Buttons: Incorporate NY and the Twin Towers in Your Sweater

The item, "Dress It Up New York," features buttons for sewing projects, like clothing or bags. The buttons are NY-themed and include a taxi, apple, NYC skyline, shopping bag, playbill, etc, and include a Twin Towers tribute featuring Never Forget and a flag. This an example of a craft object that shows the influence of September 11th. As I've state previously, September 11th's impact not only included the tragic loss of lives, destruction of property, terrorism policy setter, and world perspective changer but also brought influence to every form of American material goods. This influence varies in form, ranging from tribute or commemorative to donation-based (a portion of the proceeds benefiting a group or organization associated with September 11th).

September 11th Jewelery Collection

This collection was assembled by another collector, who had to part ways with these items because of her employment circumstances. A great group of jewelery pins, many featuring "Swarovski Crystals," these items offer a unique perspective on the influence of September 11th on everyday objects. These are the first examples of jewelery items I've acquired. They all are direct examples of the influence of 911 on all household and everyday items.

Beer Stein September 11th Tribute

Commemorative stein from Thewalt of Germany. This is #150 of 5000 made. A perfect example of a tribute item, and also shows the influence September 11th on material culture outside of the US. The main tie in on the stein to 911 is the firefighter helmet. This object really is a great piece, and showcases some handcrafted work.

911 Puzzle

God Bless America Twin Towers commemorative puzzle. A portion of the proceeds went to the American Red Cross with the purchase of this item. The question with an item like this is how many people would carry out a puzzle like this? What is the appeal of a Twin Towers puzzle? Clearly more a collector's object than entertainment option for people.

Winchester Model 70 Custom, .280 Remington, 9/11 Tribute by John Bolliger

I need $25,000. Why you ask? Read on.

Caliber: Winchester Model 70 Custom, .280 Remington, 9/11 Tribute by John Bolliger
Reference #: 1852537
Price:$24,995.00Location:Hamburg, PennsylvaniaPhone:(610) 929-7075Fax:(610) 929-7080E-mail:hamgl@cabelas.com
Gauge .280 Remington
Barrel 24"
Stock Custom Walnut Sporter
Butt Leather Covered Pad
Metal Condition Excellent
Wood Condition Excellent
Bore Condition Excellent
Sights Leupold 1.5-5x Vari-X III
Status available
Gun Library Hamburg, PA
Reference Number 1852537
Phone Number (610) 929-7075
Fax Number (610) 929-7080
Email hamgl@cabelas.com

Description: Winchester Model 70 Custom, .280 Remington, Tribute to 9/11 by John Bolliger. Twenty four inch blued steel Krieger match barrel with quarter rib express rear sight with barrel band hooded front sight. Pre 64 Model 70 bolt action receiver extensively engraved and jewelled bolt with Gold inlays as a tribute to the heroes of September 11, 2001 attack at the World Trade Center. Features a Leupold Vari-X III 1.5-5x scope on custom mounts. Custom Deluxe Walnut stock carved and checkered by John Bolliger. There are too many featurs to list on this one of a kind commemorative. Scott Green is the custom metalsmith. In addition to the fitted Oak display case and all the accesories there is a custom tribute knife crafted by Loyd McConnell of Texas. It is proudly manufactured in the United States of America.

Fireman and Police Sculpture

Attached is simple sculture in honor of 9/11.

Color Your Own T-Shirt: Use Your Imagination As You Fill In The Colors Of This Unforgettable Image of Bravery, Unity and Remembrance

Color in the t-shirt and bring this tribute image to life. I'm not sure about this call to action. The t-shirt is an interesting object, which I have a hard time imaging someone actually painting the image and then wearing it. This particular one is a kids sized shirt, so a child could possibly wear it. It is important to point out that a portion of the proceeds are donated to the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund.

Let's Go Shopping T-Shirt

I thought this t-shirt was of interest...offered on Etsy. Here is the post from the seller:

Description
Remember Sept 27th, 2001? We were one nation, united in grief.

We all joined together, and under the advice of George W Bush and his team of advisers, we joined together to... go to the mall.

Sure, people were still pulling bodies out of the rubble, and firefighters were still on the site working around the clock without adequate protection due to budget cuts, and stupid calls by EPA administrators.

