on February 24th, 2013 at 2:34 am

ROK Drop Open Thread – February 24, 2013

in: Open Threads

Please leave anything you want to discuss in the comments section.

Tags: Open Threads

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GI Korea has been blogging about Korea, Northeast Asia, and the US military for over 8 years.

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Baek In-je
1:47 am on February 24th, 2013 1
Let’s start a list! I’ll go first!

Cheju Island is the Korean Hawai’i.

Rain is the Korean Usher.
Bobby Ray
2:07 am on February 24th, 2013 2
Daewoo Motors is the Korean General Motors.
Leon LaPorte
2:32 am on February 24th, 2013 3
2. I see what you did there.
Flunky Brewster
3:03 am on February 24th, 2013 4
Many parents and students were upset after teachers at Roseland Public School apparently tricked Grade 8 students into thinking they were going to Disney World in Florida.

Instead they were told the next day it was a big joke, according to the parents and students who contacted CTV News.

“We were all angry,” says Grade 8 student Mona Makai. “At first we were all shocked. We were like, okay, what’s happening here?”

http://windsor.ctvnews.ca/some-parents-angry-after-teachers-trick-kids-with-disney-prank-1.1165260
Flunky Brewster
5:52 am on February 24th, 2013 5
Bob Woodward: Obama owns sequestration
http://www.politico.com/story/2013/02/bob-woodward-obama-owns-sequestration-87978.html

Journalism icon Bob Woodward wrote in a new Washington Post op-ed first that the sequester was the “brain child” of the White House, calling out President Barack Obama for saying it was created by Congress.

“My extensive reporting for my book ‘The Price of Politics’ shows that the automatic spending cuts were initiated by the White House and were the brainchild of [Jack Lew, then-budget director during the negotiations] and White House congressional relations chief Rob Nabors — probably the foremost experts on budget issues in the senior ranks of the federal government,” Woodward wrote on a piece posted on Friday night.

Woodward continued: “Obama personally approved of the plan for Lew and Nabors to propose the sequester to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid [D-Nev.]. They did so at 2:30 p.m. July 27, 2011, according to interviews with two senior White House aides who were directly involved.”
kangaji
7:51 am on February 24th, 2013 6
I translated: 5 rules to live by for foreigners and illegals living in Korea. from the Korean equivalent of 4chan.
Kingkitty
9:58 am on February 24th, 2013 7
In an effort to lay claim to the Dokto islands….The South Koreans are placing 15 cats so to take advantage of the International “Personala Domesticus inhabitis” clause in the UN charter
Smokes
1:40 pm on February 24th, 2013 8
#6: Kangaji, I don’t get it, is that a list written by some foreigner in Korea bragging about how they’re getting over and the site is bringing it to the local’s attention? Or is it a list written by some Korean making fun of how some foreigners act in Korea and the site is posting it for humor?
tbonetylr
4:28 pm on February 24th, 2013 9
In summer/2011 the U.S. was about to default for the first time in history because republicans refused to a balanced approach on deficit reduction, both sides in these negotiations were looking for a way to craft a deal to avoid default and a trigger mechanism to force further deficit reduction. The deal was so onerous that nobody liked them thereby compelling each side to come together and compromise. On the day the idea was agreed upon by republicans, John Boehner told CBS news that he got 98% of what he wanted and was pretty pleased, but now…

The sequester will happen because republicans won’t take a balanced approach and they keep touting “Obama’s failed leadership.” If they were to agree now then they wouldn’t be able to continue touting Obama’s “failed leadership.” So there you have it, hip hip hooray
kangaji
4:34 pm on February 24th, 2013 10
#8 Basically, they did a true crime reports South East/South Asian character assassination piece on TV where they found one of the worst criminal scum bags and he listed off his dirty tricks and the media played it up. Then an internet forum famous for no holds barred far right wing views runs with the idea and creates an angry humor piece. I commented that there’s some asshole foreigners out there because that one guy who is bragging about his crimes makes everybody else look bad. If it’s in English with a yellow caption box in Korean that’s me talking. If it’s in Korean with a yellow caption box that’s the article. If there’s just English it’s a translation of the preceding picture. I’ll label stuff better in the future, thanks for bringing up the issue so I can make improvements.
tbonetylr
4:46 pm on February 24th, 2013 11
Kangaji # 6,
Aren’t there two different sets of rules, why?
tbonetylr
5:04 pm on February 24th, 2013 12
U.S. Special Forces Torturing Afghans and told to leave Wardak Province within 2 weeks. Nice

The Afghan National Security Council, chaired by Karzai, Faizi said U.S. Speical Forces were engaging in harassing, annoying, torturing and even murdering innocent people.”

