (and maybe Busan).
I spent this afternoon on Google, tracking down the ins and outs of the lesbian and transgender community in Korea. I found very little transgender info, and not enough info on whether the lesbians there will accept me as one of them. Given that the concept of a "tranny dyke" doesn't really exist in Asian cultures, I'll be a very big oddball.
I'll be in contact with the Belles of Queerea to get an idea of what to expect, and where I'll fit in the community. But then, I will need to pack the right clothes first, then have the privacy of the empty apartment, in order to allow me to make my rounds in the community. Otherwise, I'll have to be content retracing my childhood steps for the purposes of my memoir, and my novel characters' footsteps.
The institutionalized homophobia will be a major factor. Despite the human rights law prohibiting discrimination on sexual orientation, there are no specific legislations to protect me, and I may find the heavy security of Busan (the Asia-Pacific Economic Council will meet there during my stay, involving 21 heads of state, including W) a major hassle for me.
I'll shoot for staying at my late grandmother's empty place, if it's not rented out by then. That will allow me to have some privacy, run to nearby WiFi hotspots for quick Internet sessions, and most importantly, allow me to present myself as a woman on the streets of Seoul (and maybe Busan).
I spent this afternoon on Google, tracking down the ins and outs of the lesbian and transgender community in Korea. I found very little transgender info, and not enough info on whether the lesbians there will accept me as one of them. Given that the concept of a "tranny dyke" doesn't really exist in Asian cultures, I'll be a very big oddball.
I'll be in contact with the Belles of Queerea to get an idea of what to expect, and where I'll fit in the community. But then, I will need to pack the right clothes first, then have the privacy of the empty apartment, in order to allow me to make my rounds in the community. Otherwise, I'll have to be content retracing my childhood steps for the purposes of my memoir, and my novel characters' footsteps.
The institutionalized homophobia will be a major factor. Despite the human rights law prohibiting discrimination on sexual orientation, there are no specific legislations to protect me, and I may find the heavy security of Busan (the Asia-Pacific Economic Council will meet there during my stay, involving 21 heads of state, including W) a major hassle for me.
02 November 2005
Transphobia and man-hating among lesbians
In the past week, I stumbled upon a lesbian site named Fallen Goddess. It asks that if you are not a lesbian/queer/transgender woman, or if you are offended by such women, you should turn back right away. It's a women-only space, and they are strict about that. Fortunately, they have been very welcoming to me.
A nasty argument is ongoing there right now though, over the presence of a transgender man who remains a member of Fallen Goddess. Some are taking the position that since the man in question had lived as a lesbian for a while, and garnered support and friendships in the lesbian community, he should be allowed to stay, especially since he is a well-behaved man, while new transgender men would not be welcome. I agree with that position. Others are taking the position that he must leave, as he is no longer female identified, has taken up the male privilege, and therefore has no business being in a lesbian space.
Female-to-male transgender people are an integral part of the lesbian community, like it or not. And that's something to be remembered, because the straight world still lumps the two categories together into one. In fact, Shannon Minter, the outstanding attorney at National Center for Lesbian Rights, is a transgender man, as perfect a man as anyone could possibly be, yet he still works for, and is part of, the lesbian community. Having met him back in my Bay Area days, I know that he is a dedicated individual, and to boot him out of the lesbian community for being male (and supposedly having therefore bought into the whole male misogynism) would be downright foolish. Mr. Minter is not misogynistic, and neither is the transman over at Fallen Goddess.
Fortunately, the flak has not spilled over to male-to-females and their former male socializations, so it's spared me. But I am still dismayed at the amount of hatred some lesbians still show toward transmen, and men in general. I expect this kind of hostility over who's really a man/woman and who's not to happen at transgender boards, not a lesbian board like Fallen Goddess. Women are supposed to be above this kind of mentality, and the vast majority fortunately are. I'm doing my best at Fallen Goddess to educate everyone the best I can.
It is also my belief that pitting lesbians against gay men, gays against transgenders, and immigrants against unionists and gays, only serves to divide and conquer these disadvantaged communities, when they need to unite and fight with one voice for civil rights for all. This is something that Christy Cole over at ReBelle Nation has been stressing to me for a while: civil rights for all, instead of special interest rights for individual communities. Again, all this transphobia and man-hating will not get anywhere.
A nasty argument is ongoing there right now though, over the presence of a transgender man who remains a member of Fallen Goddess. Some are taking the position that since the man in question had lived as a lesbian for a while, and garnered support and friendships in the lesbian community, he should be allowed to stay, especially since he is a well-behaved man, while new transgender men would not be welcome. I agree with that position. Others are taking the position that he must leave, as he is no longer female identified, has taken up the male privilege, and therefore has no business being in a lesbian space.
Female-to-male transgender people are an integral part of the lesbian community, like it or not. And that's something to be remembered, because the straight world still lumps the two categories together into one. In fact, Shannon Minter, the outstanding attorney at National Center for Lesbian Rights, is a transgender man, as perfect a man as anyone could possibly be, yet he still works for, and is part of, the lesbian community. Having met him back in my Bay Area days, I know that he is a dedicated individual, and to boot him out of the lesbian community for being male (and supposedly having therefore bought into the whole male misogynism) would be downright foolish. Mr. Minter is not misogynistic, and neither is the transman over at Fallen Goddess.
Fortunately, the flak has not spilled over to male-to-females and their former male socializations, so it's spared me. But I am still dismayed at the amount of hatred some lesbians still show toward transmen, and men in general. I expect this kind of hostility over who's really a man/woman and who's not to happen at transgender boards, not a lesbian board like Fallen Goddess. Women are supposed to be above this kind of mentality, and the vast majority fortunately are. I'm doing my best at Fallen Goddess to educate everyone the best I can.
It is also my belief that pitting lesbians against gay men, gays against transgenders, and immigrants against unionists and gays, only serves to divide and conquer these disadvantaged communities, when they need to unite and fight with one voice for civil rights for all. This is something that Christy Cole over at ReBelle Nation has been stressing to me for a while: civil rights for all, instead of special interest rights for individual communities. Again, all this transphobia and man-hating will not get anywhere.
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