Debunking the 3/26 Conspiracy “Science”

Posted by Joshua Stanton

I have not, until now, seen the report of the The Joint Civilian-Military Investigation Group linked elsewhere, so let’s begin there. You can read the whole thing for yourself, but for your convenience, I’ll reproduce something about the composition of the investigative group itself. Emphasis mine:

The Joint Civilian-military Investigation Group (JIG) conducted its investigation with 25 experts from 10 top Korean expert agencies, 22 military experts, 3 experts recommended by the National Assembly, and 24 foreign experts constituting 4 support teams from the United States, Australia, the United Kingdom and the Kingdom of Sweden. The JIG is composed of four teams–Scientific Investigation Team, Explosive Analysis Team, Ship Structure Management Team, and Intelligence Analysis Team.

Here is a summary of its findings. Apologies for the long quote.

The basis of our assessment that the sinking was caused by a torpedo attack is as follows:

* Precise measurement and analysis of the damaged part of the hull indicates that a shockwave and bubble effect caused significant upward bending of the CVK (Center Vertical Keel), compared to its original state, and shell plate was steeply bent, with some parts of the ship fragmented.

* On the main deck, fracture occurred around the large openings used for maintenance of equipment in the gas turbine room and significant upward deformation is present on the port side. Also, the bulkhead of the gas turbine room was significantly damaged and deformed.

* The bottoms of the stern and bow sections at the failure point were bent upward. This also proves that an underwater explosion took place.

Through a thorough investigation of the inside and outside of the ship, we have found evidence of extreme pressure on the fin stabilizer, a mechanism to reduce significant rolling of the ship; water pressure and bubble effects on the bottom of the hull; and wires cut with no traces of heat. All these point to a strong shockwave and bubble effect causing the splitting and the sinking of the ship.

We have analyzed statements by survivors from the incident and a sentry on Baekryong-do.

* The survivors made a statement that they heard a near-simultaneous explosion once or twice, and that water splashed on the face of a port-side lookout who fell from the impact; furthermore,

* a sentry on the shore of Baekryong-do stated that he witnessed an approximately 100-meter-high “pillar of white flash” for 2~3 seconds. The aforementioned phenomenon is consistent with damage resulting from a shockwave and bubble effect.

Regarding the medical examination on the deceased service members, no trace of fragmentation or burn injury were found, but fractures and lacerations were observed. All of these are consistent with damage resulting from a shockwave and bubble effect.

The seismic and infrasound wave analysis result conducted by the Korea Institute of Geoscience and Mineral Resources (KIGAM) is as follows:

* Seismic wave intensity of 1.5 degrees was detected by 4 stations.
* 2 infrasound waves with a 1.1-second interval were detected by 11 stations.
* The seismic and infrasound waves originated from an identical site of explosion.
* This phenomenon corresponds to a shock wave and bubble effect generated by an underwater explosion.

Numerous simulations of an underwater explosion show that a detonation with a net explosive weight of 200~300kg occurred at a depth of about 6~9m, approximately 3m left of the center of the gas turbine room.

Based on the analysis of tidal currents off Baekryong-do, the JIG determined that the currents would not prohibit a torpedo attack.

As for conclusive evidence that can corroborate the use of a torpedo, we have collected propulsion parts, including propulsion motor with propellers and a steering section from the site of the sinking.

The evidence matched in size and shape with the specifications on the drawing presented in introductory materials provided to foreign countries by North Korea for export purposes. The marking in Hangul, which reads “1 [Hangul not reproducible] (or No. 1 in English)”, found inside the end of the propulsion section, is consistent with the marking of a previously obtained North Korean torpedo. The above evidence allowed the JIG to confirm that the recovered parts were made in North Korea.

Also, the aforementioned result confirmed that other possible causes for sinking raised, including grounding, fatigue failure, mines, collision and internal explosion, played no part in the incident.

In conclusion, The following sums up the opinions of Korean and foreign experts on the conclusive evidence collected from the incident site; hull deformation; statements of relevant personnel; medical examination of the deceased service members; analysis on seismic and infrasound waves; simulation of underwater explosion; and analysis on currents off Baekryong-do and collected torpedo parts.

* ROKS “Cheonan” was split apart and sunk due to a shockwave and bubble effect produced by an underwater torpedo explosion.

* The explosion occurred approximately 3m left of the center of the gas turbine room, at a depth of about 6~9m.

* The weapon system used is confirmed to be a high explosive torpedo with a net explosive weight of about 250kg, manufactured by North Korea.

Now, pause and breathe deeply, because what I’m about to say is going to shock the bejeezus out of you. There are left-wing Korean professors who are questioning that North Korea sank the Cheonan.

I’ve never really bought the analogy between the Cheonan Incident and the September 11th attacks, but in one sense, the analogy holds up well. In both cases, persons of low emotional intelligence have constructed elaborate arguments to facilitate the belief that their own governments (rather than an external attacker) caused a national tragedy. The conclusion that an external enemy really did carry out a successful attack is hard for some people to accept for a variety of reasons. I suppose for some, the consequent sense of vulnerability and fear may be too much to accept. For more, I suspect that it’s based on simple malice toward their own government, or perhaps even a degree of emotional or ideological identification for its enemies. And because emotional intelligence and academic intelligence are two completely different things, a mind that combines low emotional intelligence and high academic intelligence is only going to construct its justifications more elaborately.

All of this may be a complicated way of saying that I’m completely unsurprised to see left-wing Korean academics say things like this:

Researchers J.J. Suh and Seung-Hun Lee say the South Korean Joint Investigation Group made a weak case when it concluded that North Korea was responsible for sinking the Cheonan.

