Why Pyongyang has been nuttier than normal

Aha. This explains quite a bit about the nuke tests, the missile firings and the unusually paranoid bellicosity.

Kim Jong-Il has announced his successor: his virtually unknown youngest son, Kim Jong-Un.

Kim Il-Sung formally announced the picking of his son in 1980, about a decade and a half before he kicked-off. I imagine Jong-Il is going to retain the title chinaehan jidoja-- "Dear Leader"-- and give his son a similarly fancy title.

North Korea can therefore continue proudly displaying that "World's Best Communist Monarchy" mug on its desk.

And if a few members of the National Defence Commission suddenly vanish in the middle of the night, we can see whether Junior has learned his lessons properly.