Everyone knows about it in Asia. Korean soap operas, and their actors, are HOT. So much so, that even in the States, Washington Post has taken notice and run an article on it, quoting women of many Asian nationalities who want a Korean man as a mate. South Korea is seeing a huge jump in foreign tourists as a result, mostly these young women from elsewhere in Asia who are visiting the soap opera locales and looking for dates. It's even got to a point where gay bars in Japan are going Korean-themed.
This article is indeed interesting, but as I see my sister's marriage to a Korean man (who turned out to be an old-fashioned patriarch) dissolve already, I am shaking my head. The fantasy of a handsome Korean man - "the Italian man of Asia" - physically hardened through two years of compulsory military service yet supposedly very romantic, is sweeping across Asia, yet the reality I've seen is closer to the old-fashioned chauvinistic patriarch, thanks to conservative Confucian and Christian influences.
The Christian portion is particularly worrisome, in the context of Asian-American communities. The Korean-American community is virtually completely evangelical Christian, and as the Korean Wave sweeps through the Asian-American communities, contacts with the Korean-American community increase - and the wave serves as a Trojan Horse for fundamentalist Christianity to infiltrate these other communities. Already, evangelical Christianity is spreading fast through the Chinese-speaking communities. This hard turn to the right among Asian-Americans really worries me.
That's one reason why I am not on the Korean Wave bandwagon. The other reason is that the Korean Wave simply offers very little for this lesbian.
MSNBC
31 August 2006
Unprofessional conduct
I just ran into this Washington Post article on how the antisocial mindset of evangelical Christians is manifesting itself, in medical clinics that put religious dogma above professional impartiality.
Although the practitioners claim to be welcoming to all faiths, the atmosphere is blatantly Christian, and someone like me certainly will NOT be welcomed. Even if I were "welcomed," I would be extremely uncomfortable discussing my circumstances with these types of people. And these are more potential employers who will openly flout employment laws in order to discriminate against the likes of me.
The evangelical Christian community is an antisocial, insular set, now running its own community centers, matchmaking services, schools, and now medical services. If they want to be so "in the world, but not of the world" (another phrase that's becoming common on the bumper stickers), why not just secede and form their own country, instead of ruining the American experiment of multifaith coexistence?
MSNBC
Although the practitioners claim to be welcoming to all faiths, the atmosphere is blatantly Christian, and someone like me certainly will NOT be welcomed. Even if I were "welcomed," I would be extremely uncomfortable discussing my circumstances with these types of people. And these are more potential employers who will openly flout employment laws in order to discriminate against the likes of me.
The evangelical Christian community is an antisocial, insular set, now running its own community centers, matchmaking services, schools, and now medical services. If they want to be so "in the world, but not of the world" (another phrase that's becoming common on the bumper stickers), why not just secede and form their own country, instead of ruining the American experiment of multifaith coexistence?
MSNBC
30 August 2006
More on the JetBlue fiasco
It's made news at BBC.
BBC
My Chinese-Korean mother could only blame the poor guy though, for his "lack of judgment." I told her that she has NO understanding of American values, and that while this was plausible in Korea under the Reagan puppet Chun Doo-Hwan (where she was a card-carrying member of the ruling fascist party), it's NOT in America, even under George W. Bush.
Maybe she'll get a clue when she gets stopped for wearing a T-shirt with some Christian message in Korean. After all, it is the language of both the outlaw regime in North Korea, and the Christian fascists of South Korea who are busy trashing the US.
BBC
My Chinese-Korean mother could only blame the poor guy though, for his "lack of judgment." I told her that she has NO understanding of American values, and that while this was plausible in Korea under the Reagan puppet Chun Doo-Hwan (where she was a card-carrying member of the ruling fascist party), it's NOT in America, even under George W. Bush.
Maybe she'll get a clue when she gets stopped for wearing a T-shirt with some Christian message in Korean. After all, it is the language of both the outlaw regime in North Korea, and the Christian fascists of South Korea who are busy trashing the US.
