Saturday, September 29, 2001

 

I was watching the news yesterday when tape of some kind of "event" came on the screen. One of the anchors was confused, and almost babbling as he stumbled over words to tell us about what was happening. All I really got from him was "civic center" and "no details yet" as I watched video of emergency vehicles, a traffic tie-up and a building.

A media cover-up of some kind? I hate to say it, but what else could it be? I haven't heard anything else about it there, or anywhere. It's not hard to believe the traditional media would cover up such a story. Take the downing of TWA Flight 800 for example.

Although when the plane went down in the summer of 1996 speculation abounded that a missile of some sort was involved, after a lengthy investigation, the "official guess" was that frayed wiring sparked an explosion in the center fuel tank causing the plane to break apart and crash. No official final determination has ever been made.

But remember the first reports?

Former newsman Pierre Salinger insisted ... a Navy missile downed TWA Flight 800, this time offering a 69-page document and a set of radar images to bolster his case. (RE: CNN.)

"We have now reached the point where we are totally sure what we are saying is true," Salinger, a former ABC News correspondent and press secretary to President Kennedy, told a Paris news conference.

The tape "completely confirms a missile fired down TWA 800," Salinger said.

Salinger believes, and says he can confirm, that it was a "super secret" U.S. Navy exercise off Long Island and was meant to target a Tomahawk missile, but hit Flight 800 instead when it "lost its lock on its original target."

But was it really only an exercise?

William Donaldson, a retired navy commander, who has done extensive research into the cause of the crash. He is a graduate of Crash Analysis from the Navy Post Graduate School, with a twenty-five year career in the navy. He had this to say. "...(J)et airliners built by the American aerospace industry have logged at least 150 thousand years of flight time. Not once has there ever been a spontaneous fuel tank explosion on any fuel tank while airborne." Consider that until TWA-800's purported midair fuel tank explosion, the only Boeing 747's that came out of the air in pieces were blown out. In 1978 an Air India jetliner was downed, in 1983 KAL-007, in 1985 another Air India plane, in 1988 Pan Am-103 was blown out of the air. All of these downings were due either to bombings or missile hits.

"Several eyewitness like Mr. Roland Penney and his group of eight not only saw a missile-like object rise up from the haze at sea, leaving a thin gray smoke trail. They distinctly describe a bright white flash, 'like a flashbulb' when it hit TWA Flight 800," Donaldson wrote to the National Transportation Safety Board.

Senator Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, chairman of the Judiciary Committee, was interviewed by CNN two days after the disaster. His conclusions come after 'various conversations' with government officials.

"'I won't go so far as to say it was terrorism, but there was sabotage here,' Hatch said. 'We're looking at a criminal act. We're looking at somebody who either put a bomb on it or shot a missile, a surface-to-air missile.'" Hatch said, 'the National Transportation Safety Board should now turn the investigation over to the FBI because the crash was not related to an aviation problem.... It's very -- almost 100 percent unlikely that this was a mechanical failure,' Hatch said. 'It looks pretty darn conclusive that it was an explosion caused either internally or externally by a criminal act.' Investigators told CNN that there is no indication that the Boeing 747 suffered a catastrophic mechanical failure." (CNN 7-19-96).

But then what happened. The government ... the Clinton administration ... told us, through the media, what they wanted us to believe. Apparently, however, now that he's not president, Clinton forgot the story he was supposed to tell.

Being interviewed on the street the day he returned from Australia shortly after the Sept. 11 attacks on America, former President Clinton referred to the downing of TWA 800 as "an act of terrorism."

But Clinton isn't the only person who likened the downing of Flight 800 and the Twin Towers and Pentagon attacks.

Senator John Kerry, on Larry King Live on September 11, 2001, said: "......just as TWA Flight 800 was brought down by a terrorist act."

George Stephanopoulos made a major mistake on ABC in the wake of the recent World Trade Center attack.

"In my time at the White House," he said off-handedly, "(the situation room) was used in the aftermath of the Oklahoma City bombing, in the aftermath of the TWA Flight 800 bombing, and that would be the way they would stay in contact through the afternoon."

The fuel-tank theory of the crash was also disavowed by James Kallstrom, who headed the FBI investigation into Flight 800.
He said on CNN on September 11 that the attack that day was "the first act of terrorism in the U.S. since TWA 800."

