Questions Of Life

QOL: North Korea vs. United States!

2009-06-25T01:06:00.004-04:00

SEOUL, South Korea – North Korea accused Washington of seeking to "provoke a second Korean War" as the regime prepared to hold maritime military exercises off the eastern coast. U.S. and regional authorities were watching closely for signs that North Korea might fire short- or mid-range missiles during the June 25 to July 10 timeframe cited in a no-sail ban for military drills sent to Japan's Coast Guard.

North Korea had warned previously it would fire a long-range missile as a response to U.N. Security Council condemnation of an April rocket launch seen as a cover for its ballistic missile technology.

An underground nuclear test last month drew more Security Council action: a resolution seeking to clamp down on North Korea's trading of banned arms and weapons-related material by requiring U.N. member states to request inspections of ships carrying suspected cargo.

In a first test of the new resolution, a North Korean ship suspected of transporting illicit weapons was sailing off China's coast with a U.S. destroyer close behind.

The Kang Nam, which left the North Korean port of Nampo a week ago, is believed bound for Myanmar, South Korean and U.S. officials said.

Myanmar state television downplayed the reports of a possible weapons shipment Wednesday evening, saying another North Korean vessel was expected to pick up a load of rice but that the government had no information about the Kang Nam.

A senior U.S. defense official said Wednesday that the ship had already cleared the Taiwan Strait. He said he didn't know how much range the Kang Nam has — that is, whether or when it may need to stop in some port to refuel — but that the Kang Nam has in the past stopped in Hong Kong's port.

Another U.S. defense official said he tended to doubt reports that the Kang Nam was carrying nuclear-related equipment, saying the information officials have received seems to indicate the cargo is conventional munitions.

The U.S. officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were discussing intelligence.

Officials said last week that they believed the ship was carrying smaller arms, though they didn't elaborate.

The U.S. and its allies have not decided whether to contact and request inspection of the ship, Pentagon press secretary Geoff Morrell said Wednesday.

"That's a decision that will have to be made at some point, and not necessarily just by us or this government," he said at a news conference. "I think we will likely take (the decision) collectively with our allies and partners."

He said he didn't believe a decision would come soon.

North Korea has said it would consider interception of its ships a declaration of war, and on Wednesday accused the U.S. of seeking to start another Korean War.

"If the U.S. imperialists start another war, the army and people of Korea will ... wipe out the aggressors on the globe once and for all," a dispatch from the official Korean Central News Agency said.

The warning came on the eve of the 59th anniversary of the outbreak of the Korean War. The brutal fighting ended after three years in a truce in 1953, not a peace treaty, leaving the peninsula divided and in a state of war. The U.S. has 28,500 troops in South Korea to protect against an outbreak of hostilities.

On Wednesday, the top U.S. commander in South Korea, Gen. Walter Sharp, praised soldiers from U.S.-led U.N. forces who died fighting the "tyranny" of communist North Korea decades ago.

"A North Korean victory in the Korean War would have brought the nightmare of tyranny to this great land, thrusting the citizens of the Republic of Korea into a darkness that their northern counterparts have yet to emerge from," he said a commemoration ceremony Wednesday, referring to South Korea by its official name, the Republic of Korea.

Reports about possible missile launches from the North highlighted the state of tension on the Korean peninsula.

A senior South Korean government official said the no-sail ban is believed connected to North Korean plans to fire short- or mid-range missiles. He spoke on condition of anonymity, citing department policy.

Yonhap reported that the North may fire a Scud missile with a range of up to 310 miles (500 kilometers) or a short-range ground-to-ship missile with a range of 100 miles (160 kilometers) during the no-sail period.

U.S. defense and counterproliferation officials in Washington said they also expected the North to launch short- to medium-range missiles. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive intelligence.

South Korea will expedite the introduction of high-tech unmanned aerial surveillance systems and "bunker-buster" bombs in response to North Korea's provocations, the Chosun Ilbo newspaper said, citing lawmakers.

Meanwhile, a flurry of diplomatic efforts were under way to try getting North Korea to return to disarmament talks. Russia's top nuclear envoy, Alexei Borodavkin, said after meeting with his South Korean counterpart that Moscow is open to other formats for discussion since Pyongyang has pulled out of formal six-nation negotiations.

In Beijing, top U.S. and Chinese defense officials also discussed North Korea. U.S. Defense Undersecretary Michele Flournoy was heading next to Tokyo and Seoul for talks. South Korea has proposed high-level "consultations" to discuss North Korea with the U.S., Russia, China and Japan.

