Cancellations and Heavy Lifting

Interesting day in US foreign relations yesterday which saw a major corporation humbled by a 2d rate foreign power and the lifting of the long held isolation of Cuba.  I understand the decision by Sony to pull the release of the Interview which pokes some serious fun at current North Korea Leader Kim Jong Un.  They’d been under severe cyber-attack for the last month from North Korean assets and when those assets threatened actual terrorist attack I’m sure the lawyers got involved in the decision to pull.

They Don't Look that Dangerous

Most people don’t understand North Korea and that the supreme leader is revered almost to the point of worship. He’s young enough not to be capable of passing this off – he’s still consolidating power.  At least a complete suite of their cyber capabilities were used and exposed to analysis which in the long run is beneficial to defending against them.  Once an asset is used – it’s exposed. 

I still think the Sony executives are pansies for caving in.  I hadn’t even planned on seeing the movie but I would have just to thumb my nose at the North Koreans.  A great marketing plan provided free of charge was completely wasted.  Who wouldn’t have gone just to see what all the noise was about; an opportunity lost.

Fellow Socialists Conferring

I’m not surprised by the Activist in Charge declaring an end to our fifty year isolation of Cuba.  It’s something he promised years ago, part of connecting with another socialist leader.  It may be time for an end to this cold war policy since the world has certainly moved on from communism even if Cuba has not.  I cannot imagine communism surviving there when it faces the onslaught of US culture.  The immensely increased capability to communicate the modern world will bring to Cuba spells doom its archaic form of government.

At the same time I don’t think people should forget who we are dealing with here.  I saw it first hand when I was running around Central America as a young man in uniform and you need only to look to Venezuela today to see the damage which is part of their calling card.  This deal could never have been made with Fidel still conscious.  I only take issue with the Activist in Chief saying the policy didn’t work – it did.  It kept a virulent form of state sponsored terrorism in check for nearly fifty years.  The Americas would look very different today if this policy hadn’t been in place.  I hate it when politicians reinvent history.

Buddy and his Tribute

Back at home Buddy was certainly feeling his oats last night after inflicting a serious flesh wound on me the night before.  He knows Wednesday is bone night and wouldn’t let me forget it even after I tried to point out the telling wound I bore that was such a topic at work yesterday.  He simply parked his butt in front of the fridge and demanded his tribute.  A tribute is also due to the California “kids” who are making steady progress in the unpacking department if the accompanying pictures are to believed. 

Pee Wee the Fearful Supervising the Unpacking and Wondering What Trees Are