The Sheen Quake

How could I possibly write today about anything else but the Tsunami?  This catastrophic quake rating 8.9 on the rector scale should be captivating our thoughts, our prayers and our communication.  Thank God that Charlie Sheen has finally calmed down enough to place the media's attention back on something that actually matters.

Is it just me or do you feel like the frequency of natural disasters is increasing?  When I woke this morning to the news of the Tsunami I had to wonder why - why are there so many, why are so many lives being taken unexpectedly, why is Mother Nature so angry?  Have we been so irresponsible in taking care of our world that it is revolting?  There must be a lesson here somewhere.

Let's step back to the Charlie Sheen conversation for a moment.  Sadly he was exploited by the media.  Oh yes, I think he is a jerk just like you do, but the truth is, he is mentally ill and his illness was exploited and will continue to be exploited as long as people continue to watch. 

How does this relate to the frequency of natural disasters, and specifically earthquakes?  According to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) "Although it may seem that we are having more earthquakes, earthquakes of magnitude 7.0 or greater have remained fairly constant throughout this century and, according to our records, have actually seemed to decrease in recent years."

Technology has given us the ability to set up stations that monitor seismic activity world wide.  This means that within minutes, unusual activity is reported that would have been widely unnoticed or unreported before.  The truth is, they are not more frequent nor severe, but appear that way because they receive more media coverage.   

Back to the Sheen machine:  if he had simply been mentally ill, would the media care and talk about it for weeks?  Of course not!  But, it was his behavior that went straight to the headlines and was transmitted over the radio over and over again.  Irresponsible behavior sells newspapers, mental illness does not.

An earthquake, hurricane or tornado won't remain on the evening news for days or weeks - not unless of course there are lives lost. The more lives, the more news.  Check this out again from the :  USGS: "The population at risk is increasing. While the number of large earthquakes is fairly constant, population density in earthquake-prone areas is constantly increasing. So we are now seeing increasing casualties from the same-sized earthquakes." 

Think about the lives lost in Katrina.  Most were in the lower ninth ward of New Orleans, the poorest area of the city.  Contrast that with the news about Pass Christian Mississippi where the eye of the hurricane passed and the most wind and storm damage was encountered.  There was very little news focusing on the folks that had lost their homes and everything they owned - it wasn't news - they were still alive....

Large earthquakes occur in clusters. When clusters occur, especially when they are widely reported in the media, they are noticed. However, during the equally anomalous periods during which no destructive earthquakes occur, no one deems this as remarkable.

Start acting normal Charlie, sober up, get healthy.  No one will deem you as remarkable.