Saw ground zero yesterday. finally made it away from the four block radius of hotel-rehearsal-eatwhatever-hotel and made it past the fields of tired, pensive, distinct-featured faces to the pasty faces of the tourists (me) making the pilgrimage to the fences of ground zero, the huge wreck and ruin, how many stories is it still? twenty? the twenty or so stories of blackened monument to the dead, a bombed-out vertical city.

I looked from about three blocks away as they have it cordoned off and the area is alive with many people and vehicles swarming around the gigantic wound. The fence was covered with flowers and signs, memorials, tokens, soot, a double green mesh so you couldn't see in or get in....or it couldn't get out. I saw no smoke although I hear it still burns. I smelled no foul smell although I did hear tell of it.

As I walked along the border vehicles came in and out slowly. The border patrol, some military, some city, some just workers - wore protective gear and vapor masks, stood silently. There were a number of teams at work as vehicles came to the gate to leave, the teams, hazmat teams it seems, slowly, meticulously sprayed the vehicles... front, top, sides, back, corners, edges, creases, nooks, crannies, to keep it from coming out, keep it contained, to attack with high pressure, to wash it down the drain.

janis



By the way, I received a call from Janis Tanaka in November. She was in New York City rehearsing with PiNK's new rock band. This ensemble did some television and radio promo stuff through out December 2001, and in January 2002 they leave for a European Tour.