DMV, SSN... OMG

Sometimes I feel like I'm not being fair. Like being angry at a retard. Today there was apparently some kind of problem with computers at the social security office which was why it was taking a very long time to process drivers licenses at the DMV.

Question: why does stuff FAIL so often around here? Why does it seem to be the rule and not the exception?


Oh shit... the screens turned blue. Must call tech support... uh...

DASH Bus Timetable

Bus schedules are highly misleading, but DASH bus that operates in Virginia totally takes the piss.
I mean, what the hell does "Reduced Weekday Service Days" mean?

Bullshit: Reduced Weekday Service Days
What it really means: Weekday service

Basically, if you didn't know what it meant, you would think that the bus ran every 30 minutes (which is pretty bad). But on the left side of the schedule there is this "R" on every other line. So you wonder what it means and you look down and in a font small enough to fit on a grain of rice it says that it's some kind of "Reduced Weekday Service Day."
So what the fuck?
Does that mean that on some weekdays the bus services are reduced?
So which of the five weekdays are they talking about?
Turns out, ALL OF THEM.
Yes, they couldn't just say "Weekday Service" and have a disclaimer saying "Bus operates only on times indicated by 'Weekday Service' on week days." Because why? That would make them seem like a bunch of cheap lazy asses. Which is exactly what they are. So no, they have to confuse the fuck out of us to make it sound like we're the fucking morons for not being able to figure it out the first time we try to take the bus.
Seriously, how bad has euphemism come?
If they get into an accident, I might rescue them, but first they'll have to figure out when my "reduced weekday motivated hours" are.


Reduced Weekdays. Fucking reduce your life.

Dirty Tackle

I don't know if any of you follow it but there's a Yahoo sports blog called Dirty Tackle that just might be the worst football blog I've ever seen with that level of exposure.

Bullshit: Dirty Tackle
The Truth: I guess it's all about who's dick you suck.

Now by no means am I saying that this blog rules, but the difference is I don't get paid for it. How such a no talented writer with seemingly little understanding of football managed to land that gig, I don't know.
Actually, I do know. It's not really about qualifications. It's about who you know and who you're chums with.
If I spent my day just digging up stuff about football and was told that I'd get paid to write something clever, I might just be able to pull it off. Not because I'm a great writer or anything, but because that blog is so incredibly average.

Superb article on how America is seen now

http://www.newsweek.com/2010/08/09/post-anti-americanism.html?from=rss

The only part I disagree with is that Europe and the world's loss of appetite for war was about Afghanistan. It was mostly about Iraq and it has spilled over to Afghanistan as well, but the fact that European countries continue to send troops to Afghanistan shows that it is a war that people do believe is right. Badly run perhaps, but right nonetheless.

No World Cup Posts

I realize that despite being a HUGE fan of football there has been no posts about the World Cup.
It's not that I didn't watch or didn't care.
I was out having too much fun and getting too drunk to be bothered with posting.
;)

Gyopos

Basically covering Korean-Americans, Korean-Canadians etc.
There is this wide misunderstanding in countries like the US and Canada who think that these folks are actually like Koreans in Korea. This is actually not true. Korean-Americans and Korean-Canadians are a unique culture group. For simplicity sake, I'll refer to them as either Gyopos or Korean-Americans.

Common Misunderstanding: Korean-Americans are closer to being Korean than American.
The truth: Actually for the most part they are not very Korean at all.

Here's a typical Korean-American:
- Can't speak Korean very well.
- Was born in the US and has only rarely gone to Korea if at all. And when over there, couldn't really communicate with his relatives.
- His English sucks and has a funny accent which makes White people mistake him for being more Korean than he really is.
- Usually fat.
- Can't do math.

Also their image of Korea is this sort of mystical place that is perfect and cannot be touched. They have a blind sense of duty and patriotism towards a country where they have rarely if ever been and have a command of Korean so bad they can't decipher Korean text messages sent to their Korean cell phone. The truth is, they find comfort in Korea because they feel rejected by American society. Furthermore, the truth is that if these folks were in Korea, they'd probably get rejected as well.
Now, not all of these ethnic Koreans in the United States I think are Korean-Americans. Those who speak perfect English, have no issues with getting along with other Americans etc., are for all intents and purposes, Americans.
It's just those who have lived their entire lives in the US, yet feel a need to cluster together with other Korean-Americans who are bad at speaking either language.
Seems like the only part of America they were able to soak up was getting fat.
In Apkujeong in Seoul, if you are ever lost or need directions and don't know who to ask, ask a fat guy. He probably won't know where to go but he'll at least speak English.


