Here's hoping that all of you and yours are alive and well (as can be) after today's events.<br><br>God bless us all.<br><br>

Puts expansion of the urban survival discussion in perspective, doesn't it? Being of a proactive mindset, I donate blood regularly. My bloodbank told me, not asked me to get down today. I think im going for a long hike in the woods after.<br><br>

I agree. This will probably have a big effect on the development of the Urban Survival section. Self-defense won't be at the forefront of people's consciousness for a while. Questions like "how do you get out of a bombed building?" or "how do you stay informed and in touch in an emergency while on the move?" might be a bit more important now.<br><br>Interesting that we recently had a big discussion of airport security. Airport security is entering a new era today and everything that we thought we knew about it will likely change.<br><br>

I watched the TV in utter disbelief as the great towers fell. I am an architect, so I know how it happened - but I can't truly understand the why of it all. So cruel. So selfish. So senseless. <br><br>All I can say is, please pray. And give blood. <br><br>Then, pray some more.<br><br> .....CLIFF<br><br>

Uuuuugggghhhhhhhh.... plop. thats the sound i made after i donated the maximum amount of blood they would let me. i fell on the floor almost fainted. Is that normal? At least its for a very good cause<br><br>

I did too Ron, and I donate regularly. Drink lots of fluids and eat some good food. <br><br>

I can not fathom how four U.S. airliners can be hijacked by knife point. I do not buy that story. How can we prepare for this type of devistation? I am at a loss for thoughts at this moment. And then the jubilee in Palistine by the children and women and men. How can you be taught to hate at such a young age? My heart is so heavy. <br><br>Best Regards<br>Bruce Geissen<br><br>

It was office hours here when it all happened and we watched everything live through TV. Please accept our condolences for all.<br><br>I live in a country which had suffered from terrorism for 25 years. We still do not have trash cans etc. on many streets, we can not go out without an ID card in our pockets and many other things. What happened yesterday will change the lives of everybody, everybody will have to make ammendments in their everyday lives. In southeastern parts of the country war continued for many years we lost our citizens and officials everyday. I still do not touch anything on the streets, keep away from the crowds an so on. <br><br>Please support your fellow citizens any possible way, solidarity is the most important thing at the moment.<br><br>All emergency personel lost their lives yesterday, rest in heaven, here they would have been called martyrs.<br><br>Burak<br><br><br>Survive and Protect

We on this forum are better prepared and informed on emergency preparedness than most. Let's face it, we love our gadgets. But no one can be ready for the evil acts of 9/11. Sometimes all we can do is pray. <br>Yesterday proved the uncertainty of when we might see loved ones again, so always tell them how you feel.<br><br>With great sadness,<br>Peanut<br><br>a prodigal scout, just trying to be prepared.

>>Interesting that we recently had a big discussion of airport security. Airport security is entering a new era today and everything that we thought we knew about it will likely change.<<<br><br>I truly hope so.<br><br>Whatever the details turn out to be, it seems very clear that, despite taking current security procedures to the point where they sometimes come close to harassment of innocent customers, they've proven totally, completely, and tragically ineffective. They've failed. Period.<br><br>I hope that those who review such things will realize that now, and not just try to impose still more of the same futile measures. The whole thing clearly needs to be re-thought from the ground up- more of the same will no longer cut it.<br><br>I hope. But, of course, that won't be the first reaction.<br><br><br>

I agree that we need to rebuild our idea of airline security from the ground up. Basing it on an Israeli model would be a sensible starting point. But remember that security cannot ever be perfect. The only way to eliminate the threat of a terrorist destroying a plane is to stop all flights. The best that we can hope for is 99.99% security. <br><br>We also need to attack the root of terrorism in a more direct way by targeting those who are a threat to the US. For instance, bin Laden has publically declared a jihad (holy war) against the US and has stated that every US citizen is a legitimate target anywhere. Even if there were no evidence that he was involved in 9/11 or the numerous other acts he is suspected of or credited with, just the fact that he has declared war on us should now be sufficient for us to declare war on him and his terrorist network.<br><br>Forgive me if that last paragraph crossed the line on being too political for this fourm.<br><br><br><br>

I don't disagree with anything you said. I would point out, however, that the stakes are no longer just the lives aboard the plane, and we need to quit phrasing it that way, and thinking that way. In some circumstances, we must consider those lives (or our own, as the case may be,) expendable.<br><br>In the immediate future, the airlines will have to do whatever they can. If the flight attendants and crew can be intimidated by plastic knives, I guess they have to forbid plastic knives. If they can be intimidated by hatpins, I guess we'll forbid them. But I don't know what we do if they're intimidated by large strong people, car keys, shoestrings, empty threats, or nasty looks.<br><br>On a longer scale, though, perhaps we can do better. <br><br>It seems ridiculous to me (admittedly, in hindsight) that a NY cab driver is better protected from his fares than an airline cockpit is from the cabin. I'd point out that even the stupidist bank robbers know not to try to rob a bank at night, since they know about timelocks on vaults, and know that no one, even as a hostage, can open it. Yes, there are some inconveniences and even technical challenges in isolating the cockpit. So what. We're good at technical challenges.<br><br>Further in the furture there are other possibilities. I've heard that an F117 can be landed remotely with a dead or incapacitated pilot. Certainly we have the technology to make it possible to override the cockpit controls from the ground on future planes, if we decide it's important enough.<br><br>I have no expertise- maybe these thoughts are wrong, maybe there are better ideas out there from those who know more. But I do know that when thousands, tens of thousands, of innocent lives might depend on the fact that no one on board was able to smuggle aboard a penknife, something is drastically wrong with our basic approach.<br><br>Pretty far removed from survival kits. Time for me to shut up.<br><br><br>