Bangor, Maine - Stephen King House

After a tiring first day, filled with a lot of driving and, unfortunately, a lot of that driving being consumed in heavy traffic jams, we had a fairly decent first night of rest at Skowhegan KOA, in Canaan, Maine.

I had stayed there before, and that time had also been with my son. The difference was that he had been only a baby at that time, not even a full year old yet. 

That had been in late September/early October of 2006. my then wife and I were still relatively happily married, with our new child. I was a big Stephen King fan who also happened to love Maine, and had decided to take a trip that would combine those two things that I loved, as well as another thing that I loved - Canada. 

We visited quite a bit of that part of Maine on that trip, including Bangor and Bar Harbour, as well as going to New Brunswick for a few days, visiting Frederickton mostly, but a few other areas, as well. 

But mostly, the stay was focused around Bangor, and the place that we stayed at for quite a few days was that KOA in Skowhegan. It was a nice, quiet location, which is exactly what you would expect of camping in Maine. It offered some nice things, too, such as an ice cream social, as well as a haunted hayride around the campgrounds. The place was nice and down to earth, which is also what you expect of Maine in general, and we enjoyed it. I had wanted to come back since.

Unfortunately, our stay was only going to be for one night - at least on this trip.

Still, we needed a kind of lazy morning after the long ordeal from the day before, and we got exactly that on that first morning of the actual trip. It's always been nice so far to wake up in that cool Maine morning air! We all got ready, and got going by around 11am. 

Our first stop, mostly at my request, was Bangor, Maine. And I had a specific destination in mind. That, of course, was the iconic Stephen King House. 

Anyone who knows me knows that I am a big fan of Stephen King, and this was not even my first trip to Bangor, or to his house. I had been to Bangor twice before, once in 2004 (just passing through), and then a second time on that trip that I just mentioned, back in 2006. We did stop at the Stephen King House then, although i only had a video camera, and not a good quality camera, or anything. I did not pose or anything before the house. 

Back then, Bett's Bookstore was still open, and that was also a must for a visit to Bangor by a Stephen King fan. I even picked up a map of some of the "Stephen King Sites" of Bangor, which is the model for the fictional city of Derry in a few King novels. 

Yes, I got to see quite a few of those sites, as well. And if I find the map (which is just a regular piece of paper with a makeshift map printed on it), I will post a picture on this particular blog entry some time in the future, although I don't recall what exactly I did with it, and did not find it on time for this blog entry right now.

In any case, I enjoyed that trip in 2006. Bangor is a nice enough little city, and far more appealing (to me, anyway) than Portland further down south, which is, frankly, rather an unattractive city. I would go so far as to say that Portland is probably the ugliest part of Maine that I've seen. Sorry, to any possible Portland residents that may be reading this, but I'm just expressing my opinion. But it is an opinion that was shared by my girlfriend when we passed through Portland a couple of years ago, just before cutting north towards Canada, passing through Jackman, Maine, just before crossing the border (I forget the exact route that we took). Also, literally minutes before reaching the border, we saw our first (and so far, only) actual moose in the wild, which really was a highlight of that trip.

No moose this time.

But I did get a chance to visit the Stephen king House again, and was able to snap plenty of pictures, to boot. Mostly, if not exclusively even,  these are from my cell phone, and not a professional grade camera, which I used for some of the other sites on the trip.

Still, it shows the unique appearance and appeal of the house, which I remember reading somewhere that a little girl named Tabatha dreamed of living in when she was a little girl living in Bangor. Little did she know that her dream would come true, as both she and her future husband, Stephen, would wind up being noted authors, and quite rich, too boot!

So, here are the pictures that I took on this particular trip to Bangor. Enjoy!

Here I am, standing in front of the Stephen King House. Been here before, back in 2006, but I did not get the opportunity back then to pose in a picture in front of the Stephen King House. So, that was something that finally was remedied on this trip!

The famous bats on the gates in front of the Stephen King House!

There's even a two-headed dragon on the wrought-iron gate!

My brother and my son in front of the famous wrought iron fence. 



On This Day in History - August 5

Once again, it should be reiterated, that this does not pretend to be a very extensive history of what happened on this day (nor is it the most original - the links can be found down below). If you know something that I am missing, by all means, shoot me an email or leave a comment, and let me know!

http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history

Aug 5, 1974:  Congress cuts military aid to South Vietnam      

Congress places a $1 billion ceiling on military aid to South Vietnam for fiscal year 1974. This figure was trimmed further to $700 million by August 11. Military aid to South Vietnam in fiscal year 1973 was $2.8 billion; in 1975 it would be cut to $300 million. Once aid was cut, it took the North Vietnamese only 55 days to defeat the South Vietnamese forces when they launched their final offensive in 1975.

