S.Koreans ‘Indifferent’ to N.Korean Nuclear Threat
Chosun Ilbo

South Koreans seem relatively untroubled by North Korea’s impending nuclear test, even as they worry about the safety of ageing nuclear reactors here. “It seems that only the government, media and some politicians are taking the nuclear test seriously, while the ordinary public is not that interested,” said a senior government official here Thursday.

Even when minor problems are detected at existing nuclear power plants, some civic groups vehemently call for their closure.

Directors of Pen Argyl Korean exchange program plead guilty to charges stemming from son’s sex case
The Morning Call (Lehigh Valley, Pa.)

The parents of a Pen Argyl man who sexually assaulted a student at their family-run Korean exchange program admitted Thursday to misdemeanor charges stemming from his case.

Min Taek Kim, 62, and Yong Ran Kim, 51, each pleaded guilty to failing to report suspected abuse, with Min Kim also acknowledging that he endangered the welfare of a child. Northampton County Judge Leonard Zito gave them both one year of probation.

The Kims operated ACE Academy in Pen Argyl, which housed and mentored students from South Korea attending Pius X High School until the scandal involving their son led the school to cut ties.

Richard Kim, a tutor in his parents’ academy, admitted in May that he repeatedly sexually assaulted a 14-year-old student, escalating from kissing to fondling to oral sex. He is serving five to 10 years in state prison.

‘The State of the Union is…’ According to Michelle Rhee
ABC News

Michelle Rhee, founder and CEO of StudentsFirst, told ABC News the country needs to focus more on public education in order to improve the nation’s economy and increase its competitiveness.

“The state of the union is increasingly going to have to focus on public education and what we can do to improve it,” Rhee, who is a former chancellor of Washington D.C. public schools, said.

Lee Seung Gi Talks Making K-Pop Hot 100 History, PSY’s Influence and 2013 Plans
Billboard.com

At the ripe age of 26, Lee Seung Gi is a veteran in the Korean entertainment industry for accomplishments across multiple platforms. He’s earned titles throughout his nine-year career inlcuding “box office star” (for bringing in the highest ratings for his television drama series) and “chart killer” (for placing his singles at the top of the charts).

At the end of 2012, with the release of his melancholic ballad “Return,” he added one more title to his esteemed list; the singer to earn the longest-running K-Pop Hot 100 No. 1 in chart history so far. His single spent seven weeks atop the chart, surpassing the previous record set previously by IU’s “You and I” that PSY’s “Gangnam Style” tied in the summer of 2012.

Korean American Deli Owner Is A Calligrapher
Voice of America

Kwon Myoung-Won from Korea works hard, like many immigrants, running a small business for long hours every day. But he never lost his passion for the calligraphy he began doing as a boy. Although few may know about this art, some of his works are displayed in museums and galleries across the U.S. and around the world. Kwon’s works at a convenience store in the Washington suburbs, where his art flourishes.

Happy New Year : Ricky Choi rings in the lunar New Year, Korean style.
KQED (San Francisco, Calif.)

“Are you Chinese?” asked the four year old.

“I’m not Chinese, I’m Korean!” my daughter replied with a combination of firmness and derision that only a preschooler could get away with. Excited about Lunar New Year’s Day, her classmate was hoping to connect with an Asian student in the class. Despite my daughter’s response, her classmate’s inquiry was more appropriate than she knew. Lunar New Year is coming, and it is an exciting time for many communities — not just Chinese ones — to celebrate.

Take a Peek Backstage at Richard Chai’s Fall 2013 Show
Elle

Backstage at Richard Chai Love, the designer high-fived his models as they arrived at the clothing racks. The girls huddled in clusters, taking Instagram selfies with their long-limbed best friends, while the boys hid behind the racks of clothes, trying to finish one more game of Angry Birds on their iPads before show time–which began right on schedule, at 11:25 am.

The Asian Wave
New York Times

Five years ago, the Asian tiger was just starting to stir in the world of American fashion. Now, designers whose roots are in China, Korea, Taiwan or other parts of that continent are roaring.

As the New York fashion shows kicked off the international winter 2013 season this week, the “ABC’s,” or “American-born Chinese” have taken a powerful position.

The appointment of Alexander Wang, 29, as creative director of the Paris-based house of Balenciaga would have been unthinkable when European designers ruled the roost — particularly at a house in their own territory.

South Korean’s kind gesture generates online buzz
Straits Times (Singapore)

A pair of white $4 slippers, given spontaneously to a barefoot stranger who boarded a public bus last Saturday, catapulted a South Korean undergraduate into the limelight.

