h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

That's good news when the world seems so full of bad news.

Speaking from the (presumably) sake UK, I am glad you are all OK.

I am horrified by what has happened and the future 'war' doesn't bear thinking about.

Any amount of bombs and misiles thown back at the culprets would just go to prove thier point and make their cause stronger, and those who actually carried out the horror are dead.

This is a surreal situation and my sympathies are with you all my friends.

I know of the concern in USA.......regardless of location. I am a Brit, my wife an American.

What happened is beyond my words to describe.

FOUR hijacked flights.........THOUSANDS dead. It is inconceivable leverage. There is no parallel.

It is awful.


My overwhelming concern is that a relatively small number of perpetrators can bring even the greatest nation in the world to its knees.

I don't know how we can prevent it happening again..

That worries me.

Shirts

Okay, was not able to get on for a while, but I'm glad to see other researchers are being accounted for. I've spoken to my girlfriend and she's back at the apartment located on Thompson just above Houston. She says there is electricity, power, DSL, and gas at the apartment, and even some local grocery stores are staffed. Most television stations are down, since their transmitters are on the roof. Houston street is being used as a staging area for heavy equipment, but they are otherwise mostly unaffected, although it looks like someone blasted a hole in the skyline of course (that still shocks me).

I'm obviously not going to be at work for a while, and I have not heard from anyone at my company, but I'm sure many of them are a bit preoccupied right now. I'm hoping though that nobody was killed or wounded on the way in to work. Our servers have gone down due as the UPS ran out of power, but might be hosted okay at Globix. I have been reading about the behinds-the-scenes struggles of the sysadmins. This is not really a matter of keeping up e-commerce sites, but 5 or 6 telephone switching COs are in that area, as well as some long-distance equipment and such. Bringing them back up is important to improve communications. In addition, there is a need to bring back up certain useful websites (like nyc.gov) to help disseminate useful information. Many systems are designed with redundancy, but nothing could anticipate a situation like this (air intakes clogged with dust, generators unable to be refuelled, etc.)

Also, it should be noted that the New York crisis management center was located in the World Trade Center, so a lot of work was required to create a new temporary center elsewhere.

i don't have any news that hasn't already been given, i guess.

witty moniker is in new jersey, and she's okay.

For anyone affected, please accept deepest sympathies from me and my partner here in Oz. It has had a huge impact on people over here ... you guys in the U.S. are in our thoughts.
All best
Bran.

Wanted to bookmark, nothing to say apart from so sorry, this is terrible.

for everyone

I would like to say something but words just fail me.Nothing can ever put this right.No action can ever bring back the lives lost.There is only the chance perhaps to try and make sure that it doesn't happen again.I can only feel that violence will not ensure this,just a careful,united,measured and consistant approach against terrorism by every democratic country in the world.

I just got an email from my boss. Nobody from my company has been wounded and everybody seems to be accounted for. None of them were researchers here, but I had mentioned I was concerned about them here, so I figured I'd update their status. Communications have been very difficult, and email is the only way I have of talking to my girlfriend at home.

Well, I seem to have come back to NYC at the wrong(right?) time. I flew in on Friday sept. 7th, from my "exile" in St. Louis. I'm up at 7th and 36th, far enough away not really notice anything unusual except for the lack of traffic. Today is the only day I can even smell anything(other than my singers girlfriends apt. last night). I do hope all of us are o.k. and that when the world strikes back, they have the right people, and target them, and not schools and the like.

I'd also like to thank the rest of the world for their support.

jimmie

To all H2G2 researchers in New York and Washington:

I can't express the shock and sadness I feel that anyone could do this to your two great cities. My thoughts and prayers are with you, your families and friends, and everyone else who has been affected by these terrible tragedies.

To New York researchers in particular:

They haven't finalised the paperwork yet, but my city, Liverpool, and yours, were undergoing a twinning process. People in Liverpool already feel very close to New Yorkers, and in all but name, our cities are twin cities. I walked round Liverpool city centre this morning, and everyone is in a state of shock. No-one can believe that such devestation could have hit a great city such as yours. We are thinking of you. We are praying for you as you come to terms with this and rebuild your great city. And we are vowing to support our government as it works with yours to make sure that this will never happen again.

glad everyone's allright, cogito.

wow, MSC, i didn't know that NY and liverpool were going to be twin cities.

This may not be too big a comfort for those who are still searching their friends, but all my relatives and friends who live and work in or near NYC are ok.

I'm praying from the bottom of my heart that many of those who are still missing will be accounted for alive.

shalom .. peace .. salam

Jeremy

Thanks to everyone for your kind words of support. I means so much.

You're welcome, Shea.

That's what friends are for.

It just came to my mind how much all of you mean to me. I have never met any other h2g2 member face to face, but I couldn't sleep the first night after the tragedy, shaken by sorrow and grief. I suddenly realized how much I'd miss every single one of you.

Please take care!

shalom .. peace .. salam

Jeremy

Thank you all so much for your thoughts and prayers.

Sorry for the delay, my internet connection is a bit crabby due to the situation here.

Hugs to all!!!

A Manhattan

glad you're allright too, batty!

jeremy, i feel the very same way. my first thought when i heard about the tragedy was "my god, i hope my h2g2 friends are allright..."

I'm back in New York City now, managing to catch a flight into Newark last evening. It was rather sobering to come back and see the damage from the flight. Last night, the city was quiet and filled with people holding candles in spontaneous vigils. It was strangely hushed but healing. And south I could see the ever-present cloud in place of the buildings I used to mentally wave to everyday.

I haven't been to the City yet. I can feel the difference from here, but I can't imagine actually seeing it. Know that we're with you, my friend.