This day in history, the NBA merged with the ABA:

Aug 5, 1976:  NBA merges with ABA              

On this day in 1976, the National Basketball Association (NBA) merges with its rival, the American Basketball Association (ABA), and takes on the ABA’s four most successful franchises: the Denver Nuggets, the Indiana Pacers, the New York (later New Jersey) Nets and the San Antonio Spurs.   

Founded in 1967 to fill the basketball void in areas not served by the 10-city NBA, the ABA selected former NBA star George Mikan as its first commissioner. He helped institute a more entertaining, high-scoring brand of basketball than that seen in the NBA, as well as an eye-catching red, white and blue ball, the three-point shot and an emphasis on marketing players with colorful nicknames like Julius "Dr. J" Erving and George "The Iceman" Gervin. Despite these popular innovations, the ABA was plagued by a series of bad business decisions, among them a failure to copyright the red, white and blue ball, which went on to sell wildly in the 1970s. The league also struggled to reach a mass audience, as only one of its cities was a top 20 American market. As a whole, the population in ABA cities was less than half that of the NBA cities, and although the underdog league was popular with what fans it did reach, in the end it could not make enough money to survive on its own.   

Seeing the writing on the wall, seven ABA owners agreed to a merger, set for August 5, 1976, with the NBA; it was announced to the public on June 17. Plans were then made to dismantle three of the seven ABA franchises and incorporate their players into the NBA. According to the terms of the deal, the three teams not absorbed into the NBA would be paid a separately negotiated lump sum. One of the three teams, the Virginia Squires, went bankrupt before the merger, but the other two were rewarded with substantial payouts. The owner of the Kentucky Colonels, John Y. Brown Jr., received a payout of $3.3 million dollars, while the Silna brothers, owners of the Spirits of St. Louis, negotiated what many believe to be the best deal in sports history: They received $2.2 million dollars and 1/7 of a share of each of the four remaining ABA (now NBA) teams’ television rights in perpetuity. To date, they have received more than $168 million dollars from the NBA. The NBA’s overtures to buy them out of the merger deal have been politely refused.   

Depending on your viewpoint, this next subject of history was either bad news and a portend of things to come, or it was a strong message to greedy unions. This days marks the anniversary that Ronald Reagan fired air traffic controllers:

Aug 5, 1981:  Reagan fires 11,359 air-traffic controllers    

On August 5, 1981, President Ronald Reagan begins firing 11,359 air-traffic controllers striking in violation of his order for them to return to work. The executive action, regarded as extreme by many, significantly slowed air travel for months.  

Two days earlier, on August 3, almost 13,000 air-traffic controllers went on strike after negotiations with the federal government to raise their pay and shorten their workweek proved fruitless. The controllers complained of difficult working conditions and a lack of recognition of the pressures they face. Across the country, some 7,000 flights were canceled. The same day, President Reagan called the strike illegal and threatened to fire any controller who had not returned to work within 48 hours. Robert Poli, president of the Professional Air-Traffic Controllers Association (PATCO), was found in contempt by a federal judge and ordered to pay $1,000 a day in fines.  

On August 5, an angry President Reagan carried out his threat, and the federal government began firing the 11,359 air-traffic controllers who had not returned to work. In addition, he declared a lifetime ban on the rehiring of the strikers by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). On August 17, the FAA began accepting applications for new air-traffic controllers, and on October 22 the Federal Labor Relations Authority decertified PATCO. 

 

Here's a more detailed look at events that transpired on this date throughout history:

135 - Betar last outpost of Bar Kochba falls to Rome

642 - Battle of Maserfield - Penda of Mercia defeats and kills Oswald of Bernicia.

910 - The last major Viking army to raid England is defeated at the Battle of Tettenhall by the allied forces of Mercia and Wessex, led by King Edward and Earl Aethelred.

1071 - Emperor Romanos IV Diogenes captured/Islam advances through Europe

1100 - Henry I is crowned King of England in Westminster Abbey.

1264 - Anti-Jewish riots break out in Arnstadt Germany

1305 - William Wallace, who led Scottish resistance to England, is captured by the English near Glasgow and transported to London for trial and execution.

