Archive for America

National_Park_Service_9-11_Statue_of_Liberty_and_WTC_fireI’ll never forget where I was when I heard the news that a plane had hit one of the towers of the World Trade Center. I was a junior at the University of Florida, and was just coming out of my geology class at Williamson Hall, and it was like something out of a movie. As I stepped out into the early morning sun, it seemed like everyone on campus was on their cell phone. Everyone. I could hear pieces of the same conversation. One person said, “A plane hit the World Trade Center?” Another said, “No way, what happened?” Another, “It just crashed.” Yet another, “A huge jet, it just slammed into it.” I didn’t really think anything of it; a plane crashed into the Empire State Building in 1945, and while it was tragic, it was not catastrophic. In retrospect, thousands of people having the same conversation should have struck me harder, but I was young and self-centered. It didn’t happen to me, so it was just another news headline. It wasn’t until I was standing in the mob to pick up the football tickets for that Saturday game against Tennessee that I realized the severity of what just happened. We were the number one college football team in teh country, about to play a major rival, and all anybody would talk about was this plane that hit the World Trade Center.

I got back to my apartment, and my roommate, Tom, was watching the news. “Can you believe this?” He said. I sat down and watched in disbelief, the first thought running through my head being, “How are they going to repair that building?” Up to that point, it was just another plane crash. Then it happened. Live on the news, I watched the second jet slam into 2 World Trade Center. I couldn’t believe my eyes. Twice in one day? What are the chances? Then the news comes in that another plane hit the Pentagon. The news was doing that picture in picture thing with pictures of the Pentagon side-by-side with the World Trade Center. Then out of nowhere, Tower 2 fell. Before I could fully digest what had just happened, Tower 1 fell. I couldn’t believe what I just witnessed. I grew up in New Jersey, and you could see those towers from just about anywhere on a clear day, and now one had fallen. I was shocked, hurt, angry, all of it, you name it, I felt it.

I was glued to the television for the rest of the day. Another plane crashed in Pennsylvania, then 7 World Trade Center collapsed. I was numb. I couldn’t believe what I was witnessing. After nearly 200 years of geography-based security, the USA had just been punched in the mouth. America’s naivete was lost. We were being held responsible for the crimes of our government, and 3,017 innocent people paid the ultimate price that day, with another 6300 injured. But we were all victims. Like a child who realizes his parents’ mortality, we learned that the oceans could not keep us secure. We learned that there are people so desperate that the U.S. military does not frighten them. We lost our innocence that day.

I’ll never forget where I was on September 11, 2001. I’ll never forget the bravery of the firefighters and police officers who looked death in the face and still did their job. I’ll never forget how everybody became a blood donor. I’ll never forget that there were no hyphenated Americans. I will never forget.

Categories : On This Day
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“Believe none of what you hear and half of what you see.” -Ben Franklin

The above quote is one that my grandmother repeated almost daily during my formative years, although I didn’t fully understand what it meant until I reached adulthood. I’d probably never fully understand it if not for the great disaster that was 9/11 that happened during my 20th year on this planet. Like most people, in the immediate aftermath of the 9/11 Incident, I was shocked, hurt, and most of all, full of vengeance. As that subsided, however, I came to realize that we, the American people, may have been duped. The greatest crime of all time may very well have not been perpetrated in the manner in which we’ve been told. Now, I’m not saying it was an inside job because I honestly don’t know. That is why I’m posting this; 8 years later, the greatest crime in American history shouldn’t have so many unanswered questions. This post is not meant to disrespect the victims of the 9/11 attacks, it is merely a quest to shine light where there is darkness. There are countless more questions that could be asked, but here’s a few that I hope will get you started.

