 A Kid Following His Dreams - Kuno | All Comments |
Comments | |
| 10th November 2009 Jim | - From: What if America had Stricter Gun Laws?: A Case study on the Consequences of Strict Gun Laws in Korea UK has all guns banned. Only special police have guns, the vast majority don't. The UK has more gun deaths per 100,000 than Switzerland does, a Country where Assault rifles are legal and there is lots of gun ownership. Does But just because one country has banned guns and has low gun deaths doesn't mean banning guns lowers gun deaths. In fact after the UK banned guns, gun deaths went up. Also someone commented that if neither people have weapons, both are safe is ridiculous. Knives and baseball bats account for a huge number of murders, so do beatings and strangulation. People don't kill just because they have a weapon. There's a whole set of knives in my kitchen I could kill people with, but I don't because I don't want to kill anyone. Banning guns just means the only people who own a gun are intending to use it for a crime. this would explain why banning guns in the UK didn't reduce gun deaths, because all the people who wanted to murder with a gun can get one anyway. Banning guns only stops law abiding citizens from having guns (the kind of people you want to have guns) |
| 9th October 2009 Leslie | location? - From: Best Korean Meal You'll Never Find outside of Korea Hi, I live in Bundang and my favorite meal is dakgalbi. I have actually gone to Chuncheon just to eat it. Care to share the name and location of the restaurant? Thanks! |
| 17th September 2009 Brian | Gun control does not reduce crime - From: What if America had Stricter Gun Laws?: A Case study on the Consequences of Strict Gun Laws in Korea Thank you for posting this as it is an interesting topic. Here in Canada we have very severe gun laws that inhibit the average person from defending themselves adequately. There is absolutely no link between tight gun control laws and reduction in crime. Just look at a country like the Czech Republic where a person can purchase a hand gun with relative ease and yet their crime and homicide rate is relatively low. What is more, I have always wondered why feminists have not pushed for more liberal gun control laws here in Canada. It is a statistical fact that women are 2.5 times more likely to survive a physical attack unharmed if they possess a hand gun yet 4 times more likely to suffer injuries if they physically defend themselves. Alas, the laws in Canada will stay on the the side of the illogical. Believing tight gun control laws reduces crimes is just as silly as believing the death penalty reduces crime. |
| 15th August 2009 George Whitehead | wanting to play pro or amateur - From: Amateur Korean Baseball Hey i have just recently moved to Suwon and am wanting to play baseball competitively. I was hoping to find open tryouts in korea for professional teams. I was wondering if anyone knew how to do so. If not i want to play amateur with future possibility of turning pro. I have played university ball in canada and was scouted for many years. I put my career on hold but am looking to take it up again. If anyone has any info please email me halfjap44@hotmail.com |
| 14th July 2009 Jun | I want to go now... - From: Best Korean Meal You'll Never Find outside of Korea I'm in Korea for a few months and mainly interested in the food. I've been looking for the best of everything here and would like your recommendation. Thanks. |
| 22nd June 2009 terry ratliff | how can i play on a korean - From: Amateur Korean Baseball how can i play on a korean baseball team |
| 3rd June 2009 gumu | Thanks for the help - From: Korean Toilet Story You know... I just had the same exact experience. I didn't even think to look on the side. Thanks for your blog. |
| 2nd June 2009 Rene | - From: What if America had Stricter Gun Laws?: A Case study on the Consequences of Strict Gun Laws in Korea My Korean daughter-in-law was marveling at the difference in attitude and behavior between Korean cops and Chicago cops. My answer satisfied her (and me) completely: " In Korea, cops wear white gloves; in the US, cops carry guns." Of course, the criminals in Korea usually can't get their hands on guns, either. |
| 2nd June 2009 Angel | My Brother - From: Best Korean Meal You'll Never Find outside of Korea Wouldn't it be lovely if someone sent my brother a picture of food and he left to go get married? He is thirty... I already know he likes Korean girls, why else would he watch those korean dramas with me? The food looks great, I will have to try it when I finaly make it to Korea. Thanks |
| 2nd June 2009 Til | Would love to know restaurant - From: Best Korean Meal You'll Never Find outside of Korea We are in Seoul with my niece and her husband who are adopting a child this week. We are looking for a special Korean restaurant to celebrate this great event. Please provide directions. THanks much! |
