Thursday, 17 September 2009
Blog reading
Gone through my Google Reader, and visited quite a few blogs. For the first time this month in fact. It was like coming home again - yes, I realise I'm repeating myself. Will try to make a routine to read blogs, rather than play inane games on Facebook. I do note that many people have the same problem. It will be exactly a year ago at the end of this month that we were notified of AOL's decision to axe their journals functionality. It's been AOL's loss, but much worse, our loss. Quite a few bloggers have disappeared from the blogging scene, unfortunately. AOL?
Thursday 17 September
A cold day today, with the mercury down at 13C and what is called a thin wind, of the variety that blows straight through you. Not very nice.
TV channel BBC4 has been showing a documentary about the present state of the Harris Tweed industry in these islands. I was asked to comment on this, something that I am a bit reluctant to do, knowing more about the history of the industry than I can post on an open internet blog. The documentary gave a factual account of the dire straights that the Clo Mor is finding itself in. I'll try to summarise in a few lines.
Harris Tweed is a trademarked product. Only cloth that has been handwoven and produced in the Outer Hebrides can be called Harris Tweed. Wool is turned into weaving yarn by a factory, who then delivers the bobbins with yarn to the weavers. These are commonly crofters, who have a weaving loom set up around their home. In amongst the one thousand and one other jobs, they'll weave the yarn into the tweed that the factory has ordered. Said mill will then collect the finished tweed and process it into cloth that can be turned into whatever final product is required.
Until the beginning of this year, there were 3 mills in the islands, based in Stornoway, Shawbost and Carloway. The Stornoway mill had been taken over by a Yorkshire textile magnate, Brian Haggas, who wanted to reduce the number of tweed patterns from 8,000+ to 4. Yes, four. After the weavers had finished weaving the tweeds, 70,000 jackets were made and put into storage. Where they lie to this day. As there is no demand for production of more jackets, the Stornoway mill was mothballed in March. Harris Tweed, in its thousands of different guises, remains in demand, demand that the much smaller mills in Shawbost and Carloway (covering 20% of islandwide production capacity pre-closure-of-Stornoway) are struggling to meet.
Unless the Stornoway mill comes back into operation, the glory days of Harris Tweed are over. Nike shoes, Alfa Romeo carseat covers and funny dolls will not generate the work that used to exist for the weavers.
TV channel BBC4 has been showing a documentary about the present state of the Harris Tweed industry in these islands. I was asked to comment on this, something that I am a bit reluctant to do, knowing more about the history of the industry than I can post on an open internet blog. The documentary gave a factual account of the dire straights that the Clo Mor is finding itself in. I'll try to summarise in a few lines.
Harris Tweed is a trademarked product. Only cloth that has been handwoven and produced in the Outer Hebrides can be called Harris Tweed. Wool is turned into weaving yarn by a factory, who then delivers the bobbins with yarn to the weavers. These are commonly crofters, who have a weaving loom set up around their home. In amongst the one thousand and one other jobs, they'll weave the yarn into the tweed that the factory has ordered. Said mill will then collect the finished tweed and process it into cloth that can be turned into whatever final product is required.
Until the beginning of this year, there were 3 mills in the islands, based in Stornoway, Shawbost and Carloway. The Stornoway mill had been taken over by a Yorkshire textile magnate, Brian Haggas, who wanted to reduce the number of tweed patterns from 8,000+ to 4. Yes, four. After the weavers had finished weaving the tweeds, 70,000 jackets were made and put into storage. Where they lie to this day. As there is no demand for production of more jackets, the Stornoway mill was mothballed in March. Harris Tweed, in its thousands of different guises, remains in demand, demand that the much smaller mills in Shawbost and Carloway (covering 20% of islandwide production capacity pre-closure-of-Stornoway) are struggling to meet.
Unless the Stornoway mill comes back into operation, the glory days of Harris Tweed are over. Nike shoes, Alfa Romeo carseat covers and funny dolls will not generate the work that used to exist for the weavers.
Wednesday, 16 September 2009
Choi-wan
Supertyphoon Choi-wan has passed the Northern Marianas islands as a category V storm, with winds of 160 mph. The island of Alamagan received a direct hit yesterday, with winds of 145 to 150 mph. The 15 residents there are all safe, including an infant aged 4 days. Although there appears to have been some damage to homes and infrastructure, nobody is reported hurt across the island chain.
Choi-wan is continuing on its west-northwesterly course, maintaining its category V status for the next day or so. The storm will curve away north and northeast, losing its strength in the face of the mid-latitude jetstreams.
Choi-wan is continuing on its west-northwesterly course, maintaining its category V status for the next day or so. The storm will curve away north and northeast, losing its strength in the face of the mid-latitude jetstreams.
