[spectre] (no subject)

[Timothy Druckrey]

Just minutes ago a third building, part of the WTC complex, a 47 story=
 office collapsed, a sad coda to the twin towers each of 100+ stories. 

Hospitals are overwhelmed with blood donors, volunteers are offering=
 anything they can so, but the surreal scene at the former blast site is=
 seemingly impenetrable. Piles of debris, fires (the WTC complex has large=
 underground shopping and transit), and a coating of grey -possibly asbestos=
 filled - dust that is still wafting to Brooklyn. All around sounds of=
 police sirens still pass with only one destination. 

The haunting effect of the repeating video segments in no way assuages their=
 effect, even as more and more video comes to the broadcasts ... each more=
 harrowing than the last. This city has mobilized in an orderly way, even=
 while the shock grows. After several hours, the city administration's new=
 conference showed a visibly shaken Mayor fumbling with facts and=
 reassurance. Be normal and carry on with routine life. A strange comment in=
 an environment in which nothing could be perceived as normal. 

The vulnerability of the city, country, now shattered in a way that the=
 small acts of terror in the past only hinted at, make it clear that routine=
 assumptions about normality are absurd. In so short a time, the city has=
 been utterly transformed. It is still hard to grasp the scale to which this=
 has altered the cityscape (outside of the opinions about the tourist value=
 of these buildings), no less the spirit of the city. Routines will no=
 longer be so readily attained. Watching these buildings implode and=
 disappear is almost unthinkable, no less describable. The reality of the=
 brute destruction silenced most who, according to reports, walked blankly=
 past reporters. The numbers reported earlier about the number of people in=
 the towers is now about 10,000, a very small percentage of which seems=
 accounted for. How this plays out will be the rippling human tragedy of the=
 next days. After the desolate spectacle of the explosions and collapses,=
 comes the grim search for individuals in hot rubble. 

Communications is in a shambles. I can receive signals from only one=
 broadcast station (since it's antennas are on the Empire State building).=
 Many phone systems (particularly are in disarray. Many bank ATMs and credit=
 transaction systems are out of service.

for now,

Tim