Not everything is in the toilet

In 2004, when it looked like there was a good chance to reach a deal that would reunite the two halves of Cyprus and put an end to the 30-year Turkish military occupation of the northern part of the island, I did a whole series of posts - 14 in all - on the negotiations, the referendum, and their ultimate failure. I said in my last post that it was interesting re-reading the previous ones: "I can see how my initial hope gradually turned to cynicism."

But, for better or for worse, I find it impossible to remain a cynic permanently. So here is something for me, from CNN for Friday:

Cyprus' rival community leaders have agreed to accelerate the peace process by holding weekly negotiations on a deal to reunify the war-divided island.

President Dimitris Christofias, a Greek Cypriot, and Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat met for the fourth time since relaunching talks last month to end a four-year stalemate. Both say they are committed to end the island's decades-old division. ...

U.N. envoy Alexander Downer, who moderated the talks, said Friday Christofias and Talat agreed to meet once a week "to keep the momentum of the process going."

I'm not sure exactly what kind of "momentum" there can be in a "four-year stalemate" but I'll take what I can get.