29 August 2006
Another airline to boycott
Last year, there was a major fuss over Southwest Airlines booting a passenger off over her "Asses of Evil" T-shirt. In fact, I blogged about it. Needless to say, Southwest will never see a dime of my money again.
Now, I was alerted to an incident at JetBlue Airways, involving an Arab-American who happens to be good acquaintances with the Democracy Cell Project. In fact, he was participating in Fear Up!, a production put on by the Democracy Cell Project. JetBlue yanked him out for additional screening, simply because he happened to wear a T-shirt with an Arabic message on it (even though it was translated into English as well), and "many passengers were complaining." He was asked to remove the shirt, wear something else over it, or miss the flight - in the end, he had a JetBlue employee buy a "New York" T-shirt, after a long protest. His seat was arbitrarily reassigned though.
JetBlue had a good reputation among progressives, thanks to its Democratic political contributions and 23% ownership by George Soros. But to me, that's not enough. Given this incident, and JetBlue's willing participation in the early stages of CAPPS II passenger profiling system, I am incensed, and will make sure to avoid JetBlue at any cost. In fact, Karen Bradley, founder of Democracy Cell Project and one who helped the man book the flight on JetBlue (not to mention a frequent customer herself), will do the same.
Raed in the Middle (the man's blog)
In fact, in regards to CAPPS II, one of the guys at Northwest Airlines who helped develop the system said that frequent fliers of a given airline will not be profiled, while first-time customers will definitely be profiled. I guess that's another reason to avoid JetBlue, which I've never flown. And Northwest for that matter - another airline I've never flown.
It looks like my flying will have to be with United for the most part, maybe some with American, and the rest with their foreign partners. My upcoming Vancouver trip is on Alaska - an American partner - but given Alaska's own conservative streaks, I'm wishing I paid $50 more for Air Canada.
Now, I was alerted to an incident at JetBlue Airways, involving an Arab-American who happens to be good acquaintances with the Democracy Cell Project. In fact, he was participating in Fear Up!, a production put on by the Democracy Cell Project. JetBlue yanked him out for additional screening, simply because he happened to wear a T-shirt with an Arabic message on it (even though it was translated into English as well), and "many passengers were complaining." He was asked to remove the shirt, wear something else over it, or miss the flight - in the end, he had a JetBlue employee buy a "New York" T-shirt, after a long protest. His seat was arbitrarily reassigned though.
JetBlue had a good reputation among progressives, thanks to its Democratic political contributions and 23% ownership by George Soros. But to me, that's not enough. Given this incident, and JetBlue's willing participation in the early stages of CAPPS II passenger profiling system, I am incensed, and will make sure to avoid JetBlue at any cost. In fact, Karen Bradley, founder of Democracy Cell Project and one who helped the man book the flight on JetBlue (not to mention a frequent customer herself), will do the same.
Raed in the Middle (the man's blog)
In fact, in regards to CAPPS II, one of the guys at Northwest Airlines who helped develop the system said that frequent fliers of a given airline will not be profiled, while first-time customers will definitely be profiled. I guess that's another reason to avoid JetBlue, which I've never flown. And Northwest for that matter - another airline I've never flown.
It looks like my flying will have to be with United for the most part, maybe some with American, and the rest with their foreign partners. My upcoming Vancouver trip is on Alaska - an American partner - but given Alaska's own conservative streaks, I'm wishing I paid $50 more for Air Canada.
28 August 2006
Fashion Corner
Back after a long hiatus.
Photo courtesy of Steve Granitz via People.com
Not much to say - this was my idol Calista Flockhart at the Emmys, and she looks very divine in this gown!
If only she could be in a show other than the right-wing propaganda garbage known as Brothers and Sisters, it would be great.
Photo courtesy of Steve Granitz via People.comNot much to say - this was my idol Calista Flockhart at the Emmys, and she looks very divine in this gown!
