News Stories

[Autumn Demon]

vid of oil gushing into the Gulf of Mexico.

[Xellos-_^]

Originally Posted by Roger Rambo

In other news, it appears that the North Koreans have mastered the FUISION (...power) technique.

Spoiler for story:

North Korea has announced that it has made significant progress towards the development of thermo-nuclear power.

It is a claim that is likely to be met with some scepticism.

Despite hopes that the technology can produce large quantities of cheap, clean energy, no country has so far succeeded in making it work.

North Korea is one of the world's poorest countries and struggles to generate enough electricity for lighting and other basic needs.

The statement, carried by North Korea's official state media, said the country's scientists had succeeded in carrying out nuclear fusion.

Laboratory demonstrations of the process, known to release large amounts of energy, are nothing new.

But the North Koreans appear to be claiming to have gone much further, by building what they describe as a "unique thermo-nuclear reaction device".

shouldn't this be in the silly news section.

[SaintessHeart]

Originally Posted by Xellos-_^

shouldn't this be in the silly news section.

Nonono, it apparently states that Kimmy is already senile and dying. So it is world news.....not exactly silly.

EDIT :

Thai Leaders Waver on Plan to Oust Protesters

BANGKOK—Thailand's embattled government announced plans to ratchet up pressure on protesters occupying a key part of the capital, but voiced concerns about disrupting residents, leaving its ability to follow through in question after a series of failed efforts.

Government officials said Wednesday they would cut off power, water and phone services to a large portion of central Bangkok controlled by antigovernment "Red Shirts," with elements of the plan starting at midnight.

The government also said it would suspend public transportation into the area, which is one of Bangkok's wealthiest shopping and residential districts, and seal the roads. Throughout the day, residents and business owners were warned to evacuate.

But by late Wednesday, the government appeared to soften its stance, suggesting it might not immediately implement parts of the plan after weighing the difficulties it posed for the tens of thousands of residents of the area.

Some residents questioned whether the government would do anything at all after a string of hollow threats to disperse the protesters since they began their demonstrations March 12.

The red shirt-wearing protesters are hoping to topple the government, which is headed by an Oxford-trained politician, because they believe it represents the interests of Thailand's urban elite instead of their own.

Many of the protesters are backers of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, a onetime telecommunications tycoon who used populist policies such as cheap health care to build support among lower-income rural Thais before he was removed in a 2006 coup. He lives in self-imposed exile to avoid imprisonment on a corruption conviction but continues to exhort his followers from abroad.

The two sides appeared to be inching toward a reconciliation deal over the past week, after Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva offered to call early elections in November—a vote analysts say Mr. Thaksin's supporters would almost certainly win.

But the negotations broke down on Tuesday and Wednesday. The main sticking point revolved around the protesters' demand that members of Mr. Abhisit's government—especially the deputy prime minister—face charges for their alleged involvement in a series of bloody street fights April 10 that left 25 protesters and soldiers dead. A total of 29 people have died and hundreds others have been wounded since the protests began.

The government said late Tuesday its offer of an early election was now off the table, and by early Wednesday, it was vowing to squeeze the protesters through its new measures.

The announcements renewed speculation among some political analysts that it would require military force and bloodshed to oust the protesters.

Security analysts have been calling on the government to take steps such as cutting off power to the protest zone, which could help winnow the number of protesters without the need for a full crackdown by security forces.

But the logistics of doing so in central Bangkok are daunting. The area controlled by protesters covers many city blocks occupied by tens of thousands of residents, most of whom have remained in place despite the inconveniences caused by the carnival-like atmosphere around them.

The encampment, which is surrounded by bamboo-spear barricades, has massive power generators that could keep protests running indefinitely even if the government switches off power. Attempts to block delivery of food or other supplies into the area could also trigger clashes, prompting further violence.

Red Shirt leaders scoffed at the government's threats Wednesday, saying the steps would inconvenience more civilians than protesters. The leaders have vowed to stay put until a deal is reached to dissolve parliament and bring a new election.

