LINES OF THE DAY

". . . But the past does not exist independently from the present. Indeed, the past is only past because there is a present, just as I can point to something over there only because I am here. But nothing is inherently over there or here. In that sense, the past has no content. The past -- or more accurately, pastness -- is a position. Thus, in no way can we identify the past as past." p. 15

". . . But we may want to keep in mind that deeds and words are not as distinguishable as often we presume. History does not belong only to its narrators, professional or amateur. While some of us debate what history is or was, others take it into their own hands." p. 153

Silencing the Past: Power and the Production of History (1995) by Michel-Rolph Trouillot

Friday, August 5, 2011

This Happened Last Night 6 Adresses Down From Our Building

A three alarm fire that has taken out the homes of those who lived in that building and the one next to it. They're in emergency city shelters. They won't be finding new housing in the city any time soon. The only housing being built currently is 'luxury market' housing ... yet the city rulers are wringing their hands that NYC has been losing population these years. People move away and the sort of people they want to move in and take their place, just -- are not.


The fire began because of the faulty electrical wiring. The posted date for re-opening of the street level cafe came and went some weeks ago. These 19th century tenement buildings just aren't eqipped for this kind of use. Yet, there are something like 20 cafes and small restaurants on these two blocks -- this isn't including the big restaurants.

You can see how awful this fire was from the many photos with the article. Three firefireighters were burned.  Yet -- the New York City firefighters are the best gd-ed firefighters in the world.  The roof was a conflagaration as the fire swooshed up the airshafts like a volcano -- yet the trees nearly as high as the roof, are not burned.

Needless to say now, with the manufactured debt ceiling crisis, the double dip economic depression crashing down here and globally, August 25 looming and 9/11 as well -- after which our lives were much the wore and have never been able to recover -- we're feeling awfully stressed and jangled and depressed too.

2 comments:

T. said...

Terrifying and tragic, in so many ways.

(I went on a nearly-total news blackout four months ago, only reading the NYT headline articles in my iPhone, and getting the rest of news from friends, and the impact on the world has been nil.

[A short-term survival mechanism.]

Alas.)

Foxessa said...

That you'e even reading the NY Times headlines is an achievement. I understand this state all too well.

Love, C.