Mr Choi Dae Ho, 22, may be a black belt in taekwondo, but instead it was his gentle act of chivalry that put him at the centre of online buzz.

South Korean employees work excessive hours
Al Jazeera via YouTube

Massive typhoon slams North and South Korea
AP via New York Daily News

A powerful typhoon lashed North and South Korea with strong wind and heavy rain Monday, killing at least one person, leaving dozens of others homeless and cutting power to many homes and businesses in the South.

Korean-American voters for Obama
Korea Times

With less than 50 days left till the U.S. presidential election, it’s unclear how swing voters and swing states will tilt the vote in a remarkably stable, yet tight race. But it seems as if Korean-Americans have generally decided which candidate they’re going to stand behind come November.

Despite a struggling economy, polls show one after another that the majority are ready to give President Barack Obama one more chance.

Korean students, parents do their pre-college homework
Los Angeles Times

He’s only 11. Still, BJ Bae blended in with the thousands of people of Korean heritage who swarmed an Orange County college fair this weekend. He stopped to sign up for a concentration test so “I can know what job might be good for me.”

Korea-Japan Standoff: Why Americans Should Care
Huffington Post

Korea and Japan have spiraled into their worst relations in decades over tensions surrounding a few rocky islets in the ocean between them. Koreans call the islands “Dokdo” and Japanese know them as “Takeshima.” Politicians in both countries assure supporters that these barely inhabited spits of land will be defended as theirs at all costs, and the respective foreign ministries have announced multi-million dollar ad campaigns to further publicize their claims.

Korean-American liaison focused on community
NorthJersey.com

Steve Chong already has made his mark on this year’s Bergen County election ballot.

As the recently hired liaison between the County Clerk’s Office and Bergen County’s fast-growing Korean-American community, Chong recently found some mistakes while proofreading the Korean language ballot provided by the state.

For example, near the top of the general election presidential year ballot were the Korean words for “Primary Election.” Another Korean ballot incorrectly described a referendum question as an election to fill a vacant position, he said.

The Strange Fate of Kim’s Video
The Village Voice

From 1995 until January 2009, a music and movie megastore called Mondo Kim’s took up the bulk of a five-story building at 6 St. Marks Place in the East Village. The top floor was rented out as apartments, and the fourth floor was used by Yongman Kim—the owner of the building and of Mondo Kim’s—as office space. The third floor held what was widely considered to be the best, most diverse video-rental collection in New York City.

North Koreans find love and refuge in Toronto
Toronto Sun

There is no fear in love, said one speaker, after 15 North Korean refugee couples filed into City Hall Saturday, quietly occupying chambers normally used for council meetings.

To wed a group of refugees in Toronto’s central civic arena was the work of one determined councillor: Raymond Cho.

“All these people said that Canada is paradise, and they say they escaped from hell to heaven,” he said.

For S. Korean Men, Makeup a Foundation for Success
AP via ABC News

South Korean men spent $495.5 million on skincare last year, accounting for nearly 21 percent of global sales, according to global market research firm Euromonitor International. That makes it the largest market for men’s skincare in the world, even though there are only about 19 million men in South Korea. Amorepacific, South Korea’s biggest cosmetics company, estimates the total sales of men’s cosmetics in South Korea this year will be more than $885 million.

TV Personality Woo Jong-wan Dead in Apparent Suicide
Chosun Ilbo

Fashion guru Woo Jong-wan was found dead at his home on Saturday afternoon. The 46-year-old TV personality was discovered hanging by his dressing gown belt in the living room by his sister.

In South Korea, K-Pop Gets New King
NPR

For 12 years, Park Jae-Sang — better known to his fans as the rapper PSY — has had a successful career in his native South Korea.

But now, thanks to the viral video for Gangnam Style, his new single, he’s on top of the world.

With 180 million views and counting, it’s the most-viewed Korean pop music video in YouTube’s history. He’s appeared on Ellen, NBC’s Today Show, the MTV Video Music Awards; he’s signed a deal with Justin Bieber’s manager, Scooter Braun — and just today, Gangnam Style hit number one on the U.S. iTunes singles chat.

A Step Back
The New York Times

Mancini won the lightweight title with a first-round knockout live from Vegas, the broadcast sponsored by Michelin (“the company that pioneered the radial”), Michelob (“smooth and mellow”) and the Norelco Rototract rechargeable. That was 1982. He was only 21, but already a modern allegory, as bankable as he was adored.

