For all the Metro Jax folks who live in Orange Park, the Orange Park Harley Owners Group (HOG) will be holding our first annual 9/11 Remembrance Ride friday night. We'll leave the Harley Davidson dealership at 1520 Wells Rd at 7pm, head east to River Rd, south to Kingsley, west on Kingsley to Docters Lake Dr. Over to College Dr, south on College to 220. Then east on 220 and into Eagle Harbor. We'll make a slow run through Eagle Harbor, then north on us17, west on Wells Rd and end at Buffalos on Youngerman Circle a little after 8pm. We'll have lots of American Flags flying behind the bikes. If you live in that area, we hope you'll be out on the sidewalk waving as we go through.
Thanks for doing the ride JB... the rest of the nation seems to have forgotten...
Quote from: stephendare on September 10, 2009, 12:55:29 PM
The feds cut them off before their symptoms manifested and there are no funds to treat them.
Death panels.
:o
Sigma with the uppercut! lol
Isn't there enough threads on healthcare?
Can't believe it's been 8 years since the attacks. I was 21 and had just started working downtown the week before.
My cousin and his wife were traders at that time and it was extremely stressful worrying if they were ok. Everyone from work was huddled around the 2 t.v.'s in the gym watching the news coverage confused on how a plane hit one of the towers. It wasn't 5 minutes after I got down there that the second plane hit.
I went to NYC in Nov. 2001 and visited ground zero. The wreckage and debris seemed so much bigger than on t.v. The roads were covered with sheets of plywood and I remember dump trucks and flat beds in the dozens carrying away huge pieces of twisted metal. The scene of people huddled around the memorial boards covered in pictures and crying was the most devastating thing I've ever seen.
QuoteIsn't there enough threads on healthcare?
Yes there are...
Yes, there is and I sick of seeing it crop in every thread.
I do remember 9-11 I had just to move to Atlanta and it was truly a sad day we should never forget.
My apologies. I did not mean to take away from the events of 9/11.
It takes a small fan to blow away Stephen's bong smoke to reveil his direct contadictions. Slamming the government on the same issue that he wants the government to monopolize!
QuoteAnd people like sigma are the one's who would like to sit on it.
A lie - I have never said that. I have consistently stated that reform is needed. One step at a time with the correct reform.
QuoteReally? Its in our power to let people live, and there are still people who say "let them die'?
And really, it should not be in your power to control anyone.
BACK TO THE THREADfsujax, do you remember where you were when it happened? It's interesting that people can remember those events and what they were doing when something tragic like that happens. People can recall where they were when JFK was shot. I toured Pearl Harbor and watched some interviews with survivors. Their recollection of the events were amazing.
Heck, its hard to remember what I did yesterday, but I can remember exactly what I was doing when the space shuttle exploded. When 9/11 happened I was in a management strategy meeting when we heard people down the hall screaming. I was called to active duty that afternoon and remained on active duty for 3 years. But everything that day - I remember with clarity.
I work with a woman that witnessed 9/11 from across the bay. She moved not long after to Jacksonville. It's very interesting to hear her talk about it.
Well as far as OUR chapter is concerned, we are remembering and honoring those who died that day who were just in in the wrong place at the wrong time. I'm sorry for those who had to work in that mess and are now paying the price but my original intent of this post was not to start another health care debate, but to remember the day and the 3,000 and their families.
It's a great way to honor 9/11 victims jb. I thank you for your efforts.
I was at a parent/teacher conference at my son's school, when we walked out the entire school office was gathered around the TV. My wife asked if it meant I would be recalled to the military again. I was gone within the month.
I went to NY in 2005 and visited the site with my NYPD hosts, it was a moving and sad experience for me to hear the personal narration from those that watched their friends die. There was still a lot of passion in those guys. No one mentioned health care.
May God bless the families of the victims, the citizens of NYC, and our country. And thank you and the club, JB, for putting on the memorial ride.
