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Issue # 204 (09-11-2003)

The Day Our World Stood Still

2 Years ago today, our lives were changed forever. No matter what country you hail from ... the way you look at the world, your neighbors, and every stranger you come across has changed. Let's look back at the events that brought us here, and where "here" actually is.

This special edition of The Gazette is a tribute and a reflection on 9/11/2001 Unlike our regular Gazette, in this issue we don't have a sponsor, code snippet or address anything having to do with The Internet, JimWorld, or Search Engines. This is not educational, nor is it promotional. It is, however, cleansing, and in parts, moving. I can understand if this topic does not interest you, or if you do not want to relive that day with me. I don't want you to feel compelled to read this ... just understand that I needed to write it.

The Gazette will return to normal next week.

Johnny's Ramblings

On my refrigerator, held up by a flag magnet, next to The Seattle Mariners baseball schedule are 2 unused airline tickets, dated 9/11/2001. A nonstop, cross-country flight from Seattle to Newark ... a trip to visit family, to celebrate my birthday the next day. They serve as a daily reminder for me, of what might have been, and they keep me focused on what's really important.

At about 5:50am on September 11, 2001, my wife came into the bedroom to wake me up (she's an early riser). What she said was "some dumb ass just flew a plane into the World Trade Center". We assumed it was some idiot in a private plane that just lost control. As I'm watching the news coverage, the second plane hit, and we both said "holy crap, that one was a jet", and then we knew. About an hour later, my wife was in the back changing our son, and the first tower fell. I don't remember what I screamed out, but I do remember the look on her face when she came out and saw me crying. I also remember my son asking us all day (3 years old at the time) "What's Wrong? Can we play a game?" I remember being thankful that he was too young to require an explanation of what we just saw.

The previous Sunday, I had done my first radio show in Seattle. Nervous as all get out, I spent my first hour on the airwaves interviewing Jim Wilson for the first of my weekly "geek radio" shows. Thankfully, he got me through it. Now, for my second show, I drove to the station knowing that there was no way I could do a "normal show". I spent the next 2+ hours venting with the good people of Seattle about what had just happened to us. No longer the nervous geek doing a call in show, I was instantly turned into a "voice of reason", and the punching bag that everyone needed. I matured on the air that day, not just as a radio host, but as a person.

It's still hard to put into words what I felt on that day, and the weeks that followed. Anger, dismay, sadness, grief, and anger again. I remember the goose bumps that I got when I saw the flags that were everywhere. I remember wishing that I still lived in Philadelphia, so that I could drive up to NYC and help dig for survivors. I remember hearing Americans say that we deserved it, and I remember the images of the people in the middle east dancing in the streets. I remember the look on Bush's face when he was interrupted in that classroom with the news. I remember crying during the national anthem at that first Yankees game, and I remember the Seattle Mariners all crying as they walked a huge flag around Safeco Field after clinching the AL West. And, I remember Jim Wilson's memorable forum postings immediately after it all happened. http://www.jimworld.com/articles/classic-jim/911/. I distinctly remember watching the 3 hour special "9/11" on TV, with the camera crew that had followed that fire station crew around. I remember the sounds of the bodies hitting the ground (still sends shivers down my spine), and I remember very vividly, the sea of people running from the Trade Center, and those 15 firefighters running opposite them, directly into the midst of living hell. I wear my "FDNY" hat almost every day, in salute of absolute bravery and selflessness.

To this day, I salute every police officer I see. I honk and throw a thumbs up at every firehouse I pass. I make it a point to either shake hands with, or at the very least say "Thank You" to every military man or woman that I see. My truck still bears 6 American flags, and my computer desktop is still the Eagle with the teardrop. I find myself much more focused on reality now, much more focused on my family, and much more interested in doing more for everyone else, and less for myself. I don't know if it's maturity or guilt, but since 9/11 I seem a lot less important. Less of an individual, and more a part of a huge family, 50 million brothers and sisters that just watched their father get shot in the head. Jim Wilson made the statement after 9/11 "I want my country back, and I want it back now". 2 years after the ugliest thing I've ever witnessed, I'd say Jim would be proud. We have stood up for ourselves, we have banded together as a group, and we have, for the most part, become a country that is more in tune with each other than ever before. No, we're not perfect, and no, not everything has been done right, and no, not everyone's happy about all that's gone on in the last 2 years. What has happened, though, is that everyone is energized, aware, and actually cares about what we are doing. If you watch the news, we seem to be quite a divided country. Fact is, it's our divisions, and the fervor with which we argue our individual points that proves to me that America is as strong as it's ever been, it's people are now "awake", and yes, we're taking back our country, Jim.

As you reflect on 9/11 today, reflect also on 9/10 ... when the news of the day included such things as Michael Jordan's return to basketball, to the Chandra Levy circus, and to shark attacks in Florida. Reflect on a world that will never be the same again, a world in which you didn't have a sense of fear, dread, hatred, animosity, bewilderment or distrust.

Read the Johnny's Ramblings section from the Last Issue or in the Following Issue

JimWorld Member comments and feedback ...

Posted On: 04/19/2006 04:35
Posted By: alfie1848

Thank you for your review, I will benefit from your suggestions. I have one
question though. You said "In the source, you really need a meta description
for each page just as you do with any web site." How do I do this with blogger?

Posted On: 04/19/2006 04:43
Posted By: alfie1848

Posted On: 04/19/2006 04:57
Posted By: alfie1848

Posted On: 04/19/2006 04:10
Posted By: alfie1848

Posted On: 01/04/2008 08:04
Posted By: boltonuv

This "Scumbag of the Week" article is irresponsible. I had not trouble at all in receiving the following response from SpamArrest:

"Hi James,

Thank you for your email.

James, what you see there is absolutely wrong and is done to misguide our users and our new customers from Spam Arrest. We have over 1.5 million customers with us including you. You have been with us for a very long time, James. You can check with any of your contacts whether they have received any junk emails from us. We never do such a thing and its completely against our ethics! We hate spam as much as you do and so, along with stopping it, we make sure that none of our customer's emails are noted as spam. We warn our customers from sending bulk emails about the fact that their contacts might misunderstand their bulk emails as spam and will turn against them and Spam Arrest. A company following only such healthy practices can never do such a thing like spamming. What we value the most is our customer's trust and we will make all efforts to retain that in the best way possible. We never admit your personal information to any third party under whatsoever circumstances. You will find a whole lot of misleading things like this in Internet, James. We have friends and foes like anyone else in this planet.

I hope you will understand us the best way possible, James. Please do let me know if you need any further clarifications regarding this.

Best Regards,
Peter
Technical Support Specialist
Spam Arrest"

In the 3 years that I have used SpamArrest, I personally have never received one complaint from anyone that has been 'spammed' from any theoretical 'spam list' that SpamArrest may have created. I think that their statement above makes it clear that they would not do this.

I behooves you to publish a retraction.

Jim Bolton

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The Day Our World Stood Still

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