Speaking in Tokyo Friday, the two said the investigation was riddled with inconsistencies and cast “profound doubt” on the integrity of the investigation. “The only conclusion one can draw on the basis of the evidence is that there was no outside explosion,” Suh said. “The JIG completely failed to produce evidence that backs up its claims that there was an outside explosion.” [Chosun Ilbo]

Reading this, you’d think these two distinguished academics had collaborated in a detailed scientific study or critique of the International Joint Investigation. You would think that these men were highly qualified experts in some relevant field of study, such as naval engineering, metallurgy, or forensic science.

And you would be wrong. Suh, whom the Chosun describes as a “researcher,” is none other than Professor Jae Jung Suh, a Professor of Korea Studies at the Johns Hopkins School of International Studies. That’s right. Korea studies. And in that field, Suh’s previous analysis includes his early 2009 prediction, via the left-wing Hankyoreh, that relations with North Korea were at “an important turning point” — and I suppose they were! — and that President Obama would soon energetically engage North Korea and build momentum for His Vision of a world without nuclear weapons. As early as this year, Suh, via the left-wing Foreign Policy in Focus of John Feffer infamy, had aligned himself with calls to give North Korea a peace treaty in exchange for denuclearization, an objective that North Korea had by then firmly renounced. In this 2007 piece, edited by Feffer himself, Suh seemed irrationally exuberant over the visit of the New York Philharmonic to Pyongyang, and used this as a vehicle to oppose the relocation and consolidation of the USFK into larger (and less vulnerable) posts, which Suh worried would advance the Pentagon’s “neoliberal militarism.” Overall, however, the tone of Suh’s writing isn’t (or wasn’t, anyway) particularly acerbic or doctrinaire. What it really exhibited was a sincere but striking naivete about North Korean history, behavior, and intentions, which gave his analysis a dismal predictive value.

Suh, in other words, is no more qualified as an authority on engineering, shipbuilding, or forensics than John Feffer — who has at least conceded North Korea’s probable culpability — or me. Yet even after the two halves of the Cheonan had been raised, Suh suggested that a more likely cause of its loss was a South Korean mine. Suh offers no evidentiary or scientific basis for that speculation, which is nonetheless revealing. His views can be ignored with confidence.

Another of the “scientific” critics of the international investigation, the former naval officer and shipbuilder Shin Sang-Chul, has stated that the Cheonan was rammed by another ship, a conclusion that’s facial nonsense to anyone who has seen the two halves of the destroyed ship.

Lee, who is at least a physicist, is harder to dismiss, and it’s not quite fair of me to leave hanging the implication that he’s “left-wing” when none of his online writing reveals what his political views might be. His CV reveals that he also used to teach at Johns Hopkins, which probably explains how me met Suh. His particular field of specialty, however, is quantum mechanics, and the subject on which he writes really falls within the disciplines of metallurgy and forensic science. Were Lee to be called as an expert witness at trial, a competent lawyer would likely be able to get a court to disqualify him as an expert on the matters on which he opines here.

As to the substance of Lee’s argument, which you can read in greater detail here, the Ministry of Defense has responded in detail, suggesting that Lee bases his conclusions of conditions of temperature and pressure that aren’t anything like what the fragments of the Cheonan torpedo would have experienced. And given that the destruction of the Cheonan was the result of a pressure wave moving through cold water, this is just common sense. But for people who simply don’t want to believe that North Korea sank the Cheonan — even highly intelligent people — that may be too much to ask.

A few words (or maybe more) about LeBron

Posted by Mike Florio

In the days and hours preceding The Desaster, a common refrain emerged in response to widespread criticism of one of the most shameful media events of our time.

"If you don't like it, don't watch it."

That simple phrase -- a less profane version of the message a certain fallen starlet painted above the cuticle on her middle finger -- ignores the extent to which human nature factors into matters of this nature.

We had to watch it, whether we liked it or not. It was a car accident. A train wreck. A solar eclipse. A long, tall glass of funky, cold Medusa.

Since I gave in to the overwhelming desire to watch, I've been unable to shake an overwhelming desire to write about that which I saw, if only to make sense of an event that will leave us all feeling differently about professional sports from this point forward.

So even though this isn't about professional football, if affects every American spectator sport in ways that won't become apparent for a while, possibly for years. For those of you who simply have no interest in the topic (or who have read plenty of takes from folks more qualified to talk about the subject than me), keep scrolling. I've placed my specific observations after the jump.

1. Water skiing in a leather jacket.

At the PFT Twitter page on Thursday, I asked whether LeBron James, ESPN, or both would be mimicking Arthur Fonzarelli's shark-infested homage to Evel Knievel.

ESPN arguably lost its credibility years ago, when the firewall between the gathering of news and the generation of revenue exploded like a firecracker. But James lost something on Thursday night. He no longer seems special or different. Both with his Decision and, more importantly, the manner in which he went about communicating it, LeBron has surrendered part of what made him unique in American sports.

Regardless of how many championships LeBron wins with the Heat, he'll likely never recover that.

2. The revenge of Pete Rose.

Even before Darren Rovell of CNBC reported that Jim Gray was paid not by ESPN but by LeBron's camp to serve Seacrest-style softballs to the King, Gray's performance was memorable because it was so damn horrendous.

We don't need fancy words or metaphors to prove our point. As Andy Bernard, Food Critic, would say, "This muffin . . . tastes bad."