Then he fought Duk-koo Kim.

Kim had hit the Korean exacta at birth: dirt-poor and dark-skinned. But the prospect of a title shot seemed to ennoble him. He became fierce for the sake of his family. At the time of the Mancini fight, his fiancée was pregnant with their son.

If only Kim had taken a step back, he might have lived to see that boy.

Jiyai Shin wins second British by record margin
ESPN

It was getting darker by the minute on what had been a horrific last day, but when it came to the final hole, there was a stunning shaft of evening sun as Jiyai Shin completed her record 9-shot win at the Women’s British Open.

It was the best of finishing touches. Shin, who had won a nine-hole playoff Monday at Kingsmill before arriving at Hoylake on Tuesday, was exhausted but ecstatic. Apart from winning by such a handsome margin, she was 9 under par and had proved herself on a links course.

Jae Su Chun denies claims of abuse
AP via ESPN

U.S. speedskating coach Jae Su Chun has denied claims of verbal, physical and psychological abuse brought by current and former members of the national team, including five Olympic medalists.

Korean-American Designer Shines at NY Fashion Week
Arirang

In the past few years.. at the start of every season, his shows were the ones that usually set the tone at the start of New York’s Fashion Week. His name.. Richard Chai– a Korean-American fashion designer from New Jersey.

In a span of just a few years, Chai has become a household name in many department stores, not only in the United States but all around the world.

Marja Vongerichten Launches BiBiFresh, a Roving Bibimbap-up
Grub Street

Even more bibambap is headed our way: BiBiFresh, the newest rice-bowl player in town, is a collaboration between chef and author (and wife of Jean-Georges) Marja Vongerichten and Tavalon Tea founder John-Paul Lee and, from the looks of it, a serious fast-casual restaurant chain in the making. Customers build their bibimbap from the bowl up with a choice of grains (including quinoa), vegetables, meat, and sauce, and the concept also includes salads and lettuce wraps.

Harvard Targeted in U.S. Asian-American Discrimination Probe
Bloomberg

The U.S. Education Department is probing complaints that Harvard University and Princeton University discriminate against Asian-Americans in undergraduate admissions.

The department’s Office for Civil Rights is investigating a complaint it received in August that Harvard rejected an Asian- American candidate for the current freshman class based on race or national origin, a department spokesman said. The agency is looking into a similar August 2011 allegation against Princeton as part of a review begun in 2008 of that school’s handling of Asian-American candidates, said the spokesman, who declined to be identified, citing department policy.

Kyung Namgood, OC Homicide No. 5: Ruben Gurrola, Wrong-Way Driver, Held for Murder
OC Weekly

Kyung Namgood, 53, of Buena Park, was killed early Sunday after the Toyota sedan she was riding in on the 91 freeway in Anaheim was plowed into head on by a Honda sedan driven by Ruben Gurrola, 23, Pomona.

Gurrola is scheduled to be arraigned Monday on one felony count each of murder, driving under the influence causing bodily injury, and driving with a blood alcohol level .08 percent or more causing injury. He also faces sentencing enhancements and allegations for causing great bodily injury and causing bodily injury to more than one victim.

Bakers and Chaebol in South Korea, Let them Eat Cake
The Economist

The hot topic in South Korea is the trend for daughters and grand-daughters of chaebol families to open bakeries and other small food outlets. The chaebol are the conglomerates that dominate the Korean economy, so these plutocratic pâtissières have deeper pockets than any of the little bakers they compete against.

Their baking has provoked outrage. Lee Myung-bak, South Korea’s president, calls it a “hobby” business for rich girls that threatens the livelihood of poor shopkeepers. Lee Ju-young, a member of the national assembly, likens it to Park Ji-sung (Manchester United’s Korean midfielder) lording it over amateurs in a backstreet game of football. A restaurateur in Seoul puts it more plaintively: “These families already control everything else in Korea. Why can’t they leave something for the rest of us?”

Doblin: Politics may Derail Christie Judicial Nominees
Bergen County Record (N.J.)

On Wednesday, prominent Korean-Americans rallied in Hackensack in support of Phillip Kwon, one of Governor Christie’s two nominees to the state Supreme Court. Kwon is the first Korean-American and first immigrant nominated to the state’s high court. Christie’s announcement last week was greeted with cheers. The enthusiasm was short-lived.

