Junto Boyz: April 2003

Friday, April 25, 2003

SWEET HOME CHICAGO

It's great to be back in the City of Big Shoulders, pan pizza, Ernie Banks, Michael Jordan, Walter Payton, Dick Butkus, Al Capone, MoMo Johnson, old cattle hub of the U.S., best steaks & ribs, fatty foods and grease, Jenny McCarthy, Denise Richards, lakeshore drive, most beautiful metropolitan architecture in the world, John Belushi, Chris Farley, John Hughes...

I love this city. After visiting dozens of cities throughout the world, Chicago is still one of the best, if not the best, places to live. The city provides a rich heritage and vibrant culture. The urban architecture is beautiful with no equal and people who present a sincere midwest attitude towards life and visitors. Friendly, warm and open.

The main downside is the weather. Its winters are harsh where visitors from Boston and Buffalo have expressed shock at experiencing a coldness like they never felt before and a biting of the ears and noses that made them tear. Summers can be hot and humid, but the mid-year months are generally beautiful with a gentle evening warmth that provides comfort to most people. The character and culture of the city makes up for these deficiencies of nature. The performing arts are only second to New York City and the food is rich and full of taste. There isn't as much ethnic diversity of food compared to New York, but everything just tastes better on average. Buttery, fatty, divine, full, and heart-attack are all adjectives people use to describe the richness of Chicago's restaurants or how they feel afterwards.

Random tangent...
I wanted to write about a recent incident with one of my good friends in Korea. We were sitting in a restaurant together eating this Korean pork dish. Basically it's about a pound of pork with some spicy vegetables. The power went out in the whole city block, so just before we started our dinner we were sitting in the dark. Some light came through from a distant street light through the windows, but I mainly saw darkness in front of me. After about five minutes the lights went back on and I was ready to eat. Looking down upon the plate, all the pork was gone. After my initial shock, I asked my friend Davis, "How did you eat all the pork in the dark?"

"From my side, I could see the plate, so I decided to go ahead and eat it."

"Ok. You couldn't wait for me? Or the lights to go on?"

"Well, I figured you would just order more."

"Yeah... I guess so. Waitress!"

I realized after writing about all these random eating stories most people that read this blog imagine me to be this 250+ lbs. Asian with a big gut and pizza in hand. Who knows if I'll get like that a few years down the road, but I simply love food and eating.

Tuesday, April 22, 2003

IRRESPONSIBLE JOURNALISM

This new report was released by an Australian newspaper. What is the intent of the editor and writer to release this article? Assuming they are half-way intelligent, they know discussions are underway towards a peaceful resolution to settle North Korea's nuclear issues. Even if it can be assumed or is already known by the North Koreans that there are plans to bomb certain sites in their country, this article doesn't help the current situation. If anything, it can potentially inflame the situation or be used by the North Koreans in a negative manner as they hold these discussions with the U.S.

In my mind, it was irresponsible and stupid to print this piece of sensationalism. It was primarily to bring international attention to an Australian paper and staff that rarely gets any. This was cheap journalism that almost belongs in a tabloid more than daily newspaper.

Of course I probably have more emotion involved since I live in South Korea with many of my family and close friends. This type of journalism doesn't help the situation and only can inflame it which doesn't make me more at ease.

U.S. has plan to bomb North Korea
United Press International
Published 4/22/2003 5:14 AM

SYDNEY, Australia, April 22 (UPI) -- The Pentagon has produced plans to bomb North Korea's nuclear plant at Yongbyon, if the rouge state goes ahead with reprocessing of spent nuclear fuel rods that would yield enough plutonium for six nuclear weapons, according to a published report Tuesday.

Citing "well-informed sources close to U.S. thinking," the Australian newspaper reported the plan also involves a military strike against North Korean artillery stationed in the hills above the border with South Korea.

The artillery threatens Seoul and about 17,000 U.S. troops stationed south of the Demilitarized Zone.

The Pentagon hardliners said to be behind the plan reportedly believe the precision strikes envisaged in it would not lead to North Korea initiating a general war it would be certain to lose.

