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Praise be to David Letterman for tonight's Late Show. Questioning himself the appropriateness of returning to the air, there he was--the man famed for his sarcasm and goofy antics--addressing his audience like a wounded child, completely bewildered, emotional, fighting back tears. And then the sight of Dan Rather sobbing despite himself and then apologzing---it was enough to ravage any audience. Perhaps, for the first time in a while, television didn't appeal to our lowest common demoninator but, instead, sought to raise us up and appeal to our humanity. Thanks Dave.
posted by adrober at 10:29 PM PST - 59 comments

$1 billion bounty on bin Laden "'Now it's time to wipe out the wasp nests of terrorism,' says Edward Lozzi, a West Coast PR agent lined up to handle the fund." It's a free-market justice crusade in the name of the Amurrican People!
posted by Sapphireblue at 9:31 PM PST - 28 comments

Boy Killed in Gun Accident; Father Wanted Weapon for Protection After Terrorist Attacks Hmmm, would this be filed under Darwin? I think we have a nominee here.
posted by BarneyFifesBullet at 8:35 PM PST - 36 comments

Not trying to be alarmist or anything but this article frightens me. It was from July and they explicitly name Bin Laden as trying to aquire nuclear materials. It is possibly nothing, but made me wonder.
posted by Benway at 8:33 PM PST - 5 comments

Apologies from the Left. Journalist Matt Welch compiles a few and opines: "Which "dictator" were we supporting when bombing Yugoslavia? Oh yeah, none. In fact, last I remember, Yugoslavia's dictator is now facing a trial for War Crimes, and tentative democracy is gaining a foothold in Belgrade and Zagreb." (via Ken Layne)
posted by owillis at 8:04 PM PST - 30 comments

Jerry apologizes again! It's not the first time that Falwell has gone off and made himself look like an idiot.
posted by Lynsey at 8:01 PM PST - 30 comments

During a severe Air Defence Emergency in the US a regulatory scheme known as 'SCATANA' is automatically invoked to deal with the situation and minimise threats. The central provision of the plan is to 'disable navigation aids which the attackers might be relying on'. This didn't happen last Tuesday (FAA confirmed, NORAD refused comment). Could it have prevented the planes reaching their targets? Are there now serious grounds for concern regarding the implementation procedure of military provisions essential for preserving American airspace security? The Register appears to think so.
posted by Kino at 7:57 PM PST - 7 comments

Hey, you got Madonna's input, so you might as well get Charlie Daniels'.
posted by BarneyFifesBullet at 7:55 PM PST - 16 comments

Who else thinks we could use some of these now.
Seems a shame they're not quite ready to help with this disaster.
"...like crawling through earthquake rubble to search for victims..."
posted by TiggleTaggleTiger at 7:37 PM PST - 11 comments

Comstock offering free flag images "If you need an image of the American flag for your website or a print piece, please accept this gesture as our admittedly tiny effort to somehow help. You may use any of these images without charge. With all best wishes..."
posted by johnjreeve at 7:14 PM PST - 3 comments

Who benefits from the bombings? A rather controversial piece. I'm not saying I agree with it, but I thought it would be interesting to throw into the discussion. The author's assertion definitely a possibility (since anything is possible), but I'm leaning towards the 'this is quite a nutter' assessment. Thoughts?
(I did a search and couldn't find a reference to it on this site, maybe for good reason.)
posted by jetgrrl at 7:00 PM PST - 17 comments

Crime or War? Dianne Durante: "If it was a crime by an individual, like the Oklahoma City bombing, then we would gather the evidence and bring the perpetrator to trial. If it was a crime by individuals sponsored and abetted by a foreign government, then it was an act of war, and is a matter for military action: immediate and decisive. If the attack was in fact government-sponsored, then capturing and punishing individual killers is less crucial than preventing further attacks by the foreign government."
posted by mw at 6:34 PM PST - 0 comments - Post a Comment

Media Literacy & Choosing Sides. But whatever role we historically played, and however ineffectual our strategy, what we have been aiming to support over the past couple of centuries is creativity and free will. All of the relativistic angst and political critique expressed by we highly educated internet-literate computer users has been made possible by the Western system, born in the French and US revolutions.
posted by rushmc at 5:56 PM PST - 3 comments

Troops Massing on Afghanistan/Pakistan Border: 20,000+ Taliban troops and an unreported number of Pakistani reinforcements have been deployed in anticipation of a Pakistan-based U.S. strike.
posted by ryanshepard at 5:26 PM PST - 11 comments

"Islam is Peace" Says President - the text of his remarks at the Islamic Center of Washington today. Frankly, speaking as a critic of the man, he rose to the occasion.
posted by dhartung at 5:14 PM PST - 33 comments

