Elsewhere

This was the first weekend I was up and somewhat about after being sick for the last month. I've never been sick this long so it was pretty frustrating. Still, it wasn't like I was stuck in bed the whole time. I ended up getting a bit ill Sunday morning but decided to drudge through it anyway. As usual it was good to see friends and familiar faces visiting my little town. Now if I can just convince them to move here...

The last month has been filled with many heartbreaks. Nothing I can't handle but disheartening none the less. Started out with a good friend moving out of town to prospects left unsuccessful, to discovering things that are not what I thought they were. My heartbreak reaches most ground this month friends, relationships, jobs and the state affairs of the world as usual. I'll even admit that it reaches out to changes unexpected and changes I hoped would happen and just didn't. Its unfortunate but my optimistic/idealistic disposition sometimes only lasts so far before it succumbs to my ultimate cynisism. Its not as if I'm usually NOT cynical, its just that I prefer to bury it as much as possible.

In particular a couple of things have brought me down this morning. I was out to dinner last night with some relatives. My uncle was visiting from Philadelphia for a Fundraising Dinner he was helping to organize and he informed me that these 'cartoons' of Mohammed were published in the 'Philadelphia Inquirer.' People are preparing a Protest in Penn today, which my uncle was trying all night to stop. So far I haven't seen anything about the protest, but still all the other actions taken around the world the last week seems excessive. Unfortunately its due to lack of complete knowledge, ignorance and alot of heightened emotions that people can't sit down and think before they act. Its unfortunate and heartbreaking. For the most part I just don't understand why people can't find a better approach to address these issues. Its most unfortunate because it doesn't do much to dispell theories of arabs or muslims around the world and THAT is the most heartbreaking. I guess I'm personally a bit conflicted on this issue. Really I feel that we should have the freedom to print whatever we want. I admit though with the current state of mind of the majority of the world the timing of this was off. but then when people were printing and saying things about the Bush administration when most people were pretty cautious and felt it was disrespectful due to timing I still felt they should proceed so I guess that's a mute point. Alot of times and with very good reason things are published to get people riled up. This is just an unfortunate particular situation i guess. I sympathize with both points a bit too well.