The United States would inform North Korea it was not aiming to destroy the regime of Kim Jong-il, but merely destroy its nuclear weapons capacity, the newspaper reported.

However, the Bush administration hasn't made a decision to accept the plan. Instead, President George W. Bush has emphasized that they believe diplomacy can work with North Korea. The United States, North Korea and China are scheduled to hold talks in Beijing on Wednesday.

Monday, April 21, 2003

A CHILD WILL ALWAYS BE A CHILD TO A PARENT

I haven't blogged in a long while since I've been occupied with preparations for my trip to the U.S. and a couple projects I've been working on. My colleagues and I will probably end our efforts to raise an investment fund in Asia since the market has kicked our ass and potential investors are still concerned about the situation in North Korea. We are looking at one more possible source in the U.S. and I am beginning to get ready to move back to the U.S. if things don't pan out.

During this time, I've also had the added pressure of my parents telling me what I should do and how I should live my life. Some of it is beneficial and insightful, but some of it is simply not applicable to my life or my interests. Even though I'm over 30 yrs. old, it's interesting how my parents still talk treat me as their little child. Since I've come to realize this over the past few years, I also recognize this same behavior in other families if not all. My cousins that are in their 40s still get treated or spoken to as if they are ten year old children. I guess many parents never lose that natural instinct and attitude, or they don't want to lose it.

This is not really so insightful for those thirty years or older, but this is more to vent my frustrations at this approach and perspective that my parents have. I guess it really depends upon the depth and width of a parent's treatment towards their adult-child that creates frustration and tension between the parties.

The level of motherly nagging is a key factor in my stress and frustration level. Most, if not all, mothers nag, but I truly believe my mother has brought it to it's purest form. She does not treat it as an art or has multiple methods. It's raw verbal spitfire and extreme repetition. Constant repetition. And to give her credit she does add some wit into the mix.

Last year, after weeks of daily nagging about how I should move back to the U.S. and work in public service again, I just lost it one morning.

"Dear, are you going to move to the U.S. soon?"

"Mom, to make you happy, I'm going to move to Pakistan!"

"Pakistan?! Why Pakistan? Why don't you move to Afghanistan and become a freedom fighter like Johnathan whatever! And you'll have your name on CNN. It will say 'Bernard Moon, freedom fighter' on the screen!"

"No. It's going to say 'Mrs. Moon's son'!"

Then I walked out for my morning meeting.

Tuesday, April 15, 2003

HERE'S THE PROOF. TERRORISM SUPPORTED BY IRAQI... MORE TO COME

I never thought I would start posting news articles this often, but I have to share this one about the recent capture of Abul Abbas, the leader of the violent Palestinian group that President Bush listed as part of the evidence to Iraqi's connection with terrorism. I know the critics of the war don't like it when events like this happen. They really didn't like it when it was broadcasted globally how the Iraqi people were celebrating throughout the streets of Baghdad.

Anyway, some tend to ignore it or restate the strength of their prior statements, but during the time prior to the war many people came out on TV and said, "There is absolutely no proof as to the connection between the Iraqi regime and terrorism... this is a stretch of the truth... excuse to deceive the American people... a veil for the real reason of oil... yada, yada, yada, i'm an idiot, yada..."

Here's the article and a cut from President Bush's speech last October outlining the Iraqi threat:

ACHILLE LAURO MASTERMIND ABBAS CAUGHT

"Over the years, Iraq has provided safe haven to terrorists such as Abu Nidal, whose terror organization carried out more than 90 terrorist attacks in 20 countries that killed or injured nearly 900 people, including 12 Americans. Iraq has also provided safe haven to Abu Abbas, who was responsible for seizing the Achille Lauro and killing an American passenger. And we know that Iraq is continuing to finance terror and gives assistance to groups that use terrorism to undermine Middle East peace.

We know that Iraq and the al Qaeda terrorist network share a common enemy -- the United States of America. We know that Iraq and al Qaeda have had high-level contacts that go back a decade. Some al Qaeda leaders who fled Afghanistan went to Iraq. These include one very senior al Qaeda leader who received medical treatment in Baghdad this year, and who has been associated with planning for chemical and biological attacks. We've learned that Iraq has trained al Qaeda members in bomb-making and poisons and deadly gases. And we know that after September the 11th, Saddam Hussein's regime gleefully celebrated the terrorist attacks on America.