And Gray was the same guy who once sunk his teeth into Pete Rose's ass on national television like the prized pooch of the Bad Newz Kennels. On Thursday night, Gray sold out his tenacity to sell Slap Chops, repeatedly beating around the bush so badly we expected him to start asking LeBron to eliminate teams one at a time, with the choice between the final two coming "after the break."

Though the casual observer likely won't comprehend (or care about) the serious ethical questions raised by the fact that Gray was paid not by ESPN but by LeBron, it's the kind of thing that will stick to both reporter and network like a tattoo of Chris Johnson's face.

3. LeBron can never return to Ohio.

When Art Modell moved the Browns to Baltimore in 1995, Modell knew he could never return to Cleveland. Since he didn't play for or coach the team, the situation merely created a minor annual inconvenience.

LeBron won't have that luxury. He has to come back to Cleveland for basketball games (the first one possibly coming on Christmas Day), where he'll face the kind of abuse no pro athlete ever has encountered.

If he'd merely left without fanfare or if he'd shed a tear or two for his hometown while tearing out its heart and soul, things may have been different. But he strung this out for the glorification of his massive ego, giving folks in Cleveland false hope until announcing the breakup on the set of Jerry Springer.

No matter how long he plays basketball and no matter how much money he pumps back into the community in an effort to make amends, he's done in Ohio. The harder he tries to make things right, the more the locals will resist.

4. The Lord of the Flies factor.

LeBron always has looked much older than he is. But his public appearance and demeanor suggests a level of wisdom that can't be obtained with a decade of widespread worship and no years of college.

He's still an overgrown kid, with limited life experiences and little or no real-world savvy. And he has surrounded himself with friends who likewise have lived sheltered lives, never having to learn hard lessons when constantly able to get out of jams by playing the LeBron card.

The end result? A bunch of kids pretending to be grown ups. Though LeBron and his trio of childhood friends wisely opted not to use LeBron's money for fighting dogs, LeBron is no different than any other high-profile athlete who lacks the capacity to trust non-athletes he didn't know before he was a star, and who instead relies blindly on the advice of others who happened to be in the right place at the right time.

But, hey, it works on Entourage.

5. Who's on third?

With LeBron invading Dwayne Wade's championship turf in South Florida, the situation instantly became the basketball equivalent of Alex Rodriguez joining Derek Jeter's Yankees.

And so we asked on Twitter moments after the last seal was removed from the scroll, "[W]ill LeBron play shortstop or third base?"

Miami is Wade's world. LeBron is horning in on the party. Though both may be sufficiently mature to handle the fact that the rules don't contemplate a flippers-and-plunger multiball feature, every team has a pecking order.

In New York, Rodriguez yielded to Jeter, moving to third base. In Miami, will LeBron stand down and let Wade lead the team?

More importantly, will the fans and the media let LeBron be anything other than the focal point of the franchise, just as he was in Cleveland?

6. Stephen A. Smith nailed this one.

We don't really care much for Stephen A. Smith's style, or his general lack of substance. Most of you agree; otherwise, he'd still be at ESPN.

But he absolutely nailed it on this one, days before anyone had connected the dots. Wade, LeBron, and Chris Bosh, all in Miami.

So Smith really was right. And he's not getting nearly enough credit for it from the rest of the media.

7. Maybe Randy Lerner will sell to Dan Gilbert.

The biggest surprise of Thursday night came not from LeBron but from Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert, who unloaded on LeBron via an open letter posted on NBA.com in a font that we previously had determined to be the only real victim of the Y2K bug.

Richard Deitsch of SI.com expressed on Twitter an interest in seeing the first draft of Gilbert's gripe. Frankly, we think the first draft was the only draft.

The rhetoric potentially allows James to recapture the low shoulder of the high road, but it will serve to galvanize Clevelanders who desperately need someone, anyone to stand up for them and fight. And we admire Gilbert for blowing a gasket and taking two T's in the hopes of getting others in Cleveland to be as passionate as he is about building a winner in LeBron's wake.

For that reason alone, we'd love to see Gilbert get his hands on the Browns.

8. The wisdom of "The Warriors."

More than 30 years ago, I saw The Warriors at the local drive-in theater. (The one, that is, that wasn't showing "The Whorriors.") The movie was rated R, I was only 14, and so it was the greatest moment of my life.

Only seven years later, I saw The Warriors again, this time on videotape. And it sucked.

Apparently, LeBron, Chris Bosh, and Wade decided to find their way onto the same NBA team based upon their magical experiences in the Beijing Olympics, which culminated in a gold medal for the U.S. team. And while they may not conclude that their time together in the 82-game U.S. grind sucks like The Warriors, they'll quickly realize that the experiences from two weeks together in 2008 don't translate to six months or more per year of euphoria.

But LeBron's decision to latch onto two of the only guys he ever has bonded with beyond the borders of Ohio makes sense. It gets back to the fact that, while the birth certificate says he's 25 and the mirror suggests he's much older than that, LeBron still has a lot to learn.

And one thing he'll learn within the next year or so is that his time on the Olympic team wasn't necessarily special because he was playing with Bosh and Wade.

9. The return of the villains.

No story commands serious attention absent a credible villain. And the NBA really hasn't had a good villain since the Pistons of the late '80s and early '90s.

Now, the villains return. The Heat instantly become the most hated team in the league, with anyone not already a fan of the franchise inclined to hope it fails.

And that's the most tangible thing LeBron has lost. Previously, King James had been the rare figure for whom we all rooted so that we collectively could witness something historical. Now, with a similar outcome but an entirely different method, James will be regarded as Tiger Woods -- someone to collectively root against.

