Don't worry, be happy

I repeat that over and over when confronted with facts that seem to be a cause for worry. Fortunately, the efficacy of my mantra is also enabled by our national press; they also want me to be happy, except in very rare occasions when I'm supposed to be very, very afraid.

Take Pakistan, for example. There were serious riots in Karachi on Saturday, complete with gunfire from non-government sources. Twenty-nine reportedly dead, or twenty-seven, or something. The NYT reported on the riots yesterday, in today's news cycle the news is off the main headlines, and down under the 'world' title. There is no update for today, even though Pakistan has already seen Sunday fade into night.

Pakistan is essentially a military dictatorship, armed with nuclear weapons, and with close associations with terrorist groups, yet somehow what occurs there is only fitfully newsworthy. Since I know that the NYT is keen to preserve my tranquility (except in key moments), couldn't they at least do an update to assure me that peace has returned to the streets of Pakistan? Don't they realize I can go to the BBC and find out that riots continued today with more deaths and that the death toll from Saturday is now thirty-four?

Oh well, back to my mantra...