...Some have argued that confronting the threat from Iraq could detract from the war against terror. To the contrary; confronting the threat posed by Iraq is crucial to winning the war on terror..."

CNN... INTEGRITY? DISHONESTY? SAFETY OR MORE AFFLICTION?

I'm sure some of you have seen this article. Initially, I read this through an email a friend sent me. I haven't put much thought into this article since I've been running around all day and just caught a break, but this situation isn't an easy decision for anyone on whether to disclose and print or not.

The News We Kept to Ourselves

THE NEW YORK TIMES
By EASON JORDAN
April 11, 2003
(reprinted from the New York Times)

ATLANTA — Over the last dozen years I made 13 trips to Baghdad to lobby the government to keep CNN's Baghdad bureau open and to arrange interviews with Iraqi leaders. Each time I visited, I became more distressed by what I saw and heard — awful things that could not be reported because doing so would have jeopardized the lives of Iraqis, particularly those on our Baghdad staff.

For example, in the mid-1990's one of our Iraqi cameramen was abducted. For weeks he was beaten and subjected to electroshock torture in the basement of a secret police headquarters because he refused to confirm the government's ludicrous suspicion that I was the Central Intelligence Agency's Iraq station chief. CNN had been in Baghdad long enough to know that telling the world about the torture of one of its employees would almost certainly have gotten him killed and put his family and co-workers at grave risk.

Working for a foreign news organization provided Iraqi citizens no protection. The secret police terrorized Iraqis working for international press services who were courageous enough to try to provide accurate reporting. Some vanished, never to be heard from again. Others disappeared and then surfaced later with whispered tales of being hauled off and tortured in unimaginable ways. Obviously, other news organizations were in the same bind we were when it came to reporting on their own workers.

We also had to worry that our reporting might endanger Iraqis not on our payroll. I knew that CNN could not report that Saddam Hussein's eldest son, Uday, told me in 1995 that he intended to assassinate two of his brothers-in-law who had defected and also the man giving them asylum, King Hussein of Jordan. If we had gone with the story, I was sure he would have responded by killing the Iraqi translator who was the only other participant in the meeting. After all, secret police thugs brutalized even senior officials of the Information Ministry, just to keep them in line (one such official has long been missing all his fingernails).

Still, I felt I had a moral obligation to warn Jordan's monarch, and I did so the next day. King Hussein dismissed the threat as a madman's rant. A few months later Uday lured the brothers-in-law back to Baghdad; they were soon killed.

I came to know several Iraqi officials well enough that they confided in me that Saddam Hussein was a maniac who had to be removed. One Foreign Ministry officer told me of a colleague who, finding out his brother had been executed by the regime, was forced, as a test of loyalty, to write a letter of congratulations on the act to Saddam Hussein. An aide to Uday once told me why he had no front teeth: henchmen had ripped them out with pliers and told him never to wear dentures, so he would always remember the price to be paid for upsetting his boss. Again, we could not broadcast anything these men said to us.

Last December, when I told Information Minister Muhammad Said al-Sahhaf that we intended to send reporters to Kurdish-controlled northern Iraq, he warned me they would "suffer the severest possible consequences." CNN went ahead, and in March, Kurdish officials presented us with evidence that they had thwarted an armed attack on our quarters in Erbil. This included videotaped confessions of two men identifying themselves as Iraqi intelligence agents who said their bosses in Baghdad told them the hotel actually housed C.I.A. and Israeli agents. The Kurds offered to let us interview the suspects on camera, but we refused, for fear of endangering our staff in Baghdad.

Then there were the events that were not unreported but that nonetheless still haunt me. A 31-year-old Kuwaiti woman, Asrar Qabandi, was captured by Iraqi secret police occupying her country in 1990 for "crimes," one of which included speaking with CNN on the phone. They beat her daily for two months, forcing her father to watch. In January 1991, on the eve of the American-led offensive, they smashed her skull and tore her body apart limb by limb. A plastic bag containing her body parts was left on the doorstep of her family's home.

