World of Warcraft is so deviously addictive, I'm sure everyone at Blizzard has a special place in hell reserved just for them.

I'm actually going to be on the outskirts of Seoul, so not too close to Masan as far as I can gather. I will be blogging about my trip (don't bother going there now though; the blog is still under construction. Check back in a week or two).

I watched this show while waiting in Seoul International Airport. Great way to end a vacation in Asia.

>> ^Johnald_Chaffinch:
there's probably a lot to learn from hitchens on a subject like this - but he obviously doesn't want to mention the oil much because it's the hole in his argument for war.
i can't help but think he's just supporting and repeating manufactured lies created by the U.S. government?



On other occasions he has gone into the oil question and stated that oil is of course a big part of the picture. He described the problem more articulately than anyone else I've heard as well.

In essence, there aren't really plans/hopes to make huge profits through the war by pilfering Iraq's oil as the most simplistic conspiracy theorists would suggest. Obviously the country was going to be unstable and the war would be expensive, far more expensive than any oil contracts which would have to be negotiated at or near market prices. The problem that Saddam and oil presented was that Saddam was within reach of 40-60% of the world's oil reserves. He may not have had control over them, but he could in essence hold the world economy hostage with the threat of destroying them.

The idea of allowing a ruler like Saddam that kind of leverage is as appealing as having Kim Jong Il holding the population of Seoul as leverage.

>> ^ShakyJake:
If only they had oil there, we might send in the troops to "liberate" these people.


Ignorant remarks like this are more than just getting old, in this context it is despicable. If you aren't aware, North Korean artillery has been holding the 20+ million people living in Seoul as guaranteed casualties within the first hour of any war, preventing any attempts to help the people trapped in the North.

But don't let me stop your making snide remarks about the US after watching the horror show that is North Korea. Just try to remember that North Korea was backed by the Soviet Union and China while the South was backed by the US. You just might want to look at the difference between the two before treating the dire plight of millions with so little respect.

>> ^campionidelmondo:
Oh guys, please get your heads out of your asses. I know those lil electric cars look promising, but they can only be part of a solution when used in connection with clean energy. Right now, these electric cars won't solve anything, because the additional energy that would be needed to "fuel" these things would have to be generated from coal and nuclear power plants.

Maybe so, but power plant emissions are easier to manage than those of millions of cars, especially old cars. Remember that the first cars were electric, but that petrol won in the end because of the convenience factor as there was no national electric grid yet. In pre-war days, fuel efficiency was low and roads sparse. People used mass transit to go from city to city, or even from place to place in a big city. In fact, subways predate the automobile and are still run by electricity to this day.

But this is primarily a North American problem/misconception, that anything that doesn't let you go in the remotest of places the instant you think of going there is "not good". Let's quote Wikipedia: "Some cities have built urban rail transit systems that are so comprehensive and efficient that the majority of city residents use it as their primary means of transport. This is common in many of the largest cities in Europe, such as Berlin, Paris, London, Madrid and Moscow, many large cities in Asia, such as Hong Kong, Osaka, Seoul, Taipei, and Tokyo; in North America the only city matching these is New York.[52]" And so the conundrum: if you're working in a big city where mass transit is useful and ubiquitous, do you really need a car to commute? No. If you're not working in such a city, do you need a car? Potentially yes. Then, would you need a car that can go 500 miles in a day to commute? Not useless you're crazy. And if you really need to go from Los Angeles to New York in your car (because you're mentally ill or on a road trip), why don't you take an electric car and take your time? Driving too many hours in the same day only increases the risk of accidents. And if you don't have the time to take your time, what the hell are you wasting time driving for?

This is the Banpo Water Fountain.
http://english.seoul.go.kr/today/news/city/1260951_3326.html

That awesome building he's dancing in front of in Seoul, South Korea (2:49), is Namdaemun, Korea's number one cultural treasure. Sadly, it isn't there anymore. It mostly burned down this past February after an arson attack.

