Two things

So it's been awhile since the last post. I'm you've all been checking anxiously, wondering when the next one would be (or not), and we've talked to most of you since the last post anyway, but here you go.

First. This morning? My breakfast came out of my nose. I'm not sure I need to say anything else about that except that I kinda hope it doesn't happen again.

Second. Sigh. What's the deal with free speech? This may seem a little out of nowhere, but I'm thinking about free speech for two reasons. First is that there's a little bit of drama going on among some of the blogs I read. Someone created a private (i.e. password protected) space where people proceeded to talk trash about several well-known blogs. Word leaked out, and havoc ensued. The second is all the cartoon riot stuff going on in Europe and the Middle East. Not that these two things are similar, but both have me thinking about the power of expression and communication - both in words and pictures.

The beauty of free speech is of course that we can say anything we like about anyone or anything we like. It's generally a good thing that there aren't things we're forbidden from discussing or opinions that are not allowed to be expressed. There are certainly lots of things that I disagree with out there, but I also like hearing other points of view. Sometimes they make me rethink what I think, and other times they just reinforce my current belief, but there's nothing wrong (in my opinion obviously) with being challenged a bit.

What annoys me is the idea that free speech is this sacred protected thing that means we can say whatever we like with no consequences. I can call someone a fat cow, but because of free speech they have no right to be hurt by that? That's just dumb. Yes we can say (and often do) whatever we like, but we have to also realize that our actions (and most definitely our words) have consequences. It frustrates me to no end that people don't seem to recognize this.

I realize with the cartoon riots the situation is much stickier. Yes people have as much a right to be offended by a cartoon as the person who drew it had to draw it in the first place. However. In this particular case the response seems to be a little beyond what might be reasonable. Is it worth rioting over? Really? I don't know.

Anyway. That's what's going through my brain today. Well, that and my breakfast. Ick.