Ask this guy

And don't let the accent fool you.
In Korea they try to exaggerate their Koreanness to try to prove how Korean they are in order to fit in. That is.
- When I say "Hey let's go grab a burger," they think I just committed treason for not choosing Korean food. WTF. I just feel like having some junk food today that's all.
- Grovel to their superiors and abuse their subordinates more than most real Koreans ever would.

All the while despite their so called "loyalty" etc., they don't ever seem to bother with immigrating back into South Korea and serving in the military. WTF.

Is it possible to be both Korean and American and not Korean-American? Yes. Very possible. I know several individuals who would in fact fall into this category.

So if some Korean-American tries to pull off some bullshit about "cultural difference," just remember that it is not a Korean to American cultural difference. It is a culture of a group of rejects who failed to adjust.

5,000 Views

This blog has been viewed 5,000 times.
I suspect because of some of the earlier posts.
Yay.

DC Metro

I have a feeling that the DC Metro's going to be featured here more often in the future...

Bullshit: DC Metro.
The Truth: It sucks.

There has been quite a few news articles regarding just how bad the DC Metro system is.
Here's one from FOX News, which surprisingly didn't attribute this to President Obama.
Here is a blog dedicated to updating you on how shit the DC Metro system is.
Here is a more recent one about the current air conditioning problems.
Etc.

Today on the red line trains going in both directions had to share the same platform. For anyone who had come in from the street or from a transfer, there was much confusion. Worst part was they didn't even bother to put up any signs. Instead they just broadcast announcements over the speaker system in bad English. The electronic boards weren't very informative either. For example, I have no idea what "-- - 4 minutes" is supposed to mean. Okay, something's coming in 4 minutes. But what?
This isn't the first time it's happened so you'd think that they would create some kind of sign about it but that would be giving DC Metro too much credit. That would be like expecting a brick to float.


Surprise, the train's not coming to that platform.

The prices for the tickets are expected to go up soon... damn I miss Seoul's subway system. Cheaper, better, hardly ever broken anywhere.
DC Metro is like a box of manure. You don't know what you're going to get until you open it but it'll always be some sort of shit.

Reading about old Wars

I went to a Barnes and Nobles (a book store) the other day to finally read up on some history. The way things went in Iraq and how things are going in Afghanistan, thought it would be good to read about something relevant that would help me understand. Sure, books on both conflicts are fine, but I think they generally represent small views of ongoing wars. It is only wars that have ended, reviewed and carefully researched about that produce literature that's truly comprehensive.
So I went to find a book on the Malaya Emergency since it was among the few cases of a Western army beating a local insurgency.
I learned something completely different altogether.

Bullshit: Fixation about World War II.
The Truth: World War II is a war that's well past. The US hasn't won a truly major war since 1945 and it's because the US cannot think beyond World War II.


Just shelve it

Now I am in no way against remembering those who have fought for our freedoms and that of others in the past, but the problem with these World War II books is that they simply fix the way you see conflict and war in a purely conventional way. You will always see conflict through the lens of conventional warfare where divisions, mass attacks, heavy firepower and Generals who like to piss everybody else off reign supreme.
If you are a historian or a budding historian or history is your thing, by all means (though I think World War II has been read to death) go ahead and read World War II stuff. But if you're serious and you're in the business, STOP READING WORLD WAR II BOOKS. Wars in general have not been fought that way since the Korean War and this ogling over impressive OOBs (or ORBAT or O/B depending on who you are) etc. is a waste of time. In this day and age, if you're stocked up with division after division of soldiers, heavy equipment etc., unless you are facing a purely conventional foe with a purely conventional mission (like Gulf War I), you are wasting your time.

So wait, did I come up with this by reading the book I eventually found? Not really. I realized it when I found out just how HARD it was to find a book on Malaya. It wasn't a purely dedicated book on Malaya either, rather a comparison between Malaya and Vietnam and their implications on current counterinsurgency operations (Learning to Eat Soup with a Knife by John Nagl, a superb read). And there was only one copy in the store. Meanwhile there were three book shelves full of World War II books and two book shelves full of Vietnam books.
Basically when Americans think "history" that doesn't include the birth of their country or the civil war, it's about basking in the glory of a time long gone (World War II) or dealing with national pain (Vietnam).
What's there to learn about current wars from World War II? Nothing.
What's there to learn about current wars from Vietnam? Nothing if you think that the Generals actually did a good job and the civilian leadership ruined it for everyone. Bullshit. These World War II Generals didn't know the war they were fighting and sent people to their deaths for nothing.
Funny thing, when I read the book, the author John Nagl actually said the same thing.

Bottom line: stop reading World War II books. Read Vietnam books with caution. Read about the Malayan Emergency. Perhaps also Operation Artemis but I'm not sure if good literature is out regarding that.