Will 10,000 troops stay in Afgan after 2014 and will they be only American troops?
Flunky Brewster
5:54 pm on February 24th, 2013 13
9- Not sure what planet you’ve been living on but the Democrats, led by President Obama, were just reelected based on their “accomplishments during the past four years.” The White House and the Senate were in Democratic hands for the past 4 years and the House was in Republican hands for 2 years. How you can blame “republicans” for anything that has happened since Obama took the oath of office in Jan of 2009 is beyond me. It’s time for the Democrats to take responsibility for what they’ve done while in control of Washington.
A leading member of the liberal media, Bob Woodward, has it right.
Flunky Brewster
5:55 pm on February 24th, 2013 14
Massive Yongsan project in danger of bankruptcy
http://koreajoongangdaily.joinsmsn.com/news/article/article.aspx?aid=2967618&cloc=joongangdaily|home|newslist2
Flunky Brewster
6:07 pm on February 24th, 2013 15
14- This is not just some shopping mall or subway extension that may go belly up. It’s a major project funded by the largest companies in Korea, including KoRail, and if bankruptcy is declared and the investments are lost, it will be a major blow to the Korean economy. So many mistakes were made, mostly early in the project, and now it appears that someone is going to get left holding the bag.
tbonetylr
6:18 pm on February 24th, 2013 16
For republicans was all about getting the black man out of office last time which meant not agreeing to anything or should I say filibuster almost everything.

“On December 6, 2012, another milestone in filibuster history was reached when Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY), Senate Minority Leader, became the first senator to filibuster his own proposal…” Wikipedia

As last May a total of 375 bills that passed the Democratic-majority House have been blocked by Republicans in the Senate.
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/09/16/1132504/-Why-is-the-Republican-Record-Breaking-use-of-the-Filibuster-Not-a-topic-of-the-News

I knew nothing would change this time. Whether this or that is best for America isn’t as important to republicans as making Obama look bad(“can’t lead”) even though they know he’s got 4 more years in office.

History will tell us the truth, that Obama was one of the best presidents given what he will have accomplished despite republicans historical record breaking filibusters.
tbonetylr
7:11 pm on February 24th, 2013 17
S. Korea loses first WBC practice game, they have another game today and play for real Saturday, Taiwan time. They can’t hit the ball. In the past I’ve tried telling Koreans that the WBC isn’t liked by MLB players/teams but they look at me with a blank stare. This year their best pitcher(?) who pitches for L.A. Dodgers isn’t playing for S. Korea, maybe now I won’t get the blank stare?
http://koreajoongangdaily.joinsmsn.com/news/article/article.aspx?aid=2967366&cloc=joongangdaily|home|online
Kingkitty
9:39 pm on February 24th, 2013 18
As I look at the intersection of Bolli Negrodi (junction) I wonder what where the engineers thinking when they said “Lets have the off coming traffic cut across four lanes to make a sudden left turn to a large residential area?

I am thinking the same ones that make it your fault for hitting a moped who cuts in front of you at a red light then is too busy smoking a cig to notice the light changed
Kingkitty
9:41 pm on February 24th, 2013 19
Years and Years ago this same exit featured four lanes of traffic converting to one lane in a matter of 15 yards…..Well at least they fixed that problem.
Flunky Brewster
1:06 am on February 25th, 2013 20
16- You’re saying that the US House is in the hands of the Democrats and the Senate is run by Republicans AND THAT 375 bills passed by the Democrats in the House have been blocked by filibusters in the Republican Senate?
Is that what you’re saying?
Flunky Brewster
2:21 am on February 25th, 2013 21
Baek In-je
3:13 am on February 25th, 2013 22
When I first came to Korea, all the Koreans used to all say the same things (suprise, suprise): “America is so commercialized. Americans are fat.” I used to tell my students, ‘wait until your country has a better standard of living.”
They hated that.
kangaji
1:24 pm on February 25th, 2013 23
#11: I don’t know actually. I just translate what I get. Ilbe puts up pro-USFK anti-North stuff up too so I should translate some of that too.
JoeC
5:14 pm on February 25th, 2013 24
If you want to understand why our continued presence in Afghanistan is a waste of time and lives, listen to the BBC report on this podcast from about 7:10 into it to 19:20 describing the abuses of police in the southern provinces.

