Ed and Joo

Winter in Korea

2010-01-24T13:35:00.005+09:00

This winter has been unusually cold. We've had the largest snowfall in Seoul in 100 years, and the temperature has hovered well below 0 for weeks.

That being said though, Christmas was great and Hannah was spoiled.

Here's some pics.

Everland

2009-09-12T12:50:00.007+09:00

As always, I applogize for not updating this more often. But I'm hoping the following pictures will help calm any resentment. ;)

A few weeks back we went to Everland - sort of Korea's answer to Disneyland. It's a great place, and a decent price.

Hannah at the waterpark section.

Hanah and I on the Merry-go-round

Hannah reading a big (and actually a little scary) book.

Joo and Hannah goofing around.

And if you want to see more pics, head on over to my facebook link - http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=155062&id=745451489&l=ebf846ee97

Hannah's two years old!

2009-06-17T10:28:00.005+09:00

I just thought I'd post this up here (in case you're not on Facebook) - Hannah turned 2 this June and she's getting cooler everyday.

Here are some pics from here birthday.

Us at the Zoo.

Playing at the park.

Attacking mommy.

Blowing out the candles.

Hannah didn't just have a birthday, she had a birthday week! The Zoo, the park, church, toys r us, seafood buffet, 3 cakes!

She loved it!

Hannah - spring 2009

2009-04-26T01:27:00.000+09:00

I'm bad

2009-02-25T17:06:00.002+09:00

It's been a long time since I've updated this page - sorry to any who actually still visit this place. FACEBOOK has taken over most of my picture loading and such, so I really don't come here much anymore. That being said, I know that some people have an adversion to FB, so I should stop by here once in a while and say what's up.

All is well in Korean and we've weathered the winter fine. My herniated disk has returned and so I was in some serious pain for a bit, but other than that - all is well. In fact, things are pretty good - we've recently discovered a very cool swimming pool close by (15 min drive) and Hannah is loving it (and so is my back).

Anyway, here's my 'serious winter face' just so you can see what I'm looking like nowadays ;)

PS - get on facebook if you're not already.

Move to Canada!

2008-10-28T21:58:00.001+09:00

You'll be missed Mom

2008-10-20T09:49:00.000+09:00

Hannah's First Year

2008-09-02T09:23:00.000+09:00

Sure, she's now 14 months and this is a bit late, but better late than never, right?

Hellboy 2, Nanking, and the Dark Knight

2008-08-16T21:15:00.000+09:00

Some more movie reviews...

Game Trailers

2008-07-18T21:45:00.001+09:00

Just thought I'd link to some pretty cool game trailers.

DC Online

I am alive

Stormrise (loved their previous games)

Call of Duty: World At War

Spore

Ghostbusters

Spiderman

More movie reviews

2008-07-12T23:18:00.001+09:00

Here's me messing with the camera again, talking about Hancock, Wanted, and WALL*E

Summer Movie Reviews 08

2008-06-21T22:56:00.001+09:00

Here's my first foray into video blogging... yup, it's sad.

Hannah's first Birthday

2008-06-09T10:54:00.010+09:00

Well, our little baby has turned one year old. She's learned to walk on her own, talk a bit (mom and dad in Korean), and made some neighbor friends. We haven't dropped her, forgot her, or fed her anything realy bad... so I I'm guessing there's still moreexcitement to come.

On Saturday, we went out to the 'burbs and had a bit of a family lunch for Hannah. It was good to see everyone together, and it gave me a good chance to practice with my new camera.

The restaruant we went to was really nice (even if the food wasn't). It had a great outdoor area behind it for taking pictures and such.

Hannah's grandparents always enjoy trying to make her more girlish. hahahaha

And here's her first birthday cake.

And all the girls in the family.

In korea, the first birthday is often quite grand and formal. One of my friends spent nearly $10,000 on theirs. I'm not too keen on that. Not only do I not want to spend the money, but I'd rather make the party more enjoyable for the baby.

Hannah's expression here is great. She shows that it's not only me that wants to rebel against old customs. lol

My trip to Canada (2008)

2008-05-11T05:35:00.008+09:00

Well, we're back after spending two weeks in the Great White North. It was fun and great to see people, but a tough trip to make with a 10 month old.

I got a new Camera (Sony A200) at the Duty Free, so these pics hsould be a bit better than my old ones.

Vancouver was nice, but a bit chilly for us.

We were able to visit with a lot of my relatives though, and see a little bit of what life in Van would/could be like.

It was good to see everyone, but most of all, I was glad that Hannah got to meet her Greatgrandparents.
A nice shot of some of the family here - I wish we could of had one with everyone present.

Calgary was nice and sunny for the time we were there. Joo was surprised that it could be SOOO warmwith snow still on the ground - I told her, that's just how Calgary is... odd.
Hannah was a bit "off" with my Mom at first (due in large part to my Mom's face being swollen from the medication), but towards the end she warmed up a bit.

This is one of my favorite pics from the trip.

I'm not going to load every picture up here because I'm being lazy and still dealing with jet-lag, but it was great to see everyone again, and of course... it was great to do all that shopping.

America

2008-03-29T14:16:00.003+09:00

I'm not American.

I've been to the States a number of times and have been privy to their media for the great majority of my life. I've always felt that in the world, Americans were a nationality I could relate to.

For years they stood on the right side. Through many wars, they took the high road and led by example. Although not always perfect, they were a country to be looked up to both for ingenuity and civil freedom.

In the past years though, my image of America has started to slide away. No, I'm not saying that they've now fallen into some type of hellish pit - nothing so biblical, what I am saying is this: something is wrong.

America is now rolling back its civil liberties. America has waffled on the nuances of what is and what isn't torture. America has become a symbol of hypocrisy instead of freedom.

America is in a war that it entered into under false pretenses... and now, as of a few days ago, 4000 young American servicemen have given their lives.

I hope that sometime soon, America will step back up to its rightful place in the world... a moral leader.

Wow, time flies!

2008-03-09T13:31:00.003+09:00

So, I'm looking at this page and realized that it's been MONTHS since I've updated anything.

For the very few who actually visit here, you have my apologies. I really should post more, but I find myself loading pics up on Facebook instead of here (its interface is just a little more user friendly).

Either way, I'll just say, all is well here in korea. Spring is coming and Hannah is growing fast (both up and out). She's 8 1/2 months now and able to walk by holding on to something. We're hoping that in a few more months (when we're planning on going to Canada), that she'll be able to walk on her own.

Here's a fairly recent pic:

And here's one of us at Christmas...

5 months old and already grown up

2007-11-24T16:39:00.001+09:00

So, our little tyke is five months old now and already we are amazed with her growth. She's getting bigger, insists on tryingto stand all the time, and now she has developed a want for 'adult food'

Whenever we eat around her, she mimes us eating and ends up salivating all over the place.

Ah, the joys of parenthood.

(ah, Joo just asked me to add in the pic of her wearing a white hat - so here you all go - enjoy)

3 months in...

2007-09-09T16:17:00.000+09:00

So, my little banana (and I use that term affectionately) is 3 months old today. For a while there it was tough going. I'm told that she's pretty good compared to some babies, but at times I was wondering how long the 2 hour sleeping and feeding ever 1 hour would last.

Apparently, it lasts till about 3 months because nowadays she's sleeping for 7 hours and feeding every 3.

It's the simple things that make a parent happy. lol

Also, I wanted to mention on here that my mom just came for a visit. She had a great time with Hannah (yeah, and us too), and I can't wait till she holds her again.

Which Superhero are you?

2007-09-02T17:09:00.000+09:00

So, it seems I have more anger issues than I would have suspected. lol
These are my results:
You are Hulk

Hulk		75%
Green Lantern		75%
The Flash		70%
Superman		60%
Catwoman		60%
Supergirl		55%
Wonder Woman		55%
Spider-Man		50%
Batman		50%
Iron Man		50%
Robin		47%

You are a wanderer with
amazing strength.

Click here to take the "Which Superhero are you?" quiz...

3 weeks in and still alive.

2007-07-03T15:42:00.000+09:00

Of course that is referring to the parents... I'm impressed we're doing so well. Joo is tried, and I'm a little sleepy, but overall we're doing pretty good.

I thought I'd take a few minutes to load up a couple of recent pictures.

Baby Hannah sleeping...

Baby Hannah hunting for food...
A proud, yet tired, Mommy...
Hannah on the hunt...
And finally, Hannah with a little bed-head.

And to top it all off, today is out 3 year anniversary! Wow, things are good.

Our Baby Girl!

2007-06-10T12:44:00.000+09:00

So on Friday night, after a fairly normal week, Joo headed to bed around 10:30. As usual, I stayed up and surfed the net for a little while longer. I went to bed around 11:00 and after a few minutes Joo sprung out of bed.

"Emergency!" She yelled out as she ran to the bathroom.

I looked over and saw a wet spot on the bed and figured "meh" - pregnant women's bladders and all.

Then she said her water broke. I thought, "no way. That looks like only 50 ml worth." But within minutes the pipes were a gushin'.

We got to the hospital way before midnight and she called her parents to meet us.

Then the waiting game began.

Joo did really well hiding the pain. I'd say out of the 12 hours of labour, only half of it looked really bad. I'm guessing though she was just bearing it and the grimace on the picture below kind of proves that..

This picture is when the pain started I suppose.

So, around 10:30am is when the action started. In Korea, the hospitals are similar in practice to what you might have seen in America 50 years ago - as soon as the gore starts, they kick the husband out.

I waited with her parents in the waiting room for a bit and then a nurse busted in and told me to "suit up" (um, I'm not going to mention the fact that they never once told me to wash/sanitize) /shrug

I was able to get into the delivery room to see the last few pushes (and Joo's tremendous effort), and to see our baby being born.

It's quite a surreal feeling. I really with I could describe it better, but I think that that is the perfect word for it.

So, at 11:32am on June 9th, Hannah Ha-Eun Foychuk was brought into this world in Seoul, Korea weighing 3.25kg (7.15 lbs). She's the biggest baby in the ward... and the "Whitest". lol

Good luck little girl. The world is a tough place, but know that you're loved!

Edited to add a few more pictures: One week old.

Hong Kong and Macao

2007-04-29T00:20:00.000+09:00

Well, this is it. Our final vacation before the baby comes. The little tyke is due in June and I have a feeling our jet-setting days are going to be on hold for a little while. With that in mind, we decided to head on a fast 5 day trip to...

HONG KONG:

We stayed on Hong Kong island at a fairly reasonable hotel (about $120 US per night). It was easy to get around and I was enamored with the "Tram" system (electric steet cars). You can see in the pic below that the streets are well maintained and that, at least on the main strips, order is followed (sometimes in short supply in Asia).

You can also take the very cool (and very cheap) Star Ferry between HK Island and Kowloon. It gives a real feeling of what things would have been like before all the metro tunnels.

People talk a lot about how great HK is for shopping. Honestly, before I went, I really didn't believe them. I thought that it was probably only good for people who love the high-end brand-name type of stuff. Boy was I wrong. HK is not a perfect city, but the two things it does have going for it are shopping and food. We ended up getting all our baby needs (crib, high chair, clothes, etc..) for around $200. It would have been more than double that in Korea!

