THE QATSPY® From the Kerosene Cowboy Journal Perception
By: Charles W. Boatright
Troy Johnson of WAPT TV Reference the Term Ever– One of my favorite movies is Meet Joe Black where Hopkins explains the term forever Love. Multiply it by infinity, and take it to the depth of forever, and you will still have barely a glimpse
Troy Johnson covered a report last week about an older Jordanian gentleman that traveled to Mecca in Saudi Arabia to observe Hajj that died from heat exhaustion. This also claimed the lives of approximately 1,300 other victims. Temperatures reached 125° Fahrenheit. The Jordanian man was 67 years old.
Troy Johnson in describing the report stated that the temperature of 125° Fahrenheit was the hottest temperature EVER!
I believe Troy Johnson, like so many people in the media, wants to emphasize the issue of Climate Warming in their broadcast. But when someone refers to the term EVER it gets my attention to how writers and broadcasters actually verified their data; and if they do at all. Nowadays, you can’t believe totally what you hear on National or local NEWS! But, EVER is a long time.
What contributed to these people’s death was some travelers signing up with unscrupulous travel agencies that got them to Mecca without providing any logistics to them like hotels, water, and other accommodations or even a travel guide. These victims were lifted to defend themselves without a guidance or assistance.
So How Long was EVER in Troy’s Story
The report by Troy Johnson of WAPT, a Jackson, MS ABC Station, stated that the 125° F temperature was the hottest temperature EVER. One would have to have records dating back to accent times, even back before 550BC, during the Achaemenid Persian Empire, ruled by Cyrus The Great, that included parts of Saudi Arabia to actually make that reference of the HOTTEST Temperature EVER!
But in actuality, you didn’t even have to go back that far to discover even a slightly hotter day than the one Troy Johnson referred to in his report. You only had to go back to June 22, 2010 in Saudi Arabia where the recorded temperature was 125.6° F. That was only 14- years earlier almost to the date to this instance.
The Dust Bowl of 1930
Even during the Dust Bowl of 1930, here in Mississippi, we had a record of an actual temperature of 115° Fahrenheit in Holly Springs, located in northern Mississippi. Just for reference the Latitude for Holly Springs is 34.7676° N on the border with Tennessee. I have flown there on business on a number of occasions.
Now here is something else surprising, the Latitude of Mecca is 21.4241° N. That is kind of surprising considering that Mecca, Saudi Arabia is that far north from the equator when you think of 1001 Arabian Nights.
Actually Troy Johnson was incorrect when he reported in his report that 125° F was the hottest temperature ever for Saudi Arabia. Again, just 14- years prior, Saudi Arabia recorded a temperature of 125.6° F.
When someone uses terms like EVER or HISTORICAL, I begin to question their reporting with skepticism. I knew that writers for the broadcast that Troy Johnson might not fact check their work or data. Some writers have an alternative agenda and motives instead of just reporting the facts.
Some writers want to make statements for their cause whether it is factual or not. If a writer is trying to make comparisons, they need to check their assumptions to validate them before using the data or comparison.
There is a simple Bible verse that I live and write articles by from 1 Thessalonians 5:21- But test everything to be true; hold on to what is TRUE,
Journalism is dead, it died during the 1990’s during Clinton Presidency where the media people started spinning their reporting to fit a narrative. Why should you let FACTS get in the way of your story? I don’t even use the term journalist any longer in reference to the media, because they are just the media people.
The full quote about Forever by Antony Hopkins is – Multiply it by infinity, and take it to the depth of forever, and you will still have barely a glimpse of what I’m talking about