Having lived with my large family in range of conventional (at that time) artillery for about five years or so back in the 70's ...

Do we really need this? At this time and with North Korean nukes a reality!! Over an unnecessary Ulchi XXIX??? Over the years, I've lost count of the Roman numerals that signify each annual Ulchi! I haven't yet been able to distinguish between Ulchi Fofus Lens and Ulchi Freedom Guardian ... and what's Ulchi Flatulent Gas?
Why not just use the latest PCs we procured and play purely computer games in the Wargame Bunker at the top of Yongsan!

But whatever, it seems as though the United States and South Korea are beginning their annual joint military exercise later today, kicking off an 11-day drill designed to ensure the countries' alliance is "fully prepared to respond to any potential provocations," according to a statement from U.S. forces in South Korea.

Personally, I see this as a face-off between Lee Myung-bak and Kim Jong-Il for some kind of "bragging rights." (Bragging about exactly what eludes me.) I always wondered why, in the older black-and-white movies, the cowboy with the white hat always allowed the guy with the black hat to draw first.

Maybe, it would be better to simply tip our hat, smile gently, and turn away ... one Ulchi more or less is hardly going to save the world, but one ill-timed and unnecessary additional Ulchi certainly could make our planet unlivable for its seven billion inhabitants.

Consider the following communique dispatched by North Korea"

"The military counteraction of the DPRK [Democratic People's Republic of Korea] will be the severest punishment no one [sic] has ever met in the world. The Obama Administration would be well advised to cool its head heated with the moves to isolate and stifle the DPRK, and deeply ponder over what the DPRK meant when it clarified its resolute determination and solemn declaration to defend the country and the nation."

The Korean-to-English translation may be sloppy, but the intent and spirit of the message suggests to me that we might be well suited to rethinking when and where we wish to exert our military strength.

Let's continue to exert diplomacy and WORDS (not weapons!) to convince North Korea that it's in their best interest (and ours) for them to discontinue their nuclear weapons programs.

My memories of Korea and its people are both pleasant and peaceful. Allow those memories from the 70s to remain as they have been for the past thirty-five or so years.