Baseball player Curt Schilling's letter to America. I think this is a great way to say we're shocked, we're grieving, and we're going back to work with the victims and their families in mind. Play ball!
posted by msacheson at 4:56 PM PST - 6 comments

Where were you when "America was attacked"®?
posted by incubus at 4:52 PM PST - 34 comments

Very interesting Israel related story I do not have enough background knowledge to comment.
posted by adnanbwp at 4:51 PM PST - 13 comments

World At War A map, list of current and past conflicts with detailed insight.
posted by adnanbwp at 4:14 PM PST - 6 comments

Linguistic competency Do you speak Arabic or Farsi? If you meet certain other qualifications, you can now spy for the FBI, whose homepage takes more care than news reports did and specifically lists Pashto, spoken in Afghanistan, as one of the desired language proficiencies.
posted by joeclark at 4:12 PM PST - 1 comments

Okay, so I am a little biased against the Democratic Underground. Occasionally I may even laugh at some of their insults of dubya. I am sure this page was placed on their website early in the day of the attack without thinking. Maybe I am being just a little too sensitive about the tragedy, but I really think they should at LEAST change the date of this letter to santa.
posted by Oxydude at 3:55 PM PST - 5 comments

Mr. Dressup (Ernie Coombs) gravely ill. "The man known to generations of Canadians as "Mr. Dressup" is in a Toronto hospital following a stroke."
posted by nprigoda at 3:50 PM PST - 19 comments

blogstalker's posting some well-written perspectives from new york. paints a deeply painful picture of the emotional aftermath.
posted by patricking at 3:24 PM PST - 3 comments

Yes, the nation's in mourning, but does that mean Apple's going to postpone its OSX Update? I mean they said September, and that was like two months ago. I wannnnnnnnnnnnt it.
posted by adrober at 3:23 PM PST - 10 comments

The Independent runs this story by Robert Fisk: Bush is walking into a trap
posted by vowe at 3:15 PM PST - 26 comments

NCCI reverses its position. President & CEO Bill Schrempf said he was meeting with employees this morning to explain the company's change and apologize for not permitting them to display the American flag on Friday during the National Day of Prayer and Remembrance. Don't remember if the related story was posted here or not, but at first, they were forcing employees to take down any displays of flags.
posted by da5id at 3:05 PM PST - 2 comments

Notifications to Congress of Pending U.S. Arms Transfers 1992-2001
Check out Egypt and Israel.
Database at this site.
posted by adnanbwp at 3:01 PM PST - 14 comments

If terrorism is real, then a clear-eyed view would suggest nuclear power is done for.
posted by sudama at 2:52 PM PST - 10 comments

Bush gave orders to shoot down any planes that didn't turn away from Washington, meaning flight 93 would have been shot down had it not crashed. Both Cheney and Bush have acknowledged they gave the authorization to shoot. Quote from Cheney: "If we ... had the opportunity to take out the two aircraft that hit the World Trade Center, would we have been justified in doing it? I think absolutely we would have."
posted by Potsy at 2:17 PM PST - 28 comments

Browsing the results of Time's "Worst Ideas of the 20th Century" poll (Daryl Hall's solo career, Ugandan Space Program) made me wonder whether we've got a candidate for the next one already: (more...)
posted by luser at 2:02 PM PST - 24 comments

Clear Channel bans Bruce Springsteen's "I'm On Fire", The Beatles' "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds," John Lennon's "Imagine," and "all Rage Against The Machine songs" (which I am sure they have wanted to do for awhile), but not The Cure's "Killing An Arab" or anything by Twisted Sister. Sounds a bit fishy to me. Clear Channel owns over 1,170 radio stations. [from FuckedCompany.com]
posted by tranquileye at 1:58 PM PST - 68 comments

WTC Replacement... This would be sweet, imagine a 2000ft version of this puppy
posted by zeoslap at 1:57 PM PST - 14 comments

Billy Graham is supposed to be passe, a relic of whitebread protestant America, but his sermon at National Cathedral on Friday moved me. He is unsophisticated, plainspoken, sincere, and scandal-free. We will miss him when he’s gone.
posted by luser at 1:37 PM PST - 7 comments

Wait wait wait, "The Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island will be closed indefinitely"?? Thats what it says, in big red letters, anyone have news on this?
posted by tomplus2 at 1:31 PM PST - 12 comments

Filling the Void Phantom Towers, a memorial by Paul Myoda and Julian LaVerdiere. "They imagined two powerful beams rising from a reflecting pool, refilling the void left by the twin towers with incandescence."
posted by Nick Finck at 1:20 PM PST - 25 comments

Is the GPL a binding legal contract? If so, who would be able to (and could afford to) bring necessary legal action against groups who choose to ignore the terms?
posted by milnak at 1:11 PM PST - 2 comments

