Well, That Explains That

Remember when the little runt in North Korea kicked it and I was amazed at all of the public mourning that was going on? Seriously, people appeared to be beside themselves with grief as they fell all over each other in the streets. There was so much hysterical sobbing. It seemed weird. And it was. And now we know why.

According to something called Daily NK, "The North Korean authorities have completed the criticism sessions which began after the mourning period for Kim Jong Il and begun to punish those who transgressed during the highly orchestrated mourning events." Uhhh...come again? "The authorities are handing down at least six months in a labor-training camp to anybody who didn’t participate in the organized gatherings during the mourning period, or who did participate but didn’t cry and didn't seem genuine." Holy police state, Batman. I guess that would explain the scenes that we saw like this:

And this:

And this:

I think that I'd be sobbing my head off in public too if I knew that if I didn't that I was going to be picked up and sent to some sort of North Korean labor camp. Just the thought of that almost makes me burst out crying right now! Oh, but look! It gets worse! "...the source added that people who are accused of circulating rumors criticizing the country’s 3rd generation dynastic system are also being sent to re-education camps or being banished with their families to remote rural areas." Not that this needs to be said or anything, but that seems rather extreme. So let me get this straight. If a member of my family circulates some sort of rumor about the newest runt to run that hell hole-ish regime, then my family gets banished along with the naysayer?! What about that particularly mouthy aunt that everyone seems to have? Just because she opens her yap then the rest of us end up rurally banished?! That seems...what's the word I want? Oh, that's right. Bat s*** crazy.


In this country people can say whatever they want about this country without fear of having themselves and/or their families banished. And while there might be an awful lot of things to complain about around here, the freedom to say whatever you want or whatever you don't want should never be complained about. And here, I thought that maybe things could be different in North Korea with a new leader. Yeah, that's not going to happen. Crap.

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Ten

Here's a story that has so much wrong with it in just the first three paragraphs that it's difficult to continue reading. The headline was off-putting enough. "10-year old Mexican girl gives birth to baby boy after 31-week pregnancy". Eww. And, oh God. Hard to believe that gets worse, eh? Well, I don't know if it's 'worse' exactly, but it sure as hell ain't better.

The article goes on to say that "The premature infant, which weighed 3.3 pounds, was born by Caesarian section...and is in the intensive care unit recovering from pneumonia." 3.3 pounds. I bought a chicken the other day that was more than 3.3 pounds! That's a tiny baby. But, wait! There's more. It also says that "The young mother...has returned home after the procedure but visits the baby every day to breastfeed". A ten year old. Breast feeding. Why in the world was this allowed to happen?! She's TEN! There are a lot of things that ten-year olds should be doing, but breast feeding certainly is not among those things!

Now, I don't know if the family would have been interested in an abortion (even though I kind of think that they probably should have been), but it wouldn't have mattered anyway because in Mexico, the "...minimum age of consent is 12". Soooo...wait. A ten-year old gets knocked up somehow (they are currently "...investigating whether the girl could have been raped and who the father is") and there is not an abortion option?! How is that possible?! There is every time of sick bastard in the world out there and nothing can be put past any of them. So if they just happen to get a child pregnant and that child is under 12, then that child is basically forced to go through a pregnancy!? And have a freaking baby?! Our neighbors to the south, ladies and gentlemen. How 'bout a big round of applause? No? Ok, then.

This is insane. A ten-year old is in what...fourth grade? Good Lord, a fourth grader should not be having children. And if someone is raped, I don't care how old they are, they shouldn't be caught up in some sort of a legality that puts them in the position to be essentially forced to have a child that they don't want. Way to go, Mexico. And for all of you jackass lawmakers and religious nutjobs in this country that think that abortion should be greatly restricted or outlawed altogether, you people need to step into reality for a minute and ask yourself about situations like this horror that went on. She's ten! And I'm nauseous.

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You Don't Say?

So, just a couple of ridiculous and not so shocking things that I ran across today. (And don't worry. My "vacation" is almost over. Expect daily posts to resume shortly.)

According to Huffington Post, Jesse James and Kat Von D have broken up. Shocking, I know. Who would have thought that the guy who would be so freaking stupid as to cheat on the extremely lovely Sandra Bullock would be unable to have a committed relationship. I'm not saying that it was his fault. I'm saying that he's a jackass.

