The founding fathers were very intelligent. I'm sure that if they were to travel forward in time and see us now, they'd be ashamed. We've allowed ourselves to become cattle for the government, which is exactly what they sought to protect us from, having just fought a successful revolution at the time against a king that they considered tyrannical.

The founders set up a system of checks and balances that were supposed to keep the people in control and not allow them to be victims of a massive government. Unfortunately it seems that people in that very government have been hard at work finding loopholes or straight out ignoring parts of the constitution in order to basically do whatever they want.

People have been too wrapped up in their own lives to even notice, for the most part. There's always time for diplomacy. Things are not beyond repair, yet.

It´s never too late for a rebellion. Because if every citizen turns against the government, it´s really nothing they can do. But then everyone needs to wake up...

Well,yeah expect,guns and bombs.

If [censored] goes down,goverments are willing to make a point even by taking out a small number of "rebels".

Although everyone should just chillax,put on some tunes,open a window and just not care about the world man,take it easy broshif,broski,jabroski,and when someone says something bad just be all like "What eves man" and quote my main man Doug from The Walking Dead "Atleast we got our health."

There isn´t enough guns in the world to hold back all of us.

Well there's 3 problems here.

1.NSA gonna get ya for planing this rebel uprising.

2.Not everyone would get together,some people either like/don't care about the goverment

3.There's enough bombs and nukes though.

The thing is that open rebellion or fighting would be really bad here in the USA. Imagine a giant war with millions of people shooting inside of cities all across America. Some would choose to fight for the government and some against. Civil wars are extremely destructive to the population and infrastructure. Look at Syria for a good example and their war is on a much smaller scale. Sure eventually the government would probably be overthrown but by that point there wouldn't be much left worth fighting over.

Even the founding fathers of this country tried to get things accomplished through diplomacy first. They used every legal facet open to them to try to resolve their issues with the crown peacefully. If only enough Americans would wake up, we could take back the country peacefully. The truth is that the government can only get away with what the citizens let them get away with. If enough people actually cared about the NSA's spying or the massive amount of military spending then things could get on track to repair, unfortunately it seems that too many people are completely and possibly willfully ignorant about what is going on in their own government.

Probably. Better to die standing, then live on my knees.



Unfortunately, very true. A trait that has been subtly encouraged and implemented over the years.




Yes. But what is the point? Heard of a pyrrhic victory. Government wins; no one left to govern. The Bad Luck Brian of the international community.

It's a self-fulfilling prophecy is what it is. There's a few nutjobs here and there, but really nothing that would threaten the stability of the country.

But then, the country becomes so fearful of it's own stability, and afraid that the peasants are gonna revolt, that they repeat histories mistakes and become overbearing with this paranoia, and implement blanket surveillance, and becomes the very thing is was supposed to guard against.

Had there just been trust and clarity between what was once not intended to be seperate, 'Of the People, By the People, and For the People' this paranoia would not exist in the first place.

It's the classic case of the cheating lover accusing the partner of infidelity, when they've done nothing wrong.

Listen dude,just chillax,put your feet up and just take a big breath and chill dude.

And yet it's so very eloquent an argument in its presentation, I am genuinely in awe of the clever people here...

And indeed, the argument I've had down the years with the "I'm gonna kill everyone and RUUULE" stuff that goes on...Who exactly are you going to rule?...

Well they aren't gonna kill EVERYONE,just a bit of people then everyone will be all like,"Oh shoot let's not do that again".

Right, or they might kill just enough to get people who wouldn't have even gotten involved to arm up and fight. That has happened countless times throughout history due to violent government crackdowns.

So, due to the excess of rain here (I could look up how MUCH excess- but that would require using the Great Gazoogle and I am afraid Super Secret Agent Grits would think I was researching weather modification for nefarious purposes - or dolphins...)

Anyway- got out the weed-whacker to defeat the jungle outside the sliding door, before the kittehs revert to their jungle heritage. Untangled the cord, plugged everything up, fought the greenery to a draw and then...

The motor was running, but the cutter stopped spinning. Well darn. Since I possess tools and a willingness to get myself into situations I cannot get out of, I DID use the Great Gazoogle to research the problem.

Said research indicated that this is a known issue and the "fix" is apparently "Take it back to where you bought it."

Urf.

Couldn't find the ticket. Then Mrs. Treydog (blessed be she) DID find it. And it was for a completely different machine. The one I had used was already sorta broken before I ever went out to brave the wilds.

Moral of the story- some of us have WAY too many toys....

Agent Jackson?! How did you get that picture??

Classic! I don't know what I would do without ThatSkyrimWife to keep me organized and running on schedule. Without her, my office (and life , for that matter) would be a swirling mass of entropic chaos...

"Jackson?" She told me her name was "Lola." Wait...

Nevermind. It never happened. It was a mistake. It's not my FAULT....

Oh- good, somebody's ringing the doorbell.

If I can get through the rest of August and September without falling apart, I think an October vacation is in my future.

Wish I had some vacation. Work is driving me nuts.

Also, I'm worried about a guy I work with.

He hasn't missed a day in seven years and then last night he didn't come in or answer his phone. He's an older guy so I'm worried about him.