I was ironing clothes, getting ready for a job interview with a local new station for an engineer position when the first plane struck. After the second one struck, it was obvious this was more than an accident. Needless to say, my interview was canceled since news networks were quite busy that day.
Sigma, I do remember where I was. I was workig for an engineering and planning firm in Atlanta. We were in the same building as offices with the CDC. Our building was locked down and I was not able to leave till around 5 o'clock. When I got on I-85 to go home it was deserted. The message boards on the interstate read National Emergency. Stay home. I will never forget it. It was very surreal.
I had been out late the night before and actually slept through both planes hitting the Towers. I was racing to class, wondering how I was ever going to find parking at FSU at the hour, oblivious that anything out of the ordinary had happened. I rounded a corner to get to my normal parking lot and just stopped dead in my tracks. The normally packed parking lot was completely empty, save for one car. The usually bustling campus was a ghost town. FSU looked like London in 28 Days Later. I immediately knew that something terrible had happened. I didn't know what, but you could literally feel in the air that something cataclysmic was going on. A girl came running toward the lone car. I asked her what had happened, and she said "We're under attack. We're under attack." In my ignorance, I thought that she meant FSU was under attack. Perhaps by some crazed gunman. I ducked down in my vehicle and sped away from campus covering my head. After scanning the radio and finding out what was going on, I pulled into the old Publix on Pensacola street and watched the North Tower fall on a small television with a hundred other people. There were no cashiers left in the check out lanes, and half-filled carts of groceries were randomly abandoned throughout the store. It was completely surreal, like something out of Stephen King's The Stand.
Surreal - you said it. I remember the look on everyone's faces as I drove onto base. When I went into the Operations Center, phones were ringing, 20 people talking trying to sift through the panic for accurate intel. It was a long night.
My unit's deployment took us to several places after 9/11, including the middle east. The 2005 trip to NYC was job related and I had the opportunity to spend a week with my counterparts in the NYPD, who have my undying respect for all that they accomplished during this tragedy. They have all been deeply affected.
The claims and lawsuits referred to in the article are by and large workers comp claims. Cities often deny initial claims including those from first responders (fire, ems & police), forcing those employees to rely on vacation time, their medical insurance, and personal savings during what can be a lengthy appeals process. This occurs in Jax as well and it is a shameful practice. While I am sure there are some savings from the practice, it is unethical IMHO. The City of New York is responsible for the workers comp claims and if it is beyond the ability of the city to pay (which it certainly is) then the State of New York is responsible. The USG has established a "precedent" by creating a "victim's fund". It will be called for again and again. I am not sure that this is the most prudent way to handle these types of incidents. But all of this would make good subject matter for another thread. My thoughts today are with NYC and all of the victims of 9/11.
And thanks JB and the club, for staging the memorial ride.
Flags fly at half staff tomorrow - Patriots Day.
We were in London 9/11 and heard the news broadcast over the radio while shopping in a market. Impossible to take it in. Phone lines were jammed. All flights canceled. Frantic for relatives working in NY. Thank God for internet cafes.
In the following days, many Englishmen and women hearing our American accents approached us to express their sorrow and sympathy for the losses of America. Standing with hundreds of people at the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace where our American National Anthem was played and listened to the choked voices of the watching crowd singing softly softly as tears poured down our faces. Not able to get into St. Paul's Cathedral for the remembrance service, talking with other Americans standing in the streets.
Finally leaving England, returning to NY, flying over the smoking ruins, complete silence on the plane.
I worked in a high rise parallel to the towers in Jersey City. I saw the 2nd plane hit with the naked eye. It was the lowest thud you ever heard but the biggest fireball you ever saw. I also saw the towers crumble with the naked eyes. Sounds of fighter jets in the air; people panicking not knowing if they were friendly and foes; not being able to get a hold of anyone to let them know if you were okay. Sadly, I lost a childhood friend in the attack. Ironic for me, I passed through the towers around 12:30am on Sept 11, 2001, on my way home. Who to think that would be the last time you walked through those buildings???????????
