Blog Posts

HAPPY 4TH

Well, it's a better year to be an American, with Obama and all. Bush certainly felt like an anvil strapped to my shoulders - I'm sure I'm not the only one.

Whatever the case, to my fellow Yankee Doodles: Enjoy the Fourth. I certainly will. I'm celebrating by going to a baseball game and doing a comedy show. I may even eat some roasted cuttlefish.

Here's a great American band doing a great song:



I'd Like to Apologize to 2% of My Elevator Friends

This afternoon as I was returning from class, I noticed a couple of the building maintenance guys hanging out by the window near the elevators. I nearly moved in to push the button to alert the elevator that it was time to have it's way with me, when it dawned on me that perhaps those guys weren't just hanging out; perhaps they were waiting for the elevator! With this brilliant observation to keep me in check, rather than desperately pushing the elevator button like it'd been a while, I squinted at the light over the button to see if it had already been pressed.


Street Foodie Domesticated!: Rotiserrie Chicken Salad.

Every Wednesday evening a guy sells rotisserie chickens out the back of a van outside our apartment complex. Despite a recent jump in price from 5000 to 6000 won, these little babies are exceptionally good value and I always find it hard to resist bagging one on the way back from school (it helps that Wednesday is my worst day for classes.)


NEXT HALLOWEEN I'M GOING AS...



PLUG FOR THIS WEEKEND'S COMEDY SHOWS

For those of you in the area, let me plug the two comedy shows I'm taking part in this weekend:

Friday, July 3rd, at VINYL UNDERGROUND in Busan.
Saturday, July 4th, at TANDOORI BAR out in Gimhae.

Real live standup comedians.

Featuring

BRIAN AYLWARD (Newfoundland, Canada)
 
*Winner of the 2008 Hong Kong International Comedy Festival

ROSS GARDINER (Glasgow, Scotland)

*Appearing at this year's Edinburgh Festival

ME, SHOWBIZ MCTHARPY (Seattle, baby!)

*Infamous agitator, blogger, rock and roller, fisherman, and provocateur.

Hosted by ROY EARLY

Both shows start at 10:30 (ish)



CONSTRUCTION. VACATION. WEDDING

Welcome back to any of you losers who get here via the blogroll over at http://www.pusanweb.com .  I was temporarily removed for having the word "FUCK" in one of my titles.  The site's owner is also unhappy that I post my blog titles in ALL CAPS.  He says it makes the page look "ugly."  He's a nice guy and this is the first time I've run afoul of his sensibilities, but it brings to mind the question:  Should I ever temper the look and/or content of this blog in order for more exposure?  That's selling out, right? 

*  *  *

Koreans are busy people.  The only people who build faster are the Chinese, who literally sprint around the worksite.


This is Why I Don't Learn More Korean

Hey, Korea. It's been a while since we sparred. I've either become soft or have just completely lost interest in bitching about you. The latter is most probable. I'm not gonna lie, you sort of bore me. Even the following is not about you. Sure, you've been around for these happenings, but I regret to inform you that you cannot be held responsible. Believe me, I would throw you a bone if I could, but this simply isn't about you. Maybe next time. Don't hold your breath.

Not only is my new building much cleaner, bigger, and generally more fantastic than the old one, but it has twice as many elevators. Twice as many elevators! It's like a castle, without any of the nice stuff that makes a castle a castle. Of course, with twice as many elevators, comes twice as many people who don't quite understand how elevators work.


Seoul Food

46,300 websites may have used the above semi-pun in some shape or form before me, but given the subject matter and my own penchant for corny tricks of the English language, I really couldn’t title this post anything else.

As you may have guessed, I just spent the weekend in Seoul, where despite eating two zinger burgers in one day, I also managed to get a taste of some of the street food.

Shortly after arriving we discovered our camera was missing – either left on the KTX or nabbed at Seoul Station – so forgive the shaky details and lack of accompanying photos!


MJ REBUTTAL (Last one, I swear)

So I've caught a lot of flak from my last missive in which I trumpet Michael Jackson's importance.  Friends of mine came out of the woodwork and beat me up, saying that I was exaggerating, that he cannot be put on the mantle of musical greats, since at best he was a great dancer/singer and "music video innovator," and that his pathetic slide in freakshow works as some kind of negative stock against his true contributions.

Fair enough.  I was steaming drunk when I posted it and may have been guilty of hyperbole.  I've been thinking it over the last couple of days and I go back and forth.

I never thought I'd be put in the position of defending Michael Jackson - someone who has elicited derisive sneers from me for much of my life - and I do agree with much of what the detractors are saying. 

BUT...


The Chinese take on the death of Michael J.

The Chinese take on the death of Michael J.