Caveat: The Other Point Of View

Why does it take The Onion to provide genuine insight into the other point of view in the alleged Iranian nuclear crisis?

TEHRAN—Amidst mounting geopolitical tensions, Iranian officials said Wednesday they were increasingly concerned about the United States of America's uranium-enrichment program, fearing the Western nation may soon be capable of producing its 8,500th nuclear weapon. "Our intelligence estimates indicate that, if it is allowed to progress with its aggressive nuclear program, the United States may soon possess its 8,500th atomic weapon capable of reaching Iran," said Iranian foreign minister Ali Akbar Salehi, adding that Americans have the fuel, the facilities, and "everything they need" to manufacture even more weapons-grade fissile material. "Obviously, the prospect of this happening is very distressing to Iran and all countries like Iran. After all, the United States is a volatile nation that's proven it needs little provocation to attack anyone anywhere in the world whom it perceives to be a threat." Iranian intelligence experts also warned of the very real, and very frightening, possibility of the U.S. providing weapons and resources to a rogue third-party state such as Israel.

Caveat: 심심해서

I have a sixth-grade student named Yungyeong who hits me all the time. Not hard hitting – it's that kind of reflexive, playful, 'oh I'm just kidding around' slap that some people seem to adopt as a way to reduce the awkwardness or formality of interactions. It's a little bit annoying, although I also accept it as a rather inept, low-level expression of trust on the part of the student, and in that way, I'm even flattered by it. We were discussing my alligator (the green plastic Chinese alligator) before class, and she did it again – whack, on my arm.

"Why do you always hit me?" I asked.

"심심해서," she protested immediately. [Cuz I'm bored]. And she whacked my arm again.

What a perfect sixth-grader answer.

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