Massive Earthqake in Japan- Will this affect Worlds?(threads merged)

[Flatfoote]

I missed the exact details, but CNN just reported that in Tokyo, business workers showed up to travel, only to be told the trains were not working, and were being told to walk or find a taxi.

[victoriajh]

Apparently Kim Lucine posted the following (i'm not sure where but i guess on facebook. i read it on bjdg):

"A little message while i have internet, we woke up at 2AM to try to find a ticket to go back to europe, it's 5AM now and i think we found a ticket for 10AM but we have to go to the airport to check. i won't have internet anymore so i'll keep you posted when i'll be somewhere else. World Championnship are gonna be reported in Lausan, Korea or Canada!!!"

Do you think it is true?
mmmmmm interesting- not sure why he woudl have inside scoop over other skaters- or maybe he is just brave enough to post! lol

[numbers123]

I missed the exact details, but CNN just reported that in Tokyo, business workers showed up to travel, only to be told the trains were not working, and were being told to walk or find a taxi.

CNN LIKES SENSATIONALISM :wall: I guess their experience was differnt than Mevrouw's

But ya'll want to believe that the world is coming to an end.

[oleada]

mmmmmm interesting- not sure why she woudl have inside scoop over other skaters- or maybe she is just brave enough to post! lol

Um, Kim Lucine is a he and is competing for Monaco.

[victoriajh]

Um, Kim Lucine is a he and is competing for Monaco.

OOPS gotta spell check those posts!!! sorry!! :D

[Flatfoote]

CNN LIKES SENSATIONALISM :wall: I guess their experience was differnt than Mevrouw's

But ya'll want to believe that the world is coming to an end.

I never said anything about the world coming to an end. I just thought I'd share what I just heard on CNN. If they're sensationalizing, then that's them, not me.

Mevrouw's post talks about the experience as it happened, but also said something like 'we'll see on Monday when the commuters come back to work.' Well, that's what I beleive CNN was reporting about, was the commuters showing up to use the trains, and then being told they weren't working.

[Carolla5501]

I think we need to be patient. I would much rather they take the time necessary to make the proper decision than knee-jerk and make the wrong one.

MLB games were NOT cancelled for several weeks. It was precisely one week from 9/11 that MLB resumed, see here. (http://scores.espn.go.com/mlb/recap?gameId=210918104)

I've steered clear of the 24/7 news media, only watching coverage during morning news and evening news...both the Today Show and CBS Sunday Morning indicated that things were back to normal in Tokyo. CBS had video of the area in Tokyo that I believe is likened to NYC's Times Square and it looked just like any other day. But boy, when I'm channel surfing and pause for a moment on CNN or FOX or MSNBC....the hype is phenomenally different.

Not all of it is "hype" I was watching MSNBC and their guy showed how you went just a few blocks and you went from "looks normal" to "looks like matchsticks" (This was on the coast where the wave came in!)

It's a valid point that, some areas look fine and others.....

Of course even if it "looks normal" that does not mean "normal" I have no idea how things like water, sewer, power etc... are working. I have heard public transit is not running and Japan depends a lot on that!

[JamieElena]

Not all of it is "hype" I was watching MSNBC and their guy showed how you went just a few blocks and you went from "looks normal" to "looks like matchsticks" (This was on the coast where the wave came in!)

It's a valid point that, some areas look fine and others.....

Of course even if it "looks normal" that does not mean "normal" I have no idea how things like water, sewer, power etc... are working. I have heard public transit is not running and Japan depends a lot on that!

My post applies to hype as heaped on Tokyo and as has been mentioned many times in this thread, Tokyo is quite a bit removed from the tsunami affected area.

[alilou]

The CNN reports of the subway in Tokyo being closed Monday morning came directly from NHK TV and showed pictures of crowds of commuters being turned away. It is not sensationalism, it's just a report, from Japanese TV, of what is happening.

[PRlady]

Holding Worlds in a country that has just had a huge natural disaster, no matter how well they are coping with it, doesn't seem wise to me. The nuclear hazards are unclear, transportation is affected and come on, thousands of people are dead and the country is rightfully pre-occupied. If there's another venue that can host it within a week or two of the original date, that would be the best option for the athletes, if not for those planning to attend.

