There are some things in life that are as regular as the rising and setting of the sun, and among them is North Korea's  ability to stall, delay and whedle out of her obligations under the six party agreement, while at the same time demanding rewards for what at best can be called half measures best. 

Both from the Chosun Ilbo:

N.Korea Hints at Halt in Nuclear Disablement.

     North Korea has warned it could halt the process of disabling its nuclear facilities until it gets energy aid it feels entitled to as a reward, casting a pall over the future prospects of six-nation denuclearization talks. Hyon Hak-bong, deputy director of the U.S. affairs bureau at the North Korean Foreign Ministry, on Wednesday said the other nations in the six-party talks “are dragging their feet on their fulfillment of economic compensation duties. We have no choice but to control the pace of the disablement of nuclear facilities." It was the first mention of such “pace control” for political rather than technical reasons.

     While the progress made thus far is encouraging it is merely the first step in what is a long road toward North Korea's total and lasting nuclear disarmament.  Until the Stalinist regieme of North Korea can hold up its end of the bargin they should not, and will not recieve rewards simply because they demand them.

A New Crisis Over N.Korea's Nuclear Program?

     The Chosun Shinbo newspaper, which is published in Japan and acts as a North Korean mouthpiece, said Thursday that Pyongyang was willing to talk about “no longer producing any nuclear weapons and not selling them to other countries.” In other words, it is not willing to declare the nuclear weapons it has already produced. North Korea has acknowledged it has purchased uranium enrichment equipment. The president of Pakistan testified that its uranium enrichment technology had been handed over to North Korea. Yet North Korea reportedly has no intention of properly declaring its uranium enrichment program. The U.S. believes North Korea’s suspected nuclear connection with Syria should also be included in the declaration.

     The participants in the six-country talks agreed to provide heavy oil to North Korea as compensation for the shutdown and dismantlement of the rusty Yongbyon nuclear facility. But now the time has come for North Korea to declare its nuclear materials, which would show its true willingness to scrap its nuclear ambitions, the Stalinist country is suddenly having second thoughts. Looking at North Korea’s attitude now, it is questionable whether it will be honest in declaring the total amount of plutonium it has processed.

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From First Multi National Force Iraq:

Iraqi Military Academy Graduates 229 New Officers, 44 Pilot Candidates.

Marines Teach Iraqis to Overcome Differences for Greater Good.

Iraqi Ministry of Defense Hosts Military Sales Office Grand Opening.

Iraqi Air Force provides airlift to Iraqi National Police.

Iraqi Army Soldiers recover large cache.

Mosul religious pilgrims return from Hajj

Iraq: al-Qaida 75 Percent Gone.

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    One of the best gifts I got for Christmas this yeart wa copy of the Paprika DVD.  I am huge fan of the work of Satoshi Kon, but Paprika may verry well be his best works to date.  It combines the mental vs actual reality with the who is who aspects of Perfect Blue.  This is one fantastic film, and I will certainly be looking for an english version of the novel upon which it is based.

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     New posts coming later, I am in Texas visting relatives.  And I am also enjoying the nice weather.  Sun and sixty degree temperatures are a nice change from the twenties and snow.  Well I will let the pictures do the talking.

From This:

To This:

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    A Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all of you.  Especially to those of you who find yourselves in sweltering jungles, scorching deserts or wind swept mountains or anywhere else on the land or upon the seas.  Here is hoping that next year is spent not at the front but in the embrace of hearth, home and family.

U.S. Army Soldiers from Alpha Company, 2nd Battalion, 82nd Aviation Regiment, U.S. Marine Corps embedded trainers, Afghan National Police, and Afghan National Army Soldiers search a village in Ala Say Valley, Afghanistan, for suspected Taliban members Aug. 11, 2007. (U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Marcus J. Quarterman) (Released)

U.S. Army Spc. Jason Curtis provides security for members of a medical civil action project in Parun, Afghanistan, on June 28, 2007. Curtis is assigned to Charlie Company, 1st Battalion, 151st Infantry Regiment. DoD photo by Sgt. Brandon Aird, U.S. Army. (Released)