I was at my parents house. I was 18 and had just graduated high school and was packing to fly the next day to visit family in DC. I was listening to the radio and my parents were at Home Depot. When the news came over the radio I ran into the living room to turn on CNN. I sat down on the ottoman in the living room and watched with tears streaming down my face.
My parents came home and went about their day like nothing was happening. I remember being so angry at them for not stopping and watching it with me. I was scared about flying in the morning. I was scared for family in DC.
I canceled the next morning flight but flew out later in the week. I've never been so afraid to fly in my life.
Wow, the reflections from all of you - compelling. I hope this thread continues.
I had just moved to Jax from NY in August 2001. I have three friends that worked in Towers 1 and 2 and luckily all three were okay. Two made it out and one called in sick. He believes that it was his recently deceased Mother looking out for him as he worked for Morgan Stanly on the 72nd floor. It was impossible to get calls through to NY until that night when I was able to start getting updates on everyone. It still seems so surreal today.
I had just woken up and was getting ready for work. Normally I am not a tv watcher in the morning but something compelled me to turn the tv on. The first plane had just hit the towers and the news was still reporting it as an accident until the 2nd plane hit, after that they knew we were under attack. I got to work at 11:45 and we were almost immediately sent home so I spent the rest of the day in shock and disbelief at what was unfolding. I can't believe its been 8 years. I have not visited ground zero since then but I think I will this year when I head up north to visit family. God bless the victims and their families and let us salute our fallen heroes.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KcC6bTHosx0
Quote from: civil42806 on September 11, 2009, 09:31:24 AM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KcC6bTHosx0
Damn... :(
I was a sophomore in college. I was doing my usual morning routine: sitting on the sofa eating my breakfast and watching some news before heading to class. When the headlines hit the TV, my roomate and wife (girlfriend at the time) sat and watched coverage ALL DAY in awe. The morning turned into night before we knew it. What an unforgettable day....
I remember vividly the sight of soldiers with machine guns on the roof of the Federal Reserve building downtown. Very surreal.
I was working at SCMH Architects just outside of downtown Lakeland. We turned the tv on after hearing a radio report of the first plane crashing into the towers. I immediately called my wife, who was still at FAMU at the time, and told her to get out of bed and turn the tv on. The entire firm ended up watching, shocked in silence as the second plane came, both buildings collapsed and the two crashes at the Pentagon and in PA were reported. After that, our supervisor told us to go back to work. I had recently taken a trip to NYC and visited the top of the World Trade Center, so I could still vividly make out the faces of the employees in the restaurant, elevators and gift shop in my head. It was definitely an unforgettable day.
I've written my story many times, and it pales in comparison to those who were more closely connected.
It was a very emotional day for all of us.
As events unfolded, my anger and sadness grew. Giving blood was my only action taken the on that day. I wanted to drive up and contribute to the rescue effort, but by the next day it was clear that I would get nowhere near the site, and volunteerism was already surpassing the need for it.
I love my country and my fellow Americans, as corny as it might sound.
I was working in the admin office of River Garden at the time; someone came in saying she heard 'something on the radio about an explosion at the WTC'. So I jumped online and looked on msn for the story - then told the activities director if she would turn the TVs on to see the live broadcast. While there was still speculation on whether or not to turn them on, I was watching on the web and saw the 2nd tower get hit. And I got so sick to my stomach.
When they finally moved the large TV to the dining room, everybody came out to watch it for as long as they could. And then the towers collapsed right in front of us, and every one of us just lost it.
I heard about the crash at the Pentagon and knowing my dad was supposed to be there that day I tried frantically to call him up - all phone lines were down, so I panicked. They ended up sending me home early, and I didn't hear from my dad until 11pm that night. Turns out he called in sick that morning and stayed in Reisterstown.
