This digest contains the following messages from 8/1/01 to 9/15/01:

1. For anyone who may be around the NY area in mid-August!
by: Fine, Alan <AFine@dreamworks.com>
2. Anyone know any news of friends?
by: REMPEL,ALISON (HP-PaloAlto,ex1) <alison_rempel@hp.com>
3. Another from a long way away
by: <DMcQuickly@aol.com>
4. My experience
by: Jim Katzenstein <jimk@starkaywhite.com>
5. RE: TRIBUTE TO THE UNITED STATES
by: Hastings Class of '75 <hastings@art-cetera.com>
6. RE: MIAMI HERALD TRIBUNE
by: Hastings Class of '75 <hastings@art-cetera.com>
7. Fwd: Re: TRIBUTE TO THE UNITED STATES
by: Rick Wester <rickwester2001@yahoo.com>
8. Candle Lighting
by: Francis, K. Louise <LFrancis@HEWM.COM>
9. PLEASE FORGIVE THE DUPLICATE MESSAGES
by: Alan Fine <>
10. Re: MIAMI HERALD TRIBUNE
by: <DMcQuickly@aol.com>
11. Re: Victims with ties to Hastings
by: <NAN404@aol.com>
12. JUST WHEN I WAS STARTING TO CALM DOWN...
by: Alan Fine <>

-------------------- 1 --------------------
Date: Wed, 1 Aug 2001 07:08:49 -0700
From: "Fine, Alan" <AFine@dreamworks.com>
Subject: For anyone who may be around the NY area in mid-August!

For classmates, your friends and family and anyone who may be around the NY
area in mid-August:

Free! Free! Free!

Movie premieres, screenings and jazz.

For more info, visit:

www.art-cetera.com/hastings

or

http://surf.to/hastingsreunion


-------------------- 2 --------------------
Date: Wed, 12 Sep 2001 14:48:36 -0400
From: "REMPEL,ALISON (HP-PaloAlto,ex1)" <alison_rempel@hp.com>
Subject: Anyone know any news of friends?

Hello-
I'm feeling rather isolated out here in California - I'm sure some of our
classmates and neighbors are affected but I don't even know who still lives
in the area. So, I thought I'd check in.

I have heard that John Lindner (NYPD) is okay. He was a few years younger,
but some may remember his mom, Anne Lindner, who ran YES for awhile.

Thoughts and prayers with those from my Hastings past life.
Cheers,
Alison Krafft Rempel

-------------------- 3 --------------------
Date: Wed, 12 Sep 2001 20:18:39 EDT
From: DMcQuickly@aol.com
Subject: Another from a long way away

Those of us who are a distance from New York still remember it fondly as our
home. No matter how far away we are, New York is still in our hearts, and
more significantly, in our souls. That also means those of you who still
call New York home are in us as well.

As a social studies teacher I of course had the television on all during
class yesterday, from the moment another teacher came in to tell me to turn
on the tv, as the WTC had been bombed again. When the images appeared, my
second hour class was settling down to their classwork. I gasped. I am
certain that all of us who lived in New York had the same reaction. As the
day continued and the second tower was hit, I managed to keep it together to
explain to my students what was happening, about the WTC and Windows on the
World and international trade and terrorism. But when I saw that first
tower
collapse...nothing ever came at all close to the hollow feeling. And it
made
me cry--not in front of class, I did what I could to maintain a strong
front.
As a teacher you are very aware of the effect your demeanor has on
children.
At lunch, though...and I thought of all the friends I have there, some of
whom work in NYC, who have friends in businesses in the Plaza. You are all
in my thoughts and prayers, as are your friends who are unknown to me. I
wanted to write to tell you that, and to let you know that you have more
friends out here than you remember, maybe, and our thoughts and prayers are
with you, and to also share my own feelings, as this loss of life touches
all
New Yorkers the world around, and all Americans the world around.

Let us know how you are, your experiences if appropriate, and other
thoughts.
It does help those of us far away as well. Thanks!