10. In the end, the NBA wins.

Despite the shameful me-first frenzy that characterized the NBA's free-agency period, the unprecedented interest in the second-tier sports league lays the foundation for a compelling 2010-11 season.

Come 2011-12, basketball could have the pro sports palette primarily to itself, if the NFL shuts down next year.

Though the NBA needs to work through its own labor issues before it can fill the potential vacuum the NFL may create, the league and its players would be wise to recognize the birth of a new golden age that will spawn a large golden goose, just as the folks who run pro football risk throttling theirs.

But what the hell do I know about any of this? When I was five, my dad told me that watching anything more than the last four minutes of a basketball game is a waste of time. It's advice I've followed for nearly 40 years.

Last night, he would have said the same thing about the last 50 minutes of The Desaster. And the first 10.

Still, we had to watch.

A nice cartoon for all of my Boston Red Sock's fans friends.

A really nice movie poster. I so want to see this in 3D-Imax.

Movie Review: The Twilight Saga: Eclipse



Twilight 3 is now here and if you liked the first 2 then you should love this one. If you hated the first 2 then I can really see no reason for you wasting your time on the third one.

The film basically is all about the wrath of Victoria and the ongoing love triangle between Bella Swan, Jacob Black and Edward Cullen. If you are really expecting anything more than that then please stop reading the review, go see the movie and you will see that I was right.

Thomas Moore once stated that, "Those who plot the destruction of others often perish in the attempt." I kept thinking about that the entire time I was watching this film. I had never read any of the books but even I could tell exactly what was coming next. So if you can to, it really shouldn't shock you.

One of the things that I really liked about this film was 2 of the vampires back stories that were shown. We are shown the 2 before and aftermath vampire stories of Jasper Hale and Rosalie Hale. I really thought that f they had focused more on this and less on the love triangle that the film could have been a lot better then it actually was.

The films script will definitely have its moments that you just want to groan out load because it’s that bad but in the end if you want to see at least a good entertaining two hours at the movies, then this film will not be a waste of time. Just take it for what it is, another triangle love story, which at the end finally gets resolved.

Grade B-

Edward Cullen: I know the consequences of the choices you're making. After a few decades, everyone you know will be dead.

Mike Heika / Reporter

I just got off the phone with Mike Modano and he said he was ``upset and disappointed'' that things with the Stars had to end this way.

``I was told a while back by different people that I would have the say of when I wanted to retire, and it obviously didn't happen that way,'' he said. ``I'm upset and disappointed with today. It's definitely not the way I pictured it happening.''

Modano said he's not upset with GM Joe Nieuwendyk, just with the process. He said he and Nieuwendyk remain friends.

``Yeah, definitely, it wasn't easy for him, and I know that,'' Modano said. ``It's just business, but it doesn't make it any easier for me, either.''

Modano has contacted some business associates who would help him in shopping himself around, but said he would act as his own agent in free agency. He said he would be personally fielding calls when free agency starts on Thursday and said he believes he would probably play in the Western Conference.

``I definitely think in the west, that's what I know best and where I'm most comfortable,'' he said.

Modano's wife, Willa Ford, has been shuttling back between California and Texas while pursuing acting gigs, and Modano said it would be good if he could work things to be near her.

``She'd be ecstatic if that would happen, so that's definitely preferred,'' he said. ``But I just have to find the right fit.''

Modano said he's still not sure he wants to play. He said he can't even put a percentage on his decision, because he doesn't know what opportunities are out there.

``Honestly, until I talk to people and know where I fit and how I can help a team, I have no information to even base a decision on,'' he said. ``It's a whole new world for me, but I think I should probably know a lot more after the first week or so of free agency. Who knows, I could find the right fit on the first day and sign a deal or I could find nothing and then decide to retire. Anything is possible right now.''

When asked about his fit on the Stars, he said he wasn't happy last season.

``No, but who on the team was,'' he asked rhetorically. ``It wasn't a good season, it didn't come together very easily. I just think you have to put that in the past and move on.''

Today is a sad day, My favorite player of my favorite NHL team has been told that he can no longer play for the Dallas Stars. I remember when the Dallas got this strange thing called NHL hockey and i really wondered will it make it here in Dallas.

The new fans were shown and told bout this one player #9. I really didn't think much about hit. He looked very normal but when I started to see a few of the Stars games on tv, I knew that the boy had some mad skills.



What I remember about this game was at this time I was living in Germany and we had channel 5 from London on our cable tv and that they were showing the game live and it was about 730 am and the game was still on and it was really into extra time and when the Stars won, I was so wanting to be back in Dallas losing my mind. I still have a hard time believing that Dallas actually won a NHL title.

But now it time for our leader to move on to the next part of his life and we shall miss him here in Dallas...

Movie Review: Shrek Forever After



I had really high hopes for this film. I named this the #4 film to see this summer season. After seeing this film, I am so glad that Dreamworks has stated that this is the final Shrek film. After this one, I really doubt that I would want to see another one in this series.

I had hoped that this film would try and establish Shrek's back story or bring Donkey's story or maybe more details about Fiona out. Instead we are given an angry Shrek that has a mid life crisis and this is the basis of the final act of Shrek?

I would love to ask the person who gave the "Go" order for this script to be made into the final film one simple question, why did you make this bad of a film? The story was very uneven and really showed no originally and missed every given opportunity to turn a so- so film into a great one. The film brings up many questions and fails to answer the majority of them.

Instead of watching a "Shrek" film, I felt like I was watching a very bad episode of 90210. This film fails to impress and should not be seen in IMAX or in 3D anytime in the immediate future.

Please pass on this Shrek and put it out of its misery.