I felt awful having these stories bottled up inside me. Now that Saddam Hussein's regime is gone, I suspect we will hear many, many more gut-wrenching tales from Iraqis about the decades of torment. At last, these stories can be told freely.

Eason Jordan is chief news executive at CNN.

Monday, April 14, 2003

UNCLE! UNCLE!... DRINKING IN KOREA

When I was growing up in the U.S., during my grade school years we sometimes would wrestle or play fight. To end the match, you would say, "Say 'uncle'! Come on, say it!"

Finally the other person would give in and say 'uncle' and the match would be over. Since I've been in Korea, I've learned a new form of submitting to people and it is to my actual uncles. Not sure if people know, but Korea has a very strong drinking culture. Some people drink 4 or 5 times a week, maybe more. Definitely alcoholism is a social problem this nation has not come to recognize or willing to admit.

Anyway, at the heart of this is my family. Even people in Korea see my father and uncles as extreme. First, most of them are about six feet tall, so they have the mass that helps in alcohol tolerance. Second, they all have livers that process alcohol very efficiently. Third, they've had years of practice. My first initiation into this was a few months into my move to Korea. At a family gathering, one of my seven uncles motioned to pour me a drink. It was a regular alcohol glass which he proceeded to fill it to the brim. I took a glup and put it back down.

"What's that?!", he lightly shouted, "You have to one shot!"

"Umm... ok."

I shot down the Ballantine 30yrs., one of their favorite whiskeys, and he quickly filled my glass again... definitely glad it wasn't tequila or vodka. Soon after my second one shot of whiskey, I reached for the ice since it was almost melted away in my glass.

"What are you doing? Don't waste space with that. Just drink.", my uncle sternly stated.

I realized that I was in trouble. Being from the same gene pool, I had a good tolerance. On a good night and after a full meal, I could drink a bottle of whiskey without getting drunk, but this was another level. Within a hour and a half, I drank almost five full glasses of whiskey. Feeling warm and fuzzy, I decided to leave before being humbled by men thirty to forty years my senior.

"Umm... Dad, I have to go and meet friends. And seventh uncle made my drink a lot."

"It's ok. Just take a taxi," my dad casually replied.

One of my cousins who is a native Koreans and near forty told me that he tried to explain to his colleagues at his company how our family drinks, but no one would believe him. Another cousin who is also near forty told me how he visted from the U.S. about fifteen years ago. He was a few years out of school and visiting Korea for vacation. Being in a fraternity and known as a big drinker on campus, he thought that it would be no problem hanging with the uncles. After the the first twenty minutes and three glasses of whiskey, he told me that he came to the realization that they were insane and he was in trouble.

Now during family gatherings, I try to sit far and away from the drinking. I also strategically try to place a few nephews and nieces in between to shield and protect myself.

Thursday, April 10, 2003

BIG GUYS... EATING STORIES II

Joe and Joong had favorite buffets to go to while in Chicago. One place was this Chinese buffet in Glenview. It was this small, semi-rundown place with excellent food. We would go there and stuff ourselves. I would typically eat 4 or 5 plates stacked and Joe 5 or 6 plates. But Joong was on another level. One time he ate 7 plates, but also with 11 bowls of rice! He asked the waiter for one more, but the owner, this older Chinese woman, came out and started yelling at Joong.

"No more rice for you! Nor more rice for you!"

Joong got the message, so he just finished up and we left. I think he went for a Taco Bell run soon afterwards.

Another time soon after dinner, Joong wanted a snack so he called this place called Gumby's Pizza. He asked if some of us wanted to eat. We could snack a little, so the four of us got a medium pizza while Joong ordered an extra large 20 inch pizza. Gumby's wasn't pan, but it was pretty thick and doughy. Anyway, Joong finished his and starting to eat some of ours. We didn't care because we were still full from dinner.

