Five Guys

President Obama stopped into Five Guys, last week for some burgers. There's been a Five Guys link in the eats section of the lego for a while. I'm not sure this is newsworthy but I'm glad the Potus appreciates a good burger.

Sherif Ali

Lawrence & Sherif Ali

In another non camera moment, I saw a girl walking in town on Saturday with Omar Sharif ankle socks.

The socks were white with blue stripes and had "OMAR SHARIF", emblazoned on them in blue.

I was a bit befuddled, did Dr. Zhivago have a clothing line I didn't know about?

My friend informed me that, Omar Sharif, is a brand of cigarettes in South Korea.



The socks reminded me of the tank tops Newport used to give away in the early '90's. Unfortunatley, I couldn't find a picture of a fat guy in a stained tank top.



"Alive with pleasure" or Dead with cancer.

Omar Little (for a time, the Baddest Man on tv) from HBO's The Wire. "Gimme a pack of Newpor'"

Eric Blair

Retro blogging.

I've added a link to the Orwell Diaries, that the Orwell Prize has been publishing.

The Orwell Prize is Britain’s pre-eminent prize for political writing – run by the Media Standards Trust, the Orwell Trust and Political Quarterly. Every year, it awards a prize to the book, and for the journalism (and in 2009 for the first time, to the blog) which comes closest to George Orwell’s ambition ‘to make political writing into an art’.

Since 9th August 2008, we have been blogging George Orwell’s diaries from 1938 in real time, 70 years to the day since each entry was originally written. The diaries start as Orwell heads to Morocco (with his wife Eileen) to recuperate from injury and illness, and end in 1942 (or 2012) as the Second World War rages.

If you're a fan of Orwell's writing (especially if you've delved deeper than Animal Farm and 1984), you'll probably enjoy his posts.

Thanks to the LA Times for the heads up on the diaries.

Where's my camera?

I was without my camera when I saw some classic signs last week in Cheonju.

There's a bar that advertises, Beer & War. I'm not sure if the War is on draft or in a can.

There's a restaurant called, Donkey Fried Chicken. I'm intrigued.

There's a pork restaurant that has two pigs doing a chest bump and going up for a double high five. "Yes, they're gonna eat us!"

Saber Rattling

North Korea threatens war, berates South Korea, U.S.
LA Times, 5/27/09

"blindly yielding to its master as it is steeped in sycophancy and submission to the marrow of its bones."

"Any hostile act against our peaceful vessels including search and seizure will be considered an unpardonable infringement on our sovereignty and we will immediately respond with a powerful military strike," the news service said, citing a spokesman for the North Korean army.

Really, Batshit Ill, what's your problem? Obama will get to you, you'll get your audience, with Hillary at least. Just wait your turn little buddy, right now the administration has its hands full with the economy and a couple of wars. You're really starting to look like Arnold Horshack, "Oh, Oh, Oh, Mr. Kotter, Mr. Kotter!" Why don't you focus your energy on keeping the lights on at night in Pyongyang.

Oink Oink

The swine flu has hit Soko.

My boss received a call from immigration asking about the health of her foreign staff.

Apparently, some foreigners traveled outside of the country and came back with swine flu. Subsequent cases of the flu have been reported.

All foreigners who have traveled outside of Korea and returned after May 11th, must report to a clinic to be screened for the flu. Failure to do so within seven days will result in deportation.

Thankfully, I returned from Thailand on May 5th.