Ten years ago, Melissa called me. Wake up, Kelly. Something happened. Something bad.
Ten years later, did any lives alter significantly for the better, on either side? The masterminds have been held accountable, and it has apparently done nothing to slow al-Qaeda. The lives of thousands of Americans were ended in one morning, but did this gesture, done perhaps symbolically by the terrorists, gain anything for the perpetrators besides bloodshed?
If I live another six decades, I'll never understand this act, nor any of terrorism. I can't think of the footage of children celebrating the attack in the streets and waving flags without getting sick to my stomach. No child is intrinsically evil.
Most of the people I talk to about that day can claim three or fewer degrees of separation from someone who was there. My college friend Crystal, the day of the attack, was worried because she knew two guys who worked in a restaurant at the top of one of the towers. One she wasn't too worried about because he wasn't getting many hours and very few were in the mornings, and one she wasn't worried about because she was pretty sure he was done there the previous week, but maybe it was that week, so she was trying over and over to call.
A few days went by, and she finally got word that they were both there. If I detach myself emotionally I can understand why the twin towers were targeted as a symbol of what the terrorists hated, but here were two dudes - two struggling artists - who were there to scrape out a living as actors in New York. What was their sacrifice for? They died so the terrorists could claim a slightly higher death toll?
I wonder - quite often, actually - what goes through the minds of the terrorists during those final moments. I wonder if the one flying the plane is unable to get the horrified shrieks of a three-year-old passenger out of his head, and if he spends his last minutes wishing he couldn't put a face or a voice on this once-symbolic enemy. The tiny bit of hope I have that the terrorists feel the slightest pang of regret in that moment is, sometimes, the only thing that holds together my belief in humanity.
I can't believe it's been ten years, dudes. I can't believe 13-year-old Americans think of 9/11 as ancient history. It changed me. A lot.
I had started law school three weeks earlier and I was in a section that had laptops with wireless connectivity. It was a surreal day to be sitting in class able to watch things on the Internet. It was a terrible day, for sure, but I'll say no more than that.
I have never understood the desire to have that kind of power over another person's life, especially as to whether or not they live or die. I too, wonder if feelings drove what they were doing, or if they felt more like drones.
I was in morning class when I found out as I hadn't turned on a radio or TV that morning. I actually had two classes that morning before the school cancelled the rest of the day. One teacher even gave us a quiz, which he later threw out because everyone was so distracted they did poorly. I didn't know anyone directly affected by what happened, but I remember the eerie feeling of sitting in a lobby with about 100 college-aged kids watching television and you could hear a pin drop on carpet.
I can't believe 13-year-old Americans think of 9/11 as ancient history.
i remember, with the whole recent business with osama, being pretty disgusted with all the celebrations and cheering after his death. i think that this american life happened to pick that week to do a show of, and turn around and get it on the air by the weekend, which i happened to catch part of while in the car. there was a woman doing interviews on a college campus where a spontaneous "rally" of sorts had broken out to cheer bin laden's death. one of the girls there described how she had been about 10 years old when 9/11 happened, and she had grown up with bin laden as this boogeyman of sorts, like a lot of the other kids there. they were celebrating the death of this real life "bad guy" that they had grown up in fear of.
while i still don't condone the celebrations, that thought gave me pause. i was still a dumb kid when 9/11 happened, but i was old enough to look at the situation more logically and knew enough to understand the situation was a lot less simplistic than the reasons which were eventually given. i can't really imagine what it was like to be that young and try to wrap your head around something as complex as this.
As it turns out, I'll be using today to be annoyingly American; I'm watching football and drinking beer all day with my friend Todd as we track our fantasy teams.
I'm not sure what to expect here in LA in terms of commemoration. On one hand, you'd think the other big city in America would do something, but on the other, I haven't been to any part of LA that made it seem like a big city.
My brother's confirmation is today, and he asked me to be his sponsor. I can't tell you how incredibly ticked I am at the diocese for their boneheaded scheduling.
In a way, LA isn't really a part of the US. Things happen "elsewhere", or they happen there. At least that's how it felt when I lived there. Kinda weird how the city seems self-absorbed like that.
I was sleeping on the dorm room couch getting ready for a 10:00 class. My roomate came back from his early class and was like "dude, someone just blew up the WTC." I didn't believe him right away for some reason, possibly because I was in a sleep induced haze. I ended up going to class, where everyone was confused and lethargic from it, so the professor cancelled. After that, we were all glued to the tv.
I was in a butchery class in culinary school, running some beef through the band saw. Someone came in, waved at me, then tapped me on the shoulder. I shut off the saw, and they told me. At first I thought they meant the WTC in St. Paul, where some friends worked, and a small plane, like a Cessna. Then he told me New York, and an airliner. We spent much of the day in the hallway outside the butchery shop, where one of the school's administrators had placed her radio.
