I debated and debated about building one of my videos from the recent and current disaster in Japan. You probably have received it by now, so you know the outcome–I did it. My hope is that the video doesn’t come off as exploitative or some version of know-it-all, armchair quarterbacking. I do think the point is worthwhile about the scale of the 1721 smallpox epidemic overlaid on our current day–the number of casualties would simply be mind-numbing. Given our social media and nonstop electronic and digital communication, you have to ponder what the effect of such losses would be on our collective psyche, our common identity, and our shared outlooks. There would be an effect on them, that much is rock-hard certain. The direction and details of that effect, however, are what is up for grabs. What do you think?