Inkwell: Authors and Artists

    
I'm still waiting to hear from several family friends who work as
pilots and flight attendents for American. In particular my mothers
close friend who just finished flight school for them last month.

For every person in DC and NY city that I hear is ok, I think of all
those who aren't and it's difficult to feel the joy and relief I'd like
to ... 
  

    
Fingers crossed for everyone.
  

    
Neil, I am so very glad that Mike is fine, and wasn't on some bizarre field
trip to the Pentagon.

I imagine you won't be flying to Europe or anywhere very soon.

Be well.
  

    <hidden>
  

    
E-mail from Michaela:

Um. I hope you lot are safe. I know there are hardly words that matter right
now. I would just like to say that people here are watching and feeling with
you. 

Michaela
  

    
eeep. Just got the following email from one of the Bronzers:

"My uncle was one of the Air Traffic Controllers in Boston working
that 2nd plane - said pilot kept radio mike on - heard whole thing.
Terrorist 'spoke perfect English,' told passengers 'we have many other
planes under our control now, but don't fear, we will not hurt you.' 
This statement came about 20-30 min. before impact."

I just felt sick when I read this. Just utterly sick.
  

    
Oh. My. Fucking. God.

I am...  

I am so sorry.  For everyone.  The ones suffering now, the ones
waiting in agony to hear about those they love.  Everyone whose lives
will be forever changed by this. 

Which is all of us, really.

I'm hearing Neil in my head: "America eats its future."

I'm hearing _Terminator 2_: "It's in your nature to destroy each
other."

Everything will change.  I'm so terrified about what our government
will do.  I'm terrified of the people standing in my office this
morning, calling for the bombing of Palestine, ferchrissakes.  I just
want to throw up.

Because nothing will change, too.

We'll just go on eating ourselves.  Only the menu changes.

Sorry.  I'm a dark mindplace.  It just all seems so hopeless,
sometimes.

But then, I remember what happened here after the earthquake.  How a
complete stranger let me use her cell phone to call my parents in
Illinois to let them know we were still alive.  How people I'd never
seen before and never saw again helped us get stuff out of our building
before it collapsed even more.  How neighbors who'd never spoken to
them before made room for an elderly couple to stay for over a _week_
before their family members could come take care of them.  And on and
on...

Dark and light.  Light and dark.  In endless rotation.

And how does it go, Neil? Even a small (?) miracle is better than no
miracle at all.
  

    
Pamela: Look at it this way: If they wanted to scare us, they have. So
we try not to give "them" what they want. If we're angry, then we
don't do anything stupid in our anger. We use the energy that anger
gives us to be compassionate. Take away everything that the people who
did this might have to gain. Maybe we can't do much individually, but
if every single individual does something--even if it's just something
as simple as giving blood--then we take back part of what was taken
from us. It won't bring back the dead, but at this point, it can help
the living, right?
  

    
Call your blood bank before you go in.  Some are reporting they're swamped
with donors right now.  There'd been a nationwide blood shortage, so that's
something.

We can all just do anything we can to be human and civilized.  Anything at
all.

Say hello to an Arab neighbor....
  

    
Yes, and look at us: not rioting, not running over people to hide, not
panicing.
We're talking to each other, counting heads, planning, helping each
other.
Not, I'm sure, what whoever the evil thing that did this wanted or
expected.
(raises a one finger salute, each hand, at whoever did this)
  

    
I feel so...overwhelmed.  I'm not really comprehending any of this. 
All I feel is ill.  My heart goes out to the victims, their families,
their friends.  And I send my love and positive energy to each and
every one of you guys.  We'll get through this.

Angelina.
  

    
Hi all from Queens. Me and my loved ones are ok.  Will, Neil, everyone
else-- has Rocky posted?--  glad to hear same.  Really scared, but had
to keep cool in front of classes of kids, so that was a good thing.
  

    
I'm quite glad you're all okay...

Neil said: "the cell phone numbers I've been dialling are dead. "

I went thru that this morning, trying to find my father. Dad travels a
lot, and was due in (and out) of Boston this week. He flies both
airlines involved... I found Dad after about 30 minutes of panic and
tears; he's grounded in San Jose for the unknown future. It was pure
relief...

I'm so sorry that any of you are having to go thru similar, and I can
only hope you have as happy ending as I did.

