And during all of this, I read (okay, listened to) Bernard Lewis' "The Crisis of Islam." It is a very detailed analysis of political relations between the Islamic world in general and the US in particular, and his assessment of why things aren't working.
I took Peaches to another friend's house to spend the night, and no wthe Pirate and I are watching "Before Night Falls," which is excellent and poetic and fabulous. And sad.
But I'm not doing anything "constructive," and I don't care. I'm happy and I am having a good time.