An amusing but not amazing story was from their roommate, Harold, from their senior year in college. Harold was very thin, an excellent student, and other things that Joe and Joong were not. He was an intellectual powerhouse. I believe he got a 42 on his MCAT, one of the highest GPAs ever in his university, and numerous accolades. Joe and Joong would mock him sometimes and say, "Come on, Harold! Stop being selfish! Just find a cure for AIDS."

Anyway, Harold was wanted to snack and make a sandwich, so he went to the corner store and bought some cold cuts, a large Roman Meal loaf, mayo, and lettuce. He got home and put the stuff on the kitchen table. He went into his room for five minutes and came out. The loaf of bread was gone. Joong was in the living room watching TV and the only other person in the apartment, so he asked, "Joong, did you eat my loaf of bread?"

"Yeah."

"That was a large loaf! Were you that hungry?!"

"No."

"Then why did you eat it?"

"I was bored."

Poor Harold. Getting his food stolen on top of getting mocked by his two roommates. I also heard that they made him split the grocery bills equally.

THE NEED FOR LAWS AND ENFORCEMENT... MOST PEOPLE ARE JUST WIMPS
Another Reason Why Legalizing Drugs is Stupid

I've been in Asia, primarily Korea, for the past three years. I came here forced by my two friends to help build a U.S. tech company's operations in Korea. Even though I miss the U.S. often, my stay has been pleasant because I have so many family members here and great friends.

Living out in Asia has also been beneficial in developing my political and social views. Though Korea is top ten globally in terms of economic power, it is still second tier in terms of social and political development. One thing that you will notice is the lack of enforcement of laws and punishment. In business, it is still common for people to ask for deals underneath the table and bribes. Goverment officials, journalists, corporate managers, and so on.

The police are a joke in Korea. There is very little fear of punishment among its citizens and actual enforcement of laws by police. For example, with traffic violations, sometimes you see older men yelling at young police officers to get off a violation... benefit of being older in a Confucian society. Other times a policeman will ask for "dinner" money to get you off a violation... friends told me that 20 to 50 bucks will do. I don't have to worry about such hassles since I have an international drivers license, so they let me go because they don't want to do the extra paperwork involved.

Anyway, living out here has allowed me to appreciate the strength of the U.S. legal system and its enforcement. I'm not saying the U.S. system is without faults, loopholes, or that it's perfect, but it is a solid system that I've come to appreciate more while being out here.

I believe people are innately selfish and driven by their desires for money, sex, fame, or whatever else. Laws keep these things in check. Keeps corruption, reckless behavior, theft, and the countless numbers of crimes and unethical behavior to a minimum. Before I moved out here, I thought I didn't have so much of a self-righteous attitude. Before I came out here I saw myself as a Christian with a view that I am no better than anyone else. I am a sinner period as God saw everyone else, and I am probably a worse than most people.

But I began to judge native Koreans... How can they treat women like that? What are they thinking when they try to cut a deal short? How can they be so short-sighted? No consciousness of date rape... so much corruption... legal system is a joke.

After a year or so, I took a step back an realized again that I am really no better. I sometimes had to catch myself when faced with various temptations or short-cuts. And I began to ask myself, who am I to judge or say such things? I realized that laws and their enforcement really do make a difference in a society and nation. I don't believe laws can create morality, but they do create barriers for unwanted behaviors or ones that will have a negative effect on society as a whole.

The average person is risk averse. If the consequences or punishment is great enough, most people will not engage in illegal or unethical behavior. I really began to realize this while living in Asia. Seeing another society and culture operate, showed me how laws, or lack of laws, can effect a society and really made some of my prior opinions clearer. Such as the legalization of drugs in the U.S. Some proponents of legalizing drugs argue that enforcement is a joke and that everyone does it, so what is the use of making them illegal?. Of course this is far from the case and laws were really never meant to eliminate ALL or be an ultimate cure of any social problem. Laws were set up as a barrier and more and more as I get older I realize that most people are wimps. They might do something once or twice to say that they did it or to experience a rush in life, but most people will not jump the legal barrier often. So making drugs illegal creates a barrier for most people. Obviously I'm simplifying the argument for this topic, so please understand why I didn't go into the more complex issues involved.

