Tuesday, July 31, 2007

Sunday, July 22, 2007

*Please take the time to read*

Hey Anderfans, I just wanted to post this to say that I'm sorry there hasn't been much content on the blog as of late. Chris has had technological problems, I have just been so busy with trying to keep up with life, school, and work.

So if anyone out there has ever wanted to start their own Anderson blog, but never have due to the number of blogs already out there, or for some other reason, please let me know if you would like to contibute to Andernation! I would love to bring on some more people to the team.

I don't know if I'll have much time once the fall semester begins, and I don't want to close Andernation, because I do know of some people that have been very loyal to the blog even during the slow times, and for that I thank each and everyone of you. I'm beginning my senior year know, and I know it's going to be a difficult process, and I still have tons to think about for my future.

So please, send me a message via the "Contact Me" application located on the right hand side of the screen if you would like to contribute. Picture of the Weeks, Polls, 360 reviews, and even your own off topic posts are always welcome!!!

Thanks for stopping by and reading this!

Picture of the week 07/22/07

Tuesday, July 17, 2007

Today In History

Today is Tuesday, July 17, the 198th day of 2007. There are 167 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:

On July 17, 1996, TWA Flight 800, a Paris-bound Boeing 747, exploded and crashed off Long Island, N.Y., shortly after leaving John F. Kennedy International Airport, killing all 230 people aboard.

On this date:

In 1821, Spain ceded Florida to the United States.

In 1898, during the Spanish-American War, Spanish troops in Santiago, Cuba, surrendered to U.S. forces.

In 1918, Russia's Czar Nicholas II and his family were executed by the Bolsheviks.

In 1944, 322 people were killed when a pair of ammunition ships exploded in Port Chicago, Calif.

In 1945, President Harry Truman, Soviet leader Josef Stalin and British Prime Minister Winston S. Churchill began meeting at Potsdam, Germany, in the final Allied summit of World War II.

In 1955, Disneyland debuted in Anaheim, Calif.

In 1967, jazz composer-musician John Coltrane died in Huntington, N.Y., at age 40.

In 1975, an Apollo spaceship docked with a Soyuz spacecraft in orbit in the first superpower linkup of its kind.

In 1979, Nicaraguan President Anastasio Somoza resigned and fled into exile in Miami.

In 1981, 114 people were killed when a pair of walkways above the lobby of the Kansas City Hyatt Regency Hotel collapsed during a "tea dance."

Ten years ago: Woolworth Corp. announced it was closing its 400 remaining five-and-dime stores across the country, ending 117 years in business. President Bill Clinton nominated Army Gen. Henry Shelton to be the next chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. The space shuttle Columbia and its crew of seven returned to Earth after a near-flawless 16-day science mission.

Five years ago: A double suicide bombing in Tel Aviv killed two foreign workers and one Israeli. In Britain, a one-day strike by 750,000 municipal employees closed schools, libraries and recreation centers in their first national walkout in more than two decades.

One year ago: The shuttle Discovery and its crew of six returned home safely. A powerful earthquake sent a tsunami crashing into a beach resort on Indonesia's Java island, killing at least 600 people. Mystery writer Mickey Spillane died in Murrells Inlet, S.C., at age 88.

Thought for Today: "Modo et modo non habebant modum." (By and by never comes.) — St. Augustine (A.D. 354-A.D. 430).

Monday, July 16, 2007

Picture of the Week 07/16/07

today In history

Today is Monday, July 16, the 197th day of 2007. There are 168 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:

On July 16, 1945, the United States exploded its first experimental atomic bomb, in the desert of Alamogordo, N.M.

On this date:

In 1790, the District of Columbia was established as the seat of the U.S. government.

In 1862, David G. Farragut became the first rear admiral in the U.S. Navy.

In 1907, 100 years ago, actress Barbara Stanwyck was born in New York.

In 1907, "Popcorn King" Orville Redenbacher was born in Brazil, Ind.

In 1957, Marine Maj. John Glenn set a transcontinental speed record by flying a jet from California to New York in three hours, 23 minutes and eight seconds.

In 1964, in accepting the Republican presidential nomination in San Francisco, Barry M. Goldwater said "extremism in the defense of liberty is no vice" and that "moderation in the pursuit of justice is no virtue."

In 1969, Apollo 11 blasted off from Cape Kennedy, Fla., on the first manned mission to the surface of the moon.

In 1973, during the Senate Watergate hearings, former White House aide Alexander P. Butterfield publicly revealed the existence of President Richard Nixon's secret taping system.

In 1979, Saddam Hussein became president of Iraq.

In 1999, John F. Kennedy Jr., his wife, Carolyn, and her sister, Lauren Bessette, died when their single-engine plane, piloted by Kennedy, plunged into the Atlantic Ocean near Martha's Vineyard, Mass.

Ten years ago: Hundreds of FBI agents, some handing out photos in gay bars and hotels, blanketed South Florida in the continuing hunt for alleged prostitute-turned-serial killer Andrew Phillip Cunanan, suspected of gunning down designer Gianni Versace.

Five years ago: The Irish Republican Army issued an unprecedented apology for hundreds of civilian deaths over 30 years. The body of Samantha Runnion, the 5-year-old who had been kidnapped from her home in Stanton, Calif., was found in a heavily forested area about 50 miles away.

