By The Associated Press AP - 1 hour 27 minutes ago

Today is Monday, Sept. 8, the 252nd day of 2008. There are 114 days left in the year.


Today's Highlight in History:

On Sept. 8, 1900, Galveston, Texas, was struck by a hurricane that killed an estimated 8,000 people.

On this date:

In 1565, a Spanish expedition established the first permanent European settlement in North America at present-day St. Augustine, Fla.

In 1664, the Dutch surrendered New Amsterdam to the British, who renamed it New York.

In 1930, the comic strip "Blondie," created by Chic Young, was first published.

In 1934, 134 people lost their lives in a fire aboard the liner Morro Castle off the New Jersey coast.

In 1941, the 900-day Siege of Leningrad by German forces began during World War II.

In 1951, a peace treaty with Japan was signed by 49 nations in San Francisco.

In 1974, President Ford granted an unconditional pardon to former President Nixon.

In 1975, Boston's public schools began court-ordered citywide busing to achieve racial desegregation amid scattered incidents of violence.

In 1988, two nuclear-missile rocket motors were destroyed at an army ammunition plant in Karnack, Texas; they were the first U.S. weapons to be eliminated under an arms reduction treaty with the Soviet Union.

In 1994, a USAir Boeing 737 crashed into a ravine as it was approaching Pittsburgh International Airport, killing all 132 people on board.


Ten years ago: Mark McGwire of the St. Louis Cardinals broke major league baseball's record for home runs in a single season, hitting number 62 off Chicago Cubs pitcher Steve Trachsel and eclipsing the 37-year-old record held by Roger Maris.

Five years ago: The Recording Industry Association of America, the music industry's largest trade group, filed 261 copyright lawsuits across the country against Internet users for trading songs online. Nazi-era filmmaker Leni Riefenstahl died in Poecking, Germany, at age 101.

One year ago: Sheriff's deputies in Logan County, W. Va., rescued Megan Williams, a 20-year-old black woman, from a house in Big Creek, where she'd endured what authorities described as days of torture. (Six whites later pleaded guilty to various charges; a seventh is awaiting trial.) Top-ranked Justine Henin overwhelmed Svetlana Kuznetsova 6-1, 6-3 to win her second U.S. Open women's title and seventh Grand Slam championship.

Today's Birthdays: Comedian Sid Caesar is 86. Ventriloquist Willie Tyler is 68. Actor Alan Feinstein is 67. Pop singer Sal Valentino (The Beau Brummels) is 66. Author Ann Beattie is 61. Cajun singer Zachary Richard is 58. Musician Will Lee ("Late Show with David Letterman") is 56. Actress Heather Thomas is 51. Singer Aimee Mann is 48. Pop musician David Steele (Fine Young Cannibals) is 48. Actor Thomas Kretschmann is 46. Rhythm-and-blues singer Marc Gordon (Levert) is 44. Gospel singer Darlene Zschech is 43. Alternative country singer Neko Case is 38. TV personality Brooke Burke is 37. Actor Martin Freeman is 37. Actor Henry Thomas is 37. Actor David Arquette is 37. Rock musician Richard Hughes (Keane) is 33. Actor Larenz Tate is 33. Actor Nathan Corddry is 31. Rhythm-and-blues singer Pink is 29. Actor Jonathan Taylor Thomas is 27.

Thought for Today: "That pestilent cosmetic, rhetoric." _ T.H. Huxley, English biologist and author (1825-1895).
________________

Source: Associated Press

By The Associated Press Tue Sep 9, 12: 01 AM ET

Today is Tuesday, Sept. 9, the 253rd day of 2008. There are 113 days left in the year.


Today's Highlight in History:

On Sept. 9, 1776, the second Continental Congress made the term "United States" official, replacing "United Colonies."

On this date:

In 1830, Charles Durant flew a balloon from New York City across the Hudson River to Perth Amboy, N.J.

In 1850, California became the 31st state of the union.

In 1893, Frances Cleveland, wife of President Cleveland, gave birth to a daughter, Esther, in the White House; it was the first time a president's child was born in the executive mansion.

In 1926, the National Broadcasting Co. (NBC) was incorporated by the Radio Corporation of America.

In 1948, the People's Democratic Republic of Korea (North Korea) was declared.

In 1956, Elvis Presley made the first of three appearances on "The Ed Sullivan Show."

In 1957, President Eisenhower signed into law the first civil rights bill to pass Congress since Reconstruction.