| 5th April 2009 Jody Koks | Greetings - From: Amateur Korean Baseball Hi. I'm from South Africa and have been in Korea for approximately one month. I live in Pyeongtaek in Gyeonggi Do province. Do you perhaps know of any amateur teams in this area? You can mail me jodykoks@webmail.co.za. Thanks and regards |
| 23rd February 2009 jason shaffer | AWESEOME article - From: Amateur Korean Baseball I am moving to korea in april and this is exactly what i was looking for. do you know anyone that I could get in touch with to get into a league? I will be in the southern part of the country, by Busan, not sure if you are familiar with that area... |
| 17th February 2009 anonymous | - From: Korean Baseball Experience Sorry, not a good writer... Try to be more concise and direct (like when you were "explaining" the team's name)... |
| 10th February 2009 anonymous | - From: Eager Catholic Plumbers were Born to Plumb Soooo not to code. :) |
| 7th February 2009 Ken | Correlation does not equal Causation. - From: What if America had Stricter Gun Laws?: A Case study on the Consequences of Strict Gun Laws in Korea Some people have already said this, but I think that it has much less to do with the possession of firearms and much more to do with the overall culture. Here in Canada, there are plenty of guns, maybe not rivalling the per capita numbers of the US, but well over many other developed nations. I myself own a handgun and some rifles. Yet, our gun crime rate is considerably lower than that of the US. Why? Cultural differences, not the availability of firearms. I'm willing to bet if every Korean person above the age of 20 were to receive a gun, nothing would change. I tend to find that the only place where firearms laws seem to work are places where people wouldn't kill each other anyway. So, are Americans more violent because they have guns, or do Americans have guns because they are more violent? |
| 16th January 2009 Richard | They're Good People - From: What if America had Stricter Gun Laws?: A Case study on the Consequences of Strict Gun Laws in Korea I believe that the lack of violent crimes in South Korea speaks more of the strong moral fiber of the Korean people and less of the lack of guns in the hands of the people. They have respect for others built right into their language. |
| 12th January 2009 Robert | You're forgetting to mention... - From: What if America had Stricter Gun Laws?: A Case study on the Consequences of Strict Gun Laws in Korea You have to remember two things here: 1) S. Korea's only trade that's conducted with the outside world is done through a small handfull of ports and one airport, making it very easy for them to control the importation of contraband. They have the same restrictions on drugs as the United States, but look how much easier it is to get drugs in the US than Korea. I don't know about you, but where I'm from it is extremely easy to get a handgun which HASN'T been stolen, but smuggled into the country, brand new and in the box. 2) It wasn't until the 1980's that S Korea became a free society and was able to escape dictatorship and martial law, and there is no safety net preventing another military coup. |
| 5th December 2008 Kuno | Thank You... - From: What if America had Stricter Gun Laws?: A Case study on the Consequences of Strict Gun Laws in Korea ... for all of your comments. I appreciate the insight and knowledge everyone has added to this discussion. If you plan to post a comment, please read the article and the preceding comments first. I will accept comments liberally, but I will not allow offensive comments (about Americans, Koreans, or any other groups). If you disagree, do so logically, not offensively. Thank you. - Kuno |
| 3rd December 2008 Dexter | Respond to Mr. Jackhammer - From: What if America had Stricter Gun Laws?: A Case study on the Consequences of Strict Gun Laws in Korea Mr. Jackhammer, you're an idiot. The last time Korea was invaded was by the Japanese, and that was well over half a century ago. The other times they were invaded, guns weren't even around. Also, why don't you learn something before you run your mouth. Korea has one of the largest militaries in the world. Just because the citizens don't carry guns doesn't mean they're vulnerable to invasions from different countries. When was the last time civilians fought wars? Are you a retard? That's what militaries are for. Quit being an ignorant retard. And you completely missed the entire point of his article. Learn to stay focused. |
| 22nd November 2008 Marcoelitaliano | Loved it! - From: Leveling the Level Doesn't Level the Sink Man, I love your writing style. I would probably not call you to install a sink but I do enjoy reading your stories. You're able to squeeze something nice out of very little things. And that's a great quality! Marco |
