relief

i'll link to a few posts i've put up on the hand mirror: one on research showing that being too clean isn't always healthy, another on the decision by the broadcasting standards authority that went against former EMA head alisdair thompson, and finally one tonight on why it's really not a good idea to say that we are all just a nation of migrants.

in another news, i'm profoundly relieved that the various earthquakes around the world have not caused too much devastation, and that a tsumani has failed to occur. like a lot of people, i was pretty glued to twitter last night, anxiously waiting for news and worrying about all the countries that could potentially be affected. the sight on the news today of people in extreme fear and crying brought home just how triggering this incident must have been for so many.

i guess in a way this links back to my post of yesterday, and how technology is a useful thing. the negative is that there is an added level of stress knowing about events that i otherwise wouldn't have heard about the next day. on the other hand, i appreciated being able to watch events unfold and pray for the safety of all these people.

it also brought home just how internationally connected we come through sites like twitter. i was sitting there desperately wishing i could read and make sense of the tweets in the thai script, or that i knew enough of the indonesian version of the malay language to understand how people were feeling there. i can only see that connectivity as a good thing - it helps us to care more about others.