It is also unclear whether the government has enough support within the ranks of Thailand's security forces to enact tougher measures. Despite previous promises to crack down or otherwise restrict rallies, protesters have at times marched straight through government barricades with minimal resistance.

Mr. Abhisit has insisted he enjoys the full support of his security forces.

Whatever you do, Thailand, PLEASE do not start the second Asian Financial Crisis, a.k.a First Asian Economic Crisis. School supplies and textbooks are already expensive enough.

[Roger Rambo]

To be fair, this kind of news really does illustrate the importance the North Korean regime puts on maintaining the propaganda for their populace that North Korea is one of the best places in the world to live.

If it's really known to their average citizen just how bad the disparity between the two countries is, maintaining their rule will be extremely difficult.

[Arbitres]

Korea has a difficult time keeping anarchy in check, would they really have time to make something like that? My guess: No. Especially when their economy couldn't possibly facilitate such research, as Roger said - propaganda about themselves. Nothing too big of a deal, especially when you can identify it as a lie, or a half-lie at best.


On that, I think it would be better if they actually tried to stave away their own government and switch to something more... stable, to say the least.


I'd hate to sound like a jackass, but Korea is negatively influencing the eastern world (i.e: China, Japan, and itself) by throwing this kind of madness around. Though I guess that may be their intent? Politics are rather strange, I can't understand them half the time.

Whatever you do, Thailand, PLEASE do not start the second Asian Financial Crisis, a.k.a First Asian Economic Crisis. School supplies and textbooks are already expensive enough.

I think they disagree with you.

[SaintessHeart]

Originally Posted by Arbitres

Korea has a difficult time keeping anarchy in check, would they really have time to make something like that? My guess: No. Especially when their economy couldn't possibly facilitate such research, as Roger said - propaganda about themselves. Nothing too big of a deal, especially when you can identify it as a lie, or a half-lie at best.


On that, I think it would be better if they actually tried to stave away their own government and switch to something more... stable, to say the least.


I'd hate to sound like a jackass, but Korea is negatively influencing the eastern world (i.e: China, Japan, and itself) by throwing this kind of madness around. Though I guess that may be their intent? Politics are rather strange, I can't understand them half the time.

I think you got a whole lot of misconceptions, and probably you never read up much on world history. It's ok though, I've known tons of people who think my country is somewhere in China just because we have a majority Chinese population. Besides, political history is a boring comedy.

Firstly, Korea is currently divided into the North and South during the early Cold War in 1948. North is headed by Kim Il Sung back then, the current Kim Jong Il's father. After receiving lots of war materiel from China, he invaded South Korea in an attempt to unify Korea under the communist rule. The Americans had a forward occupation base in Japan at that time after WWII, so they launched a massive counterstrike. It went back and forth for some time until they stopped at the 38th Parallel (latitude) in 1950 if I am not wrong.

Secondly, South Korea is more developed than North Korea due to free market reforms. Basically it is Economics behind the saying "Give a man a fish, and he eats for a day. Teach a man to fish, and he eats for life." : USSR and China kept pumping money into NK as part of the communist collectivism policy, while South Korea was taught how to financially expand themselves with opportunities given by US.

Thirdly, the economically stagnated North Korea had to blackout their country from the outside world in order to maintain social stability, and the anti-US press statements are simply a way of demonising their better-off, US aided Southern counterpart to make themselves feel better. The reason why that regime didn't collapse is because China is propping up their economy so as to maintain a buffer state in the East Asia region against US, who had Japan and SK on their side.

That's pretty much the summary. Read the rest on Wikipedia. Don't be lazy!

I think they disagree with you.

It doesn't matter what brand of politics a country practice, be it a democracy, autocracy, anarchy or whatever. As long as the people are truly happy and efforts are geared towards eradicating poverty and promoting meritocracy (not too heavily in the academic aspect though), it's a good start.

