RANTING/VENTING MEGATHREAD 3.0

DMArt:Cheers then. You didn't bring it up to make a point about mandated working hours or anything like that. But you're just trying to make a throw away joke.  Fine. Whatever.

Move on and post some "Your momma" jokes on pointless ramblings?

I don't make momma jokes. Anyways, I get the sense you feel my throwaway joke was beneath the highbrow discussion taking place on deskwarming.  One thing was clear as I caught up on my first day back to deskwarming, and that is that not a soul was taking your argument seriously.  So, a throwaway joke was perfectly fitting with the tone and not affecting the sanctity of this thread.   

U.S. experts have raised concerns that radioactive waste from North Korean uranium factories in North Hwanghae Province could be flowing into the West Sea.

http://english.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2019/08/19/2019081901197.html

Choi Han-kwon, a nuclear expert, told RFA that he fears radioactive pollution if the waste came from the enrichment stage. Choi added that drinking water even slightly polluted by radioactive waste can cause permanent damage to humans.

U.S. experts have raised concerns that radioactive waste from North Korean uranium factories in North Hwanghae Province could be flowing into the West Sea.

http://english.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2019/08/19/2019081901197.html

Choi Han-kwon, a nuclear expert, told RFA that he fears radioactive pollution if the waste came from the enrichment stage. Choi added that drinking water even slightly polluted by radioactive waste can cause permanent damage to humans.

Good thing humans don’t normally drink sea water!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3l49cRoE1dY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tHw5enJ3fNw

"Considering the North's rudimentary waste-processing facilities, there is a chance that uranium waste flowed into the nearby river. It tends to pile up further downstream, and the Ryesong River flows into waters near Yeonpyong and Ganghwa islands," which could contaminate crabs and fish caught around the islands.

U.S. experts have raised concerns that radioactive waste from North Korean uranium factories in North Hwanghae Province could be flowing into the West Sea.

http://english.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2019/08/19/2019081901197.html

Choi Han-kwon, a nuclear expert, told RFA that he fears radioactive pollution if the waste came from the enrichment stage. Choi added that drinking water even slightly polluted by radioactive waste can cause permanent damage to humans.

Better do a piece on Fukushima to get people's minds back on Japan!

Dumping radioactive waste anywhere sucks, but...

...finding radioactive materials in fresh water is far more dangerous than finding an equivalent amount of radioactive material in seawater. One reason for this is that sea water dampens the effects of radioactive isotope uptake in the same way that iodine pills do.

Here's a pretty cool article about why the worry over radioactive materials finding their way into the oceans is somewhat out of proportion.

If it's TL:DR, basically it's because:
    -salt water is a fairly effective shield against most radiation.
    -sea water contains similar isotopes that are not (or are significantly less) radioactive that out-compete the dumped radioactive isotopes (due to sheer quantity)
    -the ocean already contains a fair amount of natural radioactivity and its ecosystems are not particularly sensitive towards it.
.(read the article)
.(read the article)
.(read the article)
    -  rapid and *super* extreme dilution.

U.S. experts have raised concerns that radioactive waste from North Korean uranium factories in North Hwanghae Province could be flowing into the West Sea.

http://english.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2019/08/19/2019081901197.html

Choi Han-kwon, a nuclear expert, told RFA that he fears radioactive pollution if the waste came from the enrichment stage. Choi added that drinking water even slightly polluted by radioactive waste can cause permanent damage to humans.

Better do a piece on Fukushima to get people's minds back on Japan!

Boycott Japan, maaaaaaaaaan! :O

What's with the whole boycott Japan thing going on in Korea atm?
One of my high level students spoke to me about it during summer camp.
I know there was/is bad blood between Korea and Japan because of the past, but this is my 1st time seeing boycott Japan in Korea (in my 3 years here).

Boycott Japan, maaaaaaaaaan! :O

What's with the whole boycott Japan thing going on in Korea atm?
One of my high level students spoke to me about it during summer camp.
I know there was/is bad blood between Korea and Japan because of the past, but this is my 1st time seeing boycott Japan in Korea (in my 3 years here).

When I was in England, someone mentioned about an article in the paper about some Korean petrol station not filling up Japanese cars and thought it was just some stupid one off thing.

Then, refreshed after my holiday, I came back to Korea and am treated to a few banners in my small city with 'Don't go to Japan, Don't buy anything Japanese'.  So did some reading up and realised it was just another childish thing that the Koreans and Japanese have, but this time started by the Japanese.  It doesn't take much.  There were also two Korean guys stood with signs at the crossroads near my school with a picture of a target on Abe. 

Then I was talking to one of my well-travelled Korean friends who will be in Germany over Chuseok and they asked if I was doing anything, to which I replied, 'maybe I'll go to Japan as it's really cheap', but the reaction was not a normal rational one.    I don't know what nationalism does to people but it's really stupid, reactionary rubbish. 

Boycott Japan, maaaaaaaaaan! :O

What's with the whole boycott Japan thing going on in Korea atm?
One of my high level students spoke to me about it during summer camp.
I know there was/is bad blood between Korea and Japan because of the past, but this is my 1st time seeing boycott Japan in Korea (in my 3 years here).

When I was in England, someone mentioned about an article in the paper about some Korean petrol station not filling up Japanese cars and thought it was just some stupid one off thing.

Then, refreshed after my holiday, I came back to Korea and am treated to a few banners in my small city with 'Don't go to Japan, Don't buy anything Japanese'.  So did some reading up and realised it was just another childish thing that the Koreans and Japanese have, but this time started by the Japanese.  It doesn't take much.  There were also two Korean guys stood with signs at the crossroads near my school with a picture of a target on Abe. 