One of the only GOOD things to come from this (to me, at least) is that I found my husband. He was my HS sweetie, and we lost touch for over 12 years. His name is similar to one of the notable victims of the PA plane crash, and it bothered me enough to try to find him and see if he was still alive. And here we are today, 8 years later with a wonderful little boy.
That^ is a beautiful 911 story. Thanks for sharing it with us.
The other part I can share with you all about that day - River Garden, for those who don't know, is a very good nursing home here in Jax.
While we were watching events unfold on the TV, there were some residents watching with us. Many of them recalled the Pearl Harbor bombings and were equally sad, like they just couldn't believe this could happen to us again. It truly upset them, for reasons similar to our own but with that added repeating of history.
This is from GoogleBlog. They are collecting photos and stories from 9/11 and are superimposing them over the actual locations via Google Maps Street View. Some of the before and after photos are very disturbing.
http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2009/09/make-history-with-national-september.html
The website is:
www.911history.org
Make History with the National September 11th Memorial & Museum
9/10/2009 08:00:00 AM
The anniversary of September 11th evokes difficult memories here in New York and all over the world. The events of the day left an indelible mark on many New Yorkers, including me. The offices of my startup were at 30 West Broadway, right next door to 7 World Trade Center, so I was downtown that morning. I saw the planes hit and then watched, shocked, from the West Side Highway as the towers fell. It was a terrible day for all who were there, an impossible day for those who lost friends and loved ones and a shared experience of loss and grief for New York and the world.
Today I'm proud that Google is part of the launch of Make History, a website created by the National September 11th Memorial & Museum in partnership with design firm Local Projects. Make History is a participatory archive that invites people to share their experiences of 9/11 and its aftermath in an effort to preserve the memories of that time. The Museum has created a collaborative storytelling tool that makes innovative use of Street View through the Google Maps API. The Make History site allows people to place and then share their photos and videos in geographical context, collectively piecing together the history that was witnessed, one photo and video at a time.
To participate, simply go to the site and click "Add Your Story." You'll be asked to write about your experience of 9/11 and share your photos and videos, and then to place them at the spot where they were captured.
To power the Make History website, the Museum is using App Engine and leveraging the power of cloud computing. By taking advantage of the scalability of Google's infrastructure, the Museum can focus on building great applications and telling important stories â€" not on how many servers they will need.
The developer community that uses our tools and APIs is a source of inspiration for all of us at Google who work on platforms, partnerships and developer outreach â€" and Make History is a powerful example of why we all do what we do. This September 11th, as we sit with our memories of the day, we're honored to have been able to help enable the creation of such a significant and deeply moving archive.
Posted by Jill Szuchmacher, New Business Development
The History Channel has 9 first hand accounts of people in NYC that were filming that day.
http://www.history.com/content/9-11/102-minutes#/home/
I saw that the other day... eye opening.
I have not had a chance to post the results of our 1st annual 9/11 Remembrance Ride until now. But we had 36 bikes and 42 riders, more than double what I had expected for the first time. It was really great to see those big American flags flying behind the bikes. And we did get plenty of waves and thumbs up from motorists as we made our way around Orange Park. A reporter from MyClay Sun was there and I hope to see a story on their website pretty soon. Just wanted to let everyone know how much I appreciated everyones well wishes here on MJ and its gonna be bigger and better next year.
I went to St. Francis Xavier High School in Manhattan. I am a born and raised New Yorker (Bay Ridge, Brooklyn). Moved to Jax in October 2001. I grew up in a very Irish and Italian neighborhood that was hit particularly hard by the 9/11 attacks. 16 men from my High School died that day. I knew 3 of them personally. One was my older brothers best friend and the other 2 were really good friends with him as well. All our families knew each other. I pray for them and their families every day since it happened. It was a terrible day and the weeks after were even worse. You couldn't go to a bar or restaurant in my neighborhood without being surrounded by a group of people that were coming from a 9/11 funeral or wake. Every year they remember them with memorials in NYC. There names were Sean Lugano, Matthew Burke and Jimmy Riches, and they will never be forgotten.