One year ago: President Bush and other Group of Eight world leaders meeting in St. Petersburg, Russia, urged Israel to show "utmost restraint" and blamed Hezbollah and Hamas for escalating violence in the Middle East. Claiming election fraud had robbed him of the presidency, leftist candidate Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador led hundreds of thousands of marchers through Mexico's capital. Robert Brooks, chairman of Hooters of America, died in Myrtle Beach, S.C., at age 69.


Thought for Today: "In some sort of crude sense which no vulgarity, no humor, no overstatement can quite extinguish, the physicists have known sin; and this is a knowledge which they cannot lose." — J. Robert Oppenheimer, American physicist (1904-1967).

Sunday, July 15, 2007

Today In History

Today is Sunday, July 15, the 196th day of 2007. There are 169 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:

On July 15, 1971, President Richard Nixon startled the country by announcing he would visit the People's Republic of China.

On this date:

In 1606, Dutch painter Rembrandt was born in Leiden, Netherlands.

In 1870, Georgia became the last Confederate state readmitted to the Union.

In 1870, Manitoba entered confederation as the fifth Canadian province.

In 1916, Boeing Co., originally known as Pacific Aero Products, was founded in Seattle.

In 1948, President Harry Truman was nominated for another term of office by the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia.

In 1964, Sen. Barry M. Goldwater of Arizona was nominated for president by the Republican National Convention in San Francisco.

In 1965, U.S. scientists displayed close-up photographs of the planet Mars taken by Mariner 4.

In 1976, a 36-hour kidnap ordeal began for 26 schoolchildren and their bus driver as they were abducted near Chowchilla, Calif., by three gunmen and imprisoned in an underground cell. (The captives escaped unharmed.)

In 1979, President Carter delivered his "malaise" speech in which he lamented what he called a "crisis of confidence" in America.

In 1985, a gaunt-looking Rock Hudson appeared at a news conference with actress Doris Day (it was later revealed Hudson was suffering from AIDS).

Ten years ago: Fashion designer Gianni Versace was shot dead outside his Miami home; suspected gunman Andrew Phillip Cunanan was found dead eight days later.

Five years ago: John Walker Lindh, an American who had fought alongside the Taliban in Afghanistan, pleaded guilty to two felonies in a deal sparing him life in prison. A Pakistani judge convicted four Islamic militants in the kidnap-slaying of Wall Street Journal correspondent Daniel Pearl. Five-year-old Samantha Runnion was kidnapped from an apartment complex in Stanton, Calif. (Her body was found the next day; a suspect, Alejandro Avila, was later convicted).

One year ago: The U.N. Security Council condemned North Korea's missile tests and imposed limited sanctions; a defiant North said it would launch more missiles. In a chilly prelude to a Group of Eight summit in St. Petersburg, President Bush blocked Russia's entry into the World Trade Organization. Gunmen in Baghdad kidnapped the chairman of Iraq's Olympic committee and at least 30 others. The space shuttle Discovery undocked from the international space station.

Thought for Today: "Love is not enough. It must be the foundation, the cornerstone — but not the complete structure. It is much too pliable, too yielding." — Bette Davis, American actress (1908-1989).

Friday, July 13, 2007

Today In History

Today is Friday, July 13, the 194th day of 2007. There are 171 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:

On July 13, 1793, French revolutionary writer Jean-Paul Marat was stabbed to death in his bath by Charlotte Corday, who was executed four days later.

On this date:

In 1787, Congress enacted an ordinance governing the Northwest Territory.

In 1863, deadly rioting against the Civil War military draft erupted in New York City.

In 1878, the Treaty of Berlin amended the terms of the Treaty of San Stefano, which had ended the Russo-Turkish War of 1877-78.

In 1886, Father Edward Joseph Flanagan, the founder of Boys Town, was born in County Roscommon, Ireland.

In 1960, John F. Kennedy won the Democratic presidential nomination at his party's convention in Los Angeles.

In 1967, race-related rioting that claimed some two dozen lives broke out in Newark, N.J.

In 1972, George McGovern claimed the Democratic presidential nomination at the party's convention in Miami Beach, Fla.

In 1977, a blackout lasting 25 hours hit the New York City area.

In 1978, Lee Iacocca was fired as president of Ford Motor Co. by chairman Henry Ford II.

In 1985, "Live Aid," an international rock concert in London, Philadelphia, Moscow and Sydney, took place to raise money for Africa's starving people.

Ten years ago: Secretary of State Madeleine Albright returned to her Jewish roots in the Czech Republic, finding the names of family members killed by the Nazis inscribed on a Prague synagogue wall. (News reports revealed that Albright, who had been raised a Roman Catholic, had Jewish relatives, many of whom had died in the Holocaust.)

Five years ago: The nation's governors opened their summer meeting in Boise, Idaho, with high health care costs the main topic. Photographer Yousuf Karsh died in Boston at age 93.

One year ago: Israel imposed a naval blockade against Lebanon and blasted the Beirut airport and army air bases; Hezbollah fired dozens of rockets into Israel. Former CIA officer Valerie Plame sued Vice President Dick Cheney, presidential adviser Karl Rove and other White House officials, saying they orchestrated a "whispering campaign" to destroy her career. Actor-comedian Red Buttons died in Los Angeles at age 87.