U.S. Navy Builder 2nd Class Chad Smith, right, of Naval Mobile Construction Battalion Three and Philippine marine Pfc. Marlon Seytes, from the 5th Marine Battalion, work together to build a new school in the village of Taglibi on Jolo Island, Philippines , Feb. 20, 2007, during exercise Balikatan 2007. The annual bilateral exercise is designed to improve interoperability between the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the United States military during humanitarian, medical and engineering missions. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Michael Larson) (Released)

U.S. Army Soldiers from Alpha Company, 2nd Battalion, 14th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division setup a fence for a veterinarian assistance operation in Yusufiya, Iraq, Oct. 23, 2007. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. Luke Thornberry ) (Released)

The Military Sealift Command (MSC) Modular Cargo Delivery System Ship SS CAPE GIRARDEAU (T-AK 2039) underway on the Pacific Ocean as a USN HH-60H Seahawk, Helicopter Anti-Submarine Squadron Four (HS-4), Black Knights, returns to pick up another load of supplies during a Vertical Replenishment (VERTREP).

U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Steven Hall, a vehicle maintainer with the 332nd Expeditionary Logistics Readiness Squadron's vehicle management flight, adjusts the air compressor on the braking system of a 10-ton truck at Balad Air Base, Iraq, Sept. 17, 2007. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Joshua J. Garcia) (Released)

U.S. Marines from Detachment A, Marine Special Operations Command, attached to Joint Special Operations Task Force - Philippines observe a group of Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) soldiers do a jungle movement they learned as part of a subject matt er expert exchange in Sanga Sanga, Philippines, May 19, 2007. Subject matter expert exchanges are regularly conducted to ensure the U.S. and Philippines can work together in crisis and non-crisis circumstances while maintaining the U.S. -Philippines security partnership. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Troy Latham) (Released)

    We pause to keep you in our thoughts and prayers during these most joyus days, and to remember that we have the freedom to do so thanks to your sacrifices.  To borrow someone else's words:

"We sleep soundly in our beds because rough men stand ready to do violence on our behalf." -- George Orwell.

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From First Multi National Force Iraq:

USO Tour Brings Smiles to Soldiers’ Faces.

Iraqi Special Operations Forces, U.S. Special Forces detain 2 extremists near Abu Saydah as Saghir.

Iraqi Security Volunteers, Iraqi Police, Coalition Forces team up to arrest thieves.

Iraqi Woman Walks Out of Hospital on New Legs.

Extremists 'Getting Desperate' in Iraq, Army Colonel Says.

NMCB 1 Brings Runway Project on Final Approach.

Two suspected extremists arrested in Shurta.

Baghdad CID, U.S. MPs release 108 detainees.

U.S. Soldiers detain suspected insurgent south of Baghdad.

Coalition forces target al-Qaeda foreign terrorist facilitators, media networks.

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     South Korea has a new president and he is all about business, literally.  The conerstone of his campaign was all about maintaining and increasing South Korea's economic growth.  But on the front of foreign relations he offers a breath of fresh air, as he and his party are going take a harder line with the north and their not so dear leader.

From the Chosun Ilbo: Lee Myung-bak Elected President by a Landslide.

     Grand National Party presidential candidate Lee Myung-bak soared to victory in the 17th presidential election on Wednesday, missing an absolute majority by a hair’s breadth.

     Grand National Party presidential candidate Lee Myung-bak garnered 11,492,398 votes or 48.7 percent of the votes, beating United New Democratic Party rival Chung Dong-young by 5,317,708 votes. Chung notched up 6,174,681 votes or 26.1 percent. Independent Lee Hoi-chang came in third by winning 3,559,963 votes or 15.1 percent. The gap between president-elect Lee and second placer Chung was the largest since the direct presidential election system was re-introduced in 1987. In the 13th president election in 1987, the gap was 1.94 million votes. Lee achieved an unprecedented landslide victory with 5.32 million votes ahead of the second placer in a presidential race where 10 aspirants jostled for votes.

In other Korean News: The Looming Threat of N.Korea's KN-02 Missiles.

     On April 25 at a military parade in Pyongyang to mark the 75th anniversary of the founding of its army, North Korea unveiled several new ballistic missiles -- which were keenly noted by intelligence communities in Seoul, Washington and Tokyo. There were 52 missiles of four kinds, carried on launching vehicles in groups of 13 past a reviewing stand.

