Shooting Blanks...For Now (UPDATED)

Heard on FoxNews: Kim Jong-Il celebrates the Fourth of July by firing two of his oft-threatened missiles. Crazy bugger wants to stir us up, but it's the Japanese of whom he needs to be mindful. Surely he remembers them.

UPDATE: NORAD confirms. The two were not ballistic missiles (mid-range Taepodong missiles) and landed in the Sea of Japan--that's the larger body of water which lies between the Korean peninsula and the Japanese islands.

Smart, Li'l Kim. Real smart.

UPDATE: Link.

UPDATE (1:55 PM PDT): Reports of number three just issued, possibly an ICBM. However, it appears to be a dud.

UPDATE: Make that four...also a dud...one of the Nodong missiles. Really.

UPDATE: Okay, they were all Taepodong missiles. I just wanted to have the chance to type Nodong.

UPDATE: US Ambassador to the UN John Bolton is urgently seeling to confer with the UN Security Council. Fill that square, John.

UPDATE: No worries; while we eat BBQ, the USAF is on the case. From yesterday:

Air bases in Aurora and Colorado Springs, Colo. are on heightened alert but no one would say why.

The Cheyenne Mountain Air Station and Buckley Air Force Base were among four bases nationwide that went on higher alert.

Vandenberg Air Force in California and Patrick Air Force Base in Florida were also on heightened alert, after the U.S. Space Command in Colorado Springs issued the security increase.

North American Aerospace Defense Command, [NORAD] headquartered deep inside Cheyenne Mountain in Colorado Springs, went to "Bravo-Plus" alert status as part of the heightened alert.

UPDATE (3:53 PM PDT): Two more launched. These really were Nodong missles; also duds, appropriately enough. Blogs of War:

Dongs are flying all over the place. It’s not a good day to be a fisherman in the Sea of Japan.

Comments

[Geoffrey]

Maybe your work load is about to increase.

[Peter]

I sure hope that one of our Ageis Ships had a little something to do this that ICBM landing in the Sea of Japan.

[skinner]

This Insidious , scrawny , sawed-off little, Donald Trump /
watnatabee Kim jong ill, makes my skin crawl
To the point that I want to ,Crack Up lauging,While smashing his Skull In . This guy is reminesant of one of the aleins
that was profiled on One of my favorite documentorys " MARS ATTACKS" His ,ridiculous hairdo,
will not disguise HIM any better than Sadams beard did. I see him
hiding in a tide pool with a Barry Manilow mask on ... as we speak. He starves his own people
and they adore him ?
Is blowing up a delusional empire as bad as pulling the curtain down on the Wizard of OZ??? Im asking You ? My reality says Polka music with yodeling ... Might save innocent ignorants But maybe not ,,,
This world is getting more and more ridiculous Happy FOURTH OF JULY AMERICANS P.S. , { only in retrospect}, The british were a peice of cake.

[skinner]

Baldilocks, you will hate me for this but my High school mentality wont let me resist
"Dongs are flying all over the sea of Japan crappy day for fisherman " But fisherwomen ?
Did you even think to ask them?
I can see the nets in the air and hear them giggleing as we speak... " Hory Shit... Big Dong ON " . And those fisher "men'
you see fishing in BLOKE BACK BAY wearing those pink speedos
We'll YOU TELL ME P.S. Thank god this isnt a serious threat... elsewise Baldilocks probably wouldnt post this.

[Teal Marie]

Wonder if Kim's minions showed him scenes from Pearl Harbor and told him they hit Ben Afleck right in the butt. 5 times.
Or was it a Peewee Herman moment and they jumped up from crashing and declared "We meant to do that!"?
Hi, Skinner!

[skinner]

Hi Teal this is some wild crazy shit HUH I cant wait for Hillary's, algore, Teddy's and kerry's.... take or, un -take We need the U,N, to step in with flippers on. Plus waterproof pens and notepads.
then we need to start spanking people who are sympathetic to Kim Jong-Gooey Ducks evil empire !!!!
I suggest slappage with long seaweed whips !!! Then salt him DOWN and let MOTHRA finish Him OFF!!!!!

[Tully]

"Dongs are flying all over the place."

You could spend an entire lifetime as a journalist and never get handed a "straight line" quotation like that one, much less get it internationally published without a blink. I am awed and humbled. And humbled and awed.

[rm_blogger]

According to Japan, the target for the missile was Hawaii, although that has not been confirmed.

[Jared]

Great stuff, Baldilocks. The Co. Springs and Aurora alerts are pretty straightforward when one realizes which groups are based there (which you likely already know, of course...):

Schreiver AFB (CO Springs) is home to the Space Warfare Center, and Buckley AFB in Aurora is home to the 460th Space Wing, and the iconic "golf balls" that sit on the plains just east of Denver. Lots of spook stuff therein.

[torchy]

No Dong...("snickers")