Wednesday 16 September
Quite a bright day with good sunny intervals, but with a cool northwesterly breeze. Yesterday, there was good news when the rocket testing range in South Uist, 80 miles south of here, was saved from closure. Proposals had been put forward to reduce the site, with the potential loss of 125 jobs. That would have been a hammerblow for a community of only a few thousand, where jobs are already at a premium. When the range was opened in the 1950s, people protested against its coming. It's slightly strange to note the bruhaha against its possible closure. The initial plans would have saved the Ministry of Defense some £50m ($30m); but the redundancy payments and potential jobless benefits would have outweighed that. The politics surrounding this issue are interesting on a local level, but I won't bore you with that just now.
I couldn't help noticing that the Australian navy has intercepted a boat full of migrants some 400 miles north of its western coasts. The 60 potential asylum seekers were duly taken to Christmas Island, 1500 miles northwest of Australia. I am noting this event, as there have been 4 such incidents in just the past week; and there has been an outburst of overt racism down under against immigrants of any sort, legal, illegal, long in the country or not. Local media carry an assessment of the political situation that has arisen as a result.
I couldn't help noticing that the Australian navy has intercepted a boat full of migrants some 400 miles north of its western coasts. The 60 potential asylum seekers were duly taken to Christmas Island, 1500 miles northwest of Australia. I am noting this event, as there have been 4 such incidents in just the past week; and there has been an outburst of overt racism down under against immigrants of any sort, legal, illegal, long in the country or not. Local media carry an assessment of the political situation that has arisen as a result.
Tuesday, 15 September 2009
Tuesday 15 September
A quiet morning in the islands, with some brightness in amongst the scattered light showers.
It's not quiet around Guam, where supertyphoon Chon-wan has passed over Alamagan Island with winds of 130 knots. Yep, that's 145 mph. Gusts up to 180 mph. A supertyphoon is equivalent to a category V hurricane, so it's no use going out with an umbrella. People are advised to stay in their shelters. I'm trying to monitor events from the other side of the globe, but the Saipan Blog has not been updated since yesterday. I'm not too concerned though, apart from Alamagan Island.
On the theme of "everything can make you ill", it is now suggested that it's not healthy to take a shower. Disease-causing bacteria congregate in the showerhead, and when you turn on the shower, you're bombarded with a barrage of Mycobacterium avium, which can give you pneumonia. Doctors have found that as people move out of their baths to take showers, incidence of such disease has increased. Mind you, taking a bath isn't healthy either. You end up soaking in the filth that has soaked off your body. As you step out, it gleefully sticks to your skin again.
It's not quiet around Guam, where supertyphoon Chon-wan has passed over Alamagan Island with winds of 130 knots. Yep, that's 145 mph. Gusts up to 180 mph. A supertyphoon is equivalent to a category V hurricane, so it's no use going out with an umbrella. People are advised to stay in their shelters. I'm trying to monitor events from the other side of the globe, but the Saipan Blog has not been updated since yesterday. I'm not too concerned though, apart from Alamagan Island.
On the theme of "everything can make you ill", it is now suggested that it's not healthy to take a shower. Disease-causing bacteria congregate in the showerhead, and when you turn on the shower, you're bombarded with a barrage of Mycobacterium avium, which can give you pneumonia. Doctors have found that as people move out of their baths to take showers, incidence of such disease has increased. Mind you, taking a bath isn't healthy either. You end up soaking in the filth that has soaked off your body. As you step out, it gleefully sticks to your skin again.
Monday, 14 September 2009
Monday 14 September
Overcast and misty, with clouds down to a few dozen feet above sealevel. There is a breeze, but not enough to lift the clouds.
There will be more than just a breeze around Guam, where typhoon Chon-wan is poised to come trundling through with winds of 90 mph and more around its centre. The storm will strengthen further after passing through the Northern Marianas Islands, but its future course beyond the middle of the coming week is uncertain.
One of the local producers of Harris Tweed has denied it was seeking to de-scottishify its products. What?? It was suggested that the released of the Lockerbie bomber would taint Scottish products in the American market, hence moves to de-scottishify. You can't remove any reference to the Scottish origins of Harris Tweed from the product. That's ludicrous. And whoever thought up that gut-wrenching neologism probably been de-brained beforehand.
There will be more than just a breeze around Guam, where typhoon Chon-wan is poised to come trundling through with winds of 90 mph and more around its centre. The storm will strengthen further after passing through the Northern Marianas Islands, but its future course beyond the middle of the coming week is uncertain.
