This is just a short post about a side-effect of terrorism, such as we have witnessed these last two days. I live in the Chicago area. I have a very dear, close friend who is a professional musician. He has a steady, Saturday gig at Sears Tower. Even though there is no real rationale for it, he feels a little spooked about being there now. I have to admit, I,too, am wondering, what if ...? That could be another ideal target, for some misguided fanatic. They closed Sears Tower, yesterday, along with most public and government buildings, museums, zoos, and many other places large crowds usually gather;like amusement parks, ballparks, stadiums etc., and of course the airports. Some are reopened today, but we are still effectively under siege, as it were. These are strange times to live in.

This isn't a side-effect, this is the direct effect of terrorism in a nutshell. People are simply afraid. But the American people will get over their fear! What will be left behind will be the cold anger and outrage that these cowards would dare do this to us.

When I lived in California, the last place I worked was at Xerox, R&D, Parc Facility in Palo Alto. The unibomber was active in those days, and he wasn't the only one that Xerox worried about. We had, I SWEAR at least one bomb scare per month, towards the end. And, to make it worse...The firemen would come and search the building, each time. The bad thing was....We were forced to remain in our offices or cubicles, until they were searched. It made me decidedly nervous waiting for them to come all the way down the hall....I was in a corner...till they got to my office. I moved to Chicago and went to work in the Hancock Building. I used to get panic attacks in the elevators with regularity. (This may have been in part due to earthquakes in my past.) Today, nothing could make me go up in a highrise.

this is my first message in Renderosity. It is not a post in relation to the Poser software but a shocked and caring response to all members who are American. I live in Australia thousands of miles from the US. It has always been my dream to eventually be working in the US. What happened in New York is disgusting and an act of cowardice. It is normal that when an attack is made by a national power against another nation that there is a declaration of war. No such thing happened here. Just an evil act inflicted by some gutless, brainless idiots who obviously do not care what they do or who they do it to. My heart goes out to all the American people. Don't give up but hold your heads high. America is a great nation and has the strenght to deal with terrorist thuggery. Australia shares your saddness. And to those poor souls were lost in this evil sad act our prayers got out to them and wish them well in their journey to the next life.

Welcome to Renderosity. A little "global" 3d community. And, thank you for your sentiments.

The Poser Community is an example of a new sense of humanity brought about by the internet. The neighbors we talk to daily, here, are as far apart geographically as there are parts of the globe. I have faith that this sense of community will overcome those whose sense of communty is bound by fire and sword.

Thank you for your kind words. Here's a thought I haven't seen covered by the news or talkings heads on TV: If we act to 'totally eliminate' this sort of risk in the future, we risk losing some of the civil rights we as Americans love so dearly. I don't think we would stand for a 'frisk them, tear apart every item in the luggage, and perform a body cavity search to boot' upon entering a plane for long, before realizing that the cure is worse than the disease. What happened was despicable, and had no honor in it. But we should not be so afraid, that we foolishly pass laws effectively giving up our civil liberties in exchange for increased security when entering airplanes. Instead, we could focus on what we can do, if involved in a situation like this in the future. I know that I personally will think twice, if I'm ever in a hostage situation such as those people on the airplane. You only live once - far better to cry 'Get 'em guys, they can't kill us all!' and rush the terrorists en masse, than sit quietly and let them take out 10,000 people with them. :-( --Kamilche

I think w can retain our liberty if we focus on eliminating the problem at the SOURCE, not the DESTINATION...... Our response (America's) must be swift and DEVISTATING.... Krel

I totally agree with you Krel, these kind of actions cannot be tolerated and action should be taken immediatly against all terrorist groups and the country's that harbor them.

Attached Link: http://www.weirdass.net

Here's whats going on here in NYC. Went to work in midtown on the west side this morning. No horns, yelling, the noise is tolerable. Smoke is smelt but not seen as any thing other than haze (roughly 4 miles from WTC). The fire stations have shrines forming in front of them and nobody is really talking. At work, rumors flew. Went outside for a smoke, and mobs of people were moving west, a bomb scare was declared in Times Square. Crazy stories are rippling through the crowds. Humvees driven by national guard troops and fire engines bleached white from soot scream through the streets. Cops are everywhere. Immediate circle of friends and family are all OK, but peripheral news isn't so good. A guy you used to drink with, that girl from the cuban restaurant. The air is rumored to be laced with poison, and we are all very dazed. There is also a certain trepidation about what comes next. America is a sleeping dragon which just got kicked in the nuts, and the thing I hate most about terrorists is the shit that they trail back home to innocent women and children who will wake up to see a modern crusade decending from the skies. The whole world is about to see an angry dragon raining fire. Just had to get it off my chest Mitch Waxman, NYC

Krel,
The response of USA should be not swift, but is wise and is VERY effective.
And response not only of USA.

Many countries already for a long time suffer from islam's terrorism, now and USA, but will be soon all world.

Swift can be a relative term, but as an American, I agree with the devastating part. It was a mistake when we left Sadam alive those many years ago. I believed it strongly then, now I am convinced. This time we should not be so forgiving. The tyrants in the middle east believe that americans are weak and cowardly, and then they make their people believe it. In some ways I will feel sorry for the civilian people when the US stomps on them, but only a little. But truly what I am most sick of hearing is that we brought this on ourselves becuase of the fighting between the Isrealis and the palistinians. Just another case of "damned if we do and damned if we don't"