I think it would be best that Thailand undergoes a temporary anarchy under King Bhumibol, for let's say, 5-10 years and even out the divide between the rich and poor. The problem with the country right now is that the income disparity and self-serving corrupt politicians are taking the place apart, and given how closely linked the economies of SEA are, regional instability can result from the country's political collapse.

[Arbitres]

Really? Weird. But I never went in depth about Korea's history, so I guess it is my fault this time around. Though I already knew about the dividing of South and North Korea, so I guess I'm not entirely ignorant.

That's pretty much the summary. Read the rest on Wikipedia. Don't be lazy!

Meh... I'll get to it eventually.

It doesn't matter what brand of politics a country practice, be it a democracy, autocracy, anarchy or whatever. As long as the people are truly happy and efforts are geared towards eradicating poverty and promoting meritocracy (not too heavily in the academic aspect though), it's a good start.

I think it would be best that Thailand undergoes a temporary anarchy under King Bhumibol, for let's say, 5-10 years and even out the divide between the rich and poor. The problem with the country right now is that the income disparity and self-serving corrupt politicians are taking the place apart, and given how closely linked the economies of SEA are, regional instability can result from the country's political collapse.

Won't hear any argument from me. Though It's just very depressing poverty happens like the plague in some places. Though i'm not naive enough to think it's just because of the politics playing a part in it.


Regardless, Thailand may increase the price of school supplies such as books and school equipment, it's looking possible.


... ... Yeah I'll shut up now. ♪

[Xellos-_^]

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/14/wo...14thai.html?hp

A renegade Thai general was shot in Bangkok on Thursday as the military prepared to encircle the barricaded encampment of anti-government protesters.

The general, Khattiya Sawatdiphol, 58, was struck in the head by a bullet during an interview with this reporter about 7 p.m. on the street in central Bangkok, near a park occupied by his hard-line followers. This reporter, who was facing the general and about two feet away, heard a loud bang not unlike a firecracker. The general fell to the ground, with his eyes wide open, and protesters took his apparently lifeless body to the hospital, screaming out his nickname.
“Seh Daeng has been shot! Seh Daeng has been shot!” protesters shouted amid growing panic.

i would get the hell out of thailand right now. that place is going to go up in flames any minutes.

[SaintessHeart]

Some nut tipped the scale. Wow. He could have been the buffer between the junta and protestors for peace, but noooooo, some idiot has to go and shoot him.

[Xellos-_^]

Originally Posted by SaintessHeart

Some nut tipped the scale. Wow. He could have been the buffer between the junta and protestors for peace, but noooooo, some idiot has to go and shoot him.

i think you are joking if you think this was done by some lone gunman. Either Thaskin order it to fan the flames further or the military who actually thought this was a good idea. Either way Thailand is in for some Hot Hot time.

[Vexx]

Well... hmmmm, lets mark Thailand OFF our potential travel plans for a while o.O

Yeah, that bullet could have been fired from an extremist/hardliner on either side. Sometimes you draw fire from both ends if you actually want to solve a problem.

[Roger Rambo]

Originally Posted by Arbitres

On that, I think it would be better if they actually tried to stave away their own government and switch to something more... stable, to say the least.

Originally Posted by SaintessHeart

Thirdly, the economically stagnated North Korea had to blackout their country from the outside world in order to maintain social stability, and the anti-US press statements are simply a way of demonising their better-off, US aided Southern counterpart to make themselves feel better. The reason why that regime didn't collapse is because China is propping up their economy so as to maintain a buffer state in the East Asia region against US, who had Japan and SK on their side.

I actually read an interesting article about this, specifically tying to the Northern governments refusal to make any changes to their society...self preservation.

Economic reform for North Korea requires that they open up their society. Opening up their society though destroys all the governments credibility, cause then the average person will be able to see just how much better their separated countrymen live. Right now the average person suspects the Governments words aren't truthful, but probably only the small fraction of people who actively jump the boarder really understand how great the difference is. If everyone knew this, the North Korean regime would collapse before it could ever raise the standard of living through reforms.