Where is the infamous bombast and outrage from Karzai about these abuses to his people?

Worth another American life?

Time to go!
tbonetylr
6:15 pm on February 25th, 2013 25
Flunky # 20,
No, actually you have it backwards but it doesn’t matter who is the minority/majority in either place when senate republicans filibuster almost everything. Heck, Senator Mitch McConnell(majority leader) even filibustered his own bill, another historical first.
Bobby Ray
6:27 pm on February 25th, 2013 26
Tbone went and said ” For republicans was all about getting the black man out of office last time which meant not agreeing to anything or should I say filibuster almost everything.”

If that ain’t the biggest pile of racist horse pucky. What the heck does black man have to do with it? Them republicans done impeached Clinton trying to get hm out of office and he was white as rice. If you was to use logic you’d see the pattern an say they was trying to get the democrat out of office or maybe if you was stretching things say they was making a half effort on Obama
Bobby Ray
6:29 pm on February 25th, 2013 27
Cause he is half white.

I done hit the send button by accident and didn’t finish my sentense.
Flunky Brewster
12:39 am on February 26th, 2013 28
25- I don’t think you understand how the process works in Washington so here’s a video for you. Get back to me after you watch it.
Flunky Brewster
12:39 am on February 26th, 2013 29
Glans
4:38 am on February 26th, 2013 30
China has placed buoys near the Diaoyu / Senkaku islands. Read the big story.

China has launched a new, stealthy, efficient frigate. Or is it a corvette? Again, read the big story.
Flunky Brewster
4:51 am on February 26th, 2013 31
ABC News Nightline had a special feature about underage prostitution in the Philippines.
Part 1- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zhj5nTtVRro
Part 2- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v6ckQ_a5C_Q
Part 3- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RYzxzJBZQFI
Jake
5:07 am on February 26th, 2013 32
#31

How about them Koreans having sex with underage girls in the Philippines. Are Koreans gonna conduct a raid, too….?

And the girls don’t look like teenagers. Looks like foreigners are being duped. They look about 20
Jake
5:09 am on February 26th, 2013 33
And just why are they getting the ugliest girls? Just sayin’.
Denny
7:28 am on February 26th, 2013 34
Two U.S. sailors ADMIT raping Okinawan woman

http://www.japantoday.com/category/crime/view/two-u-s-sailors-admit-raping-okinawan-woman

Two U.S. sailors on Tuesday admitted raping a Japanese woman in Okinawa last October, news reports said, in a case that generated huge anti-American anger on the strategically vital island.

Okinawa is the reluctant host of more than half of the 47,000 U.S. military personnel in Japan. The rape provoked outrage and led to a nationwide curfew on all American military personnel in Japan.

Despite the curfew, misconduct involving US servicemen, much of it drunken, has continued to fuel anti-U.S. sentiment in communities with bases.
Smokes
2:58 pm on February 26th, 2013 35
Flunky that’s not how a bill becomes a law; this is:
kushibo
5:05 pm on February 26th, 2013 36
How would it affect things at USFK, and especially in the Education Centers across the ROK, if the University of Phoenix were to lose accreditation?
jim
6:00 pm on February 26th, 2013 37
they still have university of md and central texas college.
Helix The Cat
5:41 pm on February 27th, 2013 38
Woodward threatened by Senior White House official?
http://www.businessinsider.com/bob-woodward-obama-sequester-white-house-reporting-price-politics-2013-2

Bob Woodward said this evening on CNN that a “very senior person” at the White House warned him in an email that he would “regret doing this,” the same day he has continued to slam President Barack Obama over the looming forced cuts known as the sequester.

CNN host Wolf Blitzer said that the network invited a White House official to debate Woodward on-air, but the White House declined.

“I think they’re confused,” Woodward said of the White House’s pushback on his reporting.

