Okay, editor's dilemma. Really rotten article about a group of islands off the eastern coast of Korea. Due in a few minutes. Edited it really fast, as had to deal with a number of other letters and ratty articles this week.

Not the point, though. Point is: really rotten article.

On what could be a fascinating topic: the Japanese annexation of the Dokdo islands in 1905 was among the first signs of the eventual colonization of Korea by Japan in 1910. Korea didn't get them back until 1946. (Well, actually 1948, when the UN recognized Korea as an independent republic. But -- not the point.)

The islands also contain a wealth of unique marine ecosystems, blahbittyblahblah, and have been the focus of some recent art exhibits.

So, lots to work with. But man oh man, this professor of social history cannot write. The first paragraph tells us that "Dokdo ... is located 92 kilometers southeast of Ullungodo Island. Its precise location is 131 degrees east longitude and 37 degrees north latitude, and in terms of administration, its address is 1-37 Dokdo-ri, Ullung-eup, Ullung-gun, Gyeongsanbuk-do province. It is about 18.6 square kilometers in size, and it is about 400 meters in length and width."

Maybe that's fine for social history journals (no, I don't really think so either), but for a general interest magazine about Korea (c'mon, say it with me), it SUCKS.

So, editor's dilemma. Do I tell the guy in charge of the magazine that it SUCKS and offer to revise it, if he gives me more time? Do I not say a word, seeing as how yo, I just work here, yo? The article would need major restructuring and rewriting...and the answer is forming in my head as I write. With apologies to the editor within, who is turning up her offended nose and sniffing derisively, I say -- ah, fuck it.
-----------
So now that I've put the piece of crrrrap in the "DONE" pile, I can write for a few minutes. Lessee... some interesting things I can tell you.

I found out my grades and I did well. Will be moving on up to level three in January. Whoo hoo! Did better on the speaking test than I thought; did worse on the writing test than I thought.

At the graduation ceremony, there were a number of fun student performers, including two from my class: David, the U.S. army major (?), who sang a very pretty Jim Brickman song; and Midori, who performed a G.O.D. rap song with three other Japanese girls.

G.O.D. is a Korean boy band, pretty much along the same lines as Backstreet Boys and NSync.

You know, you just haven't lived until you've seen a Japanese girl in a pink and navy Korean traditional dress (donned for graduation), with orange pigtails and a turquoise blue G.O.D. jacket, belting out Korean boy band rap lyrics.
-----------
Irrelevant and non sequitur fact of the day: the Saudi National Heritage and Culture Festival, begun in 1985, opens its two-week annual festivities in January with a traditional camel race.