Greg

-------------------- 4 --------------------
Date: Thu, 13 Sep 2001 05:39:30 -0400
From: Jim Katzenstein <jimk@starkaywhite.com>
Subject: My experience

Im sure most of us have been affected by the attack on the WTC and the
Pentagon.
Three women who work for me have husbands who work in the WTC. Two made it
out......one is
still missing. My next door neighbor was in the second tower and watched
the
horror unfold before his eyes. Luckily he made it out too. Our mailman lost
three friends.

A little before 5:30 PM I climbed a small mountain in Rockland County that
has a
beautiful vista with NYC in the background. You can see the entire skyline
on a
beautiful day...which it was. The southern part of the city was obscured by
dust
and smoke. Suddenly there was even more dust and smoke. I called a friend
on my
cell phone and found out building 7 had collapsed. Moments later jet
fighters
were swooping toward the city from the south. A little while later more
were
flying to the north. You just don't see this in the NY metro area.
Considering
that not one aircraft had been seen all day made it that much more surreal.

Lets just pray for our friends, neighbors, and families that may have been
harmed
in this event.

Jim


-------------------- 5 --------------------
Date: Thu, 13 Sep 2001 20:31:59 -0400
From: "Hastings Class of '75" <hastings@art-cetera.com>
Subject: RE: TRIBUTE TO THE UNITED STATES

This, from a Canadian newspaper, is worth sharing.

America: The Good Neighbor.

Widespread but only partial news coverage was given
recently to a remarkable editorial broadcast from
Toronto by Gordon Sinclair, a Canadian television
Commentator. What follows is the full text of his
trenchant remarks as printed in the Congressional
Record:

"This Canadian thinks it is time to speak up for the
Americans as the most generous and possibly the
least appreciated people on all the earth. Germany,
Japan and, to a lesser extent, Britain and Italy
were lifted out of the debris of war by the
Americans who poured in billions of dollars and
forgave other billions in debts.

None of these countries is today paying even the
interest on its remaining debts to the United
States. When France was in danger of collapsing in
1956, it was the Americans who propped it up, and
their reward was to be insulted and swindled on the
streets of Paris. I was there. I saw it.

When earthquakes hit distant cities, it is the
United States that hurries in to help. This spring,
59 American communities were flattened by tornadoes.
Nobody helped. The Marshall Plan and the Truman
Policy pumped billions of dollars into discouraged
countries. Now newspapers in those countries are
writing about the decadent, warmongering Americans.

I'd like to see just one of those countries that is
gloating over the erosion of the United States
dollar build its own airplane. Does any other
country in the world have a plane to equal the
Boeing Jumbo Jet, the Lockheed Tri-Star, or the
Douglas DC10?

If so, why don't they fly them? Why do all the
International lines except Russia fly American
Planes? Why does no other land on earth even
consider putting a man or woman on the moon? You
talk about Japanese technocracy, and you get radios.
You talk about German technocracy, and you get
automobiles. You talk about American technocracy,
and you find men on the moon - not once, but several
times - and safely home again.

You talk about scandals, and the Americans put
theirs right in the store window for everybody to
look at. Even their draft-dodgers are not pursued
and hounded. They are here on our streets, and most
of them, unless they are breaking Canadian laws, are
getting American dollars from ma and pa at home to
spend here.

When the railways of France, Germany and India were
breaking down through age, it was the Americans who
rebuilt them. When the Pennsylvania Railroad and the
New York Central went broke, nobody loaned them an
old caboose. Both are still broke.

I can name you 5000 times when the Americans raced
to the help of other people in trouble. Can you name
me even one time when someone else raced to the
Americans in trouble? I don't think there was
outside help even during the San Francisco
earthquake.

Our neighbors have faced it alone, and I'm one
Canadian who is damned tired of hearing them get
kicked around. They will come out of this thing
with their flag high. And when they do, they are
entitled to thumb their nose at the lands that are
gloating over their present troubles. I hope Canada
is not one of those."

Stand proud, America! Wear it proudly!!