One of the local producers of Harris Tweed has denied it was seeking to de-scottishify its products. What?? It was suggested that the released of the Lockerbie bomber would taint Scottish products in the American market, hence moves to de-scottishify. You can't remove any reference to the Scottish origins of Harris Tweed from the product. That's ludicrous. And whoever thought up that gut-wrenching neologism probably been de-brained beforehand.
Sunday, 13 September 2009
Cloudscapes and sunsets
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Sunday 13 September
Overcast this morning, and what looks like a very fine drizzle. No wind - probably hordes of midges out.
Been hearing a lot about a Tea Party in Washington DC (on Twitter), and what is called 9/12 - although the implied connection with 9/11, the day before, is being attacked by some in the States. Apparently, many people attended a rally in DC to protest against plans by the Obama administration to spend nearly a trillion dollars on healthcare. The BBC put their number at 15,000, the organisers at 2 million. Anyway, Mr Obama (in my humble opinion from across the pond) should be applauded for wishing to extend health care cover to those 20% in the US who currently don't have that. Having read several on-line journals written by people who rank among that 20%, I am positively shocked at that situation.
The UK is unique, in that the NHS is in principle free to its users (apart from contributions for medicines, dental work &c). In continental Europe, healthcare provision is paid for through national insurance contributions mixed with private healthcare insurance. There is nothing wrong with private healthcare, but a state should always look to support those that can genuinely not afford to go private. The scare tactics being used, like quoting illegal aliens receiving kidney dialysis on the US government, are false and reprehensible. A doctor is compelled by his Hyppocratic oath to minister to all who need his services, irrespective of who they are. Or, more to the point, how much money they have. It is in that respect where the US healthcare system has gone off the rails.
Here in the UK, to continue on that theme, there is a shortage of dentists for tending to NHS patients. They prefer to do private work, exclusively. Pays better. IMHO any doctor or dentist working in the UK should be forced, by law, to take a set percentage of NHS patients as part of his workload.
Been hearing a lot about a Tea Party in Washington DC (on Twitter), and what is called 9/12 - although the implied connection with 9/11, the day before, is being attacked by some in the States. Apparently, many people attended a rally in DC to protest against plans by the Obama administration to spend nearly a trillion dollars on healthcare. The BBC put their number at 15,000, the organisers at 2 million. Anyway, Mr Obama (in my humble opinion from across the pond) should be applauded for wishing to extend health care cover to those 20% in the US who currently don't have that. Having read several on-line journals written by people who rank among that 20%, I am positively shocked at that situation.
The UK is unique, in that the NHS is in principle free to its users (apart from contributions for medicines, dental work &c). In continental Europe, healthcare provision is paid for through national insurance contributions mixed with private healthcare insurance. There is nothing wrong with private healthcare, but a state should always look to support those that can genuinely not afford to go private. The scare tactics being used, like quoting illegal aliens receiving kidney dialysis on the US government, are false and reprehensible. A doctor is compelled by his Hyppocratic oath to minister to all who need his services, irrespective of who they are. Or, more to the point, how much money they have. It is in that respect where the US healthcare system has gone off the rails.
Here in the UK, to continue on that theme, there is a shortage of dentists for tending to NHS patients. They prefer to do private work, exclusively. Pays better. IMHO any doctor or dentist working in the UK should be forced, by law, to take a set percentage of NHS patients as part of his workload.
Saturday, 12 September 2009
The Falling Man
Watched a documentary tonight about the Falling Man, the undescribably image of one of the people who fell from the WTC in New York on 9/11. As my tribute on this blog indicates, people tried to identify the man pictured, and initially concluded it was Norberto Hernandez. This was disproved. It then turned out to be Jonathan Briley, who worked in the Windows of the World restaurant, where Norberto Hernandez was employed as a chef. But, does it really matter who was captured, falling hundreds of feet to his death?
No.
It matters more what the image stands for. And that transcends identity, ethnicity or nationality. It surmounts the politics, security and other implications that the dreadful events of 9/11 had. It brings it back down to the individual. Like the tombs to the unknown soldier that are scattered across the world. For it is the not knowing of the identity that gives the image its power.
9/11 will be remembered through the years, its acute pain lessened as time passes. If I can, I'll continue posting Norberto Hernandez' tribute on 11 September each year. Whether under the auspices of Project 2996, or under my own steam. Norberto's memory will live on. As will the memory of the several thousand others who died that day, 8 years ago.
No.
It matters more what the image stands for. And that transcends identity, ethnicity or nationality. It surmounts the politics, security and other implications that the dreadful events of 9/11 had. It brings it back down to the individual. Like the tombs to the unknown soldier that are scattered across the world. For it is the not knowing of the identity that gives the image its power.
