Pure Coincidence

When I announced I was going to attempt to write the great American novel, I never dreamed that a preview of coming attractions would occur. You see,my story line is about a natural disaster that starts with a gigantic earthquake, followed by an enormous amount of social and geographical disruption. I won't go into the story line, as you might not buy my book.

Suffice it to say, the Japanese disaster has pretty much made my efforts bush league, but then truth is always stranger than fiction.

My observation that I have about the Japanese disaster is the crappy news coverage. Rather than look for new angles, side stories that hadn't been told before, the CNN network shows titillating pictures of ships high and dry perched upon other obstacles, but without explanation. Hours of breaking news snowing pictures that are many hours old. It reminds me of the ship that went aground off the Oregon coast a few years ago. Northwest Cable news carried the "Breaking news" caption for days after it was old news. One wonders how long the public will put up with news folding itself into show business, abandoning objectivity.

Other gripes that I have is the usual. with an emergency at one and perhaps two nuclear power plants, due to water being shut off and power failure, accompanied by the flooding wiping out their emergency generators, CNN tended to ignore the experts that have downplayed the seriousness of these situations in favor of more bombastic anti-establishment experts that are predicting doom.

When, if ever will news outlets just tell the news. Bring back Walter Cronkite. At least he verified and then cleansed the news reporting of slant.

Yes, the Japanese experience will reverberate throughout the world for years to come in many ways. Redistribution of manufacturing, oil consumption and in many other ways. What is not being featured, other than in brief glimpses, is the countries that are on the way to rescue that nation. Even China which doesn't count Japan among it's friends is sending help.

Military forces are in some cases, combining so that more helicopters can be on the scene rescuing trapped people. Water must be restored or many others will die. Food can be imported but by air, which is not even close to what shipping can do.

The low lying rice fields were where the bulk of the Tsunami hit and will be gone for many years due to salt water contamination. As an aside, and somewhat lacking in sympathy, the US could gain greatly in grain imports while buying manufactured products. At last, free trade that is on an equal basis, tit for tat.

Oh and I almost forgot. How can anyone watch a basketball game that was more dramatic than the championship between Arizona and UW. Hey, if it couldn't be our Cougs, then why not root for our state, instead. Go Huskies.