North Korea

• Bruce Cumings’ 2005 LRB article “We Look at It and See Ourselves” surely remains one of the best short articles on the Korean peninsula ever written.  It is probably worth a revisit as tensions ramp up again.
• Paul Gottinger provided a good background piece on “South Korea’s New Boss” in Counterpunch.
• Charles Armstrong, the Director of the Center for Korean Research at Columbia, blogs at CNN’s GPS on “Why Sticks Don’t Work With North Korea“

Afghanistan

• A US Marine Captain reflects: “I killed people in Afghanistan. Was I right or wrong?”
  
• A review of Dalrymple’s Return of a King: Shah Shuja and The First Battle for Afghanistan, 1839-1842

Mali

• Hannah Armstrong’s “A Tale of Two Islamisms” discusses the High Council of Islam, i.e. the republican form of Islamism, spreading peacefully in the south.  (h/t Myra MacDonald)

Meanwhile, back at the education factory…

• David Galef’s MOOC students are “Waiting Online” for Godot
• Adam Mansbach hands out the syllabus we all write in our heads (h/t Ahsan Butt)
• Hillary’s “How to Deal with a Mansplainer” is not technically about academia, but I am pretty sure it can be applied at most universities and liberal arts colleges.
• Speaking of the patriarchy in academia, and not to be outdone by Feminist Ryan Gosling, Feminist Shah Rukh Khan has a few words for you larki.

• Finally, appropos of nothing, you need to watch this Yemeni Gangnam Style video to set the right mood for the rest of the week. Re-watch as often as needed. You’re welcome.