1388 - Battle of Otterburn, a border skirmish between the Scottish and the English in Northern England.

1391 - Castilian sailors fire attack Jewish ghetto of Barcelona, 100's killed

1399 - Battle at Worskla: Tataren beat Russians & Litouwers

1420 - Duke John VI of Bavaria visits "Christ's bride"/virgin Liduina

1435 - Battle at Ponza: king Alfonso V of Aragon captured by Genuezen

1543 - French & Turkish troops occupy Nice

1583 - Gilbert claims Newfoundland (1st English colony in North America)

1587 - Spanish troops conquer Lock

1654 - French troops occupy Stenay

1666 - English fleet beats Dutch under Michiel the Ruyter

1667 - State of Holland obtain Eternal Edict

1689 - 1,500 Iroquois attack the village of Lachine, in New France.

Scottish Patriot William WallaceScottish Patriot William Wallace 1716 - Battle of Petrovaradin/Peterwardein: Habsburgs under Eugene of Savoy defeat the Turks

1745 - Skirmish at Laggan: Glengarry beats Royal Scots

1763 - Pontiac's War: Battle of Bushy Run - British forces led by Henry Bouquet defeat Chief Pontiac's Indians at Bushy Run.

1772 - 1st partition of Poland, between Austria, Prussia & Russia

1775 - 1st Spanish ship, San Carlos, enters SF Bay

1781 - Battle at Doggers Bank: Dutch fleet vs English fleet

1812 - War of 1812: Tecumseh's Native American force ambushes Thomas Van Horne's 200 Americans at Brownstone Creek, causing them to flee and retreat.

1837 - 1st ascent of Mt Marcy (5,344') highest in Adirondack, NY

1846 - Oregon country divided between US & Britain at 49th parallel

1858 - Cyrus W Field completes 1st transatlantic telegraph cable

1860 - Carl IV of Sweden-Norway is crowned king of Norway, in Trondheim.

1861 - Enlistment increases from 3 months to 2 years

1861 - Naval Engagement at Fernandina, FL-USS Vincennes ends rebel blockade

1861 - US Army abolishes flogging

1861 - US levies its 1st Income Tax (3% of incomes over $800)

1862 - Battle of Baton Rouge, LA

US Civil War Admiral David FarragutUS Civil War Admiral David Farragut 1864 - US Civil War Battle of Mobile Bay won by the Union led by Rear Admiral Farragut with the cry "Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead!"

1864 - Spectrum of a comet observed for 1st time, by Giovanni Donati

1874 - Japan launches its postal savings system, modeled after a similar system in England.

1877 - Henry Morton Stanley's letter in order to aid reaches Boma at Congo

1882 - Martial law is imposed in Japan.

1882 - Standard Oil of New Jersey is established.

1884 - Cornerstone for Statue of Liberty laid on Bedloe's Island (NYC)

1890 - British & French accord to divide African colonization

1891 - 1st travelers checks issued (American Express)

1901 - Peter O'Connor of Ireland, sets then long jump record at 24' 11 3/4"

1912 - Japan's first taxicab service begins in Ginza, Tokyo.

1914 - 1st traffic light installed (Euclid Ave & E 105th St, Cleveland)

1914 - Cuba, Uruguay, Mexico & Argentina proclaim neutrality in WW I

1914 - Dutch Cort Van de Linden government issues silver bonds as money

1914 - Massive German assault on forts around Luik

1914 - Montenegro declares war against Austria-Hungary in World War I

1914 - US beats Australia, 3-2, to win Davis Cup

1914 - US, Nicaragua sign treaty granting canal rights to US

1914 - Westerschelde leaves due to German invasion in Belgium

1915 - German troops over run Warsaw

1915 - Warsaw, evacuated by the Russians, is occupied by Germans

1917 - British troops attack canal of Ypres in Boesinghe Belgium

1921 - 1st radio baseball broadcast Pirates-8, Phillies-0 (KDKA, Pitts)

1921 - Treaty of Berlin: US & Germany sign separate peace treaty

1923 - 1st American to swim English Channel (Henry Sullivan)

1924 - Comic strip "Little Orphan Annie," by Harold Gray, debuts

1925 - Plaid Cymru is formed with the aim of disseminating knowledge of the Welsh language, which is in danger of dying out.