Admiral Yamamoto never said "I fear all we have done is to awaken a sleeping giant and fill him with a terrible resolve" (or something like that) after Pearl Harbor. That line came from Tora! Tora! Tora! Worth noting because an innumerable number of newspaper columnists have been "quoting" Yamamoto in light of the WTC attack.
posted by mcwetboy at 12:52 PM PST - 12 comments

Natural Traveler quotes David Hubler of Potomac Tech Journal talking about the media. Sorry I couldn't find the article in the original magazine. He says he's peturbed media labeling the WTC event. On Tuesday, from a friend's lower east side apartment, admittedly in shock, I thought the media took the title America Attacked with naked clarity. The media, in its job of broadcasting uses devices as titles and eye witnesses and all obvious whatnot and often does so with bad taste. Not to over praise the media, but that morning I couldn't have thought of a better title. In another difference of opinion, David Huber thought the sunshine was a symbol of New York going on. Triumphant, if you will. And it was some of the most beautiful weather we ever get here. But I thought it was vulgur. The scenery for the wrong show. Perhaps again something naked, exposed. I'm finding that my response to this event is symbolism exploding everywhere.
posted by Laurable at 12:50 PM PST - 7 comments

I apologize for posting such mainstream links, but I'm finding that Time Magazine's coverage to be uniformly thoughtful and moving. Two articles in particular - one of Vignettes of victims and near victims, and another about Digging Out - have touched me in ways I never expected Time Magazine to do. Have you found comfort or eloquence in an unexpected place?
posted by anastasiav at 12:44 PM PST - 2 comments

An endangered bat returns to the Isle of Wright after disappearing for the century. And in other animal news, declassified CIA documents reveal that cats were used as experimental platforms for easdropping devices.
posted by KirkJobSluder at 12:13 PM PST - 8 comments

Why White Guilt is wrong and harmful. (Written by Shelby Steele.)
posted by Steven Den Beste at 11:52 AM PST - 37 comments

Understanding your enemy A Khilafah document on the mujahadeed viewpoint. Also the assam.com site posting bin Laden's 1996 bayan declaring war on America went 404 since it was posted here yesterday. The document was indeed authentic and quite informative on bin Laudin's history and goals. Please relink if you find another copy.
posted by username at 11:24 AM PST - 6 comments

Bradbury Software donates money earned from TopStyle Every dollar we earn from TopStyle during the months of September and October will be donated to the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund.
posted by Nick Finck at 11:02 AM PST - 7 comments

Via to donate $100M to WTC? Um, seems like it was a bad typo. Taipei Times' article now reads "$1M". Seemed too good to be true.
posted by milnak at 10:55 AM PST - 5 comments

Help create a historical record of web sites about the attacks. The Library of Congress and others want to create "a solid historical record of this time". They particularly want to find sites and blogs belonging to individuals. They're asking you to put a little "note this" linklet in your browser toolbar (like blogger's "blog this!") and click it when you see a blog or other site that has anything to do with the attacks. They'll archive it. I think this is a great idea and I know they'll need a lot of help from people like us to carry it through.
posted by jill at 10:42 AM PST - 3 comments

These new satellite photos give yet another perspective to the damage done in Tuesday's attack.
posted by tdstone at 9:59 AM PST - 1 comments

Here's an interesting take on the whole western ideals v eastern ideals idea. The collapse of the Soviet Union as harbinger of the collapse of the west? Well, maybe not from the perspective of your average neo-libertarian. From the perspective of someone who didn't buy into the Enlightenment, from where springs both liberal democracy and marxism, then it may just look like one process. Interesting article from the 'Other Side of the Hill'.
posted by vbfg at 9:57 AM PST - 4 comments

The Chaser - satirical magazine from Australia. Warning: may be offensive to some, specifically with regard to the WTC tragedy. This is posted in response to the link below talking about how the Onion has ceased satire for the time being. I think the anti-Bush and Adam Sandler gags have merit, some others are quite tasteless. What do you think?
posted by skylar at 9:54 AM PST - 23 comments

'Suicide hijacker' is an airline pilot alive and well in Jedda - "A man named by the US Department of Justice as a suicide hijacker of American Airlines flight 11 - the first airliner to smash into the World Trade Centre - is very much alive and living in Jeddah." Amateurs or spin doctors at work?
posted by arf at 9:40 AM PST - 20 comments

Re-opened American stock markets tumble 5%, stabilize. As of 11:06 AM, Dow down 481, NASDAQ down 75.
posted by tranquileye at 8:15 AM PST - 16 comments

Onion saving new jokes for another day The Onion's on hold for a bit. An interesting quote from one of the writers- "'The age of irony is over." Does anyone agree?
posted by ice_cream_motor at 7:53 AM PST - 47 comments