Thought for Today: "There are people who want to be everywhere at once, and they get nowhere." — Carl Sandburg, American writer (1878-1967).

Thursday, July 12, 2007

Today in History

Today is Thursday, July 12, the 193rd day of 2007. There are 172 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:

On July 12, 1862, Congress authorized the Medal of Honor.

On this date:

In 100 B.C., Roman dictator Julius Caesar was born.

In 1543, England's King Henry VIII married his sixth and last wife, Catherine Parr.

In 1690, forces led by William of Orange defeated the army of James II at the Battle of the Boyne in Ireland.

In 1812, U.S. forces led by Gen. William Hull entered Canada during the War of 1812 against Britain. (However, Hull retreated shortly thereafter to Detroit.)

In 1817, naturalist-author Henry David Thoreau was born in Concord, Mass.

In 1854, George Eastman, inventor of the Kodak camera and film, was born in Waterville, N.Y.

In 1948, the Democratic National Convention opened in Philadelphia.

In 1977, President Jimmy Carter defended Supreme Court decisions limiting government payments for poor women's abortions, saying, "There are many things in life that are not fair."

In 1984, Democratic presidential candidate Walter F. Mondale announced he had chosen U.S. Rep. Geraldine A. Ferraro of New York to be his running-mate; Ferraro was the first woman to run for vice president on a major-party ticket.

In 1993, some 200 people were killed when an earthquake measuring a magnitude of 7.8 struck northern Japan and triggered a tsunami.

Ten years ago: In Copenhagen, the last stop of an eight-day European tour, President Bill Clinton said political divisions in Europe were closing. In Spain, kidnapped Basque politician Miguel Angel Blanco was found mortally wounded shortly after a deadline set by his militant Basque captors.

Five years ago: The Senate adopted a ban on personal loans from companies to their top officials, a practice that had benefited executives from Enron to WorldCom. The U.N. Security Council agreed to exempt U.S. peacekeepers from war crimes prosecution for a year, ending a threat to U.N. peacekeeping operations.

One year ago: Hezbollah guerrillas kidnapped two Israeli soldiers and killed eight others in a cross-border raid; Israel sent ground troops into Lebanon in response. World powers agreed to send Iran before the U.N. Security Council for possible punishment, saying Tehran had given no sign it would bargain in earnest over its disputed nuclear program.

Thought for Today: "We think according to nature. We speak according to rules. We act according to custom." — Francis Bacon, English philosopher (1561-1626).

Wednesday, July 11, 2007

Today In History

Today is Wednesday, July 11, the 192nd day of 2007. There are 173 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:

On July 11, 1804, Vice President Aaron Burr mortally wounded former Treasury Secretary Alexander Hamilton during a pistol duel in Weehawken, N.J.

On this date:

In 1767, John Quincy Adams, the sixth president of the United States, was born in Braintree, Mass.

In 1798, the U.S. Marine Corps was formally re-established by a congressional act that also created the U.S. Marine Band.

In 1864, Confederate forces led by Gen. Jubal Early began an abortive invasion of Washington, turning back the next day.

In 1934, President Franklin D. Roosevelt became the first incumbent chief executive to travel through the Panama Canal.

In 1952, the Republican National Convention, meeting in Chicago, nominated Dwight D. Eisenhower for president and Richard M. Nixon for vice president.

In 1955, the U.S. Air Force Academy swore in its first class of cadets at its temporary quarters, Lowry Air Force Base in Colorado.

In 1864, Confederate forces led by Gen. Jubal Early began an abortive invasion of Washington, turning back the next day.

In 1934, President Franklin D. Roosevelt became the first incumbent chief executive to travel through the Panama Canal.

In 1952, the Republican National Convention, meeting in Chicago, nominated Dwight D. Eisenhower for president and Richard M. Nixon for vice president.

In 1955, the U.S. Air Force Academy swore in its first class of cadets at its temporary quarters, Lowry Air Force Base in Colorado.

In 1977, the Medal of Freedom was awarded posthumously to the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.

In 1979, the abandoned U.S. space station Skylab made a spectacular return to Earth, burning up in the atmosphere and showering debris over the Indian Ocean and Australia.

In 1980, American hostage Richard I. Queen, freed by Iran after eight months of captivity because of poor health, left Tehran for Switzerland.

In 1995, the United States normalized relations with Vietnam.

Ten years ago: President Bill Clinton was cheered by tens of thousands of people in Bucharest, Romania, where he raised hopes for NATO membership. Ninety-one tourists were killed when fire broke out at the Royal Jomtien Hotel in Pattaya, Thailand.

Five years ago: Lawmakers balked at moving the Coast Guard and the Federal Emergency Management Agency into a new Homeland Security Department despite pleas from senior Cabinet officials to stick to President George W. Bush's blueprint. (Both agencies did end up being included in the new department.)

One year ago: Eight bombs hit the commuter rail network during evening rush hour in Mumbai, India, killing more than 200 people. In Chicago, a Blue Line train derailed and started a fire during the evening rush hour, filling a subway tunnel with smoke and forcing dozens of soot-covered commuters to evacuate. The American League edged the National League 3-2 in the All-Star Game in Pittsburgh. Actor Barnard Hughes died in New York at age 90.

Thought for Today: "Education is the ability to listen to almost anything without losing your temper or your self-confidence." — Robert Frost, American poet (1874-1963).

