When you decide that it would be neat to take photos of the “backup” to Air Force One flying close to the Statue of Liberty and taking almost exactly the same flight path as the planes that took out the WTC towers in 2001, it would be nice to, I don’t know, let the people of NYC know about it ahead of time. Might be nice to at least let the freakin’ mayor know about it, for starters. You scared the hell out of a lot of people and pissed a lot more off today. But, at least you got your photo op!

Tell us ahead of time next time or we’ll break your kneecaps.

Love,
NYC

Well this weekend I’m in Maryland, and last night I went out in DC and everyone was wearing the school’s colors and everyone seemed very united in their local grief. Perhaps it wasn’t weeping or sorrow, but it was palpable.

There’s something about living in New York that removes me from other parts of the country. Perhaps this is the only city I’ve ever lived in that I didn’t have to drive, so therefore I get a true sense of locality. It’s a bit isolating here, and I become very inward looking, but not in a bad way. Major New York City events are national events, though. 9-11 wasn’t just a local tragedy, it was an American tragedy.

On my way to pick up some lunch this afternoon I notice that they have all of Leonard Street in Williamsburg closed off, and tons of huge film vans and trucks are lining the surrounding blocks. According to the signs they are filming FX’s “Rescue Me” the Denis Leary firefighter drama right around the corner. There seem to be principle photography in front of the funeral home on Skillman between Leonard and Manhattan Ave, as I can see a huge mess of cast and crew out there. This is the back of John Scurti who plays one of my favorite characters, Kenny “Lou” Shea on the show and is much shorter than you would think in real life. He’s standing across from a trailer labeled “Franco”, so it’s obviously meant for actor Daniel Sunjata.

I don’t think much of this and go about my business of getting lunch at the nearby Lorimer Market (they had a delicious broccoli rabe casserole) and I’m carrying my food back the same way, rounding the corner and I spy Sunjata standing in the door of his trailer. He sees me coming up the sidewalk and scurries inside, so I figure he thinks I’m so rabid fan who wants to talk to him, but then he reappears and comes up to me with a flyer in his hand for ‘11 Remarkable Facts about 9/11‘. He hands it to me and walks back to the trailer but not before I ask “what’s this for” and he says, ever so dispassionately, “it’s about 9/11, read it and go to the website”

Man, you’re going to have to do better than that if you want to sell your conspiracy schlock to me. Still, love the show.

It is odd reading a sign that says that you have no rights in a certain area. If I was on the Belt Parkway driving and was pulled over, the cops would need a warrant to do a search. But if I had gone .1 of a mile onto that exit – I suddenly lose all my rights.

Homeland Security, I salute you.

“Osama, Obama,” says one Taliban follower, “makes you wonder…” Rivals for the jihad leadership are discrediting Osama by mispronouncing his name, creating a subliminal suggestion that he harbors the political views of a senator from Illinois. A report circulated on Radio Kabul further suggests that Osama may have attended a secular school when he was six years old. Furious loyalists insist that the 9/11 mastermind is resolutely Middle Eastern, not Midwestern, but even so, the unfortunate name association sticks.

Observes Fox News commentator Dexter Ailes, “It probably doesn’t help bin Laden any that his middle name is Hilari.”

The entire block carries the same stuff – it’s like Chinatown or some place along Fifth Avenue with the difference being that they all really carry the same stuff. There is no variety of goods, the pricing is all the same.

I always wonder how anyone along this strip makes any money. So I asked a man who was standing outside his empty store about the details…the conversation as I recall it appears below…

Me: How’s it going?
Man: What country are you from? India?
Me: Yeah, India.
Man: What part?
Me: Gujarat.
Man: Yeah. You know Gujaratis and Punjabis are always up to date (referring to my wardrobe) they look like the Americans.
Me: (laughing) I guess so. Where are you from? Bangladesh?
Man: Yeah, Bangladesh.
Me: You know, I don’t see any business coming on this street anymore. How is it?
Man: You know it is very slow.
Me: Yeah, it seems everyone on this block sells the same stuff.
Man: No, it’s not that, it is after 9/11, after 9/11 everything went slow. (pointing) You see that store over there? The one that says Men’s Suits? That used to be mine but I had to sell it, I was not making any money.
Me: Really?
Man: Yeah. Now I work for my friend here. But there’s no business.
Me: Yeah, it doesn’t seem like there’s much to do.
Man: Yeah, not much business, but you know bosses.
Me: Yeah, even if there’s no work to be done, they want you to stay in front of their face.