Then I was talking to one of my well-travelled Korean friends who will be in Germany over Chuseok and they asked if I was doing anything, to which I replied, 'maybe I'll go to Japan as it's really cheap', but the reaction was not a normal rational one.    I don't know what nationalism does to people but it's really stupid, reactionary rubbish. 

I thought it was started here in Korea.
Wasn't it the Korean government's decision to seize local assets from Japanese companies (or at least, those assets belonging to companies that existed back during the Japanese Imperial era and that had employed forced Korean labour) that started it all?

Joung Ha-yoon, a 29-year-old banker, had planned to travel to Japan for summer vacation. Three weeks ago, she ditched those plans and went to Hong Kong, where she chose local beers instead of her favored Japanese Asahi. Until the trade fight ends, she has committed to suppressing her cravings for a Japanese tripe stew called motsunabe.

That wasn’t too much of a sacrifice, she said. “You can’t even upload pictures of Japanese food on social media anyway.”

www.wsj.com/amp/articles/when-hello-kitty-is-the-enemy-south-korea-takes-a-trade-dispute-to-heart-11566155283

Until the trade fight ends, she has committed to suppressing her cravings for a Japanese tripe stew called motsunabe.
That wasn’t too much of a sacrifice, she said. “You can’t even upload pictures of Japanese food on social media anyway.”

r/nottheonion

All of East Asia is in a state right now.

Boycott-wise it seemed to start out as just another kerfuffle but its escalated into a spat.

I don't care much for the anti-Japan stickers on the subway. I want my subway ride to be politics free. Also, I'm glad the locals protested the banners going up in Jung-gu. 
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/08/anti-japan-banners-seoul-public-outcry-190806084314476.html

From my vantage point the main people not falling into this are Japanophiles and alcoholics who refuse to give up their Izakayas with the sake and the Kirin.

While I'm against it, I also recognize that long after I'm gone, the Japanese will still be here and while, as a Westerner, I may think the Japanese are cute and cuddly and nice to everyone, I also recognize that they might be a different way to the rest of Asia.

Boycott Japan, maaaaaaaaaan! :O

What's with the whole boycott Japan thing going on in Korea atm?
One of my high level students spoke to me about it during summer camp.
I know there was/is bad blood between Korea and Japan because of the past, but this is my 1st time seeing boycott Japan in Korea (in my 3 years here).

When I was in England, someone mentioned about an article in the paper about some Korean petrol station not filling up Japanese cars and thought it was just some stupid one off thing.

Then, refreshed after my holiday, I came back to Korea and am treated to a few banners in my small city with 'Don't go to Japan, Don't buy anything Japanese'.  So did some reading up and realised it was just another childish thing that the Koreans and Japanese have, but this time started by the Japanese.  It doesn't take much.  There were also two Korean guys stood with signs at the crossroads near my school with a picture of a target on Abe. 

Then I was talking to one of my well-travelled Korean friends who will be in Germany over Chuseok and they asked if I was doing anything, to which I replied, 'maybe I'll go to Japan as it's really cheap', but the reaction was not a normal rational one.    I don't know what nationalism does to people but it's really stupid, reactionary rubbish. 

I thought it was started here in Korea.
Wasn't it the Korean government's decision to seize local assets from Japanese companies (or at least, those assets belonging to companies that existed back during the Japanese Imperial era and that had employed forced Korean labour) that started it all?

It depends how far you want to go back.

Last month, Japan announced it would tighten control over three chemicals — fluorinated polyamides, photoresists, and hydrogen fluoride — that are crucial to producing semiconductors in Korea. Under new regulations, Japanese companies would need a license for each chemical to import them to South Korea, and the process could take up to 90 days.

Semiconductors, a key material installed in most electronic devices, have long been Korea’s top export item, and a delay in their productions could pose a significant threat to its economy.

Then it turned into 'being off the white list' for preferred trade partners.  It's damaging for Samsung mainly.  Also bits about Seoul being a bit lax about allowing these three chemicals to go to North Korea. 

 

(That's why I'm not sure about my Japan holiday for Chuseok.  And no amount of your Kyndo carrots are going to make me tell you either way, whether I'm going or not)

All of East Asia is in a state right now.

Boycott-wise it seemed to start out as just another kerfuffle but its escalated into a spat.

I don't care much for the anti-Japan stickers on the subway. I want my subway ride to be politics free. Also, I'm glad the locals protested the banners going up in Jung-gu. 
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/08/anti-japan-banners-seoul-public-outcry-190806084314476.html

From my vantage point the main people not falling into this are Japanophiles and alcoholics who refuse to give up their Izakayas with the sake and the Kirin.

While I'm against it, I also recognize that long after I'm gone, the Japanese will still be here and while, as a Westerner, I may think the Japanese are cute and cuddly and nice to everyone, I also recognize that they might be a different way to the rest of Asia.

I don't think it's just Japanophiles and alcoholics not giving into the boycott. I have regular students that aren't buying into it (a couple are buying into it).
A bunch of my co-workers traveled to Japan during the boycott thing as well, just to sight see.

But thanks for the article, it was interesting!

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=k2NmE62bmhk

'90 days to export'

Pfft!

Like most of the fukcing furniture I order off Gmarket...

Sorry, so you're saying I'm not allowed to hit up Lotteria after work for a Bulgogi burger? 

Sorry, so you're saying I'm not allowed to hit up Lotteria after work for a Bulgogi burger? 

Your bukkake days are numbered too, Frites.

Sorry, so you're saying I'm not allowed to hit up Lotteria after work for a Bulgogi burger? 

Your bukkake days are numbered too, Frites.

Laughs in Japanese.

Credit card spending in Japanese brand stores plunged to 4.98 billion won as of the end of July, from 10.23 billion won a month earlier.

http://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20190818000198