Tuesday, July 10, 2007

*MOVIES*

What is it with all the Harry Potter hype? Well, my household is extremely excited about the new movie. My sister hasn't slept for 27 hours...and she's still awake...she's just sooooooo excited! So, we (my mom, sister, and I) will be going to the midnight release of the movie and I can guarantee that my sister will see it at least 9 times (like she always does)

So has anyone seen Transformers? All I can say is WOW...it was a great movie! The special effects were awesome!! It had a great storyline, with many underlying messages (well I thought so). Awesome movie, all star performances from every cast memeber!

Ratatouille is a great movie as well. It was just too cute!! Great family movie!!

Anywho, hope everyone is having a GREAT day! Take care!

Today In History

Today is Tuesday, July 10, the 191st day of 2007. There are 174 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:

On July 10, 1940, during World War II, the Battle of Britain began as Nazi forces started attacking southern England by air.

On this date:

In 1850, Vice President Millard Fillmore assumed the presidency, taking the oath of office following the death of President Zachary Taylor.

In 1890, Wyoming became the 44th state.

In 1919, President Woodrow Wilson personally delivered the Treaty of Versailles to the Senate, and urged its ratification.

In 1925, the official news agency of the Soviet Union, TASS, was established.

In 1943, during World War II, U.S. and British forces invaded Sicily.

In 1951, armistice talks aimed at ending the Korean conflict began at Kaesong.

In 1962, the Telstar communications satellite was launched from Cape Canaveral, Fla.

In 1973, the Bahamas became fully independent after three centuries of British colonial rule.

In 1985, bowing to pressure from irate customers, the Coca-Cola Co. said it would resume selling old-formula Coke, while continuing to sell New Coke.

In 1991, Boris N. Yeltsin took the oath of office as the first elected president of the Russian republic.

Ten years ago: President Bill Clinton, visiting Poland, told cheering Poles in Warsaw that "never again will your fate be decided by others" following his successful drive to bring Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic into NATO by 1999. Scientists in London said DNA from a Neanderthal skeleton supported a theory that all humanity descended from an "African Eve" 100,000 to 200,000 years ago.

Five years ago: A unified Senate approved harsh new penalties for corporate fraud and document-shredding as part of an accounting oversight bill. The House approved, 310-113, a measure to allow airline pilots to carry guns in the cockpit to defend their planes against terrorists. (President George W. Bush later signed the measure into law.)

One year ago: A Manhattan town house was leveled by an explosion; authorities say a suicidal doctor set off the blast to avoid selling it in a divorce settlement. (The doctor, Nicholas Bartha, died five days later.) A section of ceiling in Boston's Big Dig tunnel collapsed, killing a car passenger. A Pakistani passenger plane crashed, killing all 45 people on board. Chechen rebel leader Shamil Basayev was killed when a dynamite-laden truck in his convoy exploded.


Thought for Today: "Statesmen think they make history; but history makes itself and drags the statesmen along." — Will Rogers, American humorist (1879-1935).

Monday, July 09, 2007

Today In History

Today is Monday, July 9, the 190th day of 2007. There are 175 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:

On July 9, 1776, the Declaration of Independence was read aloud to Gen. George Washington's troops in New York.

On this date:

In 1540, England's King Henry VIII had his six-month-old marriage to his fourth wife, Anne of Cleves, annulled.

In 1816, Argentina declared independence from Spain.

In 1850, the 12th president of the United States, Zachary Taylor, died after serving only 16 months of his term.

In 1896, William Jennings Bryan delivered his famous "cross of gold" speech at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago.

In 1918, 101 people were killed in a train collision in Nashville, Tenn.

In 1944, during World War II, American forces secured Saipan as the last Japanese defenses fell.

In 1947, the engagement of Britain's Princess Elizabeth to Lt. Philip Mountbatten was announced.

In 1951, President Harry Truman asked Congress to formally end the state of war between the U.S. and Germany.

In 1982, a Pan Am Boeing 727 crashed in Kenner, La., killing all 145 people aboard and eight people on the ground.

In 1986, the Attorney General's Commission on Pornography released the final draft of its report, which linked hard-core porn to sex crimes.

Ten years ago: Leaders of 16 NATO nations met with 25 other countries in an unprecedented security summit in Madrid, Spain. Boxer Mike Tyson was banned from the ring and fined $3 million for biting opponent Evander Holyfield's ear.

Five years ago: The Senate voted to entomb thousands of tons of radioactive waste inside Yucca Mountain in the Nevada desert, rejecting the state's fervent protests. Speaking in New York, President Bush called for doubled prison terms and aggressive policing to combat fraud and corruption in corporate America. African leaders launched the African Union, an ambitious new body intended to pull the beleaguered continent out of poverty and conflict. To the boos of disappointed fans, the All-Star game in Milwaukee finished in a 7-7 tie after 11 innings when both teams ran out of pitchers. Academy Award-winning actor Rod Steiger died in Los Angeles at age 77.

One year ago: A Russian Airbus A310 crashed in the Siberian city of Irkutsk, killing at least 125 of 203 people on board. In a penalty-plagued final, Italy won the World Cup soccer title with a penalty shootout over France. Roger Federer ended a five-match losing streak to Rafael Nadal, winning 6-0, 7-6 (5), 6-7 (2), 6-3 to earn his fourth straight Wimbledon title.