QUESTION OF LIFE: Do you think there will be a Korean War v.2?

WTH: Vid Of The Day #3

2009-06-03T08:27:00.004-04:00

Okay, so. This is a common reason as to why big people + dancing + no clothing = A MESS! We weren't sure exactly what category to file this memorable video under.

Music You Should Hear #3

2009-05-21T20:08:00.003-04:00

Vitas Bumac - Lucia Di Lammermoor
www.vitas.com.ru

WTH: Vid Of The Day #2

2009-05-20T15:51:00.005-04:00

Black & White People Furniture
Posted by RhettandLink on YouTube
www.rhettandlink.com

QOL: Tot Mom vs. Octomom

2009-05-20T15:24:00.004-04:00

Although the media spurge has died down quite a bit over the tabloid legend Octomom, and the Nancy Grace favorite Tot Mom, these two favorites are considered the worst mothers of 2009.

Casey Anthony, known infamously as Tot Mom, appeared in the headlines last year after her toddler , Caylee Anthony, disappeared in June 2008, and was later found deceased. Tot Mom was indicted on October 14, 2008, for her first-degree murder. Police found Tot Mom's account of Caylee's disappearance suspicious after learning that Tot Mom had not reported her daughter missing for more than a month; the last time she claimed to have seen Caylee was on June 15, 2008, but the child's disappearance was not reported to police until July 15, 2008. On December 11, 2008, skeletal remains of what appeared to be a young child were found by a meter reader. The Orange County Medical Examiner confirmed on December 19, 2008, that the human remains found near the Anthony home were those of Caylee Anthony. The cause of death has not been determined. Casey Anthony and her family currently maintain that she is innocent of all charges.

Nadya Denise Doud-Suleman Gutierrez, known infamously as Octomom, gave birth to octuplets in January 2009 - causing a stir of curiosity in media, internationally. The Suleman octuplets are only the second full set of octuplets to be born alive in the United States and, one week after their birth, surpassed the previous worldwide survival rate for a complete set of octuplets set by the Chukwu octuplets in 1998. The circumstances of their high order multiple birth have led to controversy in the field of assisted reproductive technology as well as an investigation by the Medical Board of California of the fertility specialist involved. Public reaction turned negative when it was discovered that the single mother already had six other young children at home at the time and was not financially independent. Suleman, who was unemployed and on public assistance programs at the time, conceived the octuplets and her six older children via in-vitro fertilization.

QUESTION OF LIFE: Who would you rather want as a mother - a possible murderer with no responsibility, or an financially unfit Angelina Jolie wannabe?

WTH: Vid Of The Day #1

2009-05-18T12:31:00.002-04:00

Britain's Got Talent Auditions
Episode 6: Air-O-Smith

Music You Should Hear #2 - Odysy

2009-05-18T12:15:00.008-04:00

In 2005, a pop-r&b vocal group featuring 4 diverse guys from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, sent an audition video to Nabisco for their Oreo Jingle competition. They were selected finalists out of thousands of entries, but did not win the competition.; they call themselves Odysy. In 2007, Odysy auditioned for America's Got Talent and made it through the first rounds of the audition process, but were eliminated before hitting the main show. They have since worked harder for their fame by performing at Six Flags with Danity Kane, and more. Now, the current vocalists for H&M's jingle, they are a fierce force looking for their chance at fame. Check out their website at www.odysy.net, and 2 videos of their musical talent below!

Wicked Vid Of The Day #2

2009-05-15T09:10:00.002-04:00

DJ Earworm - United State Of Pop 2008
(Viva La Pop) - Mash-Up of Top 25 Billboard Hits
www.djearworm.com

A MESS! Pic Of The Day #2

2009-05-14T16:16:00.000-04:00

On May 5, 2009, Madonna premiered this outfit, by Louis Vuitton, at the 2009 Costume Institute Gala.

Madonna's clothing selection has always, well, had a trendy affect on people. She debuted the "one-piece, high-rise suit" in her 2005 music video for Hung Up; it has since then become the latest fashion trend among celebrities like Britney Spears, Katy Perry, Rihanna, Beyonce, Lady Gaga, and Madonna herself. Will this outfit be any different? For now, Madonna, it's a mess!