-------------------- 6 --------------------
Date: Thu, 13 Sep 2001 20:32:00 -0400
From: "Hastings Class of '75" <hastings@art-cetera.com>
Subject: RE: MIAMI HERALD TRIBUNE

Leonard Pitts Jr.
MIAMI HERALD TRIBUNE

Published Wednesday, September 12, 2001


We'll go forward from this moment It's my job to have something to
say. They pay me to provide words that help make sense of that which
troubles the American soul. But in this moment of airless shock when hot
tears sting
disbelieving eyes, the only thing I can find to say, the only words that
seem to fit, must be addressed to the unknown author of this suffering.
You monster. You beast. You unspeakable bastard. What lesson did you hope to
teach us by your coward's attack on our World Trade Center, our Pentagon,
us? What was it you hoped we would learn? Whatever it was, please know
that you failed. Did you want us to respect your cause? You just damned your
cause. Did you want to make us fear? You just steeled our resolve. Did you
want to tear us apart? You just brought us together. Let me tell you about
my people. We are a vast and quarrelsome family, a family rent by racial,
social, political and class division, but a family nonetheless. We're
frivolous, yes, capable of expending tremendous emotional energy on pop
cultural minutiae -- a singer's revealing dress, a ball team's misfortune,
a cartoon mouse. We're wealthy, too, spoiled by the ready availability of
trinkets and material goods, and maybe because of that, we walk through
life with a certain sense of blithe entitlement. We are fundamentally
decent, though -- peace-loving and compassionate. We struggle to know the
right
thing and to do it. And we are, the overwhelming majority of us, people of
faith, believers in a just and loving God. Some people -- you, perhaps --
think that any or all of this makes us weak. You're mistaken. We are not
weak. Indeed, we are strong in ways that cannot be measured by arsenals.

IN PAIN

Yes, we're in pain now. We are in mourning and we are in shock. We're
still grappling with the unreality of the awful thing you did, still
working to make ourselves understand that this isn't a special effect from
some Hollywood blockbuster, isn't the plot development from a Tom Clancy
novel.
Both in terms of the awful scope of their ambition and the probable final
death toll, your attacks are likely to go down as the worst acts of
terrorism in the history of the United States and, probably, the history
of the world. You've bloodied us as we have never been bloodied before. But
there's a gulf of difference between making us bloody and making us fall.
This is the lesson Japan was taught to its bitter sorrow the last time
anyone hit us this hard, the last time anyone brought us such abrupt and
monumental pain. When roused, we are righteous in our outrage, terrible in
our force. When provoked by this level of barbarism, we will bear any
suffering, pay any cost, go to any length, in the pursuit of justice. I
tell you this without fear of contradiction. I know my people, as you, I
think, do not. What I know reassures me. It also causes me to tremble with
dread
of the future. In the days to come, there will be recrimination and
accusation, fingers pointing to determine whose failure allowed this to
happen and what can be done to prevent it from happening again. There will
be
heightened security, misguided talk of revoking basic freedoms. We'll go
forward from
this moment sobered, chastened, sad. But determined, too. Unimaginably
determined.

THE STEEL IN US

You see, the steel in us is not always readily
apparent. That aspect of our character is seldom understood by people who
don't know us well. On this day, the family's bickering is put on hold. As
Americans we will weep, as Americans we will mourn, and as Americans, we
will rise in defense of all that we cherish. So I ask again: What was it
you hoped to teach us? It occurs to me that maybe you just wanted us to know
the depths of your hatred. If that's the case, consider the message
received.

And take this message in exchange: You don't know my people. You don't
Know what we're capable of. You don't know what you just started. But you're
about to learn.

-------------------- 7 --------------------
Date: Fri, 14 Sep 2001 07:45:21 -0700 (PDT)
From: Rick Wester <rickwester2001@yahoo.com>
Subject: Fwd: Re: TRIBUTE TO THE UNITED STATES

In an effort to keep a check on rumors spread by the internet, I checked on
the "Tribute" e-mail with a Canadian writer friend....
Note: forwarded message attached.

