Perceiving

About a week ago, I read on the  news  that the French senate has passed a bill making it illegal to deny the Armenian genocide that took place under Ottoman rule. Denial is now a crime punishable by a year in prison and a fine of 45,000 euros. It is objectionable that in a democratic society in which one of the most fundamental pillars is free speech that such a law could even be passed. Never mind that this legislation seemed to come out of nowhere. What had prompted France to get in between this century-old conflict between the Turks and the Armenians at this time? History of all things is never black or white. "History is fables agreed upon" according Voltaire. France may have gained favour with its 500,000 or so resident Armenians, but this is a step back for free speech. The government should not be in the business of legislating people what to believe. Jan. 31, 2012 Latest update to this story:  France's Armenia genocide law put on hold

Upon reading this article today:  The real way to build a social network , I have become extremely aware of how I've completely undervalued my "shallower" relationships. There was a time a few years back when I felt completely overwhelmed by the amount of social obligations that I had--someone's birthday every week, house warming, baby showers, bridal showers, weddings to take up all of my weekends. I was so miserable that I had to consciously take some measures to reduce the social excess in my life. It began by cutting off or severely loosening shallow ties. It wasn't easy and I took some flak for it, but it had to be done. I jumped at the chance to work abroad for six months in a country where I didn't know anyone nor did I speak the language. I missed my close friends and family but it felt so good not to have any obligations--to own my time completely. Since coming back from that, I've changed my approach to friendships. I would invest heavily ...