If only she could be in a show other than the right-wing propaganda garbage known as Brothers and Sisters, it would be great.
16 August 2006
Going satellite radio
I've finally joined the satellite radio revolution, by adding a Sirius receiver and antenna to my BMW's trunk. Good thing the car's radio and wiring were already prepped for Sirius.
As I spend more and more time on the road, I was getting tired of the music choices out there - either the same twelve songs decreed by Clear Channel, or the same old CDs in my collection (even with 100+ CDs, they get tiresome after a while). Sure, Clear Channel also left me with an excellent Air America affiliate AM station, but political talk can be very stressful at times.
My subscription includes 14 months for the price of 11, and also includes Internet stream for free whenever I am not in my car. The subscription and the hardware cost me dearly (and I'm already blowing a lot of money for my Vancouver vacation) - but I feel that they're worth it. The only reason I waited this long was because I needed to know if I was going to keep my current BMW (which I will now), or switch to a newer model (which I won't do for now).
Sirius will give me dozens of commercial-free music channels, of which I only expect to listen to half a dozen most of the time. In addition, there are talk channels - including entertainment, sports, LGBT, and of course politics (featuring my favorite, Stephanie Miller). I can even tune into real-time traffic and weather for Los Angeles - or for another city like San Francisco or New York (I want to mentally put myself back there sometimes).
I've checked reviews out there before taking the plunge (and listened to both Sirius and XM), and most people seem to prefer Sirius over XM, though both are superior to on-air radio. In addition, while there was a cheaper XM solution for my car, it was not an "official" solution, while the Sirius solution was the official BMW solution - making my choice even easier.
There is now another unsightly antenna - this one, magnetically stuck on my trunk lid. And again, the cost is pretty high. But these are prices I will gladly pay for a less stressful driving experience, since as everyone knows, driving in SoCal can be very stressful.
Sirius Satellite Radio
As I spend more and more time on the road, I was getting tired of the music choices out there - either the same twelve songs decreed by Clear Channel, or the same old CDs in my collection (even with 100+ CDs, they get tiresome after a while). Sure, Clear Channel also left me with an excellent Air America affiliate AM station, but political talk can be very stressful at times.
My subscription includes 14 months for the price of 11, and also includes Internet stream for free whenever I am not in my car. The subscription and the hardware cost me dearly (and I'm already blowing a lot of money for my Vancouver vacation) - but I feel that they're worth it. The only reason I waited this long was because I needed to know if I was going to keep my current BMW (which I will now), or switch to a newer model (which I won't do for now).
Sirius will give me dozens of commercial-free music channels, of which I only expect to listen to half a dozen most of the time. In addition, there are talk channels - including entertainment, sports, LGBT, and of course politics (featuring my favorite, Stephanie Miller). I can even tune into real-time traffic and weather for Los Angeles - or for another city like San Francisco or New York (I want to mentally put myself back there sometimes).
I've checked reviews out there before taking the plunge (and listened to both Sirius and XM), and most people seem to prefer Sirius over XM, though both are superior to on-air radio. In addition, while there was a cheaper XM solution for my car, it was not an "official" solution, while the Sirius solution was the official BMW solution - making my choice even easier.
There is now another unsightly antenna - this one, magnetically stuck on my trunk lid. And again, the cost is pretty high. But these are prices I will gladly pay for a less stressful driving experience, since as everyone knows, driving in SoCal can be very stressful.
Sirius Satellite Radio
12 August 2006
IBM PC turns 25 today
Wow, time flies!
On August 12, 1981, the original IBM PC, the 5150, was introduced. I just ran into an article describing its features, what it did, what it didn't, and how influential it proved to be.
Without the credibility of IBM behind its design, and without the ability of other manufacturers to build clones using the same parts, the IBM PC would not have taken off, the PC revolution as we know it would not have existed, and Internet may still only be a nerd's tool.