My best wishes to you and your loved ones,
-Kelly, with sorrow
  

    
JaNell: I'm standin' next to ya, sweetie, and stickin' 'em up, too.

Tara and Martha: Thanks for the lines thrown out into the darkness in
my head.  I caught 'em.

Tara: I'm so sorry about the air traffic controller friend.  I can't
even imagine the horror of that.  May the dream mistress walk kindly
through his sleep.

Len!  I'm so glad to hear from you!  I wasn't sure, but I thought you
were out that way.  Are all your own safe and sound?

Kelly: so glad about your dad.
  

    
This is so horrible.  I'm looking at footage on t.v. and thinking
"I've been there, that's gone now".  My mind has no words.  I can only
pray that it doesn't get worse.  Such hurt.  I wish I was shocked that
it happened.  I'm praying for you all.  Hell, I'm praying for everyone.
  

    
Most of the s-f fans I know have either reported in or been reported in
safely in New York and Washington.  My belief is that it's best for
us not to dwell on the horror of the two plane crashes, although I
grieve for those who passed on in the attack.  I haven't watched any
footage on TV.  Been talking to people in my neighborhood, instead.
San Francisco has basic services, although downtown businesses were
evacuated.

If Bush and the government use their heads, it may be that the terrorist
group that launched the attacks will launch no more.
  

    
There was just some sort of explosion in Dayton.  They're saying
(unconfirmed) a plane just crashed at the VA center about a mile away
from the federal building here.  Downtown has been closed all day, but
I know that federal workers weren't completely evactuated here.
  

    
I've gone and given blood, and so has my sister. 
This is an something that we as Americans have so little experience
with that it's going to be difficult. 

I've found who I need to and am worried about friends I have.

Neil, if it's any comfort, Andy's building is about 5 miles away. It's
keeping me for now.

The American Red Cross is looking for donations other then blood.
Blankets and toothbrushes and the like.

My generation has not ever experienced a great leader or a massive
attack like this. I've been thinking all day about WWII and how the
country pulled together. I would hope that this event can inspire
something along these lines as well. I do honestly beleive in the power
of the human spirt. Say hi to your neighbor, no matter what
race/religion they are. Do something nice for someone you don't know.
Try to remember that other people are not you, and do not have the
opinions or values or morals you have. Life is hard enough without
hatred.

I won't sign this as I normally do, Jinx is not something that I'm
going to be today.

Tracey Carlson
  

    
There's something going on in Afghanistan right now, some sort of
explosions and missile fire...
Trace, have you heard from Rocky or Margret, aren't they NYC?
  

    
I've spoken to a friend of Rocky's and she is safe and sound on
holidays in Sicily. I've still not heard from Lucy Anne though, and I
would appreciate it if anyone could let me know if she is OK.

Margret lives in Syracuse, if that is of any reassurance.

My love, hugs and prayers go out to everyone, not matter where you
are.

Tree
Who has no words for this. None at all.
  

    
JaNell,
Margret is in upstate NY and Rocky is supposedly on vacation according
the newsgroup lore. Lucy Anne/Randi has a message on her e-mail that
she's alright. 

I am actually proud in a way of our media, almost every channel has
actually news on. There is no "entertainment" MTV, VH1, ESPN, and even
QVC has either carried coverage, or put up a notice that due to the
nation tragedy please tune into your local news station. 

This whole thing frightens the science fiction part of me, this is
what starts most novels. 

Tracey
  

    
    back to #1298: the Tor offices are at the Flatiron building, which
is a couple of miles due north of the WTC/Financial District.  You
can't really see the WTC from most windows there, but you can, or
could, look straight down Fifth Avenue at it.  Manhattan's a big place,
more than twenty miles long, though it -is- dense.  It is also on some
of the hardest rock around; though it's not earthquake-proof, there is
unlikely to be a chain of secondary collapses.  If subway tunnels have
not caved in -- and I've haard absolutely nothing to indicate that
they have -- they are probably not going to.  Considering that the WTC
basement is a major subway nexus, this is good.  Small comfort, but
there it is.
    The latest I've heard is that the WTC and Salomon Brothers
buildings (next door) have collapsed.
    I've got the BBC (America) World News on, which is in overtime. 
The news isn't really different, but it's a different rhythm from CNN,
if you follow that.
  

    <scribbled by uisgejack>
  

    <scribbled by uisgejack>
  

    
I'm glad to hear that about Rocky & Margret...