This is the part I struggle with, spooky. The decision I made to leave cooking (a career in which I had begun to reconsider) for the Marines bore the influence of 9/11, and though my time in the Corps, I've found a direction for my life, some wonderful friendships, lost one longtime girlfriend, and then my wife. Without the tragedy of a morning ten years ago today, I wouldn't have any of that. I certainly wouldn't be pursing a Ph.D., and with how hard I was living at the time, I don't know where I'd be today. I have a lot to be thankful for, much of it based on a tragedy. I don't know if I'll ever resolve that.
I find it a great comfort to hear that, despite the obvious gray area on your end. I understand why you'd feel uncomfortable about all this coming from a tragedy, but it's not like you were capitalizing on it like some war profiteer - you saw a reason to make things better and you bore the rewards.
You're right, it's not like I'm exploiting the situation for my personal benefit; in a certain sense, it's simply the way things have unfolded. And I also try to not give it too much emphasis, since my life was less radically altered in the short-term by the events of ten years ago than those of many others with more intimate connections to the attack. On the other hand, entertaining counterfactuals (what would I be doing today if I'd stayed in kitchens?) feels trivial compared to the what might have been for so many others.
Ultimately, it is what it is, and there's no changing that.
CH, the parallels are there in spades.
I was wasting time in undergrad, working on my third major in as many years. I'd looked at enlisting in the Coast Guard in August but decided that I should give this college thing one more try (as a law enforcement entity, they wouldn't accept a repeat offender - minor consumptions). I heard the announcement of the first hit on the car radio en route to class. Half way through, class was cancelled and I headed back to the apartment. I distinctly remember hearing Bodies by Drowing Pool on the radio that morning...it was literally stomach churning. I spent the rest of the day glued to the television with my roommate.
I enlisted in the Navy in January of '02, married in '04, finished my undergraduate degree in '08, completed my J.D. in May and had a daughter 2 weeks ago.
As with you, I don't know how much of my choice to enlist is directly attributable to the events of 9/11, but it did not play a small part. How my life could have been is never far from my mind, especially on days like today.
Corn, I suspected we'd be peas in a pod on this. I suspect that the "Never Forget" motto is as absurd to you as it is to me; the idea that anyone whose trajectory in life was altered by the attacks need be reminded is farcical.
Don't know how it was at Great Lakes, but at MCRD San Diego that song was used as soundtrack for videos which depicted the attacks, and then footage of various military assets blowing sh!t up (presumably) in response. At the time it made a certain amount of sense - recruits need motivation and to be reminded of the work ahead. In retrospect, however, it was unsettlingly jingoistic. I've tried finding it on the web, simply to see how I'd react no, but so far no dice.
FWIW, a bunch of idiots were mindlessly chanting "U-S-A, U-S-A" for the first half of the playing of "Taps" at Candlestick before the game today. Dudes, put down your beers for a minute and STFU. There's plenty of time for that stuff.
This is the first opening weekend since 1992 that I haven't been in a fantasy football league. I might do it again in later years, but it's kind of a liberating feeling not being glued to the TV and to the computer all day.
Now I'm off to play Half-Life and watch the Twins game.
I was in my first period US History class. The teacher was discussing primary and secondary sources that morning. I was trying to find ways to entertain myself, since I already knew what he was talking about. That's when one of the school's maintenance staffed walked in and told the teacher something. He then said something about an airplane hitting the WTC and then, "That's a good example of a secondary source". And then continued on with class. I was very confused, thinking it had to be a joke. I didn't find out otherwise until class ended, over an hour later. School wasn't canceled, which I now think was probably the right decision.
Oh, I did go home for lunch that day. Dad woke up a few minutes after I got home (he was working third shift), and I told him to turn on the TV, there was an attack. He was still in a sleep induced haze, so I tuned the TV to CNN for him and went back to eating. Poor guy, not a good way to wake up.
The truly evil perpetrators for 9/11 were the masterminds that sent men off to die for their "cause" and then went and hid in caves and bunkers. Those that actually pulled off the plan did so with the belief that they were giving up their own lives for a noble cause as well as to ensure a place in their version of heaven. For me, it's easier to forgive those that hijacked the planes than thugs that shoot a stranger on the street to steal a few bucks or even to just get back at someone for looking at them the wrong way.
To be clear, I'm not condoning what the hijackers did. They did kill thousands of innocent people, not soldiers in a war. But I think it helps to understand that they have been taught all their lives that we are the evil ones and if they don't act against us, we will destroy them one way or another. Just like American kids celebrating when Bin Laden was killed, the Middle Eastern kids were celebrating a victory against the American boogeymen.