That's pretty worrisome :[

Just got ahold of him. He's fine. I'm really relieved. He had a vacation day last night that our director didn't bother to tell me about (I was the team lead so very uncool) and the guy just wasn't near his phone.

Oh, good!!!! I hope he had a good rest day :]

October is a great time for vacation. I hope you can stay assembled until then.

My kids used to have a three week school break in October. That was always my favorite one.

Hey everyone

Erm, so, yeah. You've probably been wondering where I've been for the last month and a half or so.

Long story short, I'm currently in South Korea. I've been here for the last 4 weeks, where I've been on an intensive study of Taekwondo at the Sangrok Academy. It's part of my gap year travels, and from the Monday after this one, I'm off to Australia and then New Zealand. I'm away from home until the middle of September, at which point I'm heading straight off to university.

Due to trying to sort out admission problems with my university before I left, (these problems basically boiled down to them being a bunch of stick-in-the-muds over some technicalities that were ultimately inconsequential but were nonetheless a massive headache for myself) and the fact that I was planning a two-month long trip across unfamiliar climes and exotic locales, I kind of found my free time to go on the forum diminished into nothing in an incredibly sudden way. When I did have free time, getting on here to let everyone know about this kind of slipped my mind, and when I did remember so much time had passed by that point I felt too damn embarrassed to actually come on here and let you all know. If I hadn't been reminded by a Skryim article on IGN, and if I weren't agreeably intoxicated on a South Korean variant of rice wine right now, I probably wouldn't be on here. Let alcohol never again be maligned unjustly as the devil's drink when a little Dutch courage can allow a man to do the right thing.

So, that's it, really. I miss you all, I'm just about drunk enough on Makgeolli (the aforementioned rice wine) to scrape together the balls to post, and I want to see how you're all doing. I'll try and catch up on stories I've missed in my absence, and if I can distract myself from a massive writing project I've undertaken I'll even see if I can update one or two of my own works.

That's all for now. It's nice to be back, and I'm sorry for disappearing for such a long time without a by-your-leave. Should another long leave of absence find itself forced upon me in a sudden way, I'll do my best to let you all know before I must disappear.

Thank god you're alright mustard! We were worried SICK about you!!!


I hope you're having fun though

Yes, thank the gods you are okay; we have been worried and missing your godliness and handsome phizz (with or without the moustache). Glad you are having fun, and STAY SAFE !!!

Sorry to steal your thunder, Comrade.

But you should know that little escapes my notice from teh Shadez.

It is good that you are here! Better that you are living life to the fullest abroad learning your arts and pursuing passions.

Better still that you imbibe on the miracle of Soju!


Be well, be better than you were, and above all be here once in a while, I miss my Proofreader.

Yeah we were wondering about you Mustard. There was a discussion pretty recently about where you've been.

Glad to hear that you're alright. I've known a couple of South Koreans extensively and their culture is much different than ours in the USA.

Yes, no matter how drunk you get, DO NOT show the bottoms of your shoes/feet to another man unless you are looking for a fight. (if you sit with one leg crossed over the other, keep your heels to yourself).

(and don't sit with your legs stretched out in front of you).

For the gods sake don't get drunk and stumbly and trod on anyone with your feet, it is a huge insult.

(and touch your heart and then head when you apologize to show you are sincerely sorry - right hand or both hands).

I was also told never to pat someone on the back or shoulder. It is something that only people who are above you do. Generally people who are older and considered wiser.

Well, you probably spotted me then because I'd logged on to post that reintroductiony posty thing.

And Soju is...passable. It's OK. I prefer Makgeolli, to be honest.


mALX, the entire reason I'm in this country is to improve my skills in fighting other people. I'm sure I'll be fine.

Seriously though, I've actually managed to fit in pretty well with South Korean culture so far; I'm actually enjoying it a lot, and while I may have transgressed in one or two minor ways it's been brushed off by "he's a foreigner. That idiot doesn't know any better!" By and large, though, I'm doing well; the strong focus on politeness and propriety is actually fairly similar to the UK (though applied in a different way) so the cultural jump hasn't been too big a one to make.

Mustard! Great to hear from you.

Yeah I have to say, the South Koreans I've known were probably among the nicest people I've ever known.

-flying leap at Mustard and hugs tightly-

-squeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!-

HI! I'm so glad you're alright!!!! I hope you have tons of fun and learn awesome great stuff, and...and...fun!

This is why I missed you guys...

-puts mustard in a headlock and gives him a noogie-

Don't you ever just disappear without notice again! You understand?!

We don't care that you left us without a word, just that you're safe and sound

QFT, we were worried because it wasn't like you - just glad you are safe/sound; but really glad you are having fun too, lol.

Yeah, things really ran away from me while I was planning it. I'll try and keep you guys more informed in future

Welcome back, Mustard! Glad to hear the world traveler is doing well, and thanks for the update!

South Korea?? I'm just a teeny bit jealous!

