September 11

Our photographic project "Hometown Homage" is at the link above. It may have timed out, but there's always a chance.

Here are archived posts from Jana's Notepad reprinted here because of the historical significance of September 11:

Archived Messages during Sept., 2001

Mitchy says: I'm watching the news, I'm seeing the pictures and I just cannot comprehend the enormity of what I'm seeing. I'm numb. And I'm frightened. Because this looks like the start of something that only a war will finish.
My deepest sympathies to all of America. God have mercy on us all.
Sept. 11, 2001 11:29
Mitchy says: ..and Jana? Let us know you're OK as soon as you can, hon. Please.

Sept. 11, 2001 11:30
Jana says: I'm ... well, "fine" is not the word. But I'm as fine as a person can be in the midst of this. We're publishing what news updates we can which is keeping us distracted.
I can't wrap my mind about the fact that the World Trade Center is ... gone. How is that even possible?

Sept. 11, 2001 12:02
Mitchy says: I saw it happen and I just can't comprehend it. I think it's going to be a long while before the sheer horror of all this really hits home.
*hugs Jana tightly* I'm glad you're ok hon. Be careful out there, huh?

Sept. 11, 2001 12:10
Cornflake says: Spoke to Jana at 9 a.m. before Washington DC events. Just called her cell phone and left a voice mail..called her home phone and left a message. Judging by past occurences, when the Govt. offices are shut down, CQ is also shut down. So I'm picturing her either gridlocked at some DC intersection, or walking home, or at Blendi's apt. Hey that's a thought - I'll try to call Blend. Thank you for your concern. I'm sure there will be no good outcome of this event. Sept. 11, 2001 12:12
Sept. 11, 2001 12:19
Jana says: My story -- Like a lot of other people, I was watching the Today show this morning when they broke in to programming to show the first plane that hit the World Trade Center. They thought it might be an accident. It was the kind of thing that just makes you pick up the phone and call someone, and I called Blendi and my parents. Then I was watching when the 2nd airliner hit the other tower of the World Trade Center on live television. It was all I could do to get the rest of my clothes on and actually leave for work.
Then, on my way in to work, I turned the corner on to Florida Ave and saw the sky fill with black smoke, and several noises came out of me that I didn't know I could make. I didn't know for sure what it was until I got to CQ and discovered that another plane had crashed into the Pentagon.

Since then we've just been pulling together here at CQ, doing our best to cover all the networks and making the best use of our sporadic phone service to get first-hand witness accounts, and publishing whatever we can, particularly with a congressional slant.

I have two coworkers with loved ones who work in the World Trade Center, one an uncle and one a best friend. We haven't heard anything about them yet.
Sept. 11, 2001 13:23
Chris is still in shock. Sept. 11, 2001 16:29
Jana is going to call it a day. Here's a picture we won't see again. It would be nice if I felt like tomorrow things would be back to normal, but I don't think things will be normal again for a long time. Sept. 11, 2001 19:36
Antilles says: We were still awake when it happened and have watched in horror over the past 24 hours. I can't imagine what it is like for those in the United States - even in Sydney life seems to have slowed and all of our everyday tasks seem less important. It felt strange teaching classes while the world was in the middle of such upheaval. I am relieved to hear you're ok Jana. Sept. 12, 2001 05:33
Jana says: Thanks Antilles, and Mitchy too. My Mom told me how New Mooners yesterday were wishing they could give blood and send it to the States. Very sweet :)
I do have to say, though, even though these are framed as attacks on New York and DC, that DC has nothing like the same situation as New York. The Pentagon is across the river, and while symbolically part of DC, the attack did not upheave the actual city like the attack on the WTC did. I am realizing today how much I have to be thankful for, just that I can still sleep in my own home and drive my car to work. If that 4th plane had hit its target ... who knows.