     The KN-02 has a range of 100 to 120 km. If launched from near the DMZ, they could hit the U.S. military base in Pyeongtaek. They may seem insignificant compared with North Korea's other missiles which can travel 300 to 500 km to hit Daejeon or anywhere else in South Korea, or the Rodong missiles with a range of 1,300 km that can hit Japan.

     Nonetheless, senior U.S. government and military officials including Gen. Burwell Bell, commander of the U.S. Forces Korea, regard the KN-02 as a serious threat. Experts say that despite its shorter range, the KN-02 has a few characteristics that make it very worrisome. First of all, it can be launched quickly because it uses solid fuel.

     Another strong point of the KN-02 is its accuracy. Although not confirmed yet, experts believe that it has an error radius of just 100 m. With that kind of accuracy the KN-02 could easily hit the central nerve network of the South Korean and U.S. militaries, including the Defense Ministry building in Yongsan, Seoul.

On a related note: What Japan’s Test Means for Korea's Missile Defense.

     Generally I remain very warry of North Korea, as does President Elect  Lee Myung-Bak.  Their recent shenanigans with the revelation that their is strong evidence that they did in fact engage in an enriched uranium program along side their plutonium efforts and the delays in meeting goals set forth in the six party talks makes me believe that Kim Jong-Il is not going to voluntarily give up his nuclear arsenal or know how.  The situation remains one bears watching as South Korea changes governments in the next couple of months, and what more is learned about what the North has and hasn't done vis-a-vis its nuclear program.

From Fox News: North Korean Tubes Found to Be Contaminated With Uranium Traces.

     WASHINGTON —  North Korea recently turned over to the United States equipment found to be contaminated with traces of highly enriched uranium — HEU — apparently contradicting the country's stance that it never had such a program, FOX News has confirmed.

     The equipment was described as a set of "smelted aluminum tubes" suitable for an HEU centrifuge program, a step necessary to make a nuclear weapon.

     "They got some 'splainin' to do," one U.S. arms control official said when first told of the discovery about a month ago, he recalled to FOX.

     However, North Korea claims the tubes were intended for use in the development of a conventional "artillery" weapon, sources told FOX News.

     As part of a six-nation disarmament deal, North Korea is disabling its Yongbyon nuclear reactor and related nuclear facilities, and is obligated to provide a "complete and correct" declaration of all their nuclear programs, weapons, and materiel by Dec. 31.

     American officials anxiously have been waiting to see whether, and to what extent, the North Koreans will acknowledge the existence of their HEU program, about which the United States first confronted Pyongyang in October 2002.

     The Koreans initially admitted to having an HEU program, said Mike Green, a former National Security Council staff aide who was present for the October 2002.

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     We got dumped on but good today, it snowed from early in the morning until about 5:30 in the afternoon.  So this year will be a white Christmass, and suppousedly it isn't going to snow for a couple of more days, but more is expexted.  I like the snow but I hate shoveling it, and digging my car out.  On balance though I like having four actual seasons as compared to other places I have lived where you got two at best, and niether one was particularly enjoyable.

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Interesting Paint schemes on a couple of F-16Cs from Kunsan AB in south Korea.  The second aircraft is staed as being in an artic scheme for upcoming exercises in Alaska, but the first picture has no explanation for the three tone blues and gray paint scheme.  I have seen it on aircraft in agressor squadrons but this is the first time I have seen a regular fighter squadron aircraft painted this way.  Pics clickable for uber giant versions.

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I must be watching too much Metalocalypse, but I have been listening to Finnish metal for the last couple of ours while online.  The other major factor I blame is IMF, since I am always hearing music there that I like, and it can be, from, well anywhere.  IMF stands for International Music Feed afterall (DISH Network Channel 157).  Anyway here are a couple of Nightwish videos from Youtube.

Amaranth

Bye Bye Beautiful

Hot Nordic metal, sung by a hot Nordic chick too boot.