Thought for Today: "A good storyteller is a person who has a good memory and hopes other people haven't." — Irvin Cobb, American humorist (1876-1944).

Sunday, July 08, 2007

Picture of the Week 07/08/07

Today In History

Today is Sunday, July 8, the 189th day of 2007. There are 176 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:

On July 8, 1776, Col. John Nixon gave the first public reading of the Declaration of Independence, in Philadelphia.

On this date:

In 1663, King Charles II of England granted a Royal Charter to Rhode Island.

In 1853, an expedition led by Commodore Matthew Perry arrived in Yedo Bay, Japan, on a mission to seek diplomatic and trade relations with the Japanese.

In 1889, The Wall Street Journal was first published.

In 1907, 100 years ago, Florenz Ziegfeld staged his first "Follies," on the roof of the New York Theater.

In 1919, President Woodrow Wilson received a tumultuous welcome in New York City after his return from the Versailles Peace Conference in France.

In 1947, demolition work began in New York City to make way for the new permanent headquarters of the United Nations.

In 1947, U.S. Army Air Force officials in Roswell, N.M., announced that an object that had crashed nearby was a weather balloon — not a "flying disc," as initially reported.

In 1950, President Truman named Gen. Douglas MacArthur commander-in-chief of United Nations forces in Korea.

In 1986, Kurt Waldheim was inaugurated as president of Austria despite controversy over his alleged ties to Nazi war crimes.

In 1994, Kim Il Sung, North Korea's communist leader since 1948, died at age 82.

Ten years ago: The U.S. Senate Governmental Affairs Committee opened politically charged hearings into fund-raising abuses, with chairman Fred Thompson accusing China of trying to influence the 1996 U.S. elections. NATO extended membership invitations to Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic. The Mayo Clinic and the government warned the diet-drug combination known as "fen-phen" could cause serious heart and lung damage.

Five years ago: WorldCom and its former auditors clashed over responsibility for nearly $4 billion in accounting improprieties, as WorldCom's former CEO and finance chief, Scott Sullivan, refused to testify before a House panel investigating the debacle.

One year ago: Four more U.S. soldiers were charged with rape and murder and a fifth with dereliction of duty in the alleged rape-slaying of a young Iraqi woman and the killings of her relatives in Mahmoudiya. Discovery astronauts Piers Sellers and Michael Fossum went on a 7 1/2-hour spacewalk to test a repair technique for space shuttles. Amelie Mauresmo beat Justine Henin-Hardenne, 2-6, 6-3, 6-4 at Wimbledon to win her second Grand Slam championship. Actress June Allyson died in Ojai, Calif., at age 88.

Thought for Today: "History must stay open, it is all humanity." — William Carlos Williams, American author and poet (1883-1963).

Saturday, July 07, 2007

4th of July Pictures

I decided I would test out my camera's "firework" function, and here are some of the good shots I was able to capture!





















Poor Annie

LITTLE GIRL TORTURED

In 1997, on a balmy still September night in the tranquil Australian bushland of the Northern Territories Tomkinson River (near the township of Maningrida), a gorgeous 16-year-old girl named Annie is alerted to the dull mechanical thud of a vehicle heading her way. Feeling nervous and a little insecure, Annie quietly slips into her home and listens.

The noise of the oncoming vehicle is piercing and threatening in her normally quiet peaceful harmonious Aussie bush home. It keeps coming louder and louder, closer and closer. She waits and listens anxiously. Her nerves and adrenaline heighten to a point where she cant take it any longer. She has to look. As she takes a peek, a bright spot light temporarily blinds her. Completely confused and dazed shes not sure what to do. Before she can react, a searing pain strikes her in the neck as two long sharp barbs of steel penetrate deep into her flesh. She reels in pain back into the security and familiarity of her home. Tearing at the barbs deep in her neck, she feels the strain of a cord running from the barbs to the vehicle and male voices of excitement.

Four desperate adult men pull at the cord as they shout, "We got her. We got her. Hang on to her. Keep the strain on!" They tug on the cord knowingly. Those men know she cant get the barbs out and its just a matter of wearing her down and dragging her to them. Struggling and resisting with all her might, the poor helpless girl is dragged to what she fears is certain torture and death. Exhausted, breathless, totally blinded by a spotlight thats right in her eyes, she is so weak she can hardly move, so starved for energy and air shes virtually frozen in fear and pain. Being dragged by the neck from her home is so traumatic; she doesnt feel the noose go around her head.

Exhilarated by the hunt, revelling in the thrill of the chase and amused by the fight of their prey, totally oblivious to her pain and fear and without remorse, the men mercilessly pull her into the vehicle. They gaffer tape her legs together; tie her arms together behind her back; tape her eyes shut and have her mouth gagged. Very, very happy with their prey, they head for their hideout. The most beautiful of girls is bound so tight that she goes from numb to excruciating pain, yet unable to utter a sound. Almost totally incoherent from cramps and searing pain, she hears the men shout, "Theres another one. Lets get her!" Whack they drive in the barbs and reel another in. Shes even younger and barely an adolescent, easily manhandled, bound and thrown in the vehicle.

