a year later...

[Rollo Tomassi]

I woke up this morning and didn't feel like doing too much more than quietly reflecting on the day. I'm not even sure I want or have anything to say, but I didn't want the day to pass without mention.

[Diabolical]

Every year I have the intention of watching/reading 9/11 related movies/books, but I can never bring myself to do it for long. It still burns too much.

World Trade Center is a well-done movie, but much of it doesn't hold up to repeated viewings. Too melodramatic I think.

United 93 is a fantastic film, but it feels too real.

A year or two after the attack I picked up a book by CBS news called "What We Saw," chronicling 9/11 by everyone who worked at CBS. It came with a very well made DVD documentary that brings the horror and confusion of that day back too much.

I still haven't been able to finish reading "The 9/11 Commission Report," even as a historical document.

On occasion, I'll flip through some of the 9/11 related comics I have. My two favorites are collections of short comics by various writers and artists (called, simply "9/11" I believe). There are three very simple pages by Frank Miller that blow me away every time. The Amazing Spider-man issue was also really good.

[Slicker]

I watched a program on History Channel yesterday. It was the live newscasts as they were seen on the day. I had company over and we both just sat and watched and didn't say a word. When I'd change on a commercial neither of us said a word.

[Diabolical]

I watched a program on History Channel yesterday. It was the live newscasts as they were seen on the day. I had company over and we both just sat and watched and didn't say a word. When I'd change on a commercial neither of us said a word.

Not to sound crass in a rare, serious topic, but you had company before 9:00 am?

[Slicker]

Well, the show didn't start until about 12 noon so it wasn't TECHNICALLY at the exact time. But you get the point.

And yes, yes I did have company before 9am.

[Rollo Tomassi]

A decade has gone by.

I still feel much the same as I do every year. I would rather quietly reflect on everything. Of course, this year there's been a bunch of retrospective stuff on all the networks. It all feels a bit to...commercial to me. Like they are looking for ratings rather than beng introspective. I watched some of the reading of the names this morning on CBS. They got throught the "G"s in alphabetical order before cutting away to some other programming. Its things like that that make it feel insincere.

There was a song on the radio Friday night as I was driving home. i forgot the exact song, but they had interspersed a little girl talking to her dad who died on 9/11. It started out when she was a little girl right after it happened. Then it jumped to five years later, and the girl was older, then finally to today, and the girl is now in High School. It got to me. I guess that was the idea, and I'm not looking forward to a bunch of the same all day so...

At the opening of the Colts/Texans game they unfurled a flag that covered the entire field. (so thats like 100 yds x 45 yds? Thats a big damn flag.) Anyway, someone in the stands started chanting "U.S.A! U.S.A!" and it caught on, so within a few seconds the entire stadium was doing it. That to me is a way more sincere and fitting tribute to the ideals of Patriotism I was taught growing up. It might've been a little redneck or whatever,

Anyway, I think I'm just gonna watch NFL football all day, and that's gonna be how I honor the victims. If I died, I cetainly wouldn't want people being all mopey and mourning me. I'd want them to be on picnics, and going to amusement parks, and yes, watching Football.

[Ran]

I worked with people at the Pentagon that gave me first hand accounts of what happened. One lady I worked with sort of reminded me of The Oracle from the Matrix movies. Really nice lady, but could be tough. She may have been was in her late early 60s because she talked about retirement occasionally. Her office was in the innermost ring of the Pentagon and only one wedge over from where the plane hit. She said she heard something and then the fire alarm started going off. She went into the hallway, looked left, and she saw smoke coming towards her. She said she just ran the other way.

The building is so massive, not everyone heard the crash depending on where they were.

I sat in on the monthy facility managers meetings for the building. I'm pretty sure the contractor cut some corners to make that "we'll have the repairs done by the 1 year anniversary" goal.

I avoided as much of the anniversary coverage as I could this year.

[Diabolical]

I've been watching some 9/11 stuff the last week or two, but when it came to the actual memorial coverage on 9/11, it all felt so hollow and empty, almost like the networks felt like they had to do it.

I did however watch "9/11," the documentary the Naudet brothers were filming about a rookie firefighter that summer. They were the ones that caught the first plane hitting the South Tower (I would say they were the only ones that caught it, but I recently read there were 3 cameras that caught the first plane hitting). It was originally aired on tv on the one year anniversary. I picked it up on DVD a few months ago.
The doc is pretty gripping because you are there with the FDNY the entire time, including inside the South Tower when the North Tower collapses.

And as I said on facebook (in a more friendly tone), I fucking hate those fountains and that ugly ass tower. It does not belong there. The only thing that belongs in that spot is two 110-story towers, rebuilt exactly as they stood on 9/10/01. Put a smaller memorial in the courtyard or use the same floors that were hit as a museum or memorial. IMO, there is no better way to say "fuck you, we are still here" to anyone that would think about doing something similar.

[Rollo Tomassi]

I was flipping channels during the football game's commercials and got to that documentary just as the plane hit the Tower. Exactly what I DIDN'T want to see.

While I don't think the memorial is ugly, I do agree its it the wrong place and should instead be two 110 story tall towers.

[jjreason]

On the 10th anniversary of 9/11 I was transiting to Asia for my brother's wedding. My day only lasted 12hrs because of the time change (my September 20th lasted 36hrs to counterbalance that, if you catch my drift), but I spent every fucking second of it on an airplane.

Even in Singapore in the days following there were numerous things to watch. Oddly there was nary a mention of the death of Bin Laden - I would have figured the President's friends in media would have tried to sneak that in there as often as possible to remind potential voters of that accomplishment.

[jjreason]

14 years - meaning we've been reflecting on 9/11 here pretty much since it happened. I'm up in the middle of the night & realized it was today - the first thing that came to mind was Letterman's voice shaking when he came back to work. If you haven't seen that bit for awhile it's worth having a look - Dave aged about 400 years in the last 13 & that's about the only time I recall hearing his voice shaking like that.

[Tom Foolery]

I think about Mayor Guiliani showing up on SNL that Saturday with all the firefighters.

I still avoid watching the footage from that day.

[Ben Reilly]

Because you're liberal scum, Tom. Go eat some arugula or something, libtard.