rejoice!

August 15 is significant for three reasons:

1. It's Brian's birthday. Saeng-il ch'uk-ha haeyo, mon.

2. It's Liberation Day here in Bonnie Olde South Korea. Last year, the Marmot commented that no major speech given by South Koreans (or any articles written by them) made any mention of America in connection with liberation. While I personally don't believe we should ever demand that a nation kiss our collective ass, it was a bit disturbing, last year, to see the major whitewashing of history going on, and more disturbing to realize that SK didn't seem to have any of its own critics of this whitewashing: complaints were almost entirely from foreign quarters. America certainly has its own political blind spots and hypocrisies, but it also produces plenty of internal critics. You know-- actual checks and balances, and a diverse rhetorical marketplace. I keep hoping SK will do the same, but I don't see this happening anytime soon.

3. It's Assumption Day if you're Catholic. Happy Feast Day; peace and blessings to you.

CENSORSHIP UPDATE: Many blogs are still blocked from my EC office in Kangnam: Blogs.com/TypePad, MuNu, and Winds of Change. At my current location near Nakseongdae Station, all's clear. This proves the journalists were right all along to describe the censorship as "government say, ISP do." The results have been uneven both in terms of blockage and de-blockage. As long as there's censorship, however half-assed, the obnoxious Hairy Chasms marquee stays up. Sorry, folks.

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