1926 - 1st talkie movie "Don Juan" at Warner Theatre, NY

1926 - French & German trade agreement signed

1926 - Houdini stays in a coffin under water for 1½ hrs before escaping

1927 - Phillies Cy Williams hits for cycle in just 4 at bats

1931 - Det Tiger Tommy Bridges perfect game is broken up with 2 outs in 9th

1936 - At Berlin Olympics, Jesse Owens wins his 3rd Olympic medal

1937 - Ranger (US) beats Endeavour II (England) in 17th America's Cup

1938 - 33rd Davis Cup: USA beats Australia in Philadelphia (3-2)

1940 - "Acquaintance" blows-up Zandvoortse synagouge

1940 - St Louis Brown John Whitehead no-hits Detroit Tigers, 4-0 in 6 innings

1942 - British government cancels agreement of Munich

1942 - German troops cross Kuban River

1943 - Sicily: 3 US A-36's bomb British headquarter

1943 - Soviet forces reconquer Orel & Bjelgorod

1943 - World War II: at around 11 A.M during the Battle of Troina, Mount Etna erupts sending ash and lava miles into the sky.

1944 - US 79th/90th division occupy Laval/Mayenne

1944 - US troops occupy Vannes Bretagne

1945 - Atom Bomb dropped on Hiroshima (Aug 6th in Japan)

1947 - Netherlands ceases political action in Indonesia, due to UN pressure

1948 - Cleveland Indians set club record for most double plays in a game (6)

1949 - 6.75 Earthquake hits Quito; about 6000 die

1950 - Ezzard Charles KOs Freddie Beshore to retain HW boxing title

1951 - Armed uprising in Ambonezen Camp Middelburg

1953 - Operation "Big Switch" Korean War prisoner exchanged at Panmunjom

1954 - Boxing Hall of Fame's 1st election selects 24 modern & 15 pioneers

1954 - Patty Berg wins LPGA World Golf Championshio

1955 - After playing 274 straight games at 2nd base, Nellie Fox is given a day off he comes back next 798 consecutive games

1956 - KUAM TV channel 8 in Agana, GU (CBS/ABC/NBC) begins broadcasting

1956 - Louise Suggs wins LPGA All American Golf Open

1956 - WCYB TV channel 5 in Bristol-Kingsport, VA (NBC) begins broadcasting

1957 - "American Bandstand," begins network TV (ABC)

1957 - Comic strip "Andy Capp" made its debut

1957 - WJZ-TV in Baltimore MD begins radio transmissions

1957 - Bkln Sports Authority gets an engineering report on 50,000-seat stadium in downtown area for estimated $207 million

1958 - Philip Kapleau, Zen teacher, 1st awakening under Yasutani Roshi

1959 - 42.4 cm rainfall in Decatur Co, Iowa (state record)

1959 - Chic Cardinals (NFL) beat Toronto Argonauts (CFL) 55-26 in Toronto

1960 - Burkina Faso (formerly Upper Volta) declares independence from France

1960 - Detroit trades mgr Jimmy Dykes for Cleve's mgr Joe Gordon

1961 - 118°F (48°C), Ice Harbor Dam, Washington (state record)

1961 - Chic Bears (NFL) beat Mont Alouettes (CFL) 34-16 in Montreal

1962 - 1st quasar located by radio

1962 - Marilynn Smith wins LPGA Waterloo Golf Open

Anti-apartheid activist/South African President Nelson MandelaAnti-apartheid activist/South African President Nelson Mandela 1962 - Nelson Mandela arrested for incitement & illeagally leaving S Afr

1962 - UN command forbids flights to Katangese airports

1963 - Britain, US & USSR sign nuclear test ban treaty

1963 - Craig Breedlove sets world auto speed record at 407.45 MPH

1963 - US, USSR & Great Britain agree to discuss banning nuclear testing

1964 - Beatles record "Leave My Kitten Alone"

1964 - Congo rebellion: Christopher Gbenye/Pierre Mulele conquer Stanleyville

1964 - Ford Frick says he will not run for another term as commissioner

1964 - US begins bombing North Vietnam

1965 - Dave Marr wins PGA title

1966 - 33rd NFL Chicago All-Star Game: Green Bay 38, All-Stars 0 (72,000)

1966 - Jose Torres beats Eddie Cotton to retain light-HW boxing title

1966 - Martin Luther King Jr stoned during Chicago march

1966 - USSR performs nuclear test at Eastern Kazakh/Semipalitinsk USSR

1966 - Beatles release "Revolver" album in US

Clergyman and civil rights activist Martin Luther King Jr.Clergyman and civil rights activist Martin Luther King Jr. 1966 - Beatles release "Yellow Submarine" & "Eleanor Rigby" in UK

