September 11th,  2001

Obviously, there are lot of things to say about September 11th, 2001, and the following days, as well. It seemed inappropriate to put such comments alongside the typical, less-serious Dot&Slash comments, which are normally  about TV, movies, video games, and the like. Such gripes are admittedly minutiae in comparison. This separate page is devoted exclusively to the first days after the attack...

DOT : A big, triple-dot salute to the brave men and women who helped out after the demonic terrorist attack on September 11th, 2001. This includes in particular all the NYC fire fighters and policemen who bravely went into the WTC buildings to get out as many people as they could, even at risk of their own lives. This also includes the brave men aboard the fourth plane, which crashed before it could reach its terrifying destination, thanks to the passengers who revolted against the terrorists. It also includes the men and women who tried to find as many survivors as they could, in the tons of fallen debris. It is a major testament to the American Spirit that I could never list all the names of these heroes on one web page. These brave human beings are the people who God, Jehovah, Allah, or whoever is in charge of things up above, will regard most highly, and not the pond scum responsible for these horrific acts.

Slash :  I don't think I could cut and paste enough "slash"-type thumbs-down to illustrate the total disregard all Americans have for the demonic hell spawn responsible for the horrific acts of September 11th, 2001. However, I will give an additional "slash" gripe, to the people --allegedly "Americans," just like you and me-- who took advantage of a tragedy. This includes gas stations which raised prices to as high as five dollars a gallon. It also includes others who attempted to similarly take advantage of Americans during such a tragic moment. Shameful.

DOT : To a major comeback for the American Flag. Flags are now on flag poles where they belong, though also on car antennas, bumper stickers, T-shirts, and so on. Demand for flags has risen so high, some stores are sold out, and will be for weeks. Even an MSNBC reporter commented that an associate was so desperate for a flag to put on his house, he used an online aircraft supply site to buy decals intended for a giant plane, which I presume he decaled right onto his home! Personally, I think it's about time one of the best flags in the world got the respect it deserved. 

DOT : To nighttime talk shows, which are suddenly a lot more funny, thanks to laying off the cliché, overdone political jokes. It seemed for years as though they just re-wrote the exact same political humor, over and over again. In these times --when all Americans need each other's support, Leno, Letterman, and other talk show hosts have decided to lay off the political put-downs for a while. As a result, they've had to come up with new comedy skits and joke ideas...and most are quite inspired. Letterman has made his lack of any non-political jokes into its own running joke. Leno has had guests walk in to sign a motorcycle to be auctioned off for charity. Let's be honest; seeing Nicole Kidman or Pamela Anderson bend down to sign a motorcycle, is a lot more interesting to watch than some overused, 30-year-old political joke. [Editor's Note: This "Dot" didn't last long, did it?...but it was fun while it lasted.]

Slash :  ...to all the diehard anti-America cynics, who even after September 11th, refused to see the light. This goes double, if not triple, for Bill Maher, the lame-o host of ABC's cynical farce, Politically Incorrect. His remarks following the Sept. 11 attack included calling America's use of cruise missiles against an enemy "cowardly" while at the same time remarking, "Staying in the airplane when it hits the building, say what you want about it, it's not cowardly." You'd think that the latter comment was aimed at the passengers, who were hardly "cowardly" when they were so concerned for their lives; no, Maher was stupid enough to be defending the cowardice of the terrorists! Such a comment also seemed like a snide remark against the brave men of the fourth plane, who attacked the terrorists before the plane could reach its destination. He has, since that broadcast, attempted to "explain" his comments through spin control, though a man this opinionated and pompous is never a good spin doctor. A dot-within-a-slash, however, to sponsors of Maher's show, like Sears and FedEx, that immediately pulled out. Maher, meanwhile, needs a big fork put in his career; he's done.