September 11, 2011: What will you be doing?

MKR

I'll be watching this on The Science Channel.

A massive effort is currently under way to reshape ground zero into an expansive 16-acre complex the likes of which has never been seen before. To document this historic effort, Discovery Channel is on the ground alongside the men and women who are making this vision a reality until the nationally televised unveiling of the new ground zero with President Barack Obama on Sept. 11, 2011.

enlightenedbum

Watching football and hoping to avoid as much 9/11 bullshit as possible (which knowing the NFL will be not a lot).

dbrock270

Hopefully there wont be a second terrorist attack.

I'll be doing my patriotic duty and listening to the Sufjan Steven's album Illinois.

Jephery

Nothing special.

Our country has a tendency to hugely overreact. Ten times more people die in car crashes every year than the number of people who died in the towers.

L Ron Howard

Sleeping in, cleaning my cars, taking the dog for a walk, eating, drinking and pooping.
Also trying to avoid all the faux-patriotic bullshit that will be crammed down our throats.

Zombiemambo

Who cares

SyphonBlue

I will probably be sitting on my ass, playing video games.

Capt Howdy

The same thing I do everyday; try to take over the world!

Play with my kid, watch football, gaming, sexy time with the wife. The usual.

tbloxham

I'll be a candlestick watching the 49ers begin what shall surely be another season of dissapointment while being bombarded with patriotism.

wandering

Jephery wrote:

Nothing special.

Our country has a tendency to hugely overreact. Ten times more people die in car crashes every year than the number of people who died in the towers.

3,000 people died in the attack. Today, 25,000 people will starve to death.

I guess we're wired to care more about violent deaths than other kinds of deaths.

Quid

wandering wrote:

Jephery wrote:

Nothing special.

Our country has a tendency to hugely overreact. Ten times more people die in car crashes every year than the number of people who died in the towers.

3,000 people died in the attack. Today, 25,000 people will starve to death.

I guess we're wired to care more about violent deaths than other kinds of deaths.

People care more about deaths that affect them directly. This isn't new.

Havelock

Probably participating in the local 9/11 "fun" run, and then going about my business doing chores and such, then playing video games or hosting a one-shot Indie PnP night.

a5ehren

Painting my house. That's a fuck-ton of work.

Rhesus Positive

Probably watching a bit of Community with my friend who's staying over on Saturday night, then going back to bed and reading once he's gone. I might post an ironical Facebook status if I'm feeling like being a jerk, but I probably won't, as I like to be left alone and usually afford others the same privilege.

I'm English, though, and I don't even pay attention to stuff like Princess Di dying or the royal wedding like a good subject of the Crown should. It's Armistice Day for me and that's it for institutionalised grieving/celebrating.

Witch_Hunter_84

I'm going to Disneyland, or the terrorists win.

syndalis

I was either going to run a D&D game, or sit at home with my fiancee and try to ignore the fact that its the ten year anniversary of the day my cousin died, I thought my uncle did and an oracle contractor I was supposed to work with the following week helped bring the plane down over Pennsylvania.

Best to not shit on the memorial, folks. I know it may not have influenced you directly, but there are many people who suffered loss and horror that day (my fiancee was downtown when it happened), and being callous towards the suffering of others is kind of a dick move.

Derrick

Not giving a fuck.

Organichu

So, speaking as someone who lost family in 9/11: it did some terrible shit to our country. We all know that it catalyzed a lot of bigotry and xenophobia in certain segments of the populace; the media leaped on it and has continued to beat on it in weird and disconcerting ways; and politicians have exploited its weight to shape policy and rhetoric. All of that is known.

But it did other things, too. It incited a gigantic run of charity; it led to a ridiculous number of responders- often volunteering from around the country, and around the world; and it left an indelible mark on many, many people who were traumatized by what they saw or who they lost.

So I guess what I'm saying is that this is a sensitive topic for a lot of people- and in a big forum like this, you're bound to brush against someone who was personally touched by this tragedy. So maybe try to find a way to express your dissatisfaction with the cultural, media, and political fallout without being insensitive and thoughtless.

Caveman Paws

Working and hoping to avoid all media coverage.

Indica1

Not caring.

Edit: Oh, and being awesome.

Thanatos

Probably contemplating how much it sucks that the terrorists won.

override367

Jephery wrote:

Nothing special.

Our country has a tendency to hugely overreact. Ten times more people die in car crashes every year than the number of people who died in the towers.

Yea and people being out of shape and sucking down 50% caloric intake of carbs kills more people every couple of days than 9/11 did. Also, in Iraq we've killed dozens of times as many innocent people who had nothing to do with it.

Caveman Paws

override367 wrote:

Jephery wrote:

Nothing special.

Our country has a tendency to hugely overreact. Ten times more people die in car crashes every year than the number of people who died in the towers.

Yea and people being out of shape and sucking down 50% caloric intake of carbs kills more people every couple of days than 9/11 did. Also, in Iraq we've killed dozens of times as many innocent people who had nothing to do with it.

Well now I'm going to be depressed. And on 9/11 of all days, thanks alot override!

Casually Hardcore

Doing homework, cooking, playing video games.

mcdermott

syndalis wrote:

I was either going to run a D&D game, or sit at home with my fiancee and try to ignore the fact that its the ten year anniversary of the day my cousin died, I thought my uncle did and an oracle contractor I was supposed to work with the following week helped bring the plane down over Pennsylvania.

Best to not shit on the memorial, folks. I know it may not have influenced you directly, but there are many people who suffered loss and horror that day (my fiancee was downtown when it happened), and being callous towards the suffering of others is kind of a dick move.

