For once, it appears North Korea actually did something right. Several weeks after first announcing their plans, Kim Jong-un et al successfully launched a long range rocket Tuesday evening. Before it crashed into the Pacific ocean east of the Philipines, the North Korean government claims the rocket put a weather satellite into orbit, although neither Japan nor South Korea could immediatly confirm their claim (not that there's any reason not to trust the North Korean government at their word).

You'd think that after 4chan founder Christopher "moot" Poole was voted 2009's Most Influential Person in the World thanks in overwhelming part to a flood of 4chan users looking to game the system, Time magazine would quit handing the decision to Internet users.

China may be leading the US in many areas, but, thankfully, we've still got a clear edge in both satire and snark.

Before going on, I want everyone to locate and read Nothing to Envy, the best account yet of the lives of ordinary North Koreans. OK? Everyone done? The most striking scene in the book illustrated just how isolated the country is: North Koreans, in possession of an ancient mobile phone, huddled at an isolated spot on the northern border where one bar of reception would occasionally leak over from China.

Maybe it's his youthful open-mindedness, maybe it's because he's related to a hipster, but no matter the explanation, there's no doubt that very cool things are happening for North Korea under the leadership of Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un.

Dear Honorable leader Kim Jong Un inspires glory among all of his well-fed and athletic socialist subjects simply by triumphantly touring his happy nation, joyously soaking in the pleasant aroma of the world's best flowers, and never, ever eating those flowers, because of the aforementioned well-fed status of the North Korean people. The overstuffed smiling citizens of the DPRK demand that a machine lathe be awarded all outstanding heroic accolades and awards!

His magisterial highness the beloved democratic leader KIM JONG-UN today happily ruled over the smiling people's kingdom of the DEMOCRATIC PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF KOREA, where great tributes and praise for the beloved memory of the late heroic kindly leader of the people in perpetuity KIM JONG-IL, father of beloved current leader of the happily satisfied people and animals alike KIM JONG-UN, are routinely the order of the day. In what way was the memory of the highest imperial democratic inspiration KIM JONG-IL praised today, by the industrious citizens of the world, according to the DPRK's official news agency?

The life of North Korea supreme leader Kim Jong-un is so demanding. He's got to visit endless dolphinariums, watch Disney musicals and, of course, look at things. It's amazing he found time to hand sketch a picture of a mini-golf course for a government report. But he did, and here it is.

North Korean dictator humble and beloved leader of the people Kim Jong Un is newly married and constantly engaged in high-level international maneuvering such as being mad about where the flags are hung on the Olympic scoreboard. This must monopolize all of the Glorious Leader's time, right? Not so!!!

Well, we now know who the sexy mystery woman Kim Jong-un was spotted with at the big Disney concert this month was: His wife, Ri Sol Ju. North Korean media confirmed Kim Jong-un was married and identified his wife for the first time today. Now the real question: Is she hot?

Members of a North Korean band founded by the country's young tyrant Kim Jong Un danced on stage in costumes resembling familiar Disney characters during a performance aired on state TV.

High-quality counterfeits of American $100 and $50 are keeping North Korea's economy afloat, The End of Money author David Wolman reports in Time. Estimates on Pyongyang's black market counterfeiting profits range from $15 to $25 million "to several hundred million dollars' worth" every year.

The internet is aflame with rumors, launched by Chinese micro-blog users, that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un was assassinated in Beijing this morning. We believe we've figured out what's behind the rumor, and it has more to do with a birthday celebration for Kim Jong-un's dead dad than a violent coup.

The Chinese micro-blogging service Weibo has exploded with rumors that new North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un was assassinated today at the North Korean embassy in Beijing. Twitter death rumors are totally cross-cultural.

The late Kim Jong-il's oldest son, the Ferragamo-wearing Chad Kim Jong-nam, lost out on a power struggle with his youngest brother, Kim Jong-un, years ago, and has since spent most of his time in Macau and China, doing whatever it is international playboy dictator relatives do. (Eat, apparently.) Not that he's jealous, or anything — no, he just likes to tell Japanese reporters that his younger brother is going to fail for completely different reasons.

It is written in the official Communist Dictator Handbook that when a leader dies he must be laid out like a meat-and-cold-cuts tray at a regional sales conference. Today mourners paid respects to Kim Jong il's dead body.

When Kim Jong-Il died Saturday he was on a train finishing up one of his frequent "field guidance tours," which are famous on the internet for the surreal photos they produced of Kim looking at everyday objects. Here are photos taken during the last stop on Kim's last tour, about two days before his death.

Kim Jong-Il's successor is his youngest son, Kim Jong-un. It's time to meet the most powerful twenty-something in the world: an enigmatic basketball fanatic and four-star general with a bad case of fat cheeks and an itchy trigger finger.

No one has so far been able to prove that Kim Jong-il's son, Kim Jong-un, is being groomed to take over North Korea... until now. Analysts and defectors have concluded that Little Kim's new fur hat proves he's taking power.

North Korea's heir apparent Kim Jong-un turned twentysomething today but it's a rather quiet affair, with "no special rations or celebrations" for the people. South Korean hackers also posted birthday greetings on the North's official Twitter and YouTube pages.