Just finished the "Opportunity" part. This part was the most interesting so far. However, I sensed that he copied a lot from Thomas L. Friedman's "The World is Flat." Even though he insinuated that he agrees with him on the flattening theory, actually quoting some lines from Friedman's book, this chapter overlaps with the content of the book just too much. Anyhow, there would be nothing wrong in repeating what's right and important even in the form of copy and paste--as long as it doesn't violate someone else's copyrights.
If you want to learn about Barak Obama's vision and philosophy, I guess this book is a must.
I agree with Mr. Obama that a small government may sound very appealing and persuasive thanks to its simplicity, but that doesn't actually work.
A job is not only a means of supporting oneself, but a means of giving one's life purpose, direction, order and dignity. On this I can't agree with him more.
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Saturday, September 27, 2008
MB's English...
Here's a peek at the level of President Lee Myung Bak's English.
He doesn't even know the most basic English grammar.
"Be a MB(ambi)tious"?
Why is there the article "a" before an adverb (ambitious)?
Even if he claims that he fashioned "MB(ambi)tous" to mean "ambitious boy," that would still be flawed--the article, then, must be "an."
Most of all,
"Boys be ambitious!" is the original form of the quote.
Before ever pretending to have the recipe for improving Korean youngsters' spoken English, Mr. MB Lee himself needs to check his own English first.
Friday, September 26, 2008
A Pyeongyang citizen with blue eyes
That's the title of a documentary film that I saw on TV tonight.
He is an American soldier who defected to North Korea around the early 1960s or the late 1950s--I just guess so since I didn't see the former part of the documentary which might contain the information.
He's old now, having two white sons who are university students and a little kid from his current Togolese-Korean wife. He got the white sons from an Eastern European former wife who died soon after the birth of the younger son, and then remarried many years later a woman who is a cross between a Togolese and a North Korean.
He seemed to speak very frankly and freely even though it was filmed in North Korea and he's still living there. But none of his words violated the rules that he is supposed to follow; he said he's happy just living there in North Korea, being taken care of by the dear leader and party. He said his former life in America was an unhappy one, but now, ever since his defection about 40 years ago he's been treated well and has led a much happier life.
I felt he was candid in his explanation about what he experienced there, and the majority of people who watched that documentary might have felt the same way. It would be better for him to live there for the rest of his life, which doesn't seem to be very long considering his current health conditions--his heart and liver are in terrible states and he's still smoking and drinking as before in spite of doctors' strong recommendation that he quit them.
He said he would never know how to appreciate the dear leader enough for the special care he's been receiving. Even during the "March of Suffering" in the 1990s he said his ration never changed while hundreds of thousands of North Koreans were dying of famine. He almost got to the point of weeping at that.
I know why he was treated that special. In North Korea, foreigners, especially Americans like him, are so rare like precious diamonds. That's quite simple logic. In light of that, he must have made a very clever decision in choosing to defect to North Korea where his worth could be maximized. For him, as he stated, North Korea definitely is the paradise on earth, a Shangri-la; otherwise he might have had a very good chance of ending up a white trash in America.
My conclusion? Everything is relative and personal. One's nightmare can be another guy's paradise. And the master of one's life is the person himself. Free will!
He is an American soldier who defected to North Korea around the early 1960s or the late 1950s--I just guess so since I didn't see the former part of the documentary which might contain the information.
He's old now, having two white sons who are university students and a little kid from his current Togolese-Korean wife. He got the white sons from an Eastern European former wife who died soon after the birth of the younger son, and then remarried many years later a woman who is a cross between a Togolese and a North Korean.
He seemed to speak very frankly and freely even though it was filmed in North Korea and he's still living there. But none of his words violated the rules that he is supposed to follow; he said he's happy just living there in North Korea, being taken care of by the dear leader and party. He said his former life in America was an unhappy one, but now, ever since his defection about 40 years ago he's been treated well and has led a much happier life.
I felt he was candid in his explanation about what he experienced there, and the majority of people who watched that documentary might have felt the same way. It would be better for him to live there for the rest of his life, which doesn't seem to be very long considering his current health conditions--his heart and liver are in terrible states and he's still smoking and drinking as before in spite of doctors' strong recommendation that he quit them.
He said he would never know how to appreciate the dear leader enough for the special care he's been receiving. Even during the "March of Suffering" in the 1990s he said his ration never changed while hundreds of thousands of North Koreans were dying of famine. He almost got to the point of weeping at that.
I know why he was treated that special. In North Korea, foreigners, especially Americans like him, are so rare like precious diamonds. That's quite simple logic. In light of that, he must have made a very clever decision in choosing to defect to North Korea where his worth could be maximized. For him, as he stated, North Korea definitely is the paradise on earth, a Shangri-la; otherwise he might have had a very good chance of ending up a white trash in America.
My conclusion? Everything is relative and personal. One's nightmare can be another guy's paradise. And the master of one's life is the person himself. Free will!
Monday, September 22, 2008
Audio database
I should have written down this yesterday.
Englishmanaics.org's audio database may have some usefulness, even though short of making profits. If it can be utilized in English learning, with good software to support it, in conjunction with the textualized versions of those audio files, it will serve as some audio reference for English learners.
More detailed planning would be required. For now, what I am sure of is that the more extensive the data, the better as it is true for a dictionary.
So, let's keep going with the transcribing activities. Doing more audio files, like two a week instead of the current one-a-week system, would be a good idea as long as it doesn't put too much stress on the people involved.
Maybe, it would be a good idea to recruit one more drafter for an additional audio file. Interesting.
Englishmanaics.org's audio database may have some usefulness, even though short of making profits. If it can be utilized in English learning, with good software to support it, in conjunction with the textualized versions of those audio files, it will serve as some audio reference for English learners.
More detailed planning would be required. For now, what I am sure of is that the more extensive the data, the better as it is true for a dictionary.
So, let's keep going with the transcribing activities. Doing more audio files, like two a week instead of the current one-a-week system, would be a good idea as long as it doesn't put too much stress on the people involved.
Maybe, it would be a good idea to recruit one more drafter for an additional audio file. Interesting.
Friday, September 19, 2008
Reading Barrak Obama's "Audacity of Hope"
Currently having read a little over 60 pages into the book, I find this book very well-written. Barrack Obama's really thought to be intelligent and smart.
I wonder if it was his father, a Kenyan brain, or the benefit of cross-breeding--between a white mom and a black dad--that endowed him with such talent.
Anyhow, I'm for Obama though I don't have a vote.
I wonder if it was his father, a Kenyan brain, or the benefit of cross-breeding--between a white mom and a black dad--that endowed him with such talent.
Anyhow, I'm for Obama though I don't have a vote.
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