Sept. 12, 2001 09:51
Jana says: Turns out I do know personally someone who was at the Pentagon during the attack. One of CQ's sales reps who covers the Pentagon was on site for a meeting yesterday morning. He escaped unharmed, apart from the memory of being pelted with ash and burning debris. Sept. 12, 2001 11:05
Jana says: OK ... remember on Aug. 6 I posted that I was hooked on the "reality" game show Mystery in Small Town X? Wull ... the guy who won the show, Angel, is a NYC firefighter who was at the WTC yesterday and is among the missing. I hate it ... he was my favorite. :( Sept. 12, 2001 14:18
Cornflake says: You must read this column. It says so much about the American spirit. Sept. 12, 2001 16:31
Jana nods and sniffles (in a resolved and steely way). Sept. 12, 2001 18:22
Jana says: I think these photos from today's rally in Prishtina are awfully sweet. Sept. 12, 2001 18:55
Jana says: Andrew Curry Green was a colleague of Blendi's and Andy Brown's at EP in Boston. Sept. 13, 2001 13:28
Jana says: Dumbest use of an online poll -- CNN's Quick Vote asks "What are your feelings now about Tuesday's terrorist attacks?" The choices are Shock, Sorrow or Anger. Choose only one. Anger is winning.
Sept. 13, 2001 14:24
Jana says: I thank Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson for reminding us all of the difference between faith and fanaticism. The typical believer in Islam bears no more resemblance to the terrorists than the typical Sunday churchgoer bears to the beliefs expressed in this article. Sept. 14, 2001 15:49
Mitchy nods and says "Been a huge debate about Falwell and Robertson on my newsgroup. General verdict is "These guys aren't helping". That's the polite version... Sept. 15, 2001 05:15
Jane & Cedric have been worried about you Jana... and couldn't post this thought sooner because France Telecom decided to cut our internet/ADSL off for 3 days before they admitted it was their fault and rectified the problem. Grrrrr....
So glad to hear that you are safe and well Jana.

What do you mean about the 4th plane? Where was that headed?
Sept. 15, 2001 12:47
Selimi says: The fourth plane was the United flight 93 Newark - San Francisco (a Boeing 757 - N591UA) which was unaccounted for until about 10 AM Tuesday. It crashed near Somerset, PA in the Pittsburgh area while it was heading in the direction of Washington. The article talks about the black box that was recovered. It appears that the passengers managed to wrestle the control of the aircraft and make it plunge to a desolated area instead of hitting something in DC. Sept. 16, 2001 22:29
Selimi says: Aviation Safety contains the details of all the flights Sept. 16, 2001 22:30
Jana takes a deep breath and starts a new week. The 'pad logs show lots and lots of traffic last week, so hugs to all the lurkers too :) Sept. 17, 2001 10:19
Jana says: Cornflake sent me this page, it's really moving and I want all the 'padders to know how much all the concern from other countries really means a lot to everyone here. Thank you! Sept. 17, 2001 10:40
Jana says: News story about Angel from MiSTX Sept. 17, 2001 12:35
Jana says: and one more. Sept. 17, 2001 12:38
Jana says: Not a crusade. Sept. 18, 2001 10:36
Jana says: Ted Moy is the cousin of one of my staff. *sigh* Sept. 18, 2001 11:53
Jana says: OK, lurkers, say something, I'm getting sick of myself here ... ;) Sept. 18, 2001 11:54
Cornflake says: Ok, I'm unlurking. Today the Dungeon Master and I are going to tour the city and take pictures of all of the God Bless America signs which are being displayed. Many businesses have put patriotic messages on their signboards, and I want to commemorate them. If you're really, really lucky, I'll put them on your notepad when this project is completed. Sept. 18, 2001 13:09
Jana says: Aww, thanks Cornflake, I would love that. In other news, I find it interesting to note the prices that gas masks are going for on e-bay Sept. 18, 2001 14:30
Jana says: Read only if you have Kleenex with you. Recounting the last hour of a University of Michigan alum, pieced together from his phone calls to his wife & best friends. Sept. 18, 2001 17:59
Jana says: Read only if you are not particularly pleased with God right now. The Savage Love column, usually a sex advice column for straight people by a gay man, is particularly excellent this week. Sept. 18, 2001 18:12
Jana says: Comparing suicide terrorists to Skinner's pigeons. Sept. 19, 2001 10:56
Jana says: International Psychic Patricia McLaine says: "After reflecting on the various images that came to me while meditating on predictions for 2001, I now realize that some of those images were predicted out-of-time, and actually referred to the ATTACK ON AMERICA." Heck, if you don't have to actually get the year right and you can be vague enough, I could be an international psychic too! A volcano will erupt! (somewhere ... someday ...) Sept. 19, 2001 15:47
Jana says: In related news, I have discovered I am not clairvoyant. Sept. 19, 2001 18:23