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N. Korean leader Kim Jong Il dies

bbc.co.uk

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Re: N. Korean leader Kim Jong Il dies

#71
post #50
post #47

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Hardly, HN only covers world events with real global significance. I enjoy reading HN users takes on this kind of news as I find it interesting to discuss this kind of news but comments on mainstream news sites are terrible and I don't really have the time to invest in other sites with quality comments who cover this stuff in far higher volume.

Agreed, the tone and community here provide interesting discussion and insights on the really big turning points such as these. Comparably on reddit there is a lot of chaff to work through to get to the interesting kernels.

please show me those "interesting discussion and insights" http://i.imgur.com/GaBJJ.png

Re: N. Korean leader Kim Jong Il dies

#72
post #62

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Honestly I find it in a bad taste. Also, there is nothing to ashame about using IE especially IE9. It's truly a decent enough browser.

Look at the tables on caniuse.com. The only browser to which it compares favorably is Safari 3 (from 4 years ago) and all other versions of IE.

That's why I said it's "decent enough" and not "best". Even as a developer who have had problems with IE before, I can say people find that IE9 is real good. It's the opinion from my extended circle and not anyway scientific. They don't know what HTML is for a fact.

Re: N. Korean leader Kim Jong Il dies

#73
post #44

Earlier quoted context omitted.

IE6/7 have left so many mental scars on developers over the years that I think "IE" will evoke those two for developers for many years after it stops being objectively worse.

I find this comparison offensive and juvenile.

I wasn't talking about the comparison, just that the post clearly was clearly referring to the bad old versions rather than the new, more compliant IE.

But while we're on the topic, jokes are often meant to be logically absurd but ring sort of true. For a lot of developers, IE has had more of a direct, negative impact on them than all of those dictators combined, so it kind of feels right, even if it shouldn't. You shouldn't take it so seriously. People getting offended by jokes is offensive to me, because it makes for a more humorless world.

Re: N. Korean leader Kim Jong Il dies

#74

I wonder if his son is prepared for the massive power play that will come from the military brass over the next few months.

Not likely. Kim Jong Il's brother-in-law was generally understood/guessed to be the one holding the reins of power in 2008 when Kim was ill then and will likely take firmer control again, even if its from behind the scenes, using Kim Jong Un as a figurehead for perhaps a decade. This is similar to what happened when Kim took over in 1994 after his father's death. There isn't sufficient command & control capability or…

I purposely chose "power play" over "coup d'etat" to allow for less sweeping changes. There will certainly be a push by the military for a greater share of power.

Re: N. Korean leader Kim Jong Il dies

#75
post #36

I've lived in South Korea for two years and this is the most I've ever heard people talk about Kim Jong Il or North Korea. Even the shelling of Yeonpyeong Island in 2010 didn't generate this much talk. This is also the first time I've ever heard anyone tell a joke about North Korea. People are telling jokes in the street right now.

What's an example of the kind of jokes South Koreans tell about Kim?

[deleted]

Re: N. Korean leader Kim Jong Il dies

#77

I've lived in South Korea for two years and this is the most I've ever heard people talk about Kim Jong Il or North Korea. Even the shelling of Yeonpyeong Island in 2010 didn't generate this much talk. This is also the first time I've ever heard anyone tell a joke about North Korea. People are telling jokes in the street right now.

North Korean jokes/humour

First story

Jung Man Yong, a farmer at a collective farm in North Korea, catches a large fish in the river. Exalted, Jung comes back home and asks his wife to fry the fish. “We can have fried-fish for dinner!” said Jung. “But we don’t have oil.” “Then, let’s have steamed fish.” “We don’t have an iron pot either!” “OK, then let's just grill it.” “There is no firewood.” Angrily Jung goes back to the river and lets the fish go free. The fish circles around and jumps out of the water, yelling “Long live the General Kim Jong Il!”

Second story

At the museum, there is a painting in which Adam and Eve are holding an apple. A Briton says, “They are Britons. The gentleman is sharing a delicious apple with a lady.” A Frenchman says, “They must be French. They are walking around in the nude.” A North Korean says, “They are North Korean. They have no clothes and little food but think of themselves as living in paradise.”

Third story

Kim Jong Il inspected a collective farm and found some cute little pigs. He decided to take a picture with those pigs. That evening, a North Korean newspaper editor was put in the awkward situation of writing a caption for that picture to go in the paper. “Well… ‘Comrade Kim Jong Il among pigs..’” “No, ‘The pigs are with Comrade Kim Jong Il.’” “That doesn't work either.” Finally, the paper was published the next day with the caption, ‘Comrade Kim Jong Il is third from the left.’

Fourth story

A Briton, a Frenchman, and a North Korean are having a conversation. The Briton: “I feel happiest when relaxing before the fireplace on a winter night.” Frenchman: “You guys are too old fashioned. I feel happiest when I go on vacation with a beautiful blonde and then beak up with her up on my way home.” North Korean: “One night, somebody knocked my door. When I opened the door, he said ‘Kang Sung Mi, You are under arrest!’ I felt happiest because Kang was actually my neighbor.”

Fifth story

Kim Jong Il and Vladimir Putin are having a summit in Moscow.

During a break, both are so bored and decided to test whose bodyguard is more loyal. Putin calls his bodyguard Ivan first and tells him to open the window and throw himself off from the twentieth floor. Ivan cries “Your Excellency, why are you doing this to me? I have a wife and a kid.” Putin apologizes and lets Ivan go. Then Kim Jong Il calls his bodyguard Lee Myung-Man. “Lee, jump off from the window.” Without saying a word, Lee tries to leap from the window. Surprised, Putin grabs Lee to stop him from jumping and says “Are you crazy? You will die if you jump from here!” Lee struggles to jump, saying “Let me jump! I have a wife and a kid.”

Sixth story

In the Pyongyang Subway, two North Koreans are sitting next to each other. “How do you do, comrade?” “How do you do?” “Are you a Party member?” “No.” “Have you ever been one?” “No.” “Are any of your relatives member of the Party?” “Not one.” “Then get your feet off from mine, now.”

source: http://www.dailynk.com/english/read.php?cataId=nk00100&n...

Re: N. Korean leader Kim Jong Il dies

#78
post #76

Is there an algorithmic reason this post isn't higher on the front page? It has more upvotes and is newer than everything but 1 or 2 things ahead of it. Here's a screenshot: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/397675/Screen%20Shot%202011-12-18%20...

I bet it has many flags

Re: N. Korean leader Kim Jong Il dies

#79

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Not likely. Kim Jong Il's brother-in-law was generally understood/guessed to be the one holding the reins of power in 2008 when Kim was ill then and will likely take firmer control again, even if its from behind the scenes, using Kim Jong Un as a figurehead for perhaps a decade. This is similar to what happened when Kim took over in 1994 after his father's death. There isn't sufficient command & control capability or…

I purposely chose "power play" over "coup d'etat" to allow for less sweeping changes. There will certainly be a push by the military for a greater share of power.

Looking at the released list of funeral mourners, this has already begun. A few surprises in the order, though it could be a ruse. Everything in NK is a ruse, tough to ever know anything for certain, even with 'educated' speculation. But its fun to try (if you are outside of NK). :-)

Re: N. Korean leader Kim Jong Il dies

#80
post #76

Is there an algorithmic reason this post isn't higher on the front page? It has more upvotes and is newer than everything but 1 or 2 things ahead of it. Here's a screenshot: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/397675/Screen%20Shot%202011-12-18%20...

It was at the top about half an hour ago. And your post is 20 minutes old now. Something special must have happened in ten minutes.
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