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    First off, in case you have not heard a few days ago a deranged man walked into a gym in Sasebo on the 15^th of December.  He killed two people and injured six before fleeing and later turning the gun on himself.  (Note: his name has been made public but I won't use it so as to deny the shooter any posthumous fame.)  The crime is somewhat unusual in Japan, but it is also not unheard of either.  While gun crime is rare in Japan it does occur, and that in and of itself is noteable as a failure of gun control.  The mayor of Nagasaki was murdered back in April (See a news story about that here.)  As far asking why these things happen, I have found that it usually tends to be wasted and futile effort, it is impossible to know what motivated a person to murder unles they are alive to be asked or they left a such information behind.  Even then the answers given may or may not be truthfull or even coherent.

     This crime and similar events of late have led to calls for the already draconian firearms legislation in Japan to be tightened even further.  The focus on the means of the crime is to miss the entire point.  The how of a crime does not matter to the victim of crime.  The criminal must be apprehended, given a fair and impartial trial and punished as the law provides.  When as in this case it is not possible to punish the criminal, one conducts a full investigation so as to learn what was done right and what was done wrong and how to better hnadle such incidents in the future.

From the Yomuiri Shimbun: Killings raise doubts over gun permit system

     Senior officers at the National Police Agency have been puzzling over how a man who randomly shot two people dead at a sports gym in Sasebo, Nagasaki Prefecture, on Friday evening, was able to obtain a permit to own a hunting gun.

     This latest incident, after which suspected assailant Masayoshi Magome took his own life, comes after previous fatal shootings with shotguns this year in Kagoshima and Kochi prefectures.

     In all these cases, the suspected assailants had been granted permits by prefectural public safety commissions to own such weapons.

     This latest incident will inevitably stir debate over whether police forces are making sufficient background checks on those wishing to own guns.

     "The permit system has become emasculated and inspections are a mockery," one expert said.

     According to the NPA, permits had been granted for about 305,000 hunting weapons such as rifles and shotguns across the country as of the end of June 2006.

     Last Sunday, a drunk man used a shotgun to shoot dead a female neighbor and wound a man at the woman's home in Tsunocho, Kochi Prefecture.

     In the latest incident in Sasebo, the suspect is believed to have behaved strangely prior to the shooting, doing things such as calling on a neighbor out of the blue in the middle of the night.

     A local resident is reported to have asked the prefectural police to revoke Magome's gun permit.

     Human nature is largely an unchanging thing, it has exsisted for thousands of years and will far out last all those who are alive today.  The purpose of the social contract between citizen and government is simple, that the government will maintain order and protect its citizens from attack by foreign powers and other duties as agreed to by both parties. In return the citizen agrees to obey the laws of the state and to serve the state when needed.   But the state also agrees to be bound by the same laws and to respect and protect the rights of its citizens, which pre-exsist the state.   Why mention this, simple the difference between gun control in the US and Japan is the understanding of the concept of the social contract and other ideas that spring form the enlightenment and the preceding age of reason.

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     This story offends me both as an individual, but all the more so as a soldier myself.  When a person committs themselves to risking life and limb for their nation, or in this case a foreign nation they are owed all that they are promised and not one bit less.  Even the French see to it that members of the Foreign Legion who serve  twenty or more years are well taken care of after the leave the Legion.  Certainly the British can see to it that the Gurkahs are treated in a manner equal to every other British soldier.

From the Times of London: Gurkhas will be sacked early to reduce their pension rights.

     THE Ministry of Defence (MoD) is facing legal action over plans to cut the pensions of Gurkhas by sacking them three years before they are due to leave the army. 

     The move, which means the MoD will avoid having to pay an ordinary Gurkha soldier more than £200,000, is to be challenged in the courts by the British Armed Forces Federation (BAFF).

     The policy was introduced by civil servants after they were forced to increase the Gurkhas’ pay and pensions to bring them into line with the rest of the army. An official briefing document on the new pension scheme shows that 80%-85% of Gurkhas will be discharged early, so missing the better payments.

     What is worse is that this has been tried before with regular members of the British Army and caused a stink back in 2002.  The fact that this policy is being revived is bad enough, but the fact that it is limited to the Gurkahs certainly has at least some hint of racism to it.

     But its deliberate intent to cut pension payments was exposed in 2002 after a series of cases in which highly experienced soldiers with extremely good reports were thrown out at a time when the army was desperately short of such men.

