No Comment Is Necessary

Reader David Jackson passes along an AP dispatch from Thailand that includes these choice passages:

Greg Ferrando glistened with sweat and sea water as he went for a barefoot jog up the immaculate white sand beach, where the tsunami has wiped away almost all signs of humanity.

"This whole area was littered with commercialism," said the 43-year-old from Maui, Hawaii. "There were hundreds of beach chairs out here. I prefer the sand."

Ferrando is like many who believe the tsunami that devastated this tourist hotspot and killed thousands Dec. 26 had one positive side: By washing away rampant development, it returned the beaches to nature.

"Everyone is talking about it. It looks much better now," he said. "This looks a lot more like Hawaii now, where vendors aren't allowed on the beach."…

Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra said the tsunami swept away unplanned and possible illegal building, creating an opportunity to regulate growth.

The Seattle Times headlined the article "Tsunami wipes out tourist beach clutter."