And then they stopped, and the man turned to me and said, What are you looking for, flying saucers?

And that means that both sides have stopped thinking through the consequences of their actions.

When her parents became aware that banishment to the kitchen was used as a punishment for pupils who behaved badly in class, they stopped exempting her from lessons.

You have to probably stop. Maybe not come to a grinding halt, but you've got to sort of find that mouse. Then you find the mouse, and you're going to have to wiggle it a little bit to see where the cursor is on the screen.

The latter part of the reporting period had seen a welcome respite from military incursions and house demolitions and the population of the occupied Palestinian territory had been further encouraged by Israel's disengagement.

In the upper echelons of the workforce in companies, in the government, and in non profit organisations the rise of women to senior and decision making positions also appears to have stalled.

Both sides have substantially reduced their options, thereby limiting the possibility of a diplomatic compromise. And that means that both sides have stopped thinking through the consequences of their actions.