     Ministers ordered civil servants to stop using the scheme to discharge good soldiers and it has not been used since. It has been revived specifically to control the numbers of Gurkha soldiers.

Hat tip to the Huntsman for twigging me to this bit of shameful news.

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     As I had long suspected todays release of the Mitchell report represents a new milestone in wasted time, money, effort and manpower by the MLB to tell us what we already knew.   What is worse is that the report is underpinned by dubious swcond and third hand evidence that does not stand up to even the slightest scrutiny.  All that comissioner Selig has managed to do is to reopen a wound that had only recently begun to heal.  The players association will scream bloody murder about the contents of the report, and justifably so.  At his press confrence today Selig said it was time to move on, as did Senator Mitchell.  If that is the case then why comission the report in the first place?  Baseball will suffer more labor unrest and controversy because this report prevents baseball from doing what everyone says they need to do, move forward.  The final fallout will be determined over the next few weeks and months, but it will do more harm to the MLB than if they had simply let the sleeping dogs of the past lie instead.

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     The Dear Troll Doll of North Korea is once more trying to deny, lie and hide the full extent of his nuclear weapons program.  While some people might claim that their is little proof of an NK enriched uranium program the evidence is their, straight from the mouth of A.Q. Khan, who gave them the know how and equipment to undertake such a program.  Modern nuclear weapons often have both Pu-239 and U-235 for fissile material, not one or the other, therefore it is only logical that any nation with nuclear ambitions would pursue both plutonium generating reactors and uranium enrichment methods such as gas centerfuges or gasseous difussion.

More for the China Post: Six-party talks at a critical stage.

     The six-party talks hosted by China on North Korea's nuclear weapons program have reached a critical stage, and signs are that while the disabling of the nuclear reactor at Yongbyon is going well, the overall denuclearization of the Korean peninsula may be in jeopardy.

     As a result, North Korea may not meet the Dec. 31 deadline of making a full and complete declaration of its nuclear programs.

     The problem is that the United States insists that Pyongyang address allegations that it had a covert program to produce nuclear weapons by using highly enriched uranium (HEU).

     This issue caused the collapse of the 1994 U.S.-North Korea accord, under which Pyongyang agreed to freeze its Yongbyon reactor. In return, Washington promised to provide heavy fuel oil and two light-water reactors. But soon after it came into office in 2001, the new Bush administration accused North Korea of having violated the agreement by establishing a covert HEU program.

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     The KMT has finally given way and alloowe dfor Taiwan's much delayed arms purchase from the US to happen.  Why it took so long I have no idea, I mean the PRC isn't being real bashful about their intentions with the way their pouring money into their military, especially their navy.  What finally brought the KMT around was most likely the fact that the Ruling praty was hammering them as weak on defense with a preisdental election loomin in Taiwan they felt that they had to prove that they are strong on defencse.  Of course giving this deal the go ahead two years ago would have removed all doubt.  They may have claimed that Taiwan can't afford an arms race with the PRC, but then the PRC could ill afford a real arms race given their current economic situation.

From the Bangkok Post: Taiwan opposition agrees to purchase of US-made anti-missile system.

     Taiwan's main opposition party will vote to approve funding of a U.S.-made anti-missile system for the island's defense after delaying the measure for more than two years, a party leader said Wednesday.

     Caucus whip Tseng Yung-chuan said the Nationalist party had agreed to funding for four units of the Patriot III.

     Opposition lawmakers previously had argued that the arms deal would spark an arms race with rival China that could bankrupt Taiwan's economy.

     "The budget for another two units will be approved after the first four units are installed," he said, adding that the budget for the first four units will be passed in a legislative session next Thursday.

     The Patriot system is part of a US$16 billion (?12 billion) U.S. arms package that President Chen Shui-bian's administration wants to acquire to counter an ambitious arms build-up from China.

     Other elements in the arms package are P3 Orion submarine-hunting aircraft and diesel submarines.

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     Doujinshi, that is otaku, doujinshi based on Genshiken?  That is so Otaku that it is like a Neutron star, always threating to become so massive that it collapses in on itself.  Anyway here are two really funny Genshiken Sasahara-Oguie dojins translated into english. 

