9/11

I was very excited that morning.

Kris and I were assigned to train together for the first time. What an opportunity a chance to learn the ropes and new skills with the senior trainer. We had prepared for weeks. We had our agendas, reviews, materials and seating assignments all set.

Yet nothing, nothing could have prepared us, our class or the rest of the world for what was to happen that morning.

Class began at 8:30 a.m. We had done our introductions and preliminary demonstrations of navigation through the system.

I don't remember what time it was when Nancy, a trainee from my prior class came to the door, face white hands trembling to say, "Ken, can I see you?"

"What I happened?" I asked, figuring she had just gotten her first irate phone caller.

"A plane hit the World Trade Center," she replied.

"What?" I went back into the room to hear Kris say she had just got an e-mail from another trainer in Pennsylvania confirming what Nancy had said.

I walked back out to Nancy, "Jesus Christ!"

"I know they are showing it on the TV in the cafeteria," she offered.

I checked with Kris and since it wasn't my time to present. She and I agreed I would go down to see what was going on. Nancy and I stopped at the new hire training room to tell them what had happened.

Nancy and I stood in the cafeteria staring at the smoke billowing from the tower.

"God," she said. "I don't think that was a small plane. How the hell could a plane hit that thing?"

"I don't know ..." I began.

Then it happened. The horror that has become part of the world's memory. The second plane hit the second tower.

A combined and mutual scream arose from those of us watching.

"That was no accident," Nancy said.

"No," I agreed as tears ran down both our faces.

I went back upstairs to tell my class and the other class. Nancy returned to her class to tell them.

I told the class and advised them that we were just going to continue and keep them updated. Inside the sick feeling in my stomach wouldn't stop. I went back down to Nancy's class to find one of the trainees outside the doorway in tears.

Our eyes met.

"My babies father is in there," was all she said.

"Go." was all I said.

None of us could have anticipated the outcome or that by the time this exchange had occurred that one of our co-worker's father had just been killed at the Pentagon.

I really don't remember much after that except for going back into my classroom to hear Kris say, "They are evacuating the Pittsburgh office, a plane just crashed in Pennsylvania."

Everyone who is capable of memory can share there story of where they were, what they saw and what was said on that tragic morning.

Many of us still can't look at the images of that day without bursting into tears.

But what of the aftermath?

Not the war, the rhetoric of politicians or the permanently elevated alert levels.

But those weeks of unity, patriotism and harmony.

Do you remember when silly little things like skin color, wealth, age, sexuality, or even immigration status really didn't matter.

It was there. Maybe for a few hours or even a few days, but for a brief time in America, the divisive politics, prejudices and ignorance stopped.

It took tragedy to bring equality and unity.

Yet as quickly as it came, it disappeared.

On this the sixth anniversary of this horror, let's pause to think about those who were murdered.

Let's remember that these people will never have the chance to argue about immigration, the Iraq war, gay marriage or anything at all.

Let's remember their families. The ones who in morning had their hearts ripped out and have become victims yet again, but this time to the political machine and heartless exploiters like Ann Coulter.

Let us ask if those who died would see the U.S. differently. If they would say that the divisiveness, politics and hate that is the U.S. today is really worth it.

Ask yourself is it worth it? Is it?

It can all disappear so quickly.

Read the F----ing Manual

Have you ever wondered, "how did this person make it through potty training?"

You know what I mean. You are dealing with a person who is so incapable of trying to do anything for themselves, though they are both physically and mentally fit, that you start wondering how they have made it this far.

I'm sure those of you who work in retail, customer service or any position that deals with people are already thinking about an interaction that you've had.

I don't know but, in my opinion, if you are going to invest $5000.00 in a high-definition television, you probably should be able to comprehend how to program it.

Yes, I understand that not every person is technically adept, but I am referring to those who make this investment and refuse to even take a verbal instruction - over the phone or face to face - on how to work the appliance.

Additionally, I have seen the diagrams on how to hook up these devices and do agree you may need help. BUT, if you need ask for the help and it is offered, take it.

It is disconcerting to speak with a person who has spent enough money on a TV to feed a third world nation for a year, who complains that their TV isn't working. Moreover when they don't want to try to learn how to work it, they just want a "guy" to come over and do it for them.

This is why the Owner's Manual was created. It gives the instructions on how to use that precious remote control to access the menu to set your new, feed the third world luxury appliance to the right input to receive the signal.

Instead of bitching about waiting for the "guy" all day, read the fucking manual and learn in 5 minutes how to access the menu, find the source selection and press the button until the picture shows up.

Read the fucking manual and learn how to change the channel from 13 to 3.