Some interesting facts according to MSN Tech:
But this evolution had to start somewhere. Here's the article about the original IBM PC.
MSN Tech
On August 12, 1981, the original IBM PC, the 5150, was introduced. I just ran into an article describing its features, what it did, what it didn't, and how influential it proved to be.
Without the credibility of IBM behind its design, and without the ability of other manufacturers to build clones using the same parts, the IBM PC would not have taken off, the PC revolution as we know it would not have existed, and Internet may still only be a nerd's tool.
Some interesting facts according to MSN Tech:
- Base price was $1,565 in 1981 dollars (closer to $3,500 today), but a functional example would've cost $3,000 or so.
- A monochrome monitor was optional, so was a floppy disk drive. MS-DOS was also an option at $80.
- The standard machine defaulted to BASIC programming module instead of a real operating system, and used cassette tapes for data storage. Despite using cassette tapes, a beep was the only sound that it could make.
- The 5150 weighed 21 pounds - without the optional monitor.
But this evolution had to start somewhere. Here's the article about the original IBM PC.
MSN Tech
10 August 2006
Anna Nalick concert report
Now, a report of my experiences last night has been uploaded to Epinions.com.
Terror Alert
It's happened again.
The British have arrested 21 suspects in a terror plot, supposedly to blow up ten US airliners flying from the UK to New York, DC, and California. As a result, all liquids are banned from carry-on luggage, and in the UK, all carry-on baggage are banned except for travel documents and a few other essentials. If worst comes to worst, all battery-powered devices - including laptops, cell phones and watches - may be banned from aircraft.
While all terror threats must be looked into and taken seriously, the timing - just a few months before the US midterm elections - is suspicious.
In my childhood, I lived in a fascist society, where the government would routinely do raids on college campuses and then-illegal labor unions, to capture "communist sympathizers" and whip the population into submission, whenever its popularity went down. I am seeing the same tactics being done by the governments of the US and the UK these days. I have a feeling that by the time a REAL threat comes around, the Americans and the British will be too jaded to react - and the resulting catastrophe will be the fault of the W and Blair regimes.
Today happens to be the 15th anniversary of my only visit to the World Trade Center observation deck. I still remember the evening breeze on the roof, as well as the New York cityscape unfolding below me - the experience that the terrorists have forever taken away now (with W's complicity). And this newest terror alert is the worst possible way to be reminded of that.
I hope my upcoming flights to Vancouver and back won't be too much of a hassle.
The British have arrested 21 suspects in a terror plot, supposedly to blow up ten US airliners flying from the UK to New York, DC, and California. As a result, all liquids are banned from carry-on luggage, and in the UK, all carry-on baggage are banned except for travel documents and a few other essentials. If worst comes to worst, all battery-powered devices - including laptops, cell phones and watches - may be banned from aircraft.
While all terror threats must be looked into and taken seriously, the timing - just a few months before the US midterm elections - is suspicious.
In my childhood, I lived in a fascist society, where the government would routinely do raids on college campuses and then-illegal labor unions, to capture "communist sympathizers" and whip the population into submission, whenever its popularity went down. I am seeing the same tactics being done by the governments of the US and the UK these days. I have a feeling that by the time a REAL threat comes around, the Americans and the British will be too jaded to react - and the resulting catastrophe will be the fault of the W and Blair regimes.
Today happens to be the 15th anniversary of my only visit to the World Trade Center observation deck. I still remember the evening breeze on the roof, as well as the New York cityscape unfolding below me - the experience that the terrorists have forever taken away now (with W's complicity). And this newest terror alert is the worst possible way to be reminded of that.
I hope my upcoming flights to Vancouver and back won't be too much of a hassle.
Anna Nalick
What a day.For the past year or so, I've been awed by an early 20-something singer-songwriter named Anna Nalick, who grew up in Glendora, very close to me. I've repeatedly found myself listening to her on my iPod many times - whether I was cruising the streets of Glendora or finding myself half a world away.