| 11th November 2008 Jonathan | 100% Wrong, Sorry - From: What if America had Stricter Gun Laws?: A Case study on the Consequences of Strict Gun Laws in Korea This is ridiculous. You have not stated the #1 preventer of crime in south korea: homogenous culture. Koreans are like one big happy family. When one of them dies in a hostage situation, a military event, etc., every korean citizen acts as if a family member was lost. Whereas in the USA, we have blacks, hispanics, whites, etc. all in one roof. Our society is divided. Blacks or hispanics sometimes actually enjoy perpetrating crimes on other races. Compare crime rates in Africa, Europe, and Asia. Africa has the worst. So naturally, if many africans are in the USA, our crime rate will be worse. It doesn't take a genius to understand that some races are, whether by environment, upbringing, or blood is debateable; more inclined to crime. The lack of guns IS NOT WHAT leads to low crime in korea. It's the lack of a desire to commit crimes. It's the strict upbringing from an early age to work hard and the tight-knit social structure that one wouldn't dare commit a crime for fear of becoming a complete social outcast. But, besides the point, even in South Korea the lack of gun ownership helped cause 144 civilian deaths during 5.18, the gwangju massacre. The #1 murderer in the world is not citizens against each other. The #1 murderer is government. In the 1900's, 8 million died worldwide from murder, whereas over 100+ million died from government genocide/murder of it's OWN CITIZENS. One of the few policies genocidal dictators all have in common is: gun control. Hitler, Mao Tse-tung, and Stalin all implemented gun control, and collectively killed 10x more than all citizen-caused murder combined (more than 80million). The fact also remains that murders are much lower in "right-to-carry" states in the USA than in the states that refuse that right. If german jews had carried guns, millions would be alive. If the soviets and chinese citizens carried guns, tens of millions would be alive. A gun-toting population has NEVER been genocided, as it is impossible to do so, it becomes a war, as the victims have a fighting chance. You are statistically 10x more likely to die of genocide as a human, than of murder. And carrying a gun, statistically lowers your chance of dying from either! |
| 14th September 2008 Mr. Jackhammer | And you missed the main issue in South Korea. - From: What if America had Stricter Gun Laws?: A Case study on the Consequences of Strict Gun Laws in Korea Perhaps if South Korea were a little more serious about arming their populace and defending themselves they wouldn't get taken over by other countries every few decades and a constant U.S. military presence would not be required to keep North Korea at bay. Thoughtless people like you, Kuno, are the ones who would wear the yokes of vicious dictators without the intervention of firearm-toting Americans. |
| 8th September 2008 christine | - From: Best Korean Meal You'll Never Find outside of Korea Hey I live in Jeongja and I reaaallllyyy want to know where this place is!! Please give me directions when ya get a chance :) |
| 4th September 2008 Thomas Greiner | Baseball in Korea - From: Amateur Korean Baseball Hey, I am moving for a year to Korea in a few weeks and was wondering, how I could get into contact with a team or a few guys to play some ball with. Any sort of help would be greatly appreciated. By the way, great article, answered so many questions! :) |
| 28th July 2008 Mom | July 27 - From: Eager Catholic Plumbers were Born to Plumb So, can you fix the plumbing at home when you return? I'm down to one bathroom...just kidding. |
| 22nd July 2008 Matt veck | hell yeah! - From: Eager Catholic Plumbers were Born to Plumb Rock on eager plumber ghee. |
| 15th July 2008 Stephanie | UNNERVING - From: Why I Volunteered in Peru I am a friend of your Mother's and live the cushy life in La Quinta, CA as a retiree. However, I did experience a 7.6 earthquake in Mexico City some years ago and totally understand how unnerving that can be. You are doing wonderful things for that community and you are a great writer. I see a brilliant future for you. Thanks for the update on your experience. Stephanie |
| 5th July 2008 Carl | I wanna know! - From: Best Korean Meal You'll Never Find outside of Korea Hey I will be going to Korea in October, I'd like to know the directions to this place, only gonna be there for about a week, is it far from Seoul??? Thanks! |
| 3rd July 2008 charles | - From: Peruvian Diner Experience thanks for spelling grill with an "e" in the first paragraph. |
