NEWS EVERYWHERE BUT NOTHING TO READ
I have to admit that for a news junkie, I haven't been reading many of the newspapers lately. I've been numb to the details of the attacks in a way I've never reacted to a story before. I've been hitting a few books in the past three weeks, and that seems to help. Although I think my best reference point for this whole thing was Thomas Friedman's globalization tome The Lexus and the Olive Tree, which I finished reading Sept. 10. There's a section in the book where Friedman describes bin Laden as a "super-empowered angry man." He argues that an individual can become just as powerful as any nation-state if he figures out how to master the game. Besides that, I'm shuffling among a few books depending on my mood. I started Friedman's history of the Mideast, "From Beirut to Jerusalem" when I boarded Greyhound to New York. I bought Germs: Biological Weapons and America's Secret War in hopes of informing my anthrax/sarin gas fears. And when I'm totally overwhelmed, I retreat to "Experiencing Architecture," -- required for the urban architecture class I'm taking at NYU. Oh heavens, stop everything. There's a new Onion to be read: "U.S. Urges Bin Laden To Form Nation It Can Attack." Go there now, read about the "new breakaway republic called, say, Osamastan." Laugh and be happy.
- posted by Amy @ 10/04/2001 10:46:00 PM

 

DEBUNKING THE URBAN LEGENDS
The good people over at the Urban Legends Reference Pages have put together an extensive list of the rumors spawned by the Sept. 11 attacks. They track down the origins of same false ones - Pravda and a Palestinian newspaper helped start one about 4,000 Jews who were warned not to go to work that Tuesday - but also highlight some true stories you maybe hadn't heard yet.
- posted by Amy @ 10/02/2001 10:36:00 AM

 

IF CONSUMER REPORTS RAN THE FAA
We've been saying for almost three weeks that things will never be the same again, but United has already resumed curb-side check in and American is expected to follow suit this week, according to the Chicago Daily Herald. And the FAA thinks that's OK. Consumer Reports doesn't, and it has a laundry list of recommendations for those who should be protecting our skies.
- posted by Amy @ 10/01/2001 10:40:00 AM

 

TERRIBLE TRIP BELOW CANAL
We set out today to simply have lunch at a restaurant - basically any restaurant that really needed us below Canal. But we got out at Chambers, in pouring rain, to find that our first two choices were closed and our third choice, The Odeon - although open - was inaccessible at the time due to police activity.

We ended up at Carmine's, an old stand-by in my Reuters days, near the South Street Seaport. There was one other table occupied when we arrived; the place was otherwise empty when we left.
- posted by Amy @ 9/30/2001 09:37:00 PM

 

My deep and heartfelt thanks thanks to Ken Layne for setting up my site.
- posted by Amy @ 9/30/2001 09:09:00 PM

 

If you are a tired fireman, thank you for your dedication. (And thanks Ken, for this message soliciting e-mail from lonely rescue workers. I've found the edit button.)
- posted by Amy @ 9/30/2001 07:40:00 PM