Mr. Speaker

Published 9:18 pm Sunday, April 15, 2012

Mr. Speaker

North Korea’s new leader, Kim Jong Un, surprised his subjects Sunday by reading a 20-minute speech at a military parade. In contrast, his dad, the late Kim Jong Il, spoke in public only once during his rule — a single sentence, uttered at a parade in 1992.

In his speech Sunday, Kim the younger unveiled a three-point program:

• Devote the impoverished nation’s scarce resources to the military;

• Reduce the peasantry’s daily food ration to 150 grams of rice and dirt-flecked potato skins;

• Establish a Toastmasters club in Pyongyang.

In a wacky mixup, a fireworks show after Kim’s speech was mistaken for another test launch of an intercontintental ballistic missile.

Filling the time between soccer practice and music lessons: Moms these days are packing their toddlers and preschoolers in the minivan and driving them to yoga class, no doubt passing by several playgrounds on the way.

Perhaps learning a few basic yoga poses will help kids cope with the stress of all that carefully structured activity.

— Mark Carlson, Herald staff