To me, it's weird to think Junior is in fourth grade and he will never know what the world was like before 9/11.
Also, what would our economy be like now if hundreds of the greatest and most influential financial minds in the world hadn't been wiped out 10 years ago.
Um, politics?
The US Rugby team got burned after a brilliant defensive stand at the end of the first half.
All in all, that was a very good showing from the Eagles. I'm very pleased with their performance on the pitch today. And now that the US is out of the way, I hope Ireland can pick things up going forward.
Yeah, the Irish didn't look so hot today, but I have a feeling they'll put things together for their next match.
There are worse ways for the Vikings to start the season.
Its been a pretty textbook Vikings second half, though.
Tolbert isn't limited to [redacted]ing the Twins.
Bills win 41-7. Thurman Thomas has two rushing, one receiving. Kelly throws one to Reed, one to Beebe. And Henry Jones picked off Montana twice. Not bad!
And they're all so dreamy, too.
Cam Newton in first half, 9-13 198 yards, 2 TDs. Color me surprised.
Encroachment three times on the final drive to lose the game. Good job Vikes.
Vikings football!
yeah, that was pretty special.
36 yards passing or something like that...blech. Although the o-line gave McNabb little time and the receivers had the dropsies..but still
Is Favre available?
yes!
So is Jeff George.
on the bright side, they weren't saddled with Tarvaris Jackson today. He was awful today. 21-37 for 197 yards, 2 TDs and one pick, but don't let the mediocre numbers fool you. He was much, much worse. One of the TDs and 55 yards coming on a quick slant for a TD late in the 4th quarter.
In the first half, Seattle went 3-and-out on four of their six possessions and T-Jack lost a fumble on the fourth play of a fifth possession.
Has there ever been a more depressing weekend in Minnesota sports history? This is awful. I was so looking forward to football. Go, Raiders!
You a Northfield fan or summat?
You of all people should know what team I'm referring to.
Heh heh.
so, today was rookie dress up day (when you see it...).
Oh my, that's.... graphic.
hughes' doesn't quite stand out at that angle, so i'll leave it to him:
Oh, balls, er boy.
sure beats dressing up in a season with only one rookie.
16 rookies pictured.
16 rookies?
6 P: Burnett, Diamond, Hendriks, Hoey, Oliveros, Waldrop
5 IF: Hughes, Nishioka, Parmelee, Plouffe!, Rivera
4 OF: Benson, Dinkelman, Revere, Tosoni
That only gets me 15.
Slama, Holm, and Hacker aren't currently active. Who am I missing?
If anyone can identify more than five of these players, I will be in awe.
I'm pretty irritated with my day today. My ~3 hour database migration turned into closer to 6 hours. My first softball game (which I missed) turned out to be a forfeit. The second one (which I was getting ready to go to) started early because of the first game forfeit, so I missed them both. I'm trying to think of something decadent to spend the OT money on to try get over it.
Just got home from Providence, both my mother and Sheenie's mother were not happy that we were flying (from the East Coast!) today, but we don't schedule the weddings of our friends...
Anyway, I'm sure quite a few of you have heard my story before. I had never been to NYC even though I had spent the previous year in Washington, DC. I ate breakfast at the student union watching smoke from one of the towers with a bunch of New Yorkers sitting in stunned disbelief near me. Because I had never visited, I didn't understand the enormity - I just thought it was strange.
I left for class (9am EST start) and was in class when the second tower was hit. I was also in class when the Pentagon was hit about just 3 miles to the south of where I was sitting. Cell phones were buzzing during class (parents trying to locate their children) and after about 5 or 6 calls the professor threatened that he was taking the any phone that rang. He apologized the next time. 75 minutes later when I stepped outside, people were running throughout the streets of DC (there didn't seem to be any rhyme or reason to where they were going). I could hear sirens and see the smoke from the Pentagon but I naively walked to my next class. When I was entering that building, I was told that classes were canceled for the rest of the day.
Some psychos started calling in bomb threats on buildings. The student union and my residence hall had both been evacuated, so I made my way to Sheenie's room where I hunkered down for the duration of the day. Phone reception was down. Finally, my father and I were able to connect via AIM so I could tell him I was still safe. I'll never forget what he told me: "Go! Get out of town!"
My father is a very, very reasonable man. For him to tell me something so unreasonable further stressed the enormity of the events to me. I had no where to go (the only "family" I can think of that was remotely nearby was my uncle's (who married into my family) sister and her family in Annapolis). I had no way of getting anywhere. The Metro wasn't working. I had no car. As mentioned, people were running through the street.
