WEEK FIVE OF "FRIENDS OF FRIDAY FORUM"

Hello Friends ... This past week I've been reading the newly released 9/11 Commssion Report. Since 9/11 I have been trying to keep up with all the news related to it, it's hard not to with the occupation in Iraq and so forth. For three years, I've read about conspiracy theories, heard the President of the U.S first use the events of 9/11 as a reason to attack Afghanistan and then find ties to Iraq. The stories have been changed too many times. However, we've also heard a lot of bullshit and side stepping. It is very refreshing to be able to read a report that goes through each step point by point, from people who seemingly want to find out and present the truth. Whether this report that was released to the public is the entire original report, we may never know. What I do know is that this report shows that there were a lot of fuck ups that day. One of the most shocking things to me is that the majority of the hijackers that day were stopped at the airport because their names were in the security system (CAPPS), they were frisked and were allowed to board the plane. Imagine how different things would have been if security wasn't so lax? I think, well, how could they have known something this terrible would have happened? That's a real fact, usually it takes a tragedy for things to change for the better. Despite that, if a known wanted terrorist has been saying publicly that he will use commercial airlines to attack the US since 1996, steps should have been put in place and followed up on to make sure that they were carried out. Now we use racial profiling as our security instead of making sure that the security measures that were already in place were being followed properly. More later as I read on........Josee [Gatineau, Quebec]

QUOTE OF THE DAY: Regarding congressmen ... Suppose you were an idiot. And suppose you were a member of Congress. But I repeat myself. Mark Twain

WEEK FOUR OF "FRIENDS OF FRIDAY FORUM"

How long have I known Char?    Let's just put it this way - the "I Love The 1980s" specials on VH1 have great resonance for us!  I've known Char since the Jim Dale ... hanging out in front of the St James Theatre ... eating at Barrymore's days.  And that's all I'll say about that, as we can both tell stories on each other!  This week, I head to Wausau Wisconsin for a business trip.  Now I understand that corporate America has needs, but there are a few things I need to get off my chest:
 
1. Every hotel should have a pool - clean, well lit and user friendly.  I know it's a training/conference center, but everyone needs somewhere to release their stress.
 
2. Wherever you're being sent, cheese should not be considered an appetizer, main course and/or dessert option.
 
3. People over the age of 25 should not be required to do homework unless they are also guaranteed a Spring Break (Girls Gone Wild optional).
 
4. Have decent cable in the hotel rooms - after listening to someone drone on about actuarial tables all day, I reserve the right to zone out while watching SoapNet, Comedy Central or HGTV at night.  If my TV only shows network and farm reports, at least give me a DVD player and some rental options at the front desk!
 
That's my rant for the week.  And hey, don't be surprised if you get a block of fine Wisconsin cheddar for Christmas.  http://hometown.aol.com/ghbaby60/myhomepage/index.html
Patricia [Syracuse, NY]

Quote Of The Day ... Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch.  Liberty is a well-armed lamb contesting the vote.  -  Benjamin Franklin

Hello Friends of Friday! Just a quick hello for Char's cool blog.  My internship is going well. I was just hired as a studio camera person/weekend photographer (CBS station).  I'm still looking for a job (turned one down in Florida, little money & bad hours).  But, I'm looking forward to seeing the Democratic convention this coming week.  It'll be interesting to see what happens in Bean town.  Also the 9/11 report is out, the OFFICAL government report.  But, the highlight of the coming week is going to be the release of the Benaroya Hall cd.  It's amazing.........Michelle [North Dakota]

WEEK THREE OF "FRIENDS OF FRIDAY FORUM"

Hello Friday Friends! It was a pretty uneventful week for me. Weather wise it was defintely a good week here in good ol northern michigan. I was able to catch some rays, mow my lawn and enjoy my pool. I did get a few new customers for my website, which is always cool. I also found out that I can donate my money for the local skate park to the parks & rec board instead of having to give it to the stoopid.com dude! Chalk one up for me! I also talked with the township supervisor and figured out he really is a wanker, but he says now he wants to form a committee to see if we can get high speed internet here in my small ass town. So I will go along with him for now, but I just have a feeling he is up to no good and as Josee says I need to watch my back, and I will. I am also going to wear my PJ "CHOICES" tee to the meeting. HaHa...good one. Thanks to Josee again for the idea! I also received my "BENAROYA CD" via 10Club..which was great! I'm still disappointed that PJ hasn't announced any dates for an election tour...sigh and waaaaah :( I still have hope that they will though!?!?! I have family coming up for the weekend to a nearby campground, mostly I think it will be cool, but somewhat I'm not looking forward to it either...family ? you know? I hope everyone has a great weekend and week and I'll catch ya's next friday! Kim [Michigan]

