February 22, 2004

• Here's an Italian who also cooked for Kim Jong II
• Your posts are always sharp as a razor, G.
• Well, let's be fair. Kim Jong Il is under a lot of pressure. It's not easy being at the center of the universe.
• Legend has it he sported a bouffant hairstyle because being a dictator and all, he couldn't be the last to know when it rains.
• Think of all the jobs that could be created here in the States. Clipping grass blade by blade, inspecting rice grain by grain. Talk about tedious. And enforced pain-killer injections; this guy would have been my best friend back in my drug-induced days.
• A few more bits and pieces about North Korea: News From KOREAN CENTRAL NEWS AGENCY of DPRK NKzone The Pyongyang Metro Journey into Kimland On Japanese TV they always refer to the country as "北朝鮮・朝鮮民主主義人民共和国" [Kitachousen chousenminshushugijinminkyouwakoku]: "North Korea/The Democratic People's Republic of Korea" on every bulletin so as to avoid offending either the pro-Seoul Korean residents or the pro-Pyongyang Koreans, both of whom are numerous in Japan.
• And check out this nifty page about the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. It's in English, and it's official.
• ThreeDayMonk: When? I haven't noticed broadcasters saying that...
• Really excellent article; thanks for linking. Also thanks are due, since I hadn't realized just how much of The Atlantic you could read online. Excellent.
• ThreeDayMonk: Me neither. It's always 北朝鮮 on the news I've seen.
• Don't miss the second and third parts of the Italian's story.
• bugbread & mexican: Hmm... could be just an Osaka thing. I've never paid attention to which channels, but I've seen it on quite a few news programmes, and definitely heard it on the news on FM802 (an Osaka radio station). It might be due to the large number of Koreans in the city. I think that they generally say the whole long name the first time round, and then use 北朝鮮 after that. I'll pay attention in future.
• Kim Jong-il outwits W. on nukes. I imagine there will be a big celebration feast at chez Kim.
• Well, it finally made The L.A. Times, it must be news. linked to another paper to avoid LAT annoying registration
• Kim Jong II decides N. Korean students need 'quality' food. So he's giving them hamburgers.
• Better than boiled grass.
• Perhaps Kim Jong Il is doing Atkins.