It Makes a Difference to the Sheep

Appears to be washing over the Japanese blogosphere.

Sorry folks, it ain't so (thanks to Jane Galt for pointing this out).

This bit of folk American wisdom is similar to the oft-repeated "Chinese curse":

May you live in interesting times

I heard that one dozens of times before I realized that I had absolutely no idea how one would say such a thing in Chinese. After asking some native-speaking colleagues, I came to the conclusion that this was another case of a nugget of wisdom being "orientalized" in order to give it more appeal (somewhat akin to how Mark Twain supposedly uttered nearly every humorous anecdote known to man in the last century).

a new academic journal devoted to, you guessed it, North Korea is up on the web. Probably worth a look for those interested.

Witness the praise the KCNA has for its fellow socialist hold-out Cuba:

Pyongyang, July 26 (KCNA) -- Moncada Spirit still remains alive even after passage of decades. The Cuban people are firmly advancing along the road of socialism, sharpening the bayonet of justice. Newspapers here today say this in signed articles dedicated to the 52nd anniversary of the attack on Moncada barracks in Cuba.

Cuba is now speeding up socialist construction, while frustrating the ceaseless U.S. pressure, threat, blackmail and sanctions, Rodong Sinmun says, and goes on:

The Korean people highly appreciate the Cuban people for defending and advancing socialism in Moncada spirit and extend firm solidarity to their just cause. In the month solidarity with the Cuban people a series of events took place in Korea to positively support their struggle and boost the DPRK-Cuba friendship.

The just cause of the Cuban people will be invincible.

There clearly are some interesting similarities between North Korea and Cuba. I'm not sure that the invincibility of the two regimes is among them.

UPDATE: Glenn Reynolds posts some interesting links about Cuba here.

"You could prosper in the field of medical research."

A bit scary, that. The only way I can think of this actually working out is as a subject of medical research. Let's hope not.