We greeted each other by name (I forgot his) and moved on. He has two infants and there is no other hope for him, he is not well-educated and does not have any other prospects. He will most likely continue on working for his friend as long as his friend can afford to keep him on.

But is it 9/11 that is causing his business to suffer? Or a weak economy? Or the fact that no one needs any of the goods in that store because we’re having one of the weakest winters in the history of time?

Maybe everything, but I always feel that folks that continue to blame 9/11 are out of their minds. It’s over man, it’s been over, it’s not really to blame any longer…

While his people have stopped short of saying he will run, it is generally thought that he will not only run in the primary, but has a fair shot at becoming the Republican nominee. Considered a moderate Republican, he appeals to people on both sides of aisle with a liberal social viewpoint and a fiscally conservative background. The “America’s Mayor” mystique, which he gained from his perceived expert handling of the 9/11 crisis, lends him a significant amount of appeal and national fame. His moderate views may be a perfect fit for the Republican Party where many moderate Repubs are disillusioned and frustrated from eight years of hard-line policy.

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However, the fact that he is Catholic may hinder his political hopes, as only one other president has been Catholic, and religion is traditionally a very key issue for voters. Additionally, he has a history of infidelity with his past wives, and his two divorces will also hurt his image.

This is shaping up to potentially be a very ground-breaking election. Many key names are from minority backgrounds. In addition to Giuliani (Catholic), there has also been talk of Condoleezza Rice (black female) being a candidate or a running mate, and the Democratic early front-runners include Hillary Clinton (female) and rising star Barack Obama (black), the junior Senator from Illinois.

Personally, I think that Giuliani would be a great president! I loved him in NYC long before 9/11, and think that he would really be able to bring unity to a government that is fractured from eight years of disagreement, petty arguing, policy gaffes, and major PR mistakes. Another potential candidate, John McCain, also plans on forming an exploratory committee in the near future. I would love to see a Guiliani/McCain ticket. Not only do I like it policy-wise, but I also feel that it offers a tremendous marketing element… A well-respected mayor who handled adversity and fought crime (organized and otherwise), plus a very well-liked moderate long time senator who is a war hero… That will be hard to beat!

What do you think? Will he run? Will he be good? Will he suck?

It bothers me deeply when we single out a specific group of dead for special consideration. After all, the loss a family feels for a loved one who dies unexpectedly in a car accident, for example, is no less painful than the loss felt by any family whose loved one died in the attack on the Twin Towers. All too often, when we single out an event or group for commemoration, a process of division occurs. These people are “special” and we are told we must act and feel a certain way to commemorate that “specialness.” Inevitably, the “memory” becomes a tool used by cynical people in the pursuit of power.

This process began the day after 9/11 and has gotten worse as time passes. The only reason we don’t use the term “martyrs” is because religious discourse in the public arena is frowned upon in this country. Nonetheless pundits and politician talk about the “sacred space” and “hallowed grounds.” Of course any one with eyes in their head can see that Nagin’s characterisation of the WTC site as “a hole in the ground” is the plain, unvarnished truth. But to speak truth is blashphemy and the priesthood of 9/11 will have none of that.

That there is a campaign now to raise $300 million for a “9/11 Memorial” when poverty and homelessness in this City are worse than during the Depression, is only slightly less obscene than the fact that George W. Bush was allowed to get anywhere near this CIty these past couple of days.

Hence, when I see the public face of these commemorations I want no part of it. But as someone who loves New York, and who witnessed the attack with my own eyes, the pain of that day is something I share with all the other people who love this City: those who were there, those who are gone and those who came after but now call New York home. And so I do want some meaningful way to share that feeling with my fellow New Yorkers.

As I was walking home tonight from work near Union Square (not far from where I was that day) I found it. When I looked up at the sky, I saw a sight that nearly took my breath away. Once again, the two light beacons had been lit. Just when I saw it, a cloud had passed right over the lights. It looked like smoky fire, an eerie reminder of what we saw that day. It is the most beautiful and heart-rending memorial one can imagine. Go out tonight and see it.