I just stayed in Sheenie's dorm room with her and her roommates for hours. I don't remember much else. Just a blur.
Hey Hungry Joe (or anyone else who can help with this) -
I've got a video post set to go for tomorrow, but the embed script I have on it to resize it seems to be making it smaller in height than the normal video posts. Is there another script/code I should be using to get the right size?
should be fixed now. the only thing you need to do to post youtube vids is copy and paste the link (just the URL, not the embed code), then throw a "v" after the "http". go back into edit mode on your post and you'll see what i'm talking about.
Got it! Thanks, man.
OMG, breaking bad has hit netflix streaming.
This is the best possible news.
Wolves negotiating with Adelman. If the Wolves land Adelman, I'm pretty sure that means this lockout won't be ending anytime soon.
Soon to be was.
My sister, SNF, is visiting with her two sons, MTF (4) and ARF (2). I'm taking work off.
Which is just to say, I'll probably be around even less this week.
I watched a bit of the Vikes game today and I just didn't care. So I have that going for me, which is nice.
My sister, SNF, who's been living in Alaska for nine years, is staying with us for the week with her two sons...
FTFM
EAR and I had been married exactly 13 months. We lived in an apartment on Pill Hill in St. Paul.
She would drive me to work downtown every day before going to her own job. I was ready to go while EAR was finishing up in the bathroom. I sat down on our couch, watching Good Day Minnesota with Alix Kendall and Tim Sherno. Alix was interviewing someone live and left that person to go to the national Fox feed while talking over it. I told EAR, "You gotta see this, some idiot flew his plane into the World Trade Center!" I had never been to NYC, pictured a personal aircraft and didn't realize how far off my sense of scale was. Then, I saw the live video as the second plane showed up, and my heart sunk and my adrenaline rushed. This wasn't an idiot. Alix kept talking, "A Second Plane just flew into the other tower" or something like that, as if we hadn't just seen it. I don't think EAR had made it to the TV yet, because I had to explain that I saw the plane.
We left a bit later than we usually did, maybe 10-15 minutes, I don't remember what I said to EAR before we left. I remember Westbound I94 was very busy between the 280 exit and the Mississippi River. I remember wondering how many of the other cars knew what had happened, and how weird it would be.
I'm pretty sure we listened to KDWB coming down Washington Avenue. Dave Ryan being somber.
She dropped me off, and since I was late I got to my desk and got to work. Someone down the hall had a portable TV, I could come watch it, but I had work to get done. I heard that the buildings collapsed and I went to the NY Times website and saw photos that didn't make sense.
EAR called and e-mailed a few times worried about me being downtown. I was unconcerned.
A bunch of us actuaries decided to cross the River to Kramarczuk's for lunch, because it was a beautiful day and we weren't getting much work done. All planes had been landed by that point and it was so quiet outside. We came back later to find that the building was "shut down" although I could go in to get my stuff. I called EAR, and grabbed my bag to go wait an hour for the next bus, and I watched the news until she got home at her regular time.
EAR and had decided that we would go out on a date each month on the 11th, the day in August we had been married, which we kept with until CER was born. I know we went to Black Forest Inn, but it might have been the next day.
I remember that week that TPT had a series on coming global threats: superbugs, water scarcity, and a ton of other things that didn't involve terrorism. EAR and I watched that whole series. The other broadcast channels really frustrated us with their constant "news" that had no more information than they had two hours or four hours prior. It was like "This is so important, we have to keep this on special news report, even though there is nothing to report."
I remember the night before, too. College friends had gone out to O'Gara's (still my only time there). Political arguments were common among our group, and the death penalty came up. I had the opinion I had always had around that time. But that night I had the brand-new (to me) idea that perhaps that availability of capital punishment could differ based on citizenship of the convict. What I said that night really bounced around in my head for weeks. Not whether my concept was valid, but that I argued particularly about noncitizen murderers and terrorists, the night before noncitizen terrorists would kill nearly 3,000, some as I watched, really felt weird. Partly like I jinxed things, like could I sense things were coming, trying to remember how stupid the things I said were demonstrated to be 12 hours later.
[Tried sterilize the politics here. Hope I succeeeded.]
I should have also mentioned that we have a couple pilots that lived near us at the time. One of them was in the air at the time, got turned around, and was given the option of Indianapolis or return to StL. He opted for StL, and was one of the last planes to land that day.We were a bit fascinated with how they (and other pilots) broke the news to their passengers, or even IF they did, on why they were landing. Interesting that his father was one of the CNN airplane experts that they spoke to several times during the news the following days. I know I was supposed to fly to Omaha later that week, and needless to say that didn't happen.