In 1971, prisoners seized control of the maximum-security Attica Correctional Facility near Buffalo, N.Y., beginning a siege that claimed 43 lives.

In 1976, Communist Chinese leader Mao Zedong died in Beijing at age 82.

In 1997, Sinn Fein, the IRA's political ally, formally renounced violence as it took its place in talks on Northern Ireland's future.


Ten years ago: Independent Counsel Kenneth Starr delivered to Congress 36 boxes of material concerning his investigation of President Clinton. Four tourists who had paid $32,500 each were taken in a tiny submarine to view the wreckage of the Titanic 2 1/2 miles below the ocean surface off Newfoundland.

Five years ago: The Boston Roman Catholic Archdiocese agreed to pay $85 million to 552 people to settle clergy sex abuse cases. France's leading undertaker estimated the country's death toll from a summer heat wave at 15,000. Twin Palestinian suicide bombings killed 16 Israelis. Nuclear scientist Edward Teller died at age 95.

One year ago: Seemingly taunting Osama bin Laden, President Bush's homeland security adviser, Frances Fragos Townsend, said in Sunday talk-show appearances that the fugitive al-Qaida leader was "virtually impotent" beyond his ability to hide away and spread anti-American propaganda. Roger Federer beat Novak Djokovic 7-6 (4), 7-6 (2), 6-4 to win his fourth straight U.S. Open championship. Britney Spears performed her new single "Gimme More" in a much-criticized comeback attempt at the MTV Video Music Awards in Las Vegas.

Today's Birthdays: Actor Cliff Robertson is 85. Actor Topol is 73. Rhythm-and-blues singer Luther Simmons is 66. Singer Inez Foxx is 66. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Alphonso Jackson is 63. Singer Dee Dee Sharp is 63. Rock singer-musician Doug Ingle is 62. Country singer Freddy Weller is 61. Football commentator Joe Theismann is 59. Actor Tom Wopat is 57. Actress Angela Cartwright is 56. Musician-producer Dave Stewart is 56. Actor Hugh Grant is 48. Actor Adam Sandler is 42. Actor David Bennent is 42. Rock singer Paul Durham (Black Lab) is 40. Model Rachel Hunter is 39. Actor Goran Visnjic is 36. Pop-jazz singer Michael Buble is 33. Latin singer Maria Rita is 31. Actress Michelle Williams is 28.

Thought for Today: "Neurosis is the way of avoiding non-being by avoiding being." — Paul Tillich, American theologian (1886-1965).
________________

Source: Associated Press

__________________
~Time owns each and everything~
~Useless youth if not useful for Pakistan~

By The Associated Press 1 hour, 45 minutes ago

Today is Wednesday, Sept. 10, the 254th day of 2008. There are 112 days left in the year.


Today's Highlight in History:

On Sept. 10, 1608, John Smith was elected president of the Jamestown colony council in Virginia.

On this date:

In 1813, an American naval force commanded by Oliver H. Perry defeated the British in the Battle of Lake Erie during the War of 1812.

In 1846, Elias Howe received a patent for his sewing machine.

In 1935, Sen. Huey P. Long, "The Kingfish" of Louisiana politics, died in Baton Rouge two days after being shot.

In 1939, Canada declared war on Nazi Germany.

In 1945, Vidkun Quisling was sentenced to death in Norway for collaborating with the Nazis (he was executed by firing squad in October 1945).

In 1948, American-born Mildred Gillars, accused of being Nazi wartime radio broadcaster "Axis Sally," was indicted in Washington for treason. (She was later convicted, and served 12 years in prison.)

In 1963, 20 black students entered Alabama public schools following a standoff between federal authorities and Gov. George C. Wallace.

In 1977, convicted murderer Hamida Djandoubi, a Tunisian immigrant, became the last person to date to be executed by the guillotine in France.

In 1983, John Vorster, prime minister of white-ruled South Africa from 1966 to 1978, died in Cape Town at age 67.

In 1987, Pope John Paul II arrived in Miami, where he was welcomed by President Reagan as he began a 10-day tour of the United States.


Ten years ago: President Clinton met with members of his Cabinet to apologize, ask forgiveness and promise to improve as a person in the wake of the Monica Lewinsky scandal. Northwest Airlines and its striking pilots announced an agreement to end a nearly two-week walkout.