---------------------------------
Terrorist Attacks on U.S. - How can you help?
Donate cash, emergency relief information inYahoo! News.

-------------------- 8 --------------------
Date: Fri, 14 Sep 2001 09:05:21 -0700
From: "Francis, K. Louise" <LFrancis@HEWM.COM>
Subject: Candle Lighting

TT
Candle-Lighting - pass it on

Friday Night at 7:00 p.m. step out your door, stop your car, or step out of
your establishment and light a candle. We will show the world that Americans
are strong and united together against terrorism. Please pass this to
everyone on your e-mail list. We need to reach everyone across the United
States quickly.

The message: WE STAND UNITED - WE WILL NOT TOLERATE TERRORISM.

***********************
Dear former classmates,

hose who know me well know that while I have a spiritual and sentimental
side, I have a stronger pragmatic, scientific side. Four years ago I would
not have thought it very important to participate in something like the
candlelighting mentioned above. However, three years ago an experience
changed my views. A friend's son had a brain hemorrage and the doctors
thought he would die. One of the things this strong, active, family did was
have a candle-lighting for him, involving people all over the world, of many
different religions and political persuasions. He stunned his doctors and
not only recovered amazingly quickly, but is thriving in ways they never
thought possible. Perhaps it was not the power of the thoughts and prayers
of all who participated, but that energy did creative something positive --
it created community between all who knew him or knew of him; it created
hope for him and his family that must have helped them hang on and pull
through their horror; and it reminded those of us who were powerless to help
in any other way that just stopping our self-focused activities to connect
with the spirit of others has power we do not fully understand. For all
these reasons I will participate tonight and hope others will as well.

-------------------- 9 --------------------
Date: Fri, 14 Sep 2001 16:45:30 -0400
From: "Alan Fine" <>
Subject: PLEASE FORGIVE ANY DUPLICATE MESSAGES

It has a bit to do with the unusual conditions in NY. I think I have it
handled, but I apologize ahead of time if it happens again.

Alan

-------------------- 10 --------------------
Date: Sat, 15 Sep 2001 12:04:57 EDT
From: DMcQuickly@aol.com
Subject: Re: MIAMI HERALD TRIBUNE

This is an awesome editorial. It is how so many of the people I know feel.
Could the terrorists have known their act would cause this much physical and
emotional damage? Probably not. One thing is for certain: They did not
know their act would bring about THEIR way of life.

I had an interesting conversation with someone from the Middle East a few
days ago about this. It was through a message board, where we swapped
messages to each other. It began with him discussing the dancing in the
streets thing. This author seemed to think it was justified, the
celebrations. As we discussed the image their dancing at the horror and
tragedy gave to the rest of the world (not favorable) the author commented
on
how deeply the Middle East feels about our policy towards Israel. At this
point I said that no matter what we in the West feel about other people's
policies (or beliefs or political stands) we generally allow them to express
themselves, not kill them for it. And that that was probably the reason
they
all lived in violence and squalor, never seeming to get ahead in their quest
for independence, for self-government, for spreading their world view.

Greg

-------------------- 11 --------------------
Date: Sat, 15 Sep 2001 12:19:55 EDT
From: NAN404@aol.com
Subject: Re: Victims with ties to Hastings

So, far, this is what I know about vicitms with ties to Hastings:

Patrick Danahy, 35, who grew up on Darwin Avenue and graduated HHS. He is
the
brother of Hastings Police Officer John Danahy, with other siblings.
Married, father of 2, with a new baby expected in 2 weeks. MISSING

Ed Ryan, 42, of Eastchester. Husband of Diane Kettenacker.They lived on
Mendham Avenue off of Donald Drive. She is the youngest sister of George,
Linda and I can't remember the other brother's name. I beleive he is the
father of 3. MISSING

The son and son-in-law of Bernie O'Brian - he is the founder of the Hastings
High School Sports Alumni Association, are BOTH MISSING. Bernie now lives
in
Long Island, but remains active in Hastings and the schools.

