Mission accomplished for Kim Jong-il.

Okay, so the North Koreans have finally blown up Yongbyon in front of TV cameras last Friday. But does that mean Pyonyang has lost the nuclear stand-off?

The funny thing is that the towers they blew up were already disabled even before Friday’s show. The bigger act was Thursday’s submission by the North Koreans to the Chinese of their report about the nuclear materials and facilities they used and information regarding their dealings with the Syrians. The full list of their nuclear weapons, however, was not included in the submitted report.

In return, the United States has finally removed North Korea from its “Axis of Evil” and promised to take away that country’s name from Washington’s list of terrorist-sponsoring states within forty-five days. Removal of Pyongang from the list comes with the lifting of the restrictions imposed by the Trading With The Enemy Act.

This means that the North Koreans would be free to do business with the United States again. And Kim Jong-il will be able to buy more of his yachts, caviar and pretty girls.

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I see nothing wrong with Bush being reminded of his chef, but he should have been reminded of General Taguba instead.

ABOVE: Two important Filipino-Americans in Dumbya’s life.

George W. Bush is a big dumbass. That’s given.

But unlike many in the American blogosphere, I don’t think his latest “gaffe”– that of telling Gloria MacArroyo how he is reminded of Filipino talent every time he eats dinner– was offensive. 

Frankly, I think it was offensive only to those who look down on cooks and other blue-collared workers.

And besides, the person Dubya was talking about, Cristeta Comerford, is not an ordinary cook. She is the White House executive chef. And her position is not something one gets appointed to everyday. Indeed, every culinary arts professional dreams of being where she is now.

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Dung and Arroyo visits: Is Bush sending a message to China?

LEFT: “Look, Madam President, with this cellphone, you can call Garci via 3G!” 

Today, George Dubya Bush is scheduled to welcome Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to the White House and meet her for maybe a couple of hours, after which he would greet the prime minister of Vietnam, Nguyen Tang Dung.

I find the timing of the visits of these two leaders rather amusing. Why would the two meet Bush on the same date (my birthday, by the way)? Indeed, why meet with him at all? It’s election year. The guy’s about to leave office. What is it that the two leaders need to tell Bush that couldn’t be put off until the new president comes to the White House? What is it that the two leaders need to tell Bush that couldn’t be told via their ambassadors or, say, by phone?

Both Vietnam and the Philippines are vigorous claimants of the Spratlys. Both countries are signatories to the controversial tripartite agreement with China for joint pre-exploration of some of the disputed areas in the South China Sea.

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Turning twenty.

It’s official. I’m no longer a teen.

 I just turned two decades old.  

Church participation in Estrada’s ouster a mistake, says Manila priest.

Malaya’s Ellen Tordesilias reported earlier today that the vice-rector of the Archdiocese of Manila, Father Sid Marinay, have expressed regret over the Catholic church’s participation in EDSA II, the military-backed popular uprising  that ousted President Joseph Estrada in 2001, because it weakened The Philippines’ political structures and did not respect the rule of law.

In late 2004, Novaliches Bishop Antonio Tobias personally apologized to Estrada for the Church’s role in his ouster, but it was not taken as an official stand of Catholic Bishop’s Conference of the Philippines (CBCP). The GMA-7 online report where Ellen based her blog post, however, implied that Father Marinay was speaking on behalf of the CBCP.

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Détente in Asia.

While European diplomats were having terrible headaches over the Irish’s rejection of the Treaty of Lisbon (which basically is a Xeroxed copy of the rejected EU Constitution), Friday the Thirteenth saw the spirit of détente spreading through Asia with the restoration of commercial flights between Taiwan and China and Japan’s partial lifting of economic sanctions on North Korea.

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Censured but unbowed.

  So, Leader of the Opposition Ichiro Ozawa and his minions in the Upper House have finally played their censure card against Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda and his cabinet last Wednesday.

I, along with many, have seen this coming. But I wonder what effects would this unprecedented censure motion have on Fukuda’s government. Heck, I wonder if it would have any effects at all. 

Unlike a vote of no confidence which only the powerful Lower House can excercise, a censure motion is legally non-binding. Meaning it can not force the Prime Minister and his cabinet members to resign. There were, however, hopes that the motion could break the ceiling already cracked by the sinking popularity of Fukuda and his government and force him to call for snap elections.

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The beef over US beef in Japan and Korea.

I owe this post to GeoRge. 

When Shinzo Abe visited the White House last year, George W. Bush asked his Filipina-American chef to serve steak for the state dinner. It was perhaps the most politicized meal ever served in Washington.

Serving the Japanese leader succulent American steak was a calculated move. It was Dubya’s way of telling Shin-chan: “Look, our beef is damn safe, buddy. Lift those import restriction for we badly need your market.”

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To Barny.

Barny has been going gaga over Bioman’s opening theme song. And tonight he has asked me to give him the lyrics of the song and the translation. Well, it’s not often that I get to be useful to a friend so here they are:

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So much for Taro Aso’s past diatribe.

This new Diet resolution should teach former Foreign Minister and potential Fukuda successor Taro Aso that Japan is not a homogeneous country with only “one language, one culture and one race.”

Last week, members of the Diet crossed the party aisle and unanimously passed a resolution recognizing the Ainu as an indigenous people who have suffered discrimination and poverty during the modernization of Japan. The Diet also recognized that the Ainu has a unique religion, language and culture and promised to enhance these through sustainable policies.

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