  1. Why were plans finalized on September 10, 2001, to attack Afghanistan and remove the Taliban from power? Both Madeleine Albright and Colin Powell admit that without 9/11, there would be very little domestic support for an incursion against the Taliban.
  2. Why did World Trade Center towers 1 and 2 collapse so quickly, so cleanly, and in free-fall speed? The first plane struck Tower 1 at 8:46 AM, and it collapsed at 10:28 AM; 1 hour 42 minutes later. Tower 2  was struck at 9:03 AM and collapsed at 9:59 AM; 56 minutes later. Once the towers fell, they each took approximately 10 secs to collapse in on their own footprint. It was the first time in history that a steel-trussed building collapsed from fire, and it hasn’t happened since.
  3. Why did 7 World Trade Center collapse at all? 7 World Trade Center was a 47 story office building located across the street from the World Trade Center Plaza, tall enough to stand out in just about any other city’s skyline. It collapsed at 5:20 PM, supposedly from fire and debris from Towers 1 and 2. This one is decidedly more suspicious because only 8 floors were on fire, only 2 of which were visible from outside the window. However, it too collapsed in on itself at near free-fall speed. Here’s a side-by-side comparing a controlled demolition to the collapsed of WTC7: Interesting Note: The NE Regional Headquarters of the Securities and Exchange Commission was located at WTC7. The SEC was in the midst of its investigation into Enron, one of the biggest corporate accounting scandals in history. Enron was George W. Bush’s biggest political backer, former CEO Kenneth Lay was a close friend of Bush, and Bush frequently flew on Enron’s corporate jets during his 2000 campaign. With the collapse of WTC7, most of Enron’s SEC filings were likely lost.
  4. Why wasn’t there more extensive damage at the Pentagon? A photo of the immediate aftermath at the Pentagon shows no scars or skid marks on the lawn immediately in front of the impact site. Also, that hole in the building is awfully small considering a Boeing 757 has a wingspan of 124 ft. 10 in.
    The Lawn at the Pentagon on 9/11
  5. If the hijackers were such terrible pilots and opted not to learn to land, how did they strike the Pentagon in such a manner as to be able to penetrate to the 3rd ring of the Pentagon without skidding the ground?
  6. What’s the deal with Flight 93? We’ve all heard the heroic story of the passengers taking it to the hijackers, whereby the plane crashes in rural Shanksville, Pennsylvania. It really is a powerful, emotional story, but it obscures the facts. Where were the bodies and the debris? Every plane crash in history, even the fiery, explosive ones have left behind bodies, yet Flight 93 only yielded bone and tissue fragments. As the Shanksville Medical Examiner put it, “I stopped being coroner after about 20 minutes because there were no bodies there.” And what of the debris. Here’s a view of the Flight 93 crash site (notice the lack of debris, lack of flames, and the single, relatively small crater):
    Flight 93 Crater at Shanksville
    And here’s one from the 1988 crash of Pan AM Flight 103 in Lockerbie Scotland:
    Pan Am Flight 103 Lockerbie Scotland
  7. How come the FBI never changed the suspected hijackers’ list despite the fact that none of the hijackers’ names were on the passenger manifests, and at least 7 people are alive who claim ownership of those identities?
  8. If Osama bin Laden is responsible for 9/11, why isn’t he wanted for it? Bin Laden is on the FBI’s most wanted fugitive list, as well as the most wanted terrorist list for the 1998 U.S. Embassy bombings, not for 9/11. Here’s the exact text from his wanted poster:

    Usama Bin Laden is wanted in connection with the August 7, 1998, bombings of the United States Embassies in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, and Nairobi, Kenya. These attacks killed over 200 people. In addition, Bin Laden is a suspect in other terrorist attacks throughout the world.

    On September 12, 2001, Al Qaeda denies involvement in the attacks. On September 16, Osama bin Laden personally addresses the accusation against him and denies involvement. On September 28, in an interview with a Pakistani newspaper, bin Laden again denies involvement in the 9/11 Incident.

  9. Why hasn’t there been a criminal investigation into 9/11? The closest thing was the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States, more popularly known as the 9/11 Commission, which was made up of politicians appointed by George W. Bush and Congress. It was only meant to tell the story of 9/11 and provide recommendations for the future. Of note, it completely ignored the collapse of 7 World Trade Center, and had other serious omissions, including the testimony of former FBI translator Sibel Edmonds, that there were serious cover-ups at FBI Headquarters. Furthermore, Bill Clinton, Al Gore, George W. Bush, and Dick Cheney refused to testify under oath, Bush and Cheney testified together, and Condoleeza Rice, then National Security Advisor, was not required to testify.
  10. Would elements of the government kill me in order to foster international support for a war? Ever heard of Operations Northwoods?