I believe for Korea to take the next stage of development, it really needs to revamp its legal system, increase its enforcement of laws, and create new laws for its citizens, corporations, and overall environment.

Monday, April 07, 2003

SARS SITUATION IN ASIA

It's interesting to experience such a time in Asia where the gloom of economic struggle, mixed emotions of the controversial war with Iraq, and the growing danger of North Korea has been outweighed by severe acute respiratory syndrome, or SARS. Their isn't as much fear or panic in Korea, but speaking with my friends in Hong Kong it has placed a blanket of despair over the whole city. Of course, some friends are simply continuing life as they know it since they say, "If I get it, I get it. If it kills me, it kills me."

This tiny virus which has infected over 2,600 people and already killed a 100 has placed an immediate fear in many people throughout the region. Looking at it from another perspective, this shows how vunerable mankind is within nature's realm or some may say God's hands. This organism, which is invisible and undetectable, is crippling the daily economy and activities of people in some parts of Asia. As men and their machines rumble through the streets of Baghdad and strategies are plotted in the White House over the next steps of communication with North Korea, God really shows how weak and feeble man can be within the universe, and how there are so many mysteries and things that we still don't know about within this world.

I hope this situation will soon be contained. The concern is that a vaccine will take more than a year to be developed. Godspeed.

U.S. Surgeon General Says It Will Take Time to Develop SARS Vaccine

Thursday, April 03, 2003

FATHER KNOWS BEST... HORROR FROM THE JUICEMAN DAYS

My dad just took off for Chicago, but before he did he woke me up at 5:30am to give me one of his funky home-made juices. It's been weird living with my parents while I'm working in Korea since it's been over twelve years, since high school, that I've stayed with them. They are in Korea half the year, so it makes it somewhat bearable.

Anyway, today reminded me of my high school days when my dad was just getting into the Juiceman fad that some Asian parents were getting into. But my dad has always been unique in his approach to food and always forcing my young brother and I to eat whatever he would, which is anything. Most people would use apples, oranges, grapefruit, bananas, and other fruits to make juice drinks enjoyable for their family members and guests. My father thought differently.

Beets, radish, green onions, and celery along with some fruits and random vegetables that would make anyone cringe and plug their nose as they attempted to drink the concoction. For several months during those years, my dad would wake us up as the sun barely peek through the sky and handed us our daily dose. Initially we would pretend to not wake up but then you would get the loud voice or stern shake, so we stop that masquerade. My father was just slightly shorter than my brother and I, but had a bigger frame. He has 6'0" with fairly good-sized arms and chest, so we never wanted to incur his wrath. We would drink it with a look on our faces like those babies in the old Bugs Bunny cartoons or The Little Rascals who had to drink the castor oil. Castor oil is better.

The worst was during that period some friends would stay over after hanging out late, and they would wake up to the sight of my father standing over them with a glass of the murky, green-light brown concoction and my father's voice booming, "Drink it!"

One time my friend, Brian, woke it to this experience, drank it, and then was kind enough to walk to the kitchen and hand the glass to my dad.

"What's this, Brian?"

"Ummm... it's the glass, Mr. Moon."

"No. I mean this on the bottom. You didn't finish the drink."

"Mr. Moon, that's the pulp.

"No. That's the fiber and it's good for you. Drink it!"

"Uhh... Ok, Mr. Moon."

Brian avoided my dad after that experience.

Wednesday, April 02, 2003

BIG FAT GUYS... MAKING ME SICK

Last week one of my close high school friends visited Seoul with his wife. Joe and Mary (names changed to protect the innocent) just came for vacation to tour Korea and eat. A few weeks before Joe was coming to Korea he told me, "Dude, you know I'm only coming to Korea to eat, so just take me to your favorite places because I trust your taste."

Joe and our other friend, Joong, were known throughout Chicago for their incredible stomach capacity. During high school, if I ate with them, it was mainly at buffets. Chinese buffet, KFC buffet, Old Country Buffet, Wendy's buffet, Korean BBQ buffet, and so on. I know other cities don't have as many buffets or even knew that KFC actually had a buffet restaurant, but this is the City of Big Shoulders... and Joe and Joong. Though I was use to their eating habits, on rare occasions I would watch them eat and it would make me sick. Especially Joong since he was a couple levels above Joe. Joe stated that Joong had the largest stomach capacity out of anyone he has ever met.