Ouote Of The Day - When the people fear their government, there is tyranny; when the government fears the people, there is liberty.   Thomas Jefferson

WEEK TWO OF "FRIENDS OF FRIDAY FORUM"

Hello Friends ... Well it was a sort of uneventful 4th of July for me. I worked the whole weekend. Did get to see some fireworks tho. It's been a year since I was in NYC and was finally able to meet Char and Josee to go and see Pearl Jam. Wow! What a time. And it's also been an interesting week politically too. Kerry/Edwards, interesting choice. But, I don't think that they can really represent the working person of the US. The thing that really pissed me off this week ... Fox News making fun of Kucinich, but it was Fox. Michelle [Bismarck, ND]

Quote Of The Day ... It is forbidden to kill; therefore all murderers are punished unless they kill in large numbers and to the sound of trumpets. -Voltaire, philosopher (1694-1778)

Hello MF's ... I think I'll start by introducing myself. My name is Kim, I live in Michigan, I'm 37 and a Pearl Jam Freak/Computer Geek! I have been online friends with Char for over a year now. I think today I'll write about a year ago today when Char, Josee, Michelle were in NYC for a Pearl Jam concert that I wish I would have went to! I had just came back from a week long trek with Josee, where we'd seen 2 Pearl Jam shows in Detroit and 2 shows in Canada, in which I had a total blast of a lifetime. Josee had like a week in between our shows and her going to NYC to meet with Char. At the time I planned the concerts I figured NYC was out of the question for me, but looking back I realize I should have went anyways. I was still detoxing from my 4 shows so I was thinking of them all this whole day and I was OK with that. But when 7:00-7:30 rolled around all I could think of was them at the show and me not at the show...big sigh...as it turns out it was an awesome show for them and everyone. I have the bootleg from this show, I have a T-shirt not exactly from MSG but a shirt with the dates of these 2 shows so I guess I can be happy with that. But...it would have been so cool to not only go to MSG to see the best band in the land, but to meet Char & Michelle in person and also to see the sights Char took them too as well since I have never been to NYC. So on this day, here's to hoping that the next tour we can all see a show together! See ya next Friday........Kim [Michigan]

I never would have imagined that one day I would take an eleven hour bus ride to New York City by myself to see a Pearl Jam, and to meet a friend who I had never met in person, but that's just what I did one year ago this week. I arrived in NYC right smack in the middle of rush hour (or that could have been normal traffic for all I knew), at that moment all I could think was HOLY SHIT! Please just let me get to Port Authority and please just let Charlene be waiting there for me. I wanted to take the city in but I was unprepared for the amount of traffic, people and noise. We met another of Charlene's friends from out west and it great to be with fellow jammers. I rarely feel comfortable in new surroundings, meeting new people but this just felt right. Michelle and I followed Charlene around NYC like little baby chicks following their mother.

I think at some point in the next morning it hit us that we would be seeing Pearl Jam at Madison Square Garden in a matter of hours, two days in a row. The best way to fill our time up was to see the sites. In the two days while waiting for the shows to start I think we made the best of our time. Along the way we met some more cool Pearl Jam friends, cooled off in hotel, stopped to eat, had a nice refreshing walk in Central Park and took in more sites. I was trying hard to detach myself, I didn't want to be at Ground Zero or where Lennon was shot and feel like I was at an attraction there to take pictures, but it's hard to when the only knowledge or memories you have from it are from books and television.

I can't delay talking about the shows themselves any longer. I could talk about each moment of the shows themselves in great detail, but what really remains from these two shows in my mind, one year later, is the entire atmosphere of the music and the energy of the crowd. I felt like a little kid at times thinking of the enormity of what we were all a part of, what a rare and beautiful thing it is to be surrounded by people in a room enjoying the same thing. Each one us had our own little adventure to be right there in that moment. People say to me, good lord, you're doing all this just to see a band? If they don't get it, it can't be explained. Getting to see Pearl Jam live is an awesome experience, but getting there is the best part. Josee [Gatineau, Quebec]

WEEK ONE OF "FRIENDS OF FRIDAY FORUM"

Hello Friends of Friday Forum ... I'm Michelle (one of Char's Pearl Jam friends). I'm in Bismarck, North Dakota, and I'm interning at the local CBS station. Why, you ask Bismarck? I grew up in Bismarck, and I'm getting a great chance at being a photographer. My goal eventually, to have my own production company and make documentaries. Things of interest in my life: the upcoming election, trying to find a job, getting ready (money wise) for the next Pearl Jam tour. Michelle [Bismarck, ND]

Quote Of The Day ... If we were to wake up some morning and find that everyone was the same race, creed and color, we would find some other cause for prejudice by noon. - George D. Aiken, US Senator