What Happened and Didn't Happen on my Summer Vacation

For four days, I was cut off from the 24-hour news cycle.

I stayed away from TV and radio and the Internet. As addicted as I am to the news, it was wonderful to take a break and relax and recharge. I didn't want it to end.

Now, I'm trying to catch up on what happened while I was gone.

An abbreviated round-up of some "big" stories--

• Israel and the Palesintians are engaged in a clash that could escalate into all-out war in the wider Middle East.

• The flooding in the Northeast and mid-Atlantic states reached deadly and devastating proportions.

• The Bush administration, including President Bush himself, attacked The New York Times for leaking yet another secret counterterrorism program.

• Rush Limbaugh was detained at Palm Beach International Airport after a search revealed he was in possession of Viagra. (Wow! Stop the presses!)

• A proposed amendment to protect the American flag was defeated in the Senate by one vote.

• Star Jones got the boot. She'll be leaving The View. (So what?)

What didn't happen while I was away--

• The Republican Party of Wisconsin STILL has failed to find someone to challenge Herb Kohl, acting as an accomplice to his all but guaranteed re-election.

Sometimes I think I would be much happier if I didn't pay attention to news and politics, if I lived in an area where the Internet connection is so slow that I couldn't access immediate information.

Although ignorance is bliss and choosing to be disconnected permits a certain comfort, it's a false sense of ease.

I think it's important to care about what's going on locally, nationally, and internationally -- not the silly gossip, but the significant stuff.

I believe we have a moral responsibility to work for justice, human rights, and real peace.

On the flip side, ignorance can be far less stressful and much more relaxing than being informed.

Cluelessness has its advantages, but also its dangers.

Living in a bubble and being on a perpetual vacation from the issues would be pleasant, but it would be selfish.

So, it's back to reality.