If that is all, which I find hard to believe, then Hastings has been
fortunate. You can't believe what it's been like here the past few days.
BUT, from the horror and destruction has come a unity and compasssion among
people that is remarkable. Please remind all of our fellow classsmates to
fly their American flags! God Bless you all, Nancy

-------------------- 12 --------------------
Date: Sat, 15 Sep 2001 19:17:29 -0400
From: "Alan Fine" <>
Subject: JUST WHEN I WAS STARTING TO CALM DOWN...

The following was sent to me. I can't vouch for whether the alleged author
David Dolan exists, or if he does, that these are even his words, but like
the "TRIBUTE TO THE UNITED STATES," what counts to me is that someone
crafted words in this order and with this meaning.

This sounds frighteningly possible. Would like to hear other views to help
me deal with this.

Alan


++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

This memo is from David Dolan, who is a Christian News Correspondent in
Israel. He has studied the Arab/Israel conflict for years. What he has to
say is an eye opener. He says that it comes from his Arab contacts. He has
been a news man in Israel for 20+ years.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

ISLAMIC GLEE

This is one of the most difficult reports I have ever written. I debated
waiting a bit to send it out, due to the deep grieving that is still
gripping my native land as decaying bodies are dug up from the rubble of the
destroyed World Trade Center, and as people gather for a special national
day of prayer. But it was precisely the day of prayer that led me to send
this out now, so that it might play a role in some people's intercession on
this mournful day, and during the traumatic ones that lie ahead.

I have been probing the reaction of some personal Islamic contacts to the
horrendous terrorist assault upon America. The street celebrations that
swept many Palestinian towns and other Arab centers throughout the Middle
East accurately reflect the gleeful feelings of many Muslims, I was told.
The reasons for this are chilling, to say the least.

Essentially, I have learned that many Muslims see the coordinated attacks
upon New York and Washington as signaling the imminent end of American
hegemony in the world. My sources say that Muslim fundamentalist states and
groups, who have viewed the USA as the main world obstacle standing in the
way of the spread of their faith for decades, began to perceive a way to
bring down the great empire during the Vietnam war. They were greatly
encouraged that a relatively weak
Asian army could essentially defeat the awesome American military machine.
They pointed out that the central method of warfare used by North Vietnam
had nothing to do with matching US military might, but consisted of
demoralizing, deadly hide and seek guerilla attacks. After Saigon fell in
1975, many Muslims likened the humiliating superpower retreat to the ancient
rogue assaults that eventually brought down the morally decadent Roman
Empire. The more radical Muslim groups were also highly encouraged by the
ability of Islamic militants to humiliate Soviet forces in Afghanistan in
the early 1980s, seeing this as signaling the eventual triumph of militant
Islam over Communism as well.


I have uncovered much evidence over the past few months that the very
lukewarm backing that the West has given to tiny Israel in her long and
bloody struggle against Islamic terrorism has further heartened many
Muslims. Any Israeli military response to outrageous attacks upon civilian
buses, shops, restaurants, etc has usually been met with open rebukes from
the "Christian" world. I suspect that the inability of much of the West to
understand and fully back Israel's lonely fight is
now coming back to haunt the free world.

My Muslim sources admit that the Gulf War was a serious setback to militant
Islamic aspirations. The successful use of sleek and sophisticated weapons
by the United States and its Western allies (especially Britain, which is
almost equally hated by Islamic extremists even as the UK is used as a major
staging ground for international operations) deeply humiliated America's
manifold Muslim opponents. But it also redoubled their resolve to bring
down the US giant, and then
later deal with its powerful regional ally, Israel.

SOFT UNDERBELLY

I was told that America's Islamic enemies concluded in the 1970's that the
great United States could eventually be brought to its knees by internal
guerilla-style terrorist strikes that would wreak emotional and economic
havoc on the large country. America's gigantic warships, far flung
military bases, missile arsenals, international alliances and sophisticated
satellite systems would prove basically useless to fight such a war, they
surmised, and might even add to the chances of ultimate Islamic success
since they would give a false sense of security to the "arrogant"
superpower.