With that said, I'd like to know why, if in fact there was/is a cover-up, the Clinton administration et al, decided the American people couldn't handle the truth, and why the media went along with it. No, the truth wouldn't have been pleasant to hear. But we could have been preparing, at least in our minds and psyches, for the last five years. Maybe Sept. 11 wouldn't have been quite as shocking. It wouldn't have been any harder to believe, any easier to look at the pictures, any less disturbing when hearing all the stories. But at least we would have been prepared.

posted by Anne 9/29/2001 08:26:00 PM (0) comments

Wednesday, September 26, 2001

 

So, Michael Jordan is back in the NBA. How miserable must his life be that playing in the NBA is the only thing he can find to make himself happy and give his life some worth? I guess it just goes to show that money, fame and possessions aren't everything in life. Besides all that, he's got a wife and children. But he needs the NBA. Why? He's already one of the most famous people in the world. He's already one of the richest people in the world? That would lead one to believe that he needs the adoration of fans to make himself complete.

I would think adoration from his children, spending time with them, helping with their homework, going to their soccer games would be enough. Apparently not.

As I watched and listened to news reports of Jordan's return, I heard and read several that said Jordan's timing in coming back will be a "boost" for America's morale. It's "just what we need." Uh, guys? Jordan planned his comeback for Sept. 11, going as far as issuing a small press release to ESPN. His return to the NBA has nothing to do with helping America. It's all for Michael Jordan.

Don't get me wrong, I respect and admire Michael Jordan's talent. I used to like to watch him play. But he doesn't seem real anymore. It's more than feeling he's bigger than life. He's more like a cartoon character. Some people, even after the events of Sept. 11, probably still look at him as a hero. I'd be naiive to think they don't. But I hope that more people have learned that the Michael Jordans, the Brett Favres and Mark Magwires are not the real heroes.

If Michael Jordan wants to give America a boost, he should pass out Gatorade at Ground Zero to the real heroes.

posted by Anne 9/26/2001 08:01:00 AM (0) comments

Friday, September 21, 2001

 

If Operation Infinite Justice works, George W. Bush will go down in history as the greatest president in the history of the United States of America.

Heavy stuff. But so is this war against terrorism. Bush set lofty goals for the rest of the world -- at least those who want to fight against terrorism. The others? Bush said it. "Either you're with us or you're with the terrorists." He issued demands to the terrorists and those who harbor them that are "not open to negotiation or discussion." Bush means business. America means business.

The world as we know it changed on the morning of Sept. 11, 2001. Make no mistake, it will get worse before it gets better. As much as we want some semblance of normalcy in our lives again, our definitions of "normal" will change. We'll wonder where and when the next strike will be. We won't be able to ignore the sound of military aircraft overhead. Everytime the stock market plunges, a new computer virus is introduced or anything major and bad happens, we'll wonder if it's related to terrorism.

We're living what will be written in history books for future generations. "We will not tire. We will not falter. We will not fail." will be as important a quote in the history of America as "Give me liberty or give me death."

Until the events of last week, it seems many Americans forgot or ignored the fact that God was a priority to our forefathers. "In God We Trust" is on our money. We say "One nation, under God ..." as we pledge allegiance to our flag. Now, the president who is taking us into this new world is delivering a battle cry that echoes the thoughts of our forefathers, the patriots who built this country. God bless America.

God bless us all.

posted by Anne 9/21/2001 07:53:00 AM (0) comments

Thursday, September 20, 2001

 

Despite the fact I've heard military aircraft overhead all day, I'm going to put the impending war aside for a moment and write about something else.

Judge Dismisses Suit Against 'The Sopranos'. No folks, the next season hasn't started. This isn't in the plot of the wildly popular HBO series about mobsters. This is an actual headline from iwon.com. It seems lawyers for the Chicago-based American Italian Defense Association (AIDA) had not sought damages from HBO owner Time Warner Entertainment but wanted a declaration from the judge that the popular show violated a "dignity clause" in the Illinois constitution that protects individuals from communications that incite hostility based on religion, race or other affiliation.

Cook County Judge Richard Siebel ruled that AIDA had no standing to sue since it had suffered no injury from HBO's "The Sopranos," and the show had a constitutional right to air its depiction of a fictional New Jersey mob family. Lawyers for Time Warner, in arguing for a dismissal of the suit, said condemning the show in court would open it up to suits seeking monetary damages and could pave the way for censorship of other fictional works.

