Some thoughts on today's steam pipe explosion in New York City:

- It's going to be an entire generation, maybe two, before people see an image like this and don't think of 9/11. Especially in New York City. We can talk all we want, but in this regard, the terrorists won.

- People's reactions are the same, even once they know it wasn't an attack. People ran down long fights of stairs in office buildings. My mother called the house to make sure I was OK. I irrationally scanned through the pictures on the web, looking for people I might know.

- New York City firemen, some of whom responded to the 9/11 attacks, and most of whom know someone who died responding to them, still ran into the fray to secure the situation and help the citizens of New York. The bravery these men & women exhibit is beyond my comprehension.

- Finally, no matter what happens, someone will always stop to take a picture of it.