9/11 will be remembered through the years, its acute pain lessened as time passes. If I can, I'll continue posting Norberto Hernandez' tribute on 11 September each year. Whether under the auspices of Project 2996, or under my own steam. Norberto's memory will live on. As will the memory of the several thousand others who died that day, 8 years ago.
Saturday 12 September
Equinox approaching rapidly, and it's getting dark by 8pm now. Nice sunset last night, will post pictures at a later stage. The island's shores are plagued by jellyfish, which are not just a nuisance. If they get into fishfarms, they are capable of killing the salmon - in 2002, £3m worth of farmed fish were killed in a fishfarm south of Stornoway.
Image courtesy Hebrides News
J-landers are reminded that Lisa Arthur's Facebook site was hacked, and is now closed down. She has reopened a new account. I am glad, in a way, that the hackers chose the wrong person. Everyone who knows Lisa is aware she's housebound, if not bedbound, due to her ill health. So it was pretty obvious it wasn't her over in London, asking for money.
Image courtesy Hebrides News
J-landers are reminded that Lisa Arthur's Facebook site was hacked, and is now closed down. She has reopened a new account. I am glad, in a way, that the hackers chose the wrong person. Everyone who knows Lisa is aware she's housebound, if not bedbound, due to her ill health. So it was pretty obvious it wasn't her over in London, asking for money.
Hurricane update - 12 September
While Fred, Linda and Mujigae fade into the history books, a flurry of new systems take over. Mujigae will have brought heavy rains to southern China and northern Vietnam - keep an eye on the news feeds for that.
Further east, along the 152nd degree longitude east, we find tropical depression 15W. This will strengthen rapidly and come barging through the Northern Marianas Islands on Tuesday as a 65 knots typhoon. Guam and surrounding islands are on typhoon or tropical storm watch. A previous tropical cyclone elicited the response from there that they'd crack open a beer and see what's doing on the beach.
The Philippines, more specifically Luzon, are feeling the effects of tropical disturbance 91W, which is referred to as Nando locally. This could develop into a formal tropical cyclone, but the Philippines will find the rains from 91W already more than enough to cope with. By the end of this week, 15W will come to haunt them as a powerful typhoon, although that is far from certain, actually. The latter system is still 30 degrees in longitude away to the east.
Further east, along the 152nd degree longitude east, we find tropical depression 15W. This will strengthen rapidly and come barging through the Northern Marianas Islands on Tuesday as a 65 knots typhoon. Guam and surrounding islands are on typhoon or tropical storm watch. A previous tropical cyclone elicited the response from there that they'd crack open a beer and see what's doing on the beach.
The Philippines, more specifically Luzon, are feeling the effects of tropical disturbance 91W, which is referred to as Nando locally. This could develop into a formal tropical cyclone, but the Philippines will find the rains from 91W already more than enough to cope with. By the end of this week, 15W will come to haunt them as a powerful typhoon, although that is far from certain, actually. The latter system is still 30 degrees in longitude away to the east.
Missing - body found
Last weekend, a 17-year old jumped into the Falls of Foyers off Loch Ness and disappeared. Yesterday afternoon, search teams found the body of a man, thought to be that of Laurence Parrott. Formal identification is yet to take place (at time of typing, 5pm on Friday).
It reinforces the call, made by HM Coastguard yesterday to refrain from tombstoning. This teen-craze, which has risen in popularity, involves people jumping off high cliffs or piers without knowing what lies at the bottom. Assuming it is deep water, many have come to grief in shallow pools, having not taken into account the tides. Some have lost their lives. Videos of youngsters from the Isle of Lewis engaging in similar acts of lunacy were / are on Youtube, but some of the videos have been taken down by the website following complaints.
Late posting out of respect for the victims of 9/11
It reinforces the call, made by HM Coastguard yesterday to refrain from tombstoning. This teen-craze, which has risen in popularity, involves people jumping off high cliffs or piers without knowing what lies at the bottom. Assuming it is deep water, many have come to grief in shallow pools, having not taken into account the tides. Some have lost their lives. Videos of youngsters from the Isle of Lewis engaging in similar acts of lunacy were / are on Youtube, but some of the videos have been taken down by the website following complaints.
Late posting out of respect for the victims of 9/11
Friday, 11 September 2009
9/11 - eight years on
When this post is published, it will be exactly eight years to the minute that the first aircraft hit the World Trade Center in New York. The events of what is now referred to as 9/11 are only too well known.
My thoughts are with all victims, whether identified afterwards, or not. In New York, Washington and Pennsylvania.
