The lightning rod returns!

A great conversation (of sorts) going on in the comment section of a post at the 'Hub of Sparkle' blog (a great name for a blog, by the way, wish I had thought of it first...)

Kushibo is back!

But as some of you already know, with Kushibo you always get 2 for the price of 1. After Kushibo lets loose a few comments ripping on the K-blogosphere in general, one Nora Park shows up and leaves this comment:


I second bo’s comments. too many one note k-bloggers have fallen to the dark side. it is about time somebody stood up and said something. thanks bo, you rule.
i tried to fix things and clean things up, but i just got sick and tired of the sexism racism and homophobia. not to many of the male bloggers were ready for a lesbian who happens to be korean and not some demure submissive asian girl of their sexual fantisy.
i know korea is not perfect, and i pointed that out many times in my blog many times. its time we took a stand, i am with bo on this.

Well said! And look! She has a cute little nickname for kushibo ('bo')! It's almost like they know each other or something.

Of course, it's rude not to respond to a compliment, so 'bo' sends in the following comment a few hours later:


"thanks bo, you rule."
Yes. Yes, I do.

A bit later, Nora shows up again with the following gem of a comment:

after carefully considering what roboseyo and james said, i have to go with kushibo on this discussion. he offers the most balanced and fair perspective.
my vote for best k-blog of 2008. the one and only kushibo.blogspot.com, of course. now that oranckay is gone, he really is one of the lone voices that offer balance and honesty. also, his humour is very john stewart with a little bit of colbert. if you haven’t been reading kushibo.blogspot.com, it offers insight into korea that few k-blogs even come close to. kushibo, was the original “ask a korean” and as far as debunking myths about korea like rokdrop, kushibo has been doing that for years. he really sticks his neck out. now that i think about it, i am voting kushibo for the following.
Best Overall Korea Blog, 2008
Most Thought Provoking Korea Blog, 2008
Most Current and Timely Korea Blog, 2008
Most Helpful Blog to Expats in Korea, 2008
Funniest Korea Blog, 2008
Happiest Blogger, 2008
Best Pop Culture Blog, 2008
Best Culture Blog in General, 2008
its about time he got some recognition. i think kushibo would make an excellent additional writer for this blog. Less kimchi, more nunchi

Wow. The humor of john stewart AND colbert! (note that Nora doesn't capitalize much; it must be a Republican lesbian thing). And she's even going one step further by suggesting that Kushibo join the crack team of writers at the Sparkle.

Come on, what do you say Roboseyo?


A few comments later, some party pooper named 'Mark'* invokes the Nora Challenge.**

A few commenters, including Robo, are stunned by the revelation. Kushibo, however, boldly makes the following response to 'Nora' not long thereafter:


[in response to Nora's many generous nominations of Kushibo's blog]

If drafted, I will not run; if nominated, I will not accept; if elected, I will not serve.
I know you’re being a bit hyperbolic, but I was none of those in 2008.


[And in response to Kushibo being another writer for the Sparkle blog]

I have no interest in being a writer for this blog or any blog but my own. I don’t mind if people link to my blog, of course, but I’m not interested in writing for anyone else, not that anyone but Roboseyo has the power to ask anyway.

Damn, that is one humble SOB. I love the last part of the sentence though..."not that anyone but Roboseyo has the power to ask anyway."

Hint, hint...

And yet Roboseyo never strays from his Eternal Sunshine Policy and continues to thank Kushibo for contributing to the discussion, rather than telling him to fuck off and take his socks with him. He does make a response (directed at Kushibo) to 'Nora's' suggestion that Kushibo join the blog writing team:

Mike and I are co-admins, and we usually talk invitations over before we extend one.

Come on Robo, extend the invite! Can't you see how much it means to him? Do you have any idea how painful it was for Kushibo to see people like Shelton Baumgarner get invited to author posts for the popular Marmot's Hole while Kushibo was left stranded like a little Gilligan on Monster Island? Have a heart, man!


Is this Nora-Kushibo guy a character or what? Either he is completely delusional, or he has a really weird sense of humor. Either way, I like it, and am very happy, nay, honored to put his link back on my website now that it appears he has officially returned to us.

Now if only Shelton and Baduk would start posting again...







*Probably one of the Party Pooper's many, many socks that infest K-blogosphere. It's hard for me to keep track these days.
**Here was my own take on the Nora-Kushibo deal, by the by.