I'M AWARE I'M JUST SEEING IT EVERYWHERE NOW
Odd things in the July 9, 2001 issue of the New Yorker (Living with someone who doesn't throw things out has its advantages):

- a cartoon showing a rooftop party with the host coming out with a tray, the caption being:
"Okay, everybody, let's eat before the food gets dirty!";

- a longer piece by Jeffrey Goldberg, "The Martyr Strategy: What does the new phase of terrorism signify?" focusing on Palestinian extremism and, of course, on Public Enemy Number One;

- a short piece by Lillian Ross on the sudden arrival (and departure) of Bill Clinton to a semi-official function;

- another longer piece by Seymour M. Hersh about the shady backroom workings of Mobil in The Persian Gulf and South Asia, entitled "The Price of Oil";

- two other cartoons:
"So, Jim, where do you see yourself in ten minutes?"
"Relax, don't be afraid, it's just your office."

I am, in fact, aware that this is merely coincidence. Maybe it's just that the economy, oil prices, fear of the unknown and the hijinks of our past and current leaders are our main obsessions, which might be why this whole thing is hurting everyone like it has been. Maybe it's just that New York is in a lot of ways the most jaded, blase, detached city-state I've ever heard of, and this spectacular bursting of the bubble could not have been calculated to screw this city up any more than it could have. I guess this means I'm officially still paranoid.