Seriously, you don't believe that there are people who can't change a channel? Spend a night with me and I'll prove it.

Somehow, it becomes crystal clear that there are people who are obsessed with showing status and worth with technology, but don't have a clue what to do with it.

To demonstrate how some people are so incapable of reading let's look at wireless internet service in your home. The basics are easy, if you read the manual. You create a network using something called a wireless router or wireless modem. This modem sends the signal to the computer with the receiver. It works like radio and TV. Signals go to receiver, recover get and you have sound, picture or both.

The wireless router/modem is the key ingredient.

So why would you invest $1000.00 in a laptop with wireless capability and start screaming at someone because you can't connect to the internet, refuse to plug the phone line, ethernet or USB cord directly and then state you don't have or know what a wireless router is.

You still don't know though it has been explained to you several times. What? Do you think meat magically appears at the market and nothing had to die for it to get there?

In this day when so many complain that other countries are advancing in technology faster than the US. When people and politicians complain that other countries are taking jobs, providing better education and harder working citizens than the US - we need to look at ourselves.

When we become a country of over paid dolts who can barely flush a toilet on their own, there is a big problem.

A problem that either demonstrates we have released too many illiterates from colleges or more likely demonstrates that Americans need to take some responsibility for themselves and read the fucking manual.

What the Punk?

Remember 1977?

Remember the Ramones, the Clash, Patti Smith, the Damned?

Remember 1982?

Remember the Dead Kennedys, Black Flag, X, Ism, the Minutemen, the Dicks?

What do you listen to today?

Do you consider it to be punk?

Green Day? Not so much.
Fall Out Boy? Not at all.

Punk is an attitude, a way of living, a way of thinking and a way of rejecting the status quo.

It is not a fashion, despite what the record companies and design houses want you to think.

I stumbled across a fashion magazine the other day and between the gloss of J.Lo and Fall Out Boy there was a section dedicated to "alternative" fashion in music.

The punk section reads, "not much has changed since the 1970s ..." Which is fact for the true punk. But only a poser would invest $1000 to look the part. A real punk finds their clothes at the Salvo, the thrift store or the ultimate cool place, the trash.

To think you are punk because you buy the marketing and clothes is really posing and defeating the whole concept of punk.

Same for Goth.

A real goth is morose and finds their clothing in second hand shops, looking for that 19th century feel. When I found that the "goths" being offered for fashion were wearing $15,000 Ralph Lauren dresses, I had all I could do to keep from vomiting.

And I can't even go into Rave. Any self-respecting club kid would retch at the thought of actually paying $10,000 for a shirt. Real club kids put their look together from second hand bits, trash and whatever. Designer rave takes all the creativity and joy out of it.

Punks, goths, ravers all formed as a way to say FUCK YOU to the system. Tragically, the posers don't really understand that. They sacrifice spirit and inner truth for high couture and demean all those who have that true attitude in their hearts.

Hey ... did you hear that? That was Joey Ramone spinning in his grave. Of course it was a 4/4 beat at hyperspeed.

The Golden Boy

The 2008 Presidential election has already been won! Our new President is Barack Obama. At least with the amount of press and advertising Obama gets it sure seems like it. OK, he is an attractive man with a candor and charisma. Yes, he speaks out against Iraq and politics as usual. However, when you read about him or listen to the reports about his campaign do you actually go beyond the spindoctoring? Do you ever wonder how Obama has become the Paris Hilton of politics? Most importantly, do you actually pay attention to what he says? Or more importantly, what he does not. Yes, Mr. Obama is a great speaker, but listen carefully and you'll notice his speech is without substance. He is a great political speaker, who does not really answer questions directly but spins a yarn that sounds glossy and promising but like a baloon is really empty and full of air. Yet the fact that Mr. Obama has relatively little experience, a limited track record and would ally with some of the right-wings most notorious conservatives seems to elude the public in general. In essence, Obama's campaign has become nothing more than a media machine only to be outdone by the return of Mariah Carey. Seriously, do you really care about the United States at all or are you falling for a quick sell PR campaign that is promoting Obama the way Ford promotes an Escape? The simple fact that we see Obama more than we do ads for Lucky Charms should serve as a big red flag. Would a candidate of true substance and conviction really need to stand on a media blitz? The answer is no, they should be able to stand on thier own credentials. Americans you are looking at a machine. The same machine that exhalted Paris Hilton to superstardom, the same machine that got William Hung a record deal, the same machine that glorified Vick until he got caught. Do you really want the machine to elect your President? Do you really want the machine to take someones 15 minutes and extend it to four years in the most powerful position in the western world? And finally, ask yourself why don't the other candidates get as much time, press and space as him?