'Imagine poor little Annie's nightmare and torment as she lies in pain and fear when they pull up.' The men manhandle her to a dusty old shed; throw her on the ground and mill around smoking and laughing for what seems like hours. Then she hears it! Sssskkk a rifle is loaded and cocked. Annie feels the cold steel of the barrel touching her head. "No not there, you have to shoot them here one man exclaims." "Here?" the other man questions. "Yeah. Thats it, now angle it up towards her brain." "Yeah, thats it" he directs. BOOM! Her torture and torment is finally over but while shes still twitching, they skin her.

No one mourned the death of Annie. No one will shed a tear at her passing or even remember her. No one cares that Annie died so horrifically because Annie was a crocodile. -Steve Irwin - 2000

Today In History

Today is Saturday, July 7, the 188th day of 2007. There are 177 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:

On July 7, 1865, four people were hanged in Washington for conspiring with John Wilkes Booth to assassinate President Lincoln.

On this date:

In 1807, Napoleon I of France and Czar Alexander I of Russia signed a treaty at Tilsit ending war between their empires.

In 1896, the Democratic national convention opened in Chicago.

In 1898, the United States annexed Hawaii.

In 1907, 100 years ago, science-fiction author Robert Heinlein was born in Butler, Miss.

In 1930, construction began on Boulder Dam (later Hoover Dam).

In 1946, Italian-born Mother Frances Xavier Cabrini was canonized as the first American saint by Pope Pius XII.

In 1958, President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed the Alaska statehood bill. (Alaska became the 49th state in January 1959.)

In 1981, President Reagan announced he was nominating Arizona Judge Sandra Day O'Connor to become the first female justice on the U.S. Supreme Court.

In 1987, Lt. Col. Oliver North began his long-awaited public testimony at the Iran-Contra hearing, telling Congress that he had "never carried out a single act, not one," without authorization.

In 2005, suicide terrorist bombings in three Underground stations and a double-decker bus killed 52 victims and four bombers in the worst attack on London since World War II.

Ten years ago: Three days after landing on Mars, the Pathfinder spacecraft yielded what scientists said was unmistakable photographic evidence that colossal floods had scoured the planet's now-barren landscape more than a billion years ago.

Five years ago: Afghanistan's vice president, Abdul Qadir, was buried with full military honors one day after being assassinated. Texas Gov. Rick Perry saw by helicopter the devastation days of torrential rain had brought to central and southern Texas. Lleyton Hewitt crushed David Nalbandian in straight sets, 6-1, 6-3, 6-2, in the Wimbledon final to win his second Grand Slam title.

One year ago: Japan introduced a draft U.N. Security Council resolution to sanction North Korea for test-launching a series of missiles. (The Council unanimously adopted a compromise resolution on July 15.) Syd Barrett, co-founder of Pink Floyd, died in Cambridge, England, at age 60.

Thought for Today: "Memory depends very much on the perspicuity, regularity, and order of our thoughts. Many complain of the want of memory, when the defect is in their judgment; and others, by grasping at all, retain nothing." — Margaret Fuller, American critic and social reformer (1810-1850).

Thursday, July 05, 2007

Today In History

Today is Thursday, July 5, the 186th day of 2007. There are 179 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:
On July 5, 1947, Larry Doby made his debut with the Cleveland Indians, becoming the first black player in the American League.

On this date:

In 1811, Venezuela became the first South American country to declare independence from Spain.

In 1830, the French occupied the North African city of Algiers.

In 1865, William Booth founded the Salvation Army in London.

In 1935, President Roosevelt signed the National Labor Relations Act, which provided for a National Labor Relations Board, and authorized labor to organize for the purpose of collective bargaining.

In 1940, during World War II, Britain and the Vichy government in France broke off diplomatic relations.

In 1946, the bikini bathing suit, designed by Louis Reard, made its debut during an outdoor fashion show at the Molitor Pool in Paris.

In 1954, Elvis Presley's first commercial recording session took place at Sun Records in Memphis, Tenn.; the song he recorded was "That's All Right (Mama)."

In 1975, Arthur Ashe became the first black man to win a Wimbledon singles title as he defeated Jimmy Connors.

In 1977, Pakistan's army, led by General Mohammad Zia ul-Haq, seized power from President Zulfikar Ali Bhutto. (Bhutto was executed in 1979.)

In 1991, a worldwide financial scandal erupted as regulators in eight countries shut down the Bank of Credit and Commerce International.

Ten years ago: NASA scientists brainstormed to fix problems that left Mars Pathfinder's robot rover stuck aboard the lander. Cambodia's Second Prime Minister Hun Sen launched a bloody coup that toppled First Prime Minister Norodom Ranariddh. Sixteen-year-old Martina Hingis became the youngest Wimbledon singles champion this century as she beat Jana Novotna, 2-6, 6-3, 6-3 in the women's finals. (Charlotte "Lottie" Dod won in 1887 at age 15.)

Five years ago: President Bush telephoned Afghan President Hamid Karzai to express condolences for the deaths of Afghan civilians killed in a U.S. bombing four days earlier. (Forty-eight civilians were killed, according to Afghan officials.) Baseball Hall of Famer Ted Williams died in Citrus County, Fla., at age 83.

One year ago: North Korea test-fired seven missiles into the Sea of Japan, including at least one believed capable of reaching the U.S. mainland. Enron founder Kenneth Lay, who was facing decades in prison for one of the most sprawling business frauds in U.S. history, died in Aspen, Colo., at age 64.