| 3rd July 2008 Jason | Nice read but a little out of date - From: What if America had Stricter Gun Laws?: A Case study on the Consequences of Strict Gun Laws in Korea A good article in general. I would like to say that I am a Canadian and have been living here in S.Korea for 10 years and I would like to add some to this discussion. I have lived in Daegu for all 10 years and contrary to public belief, police in Korea DO, for the most part carry weapons. They carry revolvers locked to their police belts while on patrol and junior officers(ie performing mandatory military duty) carry gas guns. So times have changed in the year since this article was written I guess. And as a previous poster said, Knives and matal pipes will kill me just as well as a gun. Gun caused homicides and the actual homicide rate here in S.Korea are very different stories. |
| 26th June 2008 Les | Gun ownership in the US - From: What if America had Stricter Gun Laws?: A Case study on the Consequences of Strict Gun Laws in Korea I love the gentle nature of the Korean people, and yes, it is safer. A lot of people opine that the US needs stricter gun laws, stating that other countries that have lower crime rates have stricter gun laws. However, one has to consider that the culture is very different among countries. I one compares various states in the US (each state has it's own gun regulations), one will find that the states that allow law-abiding citizens to carry firearms have lower incidences of violent crime. There aren't enough cops in the US to deter the amount of crime we have. If students had been allowed to carry firearms on campus when the VT shootings occurred, someone may have been able to stop that guy. What happened instead is all the law-abiding students were left defenseless while the criminal went on a killing spree. |
| 8th May 2008 Ronnietijuana | there is one vote for - From: Best Korean Meal You'll Never Find outside of Korea I am thinking about teaching in korea in that exact city. I would love to know where the restaurant is. I consider this article another pro vote on the list of pros and cons. |
| 21st April 2008 Big Bro | risky - From: Best Korean Meal You'll Never Find outside of Korea i was aghast at seeing the title of this post at first. i was afraid that the secret would be unleashed on the world, and nothing would ever be the same. but thankfully, the world is only so big, as are people's imaginations and willingness to take on risk. this meal will stay an undiscovered treat outside of the knowing folks who pack the house every night. truly a korean classic that will last a lifetime. |
| 27th March 2008 student | i agree - From: Early Thoughts on the Korean and American Education Systems Also, I think interest has a lot to do with it. The sheer enormity of the amount of information they have to memorize might actually burn the kids out such that they lose interest in the material and neglect to pursue it further. Another country with a long list of "recognized thinkers is the England". I had a chance to take a few classes at Cambridge University and found that the teaching style is much different than the American system. The students have so much more freedom and lectures are similar to socratic seminars rife with intellectual discussion. |
| 3rd March 2008 karloon | Nice - From: Korean Toilet Story half way through your story, I asked myself.... isn't all electronic toilet seat has a backup (typical flush handle) at the right (just in case no electricity)... I was expecting you ask the manager helps.... well it's sure one hell of a story (they're going to love this story back home)...hahaha. Nice one. |
| 11th February 2008 MikeyMogo | what of memories? - From: The Return to Old Familiarity Yeah bro, I feel you entirely. It's unsettling. I'd have a shit-ton of regret, personally, had I not chosen to return. My time there is just not done. It's as if life here wipes away, forcefully, the time spent away. Not out of malice, just out of the sake of normalcy and constant-ness. |
| 4th February 2008 Ed | Human's kill humans even without guns - From: What if America had Stricter Gun Laws?: A Case study on the Consequences of Strict Gun Laws in Korea I'm a korean American living in the states for over 25 years.. and have been living in korea for 5 years now... when I lived in the states I was never scared to walk around carried a 9m in my car and had a glock at home... The point is I wasn't scared not because I had a gun but because I've lived here all my life. you know thats bull "when I carry a machine gun you would be scared and then purchase....." MAN has been killing since the stone age!!! If you take away the guns, people will use knives if you take away knives they'll use bat's if you take away bat's they'll use sticks..get the point!!! taking away guns will not make it safer... I've lived in korea for 5 years and yes they don't have guns and yes the students don't go to school and shoot people with guns but !!! what the media doesn't tell you is the