two thoughts on the NK-SK and US-NK summits

(Friend and family ask what I think of news coming from the Korean peninsula so here's to you.)

There is every reason not to trust North Korea. But there is also every reason to give the two upcoming North-South Korea and NK-US summits every good effort, if only because the alternative is war.

I can think of two reasons for hope re these two summits:

(1) South Korean president Moon has the sense to not go to Pyongyang like his two ideologically-aligned predecessors did, and Kim Jong Un for his part is willing to walk a hundred-or-so meters into the Southern-controlled side of Panmunjom (the "truce village" mentioned in Billy Joel's "We Didn't Start the Fire").

NK would milk the propaganda victory of another Southern president "paying tribute" (as they see it) with a visit to Pyongyang for all it's worth. SK president Kim Dae Jung secretly paid the North an actual tribute to the tune of $500 mil for his summit in Pyongyang and won the Nobel Peace Prize. Moon isn't playing game.

(2) Just like "only Nixon could go to China," a deal sealed by Trump would be a far easier sell in DC and to the GOP and Fox News commentariat than anything that could ever be done under a Dem administration.

Now to be sure, Trump doesn't have the attention span to know what the issues are. That he's been telling the world Kim Jong Un has agreed to denuclearize when in fact Kim has merely said he's open to talking about it speaks for itself. I can actually envision a situation where Trump is selling his deal and Democrats are forced to essentially accuse him of being weak on a dictator and sponsor of state terror. There's a reason every Korean ethnonationalist and pro-North-leaning person I know is suddenly, strangely happy with Trump. What's not to like about having Kim Jong Un negotiating with a total patsy, the least wonkish American head of state since King George?

But if Trump forms a deal that satisfies all concerns re denuclearization and non-proliferation, then it'll be unassailable by Trump supporters. None of the sometimes hate-motivated distaste of the “total disaster” [sic] of a deal with Iran just for having been Obama’s handiwork.

junk store photo finds, that really stand out

I always sift through the photography stacks at stores selling old stuff. I've got no criteria other than that anything I leave with be something that really stands out. These are my latest finds, both under $5. 

I found the gentleman on the postcard at Early Bird Antiques and Collectibles in Blairsville, Georgia.

The blackface bozos I found at SwapShop in Oakland. The backside was glued to black construction paper at one point, presumably for display. (Ugh).

Today is the opening of the Smithsonian National Museum of African-American History and Culture so it's a better-than-average time to post these somewhere (with apologies to the postcard gentleman for posting him next to the others). They don't "go together," but they'd be in the same museum archive somewhere. And I'm willing to donate if someone has a good suggestion.

 

 

 

People killed by terrorism per year in Western Europe 1970-2015

It's hard to remember what the 70's were like.

"How Chris Rock Undermines His Own Message With Unnecessary (and Racist) Anti-Asian Jokes" at the 2016 Oscars.

"What’s worth asking is why Chris Rock — who is clearly capable of offering nuanced and sophisticated insights on race, racism and identity politics as he capably demonstrated at other moments Sunday night as well as in this widely shared essay — so frequently also reaches for the low-hanging fruit of anti-Asian jokes?"

Staying connected in France

I stayed very well-connected for two weeks in France in the summer of 2015, thanks to an Orange (the huge French carrier) SIM card in my iPad Air. I was so pleased with how well this worked that I am posting here for to share with others. 

[UPDATE: If you have an American iPhone or iPad and are traveling overseas, first check out the Apple Sim Card (which has gotten better) option at your local Apple Store. Don't go anywhere with only one option or you could be stuck. See the end of this post.]

There's plenty of talk about how to stay connected while traveling. The technology you are trying to connect with and the solutions available for it changes, so it's hard to know if the solutions are applicable to your situation. So to be specific - I purchased my "Wi-Fi + Cellular" (Verison) iPad Air in the US in early 2014. (See comment at the end of this post about Apple SIM, which only works with iPad Air 2 and iPhone6 and beyond.)

Once in Paris, I walked into an Orange store (Do a map search for "orange" and "Paris." They're all over.) on Boulevard Saint Germain, where a geek by the name of Mattieu explained that their "Lets Go Prepaid" SIM card has 2gigs and is "plug-and-play." (2gigs for 15 Euros is a great deal, already half of what Verizon charges me for the same.) I paid with cash. He photocopied my Passport. That was it. 

Please note that reçu says "Lets Go Prepaid" but the instruction manual says "Internet-in-a-box." Whatever. Orange will likely always have some sort of SIM available for tablets. I'm posting the French and English instructions, but not the many more pages of French legal and technical stuff. 

As you can see there's something called "Orange Wi-Fi" (BTW French pronounce it "wee fee") that I never used. Orange has Wi-Fi installed here and there (esp in Paris) and you're supposed to be able to use that instead of the celluar when available. 