Thought for Today: "If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer. Let him step to the music which he hears, however measured or far away." — Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862).

Wednesday, July 04, 2007

Happy 4th of July


Today in History

Today is Wednesday, July 4, the 185th day of 2007. There are 180 days left in the year. This is Independence Day.

Today's Highlight in History:On July 4, 1776, the Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence.

On this date:

In 1802, the United States Military Academy officially opened at West Point, N.Y.

In 1807, 200 years ago, soldier-statesman Giuseppe Garibaldi, who played a key role in Italy's unification during the 19th century, was born in Nice.

In 1826, 50 years to the day after the Declaration of Independence was adopted, former presidents John Adams and Thomas Jefferson both died.

In 1831, the fifth president of the U.S., James Monroe, died in New York City.

In 1872, the 30th president of the U.S., Calvin Coolidge, was born in Plymouth, Vt.

In 1917, during a ceremony in Paris honoring the French hero of the American Revolution, U.S. Lt. Col. Charles E. Stanton declared, "Lafayette, we are here!"

In 1939, baseball's "Iron Horse, " Lou Gehrig, said farewell to his fans at New York's Yankee Stadium.

In 1966, President Lyndon Johnson signed the Freedom of Information Act, which went into effect the following year.

In 1976, Israeli commandos raided Entebbe airport in Uganda, rescuing almost all of the passengers and crew of an Air France jetliner seized by pro-Palestinian hijackers.

In 1987, Klaus Barbie, the former Gestapo chief known as the "Butcher of Lyon, " was convicted by a French court of crimes against humanity and sentenced to life in prison (he died in September 1991).

Ten years ago: NASA's Pathfinder spacecraft landed on Mars, inaugurating a new era in the search for life on the Red Planet. CBS newsman Charles Kuralt died in New York at age 62.

Five years ago: A gunman opened fire at Israel's El Al airline ticket counter at Los Angeles International Airport; three people were killed, including the gunman. Benjamin O. Davis Jr., leader of the famed all-black Tuskegee Airmen during World War II and the first black general in the Air Force, died in Washington at age 89. Winnifred Quick Van Tongerloo, who survived the Titanic sinking, died in East Lansing, Mich., at age 98.

One year ago: Discovery lifted off in the first Independence Day shuttle launch. Word reached the United States that North Korea had test-fired several missiles, including a long-range device that failed within seconds (because of the time difference, it was July 5 at the launch site).

Thought for Today: "All progress has resulted from people who took unpopular positions." — Adlai E. Stevenson, American diplomat and politician (1900-1965).

Tuesday, July 03, 2007

Today In History

Today is Tuesday, July 3, the 184th day of 2007. There are 181 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:
On July 3, 1863, the three-day Civil War Battle of Gettysburg, Pa., ended in a major victory for the North as Confederate troops retreated.

On this date:
In 1608, the City of Quebec was founded by Samuel de Champlain.

In 1775, Gen. George Washington took command of the Continental Army at Cambridge, Mass.

In 1890, Idaho became the 43rd state of the Union.

In 1898, the U.S. Navy defeated a Spanish fleet in the harbor at Santiago, Cuba, during the Spanish-American War.

In 1944, during World War II, Soviet forces recaptured Minsk.

In 1962, Algeria became independent after 132 years of French rule.

In 1971, singer Jim Morrison of The Doors died in Paris at age 27.

In 1976, Israel launched its daring mission to rescue about a hundred passengers and Air France crew members being held at Entebbe Airport in Uganda by pro-Palestinian hijackers.

In 1987, British millionaire Richard Branson and Per Lindstrand became the first hot-air balloon travelers to cross the Atlantic, jumping into the sea as their craft went down off the Scottish coast.

In 1988, the USS Vincennes shot down an Iran Air jetliner over the Persian Gulf, killing all 290 people aboard.

Ten years ago: In his first formal response to charges by Paula Jones of sexual harassment, President Bill Clinton denied all allegations in her lawsuit, and asked a judge to dismiss the case. Lockheed Martin Corp. announced it was buying Northrop Grumman Corp. for $7.9 billion. (However, the merger fell apart when the Justice Department objected on antitrust grounds.)

Five years ago: Jean-Marie Messier, the chairman of Vivendi Universal, was formally removed from his post and replaced by Jean-Rene Fourtou of the pharmaceutical company Aventis.

One year ago: Former Private Steven D. Green was charged in federal court in Charlotte, N.C., with raping a 14-year-old Iraqi girl (Abeer Qassim al-Janabi) and killing her, her parents and sister. (Four members of Green's unit were charged as well; one later pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 100 years in prison.) A subway train derailed in Valencia, Spain, killing 43 people. Annika Sorenstam ended 10 years of frustration by winning the U.S. Women's Open, her 10th major championship.

Thought for Today: "I suppose it can be truthfully said that Hope is the only universal liar who never loses his reputation for veracity." — Robert G. Ingersoll, American lawyer, politician (1833-1899).

Monday, July 02, 2007

Happy Independence Day!

Ok, before you all think that I'm crazy, or have my days all jumbled up...I'm serious! I made a promise that I was going to celebrate the real independence day today, seeing as how it IS July 2nd.