Published reports that Kwon’s parents, who own a liquor store in New York, had allegedly made 222 cash deposits that were below the $10,000 threshold to skirt bank-reporting rules quickly sent a cloud over Kwon’s confirmation parade. No criminal charges were filed against Kwon’s parents and a civil lawsuit has been settled. This week, Christie said the investigation into the financial transfers did not involve Kwon.

Seven dazzling days in South Korea
CNNGo

This itinerary is for the helpless Korea virgins (and despite Korea’s burgeoning tourism, we know you’re out there), not been-there-done-that backpackers in search of the obscure. But the adjective “dazzling” here is no meaningless tag. It’s a nod to the process of aggressive elimination and selection that gave us the model itinerary for seven days of travel in South Korea.

Kim Jong Un Looking at Things
The Atlantic

Like father, like son. Since the recent death of Kim Jong Il, North Korean state-run media has been releasing a series of images of the “Great Successor,” Kim Jong Un, visiting schools, factories, and military facilities. These visits, which were frequently publicized by his father and his grandfather Kim Il Sung, are called “field guidance” trips — opportunities for the supreme leader to give on-the-spot advice. For decades, the North Korean myth-making machine endowed Kim Jong Il with amazing wisdom, prowess, and intelligence, and it continues that tradition now with his son, touting him as a marksman, poet, economic genius, and wise military strategist. Little is actually known about Kim Jong Un. Even his age remains in doubt — he may be 28, 29, or 30. Based on the state-released photos collected here, he is following closely in his father’s footsteps, albeit with a touch more visible affection.

Richard Chai Named Filson’s New Creative Director
Styleite.com

Chai has just been tapped as the 115-year-old heritage brand’s creative director. His first task was to design six jackets and three bags for the Filson Rugged Casual Apparel collection, which reinterprets Filson’s classic styles in Chai’s signature fabrics.

Girls’ Generation Create Buzz After U.S. Primetime Debut
Chosun Ilbo

The band’s performance of the English version of “The Boys” on “The Late Show” on Tuesday (local time) was met with a shower of praise on social networking sites including Twitter. The video clip from the show was uploaded immediately after the program aired and received over 710,000 hits in just two days.

Girls’ Generation also received much attention on online news sites. A blog created on the Wall Street Journal is conducting a vote on their performance. As of Thursday afternoon, 77.7 percent, or 1,313 people, gave their approval, saying they are fans. Some 230 people, or 13.6 percent, answered that they did not know the band before, but that they liked their performance. Less than 2 percent gave a negative response.

Popular music in Korea, a Jimi Hendrix Stymied
The Economist

MANUFACTURED Korean pop music, or K-Pop, is riding high on a wave of international hype. The greatest figure in the history of this country’s popular music, however, does not wear high heels, nor miniskirt. Indeed, he does not even dance.

Shin Joong-hyun first learned to play guitar in the 1950s, and soon found a following among the American soldiers stationed here. Jackie Shin, as they knew him, was a master of jazz, rock ’n roll, rhythm-and-blues, and country. He already knew the Americans’ favourite songs, having spent every waking hour listening to Armed Forces Korea Network (AFKN), for many years the sole conduit by which Western music flowed into Korea.

What Heals The World? Soup, Made By Moms
National Public Radio

Maybe that’s why the kimchi soup was so welcome; it happened to be made by a mom named Yesoon Lee. This week I went back to Mandu, her restaurant, to ask Lee if I had found the Korean mother’s cure-all. What does she feed her kids when they’re sick? “Chicken soup and jook,” she said.

Jook is the Korean version of gruel, a dish that’s on the short list of invalid menus worldwide. “It’s for when you have stomach problems,” says Lee, who was born in Korea but raised her two children in Vienna, Va. Her daughter Jean, who’s 36 and a partner in the restaurant (along with her brother Dan), says: “Still, when I’m sick, my mom makes me jook.” She tries to make it herself, but she says, “it’s not the same.”

Ward still planning to play for Steelers
ESPN

“I plan on playing with the Pittsburgh Steelers and going from there,” Ward said at the Super Bowl media center Thursday.

Ward’s chances of returning increased with the departure of offensive coordinator Bruce Arians, who had been looking to reduce Ward’s role the past couple of seasons. If Pittsburgh is committed to getting back to a run-first offense, Ward’s value goes up because of his blocking.

Ward, who lost his starting job this season, is scheduled to make $4 million in the last two years of his contract but he has said that he is willing to take a pay cut. A decision has to be made by March 1 because of a clause in his contract.