Grade: F

Movie Review: Grown Ups



With some of Adam Sandler's films, I feel that we have been given some very funny films but I also feel that he has been very lazy in some of his recent attempts at humor.

I had heard of some of the very negative views of this film before I saw it so I really had no idea what to expect. I then remembered that most critics hate Adam and that I should just watch the film and see what happens. I am glad to say that I really liked this film.

The idea of this film is very simple, five best friends (Adam Sandler, Kevin James, Chris Rock, David Spade and Rob Schneider) from junior high reunite over 30 years later in the wake of the death of their old basketball coach and decide to spend the Independence Day weekend together with their families at the lake house where they celebrated their championship.

What I liked about this that it just showed a very simple vacation without a lot of the CGI that we have come to expect in the new age of comedy. I also really liked the chemistry of these 5 stars. You could tell that they were friends by the way that they were talking and interacting together. It was real and that, to me, made this film a lot more believable.

You will really see noting original in this film at all and I am sure that you have seen some of the humor in this film taken from other recent films. While I was watching this film I was laughing and when the film was over, I had a smile on my face.

I have no idea if this film will ever be shown here in Korea due to the recent low box office numbers of Adam here in Korea. If the film comes here at all, it will probably play for 1 week. So you need to see the film the first week that it’s here.

I really enjoyed it and I hope that you do to.

Grade: A-

Roxanne Chase-Feder: [an old woman approaches them] And this must be your mother.
Rob Hilliard: My wife.
Roxanne Chase-Feder: I'm sorry!
Rob Hilliard: I'm not.
[kisses his wife]
Marcus Higgins: [onlooking] Oh, grody.

Movie Review: Knight and Day



With Tom Cruise, either I have liked his films or I have really hated them. I went into this one hoping that the sneak preview did not turn out to be better than the actual film. In this case I thought that Tom did a nice job in this film and that you should see it while it’s playing here in Korea.

To be honest I really saw nothing new here in this film. We have seen Tom as a secret agent before but in this film it is like he has had a huge stick removed from himself and actually made me laugh throughout an entire film. I really have no idea why, but the film was funny to me and the Korean audience really seemed to enjoy the film also.

What you get in this film is a secret agent who everyone thinks has finally broken down and with Toms acting here, for the first time in a very long time; I actually believed what I saw from him in this film. I also really liked the role that Cameron Diaz had in this film. I saw that, although she brought nothing new to the film, I wasn't really shocked by anything that she did in this film.

Over all, I guess that is why I liked this film. Lately, I seem to be angry when I left the theater because I had just wasted my time and $ on some supposed new film, that ended up being a piece of crap. When I left the theater after this movie, I knew that it wouldn't get an Oscar but I left it happy and thinking that maybe Tom is going to have a good rest of the decade here.

The film is worth at least one viewing and I hope that you like it.

Grade: B-

June Havens: The pilots are dead!
Milner: Yeah, they've been shot.
June Havens: By who?
Milner: By me. No, actually, I shot the first pilot then he accidentally shot the second pilot. It's just one of those things.

Student’s video tribute to Donovan a hit

By Martin Rogers, Yahoo! Sports

Print

Robby Donoho, the popular video's creator, is a senior at Purdue University.

Follow Martin Rogers on Twitter at @mrogersyahoo

IRENE, South Africa – College student Robby Donoho watched Landon Donovan’s golden goal on Wednesday and decided it merited an instant tribute. Little did he know, within hours it would wind up bringing the United States soccer hero, flicking through the Internet half a world away, to tears.

Donoho, a 21-year-old Purdue University senior and avid fan of the men’s national team, collected a montage of clips of USA fans celebrating Donovan’s injury-time winner against Algeria and assembled them into a catchy package, which he put on YouTube.

Within hours, the video had gone viral, and as the American players headed to bed on Friday night ahead of their round-of-16 match against Ghana in Rustenburg, more than 350,000 viewers had tuned in.

It didn’t take long for the images to be passed through to the USA’s training camp near Pretoria and onto the laptop of Donovan himself. For all of the praise and plaudits the goal-scoring star received after his moment of glory, it was seeing the reaction sparked by his calm strike into the bottom corner of the Algerian net that touched him the most.

“Not sure if you guys saw this but it brings tears to my eyes every time,” Donovan wrote on his Facebook account, while linking to Donoho’s video. “Thank you all so much … we can do it.”

The scenes were intoxicating. From a frantic fan leaping from his couch in Arkansas to a raucous bar in Lincoln, Neb. From a Las Vegas casino to a New York sidewalk, where fans congregated to peer at a television through a shop window. From an American enclave in Lyon, France, to the streets of South Africa, the pictures of jubilation were enough to warm the hearts of those who have waited for soccer to matter in America.

For Donoho, it was a moment he will never forget, and it spawned unavoidable mental comparisons with a certain hockey game from 30 years ago.

“When I watched Landon’s goal go in, and the response from everyone across the world, it immediately reminded me of the Miracle on Ice,” Donoho wrote in an email to Yahoo! Sports, referring to the USA’s legendary hockey upset of the Soviet Union at the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid. “Those kind of moments captivate a nation and bring us together in a time where belief seems dim and victory doesn’t seem possible. It was down the stretch, with everything on the line.

“The best always comes out in sports, and it did for that moment and Landon. That’s what inspired the world to react with sheer excitement and joy.”

American soccer is not blessed with a long list of spectacular moments. When the end of this tournament allows a sense of perspective to return, if Donovan’s goal does not go down as the national team’s finest hour, it will surely remain its most dramatic.