My thoughts are with the passengers and crew on the four flights destroyed. My thoughts are with the victims killed in the World Trade Center. My thoughts are with those emergency workers who lost their lives trying to save others'.
My thoughts today are with the families of those who perpetrated these atrocities, for they lost too. Even before the events of September 2001, they lost their loved ones to a delusion of hate that is not of the religion they claimed to be faithful to. Hatred leads to destruction - as shown seven years ago. Forgiveness is a pillar of Christian faith, as it is one of the Islamic faith. Whether those that lost a loved one in 9/11 can find it in themselves to forgive is beyond my scope.
But first and foremost, my thoughts are with Norberto Hernandez, whose tribute I filed on Northern Trip, the predecessor to Atlantic Lines, in 2006 and 2007. The searches for Norberto on Google are contaminated with references to the Falling Man, who was in fact another victim, Jonathan Briley. This confusion has led to much anger and anguish, something the families of both men could do well without.
Norberto, rest in peace.
This entry, as stated above is dedicated to the memory of
Norberto was a pastry chef from Elmhurst, working in the restaurant Windows on the World on the 106th and 107th floor of the North Tower of the World Trade Center in New York. After the attacks, he was reported missing for a week until parts of a torso and an arm were found in a collapsed stairwell. DNA testing and finger printing reveiled that these were the remains of Norberto. It also invalidated claims that the image of the Falling Man was that of Norberto; this was another victim of 9/11 who will be the subject of a different tribute.
At the time of the attacks on the WTC, Norberto was aged 42 and had been married for 25 years. He was the fourth of ten children by his parents’ marriage, and also had six half-siblings through his father. His parents separated when he was young. Norberto himself had three daughters, three grandchildren and 37 nephews. He was a man of Puerto Rican origins, and had hoped to spend his final days there. Instead, after 9/11, a funeral service was held and his remains cremated in Puerto Rico.
His sister Luz described Norberto. “He was quiet, kind”, she said. “He was a handsome man. Everybody loved him, you know. Everybody.” Norberto’s nickname was Bible, as he was very dependable. Together Forever was his motto.
Norberto started work in Windows on the World at the age of 17, washing dishes. He was interested in cooking, so a manager paid for his tuition at cooking school. Norberto became pastry chef and worked up to 10 hours a day. His sister Luz said that he made cakes, desserts, cookies and bread. His cakes were fabulous.
Outside work, Norberto loved sports, and was a fan of a Puerto Rican boxer, Felix Trinidad Jr. Four days before the attacks, he rang his mother and asked her to play “I would cry but I have no more tears” four times.
In the immediate aftermath of the plane striking the North Tower, Norberto called his sister Luz. “He said: ‘Yeah, don’t worry, I’m OK”.They were disconnected, and when Luz tried to call back she could not get through. Other accounts from Windows on the World tell that smoke and dust filled the restaurant after the strike, and that people lay on the floor to escape the worst of it. Air was beginning to run out at the time of the last contact.
These are the facts that I have managed to pull together from the Internet.
From the little that I have learned of Norberto, he came through as a gentle giant. Although 6’2” (1.84m) tall, he was always listening, and talked later. His family suffered a double loss, as Claribel Hernandez (his sister-in-law), a secretary working elsewhere in the North Tower, was also killed in the attacks. Norberto was close in the family and responsible, which earned him the nickname Bible. He loved his work, and by the look of one of the images, loved to impart that knowledge to others around him.
September 11th, 2001, dawned as a brilliantly sunny morning in New York. Two planes were flown into the two towers of the World Trade Center, leading to their collapse within 2 hours. The destruction of so many lives was brought about by mindless hatred and madness, fuelled by religious zealotry which was not based on any writing in any scriptures in any religion.
Norberto may have heard of that on news reports, but it was probably quite far from him. He was a man that lived for his family, always there for them. A diligent worker, putting in up to 10 hours a day, loving his creations from the oven. Travelling to the WTC on the Subway every morning, his thoughts were probably far from what was to happen not that much later on that fateful Tuesday.
Two thousand nine hundred and ninety-six are known to have died that day, or in its immediate aftermath. Norberto’s ashes were scattered in his homeland of Puerto Rico. His memory lives on in his family, and in the memory of those that read this. He is deeply missed by those close to him.
