Kim Jong-il's Funeral Was Like Beatlemania in Reverse

It was like the Beatles arriving at Shea Stadium today in Pyongyang, with teen-aged girls screaming, crying and tearing their hair and cops struggling to hold them back. 

Except instead of the Beatles, insert dictator Kim Jong-il. And instead of arriving, insert "departing." And instead of Shea Stadium, insert Kumsusan Memorial Palace.  And instead of teen-aged girls, insert "grown women in military uniforms."

Kim was feted at a funeral in North Korea today in a rather sloppy snow, with mourners going into hysterics.  His body had been lying in state in Kumsusan Memorial, where his father, Kim Il-sung, has been under glass since 1994.

The video is from North Korean state television. That's Kim Jong-il's son, Kim Jong-un, walking at the front fender of the hearse at the start of the video -- a subtle touch to show who's next in line.

And yes, that is a vintage Lincoln Continental carrying Kim's coffin. Hey, just like the Beatles!