Thoughts Diem

Thoughts on Louisiana
On Monday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers issued a report which deals with the Louisiana coastal restoration and Category 5 Protection.  Both Governor Blanco and U.S. Senator Landrieu have issued major concerns regarding the report.  Here are their written concerns which include a formal letter by Senator Landrieu:  

Now, I have said this before and I am saying it again.  The US Army Corp of Engineers builds around the world.  They build what they can with the money they are provided.  This report shows what they can do with what they are being provided.  The problem isn’t the COE.  It is the politicians not spending OUR money wisely.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch,  Congressman Jefferson tried to get the raid on his office thrown out of court.  I guess the raid produced some good incrimination evidence.  No luck Bill, the court said it was all legal.  So that evidence will stand against you.  Maybe he thought it was illegal because he is ‘above the law’.  Or he has been in politics so long that he doesn’t know what legal is any more.  HAHAHA

In New Orleans, Governor Blanco will join Housing and Urban Development Deputy Secretary Roy A. Bernardi and New Orleans Mayor Nagin Today at a news conference to make a major funding announcement affecting the long-term redevelopment of Louisiana following Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.
The press conference is scheduled for Tuesday, July 11, 2006, afternoon.   
 Oh boy, I hope we get some free or $1 houses for the dregs of society to move back to LA.  I’m sure they will try to swindle any legitimate landowner if they can.  I bet the people waiting to see what the plan is so they can sell or renovate are ecstatic that they are still in limbo.


Thoughts on Korea
Whats happening today:

President Hu Jintao told the visiting vice president of the North's parliament, Yang Hyong Sop, "We are against any actions that will aggravate the situation. We hope that relevant parties will do more things conducive to the peace and stability of the peninsula," according to the official Xinhua News Agency.
Hu said Beijing is "seriously concerned" and called for progress in stalled six-nation talks over the North's nuclear program.
The warning by Hu, who rarely speaks publicly about North Korea, represented an unusually firm stance by Beijing and appeared to reflect growing frustration with its unruly ally.

North Korea states it is willing to return to six-party talks on its nuclear program if the United States drops financial sanctions against Pyongyang, Deputy Foreign Minister Kim Hyong Jun said on Tuesday.

"As soon as the United States lifts financial sanctions, we will readily participate in the next round of the six party talks," Kim told reporters in South Africa's capital, where he is on an official visit.

The process stalled in November because Pyongyang objected to U.S. financial sanctions based on claims North Korea counterfeited U.S. currency and trafficked drugs.

The six party delegation members for talks with North Korea is China, South Korea, Japan, Russia as well as the U.S.

My observations:

I spent a few days in the Republic of Korea; aka South Korea, a few years ago.  I did the tour in Seoul, they have a fascinating ‘War Museum’ there.  And then out into the villages and the countryside.  I spend some time in Taegu, another of the ROKs major cities.  

Through my traveling and visitations and interactions with these Korean peoples, I found them to be very much their own people.  The ‘South Koreans’ do not view the peoples across the northern border as an enemy, but as a brother, sister or cousin.  They see things as a separation by tyrants.  Most see the North Korean [DPRK] as the tyrant that keeps them from their peoples being one.  A few see the United States as a tyrant, occupying the South.  Mostly these are angry young men, who need someplace to yell about something, but they are there.

What I found interesting was the way these peoples, through all the centuries of being walked on [my friend calls Korea ‘Asia’s Doormat’] due to the location it is basically, a land bridge between China and Japan, the 2 dominant Asian countries.  They have maintained the Hangul language and identity.  They have used the occupations and battles, the products and the pains, as a learning experience.  

Take Hapkido for example.  Aikido is the Japanese art of moving the aggressions of an attacker against them and walking away from the attack unscathed.  The Han people {Koreans} learned and modified this art to be using the aggressions of your attacker against them to position them to be retaliated upon.

The Hapkido instructors explain it like this:
‘Two monks know the same art.  One monk sees a bug on a path and patiently waits and brushes him aside.  This is Aikido.  The second monk simply walks on top of the bug.  This is Hapkido’

So, these people who make houses out of the things that Americans and Europeans see as trash, have maintained and grown yet always kept Han {the Korean Identity}.  The Chinese buffet is a huge industry in America.  There is one in even little cities here.  Yet, Korean restaurants are few and far between.  This is due to the fact that the Korean peoples do not Americanize their dishes.  The Red Hot Chili Peppers call it ‘Californication’.  Asian food, in Asian countries has a ‘twang’ to it.  This flavor of Asia is disguised in your local buffet.  It is covered up with sugary sauces and taste bud numbing ingredients [MSG].  

The Korean people are loyal people.  For example, while we eat in any kind of restaurant and drive any kind of vehicle, I bet if you find a Korean in the restaurant, you are in a Korean restaurant.  If you ride in your Korean coworkers car it is a Daewoo or Kia.  They use an LG cell phone.  They  support the products, services and members of their own.  

Not that ROK is super and I want to move there, but it is a nice place to visit.  Unarmed of course, they have totalitarian gun laws.  ;)  As for the DPRK, the government up north is just plan dumb.  This clown needs to be ejected.  He just wants to be a bully.  Just like Saddam or Hitler.  He is loving the bright lights and attention.  MEGLOMANIAC.   IMHO,  CJ