"Bioterrorism: An Even More Devastating Threat" Here's a link to an article that appears in today's Washington Post. It details an "easier" way to eliminate "80 percent of people infected by inhaled spores". The print version includes a map with the best flight plan and release point to effect the best results. Is this Responsible Journalism? Is it necessary to publish this sort of weakness in America's country's defenses? I don't disagree that Bioterrorism is a threat to be concerned about, just the presentation & the flip attitude of how easy it will be to pull this off. Or do we need this kind of "the-sky-is-going-to-fall" reporting to shock us into action?
posted by bhmwks at 7:40 AM PST - 24 comments

Is Paypal making money? I read this on thier main Red Cross Page: PayPal will donate 100% of the proceeds to the National Disaster Relief Fund of the American Red Cross.

All donations are tax deductible. Include your address (for a tax receipt) in the "Shipping Address" field when making your donation.

PayPal will realize no profits from money donated to this fund.

Yet, I play Utopia and they have a donation account setup through paypal which states this: All funds raised through this campaign -- minus a commission of $0.30+2.9% which PayPal takes on all payments -- will be forwarded directly to the Red Cross.

So does Paypal give 100% of donations directly donated to its page, and take a commission on accounts set up through secondary pages such as Amazon? If so, with almost $6 Million dollars, that is almost $2 Million dollars!!! (if I did my math right, please correct me if I am wrong.)
posted by da5id at 7:13 AM PST - 14 comments

Have you seen the Kooks Museum yet?
posted by redhead at 7:09 AM PST - 1 comments

Pakistan Envoy Meets Mulla Umer I think there is an increasing sense of interest building in the world about the proof that USA has against bin laden for the recent attacks. The US should atleast come out with some proof, if not for public, then for the states helping her out. Uptill now, Bin Laden has been touted only as a Prime Suspect. Is the US going to prosecute Bin Laden before being proven guilty. Remember that, Bin Laden has only been a Prime Suspect for any other terrorism blamed on him. The Muslim world is very important if any mission against terrorism has to be completed successfully. The Muslim world needs solid proof. I am not saying that Do-It-And-Blame-The-Muslims mentality is at work here. All I am saying is, US does not have solid footings to prosecute Bin Laden.
posted by adnanbwp at 6:59 AM PST - 28 comments

Flashbulp memories "When emotionally powerful events take place in a person's life a mental 'flashbulb' will preserve this scene along with completely mundane and unremarkable details." Other than the attack on WTC, which events has coursed a flashbulb effect in you?
posted by Armarius at 6:35 AM PST - 8 comments

Saving a Life and a Bride. Amid all the negative stories and news, there has been few positive stories about the heros of the day and week since the tradgedy. Just thought I would post this one. If anyone else knows of others, please post them as well.
posted by da5id at 6:30 AM PST - 4 comments

Here's a take on the ways in which American society might change. Interesting in itself but it adds little to what's already been posted here before. The purpose is not more of the same arrrgghh, history just chaaaaanged guff. The purpose of linking is for any anti-post-modernists to gloat at the author, Francis Fukuyama, who has at least once before proclaimed the end of history.
posted by vbfg at 5:59 AM PST - 3 comments

Tonight is the first night of Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, and tomorrow the one-week anniversary of the attack. Am I the only one nervous about a knockout punch tomorrow morning?
posted by Sinner at 4:50 AM PST - 12 comments

An open directory of resources pertaining to the terrorist attack, the world's reaction, the upcoming military response, and all the various issues surrounding recent events. I think it's important that we maintain a library of sorts -- keeping track of all the news, all the opinion, the personal accounts, the photos -- so that we can learn from these events, so that we can find patterns, so that we can remember. So, post your good links to the directory!
posted by benbrown at 4:02 AM PST - 8 comments

A letter from an Afghani American which makes the most sense out of anything I've seen to date regarding retaliation. "You see where I'm going. We're flirting with a world war between Islam and the West. And guess what: that's Bin Laden's program. That's exactly what he wants. That's why he did this. Read his speeches and statements. It's all right there." Go. Read. Now.
posted by canoeguide at 12:54 AM PST - 31 comments

Well, here we go. Macau authorities have arrested five Pakistanis of (officially) overstaying their visas. They also may be (again, speaking officially here) robbery suspects. But about halfway down the page, we find this little three-liner: ''According to preliminary investigations, the documents seized [in the arrest] appear to contain instructions to attack American targets in the SAR and Macau in the case of an American attack on Afghanistan,'' the [government] source said.
posted by Bixby23 at 12:51 AM PST - 7 comments

Promise a man death is not the end and he will slam himself into a skyscraper. Evolutionary biologist and arch-skeptic Richard Dawkins writes about religion in the Guardian.
posted by dydecker at 12:14 AM PST - 28 comments