i've noticed a number of columnists writing statements to the effect of "americans deserved it; it's entirely their fault." i tend to think it's foolish to even get into that game.

i take the approach i read today in a thoughtful mailing list message (there was more; e-mail if you want the full post):

"true realism, on the other hand, doesn't mean blaming americans for bringing these horrifying and truly evil acts on themselves. it does mean trying to imagine foreign perspectives from which government conduct might appear so intolerable that some people might be driven to take atrocious revenge.

the great director jean renoir was once asked why there were no villains in his films. he answered simply, 'everyone has his reasons.'

your most bitter enemy may have his reasons for hating your guts. you may not think they are good or sufficient reasons, but you'd better take them into account. if he has any brains, he may find a way to hurt you."


//17:32

... and the world turns.


//17:22

i really shouldn't give this any more attention than it deserves (none), but it's the most disgusting thing i've read in a long time.


//10:38

someone alerted me to this selection, posted at the seti@home web site (see below; 9/10 or 9/11), from carl sagan's pale blue dot. please read it.


//10:36

this is not particularly reassuring.


//01:30

one of several great ideas i've heard today. unfortunately, given the number of past 'great ideas' the f.a.a. has turned away, who knows if we'll ever see something like it?


//01:15

a post by rob davids to a mailing list i'm on got me thinking of this week's event from a more international perspective. later in the day, i heard a discussion about the celebrating palestinians. i'll spin all my thoughts together and offer you my take:

to celebrate the death of another human being is truly beyond my comprehension, and illustrates the fact that we still haven't figured out that we're all the same. truly sad.

it's worth pointing out, however, that there are always different ways of seeing things. if you can get a glimpse of those different ways, it might help you understand what those people are doing and why.

as the wealthiest and most powerful nation on the planet, it is inevitable that the presence and influence of the united states will be felt in nations worldwide. we've meddled everywhere - for good and for bad. someone will always disagree with actions taken by the u.s., and resentment becomes greater because any powerful nation will automatically be seen as a bully who is impossible to fight. so even when we do things that we see as good and just, there are bound to be discontented people. that's the nature of the game. but it seems that many americans are unaware that we have made some mistakes. we've done things that most in the united states would, i think, admit were bad - if only they knew about them.

consider the nature of our relationships with our neighbors in central and south america. during the eighties we trained and armed geurillas who, by many reports, are responsible for the death of thousands upon thousands of civilians. this is one example among many. indeed, we have done similar things in the middle east. osama bin laden himself was part of a group in afghanistan who were used by the united states, trained by the c.i.a. to fight in the soviet-afghanistan conflict. ironic that at one time we promoted their geurilla warfare and terrorism.
or take bin laden's homeland of saudi arabia, where we use our power and military might to support a ruling family which is considered by some saudis to be oppressive and tyrannical. whether or not they really are is debatable, of course, but the fact remains that some people believe they are -- and they feel that they have no way to remedy it. they feel powerless against a mighty nation and a culture they don't understand. their culture shock is probably more intense than ours.
additionally, there are devastated families and orphans across the world who consider (rightly or not) the united states to be responsible. so it should be no surprise that a few of them might want revenge. they're small and poor and feel there is no hope in diplomatic or military action. so they resort to other means.

like i say, it's chilling to see pictures of palestinians celebrating in the street - how can anyone celebrate the death of another?
it is possible, though, to understand some of the anger and frustration - these people are humans just as we are - indeed, who is to say we would be any different if we were placed in their position?
i noted that many in the video footage were children. they have heard the stories of how their grandparents lost their homes and even loved ones when the israelis - with the support of western nations like britain and the u.s.a. - stormed through in the late forties. followed by years of subsequent death and destruction. they've been told since before they can remember about the israelis who are trying to take over the land which belongs to them - the israelis supported by powerful western countries like the united states.
by the same token, i wouldn't be surprised to see israelis celebrating a major blow to their opponents. it's a hopeless situation over there, in which both sides are fighting for the same homeland - and in which both sides are wrong.
but, imagine for a second how you grasped the world when you were ten or twelve. that makes it easier to understand what's going on in the head of some palestinian kid. he doesn't know what's going on; he's simply reacting to the things he has been exposed to and taught. he's human. you're human. it pays to be careful when making judgements.

there is nothing on earth that can justify what we have witnessed this week. but before we get righteous and start plotting revenge, i think it would pay to sit back, close our eyes, and imagine - just for a second - what our perspective might be if we lived in a different part of the world.

the united states should take this opportunity to show the world that we really do value our high ideals. we can rise above this disaster. and while we focus on making our country safer and more secure, and in seeking justice for those responsible, we should also evaluate our foreign policy and make serious changes if necessary.

we're all human beings in this little boat together, like it or not. we need to learn how to live together. (you would think we could have figured it out by now...)

