The Report From The Black Ships

Tuesday, 6 September 2011

You would think such a day would tremble to begin: Remembering 3/11

Of course I was not there as such, I was probably asleep when it occurred, physically speaking. Since I live in Britain and it struck at 2:46pm. However, I remember quite clearly a Facebook link or Twitter feed, informing me that a 9.0M earthquake had hit Japan, soon after people were calling it the ‘Great East Japan Earthquake’. Everyone was googling 'Tohoku'. I remember staring at my computer as it if it were the Oracle at Delphi, I knew my loved ones were ok, they lived in a completely different part of Japan, yet I needed that confirmation.

I was staring at my Blackberry, waiting for the Gods of Wifi to assure me that all was well, and finally a chime and click later the Oracle answered my prayers, I knew all was well.

Days later, as with that other September 11^th, the news died down in the UK, which is why I started this blog. But this is my abiding memory.

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Another great blog entry on the subject from @hikosaemon September 11: 6 Months & Tens Years on

with thanks to @808armada

Sunday, 4 September 2011

Foreign Press & Japan

As someone who is British by birth, I never like to put the BBC down, but once again coverage of the Typhoon Talas has disappointed me. It is easy to be blasé about the weather in Japan, where earthquakes and typhoons are commonplace, it is easy to accept it as the norm, which in Japan it is, but because they occur so often it easy to miss when it is unusual.

As I type this NHK puts the death toll at 24, with 54 missing. Fifteen of the deaths were in Wakayama. The BBC has the death toll at 19 with 50 missing. Of course, because of the time difference, a certain disparity between both reports is inevitable the BBC catches up eventually. But yet, in the age of a twenty four hour news broadcasting, not mention Twitter feed constantly bombarding us with information, you think news organizations all over the world would be able to keep up.

Below are the two reports one from NHK & one from the BBC.

NHK

BBC