It was a blog about my life and adventures as an expat in Seoul, South Korea. I've been back in the USA for over ten years. However, I still get alerts. I'll respond to comments and deep-six spam comments as needed.
I've been busy adjusting to life in NYC. It's all been pretty normal with the typical worries associated being in a new place. But today I went over to Brooklyn to attend Michael Jackson's 51st Birthday Celebration. The event was put together by Spike Lee (whom, as a side note, I met years ago when I was a hard working student at UCLA Campus Events and we'd invited him to speak.)
It was a fun event. I wasn't sure if I was going to go for a few personal reasons, but after a phone call and just realizing that I could just go home if it wasn't my cup of tea, I headed to Brooklyn. I'm glad I did. It was a lot of fun. What's exciting is Spike would like to try to make this a yearly event. That would be even more fun to make this a yearly event.
I recorded some video with my little digital camera, so check it out. Wanna Be Starting Something:
Electric Slide Going Viral (being done simultaneously in a few spots at the same time) song playing - Get On The Floor:
Man in the Mirror (the last song of the day): (Again, ignore the "read more" tag...it leads you to nowhere).
I'm a few hours behind the curve on posting this as I heard the news hours ago.
President Bill Clinton went to Pyongyang to seeking the release of Euna Lee and Laura Ling. It was announced hours ago that he was successful and the two journalists were pardoned.
Last I heard, they're all en route to Los Angeles.
I knew this was going to drag out when I first heard about the story months ago. I felt that someone influential would have to intervene. I think, honestly, Clinton was the best. However, I wonder why Gore didn't go. I mean he's on the board of Current TV. Maybe he tried but there is stuff we're not aware of.
Either way, I'm glad they're out and will be home soon.
I've not blogged about the Gates arrest because my opinion is simple. What on earth was an old and angry 58 yo black man with a cane going to do to a young cop with a gun that would justify charging him with disorderly conduct and taking him in? It's b.s., and it never would have happened if Gates were a 58 yo white man with a cane and a smart mouth.
With that said racial tension has been the name of the game this week.
I also got a comment on the Presumptuous Racist post I wrote last year from someone by the name of Tae. I didn't publish it, which is rare. However, not for that particular post. There have been two comments that crossed the line.
Wait, there is more the obviously more intelligent and genetically superior Tae stopped by again to spew more verbage. It's somewhat comical because, if I'm so hopelessly inferior, why bother?
I can always tell when someone has wandered in from a Google search, read one post and has decided they know everything about my point of view. Someone who disagrees with me is not offensive but someone who confuses disagreeing with being disagreeable is offensive. Someone who disagrees, even forcefully, will have their comment published, even if in my reply I'll skewer them ;) However, if a comment crosses the line to just a barrage of insults, it's not getting published.
This is my little section of the Internet and those are the rules. It's like going into someone's house, dropping your pants and taking a crap in the middle of their living room. Since I caught this fool unzipping, I avoided any damage. This is my house. I can reply at will and I did.
Someone on an online forum I frequent posted this video to comment on this week's events. I think it's very apropos, so enjoy. It's pretty funny. I added another from Chris Rock follows simply because he's brilliant.
The most racist people in the world? "Old black men."
For those who cant see the SNL clip, here is the script that I found here:
Indistinguishable Black Woman (played by Queen Latifah): “Do I get stress headaches at work?” Yes, definitely. From the moment I get in, it's “Denise, we need this,” “Denise, we need that,” which is stressful, 'cause my name is Linda. Denise is the other black woman who works here.
By ten a.m., someone in the Copy room makes a joke about Kobe Bryant, and everyone looks at me to make sure it's okay. And I smile like it's okay, but, really, my head and neck are starting to throb.
Then, I spend the rest of the afternoon training my interns and answering their questions, like “Yes, black people use shampoo” and “No, I don't know any good reggae clubs around here” and, “Yes, Condoleezza Rice is very articulate. Why do you sound so surprised?” And, “No, I can't tell you where to buy weed.”
And that's when I reach for Excedrin—new Excedrin for Racial Tension Headaches.
Excedrin RT works fast, taking me from “Oh no you didn't!” to “I wish a motherfucker would.” I like that.
Voiceover: Excedrin Racial Tension Headaches—fast relief for hundreds of years of nagging pain.
(Please ignore the "read more" field below. I've got some renegade HTML code lurking somewhere.)
My post on Michael Jackson and fashion over at the WeAreTheMarket.com blog.
I'm turning comments off here, but comments are welcome on the original post at anytime. I'll even make an effort to answer them all the way I do here ;)
When it comes to the world of fashion, both men's and women's, Michael Jackson is fashion icon.
He inspired us to wear loafers and white socks. He inspired us to wear jackets with military details. He inspired us to wear one glittery glove. He inspired a resurgence of aviator glasses too.
You get the picture. We know the looks. You don't need us to list them for you after the jump.
His influence on the world of trends and fashion is simply undeniable.
Their military inspired jacket couldn't help but remind you of Michael. Of course, because fashion definitely influences entertainers we saw other celebrities pick up the trend. Now we're seeing a strong 80s-retro feel probably worn best right now by pop diva Rihanna.
However, it's symbiotic in that Michael was a legendary shopper. This year he was photographed wearing pieces from the Balmine collection.
So who inspired whom?
Does it really matter? He drew from the fashion world and they drew from him.
We won't be able to see Michael in the planned bedazzled Swarovski designs for his scheduled “This is It” concert dates. But what we do know is it would have been attention grabbing and influential.
King of Pop, you'll be missed. You'll inspire fashion for years to come.
I'm an L.A. native who lived in the Land of the Morning Calm, South Korea, for a bit too long. I had a great time while I was there. I have a B.A. and law degree, but I earned a master's in international studies at Ewha Womans University. It was then I discovered that I love writing, thanks to this blog, and the things that grew out of writing it. For those who need to know where Korea is located. Korea is a peninsula that is split into two countries (North Korea and South Korea). It's located in NE Asia between Japan and Taiwan. It's below the eastern coast of China and Russia.
I moved back from NYC in 2011. It was exciting but definitely challenging. I "made" it in NYC and well, as the song says.
I'm back in the SF Bay area now. I have led the charge organizing SFTech4Good Meetup since 2011 and working in the tech industry specializing in community management and customer advocacy.
Leave a comment to contact me. Remember you have to include your email for a reply. (I screen my comments, so I won't publish it to the world, don't worry.)
Spotlight: Kevin Nealon's Charity Work
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[image: Kevin Nealon]
Nealon donated an auction item to Save the Chimps.
Charities & foundations supported
Kevin Nealon has supported the following charit...