10:12 The World Trade Center is not America. Oh, in a way it is - a marvel of engineering, a hub of wealth creation, designed by a man of Japanese ancestry, constructed by hand by citizens whose people came from Europe, Asia, Africa. Men who prayed to one God, to many, to none. All colors and creeds constructed that building; like any skyscraper in any American city, the World Trade Center was the legend of Babel refuted in stone and glass.

But it was merely a manifestation of America. If the terrorists had a finer grasp of American culture, they might have headed for the Empire State Building. It has a greater claim as a national symbol. It went up during the overture to the Depression, a statement of optimism in a world of compounded doom. Its lines are serious and austere, yet romantic and ennobling. A zeppelin docked at its summit; King Kong climbed its cliffs. Even the name contains the contradictions of America - we are an empire, yes but an empire whose provinces are knitted together by an idea. A concept. A bold proposition: citizenship is not based on blood, on clan, on tribe, but on a belief in an ideal.

An ideal often soiled by the crude hands of mere humans, yes. But an ideal whose worst manifestation in our history is still a hundred times better than the world the terrorists wish to bring about.


//23:32

the mood i'm now sensing from everyone is, very understandably, anger. people want to find whoever did this and blow them into oblivion. i hope this passes. we scream for blood to make this right, but i think we realize deep down that it won't.
one of the better articles i read is here. (source = john)


//01:52

a brief interview with a trade center architect.


//01:38

two articles of note from the register:

a list of companies affected by the attack. the idea seems to be that while we have no list of individuals and families directly affected, we can honor employees and families of the companies we know were affected. even this short list (relatively speaking, that is) helps illustrate the staggering nature of the attack.

and an article entitled u.s. disaster causes some to slip a gear - conspiracy and commemoration. worth reading.


//01:09

thanks to those who have e-mailed me with your thoughts. it's been very interesting hearing what you have to say.
thanks also for the comments regarding the last 9/12 post... i have since reposted it. hopefully it's clearer now what i intended to say.

to address some other people regarding different posts...
i once wrote a poem about observations i made in a city (maybe i'll put it on the site someday) that included a line about "a ragged trombonist with nothing left to do but play hope alongside despair."
it was originally written in a different sense. but it is, i suppose, the song that fills my heart at the moment.

for a brief time, i found myself reading these things seriously. encountering that sense of dread. this is a far cry from my typical behavior.

after a moment, i came to, and i began asking myself why i had even been reading that stuff carefully in the first place.
i think all of us are looking for something to help us make sense of senselessness. our emotions are running incredibly high. we're grasping for something - anything to help us place the event into some framework (even if it means seeing this as the fulfillment of some apocalyptic prophecy), simply so our brains can say "oh. ok. this is where it fits into the world i know." and we can move on with our regular old lives.

but this isn't the world we know, and our lives will not be quite the same as we were. we're forced to learn how to look at the world in a different way.

it is precisely when our emotions are running high that we need our rational side to take over and be in control. more than ever we need our rationality, as it is our most important tool as we begin to deal with this on so many levels... emotionally, mentally, and psychologically.


//12:31

i'm beginning to believe that perhaps the world is no different than it has ever been, and that it will never be any different than it is. i've been reading from message boards, feedback sections, and mailing lists. i'm starting to seriously question my estimation of what is going to happen in the future. my second-guessing is mostly negative.
we're accustomed to believing that we're moving forward somehow, progressing, improving. (we see incidents such as the one yesterday as setbacks that we will overcome; our ideas will survive and thrive regardless of what happens, simply because they make so much sense.) but i am compelled to wonder if there have ever been any significant forward strides, or if we're actually sitting in more or less the same position we've always been in, any strides a delusion. events may vary and change, but as a whole, we don't seem to.

a few more links...

a long, but interesting compilation from salon.com: what does it all mean?

human terror, an article from slate.
plus more interesting opinion at slate, both from the columnists and the readers.

and now - finally - it's time for me to end this day.


//22:58

no more posts tonight. i'm going to bed early.


//19:54

the pit in my stomach seems to have settled in for the long term.

here are some stories that might be of interest to you (most of these are linked to on talkwire):

in case, like me, you're wondering how the terrorists were able to get control of the aircraft,
a story from newsmax and a story from cnn

other stories of interest are
information from bloomberg on the economy
why did the towers collapse? and another analysis

...more later. i need to go outside and take a walk.


//16:27

i have so many things to say, but at this point i don't know that i have fully assimilated today's events... it was quite surreal being awakened by a phone call telling me a large passenger jet had crashed into one of the world trade center towers. (am i still dreaming?)
i think the words i posted after learning the news earlier this morning (see below, 8:49 MST) still adequately describe my thoughts, though.


//16:21

an exchange on cnn just now regarding terrorists got me thinking.
i don't intend to delve into matters of religion; no doubt some people would dislike what i might say (e-mail if you want to hear my rant), and i'm not in the mood for discussion. but i do want to say this:
it would be wise for the united states, a nation made up largely of christians who are more or less ignorant or ill-informed about islam, to remember that islam regards suicide in the same light as many christian sects do. what i'm trying to say is that we watch catholics & protestants in northern ireland (not to mention ethnic and religious conflicts in other places such as the balkans) engage in violent, insane acts and we don't automatically say 'gee, all those christians are real nuts, aren't they?'
don't be quick to judge the entire islamic community based on the acts of a few madmen. you might be surprised to find out how much you have in common with them.
remember what we did to japanese americans during the second world war?