Wearing Sunglasses Indoors

It's been getting on my nerves and it's finally here....


Bullshit: Wearing sunglasses indoors

It's fucking rude. It's like keeping your earphones in while talking to someone. The worst part is, I see that most dudes wearing sunglasses indoors EVEN WHILE EATING are fat dudes. WTF. Seriously.
Or when I'm talking to you. Lose the fucking shades. Obviously it's not too sunny for me or anyone else around me to be wearing them. What, are you fucking blind? Lose the fucking shades and look me in the fucking eye.
I guess the reason why they love having shades on is because of this errr... "intimidation" factor. The purpose is not without precedent. Chinese emperors actually wore sunglasses while meeting others because it would intimidate them. The cold-distant and impersonal feel of sunglasses... almost makes it look like you're not talking to a real person.


Douche bag

Especially if you're a fat dude. Wearing sunglasses indoors doesn't make you cool. It makes you fat AND extremely rude. Eat while you're at it and you're displaying very poor table manners at the same time.
We should start a movement. LAUGH at people who wear sunglasses indoors. Just make sure they're actually not blind.

Freedom of Speech is Dead

Guaranteed by law under the first ammendment, the Freedom of Speech is one of the most cherished values of the United States.
However, although it is protected legally, it is not honored individually.


Bullshit: Americans enjoy the freedom of speech more so than anyone else.
The truth: Actually, Americans don't enjoy the freedom of speech very much at all.

Before you think I'm nuts, think about the last meeting with friends you had (not in college). What did you talk about? The counter top? The wine? The food? The dog? The cat? The car? Anything but the world, news, politics etc. Anything but things that matter to us. So in many ways it's like you met them, said some stuff, but one thing stays the same: you leave without having learned anything.
But when with friends from other parts of the world, we'd talk about just about anything. We make fun of our own countries, talk about world events, about personal experiences and what they mean... so why is it that whenever I sit down with other Americans, this just simply halts and we're back to engaging in conversation that simply serves as a distractor?
Sometimes I'll start a topic like the ones I mentioned with a group of Americans to see what their reaction is and they immediately start getting very uncomfortable. They avoid it and try to switch the topic to something else. I'm sure if I pressed it further they'd try to avoid me altogether eventually.
So you see my friends, freedom of speech in America is actually also an illusion. Where millions of people sit at the lunch table or grab a smoke and talk about the world, disagree and still greet each other the next day with genuine smiles it seems to be an impossibility in the United States.

Why?

I guess there are many reasons.
One, I think at some point Americans have become too small inside and have developed very thin skin. Never at any point have they thought that if they can't explain their belief very well, that there is a possibility that they may be wrong.
Ultimately, I think the biggest culprit is the cable "news" services.


Selling Hate

They have rubbed our heads together like roosters in a... er... cock fight and we've gotten to the point where we are so angry at each other (since they make money off inciting hate) that we can't for a minute try to sit back and understand each other's views or even have the patience to see how the other party even see the world.
Free speech. Dead. Thanks to free speech of inciting hate and intolerance.

A whole list of what's Bullshit

It's been a while since I wrote anything and here's why. It's been a very, very long few months.


Oh, say can you see? They fucking crushed my pizza!


1) I actually moved. I called the moving company the night before to make sure they would be at my address. They said they'd be there, definitely. So the next morning I waited, waited and waited. Nothing. I called, no one answered. It was like the whole company got drunk and plastered on Friday night and no one gave a fuck about their Saturday schedule. I called another company which showed up (late, but shit at least they showed up) and managed to move. I did mention that this happened in the USA right? And not just the middle of nowhere either. This is the nation's capital. Oh and the guys who showed up did a fine job and both were foreigners.
Bullshit: Hard working Americans.

2) I called to have my internet connected and had to wait 9 days for the guy to show up. 9 days. Acceptable if you live in the middle of nowhere. In Washington, DC, unacceptable.
Bullshit: Efficient American businesses.

3) Around June 25th - now there was a dead deer on the south side of the Key Bridge (the one in DC) just ten, maybe twenty feet away from a sidewalk where thousands of pedestrians pass by each day. It's still kind of there. No one cleaned it up and I know at least one person called it in. You'd think that even a dead deer by a frequented trail in a national park would be cleaned up but apparently not even one in the middle of a city is worth cleaning up. The smell was just incredible and no doubt a health hazard. Wow... just wow. Knowing how Americans don't ignore these things, I'm sure that more than one person called it in. What probably happened was the various police and other agencies pushed the responsibility around so although the actual deer didn't move, the paperwork regarding it ran laps around Arlington County.
Bullshit: American sense of duty.