1967 - 1st time an AFL team beats an NFL team, Broncos beats Detroit 13-7

1967 - Bobby Gentry releases her only hit "Ode to Billy Joe"

1967 - Pirate Radio Station 333 (Radio Britain) & Radio London close down

1968 - WMCV (now WZTV) TV channel 17 in Nashville, TN (IND) 1st broadcast

1969 - Mariner 7 flies past Mars

1969 - Pirate Willie Stargell is 1st to hit a ball out of Dodger Stadium

1970 - Robert Morley's "How the Other Half Loves," premieres in London

1970 - US Black Panther leader Huey Newton let out of jail

1971 - WNPE TV channel 16 in Watertown, NY (PBS) begins broadcasting

1972 - Moody Blues release "Nights in White Satin"

1972 - Uganda president Idi Amin throws out all 80,000 Asians

1972 - Detroit shortstop Ed Brinkman errors ends record streak of 72 games & 331 total chances without a miscue

1973 - Arab terrorists open fire at Athens airport, kills 3 injures 55

1973 - Atlanta Braves Phil Niekro no-hits SD Padres, 9-0

1973 - Judy Rankin wins LPGA Pabst Ladies Golf Classic

1973 - USSR launches Mars 6

1974 - Joan Jett forms her rock group Runaways

1974 - Pres Nixon admits he withheld information about Watergate break-in

1975 - Phillies 1st 8 batters get hits for a record, beat Cubs 13-5

Singer-Songwriter Stevie WonderSinger-Songwriter Stevie Wonder 1975 - Stevie Wonder signs $13M contract with Motown

1978 - New Orlean Saints beat Phil Eagles 14-7 in Mexico City (NFL expo)

1979 - "But Never Jam Today" closes at Longacre Theater NYC after 7 perfs

1979 - Government of Mauretania signs peace treaty with Polisario

1979 - Nancy Lopez wins LPGA Colgate European Golf Open

1979 - Phillies Pete Rose collects NL record 2,427th career single

1979 - Varetta Shankle (Miss), crowned 12th Miss Black America

1979 - Willie Mays, Warren Giles, & Hack Wilson inducted in Hall of Fame

1980 - Expos Dick Williams wins his 1,000th career game as a manager

1980 - NY Met Doug Flynn ties record of 3 triples in a game

1981 - Federal government began firing striking air traffic controllers

1981 - Pres Regan fires 11,500 air traffic controllers who struck 2 days ago

1981 - US performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site

1982 - Stephabue Hix, of Alabama, 18, crowned Miss National Teen-Ager

1982 - US performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site

1984 - Alice Miller wins West Virginia LPGA Golf Classic

1984 - Joan Benoit (US) wins 1st Olympic marathon for women (2:24:52)

1984 - Lou Pinella Day at Yankee Stadium

1984 - Toronto's Cliff Johnson hits record 19th career pinch HR

1985 - Baseball players go on strike for 2 days

1985 - Establishment of a Rock & Roll Hall of Fame is announced

1985 - Flexible-wing glider altitude record (214,250') set by Larry Tudor

1986 - Ingrid Kristiansen of Norway sets 5k woman's record (14:37.33)

1986 - Steve Carlton is 2nd to pitch 4,000 strikeout

1986 - US Senate votes for SDI-project (Star Wars)

1986 - It's revealed Andrew Wyeth had, secretly created 240 drawings & paintings of his neighbor Helga Testorf, in Chadds Ford, Pa

1988 - Mario Biaggi (Rep-D-NY) convicted of racketeering resigns seat

1989 - General elections are held in Nicaragua with the Sandinista Front winning a majority.

1990 - Barb Mucha wins LPGA Boston Five Golf Classic

1990 - Jim Palmer & Joe Morgan inducted into hall of fame

1991 - Sergei Bubka of USSR sets pole vault world record (6.10m) in Malmö Sweden

Victim of Police Violence Rodney KingVictim of Police Violence Rodney King 1992 - 4 cops in Rodney King beating case indicted on civil rights charge

1994 - Antonov-12 crash down at Boda, East-Siberia, 47 killed

1994 - Rocker Billy Idol admitted to the hospital after drug overdose

1995 - The city of Knin, a significant Serb stronghold, is captured by Croatian forces during Operation Storm. The date is celebrated as the day of victory (Victory and Homeland Thanksgiving Day) in Croatia.

