Letter to Washington Post

Yesterday the NY Times had on its front page a juxtaposed picture of Seung-Hui Cho wielding a hammer and a scene from the Korean movie Oldboy. The movie scene depicts the main protagonist holding a hammer. The article purports that it may have found the clue to Mr. Cho's violent rampage. Paul Harill, a faculty at VA Tech, initially alerted the NY Times on the possible similarities.

Today, the Washington Post's film critic Stephen Hunter wrote an article describing the similarity between Mr. Cho's rampage and the movie The Killer by John Woo. I wrote an email to Mr. Hunter.

Mr. Hunter,

At this point, don't you think it is a little premature to speculate what influenced Mr. Cho?

Maybe it's Asian movies, maybe it's American movies, maybe it's violent video games, maybe he came up with the stuff on his own. We don't know, there could be 10,000 possibilities. The only thing we know for sure is that the Columbine murderers (two Caucasians) definitely influenced him.

Yet, I find it odd that people like you, the NY Times and Paul Harrill (the initial tipster to NY Times on Oldboy), somehow deem it so conclusive that you write an article on the correlation between violent Asian movies and Mr. Cho.

Mr. Cho came to this country at age 8 and never went back to Korea even once. Maybe Mr. Cho clung on to Korean traditions, but maybe Mr. Cho was fully Americanized and didn't identify being a Korean national at all. We don't know! And yet what stood out in your mind, the mind of the NY Times and Mr. Harrill is that he is of Korean ancestry and therefore must be influenced by Korean and Asian movies.

Is it too much to ask you and the others to treat Asians and Asian Americans in this country as human beings and Americans first, rather than as Korean, Chinese, Japanese, first? If all facts of this case had been the same, except Mr. Cho is a White or Black person, would Oldboy and The Killer have been the first movies that jump out in your mind?

VA Tech Shooting

How can anyone do this?! Can there be any senses to this? What demented person would do it?!!!

Open Letter to Uncle Sam

Dear Uncle Sam,

Could you please take less tax from my salary? Please, please, please?

Love,

Cat

Attention Chinese Parents, Part Deux

While doing some research on the web, I came across a Hong Kong lawyer named Unique Leung... Would you trust Unique to represent you in a multigazillion dollar case? What if Unique is really a conformist? Would that constitute false representation?

Beef Noodle Soup Part Deux

Herbs and vegies for the noodle soup

Yay... almost done!

Yummm....

The Flying Tigers

The Flying Tigers (飛虎隊) were a group of American military pilots secretly employed by the Republic of China Air Force during WWII to fight against the Japanese invasion. They defended the Burma supply line to China prior to US's entry into World War II. Go Flying Tigers!

Isn't it an awesome pic with the Flying Tigers over Baoshan, China. Notice the Flying Tiger insignia on the plane and the cool nose art?
(photo by R.T. Smith)

Flying Tigers Insignia (designed by the Walt Disney Company)


Another pic of a Flying Tiger plane with the shark emblem and the 12 point Sun Roundel of the Chinese Air Force.

This blood chit was issued to the Flying Tigers. It loosely translates into - Foreigner here to help China, Military and Civilians are one, please provide aid. Essentially in case they are shot down, the locals will know that the foreign pilot is there to help China.
(R.E. Baldwin collection)

Beef Soup

My oxtail soup is simmering away while I, work away... yep, brought work home.