Ok, so now on to the food. I absolutely loved it there! Sure, a lot of restaurants don't have english on the menu, but when the food is this good and cheap, who needs english? I loved the smells and taste of the HK Chinese food. It's much different than the stuff in the North - not near as greasy.

One thing that kind of threw me was... what I found in a local supermarket. Whenever we go oveseas, Joo and I always love to check out the markets and bring home cool suaces and such. This time though, something jumped up at me.

Frogs! That's right, these little toady fellows were up for sale. So, what did I do?? ...

Yup, you guessed it, I ate 'em!

And what HK trip would be complete without going up to "the peak" and looking out over the city... actually, it got cloudy, so instead I hung with my main man Bruce.

Macao:

We took a day trip over to Macao. It's only an hour away by speed boat so I figured I'd go and see what all the fuss was about.

"North Korean money" - "The new Las Vegas" - "amazing architecture"

They were only right on the last one.

Joo and I eneded up taking a city bus to Santos Square and hiking up to some old church (or what was left of it). Quite a cool building and some nice Portuguese influences. As well, right beside the church was an old fort. I always love seeing old forts and wondering how they might have held off an invasion.

This fort though looks like it is taking aim at modernization.

THE SUMARY:

The Good-

-shopping in HK and Macao for anything other than a car

-the food on both islands

-cheap McDonald's breakfasts

-transportation

The Bad

-Ocean Park (nothing close to Sea World)

-Comparing Macao to Las Vegas (not near as interesting)

-the weather might make things sticky

Why I don't live in Canada

2007-04-19T23:31:00.000+09:00

Ok, it's been more than 5 years since I've lived in Canada, and sure I miss some people and the great selection of potato chips, but for the most part I am very happy with my move.

Most people in Canada cannot realy understand it. When I talk to them about how life in the rest of the world is fine, and that not everyone wants to move to Canada, I get blank stares. So many people in Canada are taught from an early age that Canada is the best (and most humble) nation on the planet. That everyone is just dying to get in.

well... I'm not. And here's why:

The average Canadian family earned $63,001 in 2006 and paid taxes equalling $28,311, almost 45 per cent of its income, while spending 35.6 per cent of its income on food, clothing and housing.

Holy fudge! And what is more interesting is this:

Since 1961, the total tax bill for the average Canadian family has
increased 1,590 per cent, according to the think-tank. Meanwhile, the cost of
housing has increased 1,019 per cent, the cost of food 487 per cent and the cost
of clothing 447 per cent, the Fraser Institute said.

“Over the past 45 years, taxes have become the single largest expenditure
in an average Canadian family’s budget, with the total tax bill for a typical
family increasing by 1,590 per cent since 1961,” Veldhuis said

Our little.... well, not a monster.

2007-04-15T21:01:00.000+09:00

Some of these scans really scare me. Sure, I know that they are designed to help us figure out if the baby has 10 fingers and 10 toes, but man, have you seen these things?

The 3D Ultra-Sound peels back flesh and bone like it's butter. Sure sometimes it looks pretty cool to see your baby moving around, but one cm too deep and you're looking into or through the baby.

Anyway, I thought it was about time to post up another pic...

Lie- Joo was telling me it's time to post up another picture.

Our baby - 29 weeks in.

From movies to...

2007-04-12T20:54:00.000+09:00

Well, if you've been reading this blog for awhile, you might remember me being in a couple of movies. I've been what is called an 'image character' in 4 of them so far (basically an extra with some lines). The pay is decent and I get to meet some interesting characters, so when the opportunity arrives (and my schedule is clear) I try to do them.

This is a little different though. I went for a comercial shoot a month or so back and it's running on TV. It's nothing major, but I thought you might want to look at it.

You can check it out HERE.

(Oh, and if anyone knows how to download from a video like that, post it here k)

A wallpaper for you...

2007-03-29T12:09:00.000+09:00

I've been doing up a lot of paintings while Joo is away (and cleaning of course honey). I figured I'd post this one up here for any interested in having a new wallpaper.

http://www.deviantart.com/deviation/50986112/

300

2007-03-17T17:48:00.000+09:00

Wow, I just watched this movie and I have to say ... Holy frickin' cow! This was visualy spectacular. The lighting and imagery were really impressive - especially on the IMAX screen.

I wasn't as comfortable with some of the "lessons" it seemed to be trying to teach though. Sure honor and loyalty to your country can be a good thing, but it just seemed a little too much for me .

This movie, minus the dialogue, would be perfect.

23 weeks in.

2007-02-19T19:34:00.000+09:00

Well, we're over the half way point - and all is going fine. We've had more ultrasounds than I can shake a stick at, and all of them have come back good.

At this point we're seeing the 'bump' grow (and actually move from side to side on occasion).

Here's my Moonie looking oh so 'Moonful'

Area 51 shots

2006-12-28T22:02:00.000+09:00

For any interested, here are some pics of our 14 week old alien.

Enjoy.

Looking towards 2007

2006-12-28T09:28:00.000+09:00

Well, this is looking like it is going to be a fairly exciting year. I'm not big on the actual "New Years Eve" celebrations and all, but I do believe in goal setting, and this is as good a time as any to do it.

Family - I'm really looking forward to the arrival of our little monster. We still don't know the sex (and in Korea it is technically illegal to find out), so I'l have to stick with calling it and "it" for now. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't nervous at times, but for the most part I'm either excited or forgetful. That foregetfulness dissapears a little more each week with the rise of Joo's belly though.

*Of special note is my mom. The Doc's did not give her very good news a year ago, but now it seems that she's as tough as everyone expected. No slowin' her down.

Work - Well, I've finally got my company off the ground. PC GROUP is a Professional Consulting group based on Corporate Training (note: website may still be under construction). I've got a couple of good people working with me on this, and I'm looking forward to the flexibility it'll afford.

Hobbies - I haven't had time of late to play my usual games. City of Heroes is still my favorite, but I'm also looking forward to Lord of the Rings Online being launched.

Art wise, I've still got my Gallery on the go. It now has about 2000 visits per month! I've been trying to branch out into Inking and Coloring now too.

Movies/Shows - 2006 was kind of a dud for movies, but 2007 is looking like it might be the year of the Superhero. The Fantastic Four 2 (june) comes with the arrival of the Silver Surfer! Ghost Rider (Feb) also blazes onto the screen. Spider Man 3 (May) is the one to beat though. It looks like it'll be the best one yet. And, last but not least, The Simpsons Movie. (July)

Woops, how could I forget the very cool looking Transformers Movie. (July)

I'm also downloading (whenever they actually bother to air them) the following shows: Heroes, LOST, Desperate Housewives, Battlestar Galactica, and the much anticipates second season of ROME.

So there's my little update for the new year. I hope you all have a good one too, and feel free to comment (or add any cool up-coming movies) to this post.

My Baby (girl?)

2006-12-10T21:09:00.000+09:00

Ok, as most of you have already gathered, Joo is pregnant and we are expecting our first child somewhere towards the end of June. So far, we've had lot's of fun discovering (new) cultural differences in relation to pregnancies as well as trying to figure out what kind of parents we're going to be.

Sometimes, I have to admit, it's pretty stressfull. But there are times when all those stresses just wash away.

One of those times is when I see the ultrasound of my little baby. So much raw emotion there... and so many dreams for the future.

For any interested -

She's the little white blob inside the little black blob - which is of course inside another white blob. Does that make any sense??

Oh, and I had a dream the other day that is was a girl. So, here I am writing it down. If I'm right, I guess we'll find out in 6 more months.

33 years old - and joining the ARMY!!

2006-12-10T21:00:00.000+09:00

Ok, I'm pretty sure I'm technically too old to join the army, but that doesn't stop me from playing dress-up. Here is a pic from a shooting last month. The movie is called "The Meeting Place" and it is about a village that is torn apart by the Korean war. With the families separated by a fence, they make a network of tunnels to keep in touch - literally. My not-so-key position, was to yell at them at various points.

Not a bad day, but cold as heck on that mountain. Man, I don't know how anyone survived a war here.

Oh, and yeah, I just turned33 - yippee!

Downloading Movies

2006-12-10T20:45:00.000+09:00

A few people have asked me how to download movies and such. While it is illegal in some countries, and in now way to I promote the practice, if you were considering how to do it, you just might want to visit the links below.

Download the program here.

And search for movies at torrentspy and ISO hunt and Mininova.

But remember, I didn't tell ya /wink

Yellow Fever

2006-11-22T14:47:00.000+09:00

I'm not sure if you all have heard this term, but "Yellow Fever" is usually used to explain 'white people dating Asians'. Personally, I'm not big on the titles and such, but I have to say, this video is great. This guy took an interesting direction with this subject (humor) and made it great.

Too bad there wasn't more people who looked at it this way.

(not my usual post on here, but I thought it was funny as heck)

Spiderman 3

2006-11-14T13:21:00.000+09:00

Ok, this year has been kind of a downer for movies, but with the trailer just released for the newest Spiderman movie, I'm gettin' giddy again.

I'm a little worried that this series may go the way of the X-Men (that they'll want to limit it to 3), but watcing that preview gives me hope.

Enjoy.

Malaysia - Perhantian Islands

2006-10-22T19:14:00.000+09:00

I've been meaning to write this post up for a couple of weeks, but as always, right after vacation seems to be the busiest time (see last pic for a hint).

For those who do not know, or those who may have forgotten, Joo and I went to the Perhantian Islands in Malaysia for the first bit of October. We had a great time and saw some phenomenal things. It's some of those things that I'd like to show you..

The island itself was like many others we've been to. Nice beaches and great sunsets (see below). For the second half of our trip though the sunsets seemed to get a little less spectacular. Apparently October is burning season in many parts of Malaysia and Indonesia. Keep that in mind if you're looking for a lot of sun (pale boy Ed still managed to get a major burn though) .

Our bungalow was called Abdul's Chalet. I never did meet Abdul, but at $18 a night, I have to say he ran a fine place. One thing that was quite interesting about this section of beach was that we seemed to be really close to the animals. Every morning Monkeys would come down from the jungle and eat mangoes from the tree behind our place. Here's a pic of them hanging out with a baby.
We also had the pleasure of dozens of bats buzzing us during dinner time. I say pleasure not to sound sarcastic, but honest, without them, we'd of been eaten alive by mosquitoes!

In the trees in front of our place were a number of squirrels. Not normal ones mind you, but FLYING ones! I thought they were cute, but Joo didn't think much of them after one dropped a mango core right on her forehead (chuckle). Oh, and did I mention snakes? Yup, had those too!

Oh, before I leave the beach, I want to mention a bit more about the monkeys. Apparently, there are two types on this island. One troop of black ones (the "thinker" pictured below) and some grey ones. The grey ones are quite angry and we (kind of) got chased by one on a hike - SCARY!

Both Joo and I got our PADI Open Water certification on this trip. It took us about 3 days and $250 (each) but it was worth it. Joo was a little worried about the swimming test, but buy our 5th dive, she was doing great! (not counting her shocked expression in this shot)

I on the other hand was cool as a cucumber, just not as photogenic as one (it's hard to stay still and pose underwater!).

We saw a number of different fish on our dives. Everything from sea turtles to clown fish. Small Nurse sharks to giant puffers (below).

