Broadway shows are cutting their salaries by 25% WITH THE PERMISSION OF THE UNION just to stay open. Restaurants are suffering. No one here feels like going out and those who do think twice about travelling on the subway (chemical attacks?) or fighting traffic (check points at all major closings).

This brings to mind a conversation I had with a friend about a week ago. I said that when Kosovo was bombed, women had to make a life or death decision about whether or not to risk a walk on a street to get a loaf of bread for their hungry children. With the threat of war, Afghan families are taking to the hills for safety.In contrast, here in the Americas, even with 6000 dead,we bemoan the late start of the football season and the inconvenience of getting to our favorite restaurants. We are essentially safe with all our toys around us - just a bit warier. Imagine how the people of Kosovo and Afghanistan must wonder at our shallowness.