1996 - Dallas Cowboys play KC Chiefs in Monterrey Mexico

1997 - Korean Air 747 with 331 aboard crashes in Guam, 29 survive

1997 - Ramzi Yousef, mastermind of world trade center bombing goes on trial

1997 - Soyuz TM-26 crew of Anatoly Solovyov & Pavel Vinogradov, launched

2003 - A car bomb explodes in the Indonesian capital of Jakarta outside the Marriott Hotel killing 12 and injuring 150.

2011 - Svalbard Polar Bear Attack (2011) - a rogue Polar Bear attacks and kills a British schoolboy.

2012 - Gunman opens fire on Sikh temple in Oak Creek, Wisconsin killing six people and committing suicide

2012 - 19 people are killed by Kurdish rebels in Hakk

2012 - General Motors signs a record breaking $559 million marketing deal with Manchester United

1833 - The village of Chicago was incorporated. The population was approximately 250.    1861 - The U.S. federal government levied its first income tax. The tax was 3% of all incomes over $800. The wartime measure was rescinded in 1872.    1864 - During the U.S. Civil War, Union forces led by Adm. David G. Farragut were led into Mobile Bay, Alabama.    1884 - On Bedloe's Island in New York Harbor, the cornerstone for the Statue of Liberty was laid.    1914 - The electric traffic lights were installed in Cleveland, Ohio.    1921 - The first play-by-play broadcast of a baseball game was done by Harold Arlin. KDKA Radio in Pittsburgh, PA described the action between the Pirates and Philadelphia.    1921 - The cartoon "On the Road to Moscow", by Rollin Kirby, was published in the "New York World". It was the first cartoon to win a Pulitzer Prize.    1923 - Henry Sullivan became the first American to swim across the English Channel.    1924 - In the New York "Daily News" debuted the comic strip "Little Orphan Annie," by Harold Gray.    1944 - Polish insurgents liberated a German labor camp in Warsaw. 348 Jewish prisoners were freed.    1953 - During the Korean conflict prisoners were exchanged at Panmunjom. The exchange was labeled Operation Big Switch.    1960 - For the first time two major league baseball clubs traded managers. Detroit traded Jimmy Dykes for Cleveland's Joe Gordon.    1963 - The Limited Test Ban Treaty was signed by the United States, Britain, and the Soviet Union. The treaty banned nuclear tests in space, underwater, and in the atmosphere.    1964 - U.S. aircraft bombed North Vietnam after North Vietnamese boats attacked U.S. destroyers in the Gulf of Tonkin.    1969 - The Mariner 7, a U.S. space probe, passed by Mars. Photographs and scientific data were sent back to Earth.    1974 - U.S. President Nixon said that he expected to be impeached. Nixon had ordered the investigation into the Watergate break-in to halt.    1974 - "Tank McNamara", the comic strip, premiered in 75 newspapers.    1981 - The U.S. federal government started firing striking air traffic controllers.    1984 - Toronto’s Cliff Johnson set a major league baseball record by hitting the 19th pinch-hit home run in his career.    1986 - It was revealed that artist Andrew Wyeth had secretly created 240 drawings and paintings of his neighbor. The works of Helga Testorf had been created over a 15-year period.    1989 - In Honduras, five Central American presidents began meeting to discuss the timetable for the dismantling of the Nicaraguan Contra bases.    1990 - U.S. President George H.W. Bush angrily denounced the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait.    1991 - An investigation was formally launched by Democratic congressional leaders to find out if the release of American hostages was delayed until after the Reagan-Bush presidential election.    1991 - Iraq admitted to misleading U.N. inspectors about secret biological weapons.    1992 - Federal civil rights charges were filed against four Los Angeles police officers. The officers had been acquitted on California State charges. Two of the officers were convicted and jailed on violation of civil rights charges.    1998 - Iraqi President Saddam Hussein began not cooperating with U.N. weapons inspectors.    1998 - Marie Noe of Philadelphia, PA was arrested and charged with first-degree murder, accused of smothering eight of her children to death between 1949 and 1968. Noe later received 20 years' probation.    1999 - Mark McGwire (St. Louis Cardinals) hit his 500th career homerun. He also set a record for the fewest at-bats to hit the 500 homerun mark.    2002 - The U.S. closed its consulate in Karachi, Pakistan. The consulate was closed after local authorities removed large concrete blocks and reopened the road in front of the building to normal traffic.    2011 - NASA announced that its Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter had captured photographic evidence of possible liquid water on Mars during warm seasons.    2011 - Juno was launched from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station on a mission to Jupiter. It was the first solar-powered spacecraft to go to Jupiter.