Head coach Bob Bradley took the decision to shield his players from the glare of the spotlight by sequestering them in a quiet training base in the countryside. Yet the omnipresence of the Internet allowed a sense of the excitement they had conjured back home to seep through.

“There needs to be some kind of distance, but I also think it is important for the players to realize what their achievement means to people,” Bradley said. “That is [not a] bad thing.”

For Donovan, this has been an emotional time. After failing to live up to expectations at the World Cup four years ago in Germany, Wednesday night was the kind of moment he had targeted on the countless nights when the pain of under-performance kept him awake.

When you combine the pride the 28-year-old has in representing his nation with tumultuous recent events in his personal life, it is little surprise Donoho’s stirring video elicited more raw emotion.

And he wasn’t the only one.

“Hearing about Landon’s reaction to my video almost brings me to tears,” said Donoho, who is studying mass communication (broadcast journalism) at Purdue. “I have always gone into making my videos and putting them on YouTube to bring excitement and joy into every viewer that sees them. To hear that the player that inspired the world with his goal saw my video and it inspired him to tears, brings me to tears just typing this.”

Today is fathers day in the USA and once again, I am separated from my 2 children. I miss you both today very much. Today I just went out by myself, stayed low and really kept to myself.

Even though I am as proud as I can be to be a Dad, I can't help but miss the
man who molded me! I love you and miss you Dad! Happy Fathers Day to all the "Dad's out there on earth and in heaven."

Miss you a lot today Dad.

Movie Review: 71-Into the Fire 포화 속으로 (Po-hwa Sok-eu-ro)




By a complete accident, I went into a theater to see one film and when I saw that they were giving a sneak preview of this film I immediately jumped at the chance to see the one Korean film that I wanted to see this summer.

I didn't know much about this film before I saw it. I knew that it was the Korean big screen debut of K-pop star T.O.P (Choi Seung-hyeon) and that the films preview looked like a Korean version of the Alamo or 300. I knew that this was the 2nd film to arrive at the Korean box office about the Korean War this year and after the huge failure of the first one A Little Pond I really wasn't sure what to expect about this film.

I soon learned that this film was based on a true story in which On Aug. 10, several hundred South Korean soldiers and 71 teenagers were drafted for the national emergency in Pohang. Due to the shortage of men, the small city was left in the hands of the 71 teenagers to try and stop the advancing North Korean Army.

What I really liked about this film was the young hero Oh Jang-beom (played by T.O.P.) When he is placed in command of these 71 teens, you soon discover that he has no idea how to be a leader. All he wants is the war to be over so he can go home and see his mother. In the film, it was stated that he wrote a letter to his mother and he wrote this to her, " Mother I might die today… I'm not afraid of death, but I'm afraid I might never see you or my brothers again. I wish the war would end soon so I may return to your arms." You see this thought the film, a simple boy wanting to return home.

I also liked the North Korean officer in charge, General Park Mu-rang (played Cha Seung-won) Once he figures out that he is going against teens, I saw how arrogant he became in his expected victory.

The film has its moments of humor, when the radio man ask by making a call, how they actually can operate a small artillery piece was funny. But as in war film there are the moments of terror that the film shows. The audience I was with were cringing at the final battle scenes. They felt the loss of these young teens who were trying just to stay alive in the insanity of war.

After the film was over the credits stated that Some 60 North Korean soldiers lost their lives while 48 of the 71 boys died. One of the fallen heroes, 16-year-old Lee U-geun, left behind letters addressed to his mother that testify to the horrors of war. When the film showed an actual survivor of the battle talking about that day and crying for his lost friends, the entire audience did not move at all.

This is when I knew that I had just seen a great film that I will want to add to my DVD collection ASAP. Please see this film when it opens up on 16 June 2010. I have no idea where any English subtitles will be for this film at the time of the writing of this review.

Grade: A

Movie Review: Sex and the City 2



So far this film has had 2 very distinct opinions. The majority of my female friends loved this film while the majority of my male friends, who have admitted seeing this, absolutely hated it.

I think one of my female friends said it the best.. "hmm....so if I make out with my ex. tell my husband about it, I should expect a huge black diamond as a punishment? thanks for the tip SATC!!!"

As an American male, I have never really understood the reasoning of why Sex and The City was so popular around the world. To me all they seem to be interested in are the latest parties and fashion and who they are seen with. I keep wondering am I the only one who see how pathetic and shallow these girls seem and as men do we want our future girlfriends and wives to act in this manner because we enjoy it?

Sad to say, but my last statement is exactly how I saw this film. It was shallow, empty and for the majority of the film, I just rolled my eyes and waited for it to be over.

The film splits into two different locations, New York City and Abu Dhabi and we are shown both of these worlds with a very different outlook for the ladies who are visiting there. It was interesting to look at how both worlds operate in their treatment of women.

Overall if you love SATC, I think that this film will work for you. if, you're like me, and really cant stand the SATC girls, then you should pas on this film and wait for something else to see at the movies.

Grade D-

Film Reviews: A-Team and The Karate Kid (2010)






As Harry from aintitcool states, "Neither THE KARATE KID remake nor the theatrical debut of THE A-TEAM particularly suck - but they are devoid of any real impact for me."

Lets first deal with the "Karate Kid"

I really fell that Will and Jada Smith want to make their son "Jaden" a film star. So they decided to move to China for a few months and remake the 1984 The Karate Kid and in the processed really made a film that left me flat. Its not that great of a film but it isn't that bad of one either.

For me the film really doesn't work over 2 main points..