Some of the coolest stuff though was on our last dive. We dived what is called "the sugar wreck". It's a boat that sunk a few years back and is approx 20m down. It was dark and scary at times (strong current) so the shots may not seem like much, but times them by 100 and you get a picture of how cool it was.

Oh, and before I forget, one of the coolest things happened to us before we left the island. Apparently one of the locals was keeping a sea turtle and helping to feed it before releasing it. On our last day the turtle decided it had had enough and it headed for the water. It was the cutest thing I've seen in a long time, watching it struggle along the beach finally to spread it's wings into the sea. Simply stunning.

Here's me on a quick 2 day stopover in KL. Joo stayed on there for an extra few days (for a business conference) and I headed back to Seoul.

Oh, and remember WAAAY back at the beginning of this post I had mentioned something about some big news keeping me busy. Well, if you take a look at the photo below, I think you'll have a good guess at what it is *wink

My Mom's Visit

2006-09-28T17:50:00.000+09:00

Well my mom is on the plane right now and I am heading off tomorrow for a quick vacation and I'm trying my best to write something up (and post some pictures) before I go so.... please forgive any run on sentences. ;)

Like all tourists are forced to, we brought her to the Korean Folk Village. Locals don't think much of it, but most tourists I know enjoy the visit. Here is my mom walking the dangerous bridge into the park ;)

And here we are standing in front of an entrance for some type of Governor's house. I really like this pic for some reason.

The village is quite cool and there are numerous places where you can just sit and unwind. Unfortunately for us, most of those places were filled with troops of little Kindergarten kids. Ah well, my mom thought they were cute, and we ended up finding our way into some quiet spots (mom and Joo below).

In this village are a lot of people working and volunteering, helping to add to the atmosphere. We watched a traditional wedding and saw some pretty cool performances. Below is a pic of an old guy writing up something for my mom (I can't remember what it said off hand) and a couple of performers.

I brought my mom to the DMZ. For those who do not know, it is the last remaining barrier of the Cold War (well, maybe not last... but close). It is considered the most fortified border on the planet... fun stuff eh?

Joo brought my mom out to her Aunt's house in the country. They had a ball out there (from what I hear - I was working), and all the neighbors are talking about that foreign woman now.

I really like this pic of my mom in the pepper field. Something seems young about her.

We went to Chung Deok Palace here in Seoul. It was actually my first time... and we took a lot of pics... but this is the only one I'm going to post here. I'm just too tired of loading these things up here.

This is the church Joo and I go *cough* get dragged* cough* to. It is reputed to be the largest church in the world. And at 800,000 members, I'm believe it.

We brought my mom to Meyong-dong, where Joo and I met.

We also went to NANTA - kind of a STOMP thing on with kitchen supplies.

And the last pic for today... this is one of her at the top of Namsan mountain, in the center of Seoul. Kind of a Rocky thing she's got going on here.

Over all, I'm tired of posting pics and I' running out of time (Heading to malaysia in 12 hours)... but it was an amazing trip and I'm glad she came over here and hung with us.

Love ya mom

Ed & Joo

Renaissance Man

2006-08-29T13:01:00.000+09:00

Well, I know I haven't written anything on here in a long time... but I've meant to! Doesn't that count for something? I've honestly planned on writing something for awhile, but I just kept forgetting. Then, the other day I tried logging in and discovered that I had forgotten my password - obviously now I've remembered.

So, for my "return" I've decided to tell you that I have a new title "Renaissance Man"! I've had some odd things happen in my life of late (maybe why I haven't posted), and it's about time I told ya.

Work:

I have been continuing my free-lance work. The hours are fine and the demand is high. I'm trying to scult them a little so that I'm able to spend a little more time at home. Like most people realize at different points, it's all about the quality of life that matters.

Books:

I haven't been reading all that many books of late. In the last while I finished Freakonomics (quite good), Digital Characters (average), Canadian History (for dummies), and Korea Witness (not too bad).

Movies:

Snakes on a plane!! - it is what it is, a B movie.
X-Men 3 - Loved it.
Superman returns - not too bad.
Clerks 2 - like the Kevin Smith stuff.
My Super Ex-Girlfriend - I like superheroes and all... but not this.

Superheroes:

Lot's of movies out there but also some interesting comic books. Apparently Civil War is on, I'm trying to catch up on the Marvel stuff. Also, the Justice League had a kind of cool cartoon series that I downloaded. As well, as always, you can ckeck out my stuff here. http://juggertha.deviantart.com/

Wedding:

My buddies Aaron and Na Young got married last month... and I was the... presenter/minister/officiator. http://idiotscollective.blogspot.com/2006/07/seoul-nuptuals.html

Politics:

I'm hessitant to post up too much on this one, but I'm growing in my involvement with LiNK. http://www.linkglobal.org/ Last week I met Kang Chol Hwan of Aquariums of Pyongyang, the director of Yodok Story, the manager of Radio Free North Korea, and US Congressman Dana Rohrabacher.

Movies (again):

I was in a movie last month (post below this one) and the other night I got a call to be an extra in another. This one had no lines, but I got to hang out with some friends, meet some cool people, and make a bit of cash.

My wife was quite happy with one thing though, I met Daniel Henney. For those who might not know, he is the "Korean Brad Pit" and is adored by all here. I must say, that after meeting him and talking with him a bit, he's a cool enough guy. Just your average joe that made it big. And yes, for any of you Korean girls that are reading... he's a decent looking guy in person too. ;)

In the MOVIES!

2006-07-01T01:40:00.000+09:00

That's right, you are now reading the blog of an almost-semi-close famous guy. I put my picture a few months ago up on an internet site for foreign workers here. A month ago I was called and i went down for an audition. It turns out they liked my look (or more likely I was the only one they could get) and I got the part.

The part though, was not the best one. Acting wise, I'm told it was quite good for a start. Character wise though, it was little lacking. I played an obnoxious US soldier that gets into an accident with a taxi and then proceeds to sexually harrass the taxi driver's wife AND get into a fight with him. All this while still trying to keep my cool Blue Magnum look on my face (bow down to Zoolander!).

I've since then heard wind of some other roles. Hmmm, let's hope that I find a nicer role though (or my wife is gonna' kill me).

Calgary trip - Summer 2006

2006-06-11T17:11:00.000+09:00

Well, it took me a little while to load/save/upload all of these pictures, but I'm hoping it'll be worth it in the end. *that's a hint that you should leave a lot of comments.

I guess I'll start this off with our Banff trip. Years ago Joo's mom went to Epcot (sp?) Center in Florida and saw an exhibit of Banff there. She said that she had always remembered those miniature mountains. I thought it was about time we showed her the real thing. My bud Trish was our guide (she's been out there a billion times more than me). First we went hiking in Johnson Canyon.

It was great getting that fresh air back into my lungs. I had almost forgotten what clean air felt like. But it wasn't just the air, even the water amazed me. everything just seemed like it was put down that day for us.

And of course, with all that clean air... romance had to follow.

I looked like a foreigner getting all excited about the animals we saw. There were a number of deer, crows, squirrels, mountain goats, and chipmunks (I like this shot)

We ended up taking the Gondola to the top of Sulphur Mountain. I was not wanting to pay the $25 dollar fee but, I must admit, the view was worth it. I felt like I was on the top of canada in this shot.

I think Joo's parents were blown away by the view of *cough* expensive *cough* Banff. Joo's dad kept talking about (at 2900m) how he was at the highest point he's ever been in his life. {the tallest mountain in korea is 2200m I think}

We went to Heritage Park the next day and met up with my parents there. My mom seemed in fine health and although both her and Val weren't able to walk around the whole place, I'm sure they had a great time just seeing us running around.

As somone who had to go to Heritage Park as a kid (for school) I had never been a big fan of the place. As an adult though (and as a semi-foreigner) I now have a better appreciation for it. It's amazing the quality of building back then.

Here's my best imitation of a cowboy - I never did go in for wearing the hat.

And of course, no trip to Heritage Park is complete without a picture of a Mountie. If you notice, there's a paper bag hanging in all the doors. They said it keeps the wasps away because the wasps think that it is a rival nest - cool.

We stopped by the Harley dealership so my father in-law could check out his favorite model. I was hoping Rob would have his bike together and take him for a spin, but unfortunately his wife Mehgan (sp?) was due THAT WEEK and he was otherwise occupied (we were hoping they'd have it while we were there - no such luck).

I've always been a big fan of Zoos. Since I was a kid, the zoo was my idea of a perfect day out. This time though, it was better than ever. I'd hazard to say that this was my BEST trip to the zoo! Trish (and Mandy for a short time) brought us there and Trish's aunt and uncle (who work there) gave us a behind the scenes tour. It was amazing. We were able to go into almost any exhibit!

Here I am feeding (and doing my best goofy face towards) a giraffe. Man, look at that tongue! (that's Trish's very helpful aunt in the middle)

The hippopotamus were my favorite though. I had remebered hearing about how in Africa they thought that hippos sweat blood, but when I saw the red beads on their backs I was amazed. Touching it though was too cool (translation - sticky).

And the best was being able to touch this old boy's mouth. Man, to think that this animal causes more deaths in Africa than any other, and I've got my hand in it's mouth!

We ended up feeding some horse meat to the lions and petting a cute little bat. Oh and we were also able to visit our (allbeit far removed) cousins. These gorillas seemed passive enough but we were warned that if we were ever on the receiving end of their force, they'd break us without realizing.

Speaking of big gorillas, I was told of a story about my buddy Dan. He went to the zoo (wearing all black) and when he stepped near the gorrilla exhibit the large one charged the glass! A zookeeper near by told Dan to crouch down and look passive. I guess being a pro bodybuilder does not get you points in the wild. Here's Dan with his (and my) favorite toy.

Visiting Calgary was a lot about visiting people and... eating! When you visit, you must eat. And we ate a lot! man, those Canadian serving sizes are just monsterous.

Here's a pic of my and some buds after a dinner (missing a few people like Kurt and Jen in this shot). These guys, now that I look at it, are actually all old training partners of mine. Mike, Dahn, and Dan. Wow, so many years of training together. Funny how everyone is still in great shape (well, I'm working on it).

And, not to forget the one who is responsible for all this (my going to korea), Nancy! we were able to meet here for a nice lunch and then later for a korean meal (which was twice as much as it is here in Korea BTW).

We also had lunch with Mandy and Vic (newly married and expecting) and my bud Ryan (who is taking this pic). Great to see some old friends again - and new ones. mandy, Vic seems like a good catch, good job!

Time was a bit pressed this trip though. I didn't want to in-laws to get too bored, and sitting around only speaking in english felt like it did that. Far too many of our visits were just quick "drop in and say hello" types. As always though we were able to say hi to a very old (as in years known) friend and his wife, Marcus and Sharon.

We ended up having a BBQ on one of our last days in town with my pseudo-mom Joyce and her son Rob. It was good to see Rob again healthy and happy and enjoying his beautiful family. I know this shot is showing Angie, but geez why can't I remember all the kids names?? If I was on the ball though I would have e-mailed Nicole and got her to come too (sorry).