To Norberto Hernandez
Rest In Peace
Links
http://www.jrn.columbia.edu/studentwork/terror/sep19/three_lives.asp
This link is no longer operational
I have attempted to contact the University of Columbia to use the material in this link, but have not received a reply. As it is central to the tribute, I have used it, and acknowledge the writer, Sarah Clemence.
http://www.poetrykit.org/pkl/tw6/tw4conte.htm
This is a poem by Barbara Phillips, from which I have used some factual references to Norberto. It refers to him being the Falling Man though.
http://www.unitedinmemory.net/gallery.php
I have been granted permission by UIM to reproduce the commemorative quilt for Norberto.
http://www.queenspress.com/archives/coverstories/2001/issue38/coverstory.htm
The poster, pictured above, proclaiming Norberto as missing after the attacks, hung on a walkway of Manhattan for more than a week
My thoughts are with all victims, whether identified afterwards, or not. In New York, Washington and Pennsylvania.
My thoughts are with the passengers and crew on the four flights destroyed. My thoughts are with the victims killed in the World Trade Center. My thoughts are with those emergency workers who lost their lives trying to save others'.
My thoughts today are with the families of those who perpetrated these atrocities, for they lost too. Even before the events of September 2001, they lost their loved ones to a delusion of hate that is not of the religion they claimed to be faithful to. Hatred leads to destruction - as shown seven years ago. Forgiveness is a pillar of Christian faith, as it is one of the Islamic faith. Whether those that lost a loved one in 9/11 can find it in themselves to forgive is beyond my scope.
But first and foremost, my thoughts are with Norberto Hernandez, whose tribute I filed on Northern Trip, the predecessor to Atlantic Lines, in 2006 and 2007. The searches for Norberto on Google are contaminated with references to the Falling Man, who was in fact another victim, Jonathan Briley. This confusion has led to much anger and anguish, something the families of both men could do well without.
Norberto, rest in peace.
This entry, as stated above is dedicated to the memory of
Norberto was a pastry chef from Elmhurst, working in the restaurant Windows on the World on the 106th and 107th floor of the North Tower of the World Trade Center in New York. After the attacks, he was reported missing for a week until parts of a torso and an arm were found in a collapsed stairwell. DNA testing and finger printing reveiled that these were the remains of Norberto. It also invalidated claims that the image of the Falling Man was that of Norberto; this was another victim of 9/11 who will be the subject of a different tribute.At the time of the attacks on the WTC, Norberto was aged 42 and had been married for 25 years. He was the fourth of ten children by his parents’ marriage, and also had six half-siblings through his father. His parents separated when he was young. Norberto himself had three daughters, three grandchildren and 37 nephews. He was a man of Puerto Rican origins, and had hoped to spend his final days there. Instead, after 9/11, a funeral service was held and his remains cremated in Puerto Rico.
His sister Luz described Norberto. “He was quiet, kind”, she said. “He was a handsome man. Everybody loved him, you know. Everybody.” Norberto’s nickname was Bible, as he was very dependable. Together Forever was his motto.
Norberto started work in Windows on the World at the age of 17, washing dishes. He was interested in cooking, so a manager paid for his tuition at cooking school. Norberto became pastry chef and worked up to 10 hours a day. His sister Luz said that he made cakes, desserts, cookies and bread. His cakes were fabulous.
Outside work, Norberto loved sports, and was a fan of a Puerto Rican boxer, Felix Trinidad Jr. Four days before the attacks, he rang his mother and asked her to play “I would cry but I have no more tears” four times.
In the immediate aftermath of the plane striking the North Tower, Norberto called his sister Luz. “He said: ‘Yeah, don’t worry, I’m OK”.They were disconnected, and when Luz tried to call back she could not get through. Other accounts from Windows on the World tell that smoke and dust filled the restaurant after the strike, and that people lay on the floor to escape the worst of it. Air was beginning to run out at the time of the last contact.
These are the facts that I have managed to pull together from the Internet.
From the little that I have learned of Norberto, he came through as a gentle giant. Although 6’2” (1.84m) tall, he was always listening, and talked later. His family suffered a double loss, as Claribel Hernandez (his sister-in-law), a secretary working elsewhere in the North Tower, was also killed in the attacks. Norberto was close in the family and responsible, which earned him the nickname Bible. He loved his work, and by the look of one of the images, loved to impart that knowledge to others around him.
September 11th, 2001, dawned as a brilliantly sunny morning in New York. Two planes were flown into the two towers of the World Trade Center, leading to their collapse within 2 hours. The destruction of so many lives was brought about by mindless hatred and madness, fuelled by religious zealotry which was not based on any writing in any scriptures in any religion.
Norberto may have heard of that on news reports, but it was probably quite far from him. He was a man that lived for his family, always there for them. A diligent worker, putting in up to 10 hours a day, loving his creations from the oven. Travelling to the WTC on the Subway every morning, his thoughts were probably far from what was to happen not that much later on that fateful Tuesday.
Two thousand nine hundred and ninety-six are known to have died that day, or in its immediate aftermath. Norberto’s ashes were scattered in his homeland of Puerto Rico. His memory lives on in his family, and in the memory of those that read this. He is deeply missed by those close to him.
