Mmmm...I am eating a chocolate cat my Mom sent for Valentine's Day. I think my Mom has sent me a box of presents and candy for Valentine's Day, Halloween and Easter ever since I went away to college (long, long ago). I think I would be crushed if it ever stopped! The nature of the presents has changed over the years - there's definitely less candy than before - but it's still exciting to tear open that box. I've gotten into the act myself, though I never do nearly as good of a job. I hope to someday carry on the fine tradition myself. Even though the world is a strange and terrible place, most of us are lucky to have the comfort of our moms.

Ok, so speaking of strange and terrible, I almost felt a little surge of pride for North Korea for telling the US, in not so many words, to fuck off. The argument that they need weapons of mass destruction to guard against aggressive bullies like the US is brilliantly true.

From CNN:

Thursday's statement from the North Korean Foreign Ministry said nuclear weapons are "for self-defense to cope with the Bush administration's evermore undisguised policy to isolate and stifle" its government.

The communist state said it felt "compelled to suspend" participation in the six-nation talks "for an indefinite period."

"We have wanted the six-party talks but we are compelled to suspend our participation in the talks for an indefinite period till we have recognized that there is justification for us to attend the talks and there are ample conditions and atmosphere to expect positive results from the talks," the Foreign Ministry said.

"The U.S. disclosed its attempt to topple the political system in the DPRK [Democratic People's Republic of Korea] at any cost, threatening it with a nuclear stick. This compels us to take a measure to bolster its nuclear weapons arsenal in order to protect the ideology, system, freedom and democracy chosen by the people in the DPRK."

http://www.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/asiapcf/02/10/nkorea.talks/index.html