Zeitgeist Zephyr

Today, in what is perhaps one of the more historic moments in diplomatic relations between the United States and North Korea, the world renowned New York Philharmonic Orchestra paid a visit to the communist nation to put on a performance in the capital city of Pyongyang.  The significance of this visit is that it is the largest contingent of Americans to visit the country since the armistice on July 27, 1953.  Since no peace treaty has ever been signed, the U.S. and North Korea (DPRK) are still technically at war.

What is interesting about this is that it has provided a rare window into what is normally a secretive nation.  In preparation for their arrival, DPRK has made sure that it’s capital city is at its finest.  Electricity was turned on and maintained for the duration of the visit, and a cultural exchange occurred, one of the largest between the two nations in decades. 

Musicians from the NY Philharmonic gave professional lessons to Korean musicians to help them improve their abilities, and the Koreans in turn held a large banquet and diplomatic ceremony for their guests. 

The concert was played to a live audience of 2,500 people in the renovated auditorium, and was broadcast live on television.  To start off the ceremony, and to the jubilation of the North Koreans in attendance, the orchestra played “Patriotic Song”, the North’s national anthem.  Perhaps much to their surprise, that was followed immediately by “The Star Spangled Banner.”  Despite having the American gorillas having the audacity to play their anthem on Korean soil, the audience still stood in applause at its conclusion.  The whole concert will be replayed on KCPT this Thursday.

 What was the most interesting aspect of this for me was not so much that Americans were welcomed to a ‘hostile’ country with open arms, but how the Korean propaganda machine handled it.  In a far flung link at the bottom of The Drudge Report, I found my answer.  The Korean Central News Agency.

While the website might not be as flash-y (ha ha, computer joke) and high tech as other news websites, it did provide an interesting perspective on what the average Korean might think of it.  The normally derogatory news articles written about the warmongering United States and its plans for world domination was met with nothing more than silence on the NY Philharmonics visit.  Here’s a word count for articles published in recent days compared to the articles published for the concert (as of writing this blog, no news articles had been published after the concert.)

Symphonies of New Themes (on Korean symphonies) - 278 words

KCNA on U.S. Dangerous Moves for Arms Race in Space - 525 words

Banquet Given for New York Philharmonic - 115 words

New York Philharmonic Arrives - 32 words

It looks like now there are rumors another concert might be in store for Pyongyang, this time, the concert hall might be rocking to a different beat: Eric Clapton.

Apparently the only thing good about Kim Jong Il is his taste in music!

Spy Sat Shot Down: Let the arms race begin!

Last night, the U.S. Navy successfully shot down the defunct satellite US-193.  The missile that was launched, an SM-3, made a direct hit on the satellite’s hydrazine fuel tank, effectively neutralizing the worrisome threat that the government has been claiming was the reason for the strike.

 While I think that this was a right decision from a safety standpoint, this test could have serious implications on the world stage.  Many fear that this could cause an already likely arms race in space to heat up and eventually lead to the weaponization of space.  While I wouldn’t take it that far, this could jeopardize an already fragile, but burgeoning commercial spaceflight industry.  If nations like the United States, Russia, and particularly China (who conducted an anti-satellite test (ASAT) last year) continue to test their missiles on satellites, we could be in for something much more serious than the chemical fallout from a spy satellite.  

 If the worst fears are realized, weapons in space could be a common occurrence thus influencing future manned and unmanned activities around Earth and perhaps even the solar system.  There is a reason why 8 of the 14 top stories on SPACE.com’s home page are related to this satellite shoot-down.  Even the single article on the successful landing of the Space Shuttle yesterday is tainted with comments from the astronauts and their feelings about the satellite being shot down.  NASA also needed to set up additional landing sites to make sure the shuttle was on the ground before the “ASAT.”

Although the “ASAT” did provide quite a show for observers in Hawaii.  Quite a treat to have a lunar eclipse and falling satellite debris on the same night!

Welcome to my new blog, ZeitgeistZephyr.com.  You might be asking the significance of the name, and I’ll gladly explain it.  By definition, Zeitgeist means the spirit of the times.  A very appropriate name for a blog.  Zephyr refers to the Western wind, which in North America is an almost constant natural force, creating and remaking the landscape.  This would represent change.  Therefore, the name essentially means ‘the times, they are a changin’. 

I still need to get everything set up, including a better background, but this will be the new, permanent home of my blog.  As many may have noticed, my focus has shifted a little in recent weeks.  I’ve gone from focusing almost purely on politics to dabbling in science. 

My goal is to keep the science chatter to a minimum, in weekly or periodic updates, such as “Space Update.”  As the name implies, I’m also going to focus on issues that are relevant to everyone in this day and age.  Ranging from domestic politics, with coverage of the 2008 Presidential elections, to world issues, such as how Kosovo declaring independence will affect us here in America (Yes, I’ll try and touch on that subject, or a broader one on Russia soon!)

Enjoy, and give your pinkie finger an extra workout by reaching down to hit the “z” key when you’re typing in the URL in the address bar!

-Sir Knightly