9/11: 5 Years +1
Want a taste of irony? I did not forget what yesterday was. I spoke about it with co-workers. I commented on it with someone here. The only thing I did not do is make a post about it here. Still, a day late, a dollar short, eh?
First off, if any of you watched The Path to 9/11 last night I am sure you were as disappointed with it as I was. In fact, it was crap. Especially with the way the film ended, with the dust covered guy walking through while an epilogue ran. That was pretty fucking goofy. And they got Father Judge's uniform wrong. Hell, they didn't even really show the planes hitting the Towers. The footage is there: Show it!
If there's anything you should really be watching, it is the oft mentioned documentary film 9/11 (which aired Sunday night with some cuts and additional footage I never seen before, including a firefighter telling Tony Benetatos he was standing on the roof of the Marriott when Tower 2 came down and it just rained body parts--and a 5 years later update), and the National Geographic special Inside 9/11 (which is thankfully available on DVD).
Now, I would like to tell you a story. About a television series that aired on FOX in the summer of 2001. It was a reality/competition show called Murder in Small Town X. A group of contestants were brought to a small town to solve a mystery involving the disappearance of a family. They would act together to question people and get clues. Then, at the end of the program, two people would be sent out. One would find an important clue, the other, the killer, and would be eliminated.
I watched every episode of that program, and commented on it with others at the FOX bulletin boards. Of the contestants, we were particularly struck by one guy. His name was Angel. His profession was a firefighter. And he had a magnetic, charming personality, along with a lot of compassion, even for those who were disliked the most.
Me and the fans were surprised and delighted to see that when it all went down and the finale aired, Angel made it through and solved the mystery. For his efforts, he got a car and $250,000. (I found out shortly thereafter he gave the car to his dad. Not sure what he did with the money.)
Now, here's the thing: During the series run, most episodes ran over consecutive weeks on Tuesday nights. For the final episodes, however, FOX decided to run both the penultimate and final eps together on September 4. If they had stuck with the original plan, the finale would have aired September 11.
Now, you either may be wondering why I mention this, or perhaps you are a step ahead of me and figured it out. You see, Angel Juarbe, Jr. was a member of the New York City Fire Department. He was last seen inside the Marriott on September 11, 2001. He was laid to rest in December.
There are names, faces associated with the horrors of that day: Barbara Olsen. David Angell. John Moran. But I always think of Angel Juarbe.
First off, if any of you watched The Path to 9/11 last night I am sure you were as disappointed with it as I was. In fact, it was crap. Especially with the way the film ended, with the dust covered guy walking through while an epilogue ran. That was pretty fucking goofy. And they got Father Judge's uniform wrong. Hell, they didn't even really show the planes hitting the Towers. The footage is there: Show it!
If there's anything you should really be watching, it is the oft mentioned documentary film 9/11 (which aired Sunday night with some cuts and additional footage I never seen before, including a firefighter telling Tony Benetatos he was standing on the roof of the Marriott when Tower 2 came down and it just rained body parts--and a 5 years later update), and the National Geographic special Inside 9/11 (which is thankfully available on DVD).
Now, I would like to tell you a story. About a television series that aired on FOX in the summer of 2001. It was a reality/competition show called Murder in Small Town X. A group of contestants were brought to a small town to solve a mystery involving the disappearance of a family. They would act together to question people and get clues. Then, at the end of the program, two people would be sent out. One would find an important clue, the other, the killer, and would be eliminated.
I watched every episode of that program, and commented on it with others at the FOX bulletin boards. Of the contestants, we were particularly struck by one guy. His name was Angel. His profession was a firefighter. And he had a magnetic, charming personality, along with a lot of compassion, even for those who were disliked the most.
Me and the fans were surprised and delighted to see that when it all went down and the finale aired, Angel made it through and solved the mystery. For his efforts, he got a car and $250,000. (I found out shortly thereafter he gave the car to his dad. Not sure what he did with the money.)
Now, here's the thing: During the series run, most episodes ran over consecutive weeks on Tuesday nights. For the final episodes, however, FOX decided to run both the penultimate and final eps together on September 4. If they had stuck with the original plan, the finale would have aired September 11.
Now, you either may be wondering why I mention this, or perhaps you are a step ahead of me and figured it out. You see, Angel Juarbe, Jr. was a member of the New York City Fire Department. He was last seen inside the Marriott on September 11, 2001. He was laid to rest in December.
There are names, faces associated with the horrors of that day: Barbara Olsen. David Angell. John Moran. But I always think of Angel Juarbe.