Five years ago: Swedish Foreign Minister Anna Lindh, 46, was stabbed in a Stockholm department store; she died the next day. (Mijailo Mijailovic was later convicted of murdering Lindh and was sentenced to life in prison.) The first video image of Osama bin Laden in nearly two years was broadcast on Al-Jazeera TV. Israel bombed the home of a Hamas leader, killing his eldest son and a bodyguard in retaliation for two suicide bombings.

One year ago: Gen. David Petraeus, the top American commander in Iraq, told Congress he envisioned the withdrawal of roughly 30,000 troops by the summer of 2008, saying the surge in troops had met its military objectives "in large measure." Academy Award-winning actress Jane Wyman died in Palm Springs, Calif.; she was in her early 90s.

Today's Birthdays: Golfer Arnold Palmer is 79. Actor Philip Baker Hall is 77. Country singer Tommy Overstreet is 71. Actor Greg Mullavey is 69. Jazz vibraphonist Roy Ayers is 68. Singer Danny Hutton (Three Dog Night) is 66. Singer Jose Feliciano is 63. Actor Tom Ligon is 63. Actress Judy Geeson is 60. Rock musician Joe Perry (Aerosmith) is 58. Actress Amy Irving is 55. Country singer Rosie Flores is 52. Actress Kate Burton is 51. Movie director Chris Columbus is 50. Actor Colin Firth is 48. Rock singer-musician David Lowery (Cracker) is 48. Rock musician Stevie D. (Buckcherry) is 42. Rock musician Robin Goodridge (Bush) is 42. Rock singer-musician Miles Zuniga (Fastball) is 42. Rapper Big Daddy Kane is 40. Movie director Guy Ritchie is 40. Actor Ryan Phillippe is 34. Rock musician Mikey Way (My Chemical Romance) is 28.

Thought for Today: "The authentic and pure values, truth, beauty, and goodness, in the activity of a human being are the result of one and the same act, a certain application of the full attention to the object." — Simone Weil, French philosopher (1909-1943).
________________

Source: Associated Press

__________________
~Time owns each and everything~
~Useless youth if not useful for Pakistan~

By The Associated Press 2 hours, 3 minutes ago

Today is Thursday, Sept. 11, the 255th day of 2008. There are 111 days left in the year. This is Patriot Day.


Today's Highlight in History:

On Sept. 11, 2001, in the single worst act of terrorism committed on U.S. soil, nearly 3,000 people died when two hijacked jetliners crashed into New York's World Trade Center, causing the twin towers to collapse; a commandeered jetliner smashed into the Pentagon; and a fourth hijacked plane crashed in western Pennsylvania.

On this date:

In 1789, Alexander Hamilton was appointed the first U.S. Secretary of the Treasury.

In 1857, the Mountain Meadows Massacre took place in present-day southern Utah as a 120-member Arkansas immigrant party was slaughtered by Mormon settlers.

In 1941, Charles A. Lindbergh sparked charges of anti-Semitism with a speech in Des Moines, Iowa, in which he said "the British, the Jewish and the Roosevelt administration" were trying to draw the United States into World War II.

In 1958, responding to Communist China's artillery attacks on the Taiwan-held islands of Quemoy and Matsu, President Eisenhower said in a broadcast address the U.S. had to be prepared to fight to prevent a communist takeover of the islands.

In 1971, former Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev died at age 77.

In 1972, the troubled Munich Summer Olympics ended.

In 1973, Chilean President Salvador Allende died in a violent military coup.

In 1974, an Eastern Airlines DC-9 crashed during a landing attempt in Charlotte, N.C., killing 72 of the people on board.

In 1978, Georgi Markov, a Bulgarian defector, died at a British hospital four days after being stabbed by a man wielding a poisoned umbrella tip.

In 1985, Pete Rose of the Cincinnati Reds cracked career hit number 4,192 off Eric Show of the San Diego Padres, eclipsing the record held by Ty Cobb.


Ten years ago: Congress released Kenneth Starr's voluminous report that offered graphic details of President Clinton's alleged sexual misconduct and leveled accusations of perjury and obstruction of justice; the president's attorneys quickly issued a point-by-point rebuttal. Russia's fractious parliament came together and confirmed compromise candidate Yevgeny Primakov as prime minister. Divers off Nova Scotia recovered the cockpit voice recorder from Swissair Flight 111, which had crashed Sept. 2 with 229 people aboard.