The North Korean Elite don't want that, since their first assumption will be that the North Korean people and the South Korean government will treat them and their families just like the Elite have treated their political enemies. Fortunately for the North Korean elite, the South Koreans and Chinese don't want to have to deal with filling the vacuum of a collapsed Northern Regime.

[SaintessHeart]

Originally Posted by Vexx

Well... hmmmm, lets mark Thailand OFF our potential travel plans for a while o.O

Yeah, that bullet could have been fired from an extremist/hardliner on either side. Sometimes you draw fire from both ends if you actually want to solve a problem.

Thailand has actually become quite a dangerous place after a relative of mine got stuck at the airport during the siege a few months back.

From a political point of view, it is the mismanagement of income equality and subsidies for the worse off in the country - they don't exactly have a proper social care plan for the rural dwellers until Thaksin came in, even then, it isn't concrete.

[Terrestrial Dream]

Originally Posted by Arbitres

Korea has a difficult time keeping anarchy in check, would they really have time to make something like that? My guess: No. Especially when their economy couldn't possibly facilitate such research, as Roger said - propaganda about themselves. Nothing too big of a deal, especially when you can identify it as a lie, or a half-lie at best.


On that, I think it would be better if they actually tried to stave away their own government and switch to something more... stable, to say the least.


I'd hate to sound like a jackass, but Korea is negatively influencing the eastern world (i.e: China, Japan, and itself) by throwing this kind of madness around. Though I guess that may be their intent? Politics are rather strange, I can't understand them half the time.

*sign* I guess this is how the general populations around the world look at Korea. You know that there is something wrong with your countries image when people don't even know the name of the country and anything positive that comes out of your country is thought to be Japanese ala Samsung (or at least that is what happened in my middle school days).

Originally Posted by Roger Rambo

I actually read an interesting article about this, specifically tying to the Northern governments refusal to make any changes to their society...self preservation.

Economic reform for North Korea requires that they open up their society. Opening up their society though destroys all the governments credibility, cause then the average person will be able to see just how much better their separated countrymen live. Right now the average person suspects the Governments words aren't truthful, but probably only the small fraction of people who actively jump the boarder really understand how great the difference is. If everyone knew this, the North Korean regime would collapse before it could ever raise the standard of living through reforms.

What would be the difference anyway the country is practically dead anyway.

[SaintessHeart]

Originally Posted by Terrestrial Dream

What would be the difference anyway the country is practically dead anyway.

It's a pity it can't be a nuclear test site because of the mountains that would limit a nuke's "large area flattening" capability. *sarcastic*

Honestly speaking, I don't think the country's dead. It still has plenty of arable land, and it's diverse temperature and climate can be a potential test site for cleantech.

[Azuma Denton]

I think it would be best that Thailand undergoes a temporary anarchy under King Bhumibol, for let's say, 5-10 years and even out the divide between the rich and poor. The problem with the country right now is that the income disparity and self-serving corrupt politicians are taking the place apart, and given how closely linked the economies of SEA are, regional instability can result from the country's political collapse.

Isnt King Bhumibol is in hospital right now??

Well, King Bhumibol isnt in his good health, so i doubt he can do anything critical right away.

[MrTerrorist]

Hawaii blocks repeat requests for Obama birth records
Hopefully this will stop those idiot Birthers. Give it up, no matter how times they falsely accuse, they have to accept the truth. President Obama was born in the US.

[SaintessHeart]

Originally Posted by MrTerrorist

Hawaii blocks repeat requests for Obama birth records
Hopefully this will stop those idiot Birthers. Give it up, no matter how times they falsely accuse, they have to accept the truth. President Obama was born in the US.

He wasn't. He's born in Indonesia and was a naturalised US citizen.

[MrTerrorist]

Originally Posted by SaintessHeart

He wasn't. He's born in Indonesia and was a naturalised US citizen.

And Azu-nyan was never your wife but Yui's.

[Azuma Denton]

Originally Posted by SaintessHeart

He wasn't. He's born in Indonesia and was a naturalised US citizen.

Not exactly right...
He is born in earth...