The in-laws (ok, mostly my father in-law) were all over every kid we saw. They were giving us STRONG hints that they are expecting grandchildren soon. And I'm sure my Mom would echo their sentiments. Hmmm, maybe I should be spending less time writing this blog and more time ...

There are so many people missing from these pics; Although we saw my Parents a number of times, for some reason we only have a few pics of them, Al (who seems to be doing great nowadays), Jes (who came from vancouver to see me!), Rob (who is stressed but will soon be a pappa), Dawne (who is also stressed), Kevin and Stacy (who just bought a great new house!!), and Dana (who I could not seem to hook up with on this trip). If I have left you out, leave a comment /wink

Most of all I need to thank two people for making this trip so much easier for us.

Mike - you lent us your house and gave so much more. Thanks man, you're a brother to me.
Trish - you took the week off and brought us laughing around Calgary and area. Couldn't of done half of it without 'cha, thanks.

Now if only I could get everyone to come to Korea...

Korea's Fight for Freedom

2006-04-26T18:56:00.000+09:00

So, I bet you thought I had stopped reading - NOPE, just forgot to post the books I had read. Here are a few from the last month.

Now this was an interesting book. For as long as I have lived in Korea I have heard Koreans talk about the attrocities commited by the Japanese during occupation (1905-1945 ish). I always suspected that there was a fair amount of exageration, especially when I asked for evidence. Asking a Korean for evidence will often land you blank stares and as such I was willing to shake off some of the more serous claims against the Japanese.

Korea's Fight for Freedom by F.A.McKenzie (1920) changed my line of thinking though. A jornalist from the turn of the century living in Korea, he gives an account of the Japanese occupation. From it's begining support with the King's father's power plays, the Sino-Japanese war, to the Russo-Japanese war, the stationing of troops on the peninsula, the subgigation of the korean people, and finally the abuses of the Japanese authorities.

He is writing before 1920 so keep in mind he is not the neutral historian one might expect. He does however give an interesting account and one worth the read (if you are interested in such things of course).

The Koreans

2006-04-26T18:47:00.000+09:00

The Koreans by Michael Breen is the book about Korea... or so most people would say. He explains the history of the peninsula, the spirit of the people, the food, and ... well, pretty much everything - or at least he tries to.

Honestly, I have read this book a few times now and each time I enjoy it. Each time I am also left thinking there should be more. To accomplish his task Breen uses huge brushes when painting his pictures and I guess more than once I would have prefered a finer pen.

If you want to start learning baout Korean and Koreans, this is a great place to start. If you already know a lot, this book probably won't teach you much.

North Korea South Korea

2006-04-26T18:42:00.000+09:00

This is a "small" book that I picked up the other day for about $6. I had always been curious at how an author could hope to capture such a broad topic in this tiny of a book.

To his credit, Feffer does well in conveying his thoughts. Unfortunately his thoughts are far too odd for my tastes. He is quite Anit-American and belives that the US opperates with a type of Gun-boat diplomacy. Now he may not be totally wrong in that, but it would be nice to see him take the other parties involved to task as much as he does the US. (*cough* Cumings *cough*)

Pick it up if you find it cheap somewhere.

Practical Poser 6

2006-04-26T18:40:00.000+09:00

Well I tried my best at sligging thorugh this #d art boook that I bought online. And while there were some good tips in it, I am still not able to do what I want as freely in Poser as I am in Photoshop.

Ah well, maybe in the future.

April stuff

2006-04-24T15:15:00.000+09:00

I just realized it has been quite some time since I updated this blog. Honestly, I've been pretty busy of late (not with work) and I've just kind of forgotten about this place. My appologies, if you are reading this then it means you actually care (or are really bored), I'll make sure to give you something to read then.

This month has not been all that eventfull. Work is good but not too taxing. I get to sleep in most days and work out most evenings. Joo and I are both doing good in the "getting in shape" dept. Every so often she comes into the computer room and shows me how slim her stomach is getting.

Art wise I've been quite busy of late. I've had a few commissions (yup, got paid a little) and have a new mini-gallery that you can check out here:
http://juggertha.deviantart.com/gallery/
Mostly superhero stuff but I am very proud the progression in skills - be sure to click on the little thumbnail pics.

As for movies and tv, well my big kick of late has been dowloading the Sopranos. Season 6 has started and I'm enjoying it so far. I had to watch 3 weeks of season 4-5 to catch up and understand what's going on though.

We're planing on heading to Canada in June so if you want anything (from either place) make sure to tell me.

-Ed

Downloads - updated

2006-04-03T23:30:00.000+09:00

If you are wondering how I am downloading all these cool movies you can download the Bitcomet program here and then search for movies/files here or better yet here.

It is really just that easy.

(thanks go to my favorite idiot )

Bumping this for some friends.

Yodok story

2006-04-03T23:12:00.000+09:00

Yodok tells the story of a young 강령화, a lead entertainer in the North’s propaganda department, and her struggles for survival.
Initially 강 is praised throughout the North for her talented acting, but that is soon to fall apart when her father is accused of spying for the South.
The family is stripped of it’s honors and is sent to a labor camp... Yodok. There the family encounters cruelties that were previously beyond imagination.
From the brutality of her initial rape, and the constant abuse levied at them from the guards, comes a mixture of sorrow and hope.
This hope, is their story.

Before I get started, I must say one thing - I am usually not a big fan of musicals. When I watch Disney films, I always think the songs ruin the animation. And when I watch the Sound of Music ... well, I don’t actually watch it. So it was a great surprise to me when I actually enjoyed this musical. Not being a big fan of the genre I expected to sit through it and understand little (it is done in Korean). I am glad that was not the case.
The songs, instead of taking away from the story (or distracting me from it) instead added surprising power to it. From the opening act of the propaganda films to the scenes where death was a moment away, the songs gave voice to the spirit of the actors. One song in particular moved me - sung from someone who had seen the South, he begged God not just to visit the South but to come to the North too.
The singing itself was superb and the lead actress enchanted me from the start. As well, the act changes and set design left me feeling like I was watching ... not just a movie, but something more real, more alive.
This performance may not change your beliefs about the Peninsula, but if you can sit through it without shedding a tear - you’ll be the only one in the audience to do so.

Of Mice and Men

2006-03-23T23:54:00.000+09:00

John Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men has been around for quite some time. I've always heard the title mentioned, but like so many books, that was all I knew about it. i figured it had something to do with great men - maybe in comparassin to thsoe lesser men (mice?).

So I read thebook and the 100 or so pages went by too fast. It was a very easy read (note above 100 pages) and I finished it in one day. Basically the story runs with two men in the dirty thirties trying to find work and a future. They end up finding one but not the other.

Read it to find out.

My stuff

2006-03-17T14:43:00.000+09:00

So, as you may have noticed, I've only been writing on this blog about once every few weeks. It's not because I've lost interest, but rather because I a MORE interested in other things ;)

I've been doing quite a lot of drawing of late and if you have the time you can check them out here : http://virtue-art.blogspot.com/
I've actually been paid for a couple of those and I'm going to save all that money and buy myself a how to draw book. hehe.

Actually, that is not far from the truth. I've just recently been toying with a program called Poser6 and have thoroughly frustrated myself. To make myself feel better I 1) bought more RAM for my comp and 2) Bought a how to use Poser book from Amazon. My goal is to be able to bring some of my ideas into a more digital look. I love the comic style but would like to see something different on occasion. Something like this...

(and NO, this is not my work but it's something I would like to be able to do some day. This guy is seriously skilled) http://www.douglasshuler.com/shop/images/ValHallaPoster01.jpg

I've also been using my MP3 to listen to some old tunes and some Korean tapes. Heck, if I get any better with my Korean, I just might go to school.... pfffftt. Ok, that's a big "if".

The Third Chimpanzee

2006-03-17T14:34:00.000+09:00

The Third Chimpanzee by Jared Diamond is a book I would recommend to anyone who is interested in evolutionary theory. It takes Darwin's natural selection to specifics about human mating paterns (of selection, nothing too juicy). Why are there different races on this planet and what does it really mean to be White or Black or Asian.

He also delves into the environment and our relationship to it. I may in the past have not been the best with recycling at my house, but I'm now inspired to do more. I'd write more but basically, If you liked Germs, Guns and Steel, you'll like this one.

"Creationists believe that our species had a separate origin through divine creation. Suppose, though, that we should detect on another planet a society of seven-legged creatures more intelligent and ethical than we are, and able to converse with us, but having a radio receiver and transmitter instead of eyes and a mouth. Shall we believe that these creatures (but still not chimps) share the afterlife with us, and that they too were divinely created?"

February Update:

2006-02-26T23:18:00.000+09:00

I've heard from a few people that they actually read this thing and that they liked Joo's writing. Well, I'll have none of that! She writes one article and people phone me! What's up with that??

Anyway, I thought I would just put up a quick post to say what it is I am up to nowadays...

Books:
I just finished reading War and Peace. It is quite the epic. Nothing I can write in a paragraph would do it justice so I'll just settle with this; It's LONG! Tolstoy is good, no doubt, but he sure takes his time in saying anything. Read it though... if you have a lot of time on your hands.

Movies:
I've watched more movies this year then I probably have in my life time. Now that I am able to download for free, well, I'm doing some catching up it seems. The thing is though, when you get something for free, you don't seam to value it as much. That's kind of how I am looking at movies now. I may watch 5 one week, but god help me if I can remember any of them. Actually, today I watched The Weatherman (Cage) and thought it was decent. And a few days ago I watched Walk the Line (Pheonix) and liked that too (although not as much as Ray). I also watched Brokeback Mountain (which the only thing in it that I liked was the landscape) and Transamerica (now this one I would recommend). I'm sure there is another dozen I am forgetting... but maybe it is better that way.

TV:
These days I am hooked on a few. Desperate Housewives, LOST, My Name is Earl, and Arrested Development (oh and ROME, but it is over now). Again, all thanks to the mighty power of downloading.

Drawing:
I am quite proud of something. In case I have not phoned or written you personally, you might not know how happy I am about something. I sold my first piece. That's right, I actually made money (not much) off of my hobby. It is quite an accomplishment for me and as a commissioned piece, I think it looks quite good.

Thor's Assassin

Oh and just for a bit of revenge on my loving wife, I took this picture while she was sleeping. Enjoy the wondrous Moon-faced Girl!

Happy to be back in Seoul!

2006-02-18T22:00:00.000+09:00

I just came back on Friday from Hanoi, and I am so glad to be home with Eddie:)

Yes, I do travel quite alot and I may have to go back in March. I am hoping that that will be my last trip to Hanoi. No offense to Hanoi, but I miss my Eddie and Seoul where I can understand what people are saying. I can understand how difficult it must be for Eddie to live in Seoul but he is doing well.

I am happy to be back in Seoul. My parents are back from China. They came last week while I was in Hanoi. I visited them today and it was like the old days.... but of course, I would not go back to the old days because..... I am enjoying my life as it is.

I am not enjoying everything though. Since I've been back, I have developed a sore throat and cough. Eddie is making me take some disgusting medicine called Buckley's. It is horrible but it seems to work. No more coughing.

-Joo

Juggertha's Wall

2006-01-22T22:31:00.000+09:00

Well, I have been doing quite my share of drawing lately (while my wife was visiting relatives this weekend) and I think I am taking up too much room on this blog for just my art.