I just came back from an evening at The Grove in Los Angeles, where I was able to catch a free concert featuring her, then meet with her afterwards and get an autograph. She was pleased to know that I first started listening to her because of her "local girl" reputation.
I will write a detailed concert report and upload it to Epinions.com in the morning. (I'll probably get around to scanning the autograph too.) But for now, I'll relish in the thought that this was my second-ever face-to-face meeting with a recording artist, and unlike the last time (Mariah Carey in 1994 in NYC), I walked away with a good chat AND a photo, in addition to the autograph. And again, she's a local girl for me - making this all the more special.
EDIT: Autograph scan is now added.
08 August 2006
Joe Lieberman loses primary
In Connecticut, good news has just trickled in.
The Democrats of the state finally had enough of Senator Joe Lieberman's schmoozing to the W regime, and chose anti-W, anti-war businessman Ned Lamont as their candidate to succeed him. This was a campaign with nationwide ramifications, as it was going to define the party's future direction.
The margin, at 52%-48%, was too thin for comfort, and Lieberman is vowing to run as an independent, splitting the electorate and possibly handing the seat to a Republican candidate.
But the Democrats have spoken. They are fed up with their party schmoozing to W on too many levels, and Lieberman was the poster child for the spineless leadership of the party. I hope this serves notice to the rest of the party politicians, including my own, Dianne Feinstein, who also supports W's misadventures.
Lieberman was a good man on many fronts, including his support for civil rights and universal healthcare. I was more than happy to vote for his ticket when he was Al Gore's running mate in 2000. But when the evidence is clear that W's Middle East policies are less about America and more about his oil cronies, blindly deferring to W and being his parrot was the death knell for him - and it should indeed be. Lieberman is concerned with security for Israel, and uses it as justification for supporting W; but he, Israel, and the Jewish community must remember that W is supporting Israel for Christian reasons, and has nothing to offer to the Jews.
BBC
The Democrats of the state finally had enough of Senator Joe Lieberman's schmoozing to the W regime, and chose anti-W, anti-war businessman Ned Lamont as their candidate to succeed him. This was a campaign with nationwide ramifications, as it was going to define the party's future direction.
The margin, at 52%-48%, was too thin for comfort, and Lieberman is vowing to run as an independent, splitting the electorate and possibly handing the seat to a Republican candidate.
But the Democrats have spoken. They are fed up with their party schmoozing to W on too many levels, and Lieberman was the poster child for the spineless leadership of the party. I hope this serves notice to the rest of the party politicians, including my own, Dianne Feinstein, who also supports W's misadventures.
Lieberman was a good man on many fronts, including his support for civil rights and universal healthcare. I was more than happy to vote for his ticket when he was Al Gore's running mate in 2000. But when the evidence is clear that W's Middle East policies are less about America and more about his oil cronies, blindly deferring to W and being his parrot was the death knell for him - and it should indeed be. Lieberman is concerned with security for Israel, and uses it as justification for supporting W; but he, Israel, and the Jewish community must remember that W is supporting Israel for Christian reasons, and has nothing to offer to the Jews.
BBC
Speaking of vacations...
The best I can do at this time, or for the rest of the year, will be to take Labor Day weekend in beautiful (and enlightened) Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
I have just made my air and hotel reservations. Air travel will be on Alaska Airlines, notorious for its Grace Cards and homophobia; it was the only choice under $500. Thanks to the declining US dollar - the Canadian dollar is now almost equal to the US dollar! - these elements alone are costing me an arm and a leg. And the worst is, I may still have to cancel at the last minute, if the work circumstances demand it.
At least thanks to Vancouver's excellent mass transit, I don't see a need to rent a car, unless I need to take the ferry to Victoria or a drive to Whistler, neither of which I have time for. At $45/day for a Hyundai Accent, it's too expensive anyway.
I hope this trip will be of similar caliber to my Seattle trip last month, even though I am not expecting to meet anyone in Vancouver.
