News and more news

Ladies and gentlemen: NPR announced that an 8.9 magnitude earthquake had struck Japan this morning. I was just getting up. The quake was a strong one. It created a scary Tsunami which even touched the western coast of the USA. The odd thing about all this is that the NPR news team announced it in a very matter-of-fact manner, as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened. It did not indicate anything close to the davastating effect this would have on Japan and other countries. I don't think they knew how deadly it was. One other thing - the day 911 happened, the same type of news update was given. One could not tell - from the announcer's initial broadcast - how serious an attack it would turn out to be. Sometimes, we just don't know. Protector 

Out of Afrika

NPR always has something to say about the troubles in Zimbabwe. It’s irritating. They just won’t leave it alone. Why is Afrika so dysfunctional? Does anyone know? Can’t someone do something to help this poor continent? There must be dozens of specialists in the State Department who make it their business to know as much about Afrika as their brains can hold, no? So, why don’t we have answers? Why no solutions? Who benefits from having Afrika remain a non-functioning continent? Is it anybody’s business to help the poor continent anyway? Certainly the Africans suffer from injustices right and left. They suffer from very poor health. That doesn’t help. Their life expectancy is the lowest on the planet. They suffer at the hands of dictatorial, unjust, and corrupt governments. That doesn’t help either. They fight each other in violent civil battles constantly. That’s not a positive thing. What to do? Throw money at it? Do they just need to learn to be just, to be fair, to share, to be honest, to be constructive, to be productive, and treat each other kindly? Would that do it? Can they even imagine a better world? Does anyone know? Hello?