95 North. . . The Newspaper

My NYT comment on  this article .  Daniel   Wallingford, CT   47 minutes ago From various documentaries to stories from journalists who have been given access to North Korea since 2008, the script has been the same. "Visitors" are given a tour of the country designed to make North Korea look prosperous, Anti-American propaganda fills the streets, and government minders follow journalists at every turn. A great example is this 2011 Vice News Documentary:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=24R8JObNNQ4 The point is, North Korea never seems to change. The unimaginable repression. The anti-American rhetoric. Threats of war. The malnourished, isolated, and information poor populace. President Trump is the only wild card in this equation, a joker that risks a dangerous war with the most predictable regime on the planet. I am dismayed that Mr. Kristof is sounding the drums of war based on his "feelings" regarding the first visit he's had...

I posted this in my room this year. I'm encouraging each student (I'm fortunate to have no more than 4 at a time) to "pick one" for the week. Why not? The longer I've been working in education, the more and more I've felt that building positivity and community is the 1st priority. Of course, I should adjust/made a modified version of this list for my life outside of school. I just haven't gotten to it yet. I'll fully admit that I have a tendency towards cynicism and pessimism. However, it is little positive actions like those listed above that help push me out of those shells and out into the world of engagement, a world that stands on a higher ground. What's  happening on the higher ground? Everything is clearer. The regrets of the past and the anxieties of the future aren't weighing you down enough to drown out the present. Sounds good to me!