Five years ago: Israel issued an ominous threat to "remove" Yasser Arafat for failing to halt suicide bombings. Swedish Foreign Minister Anna Lindh died from stab wounds inflicted when she was attacked in a Stockholm department store a day earlier. Actor John Ritter died in Los Angeles at age 54.

One year ago: A militant group called Islamic Jihad Union claimed responsibility for foiled bombings that targeted Ramstein U.S. Air Base as well as U.S. and Uzbek consulates in Germany. A new Osama bin Laden videotape was released on the sixth anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks. China signed an agreement to prohibit the use of lead paint on toys exported to the United States.

Today's Birthdays: Actress Betsy Drake is 85. Actor Earl Holliman is 80. Movie director Brian De Palma is 68. Rock musician Mickey Hart (The Dead) is 65. Singer-musician Leo Kottke is 63. Actor Phillip Alford is 60. Actress Amy Madigan is 58. Rock singer-musician Tommy Shaw (Styx) is 55. Sports reporter Lesley Visser is 55. Actor Reed Birney is 54. Singer-songwriter Diane Warren is 52. Musician Jon Moss (Culture Club) is 51. Actor Scott Patterson is 50. Rock musician Mick Talbot (The Style Council) is 50. Actress Roxann Dawson is 50. Actress Virginia Madsen is 47. Actress Kristy McNichol is 46. Musician-composer Moby is 43. Business reporter Maria Bartiromo is 41. Singer Harry Connick Jr. is 41. Rock musician Bart Van Der Zeeuw is 40. Actress Laura Wright is 38. Rock musician Jeremy Popoff (Lit) is 37. Singer Brad Fischetti (LFO) is 33. Rapper Mr. Black is 31. Rock musician Jon Buckland (Coldplay) is 31. Rapper Ludacris is 31. Rock singer Ben Lee is 30. Actor Ryan Slattery is 30. Country singer Charles Kelley (Lady Antebellum) is 27. Actor Tyler Hoechlin is 21.

Thought for Today: "There would never be a moment, in war or in peace, when I wouldn't trade all the patriots in the country for one tolerant man. Or when I wouldn't swap the vitamins in a child's lunch box for a jelly glass of magnanimity." — E.B. White, American author and humorist (1899-1985).
________________

Source: Associated Press

__________________
~Time owns each and everything~
~Useless youth if not useful for Pakistan~

By The Associated Press Fri Sep 12, 121 AM ET

Today is Friday, Sept. 12, the 256th day of 2008. There are 110 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:

On Sept. 12, 1958, the U.S. Supreme Court, in Cooper v. Aaron, unanimously ruled that Arkansas officials who were resisting public school desegregation orders could not disregard the high court's rulings.

On this date:

In 1609, English explorer Henry Hudson sailed up the river that now bears his name.

In 1918, during World War I, U.S. forces led by Gen. John J. Pershing launched a successful attack on the German-occupied St. Mihiel salient north of Verdun, France.

In 1938, Adolf Hitler demanded the right of self-determination for the Sudeten Germans in Czechoslovakia.

In 1943, German paratroopers took Benito Mussolini from the hotel where he was being held by the Italian government.

In 1953, Massachusetts Sen. John F. Kennedy married Jacqueline Lee Bouvier in Newport, R.I.

In 1958, the science-fiction movie "The Blob," starring Steve McQueen — billed as "Steven" — was released.

In 1960, Democratic presidential candidate John F. Kennedy addressed questions about his Roman Catholic faith, telling a Southern Baptist group in Houston, "I do not speak for my church on public matters, and the church does not speak for me."

In 1974, Emperor Haile Selassie was deposed by Ethiopia's military after ruling for 58 years.

In 1977, South African black student leader Steven Biko died while in police custody, triggering an international outcry.

In 1992, the space shuttle Endeavour blasted off, carrying with it Mark Lee and Jan Davis, the first married couple in space; Mae Jemison, the first black woman in space; and Mamoru Mohri, the first Japanese citizen to fly on a U.S. spaceship.


Ten years ago: The White House responded to Kenneth Starr's graphic report on President Clinton by calling it a "hit-and-run smear campaign." Leaders of striking pilots at Northwest Airlines ratified a new contract, ending a walkout that began Aug. 28. Sammy Sosa of the Chicago Cubs became the fourth player in major league baseball history to reach 60 homers in a single season. Lindsay Davenport won the U.S. Open, defeating defending champion Martina Hingis 6-3, 7-5.