I have just made my air and hotel reservations. Air travel will be on Alaska Airlines, notorious for its Grace Cards and homophobia; it was the only choice under $500. Thanks to the declining US dollar - the Canadian dollar is now almost equal to the US dollar! - these elements alone are costing me an arm and a leg. And the worst is, I may still have to cancel at the last minute, if the work circumstances demand it.
At least thanks to Vancouver's excellent mass transit, I don't see a need to rent a car, unless I need to take the ferry to Victoria or a drive to Whistler, neither of which I have time for. At $45/day for a Hyundai Accent, it's too expensive anyway.
I hope this trip will be of similar caliber to my Seattle trip last month, even though I am not expecting to meet anyone in Vancouver.
07 August 2006
Mandatory vacations
Americans are notorious for their inability to get paid vacations, if at all; no national law mandates vacations, and even companies that offer paid vacations are stingy about offering it. Businesses tend to see paid vacations as added costs, and unions are in no shape to speak up on this issue.
In my case, I've been working 7 days a week, totalling about 60 hours, much of it in hostile desert military bases, and I'm on the verge of a burnout. Whenever I am back in my office, I am so worn out that I find myself goofing off rather than actually getting work done. Yet the only time off I get, for me, is a long weekend; I was lucky to get to Seattle for the 4th of July. I don't think I'll be able to get time off to participate in Camp Democracy in DC next month.
The following TruthOut article argues for the need for mandatory paid vacations, and the eventual benefits of it to employees, employers, and America as a whole. I will add one more benefit to this. If Americans can actually have time to travel to different parts of the country (or the world), their world view will expand, they will be more enlightened, and they will behave and vote accordingly. I think that's precisely what the big businesses and the powered interests are afraid of.
It's sad that when I take a transatlantic flight, I end up seeing only European vacationers in economy class, and virtually no Americans - even on a US-flagged airline.
TruthOut
In my case, I've been working 7 days a week, totalling about 60 hours, much of it in hostile desert military bases, and I'm on the verge of a burnout. Whenever I am back in my office, I am so worn out that I find myself goofing off rather than actually getting work done. Yet the only time off I get, for me, is a long weekend; I was lucky to get to Seattle for the 4th of July. I don't think I'll be able to get time off to participate in Camp Democracy in DC next month.
The following TruthOut article argues for the need for mandatory paid vacations, and the eventual benefits of it to employees, employers, and America as a whole. I will add one more benefit to this. If Americans can actually have time to travel to different parts of the country (or the world), their world view will expand, they will be more enlightened, and they will behave and vote accordingly. I think that's precisely what the big businesses and the powered interests are afraid of.
It's sad that when I take a transatlantic flight, I end up seeing only European vacationers in economy class, and virtually no Americans - even on a US-flagged airline.
TruthOut
Meanwhile, in Iraq...
A disturbing report says that four American troops took turns raping a 14-year-old Iraqi girl, killing her entire family, and setting the girl's body on fire.
Honestly, this is to be expected, when immature kids sign up for military service, only to be brainwashed by Fox News, and subjected to the life-or-death stresses of a war that serves only to enrich the oilmen.
It's easy to blame it on the actual perpetrators. But the system has failed them too. The United States of America glorifies military service and hard labor for the average person, while treating him/her like dirt behind the scenes. This is what rampant capitalism gets you - looks a whole lot like rampant communism in the USSR, doesn't it?
BBC
Honestly, this is to be expected, when immature kids sign up for military service, only to be brainwashed by Fox News, and subjected to the life-or-death stresses of a war that serves only to enrich the oilmen.
It's easy to blame it on the actual perpetrators. But the system has failed them too. The United States of America glorifies military service and hard labor for the average person, while treating him/her like dirt behind the scenes. This is what rampant capitalism gets you - looks a whole lot like rampant communism in the USSR, doesn't it?
