Kim Jong-Il is Dead

Mark this day because it's one of the few times you'll see me happy that a man is dead. The tyrannical butcher who ruled North Korea, Kim Jong-Il, is now a corpse:

Mr Kim, who has led the communist nation since the death of his father in 1994, died on a train while visiting an area outside the capital, the announcement said.

He suffered a stroke in 2008 and was absent from public view for months.

His designated successor is believed to be his third son, Kim Jong-un, who is thought to be in his late 20s.

He died, she said, of a heart attack brought on by mental and physical fatigue. Kim Jong-il had battled serious health problems for many years but his death has come more quickly than many expected.

His apparent heir, his son Kim Jong-un, has been groomed as the successor of the nuclear armed state for little more than a year.

The question now is whether he has the power and authority to fill his father's shoes.

North Korea's state-run news agency, KCNA, urged people to unite behind the younger Kim.

"All party members, military men and the public should faithfully follow the leadership of comrade Kim Jong-un and protect and further strengthen the unified front of the party, military and the public," the news agency said.

On a related side note, North Korea's state-run new agency has also put out a touching video commemorating the life of Kim Jong-Il:

I just hope somebody remembers to drive a stake through his heart before burying him.