Friday, September 10, 2004

Four columns about family and friends involved in 9/11, written over the ensuing year. LaChanze Gooding at Easter: "(S)he will put her daughters in the car and drive them to the big church in Brooklyn where she used to worship with their father, the church where she gave his eulogy six months ago." Howard Lutnick and Cantor Fitzgerald: "Being a good dad saved his life on a morning when 658 of his employees died." Cousin Quentin on the job: "Thirty-seven members of the Port Authority police died on 9/11. Lt. DeMarco -- my wife's cousin Quentin -- was almost No. 38." Doug Gardner and Calvin Gooding: "As soon as I got to a television on the morning of Sept. 11, I was sure that Doug and Calvin were dead or about to die." I hate tomorrow. 4:39:26 PM    comment []

The Personal Democracy Forum is seeking contributors for its website, blog, and newsletter. "We're looking for 800- to 1500-word features as well as shorter blog entries on ongoing beats," says Micah Sifry. "Will pay competitive freelance rates." He says they prefer experienced journalists, presumably because we're the only ones who won't laugh or cry when confronted with "competitive freelance rates." Micah adds in a comment at Jeff Jarvis' place that writers with various political viewpoints are welcome. 3:57:08 PM    comment []

OJR interviews Dan Gillmor on his book, We the Media. 12:17:38 PM    comment []

WSJ: US Airways might declare bankruptcy again, and there is a "legitimate concern" that the company could have to liquidate. (unposted article) That would not be good news for GSO. Somebody please get Southwest to come here, now. 9:08:27 AM    comment []

Jay Rosen: "(I)t's an extraordinary little claim: that attending a rock concert like a normal person can somehow threaten the credibility of the Miami Herald." 9:04:37 AM    comment []

"John Kerry...recites slogans that he understands but does not believe...the president...recites slogans that he believes but does not understand." Mark Helprin in the WSJ says the US response to 9/11 has been dangerously inadequate. He criticizes Bush's military strategy ("although we may be occupying Iraq, Iraq is also occupying us") says we have not addressed issues of civil defense. A depressing read. 9:01:22 AM    comment []

The Bowles blog is pushing a membership drive -- an email campaign to "double the size of our campaign." Running a campaign as a community that transcends the staff and a handful of volunteers is a new thing, untried in a Senate race. Can Bowles use the Web to get it done? 8:42:40 AM    comment []

"The first good news I got on 9/11 came late in the day. Howie was alive." I wrote a column, The man who had everything, about Cantor Fitzgerald boss Howard Lutnick in June 2002. This morning's NYT updates the story. "The broad range of support Mr. Lutnick has provided for the Cantor families has won over some who had feared he would not honor his commitments." Less than a month after the disaster, I went to Cantor's makeshift offices in NJ to report on how the company managed to stay in business when its headquarters was destroyed. 8:30:49 AM    comment []