I feel so sorry for those like Ryan Bradley for whom this might have been the last chance Worlds, or even Meryl and Charlie for whom it might turn out to have been the best chance at a gold. But looking at the faces of those dazed Japanese people whose homes don't exist anymore puts that in perspective pretty quickly.

And personally, I've been wondering for some time now when we all forgot that nuclear power has special hazards that other kinds don't. I figured I was just an aging hippie who remembers living south of Three Mile Island, and being in Kiev a few years after Chernobyl and still being told not to eat fresh fruit or vegetables. Maybe not.

[The Observer]

Ryan Bradley has always been very frustrating to read. He always posts silly and ambiguous messages without explaining what they mean, so I stopped trying to figure them out a long time ago!

[flowerpower]

Apparently Kim Lucine posted the following (i'm not sure where but i guess on facebook. i read it on bjdg):

"A little message while i have internet, we woke up at 2AM to try to find a ticket to go back to europe, it's 5AM now and i think we found a ticket for 10AM but we have to go to the airport to check. i won't have internet anymore so i'll keep you posted when i'll be somewhere else. World Championnship are gonna be reported in Lausan, Korea or Canada!!!"

Do you think it is true?

OK, upthread didn't someone say that Vancouver or London, Ont. were possibilities? The JLC in London doesn't seem to be booked up. Interesting thought.

[victoriaheidi]

I think Korea is the least likely of the three.

As for Vancouver/London, I think it'd be Vancouver first. But I think that maybe it'll be Lausanne, if only because the ISU has its headquarters there. Plus, to amend my stupid visa comment from earlier, I bet Switzerland would be easy on visas.

[Yazmeen]

would everyone just look at Mevrouw post please! and get some perspective. Angelskates and Fred and others have been saying that the over reporting of chaos is simply not true. Japan is bigger than what you might think. Ask questions

That said, I do have get empathy for the areas affect the most. I am not heartless, but for pete's sake please calm down and quit the OTT speculations of the end of the world.

Please understand that we are trying to look at different perspectives here; including the perspectives of those who absolutely believe that the championships in Tokyo cannot possibly and must not possibly be cancelled which are on the one end of the extreme, opposite to those who insist all is chaos and the event must be cancelled now. And as for seriousness, we understand there is not "chaos" in Tokyo. That said, however, the current existence and major possibility of future major disruptions in services, continual aftershocks including another serious quake, and continued serious problems with the nuclear reactors do exist. Yes, we get that life is functioning and continuing in Tokyo; however, for those who live there and understand the geologic consequences of the area, the perspective of what is "just fine" may be a hell of a lot different than what those who are unfamiliar with the area think is fine. I know a lot about nuclear radiation and radiation safety, but in all honesty, as a physician and scientist, I could not in good conscience recommend Tokyo as a safe-no problem destination for anyone right now, much less for a competitive athlete whose mindset does not need to be disrupted by environmental uncertainty. I'm sorry if that upsets some people here, but I am ingrained in the idea of safety first, and things are simply not OK-fine right now. I'm still at the "wait and see" point, but my heart and mind are saying no go, having the competition in Tokyo is not the best choice now.

This is hard for me as a skater and especially as a skating fan who has the biggest soft spot in her heart for Ryan Bradley and Alissa Czisny and who really wanted to see them shine at Worlds this year becuase there is a strong possibility this is the "swan song" for both of them. Not to mention the rest of the skaters competing who have busted their tails to get to this point. However, no matter how much I love skating, a competition is a very minor consideration in the scope of what is going on there and pales in comparison to considering the health, safety and well being of the skaters and everyone in Japan who is going through this wrenching tragedy. If I have upset some here, so be it, flame away, but the health and well being of those whose lives have been turned upside down far outweighs medals, points, and future standings for a few. Damn, this hurts all around. My prayers are with Japan, its people, skaters, and skating fans. :(

[Parsley Sage]

OK, upthread didn't someone say that Vancouver or London, Ont. were possibilities? The JLC in London doesn't seem to be booked up. Interesting thought.

The Men's curling championships are finishing at the JLC in a few hours.