Also in the news, the lawyer for lunatic Norwegian shooter Anders Behring Breivik says that his client is possibly insane. Possibly? Really? A guy starts shooting anyone and everyone that he can find in an attack that he planned for at least nine years because he sees himself as some sort of a warrior and some sort of Western world savior and he's only possibly insane? Jesus, what do you have to do over there in order to be probably insane?!
And by the way, you're not going to pretend that when you first heard of this horrific ordeal and when you first saw a picture of the obviously insane lunatic that you didn't think that Julian Assange had gone off the deep end, are you? Behold!




Yeah, they're the same. Maybe not Val Kilmer/Chaz Bono the same, but still the same. And finally, I had been doing some reading about all of the human-animal hybrids that are being created in labs all over. First thing I thought of was this guy. Behold!

But then I realized that it was former Congressman David Wu (Oregon, D-umbass) who has just resigned because of some sex scandal. Word on the street is that he had sex with an 18-year old. She seems to be implying that it was not all that consensual, whereas he (of course) is insisting that it was. Right. Because if I were an 18-year old girl and I saw Simba there, I would naturally want to hit that immediately. Uh, yeah, I don't think so.

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The Worst Invention Ever

This could quite possibly be the worst invention ever. It's definitely in the running. I'm not saying it's worse than those damn Venetian blind sunglasses or protective eyewear or whatever they are, but it's still pretty damn bad. I present to you either the ViconRevue or the SenseCam (it's kind of hard to tell which one they're going with, but it's still horrible). Behold!

Well, that doesn't look so bad, does it? How horrible can it possibly be? Lemme tell ya and then let's see if you're still spouting that sort of nonsense, shall we? According to the folks over there at New Scientist, this Vicon Revue is "A camera you can wear as a pendant to record every moment of your life." Um, I think I speak for most sane individuals when I say: Um, EVERY moment? Are you kidding me? I spend most of my life trying not to remember most moments! Now you want me to want to photograph them?? For all of time and eternity?? Have you gone mad??

Here's the part I have a hard time believing: "Imogen Moorhouse, Vicon's managing director, says that Microsoft has licensed the technology because it can't keep up with demand for the gadget." Really? Can't keep up with people who want every other minute of their life photographed? Has the human race in general become that vain, that self-absorbed? If they can't keep up with demand for this hideous invention, then we are not going to be doomed, we're already there. We're at doom's house and we're sitting in its living room having a cup of coffee.

Think about it. If you put one of these things around your kid's neck when it is first born (preferably after it's been hosed off and dried out a bit, as those things are disgusting when they first enter this world) it is never going to know any different. It is going to think that this is how life is. Everything I do will be on my magical/evil pendant which I am beholden to wear until the day I croak (probably from killing myself because I just can't take the constant monitoring any more.) It'd be like that movie The Truman Show only you'd know what was going on (unlike Jim Carrey who took most of the movie to figure out that his life was a lie full of lying liars and that he was probably the only one not getting paid for that fiasco).

It's a horrible idea. Horrible. Don't believe me? Remember college? You want that preserved forever? Hell, no you don't. You didn't even want it preserved until the next morning (at least, that's that Bethany Tiffani Amber Candi Jones said). And what if you're in that situation and the other person has one of the evil see-all pendants? Think that you're ever going to be able to disappear into the world without ever being found again by the young woman whom agreed to allow you to defile her repeatedly after a raucous game of beer pong? I don't think that you are. She'll be able to hunt you down like...like...some sort of beast being hunted down.

It won't be like before where she would have to look high and low for you like you were some Tickle Me Elmo doll at Christmas time when that sort of thing was hot and in short supply. Everywhere that she'd hear that you were, she'd go there and you wouldn't be there. Then she'd just repeat that exercise over and over until she found some other guy to get drunk and play beer pong with. But she'll have pictures of you now. Detailed pictures. And I would have to imagine that you'd have detailed photos of her. Defiled and all. Ugh. Not good. Not good at all!

And if you think that these folks are just going to stop at photos, I'd guess that you'd be wrong. Wait until these things come with sound recording capability. Then everything that you say will be preserved for time and all eternity as well! Oh, joy! I've never said anything stupid in my life, so that will be just fine! Or not.

That article does go on to say that "So far, only 500 have been made, most for use by researchers." Ah. Researchers. Translation: No problems with wearing one themselves because who in the hell are they ever going to interact with in the first place. Ugh.

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