I hope so.* I just learned the other day about something I
   didn't know about in the Serbia/Albania thing.* I was really
   into that war, as I had a rare friend who was on the "opposing
   side" and she'd send emails from her house giving daily reports
   to a small group of 1000 of us daily updates, until her phone
   lines were finally cut.* But I got to hear an opinion that was
   ENTIRELY OPPOSITE of what I heard on the news everyday and that
   people were talking about. She ended up ok, as the phone line
   was fixed as the conflict started to settle. anyway, what I
   learned recently is what is often declared the True Heroes of
   that conflict.* If I remember the name of it right, it was
   called: The White Shirt Brigade. Before, during and after the
   conflict, they got up.* They put on their white shirt and tie
   and they went to work. They avoided streets with conflict.* They
   didn't get involved in the fighting.* They just kept going to
   work.* Day in, day out. Albania and Serbia.* The White Shirt
   Brigade. They were aware of everything.* But they have families
   to feed, lives to lead and they just kept plunging forward,
   avoiding getting killed of course and keeping their families
   safe and their businesses running. We never hear about the White
   Shirt Brigade, nor do we ever. It's not news.* It's everyday.
   But THAT'S what makes it news worthy for me, for it lies in
   stark contrast to the images we are presented on TV.* A dramatic
   singular event replays over and over and over again until we
   believe it's ALWAYS HAPPENING, all of the time, everyway, and
   this far off part of the world is in ultimate RUIN. But it's
   not.* It rarely is.* Even in WWII, people from Germany went to
   work every day.* People in English, went to work everyday.* The
   shit was happening around them, but what could they do? History
   never records these, the bravest of the brave.* They carried on
   through it all.* Not untouched by war and conflict, no.* But
   they perservered and kept the Reality of "the Everyday" alive
   until the world around them wanted it again too.
   [oh and a PS, I'm not Albanian or Serbian :P** I followed the
   war because a friend of mine pointed me to her small email group
   and thought I should know about it.* So I guess I've never
   changed.* It's interesting to me, only if it's interesting to
   someone I know.* I have my own interests that aren't world
   news/politics related :D ]