Married three years and I still feel a flush of excitement when I call a gentleman to firm up a coffee date. Sheesh. Some habits never die.

Last night was the first orchestra meeting of the year. I brought along my oldest friend who plays as many instruments as she has fingers (okay, perhaps I exaggerate; as many instruments as she has fingers on one hand, then). It was terrific. I knew I’d missed it, but when we picked up our first piece of sheet music and played the first phrase, I felt like I’d slipped back into a set of well-broken-in shoes and a comfy but still attractive sweater.

I replaced that A string with the Eudoxa A, and boys and girls, I’m in love. I’m off to pick up the rest of the set today after coffee. I mean, wow. Talk about a sultry and mellow voice! It does blend well with the three Aricores I still have on the cello (which do need to be replaced), but I can just imagine the deep, rich, dark sound that all of them together will produce… mmmm.

Okay, I’ve snapped out of that lovely little reverie. Ceri was over when I unstrung the old A and put the new one on the other day; “Oooh,” she said, “I’m listening to you play the cello!” as I plucked the string in order to tune it. It made me laugh. What wasn’t as amusing was the amount of stretching this string needed before it became playable. If I had to estimate, I’d say it has stretched a full two inches so far, and while it’s slowed down, I know I’ll have to tune it up again late this afternoon. Gut is very sensitive. It also doesn’t last as long, but seeing as how my Aricores lasted two or three years, and a yearly replacement is recommended for strings, I’ve done very well so far.

There’s something else I have to mention: the local riot revolving around protesting the scheduled appearance of former PM of Israel Benjamin Netanyahu at my alma mater Concordia University.

Flying in the face of the basic respect for open discourse that a true university is supposed to represent, the violent crowd prevented Israel’s former prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu from speaking on campus. If not powerfully and clearly addressed over time, this act will register the breakdown of academic freedom at a major Canadian institution of higher learning. .

Go me. Two degrees at an academic institution rapidly becoming known as a joke.

There are degrees of expression, people. Yes, you have the freedom to protest. The man also has the freedom to speak. Why is it that every protest at Concordia has to turn into a violent uprising costing hundreds of thousands of dollars to clean up after? And why is it that stopping a statesman from speaking is considered a victory for oppressed people across the globe? How does violent protest make a persuasive case? Fear and pain and destruction are threats to keep people in line, not intelligent arguments calculated to make a case for your beliefs. Force a man to do something, and he resents it. Let his work it out by thinking about it and making his own decision,and he’s yours. And you look like less of an idiot.

What’s the point of echoing the mindless violence in the Middle East? It’s not working over there; it’s certaonly not going to work here in North America. We’re in Canada, for the gods’ sakes.

It’s shameful. That we in North America cannot conduct a civil lecture and allow both sides of a story to be told is nothing less than shameful.

Frederick Krantz, an historian and a teacher at Concordia for thirty-three years (and a teacher at the Liberal Arts College while I studied Western Civilization there) has written a very insightful and thought-provoking article about the narrow-mindedness which resulted in the riot on Monday which is a good read.

In the meantime, I am shocked and disappointed that any Canadian student body cannot conduct itself with honour and civility. As soon as you resort to violence, you’ve ensured a loss of respect for your beliefs. I’m embarrassed; I am ashamed that the student body of the educational instituation that I spent ten years a part of repeatedly illustrates that they are nothing more than bullies attempting to make everyone believe the same thing they do by committing violent acts. Unfortunately, I’m not the one who should be feeling this way. And I highly doubt that the mindless protesters are feeling anything but injured and righteous about their acts on Monday afternoon.