Music You Should Hear #1 - Rooney

2009-05-14T09:14:00.001-04:00

So, there are many bands out there who have the privilege of being signed... or the exposure of MTV, VH1, Fuse, and of course, the internet. Most of these bands & solo artists thrive on websites like SoundClick, MySpace, YouTube, CDBaby, etc. Although, a majority of heavy music listeners are exposed to the over-played rotation selections on the radio, and not the independent wicked-awesome listenings that appear on Radio Disney, Sirius, etc. Here, Questions of Life will post music videos and audio clips of artists & bands you should hear-out. No, we'll never post anything like "It's So Cold In The D". Sorry, that's strictly for the humor of YouTube.

First on our list, Rooney. This band recently parted ways with it's record label, Geffen Records. Lead singer, Robert Schwartzman, has the most recognition because he was a main character in the first production of the Princess Diaries with Anne Hathaway. Other band members include Louie Stephens, Taylor Locke, Ned Brower, and Matthew Winter. Their music style is a mixture of British Invasion rock and 1980's pop, and has been compared to The Beatles, The Cars, Jellyfish and Blur. They have toured the nation with acts such as Jonas Brothers, Weezer, The Strokes, and Kelly Clarkson. Rooney's official website states that the band "manages to capture elements from the past four decades and make them sound modern today." Check them out below with their internet night version of the music video for "When Did Your Heart Go Missing". You can visit their official website at www.rooney-band.com.

Wicked Vid Of The Day #1

2009-05-08T17:39:00.000-04:00

Alpha Cat as Barack Obama - Blame It

QOL: Britain vs. America

2009-05-08T15:48:00.001-04:00

As far as I can tell, it seems as if the vocal-grading scale in Britain is much harsher than the one for America. In all honesty, Simon Cowell is the most straight-forward judge on American Idol; Randy Jackson seems to still fall 2nd, even with new judge Kara DioGuardi in the picture. Paula Abdul, of course, is the most emotional, and wants everyone to succeed; so, she is the least brutal on the show. On Britain's Got Talent, Simon Cowell and Piers Morgan seem to tie as far as honesty goes; the 3rd judge, Amanda Holden, has the personality of Kara DioGuardi and Randy Jackson combined, making the British television hit, Britain's Got Talent, one of the most brutally-honest, televised talent shows in the world. America's Got Talent, compared to the Britain's Got Talent scale, holds only one "brutally honest" judge, Piers Morgan. Thus, American music seems to be more accepting to every genre of talent, and holds room for mistakes, too.

QUESTION OF LIFE: Who would you rather be judged by: Piers Morgan or Simon Cowell? What country would you rather appear as a contestant in, America or Britain? You Pick!

QOL: TV's #1 Selling Spokesmen

2009-05-07T14:42:00.001-04:00

Whether it's ShamWow! or OxiClean, Billy Mays and Vince Offer seem to be the pro-salesmen of infomercial advertising. At a Pittsburgh home show in 1993, Billy Mays struck up a friendship with rival salesman Max Appel, founder of Orange Glo International, a Denver-based manufacturer of cleaning products. He was then hired by the company to promote their line of cleaners, OxiClean, Orange Clean, Orange Glo, and Kaboom on the Home Shopping Network in St. Petersburg, Florida.

During the summer of 2007, Vince Offer created a comedy film, based off his own budget, called The Underground Comedy Movie and advertised it via. infomercial. The success of the The Underground Comedy Movie infomercial suggested to Offer that he should sell something more mainstream. Drawing upon his experience working in flea markets, he decided in 2006 to market a cleaning product that he saw there, an absorbent towel that he called the ShamWow! Hence, the advertising campaign that has become quite a humorous market.

QUESTION OF LIFE: Who's more likely to get their sales pitch to you? You Pick!

A MESS! Pic Of The Day #1

2009-05-07T14:29:00.000-04:00

Of course, we were surfing the inter-webs and found a very random, 1970's band & their promo image. The question is... What is the guy on the far right doing?! The Fine Malibus are a mess, indeed.

QOL: Beyoncé vs. Emma

2009-05-05T22:30:00.003-04:00

In 1992, George Michael used numerous models in his classic music video Too Funky, which was not released on an album, but was used as a charity sound. In the video, Emma Sjöberg sampled the Thierry Mugler Motorcycle Corset. Over 17 years later, Beyoncé Knowles dragged it out of the historic fashion closet, and used it as a tour promo.

QUESTION OF LIFE: Emma Sjöberg or Beyoncé? You Pick!