Which is why my non-callous answer is easy...I'll be moving on, just like I have been for the last ten years, and just like our country needs to get a lot better at.

We shouldn't forget, but remembering doesn't need to be a full time job. Hard to feel much about an anniversary when you've been bombarded with it off and on for the entire intervening period.

But yeah, I haven't forgotten sitting next to a guy in my unit who was pretty frantically trying to get ahold of a relative who worked there (he was from NYC). Never did find out if he did...they shipped off for training, and I headed out (my stint was up).

dlinfiniti

remembering?

Delzhand

wandering wrote:

Jephery wrote:

Nothing special.

Our country has a tendency to hugely overreact. Ten times more people die in car crashes every year than the number of people who died in the towers.

3,000 people died in the attack. Today, 25,000 people will starve to death.

I guess we're wired to care more about violent deaths than other kinds of deaths.

Reminds me of one of those The Onion News Network shorts where they reported some issue, and before the fade to black the anchor woman started the next story with "In other news, today in Mexico the equivalent of three Americans died while..."

Sheep

Gettin stoned on the couch?

joshofalltrades

We're doing a THIS EPISODE ON A VERY SPECIAL EPISODE OF CHURCH service. I'll gag through the whole thing, but hey, it's my pastor's call to make, not mine. I just play the music.

Not sure what place the Star-Spangled Banner has at a church service, personally.

Couscous

override367 wrote:

Jephery wrote:

Nothing special.

Our country has a tendency to hugely overreact. Ten times more people die in car crashes every year than the number of people who died in the towers.

Yea and people being out of shape and sucking down 50% caloric intake of carbs kills more people every couple of days than 9/11 did. Also, in Iraq we've killed dozens of times as many innocent people who had nothing to do with it.

http://www.theonion.com/video/remembering-911-a-pleasure-for-nation-compared-to,21322/
http://www.theonion.com/articles/nation-would-rather-think-about-911-than-anything,21309/
Hell, 6,200 troops died as a result of military actions caused by 9/11.

Cameron_Talley

I'll be going to church as usual. We will probably read a Collect that's about remembering lives lost, but I doubt it will be anything different.

Actually, I just got out of a "memorial" service where I work (large university) and it seemed to be a lot of backslapping and politics and very little actual memorializing. Most of the focus was on the military, too. What about the civilians that died? Or the emergency workers?

MKR

Cameron_Talley wrote:

I'll be going to church as usual. We will probably read a Collect that's about remembering lives lost, but I doubt it will be anything different.

Actually, I just got out of a "memorial" service where I work (large university) and it seemed to be a lot of backslapping and politics and very little actual memorializing. Most of the focus was on the military, too. What about the civilians that died? Or the emergency workers?

What's a Collect?

joshofalltrades

I always think of the Alan Jackson parody on South Park when I think of 9/11.

Cameron_Talley

MKR wrote:

Cameron_Talley wrote:

I'll be going to church as usual. We will probably read a Collect that's about remembering lives lost, but I doubt it will be anything different.

Actually, I just got out of a "memorial" service where I work (large university) and it seemed to be a lot of backslapping and politics and very little actual memorializing. Most of the focus was on the military, too. What about the civilians that died? Or the emergency workers?

What's a Collect?

Basically a two-three sentence prayer.

http://stpaulsms.org/collects-in-the-episcopal-church/

mrt144

Watch football, hang out with my wife and new kitty.

Nocren

At work where all I get are Discovery and every news channel (except MSN).

On the bright side, Def Leppard concert that night!

mrt144

Nocren wrote:

At work where all I get are Discovery and every news channel (except MSN).

On the bright side, Def Leppard concert that night!

AT THE SLEEP TRAIN AMPHITHEATER IN WHEATLAND CALIFORNIA! WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! You gotta count the amount of times they pump up Wheatland as either being a hell of a rock n roll city or how they've played a lot of places but Wheatland has the best fans!

Nightslyr

Watching football and trying to keep my new puppy from peeing/pooping inside.

The run up to Sunday's anniversary has been nauseating. Macabre media masturbation. I couldn't help but roll my eyes at the 'newly released' audio tapes of the tower control crews. Released now to twist the knife again for ratings. Embarrassing and sickening all at once.

Just_Bri_Thanks

I work for a Fire Department. My day is spoken for.

Zython

mcdermott wrote:

syndalis wrote:

I was either going to run a D&D game, or sit at home with my fiancee and try to ignore the fact that its the ten year anniversary of the day my cousin died, I thought my uncle did and an oracle contractor I was supposed to work with the following week helped bring the plane down over Pennsylvania.

Best to not shit on the memorial, folks. I know it may not have influenced you directly, but there are many people who suffered loss and horror that day (my fiancee was downtown when it happened), and being callous towards the suffering of others is kind of a dick move.

Which is why my non-callous answer is easy...I'll be moving on, just like I have been for the last ten years, and just like our country needs to get a lot better at.

We shouldn't forget, but remembering doesn't need to be a full time job. Hard to feel much about an anniversary when you've been bombarded with it off and on for the entire intervening period.

But yeah, I haven't forgotten sitting next to a guy in my unit who was pretty frantically trying to get ahold of a relative who worked there (he was from NYC). Never did find out if he did...they shipped off for training, and I headed out (my stint was up).

Exactly. The way we as a country have handled the grief of 9/11 is incredibly unhealthy. A good 30% of the country is still stuck on the anger stage. Really, we need to get off our asses and rebuild the twin towers to get some closure.

dbrock270

Try to argue with some truthers. No, I don't want to watch your shitty ass documentaries.