East Meets West: Actress Kim Yun Jin and Tom Cruise
Soompi

Tom Cruise had a surprise meeting with actress Kim Yun Jin. A representative of the film, “Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol” stated on December 8 that, Kim Yun Jin met with Tom Cruise and Paula Pattonon December 2, for a premiere press conference.

The meeting was made possible due to a common acquaintance in a producer for Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol, “Bryan Burk.” Bryan Burk is known to be very close to Kim Yun Jin, he was a producer for “Lost.” (Kim Yun Jin played a significant role on that show, it should also be noted that J.J. Abrams, the executive producer/director for “Lost” is also a producer for Ghost Protocol.)

The Happy Houseplant | Indoor Gardening with Richard Chai
New York Times Magazine

What Richard Chai calls his orchid cemetery is a narrow, north-facing window sill in the kitchen area of his Financial District loft. There, five flowerless orchid plants in uniform terracotta pots are getting indirect sunlight and enough water to keep the soil moist most of the time, and that’s it. “Just ignore them,” says Chai, who is literally –– a word he uses quite frequently –– bringing the gentle plants back to life (maybe rehab is a better word for the facility). “I used to obsess about orchids. But if you ignore them, they’re so much happier.”

Chai, who is the designer for the men’s and women’s line Richard Chai Love, is and has been for years a skilled hobby gardener. In both of the New York City apartments he lived in previously, which had outdoor space, he’d grow flowers from seed. “Morning glories and such,” he says. “I didn’t really do the orchid thing.” But trading those places for his current, garden-less loft –– it has more square footage, lots of light, many windows –– “there had to be a trade-off.” And houseplants were the solution. “When I moved here, that’s when I started rescuing.”

Baja Fresh CEO David Kim was memorable at Jemison Awards
Birmingham Business Journal (Alabama)

Ecstatic. A little nervous. Thrilled.

Those words best describe my wave of emotions as Baja Fresh CEO David Kim spoke today at Birmingham Venture Club Birmingham Venture Club Latest from The Business Journals Top 40: Julian DailyWant a ‘monster’ idea? Take a long showerMonster.com founder to speak at Birmingham Venture Club Follow this company ’s 26th Annual Meeting and Jemison Award Ceremony at the Sheraton Birmingham Hotel Sheraton Birmingham Hotel Latest from The Business Journals Photos from our 2011 Best Places to Work AwardsBBJ ranks Birmingham’s Best Places to WorkTop of the List: Hotel Meeting Spaces Follow this company .

As a fan of CBS’ hit series Undercover Boss, I was first introduced to Kim a few months back as he wore a fake beard to disguise himself so he could get an inside look at what was going on at his company.

Check out our feature story on David Kim from the June 2011 issue of KoreAm.

North Korea swing toward China not good news [OPINION]
Los Angeles Times

The legacy of the late North Korean leader Kim Il Sung’s decision in the early 1990s to pursue a strategic partnership with the United States has run its course. In its place, the focus of Pyongyang’s policies has decisively shifted to Beijing. However wary the North Koreans may be of their neighbor, the fact is that from Pyongyang’s viewpoint, the Chinese have delivered and the United States did not.

‘Urban Umbrella’ Graces New York With New Scaffolding (PHOTOS)
Huffington Post

Mayor Bloomberg unveiled the first model of “Urban Umbrella,” a beautiful new design for the city’s scaffolding structures, in Lower Manhattan on Wednesday.

The design was the winner of the urbanSHED competition which sought to revamp the city’s current scaffolding designed more than 60 years ago. Project Engineer Sarrah Khan, Architect Andres Cortes, and Designer Young Hwan Choi who all helped bring the structure to life were also present for Wednesday’s unveiling.

U.S. ambassador hails growing partnership with S. Korea in development
Yonhap News

U.S. Ambassador to Seoul Sung Kim has praised the growing cooperation between America and South Korea on development issues, saying he believes their joint efforts will expand the scope of their alliance.

“U.S.-ROK cooperation on development is just beginning,” he wrote in his online blog Tuesday, referring to South Korea by the acronym of its official name, the Republic of Korea.

“It was only a few months ago that Secretary Clinton signed a memorandum of understanding with Korean Foreign Minister Kim Sung-hwan on international aid cooperation, and I know that the implementation process has already begun. This is a great example of how we are expanding our partnership beyond the Korean Peninsula,” said Kim, who is the first Korean-American U.S. ambassador to Seoul.