So, if you are looking for any more of my stuff, please be so kind as to direct yourself to
http://virtue-art.blogspot.com/

Captain Corea & SHEN

2006-01-21T20:28:00.000+09:00

Well, my lovely wife went over to her aunt's for most of the day so I figured I'd keep myself busy.

Here is my ESL persona (I tried for speed on this one)
Captain Corea And another friend's character in CoH
SHEN

Ultimate Kaos

2006-01-21T02:02:00.000+09:00

I did this one for another on-line friend. I think I'm starting to find a bit of a vibe (we'll see how long that lasts).
Ultimate Kaos

The Kite Runner

2006-01-15T13:02:00.000+09:00

A good friend of mine Nancy recommended this book to me. She is an avid reader and swore this one was so powerful it moved her to tears. Previously I have never really felt all that emotional about a book. Most of the ones I had read, being History books, bordered on either sad or grotesque, if they did approach any emotion at all. Having read The Kite Runner though, and being near tears no less than 6 times while reading it, I now have a higher expectation for any book to follow.

The Kite Runner is about a young man growing up in pre-Taliban Afghanistan. It follows his lifeas he tries to find his way into his father's heart and his own. I really don't want to go into more details other than to say it spans a life wrought with inner and outer conflict.

My only fear in talking about this book to anyone is that I might hype it up too much that they are disappointed by the time they actually read it. Much like so many people have done in their attempts to describe movies. So, I'll just finish by saying, read it and enjoy it.

*ps. I finished it in two days if that is any indicator.

R3PUBLIK and STRAIN

2006-01-15T12:57:00.000+09:00

Just thought I'd add two more pictures I've drawn of late. Both are originals that I used either a real model for or a game image. I'm trying to get more co-ordinated using this pen while at the same time getting my proportions in-sync.

R3PUBLIK

STRAIN

The Jugurthine War - Sallust

2006-01-13T16:41:00.000+09:00

I had read this book in University and really enjoyed it. I enjoyed it so much so, that I took the name and have used it for most of my online life. Juggertha, my online alter-ego was taken from the Numidian Prince Jugurtha. Jugurtha had an interesting history...

Jugurtha was born into the royal family of Numidia. And, while he was not actually the King's son, he enjoyed the admiration of the court. Even the king's legitimate two sons looked up to Jugurtha. He was a powerful, intelligent, and honest young man and he held the acclaim of the people.

While this may have appeared to be a good thing, soon jealousy raised it's head... Over the King. He had come o see Jugurtha as a threat and wanted him done away with. A chance came when his Roman allies had requested aid for their war in Gaul. The King sent Jugurtha in the hopes that he might be lost in battle.

Instead, Jugurtha proved himself a mighty warrior and not only earned the respect of his Roman compatriots, but heightened the reputation of his country in Rome. Having heard the reports of his deeds, the King welcomed Jugurtha back with open ams and pledged the kingdom to him.

The problem was, was that the King was going senile and within a short time would be dead. After his death Numidia was divided amongst Jugurtha and he two Princes. This did not hold for long as trust soon diminished and tension mounted so Jugurtha saw fit to cut through them both - by cutting the throat of one of the young Princes.

War soon followed and the other Prince sought help from Rome. Rome agreed that Jugurtha should respect the peace and end the fighting but within a shorttime he was at it again. Eventually he had pulled the last Prince from a city and cut him to ribbons and had set the fury of the whole Roman Empire down on him.

If you want to know what happened next, read the book!

Korea's place in the sun - Cumings

2006-01-13T16:33:00.000+09:00

I had heard about this book from the moment I had started to take an interest in Korean history. I had heard rumors that Cumings asserted that it was the South that had actually started the Korean war, and that he often let the North of with only a small flick of negativity.

After reading the book cover to cover I have to say, he did not say that the South invaded first... not really. He definitely left it open for the possibility of forces other than the North starting the war though. Honestly, I don't really disagree with him on that one so I'll leave that point for now.

What bothered me about this book was more his writing. I may not be the most edumacated man out there but I did not appreciate how he flowed from a casual sentence using some out-dated idiom to a full-bore professorial rant that would make a masters student snore.

over all, I don't think I'd read it again. It had some good points and it is always good to get a different perspective, but I just didn't enjoy his all that much.

Joo's Birthday!

2005-12-31T01:16:00.000+09:00

It was my Moonie's birthday the other day so i figured (seeing as this is part her blog and all) that I would post up a few pics.

This one at her staff party (which turned out to be a 200 person birthday party for her... kind of). And, just like this blog, she does not seem to be able to get away from me. They even called me up to the front to help her blow out her candles. Sheesh!

Juggertha drawing

2005-12-31T01:02:00.000+09:00

I thought some of you might appretiate this. My wife bought me a pen-mouse for my birthday so I figured I'd put it to good use.

Now this is my first "computer drawing" so I'm sure they'll get better, but as it is, I think it turned out well.

Here is the "original" character I used. He is from City of Heroes in case anyone is wanting to come online with me. ;)

X3

2005-12-29T10:58:00.000+09:00

X-Men 3 is coming next year and I'm getting excited. Here is the trailer for you to check out (if you haven't already). I'm not all that impressed with the Juggernaut though. Look through the official site pic to see what I mean (or just keep an eye out for him in the trailer)

A trip to Canada

2005-12-26T15:12:00.000+09:00

As some of you may have noticed, my blogging has been a bit lite of late. Actually I left the Land of Morning Calm and headed to the Great White North for a rather unplanned visit.

It was great to see everyone there and I thought I'd share a few pictures.

Here is the view when I was leaving Korea. I thought it kind of typical of Korea.. being lots of cranes and a great sunset.

Here is a pic of my parents (the reason I went on this trip). Some people might be wondering why I went to canada so quickly, I'm not going to really get into it now but I'd like to say that Cancer is a bi$#h

I was able to meet a lot of old friends on this trip (but as always I missed some of them). Here is a shot of my good bud Dan (you may or may not recognize him from my posts on bodybuilding here earlier in the year). This man is one of the people I missed most and such a nice guy that he lent me a car for my time in Canada. I ended up seeing a lot of people on this trip, Mike, Dan, Rob, Marcus, Al, Dana, Trish, Mandy, Kurt, Deb, Dawne, and Justin. Wow, so many of them I haven't sen in years. It was good to hear about how so many of them were doing.

This next shot is of Dan's vehicle... no, this is not the one he lent me. Shoot, before visiting Canada I was actually thinking about buying a eco-car or something. being back in the land of giant vehicles though has led me in a different direction.

So long as I'm bragging about Dan, I wanted to make note of his house. Like so many other's (Mike, Marcus, Trish), I was facinated with what they have done with their places. In Korea here it is SO hard to coordinate home furnishings. I like the class in this photo and hope to have a nice flow like this through my place. Also note, Rob is building his place now and if the past is any indicator.. it's going to be impressive.

My wife never really had a dog. Not counting the puppy her dad bought her (and her mom got rid of in less than 24 hours) she has been pet-less. She had fun with my parents 13 year old terri-poo and I'm hoping that when we move into a hosue we'll be able to raise one from a pup.

Well, that's it for my trip. I'm glad I went and although it wasn't perfect... it was great seeing so many close people again. I find I'm missing Canada a lot less but my friends and family a lot more.

Odd.

Chiang kai shek

2005-12-19T06:24:00.000+09:00

I saw this book on sale over at Whatthebook for $10 and thought it seemed like a good deal. After reading through it, I'm not so sure.

It's an ok book and all, and it seems to give a fair accounting on Chiang's life, but for some reason it just never seemed to "pick up" for me. It was more just a continual talking about him (using far too many unfamiliar names - even if introduced).

Either way, I now know more than I did.

The Rape of Nanking

2005-11-27T15:34:00.000+09:00

I've had this book sitting on my shelf for a little while now and it seemed to continually get bumped from my "next to read" list. I had heard some srange things about the author, everything from she fabricated most of the facts in the book to she commited suicide after writing it. I usually dispell rumors but I must admit when I started off reading this book I already had my back up (at least a little).

The book itself is an "account" of the Japanese invasion of the city of Nanking (Nanjing) on December 13th, 1937. The photos have been bandied about over the internet for year. While some have shown them to be false (or at least staged), others simply show the horrors of war.

My major problem with this book was the end noting style. For a book that makes SO MANY claims, it has the most awkward note system. The edition that I bought had end notes but no reference numbers. Grrrrrrrrrrrrr.

Here is an excerpt:
THE CHRONICLE OF humankind's cruelty is a long and sorry tale. But if it is true that even in such horror tales there are degrees of ruthlessness, then few atrocities can compare in intensity and scale to the rape of Nanking during World War II.

The broad details of the rape are, except among the Japanese, not in dispute. In November 1937, after their successful invasion of Shanghai, the Japanese launched a massive attack on the newly established capital of the Republic of China. When the city fell on December 13, 1937, Japanese soldiers began an orgy of cruelty seldom if ever matched in world history. Tens of thousands of young men were rounded up and herded to the outer areas of the city, where they were mowed down by machine guns, used for bayonet practice, or soaked with gasoline and burned alive. By the end of the massacre an estimated 260,000 to 350,000 Chinese had been killed. Between 20,000 and 80,000 Chinese women were raped--and many soldiers went beyond rape to disembowel women, slice off their breasts, nail them alive to walls. So brutal were the Japanese in Nanking that even the Nazis in the city were shocked. John Rabe, a German businessman who led the local Nazi party, joined other foreigners in working tirelessly to save the innocent from slaughter by creating a safety zone where some 250,000 civilians found shelter.

Yet the Rape of Nanking remains an obscure incident. Although the death toll exceeds the immediate number of deaths from the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki (140,000 and 70,000 respectively, by the end of 1945) and even the total civilian casualties for several European countries during the entire war (Great Britain lost 61,000 civilians, France 108,000, Belgium 101,000, and the Netherlands 242,000), the horrors of the Nanking massacre remain virtually unknown to people outside Asia. The Rape of Nanking did not penetrate the world consciousness in the same manner as the Jewish Holocaust or Hiroshima because the victims themselves remained silent. The custodian of the curtain of silence was politics. The People's Republic of China, Taiwan, and even the United States all contributed to the historical neglect of this event for reasons deeply rooted in the cold war. After the 1949 Communist revolution in China, neither the People's Republic of China nor Taiwan demanded wartime reparations from Japan (as Israel had from Germany) because the two governments were competing for Japanese trade and political recognition. And even the United States, faced with the threat of communism in the Soviet Union and mainland China, sought to ensure the friendship and loyalty of its former enemy Japan. In this manner, cold-war tensions permitted Japan to escape much of the intense critical examination that its wartime ally was forced to undergo.

1984

2005-11-13T12:21:00.000+09:00

I just finished reading 1984 and... wow. Simply, wow. It is really a great book. I had heard for years about this book but had never bothered to read it. Like so many other Canadian kids, I had read Animal Farm in Jr. High and figured that was about all I needed to know about Orwell and Communism. I was wrong.

As an adult this book takes on whole new meaning. His writing style is fluid and abundanly descriptive. There were more than a few times I almost missed my stop (subway) because of his book.