4) Ordered a pizza to commemorate the opening of my new place. Pizza arrived late, crushed to one side. Last time this happened to me, it was in Malaysia about fifteen years ago. I have ordered many pizzas in many different countries. Never had it arrived in such piss poor shape.
Bullshit: Tips. Fuck you, asshole.

Fucking sounds like I'm writing about a 3rd world country.
Korea took a smacking while I was there but America does prove that it will try really hard at being number 1! AT PISSING ME OFF.

Stereotypes

"No It's Not True" - a good sign that it may be.

A few days ago my Chinese teacher was telling our class about what life in China is like. Her descriptions of walking outside at night, where the streets are brightly lit with signs and streetlights reminded me of Korea. She also went on to say that the Chinese are among the most friendly and warm hearted people she has ever known. I said to the class that it reminded me of Korea, except that in Korea the people are nastier.
People got pissed and not one was Korean.
So here's the thing... are stereotypes wrong?

Bullshit: Stereotypes are wrong.
The Truth: Sometimes they are remarkably accurate.

I recall this one time years ago when me and some Asian guys were in a room reading a list of "Asian stereotypes" that were apparently funny. Everyone had a good laugh and I'd say about seventy percent of the time, a stereotype was accurate, that is, when one was read, it applied to almost everyone in the room... Granted, six people is not a huge sample size, but if a pattern emerges, it's hard to ignore. And the word came out, "Man, these things are pretty accurate." Everyone had a laugh and nodded.
But.
Suddenly if the stereotype is not so "funny" it's wrong?
Where is the logic in that?
The stereotype was perfectly valid and reasonably accurate when it was funny, but when replaced with one that is somewhat offensive (if you're sensitive) suddenly it's all wrong and inaccurate and incorrect? What kind of logical brain fart of a bullshit is that?
Utter bullshit, that's what.


Yes, Asian people from China, Korea and Japan kind of look like this (above). Am I allowed to say that or do I have to say that there is no way to tell because there is the absolute miniscule and utterly improbable (but I suppose not impossible) chance that one may pop out looking like this?

Right. You can see how this is bullshit already. Clear as fucking day.
Oh, but how they kind of look isn't a stereotype you say? Well what about when someone makes a mention about the shape of the eyes of most Chinese people? Now it's a stereotype and it's not acceptable anymore. Now here's my question, what's wrong with the shape of the eyes of a typical Chinese person? ABSOLUTELY NOTHING. You'd be a fucking asshole to make fun of it, but you'd be a fucking moron to deny it as well.

Which is why it is important that we question the things we are NOT ALLOWED to question. Because when we are NOT ALLOWED to question something, that something is probably caked in bullshit and wouldn't last five minutes in a real debate.

It is wrong to judge an individual by the stereotype of their group right off the bat, but to dismiss a stereotype as being totally inaccurate when it does in fact have truth to it is wrong. If we are to go down that path, we might as well not even go to school. We might as well forfeit the right to think.

Race is Not a Factor

I was talking to a friend generally about this and that and an interesting subtopic came up while we during our little debate. He claimed race is not a real factor. Being a successful guy and a Chinese-American, one could say that he has a point, but it was fairly easy to prove that it was bullshit.

Bullshit: Race is never really a factor.
The Truth: It is.

Working for the US government as a minority in a white collar job, he is probably the most protected human being ON THE PLANET. Just because race no longer affects him doesn't mean that it is the reality that the rest of the world lives with.

Case 1:
You are an average Indonesian in Indonesia. You try hard and you find work. About 90% of the time, if it is a business that has any real power and wealth (that is, it is not some corner music store that sells hand made guitars) your boss is Chinese-Indonesian. Chinese-Indonesians basically never promote regular Indonesians to upper management. So you work your ass off for years and years at the company only for the upper management to hardly realize that you have been there for almost twenty years. For twenty years you have basically been doing the same damned thing and in terms of the rank structure, you are the same as some punk ass kid who just walked in last week.
Try telling this guy that race is not a factor in life.


Candidate for Promotion? Sorry, wrong color.

Case 2:
You are an African American male who wants to see the world but don't have the money. Being a strict pacifist, you decide that you do not want to join the military. You hear about English teaching opportunities in East Asia and get excited. You have a bachelor's degree in English and you immediately contact head hunters and Hagwons about openings. They want your resume and a photo attached. They see you are black and they reject you. This goes on for a whole year or so. Meanwhile some other guys you met with the same goals are getting hired, even without a bachelor's degree. They're getting hired because they're White.
You feel so disgusted that you just decide that the rest of the world can go fuck itself.
Tell this guy that race is not a real factor in life.


A guy like him would have trouble landing a job in Korea because of his race. It is WRONG and it is REALITY.

Just because it is not your problem does not mean it is not a real problem.