I used my thusly cellular-enabled iPad a LOT while all over France. Didn't stream anything but I did use google maps as my GPS in cities, along with my usual heavy news surfing and photography work (think original size jpgs). I used wifi at cousins' houses. Anyway, two weeks and there was still a lot of juice left on the Orange SIM. Going to settings and making it so that most apps didn't use Cellular Data surely helped. I never had to top it off with more funds though I did get messages asking me to do so.

Other thoughts:

* I'm always cautious when someone trying to sell me something says it "should" work or is "supposed" to work. I know they mean well, but my mother signed up for AT&T's international texting-only plan on her iPhone6 and it only worked when it wanted to. It was nice to buy the Orange SIM right there in an Orange store and make sure it worked before I was on my way.

* Apple has something called Apple SIM, available at Apple Stores for US$5, for iPad 2 and iPhone6 and beyond. You plug it in your device and then are supposed to be prompted to choose a local carrier and then buy a plan from that carrier. This sounds really nice. This would allow you to have connectivity before you're even through customs. I have to believe the Orange SIM is better deal. And there's no "supposed" to risk involved. So my final advice: Get an Apple SIM card, and if that doesn't work when you arrive, go to the nearest Orange store.

eat your dictionary pages!

A scene from the Korean section at Monterey's Defense Language Institute. It shows what life's like when "you don't eat your dictionary pages."

"'Mulbinu'? What the hells is that? It's called 'shampoo' you stupid communist bastards!"

Hitler has to take the DLPT V from maniakmedic on Vimeo.

북가주 한인단체 33곳 '비영리' 자격 취소위기

북가주 한인단체 33곳 '비영리' 자격 취소위기

가주전체로는 150여개 달해

입력일자: 2010-08-16 (월)

북가주 한인계 비영리단체 최소 33곳이 연방 국세청(IRS)의 비영리 자격이 취소될 위기에 처한 것으로 본보 조사결과 드러났다.

이들 단체 중 영문이름만으로 설립목적을 파악하기 힘들거나 다소 생소한 곳도 더러 있으나 종교계 단체와 한국학교 등 잘 알려진 곳도 상당수가 있어 각 단체의 대책이 시급한 것으로 보인다.

IRS는 2007년부터 3년째 소득을 신고하지 않아 자격이 곧 자동적으로 취소되는 비영리단체의 주별 목록을 발표하면서 오는 10월 15일까지 신고할 경우 이번에 한해 구제한다고 지난달 26일 발표했다.

캘리포니아의 경우 3년째 소득신고를 하지 않은 비영리단체가 35,352곳으로 이 중 한인계 단체로 보이는 단체는 약 150여곳으로 드러났으며 북가주(중가주 포함) 한인 단체는 최소 33곳으로 집계됐다.

본보는 한인계 단체를 파악하기 위해 IRS 웹페이지에서 내려받은 자료(PDF 및 EXCEL형식)를 KOREA, KOREAN 등으로 검색했다. 자료를 이렇게 조회할 경우 미국 참전용사 단체 등 주류사회 단체가 검색되며 한국과 관련이 있거나 한인단체이면서도 공식 영문 단체명에 “코리아”라는 단어를 쓰지 않은 단체가 검색되지 않는다. 따라서 '코리아'나 '코리안'이라는 명칭을 쓰는 단체중 한인단체가 150여곳 정도로 파악되며 북가주는 한인단체임이 확실한 단체는 33곳이나 실제로는 이보다 많을 가능성이 높다.

우선 북가주(중가주 포함) 단체로 종교계가 압도적으로 많았다. 이 중 교회(몬트레이지역)는 1곳뿐이며 대부분은 특정교회와 직접적인 관계가 없는 선교나 친목도모를 목적으로 설립된 모임들이다. 또, 한국학교로는 노스베이 지역 한국학교 2개과 한국어 교육기관으로 보이는 2개 (프리몬트와 서니베일)등이 있는 것으로 나타났다. 이외 노인 관련 단체 2개, 이민사 연구 모임 2개, 부동산 업계 단체 1개과 이외 다양한 목적을 가진 단체가 여러개 그리고 한인사회를 대표하는 것으로 자처하는 듯한 영문명을 가졌으면서도 인터넷에 전혀 검색되지 않아 실체가 쉽사리 확인이 안되는 곳 1군데가 비영리단체로 등록하고도 3년째 소득신고를 하지 않은 것으로 드러났다.

IRS의 더그 슐만 청장은 “비영리단체들이 법을 준수하여 상당한 가치가 있는 비영리 자격을 유지할 수 있도록 최선을 다 할 터”라며 “최근 3년 동안 소득신고를 안 한 단체는 자격 정상화하기 위해 하루 빨리 신고하기 바란다”고 강조했다.

IRS의 주별 자격 취소위기 단체 목록은 http://www.irs.gov/charities/article/0,,id=225889,00.htmll 에서 확인할 수 있다.

<서반석 기자>

Bruce Lee's Oakland residence

Few seem to know that Bruce Lee spent some critical years of his life in Oakland while living at 3039 Monticello in the city's Maxwell Park neighborhood.

The Maxwell Park Neighborhood Council always mentions this in its histories.

His wife is on a Youtube video telling part of the story.