HILLARY ZIPS TO SIXTY-FIVE

HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON 

b. October 26, 1947 

Madame Secretary 

More HRC  

1968: RICHARD NIXON, "I HAVE A PLAN"; 2012: MITT ROMNEY, "I HAVE A FIVE-POINT PLAN"

NIXON & ROMNEY 

PLANS, SECRET PLANS, 
& UNARTICULATED PLANS 
AND THEN THE BILL COMES DUE 

MITT (2012 "5-POINT PLAN" but you have 
to look it up on my website) ROMNEY  
Second presidential debate, 2012 

RICHARD (1968 PLAN TO END THE WAR 

IN VIETNAM) NIXON 

1960 presidential debate 

And the war went on, and on 

CANDY CROWLEY TAKES A FIRM HAND

CANDY CROWLEY 

CALLS 'EM 

"HERE THE PEOPLE WANT IT." 

-- from the second 2012 presidential debate --  
as broadcast by C-SPAN 

HILLARY CLINTON AND SERGEI LAVROV AND RE-SETTING THE U.S.-RUSSIAN RE-SET

THE RUSSIAN-AMERICAN RE-SET 

"CANNOT LAST FOREVER" 

-- Sergei Lavrov 

"MOST LIKELY 

YOU GO YOUR WAY 

AND I GO MINE" 

--Bob Dylan 

HILLARY CLINTON 

U.S. Secretary of State 

& 

SERGEI LAVROV 

Russian Foreign Minister 

APEC Summit 

Russky Island, Vladivostok 

Russia, September 8, 2012 

SEVEN WOMEN: THE CIVILIAN SIDE OF THE DMZ

DORASAN 

STATION 

MEMORIAL 

ON THE SOUTH KOREAN 

SIDE OF THE DMZ 

More on the Dorasan (Mt. Dora) station here 

More on the DMZ here and here and here and here and here 

DEFECTION AT THE DMZ

AFTERMATH OF 

A BLOODY DEFECTION? 

A CHECKPOINT ON THE SOUTH KOREAN 
SIDE OF THE DEMILITARIZED ZONE (DMZ) 

On Saturday, October 6, 2012, a North Korean soldier "on guard duty at the border dividing the two Koreas" was reported to have shot his way to freedom, or at least to the southern side of the border, by killing both his platoon and squad leaders. 

Today, October 8, the soldier-defector, said to be a sergeant, was reported to be being questioned by "a joint interrogation team from the South's military and the National Intelligence Service." 

With a million soldiers, a "million or so land mines and miles of barbed wire" on a two-and-a-half mile-wide "demilitarized zone" stretching 160 miles east-west across the Korean Peninsula, defections across the DMZ are said to be "rare." 

And so far, apparently being handled in a low-key fashion -- on both sides. 

More DMZ here and here and here 

VLADIMIR PUTIN IS SIXTY

VLADIMIR V. PUTIN 

b. October  7, 1952 

PRESIDENT PUTIN 
CELEBRATES SIXTY 

"The Kremlin has sought to distance itself from the pro-Putin birthday fest. Dmitry Peskov, Putin's spokesman, said the president would have 'a very modest home celebration with his best friends and relatives. He's not fond of big celebrations.'" (Full text here) 

More on Putin at Sixty here and here 

Vladimir Putin in 2002 here 

A QUIET CORNER OF THE "SECRET GARDEN"

IN THE 

"SECRET GARDEN" 
II 

THE REAR GARDEN (HUWON) 

CHANGDUK (CHANGDEOK) PALACE 

SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA 

In the capital, a mega-city, and what you hear 

is the rustling of the wind, and birds; and insects? 

Another view of the Garden here  

TRAIN TO NOWHERE? OR TO THE FUTURE? MT. DORA IN THE DMZ

TRAIN STATION 

READY TO ROLL 

FROM PYONGYANG 
TO SEOUL? 

Dorasan (Mt. Dora) Station 
DMZ, South Korea 

from: The sign above the men's heads 

"To visit this station, you can take a train from Imjingang station. 

"Because Dorasan station is located in the Civilian Control Area, you must apply for the admission at the ticket office in the Imjingang station square. 

"You can also there apply for tour package linking to the DMZ.  You must bring your ID." 

Stars and Stripes ran an interesting piece about the Mt. Dora Station by Matthew M. Burke (January 11, 2012); a few quotes: 

Under the watchful eye of a handful of workers and stern South Korean soldiers, travelers wandered about the train station admiring the artwork and advertisements that adorned the walls of the $40 million facility. 

...

But there were no trains scheduled to pass through this day, or any other day for that matter. 

Dorasan Station sits just over the South Korean side of the border in one of the most dangerous and militarized regions on the planet — the Demilitarized Zone separating North and South Korea. 

More KOREA here 

SAILING BLUE ON THE RIVER HAN

NIGHTLIGHTS 

& 

NIGHT LIFE 

ON THE 

HAN RIVER 

SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA 

Another river view here 

NIGHTFALL AT SEOUL STATION II

SEOUL STATION 

AT DUSK 

SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA 

Nightfall at Seoul Station I is here 

NIGHTFALL AT SEOUL STATION I

CONCOS 

THE GALLERIA 

SEOUL STATION 
Seoul, South Korea 

Nightfall at Seoul Station II is here