1861  For the first time, the U.S. government levied an income tax.   1884  The cornerstone for the Statue of Liberty was laid on Bedloe's Island.  1914  The first electric traffic lights were installed in Cleveland, Ohio.  1962  Marilyn Monroe died.  1963  The United States, Britain, and the Soviet Union signed the limited Test Ban Treaty, which prohibited nuclear weapon tests in the atmosphere, in outer space, and underwater.  1969  The U.S. space probe Mariner 7 transmitted pictures of Mars.   1984  Joan Benoit won the first Olympic women's marathon.  2002  The gun turret of the Civil War ironclad USS Monitor was raised from the ocean floor.  2003  The Rev. Gene Robinson was approved as the first openly gay bishop by the U.S. Episcopal Church.  2012  The plutonium-powered rover Curiosity successfully lands on Mars. Larger than earlier rovers, Curiosity will spend two years examining the land, looking for evidence that conditions on Mars are fit for life.

The following links are to web sites that were used to complete this blog entry:

http://www.historyorb.com/today/events.php

http://on-this-day.com/onthisday/thedays/alldays/aug05.htm

http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history

http://www.infoplease.com/dayinhistory

Images of Some of the Most Remote Tribes of the World

I saw this link not too long ago, and thought it would definitely be worth sharing!

With all of the changes in this world, and with our global culture ever seeking to expand, despite owning pretty much 99% of the world already, we may not get many more opportunities to witness human beings that remind us that not everyone in this world has given themselves to our global culture.


10 Astonishing Portraits of the World's Most Remote Tribes

http://guff.com/10-astonishing-portraits-of-the-worlds-most-remote-tribes/

Mr. Mercedes by Stephen King - A Review

This is a very intense, exciting novel by one of the best writers out there!

A bit surprising is that this novel does not involve any kind of supernatural or telekinetic powers, or any such things.

Instead, this book reads like suspense, with a race against the proverbial clock by a retired ex-cop - Bill Kermit Hodges, to stop a serial killer from striking out again, and taking as many people as he possibly can with him.

The book opens with a massacre, as an unknown killer, who would become known as "Mr. Mercedes", plows into a crowd waiting outside for a job fair in the very early morning hours before the doors actually open. He does so with a stolen Mercedes, and kills eight, injuring a ton more.

The case becomes a hue, unsolved mystery for the police department of this Ohio city, and the fact that it remains unsolved haunts soon to be retired Detective Hodges. He retires with all of the accolades, yet he is haunted by this one glaring failure, as well as some shortcomings in his own life, such as a divorce, and a child that seems to only want to keep her distance from him.

So, he has fallen into a depressing routine of watching endless, mind-numbing television programs, such as the Jerry Springer show, and gaining wait. Never far from his mind is the possibility of suicide. To that end, he takes the gun that his father first gave him out as his only company while watching endless hours of television. He even puts it in his mouth once, but does not quite pull the trigger. Still, it is never far from his mind.

It is probably fair to say that Hodges has lost his sense of purpose.

But things change, and those changes begin with a letter that he receives from Mr Mercedes himself. It is a taunting letter, as the killer relishes in reliving the crime that he got away with, running all of those people over. He reveals that he has been watching Hodges, and cleverly brings up the topic of Hodges committing suicide. Mr. Mercedes taunted the woman that he stole the Mercedes from in order to kill all of those people, and she indeed wound up committing suicide as a result, so he is hoping to do the same thing with Hodges. What he does not count on, surely, is that the letter has the opposite effect on the retired detective. Suddenly, Hodges comes alive, and rediscovers his sense of purpose.

Perhaps more importantly, he gets involved with a woman, and we see him beginning to really enjoy his life again. And in the meantime, he renews his aim to pursue Mr. Mercedes, more determined not than ever before to find him.

In the meantime, Hodges finds himself playing a psychological chess match with the mysterious Mr. Mercedes through a very secretive online chat exchange site known as "The Blue Umbrella". Hodges wants to do everything possible to irritate Mr. Mercedes, hoping to force him into a mistake, while also hoping that he unwittingly reveals enough himself that Hodges might have a chance to figure out who he is.

Without giving away the ending, what happens next is a back and forth between the retired detective and Mr. Mercedes, who is actually a troubled young man quite infatuated with his own mother, and with an unshakable desire to kill and inflict as much pain and suffering as possible on others.