But there was an economic slump we had to deal with.
Fight terror-- go shopping!

Speaking of shopping, buy this shirt! Let's exploit 9-11 some more!

Regretsy Blog Offers September 11th Perspective of Images and Objects and "The Unpleasantness"

A friend shared this post from Regretsy, which offered an overview:

To commemorate the 9th anniversary of what I like to call “The Unpleasantness”, I’m going to subject you to an extensive, handpicked assortment of Nine-Elevenalia.

I must preface this post by saying that I did not create anything you see here. Like every Regretsy post, I’m only the curator of this exhibit.

Take a look at the post. It is quite a collection of different images and some objects.

Ad Against Mosque Approved

You have to wonder about the value in things like this. Probably better ways for people to spend their time and money, but the show goes on.

New York City's transit agency has approved a bus advertisement that depicts a plane flying toward the World Trade Center's towers as they burn along with a rendering of a proposed mosque near ground zero.

The ad was paid for by the American Freedom Defense Initiative, an organization that opposes radical Islamic influence in the United States. The group's executive director says she doesn't find the ad offensive.

The group sued the Metropolitan Transportation Authority to demand it accept the ad, which was approved Monday.

MTA spokesman Kevin Ortiz says the agency doesn't endorse the ad's views.

The plan for a mosque just blocks from the World Trade Center site has ignited a national debate about the limits of tolerance and the symbolism of ground zero.

New York Says Thank You Foundation Donates National 9/11 Flag to National 9/11

The National September 11 Memorial & Museum announced that The New York Says Thank You Foundation (NYSTY) has donated The National 9/11 Flag to the museum collection in time for the 10th anniversary of the September 11 attacks. The not-for-profit organizations commemorated the gift at an unfurling ceremony overlooking Ground Zero.

Destroyed in the collapse of the World Trade Center and stitched back together by tornado survivors in Greensburg, Kansas, the flag has become a symbol that reinforces the same commitment to service and volunteerism that was felt throughout the Nation and the world on September 12, 2001.

ABOUT THE NATIONAL 9/11 FLAG TOUR
The goal of The National 9/11 Flag Tour is to display this historic flag at leading venues nationwide, to empower local service heroes in all 50 states with the privilege of stitching the flag back to its original 13-stripe format, and to inspire 300 million Americans with the flag’s rich visual history in order to deepen our sense of citizenship and national pride and bolster the spirit of volunteerism on the 9/11 Anniversary and year-round. For more information, to ‚sponsor a stitch‛ or contribute to the restoration effort, individuals and corporations can visit www.national911flag.org

Opportunity for Collaboration

With plans for the building of a Mosque moving forward near the WTC site, it is interesting how this is becoming a political issue, not just a religious issue or even about remembrance and tribute. For many Americans, a Mosque near the site of the 9/11 attacks symbolizes infiltration and giving ground to an unknown evil (or often the word terrorist is invoked, which really is for most people a word for an unknown enemy that is most likely Muslim). Is a Mosque really the incubator for terrorists? Is this a question of the chicken or egg? Clearly there are people in the world who want to do evil, and they will do so whether they are Muslim, Christian or agnostic. The real issue here is seizing on an opportunity to bring together two sides and let a community split by the horror and tragedy of 9/11 bring some healing to one of the most diverse and celebrated cities in the world. Diversity is what NYC is all about; a place where the world is on showcase. So, why wouldn't there be a Mosque, let alone near the WTC? Instead of attacking the idea and making it about politics and religion, let's turn this into a story of Americans joining together and building something better.

Landmarks Panel Clears Way for Ground Zero Mosque

A city commission on Tuesday denied landmark status to a building near the World Trade Center site, freeing a group to convert the property into an Islamic community center and mosque that has drawn national opposition.

The Landmarks Preservation Commission voted 9-0, saying the 152-year-old building blocks from the site of the Sept. 11 attacks wasn't special or distinctive enough to meet criteria to qualify as a landmark. Commissioners also said that other buildings from the era were better examples of the building's style.

National and New York politicians and the Anti-Defamation League have come out in recent weeks against plans for the mosque, saying it disrespects the memory of Sept. 11 victims. Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who also chairs the foundation building the Sept. 11 memorial, has defended plans for the mosque.

