So so-wie

Kim Jong Il was recently quoted as saying he was "sorry about the nuclear test." How the fuck can you be sorry for launching a nuclear missile? Ooops, it was an accident? Sorry that after international pressure to lay off the nuclear weaponry, after telling the world that he won't be told where to go by anyone, he's now sorry?

Shit, you can see him in your mind's eye, can't you? Eyes bashfully lowered, hands behind his back, the toe of his right tacky-ass sneaker making little circles in the dust and sand, pulling on big-brother China's pants. "I'm so-wee, so so-wee."

But maybe the funniest part of this story is the poor Canadian reporter, CTV's Steve Chao, reporting that:

"This is the most promising sign that we've seen so far from the North Korean regime and perhaps a signal that it is moving towards a point where it is willing to negotiate"

Does this guy get paid for this? This isn't a change of heart, it's not even a diplomatic maneouvre, it's Mars Attacks! Didn't you learn ANYTHING by watching all those movies? But i should go easy on Steve-O, we need peolpe to pacify the masses.

Not another Kathmandu

I just got back into Thamel, Kathmandu. I expected it to be a relief after the seven hour bus drive that spanned 200 kilometres, but getting back to Kathmandu is really uncomfortable. If feels rather predatory, in fact. About as far as you could imagine from happy hippy hangout. On the upside, I got a nice free tour when I asked a rickshaw driver to bring me to a hotel. He drove me 15 minutes away from where it was, which was about 10 feet from where we started. So, long story short, I want to get the hell out of dodge as soon as I can.
...wait, i'm going to India; i've got nothing but worse to look forward to.