1. Jackie Chain as a teacher. The entire time that he was on the screen it just looked like he wanted to do anything else but be in this film. He just never made me believe that he was a teacher. The only thing I believed about him in the film was his fighting scenes.

2. The love story. I just never could believe the love story between Jaden and Wen Wen Han as Mei Ying. It looked very forced and never worked for me in the film. I believed the original story because they we both older. This looked like a very bad case of puppy love gone wrong.

I kept waiting for a film to appear and all I received was a very bad imitation of an 1980's film that I liked. If you haven't seen the original, you might actually like this film a lot. If you are a fan or the original film, then I feel that you'll be very disappointed by this film.

Grade C-

I was a huge fan of this show back in the 1980's, when I heard that they were making a remake of it, I went WTF! I saw no reason for a relaunch of this because the original "Hannibal Smith" George Peppard, Jr died back in 1994. I just couldn't see anyone but him even attempt to try it.

My hopes were temporary erased when it was announced that Liam Neeson was cast as "Hannibal". As great of an actor I think Liam is, he just never made me feel that he was the real deal.

To me the film only works when Sharlto Copley is in it. He plays Captain H.M. "Howling Mad" Murdock and made me believe that he really was that "mad".

The films plot wasn't that great but then again neither was the TV show, so I wouldn't go into this film really expecting anything close to one in the film.

I feel that if you like action films then you might like this one but if you're a fan of the TV show then you might want to give this one a pass also.

There was no destroying of childhoods here. Instead, they're moderately entertaining retreads of some of my favorite 80's moments, and that's just sad all around. Has Hollywood truly that empty for any new movie ideas?

Grade: C-

Movie Review: How to Train Your Dragon 3D

For those who do not know "How to Train Your Dragon" is the first in a series of eight books set in a fictional viking world about a young, 10 year old Viking named Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III and his pet dragon, Toothless.

All I really remember about the first time I saw A preview of this film was, that this cost 165 million to make? I thought for sure that this was going to be such a huge failure at the USA Box Office, that I didn't even bother to read any of the first few weeks reviews of this film.



Then I started to see that the film kept doing good at the Box office and that parents were taking their children to see this multiple times because of their kids enthusiastic word of mouth. So far it has created an outstanding sustained run that led to the film being reassessed as a major success and maybe, the start of a new media franchise for Dreamworks. So when it opened up in South Korea on 20 May, 2010, I knew that I wanted to see the film in 3D. (It is playing in 3D in a Korean dubbed version along with a Korean subtitled version here in the ROK.)

I really had no idea what the film was going to be about so when I saw that it was Vikings vs. Dragons, I though, "Ok sounds interesting so far." The I heard Gerald Butlers voice at the Stoick the Vast: the chieftain of the Viking tribe and Hiccup's father, the hero of this film. It started to gain my interest. Then when I heard Jay Baruchel as Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III voice, I knew that this was not going to be what I had expected to see in a film.

The idea is quite simple Hiccup wants to become a Viking but he's going to do it in his own way and his way sure isn't the Viking way. You see him befriend a dragon and soon many other dragons and then the film really takes off.

I really liked the film and it deserves at least one viewing in 3d, but don't be surprised if you want to see it more than once.

Grade A-

Astrid: [Referring to Toothless] I bet he's really frightened right now... what are you gonna do about it?
Hiccup: Ehhh... probably something stupid.
Astrid: Good, but you've already done that.
Hiccup: Then something crazy...!
Astrid: That's more like it!

Movie Review: Robin Hood (2010) and Nightmare on Elm Street (2010)

Well this was the week for remakes and as usual, I liked one of the films and absolutely hated the other one.

Lets deal with the one that I liked, "Robin Hood" first. I really thought that it was a better story than some of the past efforts of this legendary bandit. I liked the fact that Russell Crowe returned to the action film genre. I did see a huge problem with this film and it will cause a lot of people to really hate this film.

To me, the film has a huge problem of not being very believable. In most of the other versions of the film, Richard the III, is being held captive by the Austrians and thus the need for high taxes to pay off the ransom. In this version its the French who are portrayed as the real villains and I liked it, I could really see how this might cause the audience to turn on this film.

This film could have also been setting itself up with a sequel. The purposed film looks like it will be Robin Hood tries to start the Magna Carta and save England from Civil War. If this is the case, then is this really "Robin Hood"?

The film is worth one viewing. Bu, please be wary, wither you will like this or really hate this film. The majority of reviews leave no middle ground for this film.

Grade B

The next remake goes by the name of A Nightmare on Elm Street (2010) and I so agree with Wes Craven, who was reportedly not approached about this remake. He has however publicly spoken against it. This idea should have remand that, just a bad idea never made into a film.

If you have no idea who Freddy Kruger is then please click here to get a good look at the legend of this man.

I have no idea why anyone would want to remake a cult classic as Freddy and not cast the man who originally played him, Robert Englund. It makes no sense at all and the majority of people who have seen the film seem to agree with me on this. As I mwas watching the film, every time the new Freddy, Jackie Earle Haley, would try and speak like Kruger, he sounded like he was still acting like Rorschach from "The Watchmen" movie.

I have no idea what the film makers were going for in this film, but it does not work and by the end of the film, I was wanting at least something interesting to happen but, alas, it never did and when the film was over, I will never watch another "Nightmare" film for the rest of my life.

Please pass on this one at all cost.

Grade F

Movie Review: Iron Man 2



At the time of this review, I have seen the film twice now. Once at a digital screen and one at a digital IMAX screen. The film is set 6 months after the first film in which Tony Stark has revealed his identity as Iron Man and is resisting calls by the United States government to hand over the technology. Ivan Vanko has also duplicated the technology and built weapons of his own, creating a new challenge that sets up the arc of this film.

