The important overseas events of 2006 and handwashing

This mornings news had the results of a survey of 1,000 Japanese---not 1,000 people who live in Japan, not 1,000 residents, but 1,000 Japanese---on the top 10 foreign news stories of 2006. Number one was the poisoning of the Russian spy. Other top events included the Indonesian earthquake and the results, and other big stories. Not mentioned was North Korea. I wonder why? Maybe since it directly involves Japan, it is not foreign news.

However, the number 2 story surpassing all those disaster, global warming, and such, was the soccer player Zidane's headbutt of another player. Now that is important stuff. This is why Americans are said to be so stupid. They aren't sophisticated enough to give this type of events the proper importance. If only Americans had this intelligence, why they would have the answer to all the world's problem like everyone else.

There is also a virus which caused hundreds of illnesses recently called the norovirus. It is easily spread by dirty hands etc. Many of the victims were guests at a hotel where someone had vomited on the floor and it was not properly cleaned up and disinfected.

Last night one station devoted a large news segment on how to wash one's hands. That's odd, I could see this happening overseas, but why in Japan where people are cleaner than non-Japanese? Aren't the Japanese the cleanest people in the universe? How could this be? I am so shocked.