6 Years Ago Today

In some ways it seems like it was maybe last week though I know it was a long time ago and I've lived lifetimes since that morning. (and don't worry this will be kind of quick)
I always hear old people (people of a certain age) talk about knowing exactly where they were when Kennedy was shot (back and to the left) and the 11th of September is one of those days for us. I was in bed, it was around 6 in the morning and my radio alarm went off and started playing the Howard Stern show (I was young, sorry) and I heard him talking about the attacks. I didn't know if it was a "bit" but after lying in bed for about half an hour and hearing the reality of their anger and sorrow in their voices I got up and saw it on every channel, including like Bravo and ESPN, the BBC and everything in between and I yada yada yada was just like everyone else. I remember seeing the aftermath of the second tower falling and the cloud of smoking billowing through the canyons of the buildings in Manhattan and seeing people dressed for work fleeing and running for their lives and it looked so much like a movie, like Independence Day or some other big budget action movie.
Everyone had so many theories (that I don't actually want to look up but will do from memory) about why they chose that day [9/11=911=emergency] or why they chose those airlines [United and American-symbolism] and those flights [cross country flights to affect people from coast to coast, and also because they had the most fuel for greater devastation] but it really just washed over you as I was just on my couch unable to turn off the t.v. Thinking that it could happen in L.A. but trying to think where such an attack could happen. I remember crying a lot that day and yelling at my brother for being insensitive and that night before going to bed I remember actually kneeling down and praying (for the first time in a long time) that the death toll/the number of people who died would be the smallest it could be. But one thing and one image I will remember is one of the islands or someplace around the harbor CNN, that night, was interviewing an emergency triage set up about how they were ready and expecting a massive number of victims with crush injuries and they were prepared, or something like that, but that none ever came. I remember crying during the benefit concerts especially over U2 and falling in love with Five for Fighting's Superman. I remember during those concerts wondering whether if something like that happened in L.A. would people care as much or would the perception of l.a. as vapid and fake make people less sympathetic. I remember going to the doctor that wednesday or thursday to get the results of my TB test and the streets seemed so empty and silent. But for the rest of that year, and especially that week I actually liked and was fully supporting Gweeb; I actually was two steps from enlisting formally on that Friday ( I felt it was my generation's call to arms/Pearl Harbor moment. I'm glad I came to my senses - that would have been a disaster)
Of course things changed and we realized how big a tragedy it was. While I was doing the above, here is a timeline of what Gweeb was doing on the 11th of September, and we can see here how the rhetoric that I needed to believe in in the month or so after that day eventually devolved into blaming Iraq and wherever the fuck we are today.
Here are some of the songs that Clear Channel deemed inappropriate to play "without great thought" that really seems so dumb even now considering the messages of the songs of hope and optimism and pacifism, or oddly, of war against Arab countries though of course I can understand the reasoning behind many of the banned songs, it's kind of funny that all Rage Against the Machine songs were born (the full list is here) and seems kind of tragic considering that the second tuesday in September 2001 didn't really inspire much great music of itself (and caused Jimmy Eat World to change the name of their album)

Louis Armstrong-What A Wonderful World
Bob Dylan-Knockin' on Heaven's Door
The Holies- He Ain't Heavy,He's My Brother
John Lennon-Imagine
Simon and Garfunkel – "Bridge Over Troubled Water"
Cat Stevens-Peace Train
James Taylor- Fire and Rain
The Youngbloods - "Get Together"

(download zip file)
but yeah let's move on. you were there and i can't possible express anything that you didn't feel yourself. and plus I wanna make penis jokes and be stupid again.

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