To Norberto Hernandez
Rest In Peace
Links
http://www.jrn.columbia.edu/studentwork/terror/sep19/three_lives.asp
This link is no longer operational
I have attempted to contact the University of Columbia to use the material in this link, but have not received a reply. As it is central to the tribute, I have used it, and acknowledge the writer, Sarah Clemence.
http://www.poetrykit.org/pkl/tw6/tw4conte.htm
This is a poem by Barbara Phillips, from which I have used some factual references to Norberto. It refers to him being the Falling Man though.
http://www.unitedinmemory.net/gallery.php
I have been granted permission by UIM to reproduce the commemorative quilt for Norberto.
http://www.queenspress.com/archives/coverstories/2001/issue38/coverstory.htm
The poster, pictured above, proclaiming Norberto as missing after the attacks, hung on a walkway of Manhattan for more than a week
Thursday, 10 September 2009
Lochs galore
The eastern part of the island of Lewis, south of Stornoway, is referred to as Lochs. For obvious reasons. Driving down the minor sideroad to Grimshader, Ranish and Crossbost, you encounter nothing but lochs (Scots for lakes). The sea is never far away either, with several sealochs (obviously connected to the sea, in this case the Minch) penetrating deep inland. Loch Erisort, 10 miles south of Stornoway, reaches 15 miles from the sea to the village of Balallan. These are the site for several fish and musselfarms. Setting the scene for a scenic drive this afternoon, with the sun out.
Coming down the B897 (which branches off the main road south from Stornoway to Tarbert), first popped into Ranish, which overlooks Grimshader on the far side of the loch. Incidentally, the sideroad within Ranish takes you to the Loch Erisort side of the peninsula. It is fronted by a 360 foot high hill, which I once traversed in pouring rain, in my footloose days back in 2005. Beinn Mhor - to the Gaelic speakers among you, this name will not come as a surprise. The big hill. Doubling back into Crossbost, the road plunges down to the little bay at the end of the road. The churchyard, at the Leurbost side of the village, has seen me several times for war graves business.
We then continued through Leurbost to the junction at Cameron Terrace, then on to Achmore. The map above is incorrect, by the way. The main road is not the A858, which veers northeast out of Achmore. This is a narrow, single-track, road to Stornoway. Although it cuts the distance to town from 12 to 9 miles, it is by no means faster. It rises to 500 feet above sealevel at Beinn a'Bhuinne, past shieling huts and peat cuts. Pity that my camera battery gave out at that point, after sustaining me through about 250 pictures. Here are some of the 50 I took today.
Lochs
Fidigarry, entering Ranish
Shack at Ranish
Ranish
At the end of the road in Crossbost
Leurbost
Lochs at Achmore
Achmore
Coming down the B897 (which branches off the main road south from Stornoway to Tarbert), first popped into Ranish, which overlooks Grimshader on the far side of the loch. Incidentally, the sideroad within Ranish takes you to the Loch Erisort side of the peninsula. It is fronted by a 360 foot high hill, which I once traversed in pouring rain, in my footloose days back in 2005. Beinn Mhor - to the Gaelic speakers among you, this name will not come as a surprise. The big hill. Doubling back into Crossbost, the road plunges down to the little bay at the end of the road. The churchyard, at the Leurbost side of the village, has seen me several times for war graves business.
We then continued through Leurbost to the junction at Cameron Terrace, then on to Achmore. The map above is incorrect, by the way. The main road is not the A858, which veers northeast out of Achmore. This is a narrow, single-track, road to Stornoway. Although it cuts the distance to town from 12 to 9 miles, it is by no means faster. It rises to 500 feet above sealevel at Beinn a'Bhuinne, past shieling huts and peat cuts. Pity that my camera battery gave out at that point, after sustaining me through about 250 pictures. Here are some of the 50 I took today.
Lochs
Fidigarry, entering Ranish
Shack at Ranish
Ranish
At the end of the road in Crossbost
Leurbost
Lochs at Achmore
Achmore
Tuesday's storm
So we had a 50 mph storm on Tuesday. Someone's dustbin was emptied by the gale; bin on its side, contents blown away. A sailor got into difficulties after he had to give up his anchorage in Glumag Harbour, for a vessel that was due in. Said vessel rode out the storm outside the harbour until Wednesday morning. He was towed into port by the lifeboat. A heavy gale always generates interesting images, see below.