What I really liked about this film was the acting of Mickey Rourke as Ivan Vanko. If you are going to have a kick ass super hero, then you must also have a bad man who can kill the hero or at least make the hero doubt himself. When he states this line in the film, "If you could make God bleed, people will cease to believe in Him. There will be blood in the water, and the sharks will come." The evil had truly believe that he had won the day and the film really improves after this.

What I also liked in the film was the role of Sam Rockwell as Justin Hammer. I really liked that no matter how hard Hammer tried, he could never be just like Tony Stark and by the end of the film I was convinced that this man was really this bad of a weapons designer.

The film ultimately falls of the suit of Iron Man. if you liked the first film, then this film is a great 2nd chapter in the story. The film wasn't too long nor was it too short, It covered what needed to be covered and makes me want to see part 3 as soon as they can get it ready.

Please see the film in IMAX, if you get the chance. I feel that it will be worth your time and effort to see the film. Also, watch all of the credits for a little surprise at the end of the film.

Grade A.

Ivan Vanko: If you could make God bleed, people will cease to believe in Him. There will be blood in the water, and the sharks will come.
[looks at Stark]
Ivan Vanko: All I have to do is sit here and watch, as the world will consume you...

By GI Korea on April 19th, 2010 at at 8:28 am

First Review of the No Gun Ri Movie

Mike McStay in Daejon has the first review I have seen done on the recently released No Gun Ri movie “A Little Pond”. Here is how Mike sums up the movie:

I then sat down and waited for the film to start and after it was over I kept thinking, I just saw the finest North Korean Propaganda film ever made. I even waited to the end to see if the film has a poster or a photograph of either Kim Il-sung or Kim Jong-il.

The film had Russians trying to play American soldiers and it never worked for me. You had a really heroic North Korean child appear after the incident to play to the audience. I also thought that the film poster and many scenes from this film were lifted straight from North Korea Propaganda posters denouncing the USA soldiers as baby killers. I really could not believe that I had actually seen all of this. [Socius]

You can read the rest at the link, but it appears the movie is about as bad as I expected. Has anyone else seen the movie and willing to comment as well?

Movie Review: A Little Pond 작은 연못 (Jak-eun Yeon-mot)

The movie is based on the alleged No Gun Ri Massacre during the Korean War (1950-53).
For a quick look at the story please click here



In 2010, the 60th anniversary of the Korean War is being remembered with various movies and TV shows appearing in South Korea. What this film does is to look at No Gun Ri Bridge and claim that the US Army massacred innocent Korean refugees during the Korean War.

I had first heard of this incident back in 1999 when a report by Charles Hanley was published by the Associated Press back in September 1999. This story quoted nine former U.S. soldiers, including Ed Daily, who claimed that he machine gunned refugees and could, "still hear their cries, the little kids screaming." The AP won the Pulitzer Prize for this story in 2000. U.S. President Bill Clinton issued a statement of regret in January 2001. I then remember Mr. Daily being flown back to Korea to be interviewed by Tom Brokaw and his confession of his role in the story.

But I then remember that people were challenging this story and the best rebuttal I could find was GI Korea speech to the Seoul Rotary Club, which is linked here. In which he attempts to explain what really happened during that incident.

So I knew about all of the above before I went to see this film. If you notice the film poster has the quote, "Kill them all." What I found sad about this is that the quote that the person alleged to make at this time was later to have been proven that he was not even at the No Gin Ri Bridge at the time of the incident.

I then sat down and waited for the film to start and after it was over I kept thinking, I just saw the finest North Korean Propaganda film ever made. I even waited to the end to see if the film has a poster or a photograph of either Kim Il-sung or Kim Jong-il.

The film had Russians trying to play American soldiers and it never worked for me. You had a really heroic North Korean child appear after the incident to play to the audience. I also thought that the film poster and many scenes from this film were lifted straight from North Korea Propaganda posters denouncing the USA soldiers as baby killers. I really could not believe that I had actually seen all of this.

But, in the end, this is just a film. No more nor no less. It did not do that good on its opening week and looks like it will not make back any profit for MK Pictures.

Please pass on this film and save your money for something else.

This is what I said about this film earlier with my top films of the year list.



#9 BEST FILM OF THE YEAR..

In my country, the USA, I have seen sports films talk about why men or teams are heroes ,Miracle, how they handle trouble, We Are Marshall and some even how they handle the death that will soon become them, as in The Pride of the Yankees.

In this film we are shown a young man, Michael Oher (played by Quinton Aaron) has been in foster care with many foster parents. But he is given a chance in a private school and is noticed by one of the students mothers, Leigh Anne Tuohy. For some reason, she offers to help Michael and the family soon adopts him. You see how a strong mother figure turns the boy into a first round draft choice of the Baltimore Ravens. For her performance, Sandra Bullock won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Drama and later the Academy Award for Best Actress.

I really thought very highly of this film, so much that I purchased this film the first day it came out on Blu-ray disc. What I really liked about it was the fact that
the film let Sandra be herself and she ran with it. If you have read the book then you'll notice how much of this film was given to Sandra's character and how much was taken from Tim McGraw's character Sean Tuohy.

Overall if you are looking for a good film to see this week then please see this one. I think that you'll like it.

Grade: A+

Leigh Anne Touhy: Michael, I want you to have a good time but if you get a girl pregnant out of wedlock, I will crawl into the car, drive up to Oxford and cut off your penis.
S.J. Tuohy: She's not kidding.