“Let’s See What We Have Here”

Thanks to lowlowprices for raising my awareness of the official FAQ for North Korea. Just how FA are some of these Q, exactly?

1. Can I get a signed photograph from Leader Kim Jong-Il? ^[1]

The KFA Shop is offering this article. Please visit this webpage.

2. Can I send a letter to North Korea and get a penpal in North Korea?

You can send the letter if you have an valid address and contact person. We provide no service for penpal friends.

3. Can I emigrate to North Korea and live in North Korea? ^[2]

It’s possible only in very special situations and having honor/merits. You must send a request letter stating your reasons, together with your complete CV, copy of your passport and certificates to korea@korea-dpr.com .

4. Can I work in North Korea as a teacher/interpreter/(other)?

No.

9. Can I join the Korean People’s Army?

No, only Korean nationals with DPRK citizenship.

10. I’ve heard that everbody starves in North Korea. How is the food situation?

It is no secret that there was a crisis during the mid 1990s in the DPRK... ^[3]

13. Is North Korea a dictatorship?

No, the DPRK is a single-united-party constitutional democracy guaranteeing freedom of speech and assembly to all citizens. ^[4]

^[1] Or should that be “Kim Jong-Dead”? Am I right? <sup>^

[2]</sup> I am slightly concerned that “emigrating” to North Korea and “living” there appear to be two different options. Is that because they offer a cheap deal where you emigrate to the country but are then immediately executed? <sup>^

[3]</sup> I seem to recall that it was meant to be a pretty big secret at the time.

^[4] When was the last time a dictatorship actually admitted it was a dictatorship? We need an awareness campaign to remove the stigma from the word so that these countries can proudly proclaim their status.

Try everything once, except this

A while ago the Commons cafeteria, after much lobbying from its patrons, changed the way it ran its salad bar. Instead of only offering the canteen’s own concoctions, it now offers salad ingredients separately as well, such as cucumber, slices of pepper, tomatoes etc. This was roundly welcomed as a positive development.

Recently they were offering a salad I had never previously encountered: olive, orange and radish—that is, slices of all three. I had to try it out of sheer curiosity, and although your initial reaction was probably that that’s a hugely unlikely combination which sounds like it might be quite unpleasant, you’d actually be far wide of the mark; in fact, it was utterly disgusting. I’m inclined to agree with my colleague who suggested that it was probably the result of some accident backstage rather than one of the chefs deciding to go all Hesther Blumenthal on us, but either way I’m beginning to understand the relief that generally greeted the “separate ingredients” policy.

Have Your Say – Extreme Edition

Last February the blog Here Comes The Science posted an article on the design genius of the Obama campaign logo (right).

Nine months later it published a recap of the many ignorant and racist comments that article had received. They’re instructive, as they reveal much of what had been stirred up by fringe commentators and desperate Republican “strategists” alike, and they’re darkly amusing so long as you don’t just find them depressing.

A highlight, though, even among all the nonsense (such as “I love the logo; its genius is the way they hide the swastika, yet keep in line with Obama’s political mentor, Adolf Hitler”), is this contribution:

Why not be truthfull and incorporate the marxist, hammer & sickle, or the muslim, cresent & star? Silly question. Truthfullnes from babykillers. From the “party of death” who see nothing wrong with sticking a spike in a baby’s skull and sucking it’s brains out.

Really? strictlytrue, you tend to follow these things—has this ever been a central plank of Democratic party policy? Was it snuck through as an amendment to a shipping bill or something?

Toe Reading

“Toe Reading is based on the theory that your body holographically records the story of your life. The position and shape of the toes say a lot about their owner. By observing someone’s toes you will know a great deal about their past and the experiences they have lived through. Toes reveal how a person copes with their feelings, as well as their thoughts.

“An experienced Toe Reader knows toes tell the truth, even when the person themselves may not even be aware of how deeply their life experience has effected them. An over-simplification of this technology would be to say that well-balanced people have beautiful, evenly shaped and spaced toes. The toes of people who have had more challenging lives will appear ‘toe-tied’, depicting the lumps and bumps of the personal and emotional lives they have lived up to this point in time.

“For the most personalized results we invite you to send us a picture of your toes and arrange a time to connect via telephone for a one-on-one personal Spiritual Coaching session.

“Toe Reading Cards are also available.”