Bloomberg today joined City Council Chair Christine Quinn and several religious leaders to reiterate his support for the mosque, which has drawn criticism from some Republicans and family members of those who died in the Sept. 11 attacks.

Bloomberg said the firefighters and other first responders who died in the attacks had done so to protect religious freedom. Read more here.

WTC Mosque Ad: The Debate Grows

The controversy surrounding a possible mosque near the World Trade Center site is definitely a difficult issue for people. The debate has resulted in this recent ad example, and I'm sure you will see more develop. What is the real issue here? I don't think it is really about a mosque being built, but the ultimate control of memory and the message imparted to people about 9/11. People see this mosque as a dishonor to the victims, and others are taking this a step further with conspiracy theories about terrorists. The debate here is how will we remember 9/11 and what it will instill and inspire in people. When people visit the WTC site, everyone can agree that remembering the victims and the event should be priority. But why not make 9/11 into more than the horrendous tragedy it was, and go a step further and turn it into an opportunity to show terrorists and anyone filled with hatred and evil why the US is the great country it is. Embrace a mosque that becomes a pillar in the community, contributing to rebuilding the WTC site and community, showing Americans, Muslims and the World that we can all work together.

Ground zero flag bound for 9/11 museum

A New York City foundation is donating a U.S. flag recovered from ground zero to the National September 11 Memorial and Museum.

The group's spokesman David Vermillion says the tattered, 20-foot-by-30-foot flag will first embark on a national tour. People from different areas of the country will help restore it to its original 13-stripe format, using pieces from retired flags.

After a two-year tour, the flag will become part of the September 11 museum's permanent collection.

It's being donated by the New York Says Thank You Foundation. It's a nonprofit group that was founded to repay the acts of kindness the city received after 9/11.

Read more: http://www.timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?storyID=947503&category=STATE#ixzz0so6ejE9a

Publisher of 9/11 Commission Report Donates Portion of Profits

Anyone who has followed the events of 9/11 owns this published report. I also own a copy, and interestingly, they drew criticism for not donating a portion of their proceeds for charities related to September 11th. They did up making such an announcement soon after this issue surfaced:

W. W. Norton & Company, which published the first authorized edition of the 9/11 Commission's report a year ago, has announced it will donate $600,000 in profits from the book to three programs focused on emergency preparedness and international relations, the New York Times reports.

Norton will give $200,000 each to the Center for Catastrophe Preparedness & Response and the International Center for Enterprise Preparedness, both housed at New York University, as well as Johns Hopkins University's Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies in Washington, D.C. According to Norton president W. Drake McFeely, the donation equals about 10 percent of the company's gross proceeds from sales of the book to wholesalers and bookstores.

Published last July, The 9/11 Commission Report quickly became one of the best-selling government reports ever, with the Norton edition selling more than a million copies, about 98 percent of those in paperback. Norton drew criticism, however, because it paid nothing for the rights to publish the manuscript and was given special early access to the confidential report by the commission, which wanted printed copies available in bookstores on the day the report was released to the news media. The commission said it chose Norton because the publisher submitted the best proposal, agreeing to sell the paperback version of the report for only $10.

Wyatt, Edward. “Publisher Names 9/11 Charities.” New York Times 7/21/05.

Twin Towers Glass

This was a piece of glass from the Twin Towers site that was given to me by a friend. Not necessarily a clear fit within my collection, as I don't collect actual artifacts from the WTC site, but definitely worth mentioning here.

Brass Twin Towers Tribute

A solid brass tribute to the World Trade Center, and quite heavy. The Towers each have a clock in them, stopped at the time when the planes hit each tower. There are numerous examples of tributes like this. My collection features a handful, which are posted on this blog. Each example has its own features, but this one is pretty unique. I also think this qualifies as a sculpture piece.

Girl's Bow Clip

A girl's bow clip tribute to the World Trade Center. The plastic piece in the middle of the bow has the Twin Towers, a flag and the words "Never Forget." A strange tribute (in my opinion) in that I can't imagine having my 3 year daughter wear this clip. I'm sure there would be those who would disagree. I do think this is another great example of the growing recognition (not officially) of September 11th as a "holiday." I look at a holiday from the perspective that there are consumer goods marketed and available for its celebration. No question that something like this themed bow could be compared to any other themed bow that a child would put on say for July 4th, Valentine's Day, etc.