little "Tommy who gets picked on every day decided to take a knige to school and start stabbing the other student's which led to a student bleeding to death.... and not to mention all the rapist who slits womens girls boys throats after molesting them and raping them... and not mention the latest 2 guys walk right up to 2 army soldiers on gaurd beat them with baseball bats killing one of them and taking their assault rifles rounds and two granades... the only difference between korea and the good ole USA is they use baseball bats and knives in korea... you think knives don't KILL???? and they don't broadcast homicides and rapes and burglaries as much in korea... theirs more going on then you know..just a year ago acouple guys started to rob people when they went to the atm to get cash.. they would bash their skulls in and take the cash ...the point is ... THEY STILL DIED!!!. THEY DON'T NEED GUNS TO KILL AND RAPE!!!. |
| 3rd February 2008 Ryan Hawkins | baseball in seoul - From: Amateur Korean Baseball Hey there. I enjoy the blog. I've been looking to play baseball in Korea as well. I currently live in Seoul, just 30 minutes on foot from the stadium in Jamsil. Is there anyway I can contact someone to get involved in playing? Drop me an email r49hawkins@yahoo.com |
| 30th January 2008 elisha | great story! - From: Korean Toilet Story great story- you write as if your standing here telling us the story. just hilarious. im going to s. korea in 2 months and get a kick out of reading everyones blogs on here! fun times ahead i see. |
| 1st January 2008 joy gant | good god i'm choking to death - From: Johnny Cash Dump made the mistake of reading this one while i'm eating dinner. almost choked to death laughing reading this one. i love your candor. really enjoying reading this blog. |
| 31st December 2007 joy | lmao - From: Korean Toilet Story this is a great story. thanks for sharing. i laughed my ass off!!! |
| 24th November 2007 kathleen | always the dreamer - From: Bali Hope (part 2 of 2) i'm moving towards that "graduate and stick around town to bartend" period of my life. it's funny to look back and remember what you were like at this time in your own path. come home. i need that sickening positivity back in my life again. i'm proud of you |
| 8th November 2007 gardenstate | - From: Bali Hope (part 2 of 2) " grass is greener on the other side " it is true. it makes me think about my America dream ? ( trip ) next year. it makes me think a lot. thanks for the ideas. I am gonna give it a shot. life moves on... we live once. and you ARE an awesome writer. I miss Mr lotion. we miss you! |
| 11th October 2007 Pops | Ahhh to be young - From: Scuba Diving in Moalboal, Philippines Youth is not an age measured in numbers, or an outward appearance lacking wrinkles and gray hair. It is not a classification or a stage of development. Youth is a frame of mind, a time of learning,...a time of living. Robert Louis Stevenson once said, "Youth is the time to go fishing from one end of the world to the other,...both in mind and body; to try the manners of different nations; to hear the chimes at midnight." To hear the chimes at midnight...to be so attuned to life that one can appreciate what others may never experience...the invigorating, passionate call of life. And you have answered it Shawn. Keep fishing son. Love, Pops |
| 10th October 2007 Jenna | Pics - From: Scuba Diving in Moalboal, Philippines Amazing pictures!! Love your journal!! |
| 28th September 2007 corliss | share korea tips! - From: Amateur Korean Baseball yohz there...was just surfing ard when i took notice abt yr blog....interesting blog u have here...basically i m going to korea for holida in Dec 2007.....can share more abt yr experience with me? are u still currently teaching in korea? cos it seem like u have gone onto other places already... :) drop me a mail :) |
| 26th September 2007 Ben | Living the Dream - From: The Indo Dream Good Read. Yes you can make in two weeks in the states what you would make in a year in Bali, that's why it IS possible to do. Your doing it right. Work hard, and save your money for a while instead of throwing it away on crap like everyone else does and you can easily go and stay in Bali for months, unlike everyone else who is staying home and throwing their money away and bitching about life. Make a plan, stick to it and do it. You can always go back, but you can't go back if you never leave. |
| 22nd September 2007 Kate Hildebrand | Assa! - From: Korean Baseball Experience I read your blog before I went to Korea, I loved reading it, especially this entry! but GO TWINS ^_^ |
| 17th September 2007 travellingmum | - From: The Indo Dream Glad to see you forgave us aussies! To be heading to Australia. Good luck with the surfing |
| 11th September 2007 Blake the Snake | - From: Amateur Korean Baseball Hilarious. |