Some background info... Joe was 6'1" and 260 lbs. during their prime eating years in college (about ten years ago) and Joong was 6'3" 290 lbs. There was a rumor on their campus that they both ate a box of ramen each in one night... 24 packs. I was talking with one of their old roommates about this and we both agreed that it was impossible. I've watched Joong eat his ramen snacks after dinner where he would take 4 packs, 8 eggs, bowls of rice, and side dishes. If he ate ramen in his usual manner, it would have been impossible. So my friend asked him later on if this rumor was true.

He started to laughed. "People are SO STUPID! Who could eat a box in one night in a normal manner? Joe and I, we split the box."

Obviously I laughed when I heard this, but started to get those queasy feelings from back in high school just visualizing Joong slurpping down that ramen.

There was a chicken wing & burger place that I still consider the best in the world, Buffalo Joe's in Evanston, IL. We use to think that they drugged the sauce in high school because after a few weeks you started to crave it again. It wasn't your typical hot sauce place. Most chicken wing places have a Tabasco-y base and I think most of them taste the same. You can go to places with the various flunky sauces (e.g. Thai, pizza, taco, etc.) but it isn't the same. Buffalo Joe's was this rich, buttery, hot sauce that just melted in your mouth.

Anyway, they had these party pans (larger 10-15 years ago, got cheaper as they made more money) that served 7-10 people, which was a "single", and a "double" that served 15-20. Usually 4 or 5 of us would eat a single party pan when we were hungry. On one rare occasion my friend, Pete, and I had a single pan with some struggle. Before I gained 40 lbs. after college, I was one of those thin, voracious eaters. At other places, with 10 cent wings nights, I could typically eat 40-50 wings, but I was just an ant compared with the colossus Joong was. One time he ate a whole single by himself, which usually had 120-150 wings! Joong, Joe, and Joe's younger brother would typically have a double party pan that had twice as many.

More stories for a later time...

OLD SHAQ ISSUE

Since I just started this blog, I thought I should at least get more of my random thoughts up, so I'm posting a letter I sent to Dan Patrick at ESPN earlier this year during the whole Shaq controversy. I was getting tired of various sportscasters that were defending Shaq's fake Chinese imitation of Yao Ming and his weak apology. The worst was the Bill Walton, one of my least favorite sportscasters, was one of the few criticizing Shaq. Finally, my favorite sports personality, Dan Patrick, wrote a lame letter defending Shaq, so I had to respond.

-------------------------------------------------------------

Dear Mr. Patrick,

I have been a fan of yours for at least 12 years if not more. I have always thought of you in the highest regard as a journalist and sportscaster. For much of those years I religiously watched SportsCenter at least once a day. After reading your article "Crossing The Line", I can say that my accumulated respect towards you has taken a few steps backward.

Your defense of Shaq's comments seem to reflect your ignorance and insensitivity. Have you ever had people judge or assume traits about you because of the color of your skin or ethnicity? I bleed red, white, and blue... but have you ever had a woman ask you where are you from? "Chicago."

"No, I mean really."

"Chicago."

"No, what country?"

"The U.S."

"NO! Where are you REALLY from?..."

Have you ever had a car full of African Americans drive by while you played basketball with some friend yell at you, "Ching-Chong-Ching! Ching-Chong-Ching! Go back to China!"

The first time this happened I said, "What a bunch of ignorant racists."

What if it was a bunch of Caucasians yelling at a group of African Americans on the basketball court, "Porch monkey!Spearchuckers!" Or if they did their best gangsta-rap impression? Would these Caucasians simply be written off as insensitive? Tell me one African American that would not be pissed off, hurt, or out for blood? Wouldn't most of the general population consider these comments racists and the people that yelled them out the car window racists? Maybe that should be your next poll on ESPN.com.

