First September 11th Without Ron & Fez

[ChickenHawk]

For the last 2 years, listening to Ron & Fez on September 11th has always provided some form of therapy for me. While I personally did not lose anyone that day, it was a terrible time for me, as it was for all New Yorkers and all Americans. For the last two "anniversaries", I've listened to the Ron & Fez show just to hear them respectfully take a step back from the comedy and reflect on that day with the listeners, and let people tell their stories. It's always helped me feel a little better, because the boys created an excellent forum for people to come together and remember those lost on that day. This year will be the first 9/11 to fall on a weekend, so no Ron & Fez. It's gonna be weird. It's almost become somewhat of a tradition for me. I think I'm gonna go to church for a bit, because I do that like 3 times a year, and I figure tomorrow would probably be a good time to go and do some thinking.

<IMG SRC="http://scripts.cgispy.com/image.cgi?u=ChickenHawk">
HORDE KING FOREVER!!! ORACLE NEVER!!!
<strike>Shock</strike>
<marquee behavior=alternate><font size=2><b>EMFA</b></font></marquee>[color=white]

[BoondockSaint]

I just shaved and showered to get ready to go to the ceremony at Ground Zero. It's the first year I'm going and I know I gonna lose it when I hear the first name I recognize.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v11/squrl/piazzazakk.jpg
M1 is the shit!

[Mike Teacher]

The name Paul Keating will be read today, along with the other FDNY. Pauly pulled his shit together with his life, I mean, really got out of the adolescent funk so many of us meander through life with; no aim, no path, and he damned well found his.

Paul Keating (http://www.bravestmemorial.com/html/members_individual/keating_paul/silivecom_ffpkeating.html)

And Another (http://www.bravestmemorial.com/html/members/keating_paul_fr_l005.html)

It's a story worth reading.

Thanx Paul

<IMG SRC="http://members.aol.com/miketeachr/anisig4">

[curtoid]

Last night R&F did what they have done on previous 9/11 anniversaries - and that is open the phone lines and just let people call and vent.

I listened off and on as much as I could - I would be interested in reading someone's take on the show who listened more closely than I did. What I heard was very different from previous years; much less of the raw hurt (and that may because there wasn't the number of NY residents who called in - but this event also was a local story in DC, and also let's remember that the entire world shared it).

Many of the calls I heard, the perspective of 9/11 was now completely clouded by current politics. I heard very, very little about the victims, the rescuers, where people were, etc. like we've heard in previous years. There seemed to be people attempting to put it into perspective - was this act done REALLY because of who we are, or was it done (as Pat Buchanan has recently written about) because of what we have done. People were much more willing to be harsher on the President, and I assume others called with support and pride that he has been so strong in dealing with it.

IN ANY EVENT...if anyone has some spare time today, and want a unique perspective on the day that does focus on the actual event and the personal stories from that day, two years ago the Smithsonian launched an amazing website, in conjunction with an exhibit that was up here in Washington and which is now - I believe - on tour.

September 11: Bearing Witness to History (http://americanhistory.si.edu/september11/)

The website details all of the objects the Smithsonian (as the official repository for the country for 9/11) collected, and more interestingly WHY the collected what they collected.

From the site:

At the National Museum of American History, the attacks of September 11, 2001, affected us personally and professionally. Shortly after the attacks, we began discussing what our role as a museum should be and concluded that we had a responsibility to document the events of September 11 in the National Collections.

The immediacy and deadly nature of the events posed particular collecting challenges. We worried about appearing ghoulish in the face of bereavement, about important material deteriorating or even being thrown out, and about whether we understood enough about the events to document them for posterity.

I was working at American History during this time - working as part of the team pulling together that website (a project that should have taken 9 months, we got done in 4). It was very important that the site be up live on the same day as the one year anniversary, which was when the exhibition opened.

Naturally not everything collected would be in the physical exhibit - most were not. So, it was important to be able to show the family members, survivors and rescuers who atteneded the special ceremonies at the museum that their donations really did mean something and was important - we had the site to show them that, even though the object may not be in public display, that it was part of the national record of the day, and (along with their own stories) would be preserved for future generations.

Another intersting aspect of the site was to tell the stories about WHY the Smithsonian collected certain objects - a perspective from historians about what they think will be of relevant importance to historians 100 years from now.

http://americanhistory.si.edu/september11/images/collection_stories_photo.jpg

Since I live a mile from the Pentagon - saw it burning the on 9/11 - lived with the events in an odd professional setting for the better part of a year leading up to the 1st anniversary (many, if not most, of those objects on the site, I had to personally handle when working with the curators and photographer, not to mention the follow up phone calls to the people who donated the objects - rescuers, survivors and family members of those who died), and then afterwards, when the exhibit opened and 9/11 lived every day - I was kind of forced t

[ChickenHawk]

Last night R&F did what they have done on previous 9/11 anniversaries - and that is open the phone lines and just let people call and vent.
Shit, I wish I'd heard it, but I wasn't home. That's cool of them to still do it.

<IMG SRC="http://scripts.cgispy.com/image.cgi?u=ChickenHawk">
HORDE KING FOREVER!!! ORACLE NEVER!!!
<strike>Shock</strike>
<marquee behavior=alternate><font size=2><b>EMFA</b></font></marquee>[color=white]

[jafter]

Last nights show was really good to let people show their emotions 3 years later. The only part of the show that I did not care for was the HBO spots. There is a show on HBO this weekend I believe it is called "through a childs eye". Some of the kids who were speaking seemed very genuine but many were rehearsed and it sounded like an adult talking through a child. To me that is wrong to exploit children to get you point across. These kids have been through enough, they do not need to be paraded in front of a camera.

I have not seen the show just hearing the clips last night put a bad taste in my mouth.

<img src=http://www.richstillwell.com/Jafter.jpg>

[Mike Teacher]

Last nights show was really good to let people show their emotions 3 years later. The only part of the show that I did not care for was the HBO spots. There is a show on HBO this weekend I believe it is called "through a childs eye".


That really turned me off too. I guess the boys meant well, but the kids voice is contrived at best; and the music underneath; not R+F I mean from the Docu; to add emotional weight to something thats horrific enough by using music to *heighten* the feelings is what made me turn off all the other shows, TV and other media, who do that stuff.

<IMG SRC="http://members.aol.com/miketeachr/anisig4">

[Kewlkat]

Curtoid, it is cool that you brought this to everyone's attn. At any rate, I would also like to point out that there was something on tv this weekend regarding this same subject matter....can't remember the name of it or what channel it was on.

<img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v295/DarkAngelFire/RFsig.jpg" width=300>