//13:48

these aren't the lyrics i was intending to share with you the other day...

i can't believe the news today
i can't close my eyes and make it go away
how long, how long must we sing this song?
how long? tonight we can be as one
broken bottles under children's feet
bodies strewn across the dead end street
but i won't heed the battle call
it puts my back up, puts my back up against the wall.

-- u2, sunday bloody sunday (war, 1983)

-----

softly, he glides along the streets and alleys
up comes the wind that makes them run for cover
he feels the time is surely now or never... more

the wind in my heart
the dust in my head
the wind in my heart
(come to) drive them away

mojique buys equipment in the marketplace
mojique plants devices in the free trade zone
he feels the wind is lifting up his people
he calls the wind to guide him on his mission
he knows his friend the wind is always standing... by

mojique smells the wind that comes from far away
mojique waits for the news in a quiet place
he feels the presence of the wind around him
he feels the power of the past behind him
he has the knowledge of the wind to guide him... on.

the wind in my heart
the dust in my head
the wind in my heart
(come to) drive them away

-- talking heads (david byrne), listening wind (remain in light, 1980)

-----

heaven on earth
we need it now
i'm sick of all of this
hanging around
sick of sorrow
sick of pain
sick of hearing again and again
that there's gonna be
peace on earth

where i grew up
there weren't many trees
where there was we'd tear them down
and use them on our enemies
they say that what you mock
will surely overtake you
and you become a monster
so the monster will not break you

it's already gone too far
who said that if you go in hard
you won't get hurt

-- u2 (bono), peace on earth (all that you can't leave behind, 2000)


//08:49

in 50 years, 2001 certainly will not be remembered the way we thought it would back when we watched the old stanley kubrick film.
rather, it will be remembered for september 11, a dark day representative of mankind's infernal ability to hate. a beacon of hopelessness to those who might otherwise think we have some fate other than destroying ourselves through our own stupidity. we don't deserve what the universe has to offer us. the incredible heights we can reach are nearly equaled by the depths to which we can stoop. when it's all equaled and tallied, it comes up awfully close to zero.
many things are about to change, my friends, and not for the better.


//01:03

contemplate, for a moment, the possible computing power of all the computers in schools and businesses and homes across the planet. consider how much of it is wasted. the rows of computers in schools running mindless screensavers, the guy who leaves his computer running all day because it runs his fax software, or the business which accesses the computer only 15 minutes of every hour.
enter the idea of distributed computing - using immense networks of small, less powerful computers to complete a task that would otherwise require expensive supercomputers - and at a fraction of the cost. they use your processor's power when you're not.
current projects include helping to find a cure for cancer, learning how proteins fold, looking for extra-terrestrial signals, and cracking cryptography keys.
seti@home is by far the most popular and largest effort. it processes signals from the arecibo radio antenna, hoping to find a signal which might indicate extra-terrestrial intelligence.
distributed.net has several projects going, most notably project rc5. they're trying to crack advanced encryption algorithms. (there's even a cash prize.)
oxford university's screensaver lifesaver tests molecules for cancer-fighting potential.
folding@home is trying to understand the process of protein folding.
genome@home manipulates gene coding sequences to design new proteins that have not been found in nature. end results will help in the production of designer jeans... er, uh.. genes, and also aid in the design of new pharmaceuticals.

so pick a project and help your computer's processor live up to its potential.

(for those of you concerned about energy considerations, visit seti@home's 'running green' page for info. and links.)

on to today's link. hmmm.... (sorting through list)..... hmm......

let's try this one: john's idiot of the day
i recently discovered this one by pure chance. i kinda like it. (i kinda like the idea. i kinda like the comments.)


//00:42

i'm in the mood to post a bunch of great song lyrics that have been stuck in my head all day, but i'll spare you. i have tons of e-mail to respond to. when i'm finished i'll be back with a site for you.

or maybe i'm just in a bad mood.

a topic for later: i had a discussion which turned to real-life shortly after. it was about (among other things), people who think the world owes them something. and i'll tack on the annoyance of being scolded when you try to do someone a favor.
i guess you're lucky i've already used up all of my complaining time today.

if you made it through all of that, congratulations.
here are some 'quiet computing' links:
the silent pc by tomas risberg
hush, little pc by salon.com's robert bryce
and, a trio of stories from low end mac:
silence is golden: the quest for quiet computing by charles w. moore
silent computing by jonathan ploudre
and silent computing revisited by phil salathe

waayyyy back in 1996 they even had a statistics page that utilized the random link. it has been defunct since then. but if you actually care enough to look around, there are a number of similar 'random' statistics pages.

and for more random link fun, go here.