The Walking Dead: Glenn & Maggie Fall for Each Other
8Asians

In the past few episodes, we’ve seen Maggie really starting to fall for Glenn. In Episode 6 (Season 2), after Glenn saves Maggie from a “walker” (zombie) after another trip to the pharmacy where they first “did it,” Maggie expresses her concerns and feelings for him. Maggie explains that Glenn is the under-appreciated risk taker and unrecognized contributor of their group of survivalists. This statement could be mirrored I think how a lot of Asian American men and women feel in the workplace.

10 creative date spots in Seoul
CNNGo

Seoul is a city for couples. Everyone you turn, there seem to be young pairs with hands locked, oblivious to the bustle around them. And, we’ve all seen the matching couples’ shirts.

Needless to say, it can be hard to stand out. When you finally manage to get that number, make the date count and go somewhere unique. If you’re already dating, it could never hurt to try somewhere new.

1. Catch a baseball game at Jamsil Stadium

Can’t find a cab at Gangnam Station? Don’t worry, the city will catch one for you
CNNGo

There’s something about the Gangnam Station area at night that turns Seoul cab drivers into obnoxious, discriminating money-mongerers. While hundreds of bar-hoppers stand shivering in the streets, the normally easy-to-get taxis roll down their windows, then breeze right by as if the driver can’t hear the desperate yelling.

Luckily for Seoulites and bewildered travelers, Seoul has decided to take action this month: starting yesterday, nine city workers have been set the sole task of flagging down cabs at Gangnam Station, reported MBN. The idea is that the “Taxi-hailing Patrol” will call for nearby cabs, while the government will subsidize the cab fares.

Anthony Kim looking for a turnaround
Naples News (Florida)

Anthony Kim doesn’t need to look too far to see where he wants to be next year. The 26-year-old Kim struggled on tour this year but is playing with Webb Simpson, who finished second on the money list, in this week’s Franklin Templeton Shootout.

“I’m ready to start a new season, ready to play some better golf,” Kim said. “It’s happened before. I’ve had bad years and come back with good years.”

The King of Pigs: Film Review
Hollywood Reporter

A shocking tale of teen violence that’s as allegorical in its animalistic imagery as Lord of the Flies and Shohei Imamura’s works, The King of Pigs announces the arrival of a raw, dark, adult-oriented genre of independent animation in Korea that has hitherto only made as shorts. So far, Japanese manga and film arguably cornered the market on school bullying, but Yeun Sang-ho’s screenplay-direction stands out by situating it within the particulars of Korean society. Ugly, pitiless, and mightily provocative in its representation of human debasement, his satire on class inequality burns like acid.

Korean Footballers Playing on European Pitches
Chosun Ilbo

More promising Korean footballers are heading for Europe to sharpen their skills, test themselves against the world’s best players and make their names at the pinnacle of world soccer. Park Ji-sung of Manchester United was the first to successfully settle in and seal his reputation among England’s t…

Rebecca Black, planking, My Little Pony: Best memes of 2011
Los Angeles Times

Know Your Meme has come up with its top memes for 2011, and the list includes Rebecca Black — the lauded and lambasted YouTube star for her video “Friday” — as well as Scumbag Steve, My Little Pony, X all the Y and more.

It’s enough to make you nostalgic for “All your base are belong to us.”

“Rewind back to early 2000 or the late 1990s,” said Know Your Meme editor Brad Kim. “This is around when the word ‘meme’ slowly and gradually became associated with … interesting Internet stuff.”

Memes, for the uninitiated, are “any online media that spreads on a massive scale across the Internet,” Kim said. Many, he said, come from TV, popular movies, video games — mainstream culture. “That is the single biggest source of Internet memes.” See Know Your Meme’s top 10 list below. (Note: The language in some images in the meme video above is not always family friendly.)

Just looking at this glacier-inspired interior gives me the shivers. Brooklyn-based art/architecture practice Snarkitecture collaborated with with designer Richard Chai to create this pop-up store in in Manhattan, set in a shipping container underneath the High Line park.

The temporary retail installation was part of the Building Fashion installation series, which pairs architects and fashion designers to create innovative retails spaces. The whole project cost just $5,000.

White architectural foam was cut by hand to produce erosions and extensions of the sculpted walls and ceiling to create a varied landscape for the display of Richard Chai’s collection. The range of shelves, niches, and hang bars encourage the designer’s curatorial eye for display. At the close of the temporary installation, the material was returned to the manufacturer and recycled into rigid foam insulation. Continue Reading »

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