He sings soul and we see a logo of the Olympics in Seoul:)

And what is the meaning of the end, when the P is removed from the word RESPECT? RES ETC: "Res" means thing in Latin and "Etc" Et cetera.
And the removal takes place just after the final line "Oh baby please give a little respect to me": the letter "P" might also refer to this, as it's a little part of the word respect, i.e. a little respect. But then again, why the "P"? Because it's the middle one, breaking the word into 2?
Any ideas?

I didn't realize how awful Tae-Pyung-So sounded... It's like a louder, obnoxious version of one of those Capt'n Crunch whistles.

If you're into authentic lifestyle experience and what not, what I would recommend is the temple stay or traditional Korean home stays. For some reason those programs are really well organized and even Koreans ourselves wouldn't mind signing up for these events.

Forget about all those tourist traps like Insa-Dong or Seoul Tower and whatnot. Staying in one of those temples really is a new experience in life, but make sure you goto a good one and not some bogus event. Also I would recommend Ahn-Dong, which is about 40 minutes north from Daegu in Gyongsang province.

If you're looking for more modern approach into Korea, then Seoul is your place. Ask for Hong-Dae and you'll find a vibrant night life equal to that of Japan and Spain. And don't forget Norae-bangs.

Other reasons why people come to Korea:

1. Cheap plastic surgery prices, yet very good surgeons. Japanese tourists often come over to get their nose done or a quick botox while in Korea because the prices are cheaper in Korea with no difference in quality of treatment.

2. English tutoring. You can earn a lot of buckaroos if you're a western born Caucasian who speaks English. Even if English is not your first language you are still favored over native English speakers who are non-Caucasian.

Did I catch a little soft-shoe Charleston in there? lol.

man, those guys sure do have a lot of Seoul.

Hmm, I'll take a shot at it.

I blame it all on birth control. First hormonal birth control appeared in the 1960's; give it a few years to get it perfected and popular then.... POOF - In the seventies, (from the first article above): "The SYF lifestyle first appeared in primitive form in the U.S. during the seventies, after young women started moving into higher education, looking for meaningful work, and delaying marriage." What, might you ask, does birth control have to do with the explosion of women venturing into higher education, meaningful work, and delaying marriage? They gained the ability to control their fertility cycles. This allowed women to drastically change their role in society. (Remember the recent TV ad for Always pads where the little African girl can stay in school? Very much like that, but take it to the next level.) Now, it is so much easier for women to make long-term commitments required for a PhD or a successful corporate job without the worry of getting pregnant. The nation's obesity problem can also be blamed on birth control, since no longer is the woman's role in society to stay home and cook nutritious meals for the fam. Hell no, she's out gettin' paid like everyone else! Thus, corporate America cooks more of our meals instead (and in large portions of high calorie density, since it makes economic sense for them), and we get chunky. But I digress - back to the New World Woman, with her higher education and even higher salary. Then, as the first article states: she'll "move from their native village or town to Boston or Berlin or Seoul because that’s where the jobs, boys, and bars are—and they spend their earnings on themselves." Birth control also means women require less of a commitment before sex, and, as the second article points out (not that it had to), the men are perfectly okay with this, and take full advantage. I think you'd be hard-pressed to find anything in either of these articles that isn't an effect of either birth control or its impact on society.

I will put that on my list of things to do when I go visit my brother in the summer (he's teaching English in Seoul)... I am also saving my videosift T-shirt for when we visit the DMZ!

My music group toured Asia a few years ago and we stayed Seoul S. Korea for a couple of weeks. Korea is a crazy place. The South talk about how crazy and scary Kim Jong Il is. I've heard so many things about Kim Jong Il, but I am sooo baffled that the North Koreans love him so much. If they only knew.

North and South Korea in the news this week:

http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/world/archives/2007/10/02/2003381342

Not specific to Seoul Train, but, here's a Frontline/World piece on North Korea. The Background page has lots of links for more information about N. Korea in general.

And another Frontline/World story on N. Korea.

-PBS Seoul Train coverage
- on Wikipedia
- official site
- Sifted NK videos