Earlier today on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe,” Woodward ripped into Obama in what has become an ongoing feud between the veteran Washington Post journalist and the White House. Woodward said Obama was showing a “kind of madness I haven’t seen in a long time” for a decision not to deploy an aircraft carrier to the Persian Gulf because of budget concerns.

The Defense Department said in early February that it would not deploy the U.S.S. Harry Truman to the Persian Gulf, citing budget concerns relating to the looming cuts known as the sequester.

“Can you imagine Ronald Reagan sitting there and saying, ‘Oh, by the way, I can’t do this because of some budget document?’” Woodward said on MSNBC.

“Or George W. Bush saying, ‘You know, I’m not going to invade Iraq because I can’t get the aircraft carriers I need?’” Or even Bill Clinton saying, ‘You know, I’m not going to attack Saddam Hussein’s intelligence headquarters,’ … because of some budget document?”

Woodward began stirring controversy last weekend, when he called out Obama for what he said was “moving the goal posts” on the sequester by requesting that revenue be part of a deal to avert it.
Helix The Cat
5:45 pm on February 27th, 2013 39
36- Those of us who went the Central Texas College route are feeling better today, eh? I had no problem getting the classes matched up with 4 year schools for credit. In fact, the hardest degree I ever earned was an Associate’s at CTC because of the time it took and how I had to work full-time on active duty while taking classes.
Flunky Brewster
8:28 pm on February 27th, 2013 40
Central Texas College will also give you a generous number of credits when you get your military education and training evaluated. But you still have to earn a degree from CTC. The math and science classes I took at CTC were no joke.
Denny
6:58 am on February 28th, 2013 41
Japanese American football star killed girlriend

http://bostonherald.com/news_opinion/local_coverage/2013/02/nathaniel_fujita_weeps_in_court

Having been nearly strangled to death with a cord, Lauren Astley remained alive as her killer slashed her throat — leaving a 41⁄2-inch-long “gaping-wide wound” — and then sliced her neck with a serrated knife numerous times, the state’s chief medical examiner testified yesterday in the murder trial of former Wayland High School football star  Nathaniel Fujita.

During the testimony, Fujita, 20, lowered his head and appeared to weep, covering his face. Later, his mom, Beth Fujita, sitting in a row behind her son, sobbed uncontrollably.
Denny
7:03 am on February 28th, 2013 42
Dogs bred in Japan for fur trade

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2285606/Victims-fashion-fad-Bred-satisfy-celeb-craze-handbag-dogs-hope-courageous-British-woman.html#comments

Mrs Oliver, director of Animal Rescue Kansai, is bravely taking on a complex network overseen by the notorious Yakuza mafia, who have found breeding dogs even more profitable than drugs and prostitution.

The ruthless gangs snatch cute puppies off their mothers from as early as one week old so they can be displayed in gaudy pet shops, where small dogs with painted nails are the must-have fashion accessory — a Western trend popularised by celebrities such as Paris Hilton, Adele, Donatella Versace and model Miranda Kerr.

‘The dogs are left to breed among themselves in tiny apartments,’ says Mrs Oliver, originally from Somerset. ‘Then, one day, the breeders realise they have too many — and that they’re too big to sell — and just go. A lot of gangsters will be arrested for an unrelated crime and the dogs get left behind. Sometimes these places are so filthy you can’t step inside.
kangaji
9:09 am on February 28th, 2013 43
I explain a Korean internet meme involving turning Chon Do Hwan into a tank that destroys other internet memes – with video.
Denny
9:43 pm on March 1st, 2013 44
James Edward Ferris; Korean War phony

http://thisainthell.us/blog/?p=34369&cpage=1
Jinro Dukkohbi
12:24 am on March 3rd, 2013 45
KNPs shoot GI: http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr/news/2013/03/03/43/0200000000AEN20130303001100315F.HTML

Will have to move this over to this week’s open forum when it is started up, but I’m sure this will be ALL OVER the Korean TV news tonight and tomorrow morning. Quick synopsis – idiot GIs running around Itaewon with a pellet gun, messing with people; approached by KNPs, flee in vehicle; smash up a bunch of stuff while being car-chased by the cops; cops shoot, hitting diver; driver now at 121. Where, oh WHERE do we find these idiots..??