Can you say "frivilous lawsuit?" Where have these people been for the last, oh, thousand years or so? Have they ever heard of "The Godfather?" Better yet, how about "Goodfellas," a true story?

Before I go any further, let me point out that I'm half Italian and proud of it. My family doesn't have any mob ties. None of the Italian families I know have any mob ties. So, I'm not sticking up for the mob. I'm also not offended by "The Sopranos." I think it's exceptional entertainment. Key word: Entertainment.

When did people start taking everything on television as personal attacks on ethnic groups? What happened to the days when you could watch television and enjoy it instead of having to analyze it? Not everything on television is a documentary or meant to be a true representation of whatever is being portrayed. It's about time people started remembering that. If they want reality tv, there's plenty to go around.

I'm going to give AIDA the benefit of the doubt because they filed their lawsuit before Sept. 11. Let's hope they can concentrate on more important things now. United we stand.

posted by Anne 9/20/2001 12:58:00 PM (0) comments

Wednesday, September 19, 2001

 

Am I going to write something about "this" on my site ? I don't know. The news about "this" changes everyday. I wouldn't know where to start, what to include. I don't remember ever having trouble writing about news. I've written about teen-agers being killed by an oil tank explosion, plane crashes, devastating fires, kids dying of cancer ...... But I can't seem to figure out where to start with "this."

I do have lots of thoughts on it though. One is that we're finally giving credit to real heroes. The best way I can explain this is: The day of the attacks, Michael Jordan, a hero to many people, announced he was coming out of retirement and going back to the NBA. Who knew? Who cared? The real heroes were the firefighters, policemen and others who gave their lives to rescue innocent people. The real heroes were the people who fought hijackers and kept them from crashing a plane into the White House, the Capitol or wherever they were planning to strike. Maybe, finally, Americans will stop looking at the Michael Jordans, the Steve Youngs, the Mark Magwires as heroes. It's about time.

On another note, Jay Leno last night said people have been asking what America did to deserve this, to warrant such an attack on innocent people. Nothing, he said. We did nothing. "We were sucker-punched," Leno said. He hopes, as I do, that America strikes back. I agree with what President Bush said, too. We want bin Laden dead or alive.

posted by Anne 9/19/2001 08:22:00 AM (0) comments

Wednesday, September 12, 2001

 

Of course I don't want a war. But I also don't want terrorists coming into my country and killing innocent people. I don't want to see any more video of Palestinians celebrating in the streets because America was attacked.

As Tom Brokaw said shortly after the events of Sept. 11 began, "This is a declaration of war on the United States." Much of the country came to a halt. The economy was crippled. Our collective psyches have been shattered. Americans will never be the same because we now know that unspeakable acts of terrorism can happen here.

Although it hasn't been confirmed, I believe American troops are on their way to Afghanistan to hunt down and capture Saudi fugitive Osama bin Laden. Just minutes ago, Sen. Trent Lott said whatever happens next will happen in a "dramatic, bold, unusual way." This is similar to Desert Shield and Desert Storm when the public didn't know what was going on until the operations were well underway.

But unlike Desert Storm when Sadaam Hussein was not captured, I believe the government has every intention of finding and capturing bin Laden and bringing him to justice, at the very least.

When the war begins, there will most certainly be heroes. But we can't forget the heroes that came forward during the events of Sept. 11: The firemen, policemen and emergency personnel, some of whom gave their lives, who were working, and still are working, to rescue survivors of the attacks; the flight attendant aboard one of the hijacked planes who kept her wits about her and used a cell phone to let officials know the seat number of one of the hijackers; the passengers aboard one hijacked plane who fought the hijackers, thus stopping an attack on the White House or Air Force One.

That's one thing many other countries don't understand about the United States: When it really matters, our people stick together for the common cause.

