Orson Wells School of Journalism

Really, the news on TV gets worse and worse these days except for PBS.  What are they teaching in journalism schools these days?  Apparently not the who, what, why, where and when.  TV news seems to just be "it".  And what is this fascination with car wrecks?  The TV people seem desperate for visual footage of just about anything.

When they don't have a story they make it up.  Take recently the reports of a massave earthquake (which mind you hasn't happened), taking place on the west coast.  "This will be the BIG ONE", the news reader says. "A megaquake along the West Coast is long overdue according to some scientists who believe a high magnitude Oregon or Calilfornia earthquake may be in the making." And it’s predicted an offshore high magnitude California earthquake could trigger a tsunami that would give residents little warning and create $70 billion in devastation.

That is right up there with Orson Wells' 1938 radio broadcast of "War of the Worlds" a dramatic presentation of a Martian invasion of earth.  Many people thought it was real.  The newspapers played up the event with hugh headlines reading "Fake Radio War Stirs Terror Through the US", hoping to discredit radio news and supporting newspapers as the only reliable new source.  Sort of like the pot calling the kettle black.

News readers rebell.  Ask for a complete story instead of just reading short sound bites.  John Q Public really wants to know a whole story for a change.

Readers in Ukraine

Dear readers in the Ukraine:

I am surprised and delighted that many of you Ukrainians are reading my blog and I wonder what there is which attracts you.

Perhaps you are students studying English and find my simplistic writing style easy to read. That would be great if this were the case.

My blog provides statistics on the number of times my blog is opened and in what countries people are reading.  Of course I don't know who you are, but it would be great to get some feedback from my readers.

By any chance could some of you write a comment or two under a post to let me know something about you and your life in your country?  I know that things have not been easy for many of you.

I send you my best wishes and hope that you all have a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

(It would be a great Christmas present to hear from you).

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December Dreams

Right now I would like to be in Micronesia on some wonderful little island with a sparkling lagoon. There are several date palms lining the shore and a warm trade wind breeze is coming in off the water.  I am wearing a skimpy swimsuit, I think it is a red blossom pattern and I wear a hibiscus flower over my left ear. 

My black hair has grown quite long and although I like it I am thinking of trimming it shorter.  The salt water does strange things with hair, makes it kind of ratty and globby.   Raffie, my current squeeze, has gone off to spear some fish for din din and I hope he doesn’t catch any of those wonderful parrot fish. They are so beautiful. But we are hungry and have been living off the resources of this idyllic place.  Even though I can’t stand coconut milk I do drink it as it provides some sustenance.  The dates are a treat, I confess and reef fish cooked over a fire with coconut milk ain’t too bad.

I am sure that someone will come to rescue us soon. It has only been two weeks and I am sure people in Palau are beginning to worry about us.  If Raffie hadn’t been so careless with his navigation we would be in good shape but typical of a man he refused to refer to the navigation charts and failed to see the slightly submerged rock coral mass which we sailed into and ripped the keel clean off rendering the boat useless. Fortunately we were able to gather a few survival things, inflate the little raft and row to this island.  It’s not a bad place to be marooned.  Could be worse. Could be in Seattle in December.