If you want to find out what is at the bottom of the rabbit hole, this is the book for you!

An excerpt:

IT WAS a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen. Winston Smith, his chin nuzzled into his breast in an effort to escape the vile wind, slipped quickly through the glass doors of Victory Mansions, though not quickly enough to prevent a swirl of gritty dust from entering along with him.

The hallway smelt of boiled cabbage and old rag mats. At one end of it a coloured poster, too large for indoor display, had been tacked to the wall. It depicted simply an enormous face, more than a metre wide: the face of a man of about forty-five, with a heavy black moustache and ruggedly handsome features. Winston made for the stairs. It was no use trying the lift. Even at the best of times it was seldom working, and at present the electric current was cut off during daylight hours. It was part of the economy drive in preparation for Hate Week. The flat was seven flights up, and Winston, who was thirty-nine and had a varicose ulcer above his right ankle, went slowly, resting several times on the way. On each landing, opposite the lift-shaft, the poster with the enormous face gazed from the wall. It was one of those pictures which are so contrived that the eyes follow you about when you move. BIG BROTHER IS WATCHING YOU, the caption beneath it ran.

The Apartment II

2005-11-13T11:41:00.000+09:00

Well I've been meaning to post pictures of this for awhile and just have not been able to find the time to do it. I won't write much but I'll give a brief description of each shot:

The Living room (going to try to keep this room slightly Spartan)

The Kitchen (don't mind the clutter, I was making dinner)

The Master Bedroom (cannot seem to get a good shot of this)

The spare bedroom / office (this clutter is permanent)

The nice smoggy view (it looks better on some days)

The night time view (There were fireworks for the first two weeks we moved in)

And my dinner (my mother in law was nice enough to bring by some Korean side dishes)

Plan of Attack

2005-11-06T09:26:00.000+09:00

Well I just finished reading PLAN of ATTACK by Bob Woodward. This one took me quite some time (as yu can see from my last "book" post). I was moving and had my mind on other things, but also, I was not really expecting this book.

I expected some behind the sceens dirt on why the US went into Iraq. Instead I got a blow by blow account of HOW they did it, or more accurately, how they went about planning for it (I guess I should read titles more carefully). Once I got into the flow ofthe book though it made for an interesting read.

It was quite interesting to get a glimpse into some of the personalities of the current US administration. I dare say I now know as much as I want to know about them.

Excerpt:
On the 17th day of the Bush presidency, Monday, February 5, Rice chaired a principals committee meeting that included Cheney, Powell and Rumsfeld. Deputy CIA Director John E. McLaughlin substituted for Tenet. The purpose was to review Iraq policy, the status of diplomatic, military and covert options. Among the first taskings were for each principal and his department or agency to examine and consider how intelligence collection could be increased on Iraq's suspected weapons of mass destruction.

At least on paper, the United Nations had an economic sanctions policy directed at Saddam's regime. The principals conceded that Saddam had basically won the public relations argument by convincing the international community that the sanctions were impoverishing his people, and that they were not stopping him from spending money to keep himself in power. Powell very quickly said they needed to attempt to get the U.N. to revise the sanctions to tighten them on material that might advance Saddam's military and WMD programs. Sanctions could then be eased on civilian goods.

Another issue was the weapons inspections inside Iraq that the U.N. had authorized after the Gulf War to establish that Saddam no longer possessed weapons of mass destruction. The inspectors had helped to dismantle Iraq's chemical, biological and surprisingly advanced nuclear programs, but suspicious accounting of destroyed munitions and elaborate concealment mechanisms left many unanswered questions. In 1998 Saddam had forced the inspectors out, and the question was what might be done to get them back in. No one had a good answer.

What should be the approach to Iraqi opposition groups both outside and inside Iraq? When should weapons and other lethal assistance be provided? Who should provide it -- the CIA or Defense? Again no one had a complete answer.

Boys II Men

2005-10-25T22:22:00.000+09:00

I have tickets to see them perform a week from now. I've been wanting to see them live for years now. Funny how I come to Korea and catch them here.

They are performing with Big Momma here in Seoul. I'll write more after I see it.

Moving!

2005-10-23T20:51:00.000+09:00

As you may (or may not have) noticed, my blogging action has been at a minimum of late. No, I have not given up writing, but instead have moved to higher ground.

The past fews days have been filled with the normal day's duties plus an added little quirk, WE"VE MOVED! That's right, the day has finally arrived and myself and the Moonie are on our way.

*dances around singing "The Jefferson's" Movin' on up!

I'll write more when we're settled but until then, I leave you with this promo pic for our place.

Enjoy.

Hegemony or Survival

2005-10-16T11:30:00.000+09:00

Noam Chomsky. Now there is a name that garners respect. I've found that whenever I say the phrase "I'm reading Chomsky" I automatically get respectful nods. I suspect it's less because those I'm talking to have read his works but rather because he has one of "those" names. He has a Russian name, and for some reason if you ever say you are reading anything by a Russian (sounding) author you get the respectful nod.

I've made attempts at reading his works before and could never seem to get through them. He is a prof. at MIT in Linguistics and Philosophy but (for those who do not know) often writes/talks about "the state of the nation" and other such exciting topics.

truth be told, I have never been a fan of his. NOT, because of his thoughts on subjects but more because his books are ridiculously hard to get through. I KNOW he is a linguist and I KNOW that he knows what he is doing when it comes to writing "correctly" but come on... If you are going to write about a topic that people that are not linguists have an interest in, please try to write so that average reader has a chance of understanding you. I liken him to Shakespeare. You may understand the words, and occasionally you may even understand the meaning, but if you really want to get it all, it is best to spend hours surrounding yourself with it.

Hegemony or Survival deals with US foreign policy in this century and asks the question (basically) when is it too much? When, if ever, is it possible for the US to overstep it's bounds.

I enjoyed the parts that dealt with S. America, Cuba, and Iraq, but I wish he would have organized the chapters into clearer categories. His sentences are thick with quotes and he often brandishes odd-ball "titles" on those he thinks are villains. Consequently diminishing his arguments against terms like "terrorist". I enjoyed the book but would not recommend it to the average reader.

Excerpt:
Enemy Territory
Those who want to face their responsibilities with a genuine commitment to democracy and freedom -- even to decent survival -- should recognize the barriers that stand in the way. In violent states these are not concealed. In more democratic societies barriers are more subtle. While methods differ sharply from more brutal to more free societies, the goals are in many ways similar: to ensure that the "great beast," as Alexander Hamilton called the people, does not stray from its proper confines.

Controlling the general population has always been a dominant concern of power and privilege, particularly since the first modern democratic revolution in seventeenth-century England. The self-described "men of best quality" were appalled as a "giddy multitude of beasts in men's shapes" rejected the basic framework of the civil conflict raging in England between king and Parliament, and called for government" by countrymen like ourselves, that know our wants," not by "knights and gentlemen that make us laws, that are chosen for fear and do but oppress us, and do not know the people's sores." The men of best quality recognized that if the people are so "depraved and corrupt" as to "confer places of power and trust upon wicked and undeserving men, they forfeit their power in this behalf unto those that are good, though but a few." Almost three centuries later, Wilsonian idealism, as it is standardly termed, adopted a rather similar stance. Abroad, it is Washington's responsibility to ensure that government is in the hands of "the good, though but a few." At home, it is necessary to safeguard a system of elite decision-making and public ratification -- "polyarchy," in the terminology of political science -- not democracy.

Kang Chol-hwan (Aquariums of Pyongyang)

2005-10-09T23:20:00.000+09:00

Well this evening was an exciting one. I went to the Seoul club to listen to, and hopefully meet the author of one of my favorite books on North Korea. Kang Chol-hwan was giving a talk at the joint invitation of the Democrats and Republicans abroad.

Before tonight though, I re-read his book. It had been a few years since I last looked at it (actually I had to go and actually buy a copy) and I felt I had better brush up. The book itself is a facinating glimpse of life in a North Korean labour camp and of Kang's life and death struggles to survive in the tyranical DPRK regime.

"The sweatbox is one of the harshest punishments imaginable, and since it could be used as retribution for the most trifling of offenses - offenses that would seem downright ridiculous on the outside - it was perpetually dangled over our heads. I exagerate when I say "our heads": it wasn't used on kids. But when a relative was sent to the sweatbox the whole family was scared, not knowing whether the loved one would make it out alive. Stealing three ears of corn, responding to a guard's command with insufficient zeal, missing a role call, even if the absence clearly had no wrongful intent - any of these was reason enough for being sent to the sweatbox. Yet all were "faults" that anyone could commit - and often had to commit - to survive."

Kang made mention during the talks that "one of the biggest pillars supporting the regime were the labour camps" and that "South Korean students are facinated by an illusion... (where as this) sentiment is affecting the DPRK and extending it's tyranny."

I took a number of notes but I do not have the time to put them down here tonight. Basically, he held a lot of my views on aid to the North, that it should be monitored and measured against a backdrop of concessions from both sides. He seemed like a level headed guy and impressed me as a survivor. I wish him the best and hope that his nightmares are behind him.

Bit-torrent

2005-10-04T22:51:00.000+09:00

If you are wondering how I am downloading all these cool movies you can download the Bitcomet program here and then search for movies/files here.

It is really just that easy.

(thanks go to my favorite idiot )

Bumping this for some friends.

Influence

2005-10-03T22:43:00.000+09:00

A good friend of mine Al recommended I read about book he had read on persuasion. I must admit I was less than a little enthusiastic. I had read too many self-help books over the years and I have never been a fan of pop-psychology.

Anyway, I decided to take Al's advice and get the book INFLUENCE. He told me the authors name and the title but when I went to the book stor they did not have exactly what he had described. Instead, I bought something similar and as it turns out that might just have been in my favor.

From what I understand, the top photo is of his "pop=psychology/ easy reading" book. While the second phot is slightly more accademic (with foot notes and all!!). I'm not sure if I would have liked the pop version but the second one (minus the lame introduction) was really good. So good in fact that I am thinking of incorporating it into some of my lesson plans. Shhh, don't tell the author though ok.

Here is an excerpt:

Compliance

"This parallel form of human automaticity is aptly demonstrated in an experiment by social psychologist Ellen Langer and her co-workers (Langer, Blank, & Chanowitz, 1978). A well-known principle of human behavior says that when we ask someone to do us a favor we will be more successful if we provide a reason. People simply like to have reasons for what they do. Langer demonstrated this unsurprising fact by asking a small favor or people waiting in line to use a library copying machine: "Excuse me, I have five pages. May I use the Xerox machine because I'm in a rush?" The effectiveness of this request plus-reasons was nearly total: 94 percent of those asked let her skip ahead of them in line. Compare this success rate to the results when she make the request only: "Excuse me, I have five pages. May I use the Xerox machine?" Under those circumstances only 60 percent of those asked complied. At first glance, it appears that the crucial difference between the two request was the additional information provided by the words because I'm in a rush. However, a third type of request tried by Langer showed that this was not the case. It seems that it was not the whole series of words, but the first one, because, that made the different. Instead of including a real reason for compliance, Langer's third type of request used the word because and then, adding nothing new, merely restate the obvious: "Excuse me, I have five pages. May I use the Xerox machine because I have to make some copies?" The result was that once again nearly all (93 percent) agree, even though no real reason, no new information was added to justify their compliance."