BBC
Suicides in China
Recently, I made some posts about suicides and honor killings in various cultures.
I've just picked up this report from BBC, which states that China is the only country where female suicide rates are higher than male rates. This has to do with the fact that with a huge surplus of men in the Chinese society, women are valuable commodities - to be sold off to men through arranged marriages. Young women often find it difficult, if not impossible, to adjust to life with the family of the arranged husband, with whom she is expected to live with, and serve, for the rest of her life.
Combined with rampant abortion of female fetuses, this is another disturbing development, one that results from a Confucian patriarchal culture that does not value the rights of the individual. Reading reports like this makes my heart sink - and also reminds me of how clueless the white liberal community is, regarding the patriarchy and prejudices of the nonwhite world. The last time I checked, white men were having fetishes about Chinese and other Asian women, precisely because of their submissive culture.
BBC
I've just picked up this report from BBC, which states that China is the only country where female suicide rates are higher than male rates. This has to do with the fact that with a huge surplus of men in the Chinese society, women are valuable commodities - to be sold off to men through arranged marriages. Young women often find it difficult, if not impossible, to adjust to life with the family of the arranged husband, with whom she is expected to live with, and serve, for the rest of her life.
Combined with rampant abortion of female fetuses, this is another disturbing development, one that results from a Confucian patriarchal culture that does not value the rights of the individual. Reading reports like this makes my heart sink - and also reminds me of how clueless the white liberal community is, regarding the patriarchy and prejudices of the nonwhite world. The last time I checked, white men were having fetishes about Chinese and other Asian women, precisely because of their submissive culture.
BBC
More oil greed
As if the prices and profits aren't high enough already, BP is taking 8 percent of the US supply offline, using the "pipeline corrosion" as an excuse.
This is NOT a free market. This is a cartel, plain and simple, given that a small number of oil companies can swap their inventories and set prices together. And the entire nation is held captive, especially with oil-friendly politicians in power.
I cannot stress it enough. Throw out all oil-friendly politicians, and replace them with ones who will take initiative to look at energy conservation and alternative sources. Big Oil is killing the world, financially and physically.
MSNBC
This is NOT a free market. This is a cartel, plain and simple, given that a small number of oil companies can swap their inventories and set prices together. And the entire nation is held captive, especially with oil-friendly politicians in power.
I cannot stress it enough. Throw out all oil-friendly politicians, and replace them with ones who will take initiative to look at energy conservation and alternative sources. Big Oil is killing the world, financially and physically.
MSNBC
03 August 2006
More culture of death
This time, in Pakistan.
Due to "local sensitivities," a dress code will be imposed on the female relief workers helping out with the recovery efforts in the aftermath of last year's earthquakes in the North West Frontier Province.
Funny that there won't be a dress code for male workers. Moreover, relief work requires conservative, protective clothing anyway; I see this as the clerics' excuse to stop the spread of outside influence at any cost.
If the clerics were truly concerned with making life better for the survivors of the earthquake, they wouldn't be using "local sensitivities" as an excuse to force the female relief workers to wear, say, restrictive burqas. Another proof that religious dogma is not making life any better. But then, I wouldn't expect much better, from a country well noted for its high incidence of honor killings.
BBC
Due to "local sensitivities," a dress code will be imposed on the female relief workers helping out with the recovery efforts in the aftermath of last year's earthquakes in the North West Frontier Province.
Funny that there won't be a dress code for male workers. Moreover, relief work requires conservative, protective clothing anyway; I see this as the clerics' excuse to stop the spread of outside influence at any cost.
If the clerics were truly concerned with making life better for the survivors of the earthquake, they wouldn't be using "local sensitivities" as an excuse to force the female relief workers to wear, say, restrictive burqas. Another proof that religious dogma is not making life any better. But then, I wouldn't expect much better, from a country well noted for its high incidence of honor killings.
BBC
Koreatown culture of death
I've just been alerted to the following article - in Korean only - which shows the epidemic of suicides in Los Angeles's massive Korean community.