My best friend in college immigrated to the US from ROK the year before our freshman year. She is the nicest person I've ever met, and one of the funniest. In spite of the language/deaf barrier, we became very good friends and have recently reconnected after being out of touch for 20 years. It was like we were never out of touch! I appreciate her family history so much more after learning about the Korean conflict from the native point of view (rather than from the POV of the outsiders - us). Her mother did some amazing things with her life and if not for her sacrifices I would not have my life enriched by knowing my friend.

It is thanks to her that I discovered what a fascinating, interesting, rich history Korea has - as a culture Korea is nearly as old as China, and in some ways richer. Epic stories? Check. Political intrigue? Check. Powerful tragedies? Check. Hilarious comedies? Check. Culture? Check. Art? Check. Military arts? Check. Need I continue?

I'm glad you're enjoying your stay in ROK, Colonel. I don't need to tell you to make the most of it!

I actually thought Mustard said North instead of South and it'd be very diffrent.

"They said I can make one forum post,please tell the goverment they have me captive and tell them they say they have the missing 50,I repeat they say they have the missing 50 XOXOXOXO."

Good to hear back from you Mustard!

General Ketchup, Captain Relish, and Major Onion were all very concerned...as were the rest of us. Glad to hear you are fine and racking up enough miles that the trip home ought to be free!

Thanks, HER!

Your ultra-nice Korean friend is definitely not an exception to the rule, and I've been feeling incredibly welcome all of the time I've been here. A lot of what I've been doing is been visiting museums, art galleries and historical sites; they've reconstructed/preserved a lot of old palaces in Seoul, essentially turning them into huge museum-gardens and they're both gorgeous to look at and also a great way to learn about South Korea's history. My favourite part of my visit here so far has probably been the hiking in the countryside, I'd say, and rural Korea is probably one of the most beautiful places I've ever been.



Help! Now they're dragging me away from the keyap9dfaiodpuifaopdg7iuhkl;,/..


Good to be back, too!

Isn´t that trademarked by McBadgere?

Have you got tired of the taste of Ginseng in everything yet? Don't worry, there's a KFC in Seoul. And I've only eaten McDonalds twice. Once in Munich, because it was the only place open at 3AM, and the other in South Korea, as it was the only place in range not flavouring everything with ginseng.

I was only there for a week's business trip, so I didn't get to see much of the place. Just the real tourist traps, like a shipbuilding yard on an island off the south coast that had the world's largest traveling crane (the company were our customers), and the business district of Seoul, and several large bland government buildings that looked just like offices in any other country.

It's interesting to note that Chinese and Japanese share similar written languages, but Korean Hangeul is distinct from both. They have a strong independent streak, and it's reflected in their history.

They do love the stuff, don't they? I've managed, so far, helped because I've been cooking my own food to save money as well as eating Korean stuff.


Yeah, urban Korea isn't much to look at. The countryside is jaw-droppingly beautiful but the cities are just tall concrete buildings and wide roads, and it's not really that inspiring to see.

Korean history is very interesting, if very foreign-invasion centric. When you look at it, it's no wonder they're so big on a strong national and cultural identity.

Korean hangul is distinct in that it was developed from scratch by Sejong the Great in the 1440's. It was based purely upon phonetic sounds (Chinese writing, then in common use, is based on ideograms, similar to Egyptian hieroglyphs).

As for the invasions, that is correct. The Korean peninsula has been invaded multiple times throughout its history. For a very long period of time, it was made up of three kingdoms - Goguryeo in the north, Silla (or Shilla) in the southeast, and Bakje (or Pakje) in the southwest. Korea has had a very close relationship with China through the ages, either through occupation or through trading. It was a Japanese colony after the fall of the Joseon Dynasty (the Japanese directly contributed to it) in the early years of the 21st century until 1945, when Korea finally declared independence. The nationalistic feeling ghastley refers to originates from the 19th century. The Japanese did everything they could to obliterate the Korean national identity, but since 1945 Korea has been intent on restoring its history and culture.

As part of my MBA course, I had been reading up on Korean medicine and their health system. I found it very interesting that there is still a strong influence of Chinese herbal medicine in Korean health care, and that alternative medicine is considered the first choice of treatment for many ailments. Their costs are lower, yet they have better results (lower mortality rates, more optimum outcomes, etc) than we do in the US.

Sounds like you are having fun in ROK, Mustard! I'm still jealous!

Many alternative treatments are better than our traditional methods, but drug companies don´t make money out of that so.... There you go

Exactly.

Do you wake up in the morning? Do you get tired at night? Do you feel sad when something sad happens?

Then Plomox may be right for you!! Ask your Doctor if plomox can help with this perfectly normal state of affairs.

Now Plomox isn't for everyone, and there are some side effects. Here to explain them is an attractive woman in a lab coat so you don't pay attention to them!

Plomox may cause any of the following:

Depression
Anal Leakage
High Blood Pressure
Prenatal Deformity
Kidney Failire
Liver Failure
Lupus
Bouts of Severe Pain,
followed by bouts of even more severe pain
Nerve Damage
Paralysis
Balding
Excessive Growth of Underarm Hair
and in some rare cases: An extruciatingly painful sudden death.

Ask your Doctor if Plomox is right for you!

That sounds....horrible.

I mean...what if you got ALL the side effects?