I grew up in a predominantly Jewish and white suburb of Chicago. I didn't encounter these various situations until I hit college and afterwards. I remember soon after graduation I worked for the Governor of Illinois and lived in Springfield, IL. A highly segregated town. I was the first Asian American that most people there encountered, especially one that spoke perfect English. So I was treated as a "white". There I really encountered the racist or ignorant population that I believe occupies the majority of America. People would tell me to be be careful of "them" people and don't go to that part of town. They would imitate African Americans in some silly servant voice to my shock and discomfort. Are these people simply insensitive? If an African American was listening in, what would they feel especially after the laughter that I heard? Remember the movie, "Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story"? There was a part when Bruce Lee was hurt and offended and ran out of the theater when he saw the scene in "Breakfast at Tiffany's" when Mickey Rooney is imitating a Chinese man? Not a good feeling to be mocked or stereotyped.

You said that "Yao might respond with his best gangsta-rap impression and everyone would laugh." Really? Maybe when this all dies down have someone from ESPN that's Caucasian bust out in their best gangsta-rap impression to an African American athlete during an interview. I think I can safely assume that most of athletes will be pissed off. Maybe a rare few will not take offense and just brush it off as insensitive, and I bet a handful will clock that journalist. And how hard will the NAACP come down on that journalist?

And Yao shrugging off comments won't be criticized for being "Americanized", but unaccustomed to speaking out in a more open social environment or understandably fearful of not fitting into the world of the NBA. If he didn't have these and other factors to worry about, I would counter and say that he's not being American by voicing and speaking for Asian and Asian Americans... against ignorance and injustice... for principles on which our great nation was founded upon.

He doesn't simply represent China or the entire Chinese population in the world, but Asians because I assume you and the majority of the U.S. don't know the difference between Chinese, Japanese, Koreans, Filipinos, and others. Like those African Americans in the car yelling at a group of majority Asians playing basketball. Not one person of Chinese descent. All Korean and Japanese descent. Like I said then and now, "What a bunch of ignorant racists."

Bernard Moon

RECENT MEDIA COVERAGE OF IRAQI WAR

It is amusing and annoying to watch how the all the various media channels are trying to take advantage of the war on Iraq to boost their ratings and advertising dollars. Amusing because they cover far too many segments and minor incidences that in the greater picture don't mean much... "2 U.S. soliders hit by friendly-fire", "19 dead...", profiles of Iraqi military weapons, and so on. I don't mind reading about it on the web, but to occupy major TV time is another thing. Which leads to my annoyance of news reporters constantly interrupting the NCAA basketball tournment with trivial stories and updates that really aren't that news worthy.

With a "few set backs" and the U.S. military "downplaying the greater resistance" is also amusing to me because how long did the media expect the war to last? It's a war, people! It wasn't going to last weeks. It was going to be months. And not all, but many of the Iraqi military should be expected to fight until the death. I didn't picture all of them raising a white flag and surrendering. Maybe the major news bureaus expected this, but are just simply trying to add to the drama. In comparison, I wonder how these same news heads would have covered the Civil War, WWII, or any of the other major wars. With so many casualties and mishaps, all we would get is war news if the same technology and approach was present during those prior wars.

With this discussion, I am not stating the lives of those lost so far are less important or not important, but to report on such minor situations in the greater picture of any war is silly and irresponsible. They do not need to create an emotional roller coaster ride for the general public that is unhealthy and unnecessary. Each reporter should just create his/her own personal blog and post all these minor incidences that should be expected in a war and stopping cutting into the air time of the NCAA tourney.

Tuesday, April 01, 2003

First thing I would like to do is share with people the hundreds of quotes I've collected over the years each week. Many times I read and reflect upon what some of these words mean and to receive insight, comfort, inspiration, or a good laugh from them. If you have any good quotes, please email them to me at bernardbmoon@yahoo.com. Thanks!

Hey! Welcome to my first blog! I really don't know what the purpose of participating in this means of self-publishing and self-promotion is, but I am hoping it turns out to be fun, entertaining, and insightful to myself and others that visit. Will anyone ever visit? Who knows?

Junto Boyz