As President Bush said, "Terrorist attacks can shake the foundations of our biggest buildings. ... They cannot touch the foundation of America."

posted by Anne 9/12/2001 02:26:00 PM (0) comments

Thursday, September 06, 2001

 

I feel bad for Anne Heche. No, not because she "was" "crazy" or "insane" and all the other things she told Barbara Walters on "20/20" last night. I partly feel bad because she suffered so much abuse as a child. But I feel bad for anyone, especially a child, who had to endure any kind of abuse. The reason I feel bad for her is that she has MPD/DID and doesn't know it. Obviously, the 5 or 6 other people with her who did the Barbara Walters interview know it. Anyone who has any experience at all with MPD/DID could easily see there were at least 5 people doing the interview. The most obvious were the "Valley Girl" and the lesbian, who is still obviously in love with Ellen DeGeneres.

During the interview, Heche said she had one other personality, Celestia, who had conversations with God. Heche doesn't believe Celestia is still with her because she's "cured." Well, as someone told me once during a conversation about MPD/DID, "There's never just one." Heche also believes the "split' happened when she was in her 20s. Maybe that's when she became aware of the fact that there are other people with her, but the other people come along to help the host cope with traumatic experiences when the host is a child ... usually younger than 5 years old.

Barbara Walters didn't seem to realize she was interviewing more than one person. But during an interview on the "Today" show this morning, Matt Lauer hit the nail on the head. "All this couldn't have happened to one person," Lauer said.

MPD/DID is a way for a young child to cope with abuse or trauma that he/she couldn't possibly handle alone. It's a survival tactic and, I believe, people who did survive and have learned to live with the people inside who helped them should be admired. I know I wouldn't have been strong enough to endure some of the trauma I've heard and read about. The fact that (at least) thousands and thousands of people found a way to survive is mind boggling.

I'm sure it's also mind boggling for someone to come to terms with the fact that other people are living in his/her body and have been there for years. But those who do come to terms with it and live with it everyday are stronger than some people, like me, could ever imagine.

I'm hoping that a doctor experienced in dealing with people with MPD/DID watched Heche on "20/20" and offers to help her. I hope she accepts the offer. Many people view MPD/DID as "the gift of plurality." I hope someday Heche can see that, too.

posted by Anne 9/06/2001 09:50:00 AM (0) comments

Monday, September 03, 2001

 

Never mind the stereotypes on "Will and Grace" and the confused-but-getting-clearer David on HBO's "Six Feet Under." The place to see a gay man interact on television is the CBS reality show "Big Brother 2."

William "Bunky" Miller went into the show saying he wasn't going to tell his housemates he's gay. But it didn't take long before he told several of them about his husband, Gregg. This, even after fellow houseguest Kent Blackwelder, a 43-year-old from Tennessee, voiced his hatred and disgust for the gay lifestyle.

Ironically, Kent and Bunky became fast friends -- probably the only true, honest friendship in the house this season.

Viewers watched the bond between Kent and Bunky grow show by show. They were even able to make "gay jokes," which helped the other houseguests open up and relate to Kent and Bunky as well. There's no better ice breaker than humor.

Now, Bunky openly cries, shows his emotions and talks about, well, being gay. In some ways, he is the stereotypical gay man. But there's more than that. He also professes his love for Gregg in front of millions of people on television and the Internet. While "Six Feet Under" shows gay men kissing and having sex, Bunky and Gregg are real. They show through Bunky's "diary room" soliloquies, what it means for a man to be in love with another man.

Bunky's friendship with Kent may have, if only in a small way, contributed to Bunky's newfound self-confidence and strength. A month ago, Bunky would have never confronted he-man Hardy. But toward the end of his stay in the house, Bunky teased him (even saying he believes Hardy is bisexual), taunted him and told him his not afraid of his power. This is a far cry from the man who voted his friend Kent and houseguest Krista out of the house because he proclaimed himself Hardy and Nicole's "puppet" and voted the way they wanted him to.

Bunky even had the self-confidence to point out to the image conscious Hardy and Will that they, not Bunky, act like stereotypical gay men because of their primping and obsessions about their hair and looks.

There's another stereotype involved in this equation: a white man from the South. Even if it's only in the back of his mind, Bunky probably couldn't help but think of that. If Kent can accept him, anyone can, Bunky may be thinking.

But despite his new friendship with an openly gay man, Kent still says he's intolerant of the gay lifestyle.

The lesson in all of this is that you don't have to agree with the way someone lives his life. You don't even have to understand it. But you should at least respect his or her right to live it ... as long as it's not hurting anyone.

posted by Anne 9/03/2001 08:30:00 AM (0) comments