the FBI warring of attacks within the next few days, but yes, fly, go to the mall, live your life as usual. What is the warning for! Are they trying to scare the heck out of us, without frightening the heck out of us? Can't they make up their minds!? Why don't they just shut up!

-- Anonymous, October 12, 2001

Answers

I wish that all the advertisers using the "We've been through troubled times, but life goes on so come buy our stuff" would just shut up! First it was cars, but now I'm hearing it from banks, mortgage companies, construction companies, even the mall. So I guess I'm a bad American because I'm not going to buy a car, refinance my mortgage, build an addition onto my house, or buy a new blender at the Columbus Day sale.

-- Anonymous, October 12, 2001

I have to agree. If they want us to live as we normally do then I still won't be shopping. I've never been much of a shopper anyway. I did buy my daughter NEW jeans last weekend though. I find it very difficult to find second hand kid's jeans in decent shape. I was amazed at the great sale prices. So I figure I did my part and got a good deal. But I wouldn't have gotten them if we hadn't needed them. The poor kid grew so much over the summer that her jeans were up OVER her ankles!

-- Anonymous, October 12, 2001

Yup. I'm living my life the same old American way I was before Sept. 11. I try to avoid spending money unnecessarily! Actually, I did get a job in town, so I guess I'm contributing by the tax money I'm sending Uncle Sam. Other than that, I think I might actually be spending a bit less since we're eating from the garden more.

As to the companies who are using this situation for marketing, well...I thought a lot of companies were rather shameless about their strategies before, too. They are just returning to their "normal" ways of doing business.

The FBI would be remiss if they didn't warn us of threats they have been receiving, I guess. We just all need to be vigilant and prepared as best as we can, and use a "heads up" focus going about our business.

I always hated being in cities b/c I always resented the extra vigilance required (i.e.: watching for purse snatchers, muggers, and worse...esp. in dark parking lots, city streets at night, elevators, etc.) Now I have to be vigilant everywhere I guess.

But yeah, Trennie, we are getting a mixed message just like you said.

-- Anonymous, October 12, 2001

I guess I just haven't figured out how to be vigilant yet. What the heck does that look like? Someone let me know cause I too want to be a good American! ....Kirk

-- Anonymous, October 12, 2001

I hate to sound preachy, but ......get rid of your TV's. If you don't want to hear it the easiest way is to "boot the box". I am absolutely convinced that the best thing we ever did for the kids was to carry the TV down to the road before we moved to our homestead.

I think television is the medium which makes us consume more than any other.

Kim

-- Anonymous, October 12, 2001

I am with Kirk..........what does being vigilant look like??? I personally don't have a clue what we could be doing differently than we already are and still be going about life as the president suggests. We don't watch t.v. and are not consumers by any means (if the economy depended on the likes of us we would all be in deep distress). We listen to NPR, have for years, and just the radio is enough to scare you half to death.

-- Anonymous, October 12, 2001

I really thought GW was humorous last night when asked how we know what to report to the authorities. I don't know anyone with a crop duster, so I wouldn't know if the person getting into it owned it or not. I did see some teens hanging around the gas station---not exactly a petro-chemical industry building. Guess I won't be able to do my civic duty.

-- Anonymous, October 12, 2001

To me being vigilant means stuff like: when you go into a crowd at a sports event or when you are standing at a crosswalk in a city waiting for the green light to cross, you hold your handbag (if you are carrying one) closer to you in case a purse snatcher runs up behind you. (Another solution: don't carry a handbag, but you get the example.) Or if you are going to your car in a mall parking lot at night, hold a key between each finger on one hand, etc. in case you have to use a "weapon" to fight off an intruder. It means keeping your car locked and taking the keys with you. It's a pain in the ass to have to watch your backside so closely...

I grew up in a city (even a very friendly one, long ago) and you just get to noticing things...like not looking strangers in the eye when you pass them. If they are weirdos, they might misinterpret your acknowledgement.

If you haven't lived/spent time in a city, you might not understand/realize this. For these reasons, though, folks in East L.A. or similar places might already be living the "new" norm of "vigilance" anyway.

My husband grew up on the south side of Chicago. I grew up in Seattle. Both of us lock our doors to our cars ANYWHERE except at my mom's and our place....old habits!

See why we moved to the country? We have changed SOME habits, but it looks like we're going to have to think about changing back. Yuck.

-- Anonymous, October 12, 2001

Sheepish, thanks and I know about that stuff--its just that I have never found anything pleasantly amusing about GW and that was.

With a NASA office and the FBI fingerprint lab near (10 mile radius) we all are keeping an eye out. All the poaching hunters better watch out this year because EVERYONE is watching now. We have 2 commuter size airports within 30 miles and a smaller one here in town. The low flying planes out of synch with the schedule get a lot of looks up. More military flights these days.

Now if they only caught that escaped prisoner from last week.....

-- Anonymous, October 13, 2001