Phendrana Drifts

I remember with some degree of fondness the summer of 1990 through to the beginning of 1991 in terms of the news. There were huge stories - war in the Persian Gulf, a native uprising in Oka, Quebec, etc. I thought, well for lack of a better term, this is cool. Stuff is happening everywhere. Then Ms. Margaret Thatcher was deposed, Gorbachev was taken in a coup and then the Soviet Union fell - I mean it was dizzying times for the growing news hound that I was becoming. Of course, now I am there completely. I read news about 30% of my working day. I have grown to keeping Newsworld or CNN in the background at work while I write or read. And again, we are in dizzying times. Another war in Iraq, a diplomatic crisis here in Canada, the outbreak of a strange and lethal disease, Air Canada declaring bankruptcy and the Calgary Flames missing the playoffs again. OK, one of those is not newsworthy. But the point is a lot is going on right now. Enough so, that other stories are getting missed (like did you know the Tories and the Liberals are in the midst of leadership races?).

Still, it feels, well, more evil. Maybe it was that I was 12 in 1990. Or the education I have indulged in. But I feel, well under seige by the news. I am not the kind of person to hide from the news (hence Newsworld on as I type this), but I feel, well more aggressive. More angry. All of the time. And much more so after I listen or catch up on the news. I certainly don't remember giving a rat's ass in Panama. Of course I was even younger then. I certainly cared about the first Gulf War. But even when I was an International Relations student and deep in Model UN, I only sort of followed the wars in Yugoslavia. I mean, I tried to understand and read a lot, but for the most part I figured I would read about after it was done. And of course, I have.

Maybe it is all this extra time I have on my hands now that I'm not in school.

Regardless, if you aren't keeping up, American forces are only six kilometres away from Baghdad. And the lights are out. I'm glad I live here. That might be selfish to say, but it remains true.

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