According to the article, 7.4% of all deaths in Los Angeles County were suicides. For Asian-Americans in general, it was 13.4%. For the Korean community, it was 25.6% in 2004 and 22.4% in 2005. At Good Samaritan Hospital in Los Angeles, staffers report an average of five Korean-American suicide attempts per month while reporting virtually none for whites or Hispanics. They also blame the pervasiveness of the fundamentalist Christianity in the community for the high suicide rates. The article finally goes back to the horrific family murder-suicides that rocked Koreatown earlier this year.
The part about the Christian influence on the community must be noted. In Koreatown, churches control everything - from marriage arrangements to social meetings to business promotions - even more so than in the Deep South. (And certainly far more so than back in both Koreas.) Anyone who disagrees with the teachings of the churches, including atheists and LGBTs, has absolutely no support in the community. And I would not be surprised if some of these "suicides" were actually forced or induced by unsupportive family members, much like in Turkey, where "honor killings" have morphed into "forced suicides" in an attempt to clean up the nation''s human rights record in preparation for joining the European Union.
Religion is supposed to save, but unfortunately, it's killing. And I don't have to travel to faraway Muslim countries to see the proof - it's right here, in Los Angeles's ultra-religious Koreatown. The Korean-American community is well advised to look in the mirror, before lecturing the rest of the society on moral matters; I won't take moral lectures from anyone who believes in, say, honor killings. For a community whose home country builds advanced cell phones and cars, I would expect much higher standards of civility than this barbaric culture of death. And Sam Brownback and the Republican Party ought to be ashamed of themselves for calling this community their support base.
No wonder Los Angeles isn't quite San Francisco.
The Korea Times Los Angeles (in Korean)
According to the article, 7.4% of all deaths in Los Angeles County were suicides. For Asian-Americans in general, it was 13.4%. For the Korean community, it was 25.6% in 2004 and 22.4% in 2005. At Good Samaritan Hospital in Los Angeles, staffers report an average of five Korean-American suicide attempts per month while reporting virtually none for whites or Hispanics. They also blame the pervasiveness of the fundamentalist Christianity in the community for the high suicide rates. The article finally goes back to the horrific family murder-suicides that rocked Koreatown earlier this year.
The part about the Christian influence on the community must be noted. In Koreatown, churches control everything - from marriage arrangements to social meetings to business promotions - even more so than in the Deep South. (And certainly far more so than back in both Koreas.) Anyone who disagrees with the teachings of the churches, including atheists and LGBTs, has absolutely no support in the community. And I would not be surprised if some of these "suicides" were actually forced or induced by unsupportive family members, much like in Turkey, where "honor killings" have morphed into "forced suicides" in an attempt to clean up the nation''s human rights record in preparation for joining the European Union.
Religion is supposed to save, but unfortunately, it's killing. And I don't have to travel to faraway Muslim countries to see the proof - it's right here, in Los Angeles's ultra-religious Koreatown. The Korean-American community is well advised to look in the mirror, before lecturing the rest of the society on moral matters; I won't take moral lectures from anyone who believes in, say, honor killings. For a community whose home country builds advanced cell phones and cars, I would expect much higher standards of civility than this barbaric culture of death. And Sam Brownback and the Republican Party ought to be ashamed of themselves for calling this community their support base.
No wonder Los Angeles isn't quite San Francisco.
The Korea Times Los Angeles (in Korean)
Asian-American model minority myth
A while back, the Angry Asian Man blog found an article by William Kristol of the New York Times, which attributed Asian-American academic excellence to Confucian filial piety and reverence for education. I carried the article here as well.
Now, the same blog found a rebuttal, and it's definitely a refreshing read. I am definitely sick of the often-inaccurate model minority myth.
New America Media
Now, the same blog found a rebuttal, and it's definitely a refreshing read. I am definitely sick of the often-inaccurate model minority myth.
New America Media
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