Hodges figures that Mr. Mercedes, who's real name is Brady Hartsfield, fully intends to strike again, but realizes before long that he not only intends to strike, but to do so very soon, as the world around Brady begins to deteriorate. Brady may appear normal to the outside world, but that is something that he actively fostered to disguise the very real monster that he has become. With a bloody past, and with some seriously disturbing and inappropriate relations with his mom, Brady realizes that there is something wrong with him, and even hates this. Yet, he wants to lash out at everyone else, addicted to thoughts of mass murder and bombs and such as he is. And also, he is both extremely bright and extremely lucky, things that have allowed him to maintain the illusion of normalcy while, in reality, getting away with murder!

But Brady may have bitten off more than he can chew when he tries to engage the former detective in mind games. He figured that Hodges would be a relative pushover, much like the woman that he haunted and played mind games with after he stole her Mercedes to kill all of those people. But Hodges manages to get the better of Brady time and again, pushing him further and further from his usual self-control, until Brady absolutely explodes with deadly and murderous rage!

Suddenly, Hodges not only has to act quickly to find out who Mr. Mercedes is, but also to find him before he can fulfill his dream of another mass murder, this time even bigger than his previous mass murdering episode!

Aiding Hodges is Jeremy, an exceptionally bright high school kid who is trying to get into the best colleges for a future that seems boundless with possibilities. Also helping him is Holly, a forty-something year old woman with all sorts of personal and psychological problems. With some serious initial reservations about pulling either one into this situation, he comes to rely more and more on them over time, as their help becomes invaluable to him.

Stephen King always has great characters in his books, and this one is certainly no exception! Both Hodges and Brady Hartfield, the young Mr.Mercedes, are believable characters, as are the others in this book.

This is a highly intense page turner, one that even those who claim not to be able to get into "typical" King books about ghosts and monsters and such can easily get into. This is a realistic book, if that is the right word for it, with very human characters driving all of the events that transpire on these pages. This book is fiction, yet the events that it depicts are based on a very realistic possibility, with damaged and explosive minds bent on venting out their life's frustrations in the most explosive way possible, and trying to exact some measure of revenge upon a happy world that they were always denied access to. There are no monsters or ghosts on these pages, yet in some ways, Brady Hartsfield is even more frightening precisely because he feels so real!

Another great novel by Stephen King, and one that I would recommend to almost anyone!

Hall of Fame Game: Giants 17, Bills 13

vs.

So, yes, NFL football is back.

For now, it's just the preseason, I know. The results of these games have no real bearing on the divisional and playoff races, let alone provide a glimpse of what the postseason has in store.

Still, it was good to see two NFL teams in action again - not least of all because one of the teams, the New York Giants, happens to be my favorite team!

And I never disliked the Buffalo Bills, either, for that matter. In fact, I have always rather liked them, even though they met in the Super Bowl one time.

They met in last evening's Hall of Fame Game in Canton, Ohio as well, the traditional kickoff for the preseason every August.

The new look Giants offense looked pretty decent, with Eli Manning completing 6 of 7 passes for 43 yards, although it is important to note that he also lost a fumble.

Following the serious neck injury to running back David Wilson, the Giants had concerns regarding their running game. But at least for last night's game, Andre Williams stepped up in a big way for the G-Men, and showed a glimpse of promise that he might be the man that can capably fill the shoes of Wilson. Williams got 48 yards on seven carries, and ran in for a touchdown for the Giants. His touchdown gave the Giants a 7-3 lead.

The Bills had a few question marks with their offense on this night, as EJ Manuel only managed 2 completions in 7 pass attempts for 19 yards, as Buffalo looked lethargic and sloppy.

The special teams looked decent for both teams, particularly the placekickers. Buffalo's placekicker, Dan Carpenter, hit two field goals, including a 51-yarder! Brandon McManus was able to kick a 47-yard field goal through the uprights himself for the Giants.

Buffalo's offense showed some sparks of life when backup Jeff Tuel came in, and threw a 2-yard touchdown pass to Robert Woods, putting the Bills up, 10-7 in the second quarter. Tuel looked pretty good, completing 12 of 17 for 74 yards, including one touchdown. He also threw one interception.

After each team got a field goal apiece by the fourth quarter, the Giants managed to get a touchdown to put them up, 17-13, when Ryan Nassib hit Corey Washington for a 73-yard touchdown pass.