Not Quite the Boycott I Had Hoped For and Generosity

I managed to go about a half a day without going to the ESPN site, but I did glance at the channel once before flipping away.  I think I didn’t get too far in my boycott, but at the same time, their coverage hasn’t amped up, really.

The Caps had their 9-gaming winning streak snapped last night, it made me sad, but at the same time, I felt like the pressure was getting to be too much and the Caps were also playing in their second consecutive night, which made for tired legs.  Valiant effort, but in the end, it was all for naught.  I really think hockey just does not get fair coverage, I know, another rant about hockey.  But I’m telling you, it is so much fun.  The ice, the collisions, the violence, it’s like football on ice!  And who doesn’t really like football?

Live games are much better, but really the point of this post was to talk about my not boycotting ESPN for as long as I thought I could and also a little but about the Tsunami.  I was really floored yesterday when I was watching the news, yes, I know, me watching the news period is news, but there was a statistic about Japan receiving $50 million in four days after the tragedy, but Haiti and Katrina victims got 3 times that, $150 million in that same time period.  How is that right?

I mean, my first reaction was, well, of course, Japan is more affluent than Haiti, but what about Katrina?  I mean, those were US citizens.  I realise they aren’t, as a whole, probably as well off as Japanese citizens, but both are from very well-to-do countries.  How is it possible that people can’t sympathise with the Japanese who are affected, but can with Haiti or Louisiana?

Is the devastation somehow less severe?  I think we can all agree that pictures don’t lie, and that isn’t the case either, Japan is decimated and is continuing to go downhill, with their nuclear reactors going into overload or what-have-you (is it bad that I keep picturing Homer working there as the Safety Specialist?).

I almost feel like there is something more to all these catastrophes too.  I realise I’m not usually the paranoia type, but doesn’t it seem a little odd that so many catastrophic events have happened in so short a time period?  Science notwithstanding, it seems like the Earth is really pissed, but given the unrest in the world as well, Egypt and Libya, is that all there is?  I wonder if I shouldn’t brush up on those Nostradamus prophesies.  Although, as with all things, you can read into those what you like.  But doesn’t it seem odd?