Lifeboat to the rescue
Heavy seas at the Coastguard Station
Lifeboat to the rescue
Heavy seas at the Coastguard Station
Thursday 10 September
A nice, sunny day in Stornoway, where we have another cruiseliner in: the Hebridean Princess. Pay £7,000 for two weeks bobbing about on the waves in the Hebrides. No thanks, I'll use a Calmac tub to do that.
Another cruiseliner was in the news for the wrong reasons: the Balmoral, carrying more than 1,800 passengers and crew, was afflicted by the winter vomiting bug. The ship last docked at Invergordon, 25 miles north of Inverness, earlier in the week and headed for Portree in Skye. Due to the poor weather, she diverted to Tobermory. The ship's owners now state that the bug was brought on board by a passenger, who did not stay in her cabin as advised. She spread it to nearly 80 other passengers.
Another cruiseliner was in the news for the wrong reasons: the Balmoral, carrying more than 1,800 passengers and crew, was afflicted by the winter vomiting bug. The ship last docked at Invergordon, 25 miles north of Inverness, earlier in the week and headed for Portree in Skye. Due to the poor weather, she diverted to Tobermory. The ship's owners now state that the bug was brought on board by a passenger, who did not stay in her cabin as advised. She spread it to nearly 80 other passengers.
Wednesday, 9 September 2009
Wednesday 9 September
To quote the National Hurricane Center, nines must have gone wild today. It's 09/09/09, and at 09:09:09 it was nines all the way. Tropical storm Erica, somewhere in the eastern Pacific, had its 9th warning at 09:00 GMT on 09/09/09 and thus we can continue for a little while yet.
At any rate, it's quietened down greatly since yesterday - we're down to force 4, and it was nice and fairly sunny. Cruiseliner Astor was hiding off Lower Sandwick today, as its tenders went back and forth to take its passengers ashore for tours of the island. A cargo boat, due in yesterday, docked at the Fabrication Yard. I don't know what it's doing there; the Yard is a mile away, and I cannot discern what its two cranes are taking on or off board.
Spend part of the afternoon looking up more information for the Uist war memorials; only have Barra left to do, which is about 150 names.
At any rate, it's quietened down greatly since yesterday - we're down to force 4, and it was nice and fairly sunny. Cruiseliner Astor was hiding off Lower Sandwick today, as its tenders went back and forth to take its passengers ashore for tours of the island. A cargo boat, due in yesterday, docked at the Fabrication Yard. I don't know what it's doing there; the Yard is a mile away, and I cannot discern what its two cranes are taking on or off board.
Spend part of the afternoon looking up more information for the Uist war memorials; only have Barra left to do, which is about 150 names.
Tuesday, 8 September 2009
Reading of blogs
I have fallen way behind with the reading of blogs, and hope to catch up at some stage. Sorry if I have missed anything of note.
Tuesday 8 September
Overcast and very windy indeed. The wind is touching galeforce, and is expected to rise further to force 9, which involves windspeeds of 45 mph sustained. There are warnings out for gusts up to 80 mph later this afternoon. As I type, spray is blowing over the causeway across the water. We have no ferry service to Ullapool at all today (both crossings cancelled), and there is major disruption right across the west coast of Scotland. Planes are flying normally, although I wouldn't fancy a flight out of here today. If you want to monitor current conditions at Eoropie, 25 miles north of Stornoway near the Butt of Lewis, you can have a look here.
Monday, 7 September 2009
Monday 7 September
Overcast today, and rain approaching from the Atlantic. This will be followed by our first autumnal gale tomorrow, which could see winds up to 45 mph. It's September, and we're not allowed to forget that.
Hurricanes, I hear you ask? Well, it'll be the peak of the season very soon, but the Atlantic isn't up to much. The Pacific sees a regular procession of tropical cyclones, some off the coast of Mexico, some in the Western Pacific off Asia. Nothing remarkable. Yet.
On Friday, it will be 8 years ago since the terrorist attacks on New York and Washington, that have gone down in history as 9/11. I'll be posting my tribute to Norberto Hernandez, as part of project 2996. It will be the only posting for the day, and I'll attempt to post at 1.46pm (UK time), which was the time the first plane flew into the WTC in New York on 11 September 2001.
Hurricanes, I hear you ask? Well, it'll be the peak of the season very soon, but the Atlantic isn't up to much. The Pacific sees a regular procession of tropical cyclones, some off the coast of Mexico, some in the Western Pacific off Asia. Nothing remarkable. Yet.
On Friday, it will be 8 years ago since the terrorist attacks on New York and Washington, that have gone down in history as 9/11. I'll be posting my tribute to Norberto Hernandez, as part of project 2996. It will be the only posting for the day, and I'll attempt to post at 1.46pm (UK time), which was the time the first plane flew into the WTC in New York on 11 September 2001.
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