Kim Jong Il, the naturalist, goes orca surfing. It's a way to relive his younger years in Pyongyang

Another glorious day of mustard and endangered wildlife

When Kim Jong-Il wants to party, he visits a theme park or aquarium! He is an amateur ichthyologist, and is a big supporter of Greenpeace and PETA. He loves bonding with animals. His keen understanding of the natural world led him to write a textbook for North Korean schoolchildren on the subject of biology. Since his entering office, the tome has been implemented as the authoritative resource for educating North Korean students on meerkats, whales, and other various and sundry aquatic animals.

Rumor has it that his father, Kim-Il-Sung, really enjoyed his aquarium. After his father's death in 1994, Kim Jong-Il decreed that April 21st be a day of national observance to honor his father's memory. He started Meerkat Surfing day. It has been such a huge hit that it has turned into a week long celebration. You can see in the picture below that Meerkat Surfing has been embraced not only by the North Koreans, but also the U.S. of A! This picture was taken in Dallas in 2006, as Jong-Il made a surprise cameo during a major water show. He has trained most of his pet meerkats to enjoy the water, regardless the fact that they reside naturally in desert biomes.

One final note on the picture here: the leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea has substantial holdings in the Reckitt Benckiser company. He is also a mustard zealot, and sometimes goes to extremes to promote the product. Whether of not he is trying to improve the value of his stock in the company, or just plain trying to show his enthusiasm for spicy condiments, he is rarely seen without a trusty bottle of French's Classic Yellow mustard.

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