Phew! I was too quick for anyone to see those two(!) hideous spelling errors in the title.
One of the funniest things at the Korean DMZ is how big the Nork flags are. They make sure the flagpoles are taller also.
1: No, but the Yglesian "frosty.ad_icon" remains. Unless it's a subtle play on .wisconsin.
5: That's an impressive range of meanings.
I don't understand what Stanley thinks is so odd -- the installation of speakers? Propaganda by loudspeaker isn't unusual -- the U.S. deploys propaganda by giant speakers mounted on humvees in Iraq and Afghanistan.
9: Maybe odd is the wrong word. I know people have long used speakers in war (what was that story about that detachment of soldiers in WWII who played sounds of tanks and battles and stuff to throw off the enemy?). I don't know what word I wanted, I guess. Absurd, maybe? The whole thing: the speakers themselves, the threat to blow 'em up, it's all absurd?
Having looked at the picture "odd" is the right word for those speakers.
Absurd in what way? Like in a Joseph Heller war is crazy kind of way? Because I don't see how it's more absurd than any other sally in the beginning stages of international conflict. I'm not trying to be a jerk; I don't see what you're getting at.
Like in a Joseph Heller war is crazy kind of way?
Yeah, that's all I meant. And yeah, it's no more absurd than lots of aspects of war, but of the ones I've read about in this particular story, it certainly struck me as most absurd to read about people swinging their dicks over some speakers.
it certainly struck me as most absurd to read about people swinging their dicks over some speakers
It's like you've never met an audiophile.
He's a drummer. If he wants loud, he don't need no speakers. He just hits harder.
s/b "he don't need no stinking speakers."
Speakers play an important role in the hostilities between North and South Korea.
13 Seems a lot less crazy than that Craigslist ad from the previous thread. Think of the vibrations.
17: God I love that video. It's awesome that DPRK kicks ROK's ass so hard.
13: Again, I don't see why it's so strange. This is an intensely felt and personal conflict over differing ways of life; and Pyongyang has a very tight grip on what information is disseminated to its people. By piping in propaganda that is utterly contradictory to that which is approved for distribution by DPRK, South Korea is making as deliberate an assault as it can without destroying life or property. Of course DPRK would want to shut that down.
Also, is the title a pun? Sold out? Sole doubt? I don't get the connection to the story.
Are you trying to be a jerk, jms? Is that what the 'j' stands for?
That is, do you have a masters in the science of jerkiness? I bet you do.
21: Can we have comity on "I probably should have said something like, 'Here's an interesting aspect of the story I read about'"? Because I'd be down with that as what I was going for.
22: Just going for a silly pun, but there is much doubt in Seoul over what to do, I'm sure. And it's a NOFX reference. And I almost went with "Putting the Soul In Near Seoul" to go with my funk suggestion.
Did I strike some nerve or something here, jms?
17: Was it someone here who suggested watching A State of Mind? It was fascinating, but the googleyhoohole fails me.
Sorry if I'm being a jerk; I don't mean to be. The attitude of "it's so wacky to be making a big deal about some speakers" seemed misplaced to me, as it clearly is a big deal.
Completely off-topic, but is anyone going to be in Sacramento this weekend? Because I probably am.
as it clearly is a big fucking deal
Fixed that for you.
The speakers seem like a huge deal to me. It's the only way that ROK can communicate to the people of DPRK, as mentioned above. And it's a clear escalation of tensions to put them back up again.
Would it smooth things over if they put up the largest big screen tv in the world and used the speakers and tv to broadcast the World Cup?
And it's a clear escalation of tensions to put them back up again.
No disagreement here. In fact, I may have been making a joke in suggesting that the ROK play funk music, as followers of Standpipe's other blog are already aware.
You will burn in a lake fire! And my flag is bigger than your, IYNWIMAITTYD.
http://imcom.korea.army.mil/site/news/images/DMZ-Photos/HIGHRES/DMZ%20KOREA%2030.jpg
Hey-I'll bet my English is better is better than your Korean, Bub.
I don't make bets with dead people, kemosabe.
I would have expected a Communist to be better at producing acronyms.
Even dead Great Leaders get drunk once in a while. Where do you think my rat bastard son got his taste for booze? From his Russian butt buddies? As if.
To be all serious and stuff, I see the speaker thing as I do the recent apparent torpedo strike against the Cheonan—as a reaction to the Obama administration's policy of "strategic patience". We may be forcing them to deal directly in a way that's not working. So, that's bad.
