After weeks of bluster on both sides of the DMZ snowballed into actual military exercises it seems that all parties involved have decided to stop and catch their collective breath for a moment and talk about holding talks. The U.S. and South Korea have laid out their preconditions for talks which include the denuclearization of the North. The North responded yesterday with its own demands which include an end to joint U.S. South Korean military exercises. Although both parties have conditions that the other will likely not meet, this seems to be a refreshing development as last week there was a serious threat of "nuclear annihilation."