As the 80's progressed, and even more so the computer-crazed 90's, Muslim
militants realized that the main target for attack should be lower
Manhattan, since that would severely injure the massive US economy--the key
element in her international power and prestige. This conviction was
strengthened by the internal collapse of the Soviet Union in the early 90's,
leaving a shell of an empire that did not have enough money to sustain its
global alliances and enormous military machine.

As many terrorism experts have already reported, I was told that Islamic
cells have been quietly preparing for an internal attack upon New York (and
also another key target, Washington) for many years. This confirms what I
learned from an FBI source in the mid-90's. Many regional Muslims
understand that Osama Bin Laden merely acts as an agent for several Islamic
states who all hate America, especially Iraq, Libya, Syria, Yemen,
Afghanistan and Sudan, along with militant groups in Egypt, Saudi Arabia,
Pakistan and elsewhere in the sprawling Muslim world. They are convinced
that he possesses several small nuclear "suitcase bombs" that were put
together by the Soviet KGB. These are very low level bombs compared to what
America and several other countries deploy in their vast nuclear arsenals.
However, they are perfect for achieving the Islamic militant's goal of
striking surreptitiously at America's economic and political center--and
thus
reducing the rest of the country, and indeed much of the world, to frantic
emotional and economic panic and chaos.

If good portions of Manhattan and Washington DC were suddenly reduced to
rubble, where would America's surviving leaders order their military forces
to strike in response? Would nuclear-tipped missiles be fired at Baghdad
because they suspected that Saddam had a hand in the unprecedented, shadowy
terrorist attacks? Would they level other Islamic states, or even the
entire Muslim world, killing millions of civilians who had no say in what
their despotic leaders might have
sponsored? Would they strike at China, suspecting that the Communist
government in Beijing might have supported or sponsored such an attack?


I was told that Islamic nations believe that they would suffer very minimal
retribution for secretly sponsoring such a devastating blow on America,
precisely because of high US moral standards that would preclude massive
strikes at mere suspect states. Thus, the classic Islamic method of
focusing on clandestine terror cells that only answer to their immediate
superiors--whose members do not even themselves know who is ultimately
behind their devious actions--would basically succeed
in dealing a huge blow to the United States without suffering much harm in
return. (This is possibly best illustrated in miniature by the Pan Am
terrorist attack that ended with the jet crashing into Scotland over 12
years ago, leaving nearly 300 people dead. The deadly assault has basically
gone unanswered until this day since the ultimate sponsors have never been
clearly pinpointed).

So this is where we now stand. I was told that the likelihood of more
attacks upon America is very real, especially given what many Muslims
perceive as the enormous success of this week's terrorist strikes. With the
President's jet scrambling around the country in apparent fear, with the
nation's representatives rushing out of the capital building two times in
response to bomb threats, with a portion of the Pentagon itself destroyed,
with many of the men and women who run the world's largest stock and bond
market either dead or wounded, and, most importantly, with a sense of
terrorized fear gripping many Americans, Islamic
militants believe they have won a victory beyond their wildest dreams. As
was the case with Israel's quick military retreat from Lebanon and inability
to stop a year-long terrorist war, they feel that they are definitely on a
winning, Allah-sanctioned roll.

If America is brought to its knees, the way is open for a new world order.
Most militant Muslim states believe it will eventually feature them at the
helm, especially if they can also subdue the increasingly powerful European
Union. I suspect that it will be the EU that emerges as the new global
leader when all of the dust settles, based on the apocalyptic prophecies
found in the book of Daniel. However, I do not believe there is any
biblical reason to say that the United States
will disappear. My homeland has indeed displayed its share of arrogance and
has exported much sin over the past few decades, along with many good and
positive things. It surely is in need of some corrective judgment from the
throne of the Lord, but not destruction, I believe. One thing is crystal
clear: There is much room for prayer as this historic week comes to a close.

DAVID DOLAN.
Jerusalem