The Off Topic Topic

[jimmy olsen]

http://www.theatlanticwire.com/global/2011/09/afghan-insurgents-pelt-us-embassy-rockets-grenades/42391/

Update: NBC News reports that the insurgents waging the attack are Taliban suicide fighters. Two have been killed and two more continue to fight. In a statement, the Taliban said "several attackers armed with rocket-propelled grenades and suicide vests were targeting government buildings near the city's embassy district." Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid told NBC News, "With the help of our sincere mujahideen with Afghan army, police and government, our fighters managed to enter this high-security zone and carry out such attacks." According to reports, the insurgents took over a high rise building near the U.S. Embassy and began firing rocket-propelled grenades from that location.

Original Post Not a promising sign of progress in Afghanistan. On Tuesday, insurgents waged a coordinated attack against the U.S. Embassy and NATO headquarters, hitting the compounds with a wave of automatic weapons, grenades and rockets, where at least 10 explosions were heard, reports The New York Times. Bloomberg has more details:

    The explosions erupted early in the afternoon in Kab

[MadImmortalMan]

Having failed last week to early vote in the special election due to the polls being closed early, I was able to vote on the way to work this morning. There were seven poll workers there and I was the only voter. Yay?

[garbon]

I decided that I don't care about voting today.

[HisMajestyBOB]

I wrote this short essay for a thing. Enjoy!

One of the longest running hotspots in in US foreign policy is the standoff between North and South Korea. North Korea, considered a rogue state by the United States and the international community, is a major concern to the United States due to its threat to Japan and South Korea, its role in nuclear proliferation and the international arms trade, and its potential destabilizing impacts on East Asia, one of most important economic regions in the world. Because all of the neighboring countries are affected by North Korean issues, the US must engage it multilaterally and using multiple policy instruments such as sanctions, diplomacy, and security guarantees.
   North Korea's army, while one of the largest in the world, has antiquated equipment, poor training, and many of its conscripts are malnourished. However, the North Korean military has demonstrated that they are still a significant threat to South Korea, Japan, and US forces in Korea. Last March a North Korea submarine sank the South Korean corvette Cheonan, and in November North Korean artillery shelled military and civilian structures on Yeonpyeong Island in the Yellow Sea. Furthermore, North Korea has a long history of conducting attacks against South Korea, such as the Blue House commando raid, the Rangoon bombing (both of these were assassination attempts against current South Korean presidents), and numerous skirmishes and firefights along the DMZ and in disputed waters. North Korea has also conducted cyber attacks against South Korean and American websites, including large scale attacks in July 2009. North Korea's nuclear tests in 2006 and 2009 now puts South Korea and Japan at the risk of nuclear retaliation or attack in addition to the long-standing conventional threat of artillery and ballistic missiles. Due to these threats to Tokyo and Seoul, and continued Chinese support for the Kim Jong-il regime, North Korea knows it can avoid any significant retaliation by South Korea or its allies.
   The reasons behind the most recent attacks is debated. One theory is that they were ordered by Kim Jong-il's son and heir-apparent, Kim Jong-un, in order to improve his credentials and gain support for his succession. Another possibility is that they were done to put pressure on South Korea and to extort more food and monetary aid that the regime can use to ensure the loyalty of high-ranking officials and the elite military units.
   North Korea's role in nuclear and weapons proliferation is another significant issue facing the US and its allies. North Korea has provided weapons and technology, particularly for ballistic missiles, to Pakistan, possibly in exchange for help on North Korea's nuclear weapons program. North Korea also provides missiles and other weapons to Iran and Syria, and is suspected of assisting those countries with their nuclear programs. A Syrian nuclear facility bombed by the Israelis in 2007 is believed to have been built with North Korean assistance and bears similarity to North Korea's Yongbyon reactor. In 2009, a cargo plane with a significant amount of weapons from North Korea and suspected to be bound for Iran was detained in Thailand. These weapons export programs are a major source of income for the North Korean government, and is one of the few North Korean exports with an eager market.
   North Korea's rogue state behavior is a threat to regional stability in East Asia. Every incident sees a disruption in South Korean and Japanese markets, and a major conflict on the Korean peninsula would cause havoc in this major economic hub. South Korea is often reluctant to take too strong a stance against North Korea, for fear of an attack that would cause major economic recession and could leave thousands dead if it escalates. Furthermore, the collapse of the North Korean government would also become a major crisis in the region, even without any military attack. Such a collapse would create a major humanitarian crisis, resulting in thousands or millions of refugees fleeing to China, South Korea, and Japan. The costs of reunification would place a heavy economic burden on South Korea, and the potential for confrontation between the US, South Korea, and Japan with China over Korean reunification could create a diplomatic crisis or even a tense military standoff. The US must contain North Korea, but must also work closely with its allies and with China to both enforce current sanction and to create contingency plans should North Korea collapse or should an incident escalate and create a serious risk of war.

[Grey Fox]

CIA world fact book?

[HisMajestyBOB]

I wish!   

[Admiral Yi]

Just heard on CNN that Iran is releasing the hiking spies on humanitarian grounds.  Only $500,000 a head.

[HisMajestyBOB]

Just heard on CNN that Iran is releasing the hiking spies on humanitarian grounds.  Only $500,000 a head.

They should've held out for a visit from Bill Clinton.

[Malthus]

Just heard on CNN that Iran is releasing the hiking spies on humanitarian grounds.  Only $500,000 a head.

They should've held out for a visit from Bill Clinton.

There are women in Iran who need groping? 

[Admiral Yi]

They should've held out for a visit from Bill Clinton.

I don't know mang, a million clams buys a lot of badly made suits.

[Ideologue]

Got a new suit and a bunch of new clothes for my birthday.  Also, a burrito.  Score.

Jesus fucking Christ, I just had a panic attack while playing a video game. 

I don't have panic attacks, but I've had rage fits over video games.  Fucked a copy of Street Fighter IV right up a year and a half back.

[The Brain]

A court allowed to register the word "Fuck" as a trademark for alcoholic drinks and clothes in Germany.

In befo da delete

[Eddie Teach]

I don't have panic attacks, but I've had rage fits over video games.  Fucked a copy of Street Fighter IV right up a year and a half back.

I've had those many, many times. This was similar, except it was set off by nerves and not anger and it felt a bit harder to move. But I've certainly gotten so angry I went numb on many occasions.

[derspiess]

I've had those many, many times. This was similar, except it was set off by nerves and not anger and it felt a bit harder to move. But I've certainly gotten so angry I went numb on many occasions.

My son probably laid the groundwork for his portfolio of swear words from overhearing me play BFBC2 online.  Haven't broken anything, though.

No idea what a panic attack is like.

[MadImmortalMan]

Putin is the James Bond of world leaders.

http://www.theatlantic.com/infocus/2011/09/vladimir-putin-action-man/100147/