I love that the speakers are painted camo' green. 'cause camouflaging fucking big booming speakers is really important.
Did you know that the North has build big tunnels into SK and the South doesn't know where they are? It's true. They found some of them, but can't be sure they know where the rest are. I went down one of them and on the other side of a fence there was a NK soldier. He looked to me like he could have used some bigger speakers. And a tv with more than one channel.
"I love that the speakers are painted camo' green. 'cause camouflaging fucking big booming speakers is really important."
They paint MLRS green (or desert pattern) even though they are pretty obvious when they fire. The reason is that when you're moving them around and setting up, you might want to be not-obvious.
Also, you've got to paint it some colour to stop it rusting. Green's no more expensive than any other.
36: No more making bets with Art Linkletter.
Yeah. I imagine that even if the South Koreans had no concern about camouflage at all they'd still paint the speakers green because armies always paint things green. I'm sure there are practical reasons but probably someone in charge also has a deep need to make them look Army-esque as well.
They should hold massive outdoor parties near those speakers. That would really show the North Koreans what they're missing out on.
Art Linkletter was still alive!? Holy cow.
45: All that extra time to masturbate to him that you missed, apo!
Those speakers would be prefect for Disaster Area. Plus, now that the shuttle Atlantis has been officially retired, we have something to crash into the sun for a proper show.
45: You didn't go back and check, did you? You got lucky as most people pay a bigger price for forgetting #13 on the evil overlord list.
45: My exact reaction when I heard it yesterday.
33,35,38: Dead people say the darndest things.
An idea: get some high ranking South Korean official some copies of apo's masterful Unfunkked series.
They'll probably have to dye the afros olive drab though.
51: Heck, "Poontang" even sounds like a Korean word.
52: Shows how little you know; I ♥ dead people.
Further to 49: The GOP's been rickrolled!
(You will not be rickrolled if you follow the link. Pinky swear.)
If you follow that link, you will never be rickrolled again ever. It's like the smallpox thing they worked up back in the day.
Completely off-topic, but is anyone going to be in Sacramento this weekend? Because I probably am.
What? Oh no. I'm gonna be away. Do you need a place to stay? You're welcome to my house; you'd have it to yourself, 'cept for the cat.
||
Stanley's place engaged in some righteous pushback to the Cuccinelli global warming bullshit:
"Academic freedom is essential to the mission of our Nation's institutions of higher learning and a core First Amendment concern. As Thomas Jefferson intended, the University of Virginia has a long and proud tradition of embracing the 'illimitable freedom of the human mind' by fully endorsing and supporting faculty research and scholarly pursuits. Our Nation also has a long and proud tradition of limited government framed by enumerated powers which Jefferson ardently believed was necessary for a civil society to endure."|>
you'd have it to yourself, 'cept for the cat.
Just cover your eyeballs, f.a..
59: Yeah, Casteen's retiring anyway and has apparently decided to go guns-blazin', which, say what you will about his tenure, I support wholeheartedly. (And Cuccinelli fucking sucks.)
It is nice to have Thomas Jefferson in your back pocket when confronted by punkass AGs who suck festering pond water.
They did the giant loudspeaker propaganda thing in Germany when the Berlin Wall was up, as well.
They didn't have international dialing on the phones. They didn't listen to the radio as they couldn't call to win anything.
68: That's not a very satisfying explanation.
Completely OT: I was required to attend traffic school for failing to come to a complete stop at a stop sign, and am now doing "online traffic school" while working. HOLY CRAP IS THIS THING A JOKE. Basically, you click through various web pages, with a "quiz" after each page. There are ridiculous timing requirements (e.g., 15 minutes before you can click through to a new page) that presumably correspond to some state rule about how long the course is supposed to be. But, of course, you can keep other browser windows open, allowing for working or unfogged commenting while attending "traffic school."
But the best part are the quizzes. Each is a multiple choice question, with four answers, that you can keep answering an unlimited number of times, until you get the correct answer. So, if you understand the difficult concept of "process of elimination" it is literally impossible to fail, even without reading any of the material on the various webpages. Oh, and the pages themselves are chock full of repetitive, gramatically-incorrect information, presumably because everyone is doing what I am doing and not actually reading anything.
Here is some of the information I am learning in my new school:
How you drive depends on what you see. To be a good driver, you need to look carefully by doing the following:• Look ahead.
• Look to the side.
• Look behind you.