“It is natural for man to indulge in the illusions of hope. We are apt to shut our eyes against a painful truth, and listen to the song of that siren till she transforms us into beasts… For my part, whatever anguish of spirit it may cost, I am willing to know the whole truth, to know the worst, and to provide for it.”

-Patrick Henry

Categories : The Skeptic
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This entry is part 50 of 50 in the series 50 Years of 50 States

Nickname: Land of Lincoln
Date Ratified: December 3, 1818 (21st)
Capital: Springfield

Map of Illinois

Map of Illinois

  • Nearly 65% of Illinois’ population lives in the northeastern corner of the state, in the Chicago metropolitan area.
  • For nearly 100 years, Chicago was the second most populous city in the United States, earning it the nickname, “The Second City.” Chicago’s population shrank from 1960 through 1990, while the population of Los Angeles increased, with Chicago dropping to 3rd most populous in the 1990 census.
  • The first McDonald’s was opened by Ray Kroc in Des Plaines in 1960.
  • The Chicago Pile-1, built in 1942 on the campus of the University of Chicago, was the world’s first artificial nuclear reactor.
  • Robert Wadlow, who stood nearly 9 feet tall, making him the tallest man in recorded history, was born in Alton, Illinois.
  • The world’s first skyscraper was built in Chicago in 1885. The Home Insurance Building was 10 stories, 138 feet, tall.
  • Illinois was the first state to ratify the 13th amendment to the Constitution, which abolished slavery.
  • Illinois has sent more African-Americans to the Senate than any other state.
  • Three presidents have hailed from Illinois at the time of their election: Abraham Lincoln, Ulysses Grant, and Barack Obama. However, the only president born in Illinois, is Ronald Reagan.
  • The Chicago Public Library is the world’s largest public library, with over 2 million books.
  • The Chicago Post Office at 433 West Van Buren is the only postal facility in the world you can drive a car through.
  • The state flag of Illinois was adopted in 1915, and depicts the Great Seal of Illinois.
Flag of Illinois

Flag of Illinois

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Categories : Origins
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This entry is part 49 of 50 in the series 50 Years of 50 States

Nickname: The Empire State
Date Ratified: July 26, 1788 (11th)
Capital: Albany

Map of New York

Map of New York

  • With a population of nearly 8.5 million, New York City is the most populous city in the United States. The New York metropolitan area, which includes parts of New Jersey and Connecticut, was also the first in the world to reach 10 million people.
  • The first state park in the U.S. was established at Niagara Falls in 1885.
  • The First U.S. Congress and the Supreme Court each assembled for the first time in New York City, and George Washington was inaugurated there. Also, The Bill of Rights was drafted at Federal Hall, on Wall St.
  • Central Park, created in 1857, was America’s first landscaped park.
  • The Verrazano-Narrows Bridge, which connects Staten Island and Brooklyn, was the world’s largest suspension bridge when it was completed in 1964. It was surpassed in 1981 by the Humber Bridge in the United Kingdom, but it remains the largest suspension bridge in the U.S.
  • The Holland Tunnel, which connects Jersey City, NJ with Manhattan, was the world’s first mechanically ventilated vehicular tunnel. It also has the distinction of not being named for a local hero, politician, or historical person of interest, rather being named for its first chief engineer.
  • The New York Post, established by Alexander Hamilton in 1803, is the oldest running newspaper in the U.S.
  • The state flag of New York bears the state’s coat of arms, which was adopted in 1778. The modern flag, which was adopted in 1901 is based on the Revolutionary War flag, with the only difference being that the field is blue.
Flag of New York

Flag of New York

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Categories : Origins
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This entry is part 47 of 50 in the series 50 Years of 50 States

Nickname: The Golden State
Date Ratified: September 9, 1850 (31st)
Capital: Sacramento