On this day, we declared our Independence, of course it wasn't until the 4th that we got all of our founding fathers to sign the declaration, and that's when everyone else in the United States will be celebrating.

Here's a good quote for today!

"You all listen to me! LISTEN! The other ships will still be looking to us, the Black Pearl to lead, and what will they see? Frightened bilgerats aboard a derelict ship? No, they will see free men and freedom! And the enemy will see the flash of our canons and they will hear the ringing of our swords and they will know what we can do! With the sweat of our brow and the strength of our backs and the courage in our hearts! Gentlemen, Hoist the Colours... " -Elizabeth Swann-POTC: At world's end

Today In History

Today is Monday, July 2, the 183rd day of 2007. There are 182 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:

On July 2, 1776, the Continental Congress passed a resolution saying that "these United Colonies are, and of right ought to be, free and independent States."

On this date:

In 1807, in the wake of the Chesapeake incident, in which the crew of a British frigate boarded an American ship and forcibly removed four suspected deserters, President Thomas Jefferson ordered all British ships to vacate U.S. territorial waters.

In 1881, President James Garfield was shot by Charles J. Guiteau at the Washington railroad station; Garfield died the following September. (Guiteau was hanged in June 1882.)

In 1926, the U.S. Army Air Corps was created.

In 1937, aviator Amelia Earhart and navigator Fred Noonan disappeared over the Pacific Ocean while attempting to make the first round-the-world flight along the equator.

In 1961, author Ernest Hemingway shot himself to death at his home in Ketchum, Idaho.

In 1964, President Lyndon Baines Johnson signed into law a sweeping civil rights bill passed by Congress.

In 1987, 18 illegal aliens were found dead inside a locked boxcar near Sierra Blanca, Texas, in what authorities called a botched smuggling attempt; a 19th man survived.

In 1994, a U.S. Air DC-9 crashed in poor weather at Charlotte-Douglas International Airport in North Carolina, killing 37 of the 57 people aboard.

In 1996, electricity and phone service was knocked out for millions of customers from Canada to the Southwest after power lines throughout the West failed on a record-hot day.

In 2004, actor Marlon Brando died in Los Angeles at age 80.

Ten years ago: Actor James Stewart died in Beverly Hills, Calif., at age 89.

Five years ago: American adventurer Steve Fossett became the first person to fly a balloon solo around the world as he returned to western Australia.

One year ago: Conservative free-trader Felipe Calderon defeated leftist Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador by just 234,000 votes in Mexico's presidential election. Comic Jan Murray died in Beverly Hills, Calif., at age 89.


Thought for Today: "The American Revolution was a beginning, not a consummation." — Woodrow Wilson, the 28th president of the United States (1856-1924).

Sunday, July 01, 2007

Picture of the Week July 1, 2007

Today In History

Today is Sunday, July 1, the 182nd day of 2007. There are 183 days left in the year. This is Canada Day.

Today's Highlight in History:

On July 1, 1946, the United States exploded a 20-kiloton atomic bomb near Bikini Atoll in the Pacific.

On this date:

In 1863, the Civil War Battle of Gettysburg, resulting in a Union victory, began in Pennsylvania.

In 1867, Canada became a self-governing dominion of Great Britain as the British North America Act took effect.

In 1898, during the Spanish-American War, U.S. forces, including Theodore Roosevelt's "Rough Riders," waged a victorious assault on San Juan Hill in Cuba.

In 1932, New York Gov. Franklin D. Roosevelt was nominated for president at the Democratic convention in Chicago.

In 1957, the International Geophysical Year, an 18-month global scientific study, began.

In 1961, Diana, the princess of Wales, was born in Sandringham, England. (She died in a 1997 car crash in Paris at age 36.)

In 1968, the U.S., Britain, the Soviet Union and nearly 60 other nations signed the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty.

In 1980, "O Canada" was proclaimed the national anthem of Canada.

In 1987, President Ronald Reagan nominated federal appeals court judge Robert Bork to the U.S. Supreme Court, setting off a tempestuous confirmation process that ended with Bork's rejection by the Senate.

In 1991, President Bush nominated federal appeals court judge Clarence Thomas to the Supreme Court, beginning an ultimately successful confirmation process marked by allegations of sexual harassment.

Ten years ago: Hong Kong reverted to Chinese rule after 156 years as a British colony. Actor Robert Mitchum died in Santa Barbara County, Calif., at age 79.

Five years ago: The world's first permanent war crimes tribunal came into existence. A U.S. Air Force gunship attacked several villages in Afghanistan, killing 48 civilians, according to Afghan officials. A Russian passenger jet collided with a cargo plane over southern Germany, killing all 69 people on the Russian plane, and the two cargo jet pilots. Chile's Supreme Court ruled that former dictator Gen. Augusto Pinochet was suffering from dementia and dropped all charges against him for human rights violations during his regime.

One year ago: Thunderstorms forced NASA to call off the launch of Discovery, delaying the first space shuttle flight in a year. (Discovery was launched three days later, on July 4.) A huge car bomb exploded at a bustling outdoor market in a Shiite district of Baghdad, killing more than 60 people.

Thought for Today: "Americans are benevolently ignorant about Canada, while Canadians are malevolently well-informed about the United States." — J. Bartlet Brebner, Canadian historian (1895-1957).