Needless to say, you will not be making this failure to come to a complete stop error again, amirite?
72: He might, he might not. But he *will* remember to look ahead, to the side, and behind.
He will at least look ahead, to the side, and behind him for cops.
Wait, the California Rolling Stop is unlawful!!??
the California Rolling Stop
Sounds like a fast-food sushi joint.
76: Or a drive-through head shop.
I rule 77 is not a pwn because apo didn't come to a full stop after 76.
A friend of mine went to Nork with a choral group as part of a fraternal socialist youth cultural exchange program. Bunch of stories which can be summed up as: even for someone from an authoritarian state, the place was very, very creepy. North Korea also was the key to my realization that the SWP folks on my campus were batshit insane when a couple of them tried to convince me that it was a model of freedom of speech compared to the US.
80.last: But see, the fact that you did not know that proved their point!
When A.N.S.W.E.R. was prominent in some of the anti-war events (8 fucking years ago, christ), there was a good website, the URL of which I don't remember -- something like I.W.T.A.I.O.I.N.K. (idiots who think authoritarianism is okay in N. Korea), but much more clever.
What is wrong with this advice?
Stalling on Railroad Tracks: If you cannot get the vehicle off the tracks and a train is approaching, leave the vehicle. Walk quickly toward the train keeping a safe distance from the vehicle. This is to avoid being struck by debris when the train hits the vehicle.
And some more helpful advice:
If your vehicle plunges into deep water, but does not sink immediately, escape through a window. If the vehicle sinks beneath the surface before you can escape, the weight of the engine will force the front end down first. Do not panic, as this usually creates an air pocket in the back of the vehicle. Find this pocket and get into it quickly. Breathe in deeply. When the vehicle has settled, you should be able to escape through a window. If there are young children or anyone else in the vehicle that is unable to release their safety belts, be sure to do so before leaving the vehicle.
See you later, young children.
You shouldn't post such sad things.
Rolling stops are a great argument for stickshift-- you've got to shift down to first, or you didn't slow down enough.
North Korea, irresistible comedy fodder for over half a century.
How do you know that pilot isn't Chinese?
How do you know that pilot isn't Chinese?
Because of the stereotype.
Wasn't that also the Chinese stereotype, after several years of the Cultural Revolution and Mao cult? Not that I was around then.
The Yellow Peril is like the Eternal Jew. Season to taste.
Yes, but I was responding to the North Korean stereotype (cover was from shortly after the USS Pueblo incident etc.).
cover was from shortly after the USS Pueblo incident etc.).
Some some definitions of shortly. The Pueblo was taken in Jan 1968, and the Nat Lamp cover is Dec 70. During the VIET NAM WAR. So probably meant to be Chinese, just to through us off the track.
Remember, the Yellow Peril is inscrutable, not stupid.
You know what TLL and Ned, you got me. I have no fucking idea if it was North Korean or not...
Don't worry JP. They all look alike anyway.
So, in annoying thread hijacking news, I finished traffic school. Oh, and you're all racists.
Don't worry JP. They all look alike anyway: hungry.
The speakers were taken down in 2004, when relations between the two Koreas were less frosty
I hope License to Kim Jong Il is on the South's playlist. (That or "Frosty the Snowman.")
57: I'm just going up for a day, to be more or less a tourist. I might go back at the end of July on a weekday and watch the state government in inaction, or at least see stuff that's closed on weekends.
the California Rolling Stop
I was always taught it was the Hollywood Roll.
84 is so horrible it's almost funny.
I thought the California Driver's Handbook was better than the guide put out by one of the insurance companies. And the DMV web tutorial was ok too. But since it turned out I didn't have to take the written test again, I don't know what that's like nowadays.
Then I found they charged me five 31 dollars.
Despite not having lived there for more than two months in a row since I was 18, and not at all since college, I kept my Minnesota driver's license until 4 or 5 years ago because I could keep renewing it by mail and have my parents send it to me rather than deal with the DC, MA, or NY DMV. Unfortunately, I then foolishly let it lapse, long enough that I had to take a written and a road test to get a new one. I had the pleasure of lining up with a bunch of teenage tyros to take the road test on Staten Island, where I (a) was not eaten by lions and (b) made my evaluator's day by actually knowing how to drive. His previous testee had actually hit another car mid-test.
Wait, the California Rolling Stop is unlawful!!??
Sure, but sometimes there's mitigating circumstances like when people are trying to get catch the eye of a hooker or crack dealer.
