I LOVE Portland. It is the only city I've been besides NY that makes you feel as though people are having intelligent and creative conversations in the trendy places along the street. It is so clean and beautiful too. I enjoy how the young people have a voice and there are things to do!

it doesnt seem we are in any danger yet however, they only have uranium that is slightly enriched. to create a nuclear weapon they need 99 percent enriched uranium as well AT LEAST a year to make a weapon. they are trying to get international attention, (emphasized by their essential kidnap of the two international reporters they sentenced to years of hard labor without stating what they were specifically guilty of). it is a ploy to get the world to watch as Kim steps down from power and passes the torch to his son, whom he is scared no one will take seriously and N Korea will lose its reputation as a power player with nuclear capabilities. It would do no good at all for him to flee, his family will still be in control. If it were so easy to take him out of power, someone would have already.

I think you make a strong point in discussing the North Korean "sacrifice" of their people in order to make a geo-political point. The actions of North Korea in the prosecution of foreign reporters, (copying the recent incarceration of the famed journalist Roxana Saberi), as well as threatening countries that try to stop the escalation of their nuclear weapons programs, are dangerous as well as aimed at gaining attention. In many ways, North Korea seems to be a younger sibling to the middle east, demanding attention by their outrageous and irresponsible actions though the world should find itself even more concerned than a parent because the fear instilled in our young ones seems to have expired for this country. North Korea presses on seemingly unconcerned with sanctions and foreign efforts to suppress their procurement of nuclear arms.