Saturday, December 27, 2008
Hollow men
Leaning together
Headpiece filled with straw...
Okay, it's not particularly necessary to further discredit Rush Limbaugh, and I know that, but I just want to make sure I have this one saved somewhere so I can use it later.
Seriously?
All I know is I will now be actively on the lookout for the first opportunity that presents itself to say, "No, it has been proven. I learned this at a pig-iron convention in Kansas City, Missouri, when I lived there."
Can't argue with that. No, I mean, you really can't argue with that.
Headpiece filled with straw...
Okay, it's not particularly necessary to further discredit Rush Limbaugh, and I know that, but I just want to make sure I have this one saved somewhere so I can use it later.
By the way, Obama -- I didn't know this. He's left-handed. Did you know that? At least he plays golf left-handed. I think he writes left-handed. I'm not sure. All I know is that people who are left-handed, there's a reason for it. You know how left-handedness happens? Have you ever studied this, because I have. It's the result of poor potty training in the formative years. (interruption) No, it has been proven. I learned this at a pig-iron convention in Kansas City, Missouri, when I lived there, when I was working for the Kansas City Royals.
I'm being told here by someone who cares deeply that Abraham Lincoln was left-handed. That may well be, but that was in the days of outhouses and there wasn't any potty training back in those days. You can't say Lincoln's left-handedness is the result of poor potty training. There weren't any potties. I appreciate all this assistance from my buddies out there.
Seriously?
All I know is I will now be actively on the lookout for the first opportunity that presents itself to say, "No, it has been proven. I learned this at a pig-iron convention in Kansas City, Missouri, when I lived there."
Can't argue with that. No, I mean, you really can't argue with that.
# posted by Gene Justice @ 2:37 AM 
Comments:
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yo, i was reading Outlanders last night, which felt like a really horrible and depressing book, a testament to how fucked up and wrong the ESL/expat lifestyle can be. so amidst all the existential flopsweat and loser-on-loser posturing, yours was one of only a couple of stories that really stood out with a warm, human feeling. it was a nice anecdote, and well presented. you've got a nice voice. update this shit more often. the k-blogosphere needs more reasonable men with sensible and thoughtful perspectives to share. *Andre Goulet, Suwon
# posted by 
: 10:54 AM
: 10:54 AM
Hello, Mr. Goulet, and thanks for the kudos...I still haven't managed to get on here to even mention the Outlanders publication, much less offer my own assessment...as might be apparent if you've read a couple of posts back, there's been some existential thrashing going on behind the scenes of this blog, but I have reason to think I'll be tending to it a bit more faithfully in times to come.
As to Outlanders, first, thanks for the compliments on the piece...I mentioned to Scott Bug that I thought it could use a bit more work, but I put it off so long that I had to finally concede "defeat" of a sort...it's a bit more explicit in stating its themes than I would, ideally, like, but I'm not unhappy with the piece. Funny thing is, the fellow that the James character is based on has seen the story...that's an odd social situation, but he's a good fellow, and says that by and large, any discomfort he felt about reading the tale was due more to feeling exposed than to feeling at all offended. It is an odd little zine, one that at times is depressing, but Scott Bug tends to do that in his editing work...leaves the warts in, I suppose. And yeah, it's a little worrisome that there's not a little more humanity as a whole to the scene here. I still chalk it up to a) the transience of most expat experience in South Korea, and b) the very real pressures faced when you are dealing with social fallout from being not only linguistically, but physically different from the predominant local culture. I'm sure this differs significantly from Korean expat experience in the US because of the wide difference in perception--powerful enough to be at least somewhat real--regarding both physical and economic strength of the individual members of the host and guest culture. (god, I need to start updating this blog just so I can clear up sentences like the above...)--that's shifting, I think, as we speak. Main thing: I sympathize with the real cultural pressures some of the expats here experience, but do have to wonder what elements of character have been so neglected as to render many of them incapable of acting like human beings.
And...like you, I think there are a few stories the zine would have been better off without. In fact, that may be why I haven't commented here...I promised Scott Bug a closer rundown of what I thought of the work as a whole, and have yet to send that his way. So. If you haven't, try to locate a copy of Scott Bug's "Korea Bug"--it's a fairly fun read, and actually proved to be more informative, during my first year, than my Lonely Planet guide did. Also--if you want to know more about the guy behind the book, there's an interview posted on the sidebar.
Long response, I know. First and foremost...I appreciate the feedback, and am doubly pleased that it's positive. Glad you enjoyed.
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As to Outlanders, first, thanks for the compliments on the piece...I mentioned to Scott Bug that I thought it could use a bit more work, but I put it off so long that I had to finally concede "defeat" of a sort...it's a bit more explicit in stating its themes than I would, ideally, like, but I'm not unhappy with the piece. Funny thing is, the fellow that the James character is based on has seen the story...that's an odd social situation, but he's a good fellow, and says that by and large, any discomfort he felt about reading the tale was due more to feeling exposed than to feeling at all offended. It is an odd little zine, one that at times is depressing, but Scott Bug tends to do that in his editing work...leaves the warts in, I suppose. And yeah, it's a little worrisome that there's not a little more humanity as a whole to the scene here. I still chalk it up to a) the transience of most expat experience in South Korea, and b) the very real pressures faced when you are dealing with social fallout from being not only linguistically, but physically different from the predominant local culture. I'm sure this differs significantly from Korean expat experience in the US because of the wide difference in perception--powerful enough to be at least somewhat real--regarding both physical and economic strength of the individual members of the host and guest culture. (god, I need to start updating this blog just so I can clear up sentences like the above...)--that's shifting, I think, as we speak. Main thing: I sympathize with the real cultural pressures some of the expats here experience, but do have to wonder what elements of character have been so neglected as to render many of them incapable of acting like human beings.
And...like you, I think there are a few stories the zine would have been better off without. In fact, that may be why I haven't commented here...I promised Scott Bug a closer rundown of what I thought of the work as a whole, and have yet to send that his way. So. If you haven't, try to locate a copy of Scott Bug's "Korea Bug"--it's a fairly fun read, and actually proved to be more informative, during my first year, than my Lonely Planet guide did. Also--if you want to know more about the guy behind the book, there's an interview posted on the sidebar.
Long response, I know. First and foremost...I appreciate the feedback, and am doubly pleased that it's positive. Glad you enjoyed.
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