Map of California

Map of California

  • California is the most populous state in the United States, and has been since the 1960s. With a population of 36 million, it has 12 million more residents than the number 2 state, Texas.
  • California has the unique distinction of being the site of the highest and lowest points in the continental U.S.; Mt. Whitney and Death Valley.
  • The California State Railroad Museum, in Sacramento, is the largest museum of its kind in North America.
  • At 3 million acres, San Bernandino County, in southern California, is the largest county in the U.S.
  • The Hollywood Bowl is the world’s largest outdoor amphitheater.
  • The first star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame was awarded to Jane Woodward in 1960.
  • San Francisco Bay is the world’s largest landlocked harbor.
  • California was the first state whose Gross State Product reached a trillion dollars, and has the largest economy of any state. In fact, California has the 7th largest economy in the world, when compared to independent countries.
  • California is 1 of 4 states, the others being Vermont, Hawaii, and Texas, that was a sovereign nation prior to statehood. The short-lived California Republic was declared during the Mexican-American War, and was claimed as land seceded by Mexico following the war.
  • The state flag of California was adopted in 1911, and is based on the flag flown during the 1846 Bear Flag Revolt. It depicts a California Grizzly Bear, a subspecies of grizzly bear that is now extinct.
Flag of California

Flag of California

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Categories : Origins
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This entry is part 46 of 50 in the series 50 Years of 50 States

Nickname: The Lone Star State
Date Ratified: December 29, 1845 (28th)
Capital: Austin

Map of Texas

Map of Texas

  • Texas is the largest of the lower 48 states by over 100,000 square miles. Texas is so huge, that El Paso is actually closer to California than to Dallas. Despite this fact, Texas is less than half the size of Alaska.
  • Texas is the only state to have had the flags of 6 different sovereign nations flown over it. Also, the six nations that claimed Texas at some point were Spain, France, Mexico, the Republic of Texas, the Confederate States of America, and the United States. The first of the Six Flags Amusement Parks was built in Arlington, TX, hence the name.
  • Texas, an independent nation from 1836-1845, is the only state to achieve statehood through treaty, as opposed to territorial annexation.
  • Dr Pepper was invented in Waco in 1885. When soft drink companies began using high fructose corn syrup late last century, the original Dr Pepper bottler in Dublin, TX refused, and continued to use pure cane sugar. To this day, you can find the original blend known as Dublin Dr Pepper throughout much of Texas.
  • The Waco Bridge, built in 1870, was the first suspension bridge in the United States. It is still in use as a foot-bridge over the Brazos River.
  • The Heisman Trophy is named for John William Heisman, who was the first full time head football coach at Rice University in Houston.
  • The state flag of Texas was actually the last national flag of the Republic Texas, as it was approved in 1839. A popular urban legend is that due to Texas’ status as a sovereign nation prior to statehood, it is the only state whose flag can fly at the same height as the American flag. However, this is false, as the United States Flag Code states that any state flag can fly at the same height as the American flag, as long as its flagpole is to the left of the Stars and Stripes.
Flag of Texas

Flag of Texas

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Categories : Origins
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This entry is part 45 of 50 in the series 50 Years of 50 States

Nickname: Keystone State
Date Ratified: December 12, 1787 (2nd)
Capital: Harrisburg

Map of Pennsylvania

Map of Pennsylvania

  • The Philadelphia Zoo was the first zoo in the United States.
  • The first World Series ever played was between the Boston Pilgrims and the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1903.
  • Pennsylvania is home to the site of the only surrender of George Washington’s military career. As a young officer in the French and Indian War, George Washington surrendered Fort Necessity to the French in 1754.
  • Philadelphia was the first capital of what would become the United States. It was the capital for the First Continental Congress, and also under the Articles of Confederation.
  • In 1999, Pennsylvania became the first state to put a website address on their vehicle license plates.
  • Benjamin Franklin founded the first subscription library in the U.S., the Library Company of Philadelphia, in 1731.
  • The first U.S. mint was opened in Philadelphia in 1792.
  • The state flag of Pennsylvania was first authorized in 1799. In 1907, the flag’s colors were standardized to match the blue on the American flag. In 2007, a bill was introduced to add the state’s name to the flag, but it has not passed the Legislature.
Flag of Pennsylvania

Flag of Pennsylvania

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Categories : Origins
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