YOU: The owners manual

2005-09-25T13:44:00.000+09:00

YOU, now isn't that an interesting subject? I thougth so, so I bought a book about it. I actually saw the author on Oprah talking about "your poo and you" and thought; anyone who could speak that openly on the subject is someone I'd like to read.

The book was decent but not as blunt as I would have liked. I did take some interesting things out of it (asparin, wine, nuts every day) but I'm not sure if it was worth carrying around this hard cover for a week. ;)

To do that, we want you to think of your body as a home -- as your home. When we
started thinking about the similarities between bodies and homes, we realized
that the two have a more striking resemblance than the Olsen twins. Your house
and body are both important investments. They both provide shelter to invaluable
personal property. And they're both places you want to protect with all your
power. That's the big picture. But if we explore the comparison even more -- and
we will throughout this book -- you'll understand the relationship even better.
Your bones are the two-by-fours that support and protect the inner structure of
your home; your eyes are the windows; your lungs are the ventilation ducts; your
brain is the fuse box; your intestines are the plumbing system; your mouth is
the food processor; your heart is the water main; your hair is the lawn (some of
us have more grass than others); and your fat is all the unnecessary junk you've
stored in the attic that your spouse has been nagging you to get rid of. If you
can get past the fact that your forehead doesn't have a street number and that a
two-story brick Colonial doesn't look all that good in a bathing suit, the
similarities are remarkable -- so remarkable, in fact, that we believe you can
learn about how your body works by thinking about how your house does.

Lies my teacher told me

2005-09-17T19:01:00.000+09:00

Alright, so maybe my teacher didn't exactly tell me all of these (I wasn't raised in the States), but this book is chalk-full of interesting "Lies" that are taught in American text books. While I cannot confirm that the books mentioned are being used in American schools, I can say this; if they are, god help the poor buggers.

Canadian texts are not always right, but they sure do go out of their way to show many sides of the same picture (well, at least from what I can remember. I'll have to glance at some when I go home next time). here is an excerpt from the book to tweak your interest.

Teachers have held up Helen Keller, the blind and deaf girl who overcame her physical handicaps, as an inspiration to generations of schoolchildren. Every fifth-grader knows the scene in which Anne Sullivan spells water into young Helen's hand at the pump. At least a dozen movies and filmstrips have been made on Keller's life. Each yields its version of the same clichE. A McGraw-Hill educational film concludes: "The gift of Helen Keller and Anne Sullivan to the world is to constantly remind us of the wonder of the world around us and how much we owe those who taught us what it means, for there is no person that is unworthy or incapable of being helped, and the greatest service any person can make us is to help another reach true potential."

To draw such a bland maxim from the life of Helen Keller, historians and filmmakers have disregarded her actual biography and left out the lessons she specifically asked us to learn from it. Keller, who struggled so valiantly to learn to speak, has been made mute by history. The result is that we really don't know much about her.

Over the past ten years, I have asked dozens of college students who Helen Keller was and what she did. They all know that she was a blind and deaf girl. Most of them know that she was befriended by a teacher, Anne Sullivan, and learned to read and write and even to speak. Some students can recall rather minute details of Keller's early life: that she lived in Alabama, that she was unruly and without manners before Sullivan came along, and so forth. A few know that Keller graduated from college. But about what happened next, about the whole of her adult life, they are ignorant. A few students venture that Keller became a "public figure" or a "humanitarian," perhaps on behalf of the blind or deaf. "She wrote, didn't she?" or "she spoke" — conjectures without content. Keller, who was born in 1880, graduated from Radcliffe in 1904 and died in 1968. To ignore the sixty-four years of her adult life or to encapsulate them with the single word humanitarian is to lie by omission.

The truth is that Helen Keller was a radical socialist. She joined the Socialist party of Massachusetts in 1909. She had become a social radical even before she graduated from Radcliffe, and not, she emphasized, because of any teachings available there. After the Russian Revolution, she sang the praises of the new communist nation: "In the East a new star is risen! With pain and anguish the old order has given birth to the new, and behold in the East a man-child is born! Onward, comrades, all together! Onward to the campfires of Russia! Onward to the coming dawn!" Keller hung a red flag over the desk in her study. Gradually she moved to the left of the Socialist party and became a Wobbly, a member of the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW), the syndicalist union persecuted by Woodrow Wilson.

The Island

2005-09-16T23:24:00.000+09:00

I have been quite busy of late and haven't really had a chance to post but I wanted to mention a movie I saw a few weeks back.

The Island was quite impressive, and while I didn't see it on the big screen, it still got me jumpin' at times.

Watch it.

Dan Dufresne: 2005 Mr Canada !!

2005-09-04T16:57:00.000+09:00

Well I just got word that my good friend has won the Canadians!! I can't express how happy I am. I've known dan for about 10 years now and trained with him for quite some time. I always enjoyed him as a training partner and repected him even more as a friend.

I remember first hearing about him from another training partner (darrell). Hearing that he was such a big monster and all (remember, he was only about 17 at the time) I have to say I was a little dissapointed when I first me him. He didn't have the arms or chest by which (at the time) I judged all great bodybuilder (lol). He did have the best set of legs around (other than Tom Platz) and a great training spirit.

After training together for a few years we became really good friends. He is like that mellow brother I never had. I've been frustrated with his "lack of a win" at the Canadas over the past few years and was hoping for the best this year.

Way to go Dan, I wish I could have been there man.

-Ed

The Fish Man

2005-09-02T11:50:00.000+09:00

For those of you who have known me for some time, you know that i'm quite fond of fish. I enjoy eating them AND I enjoy keeping them as pets. I always enjoyed seeing my own little world in front of me. An ecosystem that was reliant on me to manage (to an extent). I also enjoyed collecting some odd creatures. So far in Korea, I haven't bent to temptation yet and bought an aquarium. Maybe I'll get one in the new apartment.
Until then I am forced to occasionally go to the COEX Aquarium (a mall) to get my fix. It's expensive and after the first time, not really all the exciting.

On Writing Well

2005-08-30T23:38:00.000+09:00

Well I am still doing quite well in my "one book a week" quest. Even though I rarely hit the target, it's good to push myself towards some type of goal.

Some books feel like a push. Sometimes I really have to struggle through them. On Writing Well by William Zinsser is not one of those difficult to read books.

As someone who barely remembers high school English class and who (obvious by this blog) really needs practice in writing, this book is a godsend. I actually borrowed this copy from a good friend but after I return it I'll be sure to pick up another for myself.

Clutter:
Fighting clutter is like fighting weedsThe writer is always slightly behind. New varieties sprout overnight, and by noon they are part of American speech. John Dean holds the record. In just one day of testimony on TV during the Watergate hearings he raised the clutter quotient by 400 percent. The next day everyone in America was saying "at this point in time" instead of "now."

Consider all the prepositions that are routinely draped onto verbs that don't need any help. Head up. Free up. Face up to. We no longer head committees. We head them up. We don't face problems anymore. We face up to them when we can free up a few minutes. A small detail, you may say is not worth bothering about. It is worth bothering about. The game is won or lost on hundreds of small details. Writing improves in direct ratio to the number of things we can keep out of it that shouldn't be there. "Up" in "free up" shouldn't be there. Can we picture anything being freed up? The writer of clean English must examine every word that he puts on paper. He will find a surprising number that don't serve any purpose.

Clutter is the laborious phrase which has pushed out the short word that means the same thing. These locutions are a drag on energy and momentum. Even before John Dean gave us "at this point in time," people had stopped saying "now." They were saying "at the present time," or "currently," or "presently" (which means "soon"). Yet the idea can always be expressed by "now" to mean the immediate moment ("Now I can see him"), or by "today" to mean the historical present ("Today prices are high"), or simply by the verb "to be" ("It is raining"). There is no need to say, "At the present time we are experiencing precipitation."

Speaking of which, we are experiencing considerable difficulty getting that word out of the language now that it has lumbered in. Even your dentist will ask if you are experiencing any pain. If he were asking one of his own children he would say, "Does it hurt?" He would, in short, be himself. By using a more pompous phrase in his professional role he not only sounds more important; he blunts the painful edge of truth. It is the language of the airline stewardess demonstrating the oxygen mask that will drop down if the plane should somehow run out of air. "In the extremely unlikely possibility that the aircraft should experience such an eventuality," she begins a phrase so oxygen-depriving in itself that we are prepared for any disaster, and even gasping death shall lose its sting. As for her request to "kindly extinguish all smoking materials," I often wonder what materials are smoking. Maybe she thinks my coat and tie are on fire.

Where in the world is Moonie II

2005-08-27T02:29:00.000+09:00

Well, my wife has once again gotten wise and decided to take a break from me. Luckily, her work pays for these international jaunts and this time she has landed herself in Florida.

I have never been there but I'm envious anyways. The clear skies, cool amusement parks, and North American shopping is quite the draw for us.

Now if only she could avoid those pesky storms.

Animated GIFs

2005-08-22T23:30:00.000+09:00

Well, not only have I been playing around with transparent images (which really don't look all that special on this Blogs format), but now I've found my way into (minor) animation.

Here is some "sig" work.

10 Day MBA

2005-08-16T00:51:00.000+09:00

Well I am still trying to keep with the "a book a week" thing. I know it's been over a week since i last posted a book, but honestly, the "week" thing is subjective. Kinda like when God created so and so in 7 days. personally, it's all a matter of perspective.

Anyways, my most recent book was "THE 10 DAY MBA" (must be said in CAPS I suppose).
I am not really going to write much about it other than... it was ok.

I read it, not because I'm interested in getting my MB, but more because I wanted to enlarge my Biz-speak. Instead, I think I bored myself out of the business. It's not a bad book, it is just something I'm not focused on right now.

I may have to pick it up for a second read at a later date.

Wedding pics: A long time comin'

2005-08-12T22:25:00.000+09:00

Finally!!

Well we finally got around to developing some wedding pictures. Take it from me, if you ever get married, get the pictures "done and sent off to the relatives" ASAP. Ifyou don't, then you'll be like me doing it 14 months after the fact.

Here is a cool picture of us walking through the garden behind the place we got married. It's actually one of my favorites.

Here is another one, same garden, but more wrinkles. I swear that the photographer was trying to make ME look bad and Joo look good. He kept yelling at me in Konglish "SMILE!"

I think I might have to photoshop my face a bit here. ;)

And of course, here is another lovely shot of my Moonie.

For some funny reason, she had tons of shots of her "solo" but not one single cool shot of me.

Bah!

And this is the last one for today. I really liked the lighting here. Not the cleanest shot but I think it'd look nice blown up and in a frame.

Mr. Schwarzenegger

2005-08-10T22:52:00.000+09:00

Well, it seems that my favorite body builder/ movie star/ real estate mogul/ Governor has been having a tough time in the mean streets of Cali.

From what I understand (and that is very little), the state was operating at a huge deficit and was leaking money from all points. Arnold came in and approached it like a businessman would; he attempted to trim the fat.

