Name:   MartiniMan - Subject:   The fascination with Malaysian 777 Date:   3/21/2014 11:43:45 AM

I have been trying as much as possible to separate the facts, of which there are few, from the speculation regarding the disappearance of the Malaysian airlines jet.  More importantly, I am trying hard not to spend any more time on the issue than the real story justifies but given the media fixation it hasn't been easy.

What fascinates me is the level of fascination with this story.  As a big believer in Ockham's razor my suspicion is that the plane, or more likely the pieces of the plane, sit at the bottom of the ocean somewhere.  But there is enough out there that if true it does make one wonder.  So what is the fascination?  Its easy to say the media's fascination is driven by ratings but they would not get the ratings if we weren't watching.  I have heard several theories about our collective fixation, anything from the rubber necker sundrome to it being a combination or Agatha Christie, James Bond, etc.  But the more plausible explanation to me is that tragic events like these almost always fall into the category of explainable.  Plane crashes, people die, usually pilot error and we move on.  Very explainable.  But this one is unexplainable as yet.  It is a mystery.  And that makes it fascinating.  It is totally out of the ordinary and it captures our imagination.

The really sad part of this, other than the very saddest being the pain and anguish of the families, is that when the answer is found about what happened to this plane (if it ever is) far too many people will refuse to believe it.  They have already formulated their grand theory....a new Bermuda triangle, alien abduction, black hole, commandeered to a secret location to be weaponized or whatever fantastical theory they come up with and they will be loathe to give it up regardless of the truth.

One thing for sure, this event has exposed CNN for its total unseriousness as a news organization.  Some of the dumbest things have been specualted about on CNN which is why they are such ratings losers.