ABC  Gokko

ABC Gokko 2

And as is de rigeur for these posts if you need a file management /compression /decompression software I as always most strongly suggest 7 Zip.

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     I haven't mentioned this yet, even though it has been a done deal for a week now, I have enlisted in the Army and will be shipping off to basic training on January 8^th.  This has been in the works for some time now and I must say that I hadn't mentioned it for fear of jinxing myself, as silly as that is.  Any way I won't let this humble corner of the web gather dust while I am away, I will arrange for some one else to look after things till I get through with basic and have regular access to computer again.  For those that are interested my MOS will be 13D, Automated Field Artillery Tactical Data Systems Specialist.  Basically I will be working a computer that directs the thunder from the big guns on to the poor SOB's on the recieving end.

     Here is a Pic of the afore mentioned AFTADS system, it is the terminal the Sergeant in the foreground is sitting in front of inside what appears to be a M-577A3 Armored command post.

     As for the rest of the details I will enter as a Private First Class (E-3) due to the my college credits and I maxed out my bonus at $40,000.  That is only due to the law capping bonuses at forty thousand for all personel other than doctors, the combined bonuses on offer for the job and quick ship would have come to $55,000 because they are desperate for 13D's since as of December 3^rd it had a $35,000 bonus available.  My training, both Basic and AIT will be at not so scenic Fort Sill Oaklahoma.  I know it isn't sceinic becuase my dad was stationed at Sheppard AFB just south of Sill for five years, it is an area that is actually flatter than this part of Kansas.  Which unsurprisingly is the home of the US Army Field Artillery School.  Total training time comes out to 17 weeks 6 days, breaking down as follows:  Reception six days, Basic Combat Training 9 weeks, Advanced Individual Training 8 weeks. There isn't much more to say really, so that is it on this for now.

And a pic of an M-109A6 Paladin lobbing a shell down range.

Oh yeah, if you want nifty pictures of things military like the ones above try the Defense Visual Information Center website.

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     I am always amazed when ever I read about the Voyager program, after all these years the two Voyager probes contunue to return useful dtata and help to refine our knowledge about our solar system and space in general.  A case in point is the confirmation from Voyager two that the solar system is in fact more or less egg shaped rather than perfectly rond.  While this had been assumed and accepted for a number of years now the confirmation elevates what was scientific supposition to scientific fact, and that is a big deal. Voyager proves solar system is 'squashed'.

     SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. - NASA's Voyager 2 spacecraft has followed its twin, Voyager 1, into the solar system's final frontier, a vast region at the edge of our solar system where the solar wind runs up against the thin gas between the stars.

     However, Voyager 2 took a different path, entering this region, called the heliosheath, on Aug. 30, 2007. Because Voyager 2 crossed the heliosheath boundary, called the solar wind termination shock, about 16 billion kilometers (10 billion miles) away from Voyager 1 and almost 1.6 billion kilometers (a billion miles) closer to the sun, it confirmed that our solar system is "squashed" or "dented"- that the bubble carved into interstellar space by the solar wind is not perfectly round. Where Voyager 2 made its crossing, the bubble is pushed in closer to the sun by the local interstellar magnetic field.

     "Voyager 2 continues its journey of discovery, crossing the termination shock multiple times as it entered the outermost layer of the giant heliospheric bubble surrounding the sun and joined Voyager 1 in the last leg of the race to interstellar space," said Voyager Project Scientist Edward Stone of the California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, Calif. Results on the Voyager 2 shock crossing from the entire Voyager science team are being presented at the Fall 2007 meeting of the American Geophysical Union in San Francisco.

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     All of the broken images that were invisable have been repaired, and some are now clickable fro the fullsize version.  With that taken care of everything should (knock on wood) be working properly.  I now have something to ask for when minx goes to 1.2 either a show all feature for post editing or that it not kick you back to page 1 of posts after editing a post on a later page.  Aside from that the fix was fairly simple if time consuming, so no real harm done.

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     Must come to an end, so the saying goes.  Still it is always a little sad when a series that you enjoy as much as I do genshiken reaches its final conclusion.  Comics Worth Reading has a review ofGenshiken Volume 9 up.  I look forward to this one once it hits the shelves, but I also wish that a series this great could go on.

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