Unfortunately, "the fat" in business often refers to "the essentials" in the community. Health care, police, fire, education, ect... They all are usually the first to fall (in hopes of brining some of the bureaucracy down with em').

Ralph Klein did the same thing in Alberta and was heavily criticized for it. The truth can only be told in long term figures such as quality of said services over a range of say 20 years. What does become immediately evident (if it is left to run it's course) is the economic benefits. Being from Alberta one knows right away to brag about the economy. While other issues must be included, it always feels nice to know that there are tons of jobs around.

So, I guess Californians need to ask themselves; do they want jobs or services?

Even the BBC picked this one up.

"We have tough choices ahead. The first choice that we must make is the one that will determine our success. Shall we rebuild our state together or shall we fight amongst ourselves, create even deeper division and fail the people of California?

"Well, let me tell you something, the answer is clear. For the people to win, politics as usual must lose."

Inclination to re-elect Schwarzenegger among registered voters
February 2005: 56%
June 2005: 39%
Source: The Field Poll

Mother Tongue

2005-08-04T23:35:00.000+09:00

Well, in keeping with me posting about books I've read, here is another. Actually "another" by Bill Bryson. I think it may be his easy to read style and my "lazy when reading" style that attracts me so.

Anyways, Mother Tongue is a decent read about the origins and growth of the English language. Although not my specialty (shhhhh, don't tell my students), it was still very informative.

here is an excerpt:

Words change by doing nothing. That is, the word stays the same but the meaning changes. Surprisingly often the meaning becomes its opposite or something very like it. Counterfeit once meant a legitimate copy. Brave once implied cowardice -- as indeed bravado still does. (Both come from the same source as depraved.) Crafty, not a disparaging term, originally was a word of praise, while enthusiasm, which is now a word of praise, was once a term of mild abuse. Zeal has lost its original pejorative sense, but zealot curiously has not. Garble once meant to sort out, not to mix up. A harlot was once a boy, and a girl in Chaucer's day was any young person, whether male or female. Manufacture, from the Latin root for hand, once signified something made by hand; it now means virtually the opposite. Politician was originally a sinister word (perhaps, on second thoughts, it still is), while obsequious and notorious simply meant flexible and famous. Simeon Potter notes that when James II first saw St Paul's Cathedral he called it amusing, awful and artificial, and meant that it was pleasing to look at, deserving of awe, and full of skillful artifice.

Interesting stuff, no?

Joo is back!

2005-08-02T23:00:00.000+09:00

I am finally back from Hanoi.... I came back from hot weather, only to land in even more hot weather.... how lucky I am:)

I wanted to show a Vietnamese rainbow to Eddie.... because even I haven't seen one for a long time. I hope you guys like this one.

Before the rainbow, it rained soooooo much. The car I was in could barely move. Check out this photo I took while driving to a factory.

Guns, Germs and Steel

2005-07-28T23:05:00.000+09:00

Well I just finished reading this book and after hearing all the hype associated with it, I must say... it IS a good book.

Basically if you have ever wondered why it is that white Europeans are the dominant "race" on the planet right now, this book has a lot of answers for you.

I don't want to get into the whole book but bassically the theories he puts forth as determining factors of dominance are
-Plant and crop viability
-avaliable and compatible animals for domestication
-axis of continents running along longitude
-continental differences in area and population size

Now he goes into more detail but basically what he is saying is that race is not a determinant for dominance but rather a series of environmental attibutes will or can lead to advanced development.

어서 오세요

2005-07-26T23:54:00.000+09:00

어서 오세요 Welcome!

I thought I would welcome anybody coming by here and encourage you to leave a message on any article you find interesting.

Now, if only I could write that all in Korean.

Maybe 치다 ?

Superhero wars

2005-07-26T00:03:00.000+09:00

Well, with my wife gone for the weekend I have done what most husbands do when left at home.. not much. I've been basically sitting around the house trying to stay cool and downloading a shit load of movies.

As you may be aware, I am quite fond of superheroes. I recently watched two movies based on comics as was not sure how much i'd like them.

The Fantastic 4
Well, I know the critics have been all over this one. I think "rotton tomatoe" gave it a 45 or something but I actually didn't mind it. Was the plot good, um... no. Was the acting top notch.. nope, but Jesica Alba was quite hot looking. Were the effects great? Actually, they were not too bad. I heard of some complaints in this field but I think they were unfounded. The truth is, I'm a fan of 80's MARVEL comics and the F4 are a part of that. Heck.. I even almost liked daredevil!!??

The other one was...

Batman Begins
Now I remember lining up with my bud Marcus years ago for the premier of the original movie. Although it had its merits (Nicholson) I really didn't like the lack of realism (and the SHOULD be in ALL superhero movies!!). This new one was darker and more serious. As a movie it was far better than F4 but as a representative of DC comics.. well, it still bites. I just don't like that type of hero (even Marvels Punisher). If you are going to go through the troubl;e of making a hero, at least give him some kick as powers!!!

Man it's hot.

2005-07-23T13:14:00.000+09:00

Well it is a hot one today. In Seoul it is 35 degrees (with a low of 25) at 83 humidity.

Just to compare, it is 23 (low of 7) in Calgary with a humidity of 38.

And in Hanoi (where Mooonie is) it is 30/25 with a humidity of 75.

It is a hot one!

Where in the world is Moonie??

2005-07-22T18:02:00.000+09:00

It has been brought to my attention that I post far too much on this blog and that my beautiful wife posts far too little. I'm not sure if that is just reflective of my boring posts or if people are actually curious as to what my wife is up to. Well, the truth be told, I am curious too!! You see, I haven't seen her in days. Apparently she has fled the country and is hiding out somewhere...

where...

where...

hmmm... any guesses?

Arnold vs Ronnie

2005-07-21T00:52:00.000+09:00

I stumbled accross this interesting discussion and thought it deserved a post

Who would win?
Arnold or Ronnie?

Game Cards

2005-07-20T00:12:00.000+09:00

I was bored so I tried my hand at creating some game cards.

A couple more books

2005-07-18T09:48:00.000+09:00

Well I just finished reading "A short history of nearly everything" by Bill Bryson and really enjoyed it. Man, I wish I had read this book in high school. I might have even enjoyed science class instead of not knowing what the fuzzy images under the microscope were supposed to be.

If you're of the mind for a really easy read to help you understand say... the beginning of the universe (or at least the theories of it), then pick up this book.

And for a very quick read I decided to go with Toni Morrison's "The Bluest eye". Oprah seemed to like it, so what the heck. ;)

Actually, it was a decent book and a nice "commercial break" on my way to other "stuff"

War of the Worlds

2005-07-13T10:28:00.000+09:00

Well, I downloaded this the other day and I must say, I really enjoyed it. I'm sure it would be far better on the big screen but I just don't have the time to go see all the movies I want to see nowadays.Cruise was good as the absent father and that little Dakota fanning (i'm sure everyone is sick of hearing how cute she is) was actually quite impressive. I wonder how she'll be when she grows up.

Oh and I also watched "Spanglish". Not a bad movie. Not amazing, but it had a ncie story to it and finally an actual ROLE (kinda) for Adam Sandler.

An old drawing

2005-07-07T00:00:00.000+09:00

Well, with the advent of photshop it has been quite some while since I actually drew anything.

Here is one form a couple of years ago, a favorite of mine (since I have been in Korea)

The Juggernaut

Unit 731 review

2005-07-06T23:42:00.000+09:00

Well I had planned to write a review for every book I've finished of late but sometimes I just don't seem to have time.

Anyways, this one was unfortunately a dissapointment. It had potential in possibly shining light on a much neglected subject (that being Japanese attrocities commited before and after WWII) but it feel quite short.

The truth is, I totally believe that the Japanese (and the Americans, Germans, Russians, Bristish, ect..) commited all sorts of nastyness during the war. It was a time in which "the bombing of civilians was considered good strategy".

This book though only delivers hal-hazard testimony "hinting" at a possible Unit of scientific experimentation. I'm guessing it is true but I would have felt a lot more comfortable with a more detailed and comprehensive accounting.

Our Anniversary

2005-07-03T22:57:00.000+09:00

Well, it is July 3rd and I and my Moon faced wife have made it through exactly one year of marital bliss. There have been some ups and downs (no, no babies yet) but so far we're surviving.

In the next couple of months we are looking forward to 1) moving into our own apartment (well, instead of taking care of the in-law's). 2) going on a vaction in the fall.. hmmm, maybe Vietnam or Micronesia.

Today to "celebrate" we went to church (hmmm) and then went to a concert in Jamsil. Michael W Smith, not bad but not my usual style. My wife liked it though and as I am finding out... that is all that really matters.

*oh, and I am supposed to mention somewhere on here that she got a cut (a SCRATCH!) on her nose. She is looking for notes of sympathy I suspect.

July 1st is Canada Day

2005-07-01T10:53:00.000+09:00

Alright, so my last post was about the semi-dillusional state of Canadian pride. And seeing as today is the official day to celebrate it I thought I'd add my two cents into the mix.

For most people (especially N Americans) being a citizen of a country is less about choice and more about simple luck. Because of the randomness of the universal atomic structure our little bodies were well enough constructed, in the right time and the right place, so as to allow us to be born in an affluent part of the world.

So, with factoring in all the randomness, what is there to be proud of?

Canada has a great abundance of natual beauty. Amazing mountain ranges, massive lakes, prairies as far as the eye can see, it simply is wondrous. But I know I didn't make any of it, so I'm not so sure I can be proud of it.

Canada also has a reputation as a "conversational peacemaker" in the world. Although it killed its fair share of indigenous people, Canada is thought of as a nation that talks first, then talks some more, then maybe acts. As a result of that very few nations/people HATE Canada. But the thing is... I wasn't around for most of it. I didn't settle arguments with the English and the French. I didn't participate in any wars/conflicts of righteousness. I haven't even given any of the original people back their land (truth be told I've kicked my share of "natives" off of land). So again, I'm not sure what to be proud of.

Canada is renown as well for its social structures. "Free" Medical care (actually about $35 a month), free schooling, no toll-booths on roads. Canada is a Mecca of socialism. BUT where I am from (Alberta), I helped to vote in a Premier who has done his best to minimize a lot of those programs. So here I have something that my tax dollars have paid for and I can actually be proud of but, if the truth be told, I probably would have done away with (some of) it if given the chance.

Canada, or so I was told, was the second largest country in the world (behind Russia). However, since I have been roaming around the world I've found that most stats rank it at third. Shoot, I can't even be proud of the size (not that I had anything to do with that either).

So, what can I be proud of? Well, as you see I'm not really one to take credit for someone else's accomplishments so I guess I'll have to focus on my own;

I'm proud that when people hear I am Canadian they automatically think I'm nice. I'm nicer because of it.

I'm proud that I have (been taught to?) taken a neutral stance on many world issues and am willing to discuss so many subjects with so many people around the word. Rarely closing my thoughts off to anyone.

I'm proud that I have chosen my beliefs and faith from many options aound me.

I'm proud that I can eventually take my wife (and children) to Canada and I can help then enjoy a level of freedom of choice they might not have in other parts of the world.

The truth is I am proud of who I am. Being born and raised in Canada has helped me become something I might not of had I been born somewhere else.

It's that simple.