Five years ago: In the Iraqi city of Fallujah, U.S. forces mistakenly opened fire on vehicles carrying police, killing eight of them. The U.N. Security Council ended 11 years of sanctions against Libya. Typhoon Maemi slammed into South Korea, killing at least 117 people. Music legend Johnny Cash died in Nashville, Tenn., at age 71.

One year ago: Oil prices briefly topped a record $80 a barrel. Russian President Vladimir Putin replaced long-serving Prime Minister Mikhail Fradkov with an obscure Cabinet official, Viktor Zubkov. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe announced his resignation.

Today's Birthdays: Actress Irene Dailey is 88. Actor Dickie Moore ("Our Gang") is 83. Actor Freddie Jones is 81. Country singer George Jones is 77. Actor Ian Holm is 77. Actress Linda Gray is 68. Singer Maria Muldaur is 65. Actor Joe Pantoliano is 57. Singer-musician Gerry Beckley (America) is 56. Rock musician Neil Peart (Rush) is 56. Actor Peter Scolari is 53. Actress Rachel Ward is 51. Actress Amy Yasbeck is 46. Rock musician Norwood Fisher (Fishbone) is 43. Actor Darren E. Burrows is 42. Rock singer-musician Ben Folds (Ben Folds Five) is 42. Rock musician Larry LaLonde (Primus) is 40. Actor Josh Hopkins is 38. Actor Paul Walker is 35. Country singer Jennifer Nettles (Sugarland) is 34. Actor Benjamin McKenzie is 30. Singer Ruben Studdard is 30. Basketball player Yao Ming is 28. Singer-actress Jennifer Hudson is 27. Actress Emmy Rossum is 22.

Thought for Today: "Nothing strengthens the judgment and quickens the conscience like individual responsibility." — Elizabeth Cady Stanton, American feminist (1815-1902).
________________

Source: Associated Press

__________________
~Time owns each and everything~
~Useless youth if not useful for Pakistan~

By The Associated Press 2 hours, 25 minutes ago

Today is Saturday, Sept. 13, the 257th day of 2008. There are 109 days left in the year.


Today's Highlight in History:

On Sept. 13, 1788, the Congress of the Confederation authorized the first national election, and declared New York City the temporary national capital.

On this date:

In 1759, during the final French and Indian War, the British defeated the French on the Plains of Abraham overlooking Quebec City.

In 1803, Commodore John Barry, considered by many the father of the American Navy, died in Philadelphia.

In 1851, American medical pioneer Walter Reed was born in Gloucester County, Va.

In 1907, the RMS Lusitania arrived in New York, completing its maiden voyage from England.

In 1948, Republican Margaret Chase Smith of Maine was elected to the U.S. Senate, becoming the first woman to serve in both houses of Congress.

In 1971, a four-day inmates' rebellion at the Attica Correctional Facility in upstate New York ended as police and guards stormed the prison; the ordeal and final assault claimed 43 lives.

In 1977, conductor Leopold Stokowski died in Hampshire, England, at age 95.

In 1989, Fay Vincent was named commissioner of Major League Baseball, succeeding the late A. Bartlett Giamatti.

In 1993, at the White House, Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and PLO chairman Yasser Arafat shook hands after signing an accord granting limited Palestinian autonomy.

In 1997, funeral services were held in Calcutta, India, for Nobel peace laureate Mother Teresa.


Ten years ago: Former Alabama Gov. George C. Wallace died at age 79. Sammy Sosa of the Chicago Cubs hit his 61st and 62nd home runs of the season to pass Roger Maris and pull into a tie with Mark McGwire. Patrick Rafter won his second straight U.S. Open title, defeating fellow Australian Mark Philippoussis 6-3, 3-6, 6-2, 6-0. NBC's "Frasier" won a record fifth consecutive award as best comedy series at the 50th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards; ABC's "The Practice" was honored as best drama.

Five years ago: Angry mourners swarmed Fallujah, Iraq, a day after eight Iraqi police were killed in a friendly fire incident involving U.S. troops; the U.S. military apologized for the deaths. The California Democratic Party voted to endorse Lieutenant Gov. Cruz Bustamante while continuing to support Gov. Gray Davis in the Oct. 7 recall election. Indiana Gov. Frank O'Bannon died at age 73. In Las Vegas, Sugar Shane Mosley beat Oscar De La Hoya, winning a close but unanimous decision to take the WBC and WBA 154-pound titles.

One year ago: President Bush, addressing the nation, rejected calls to end the war in Iraq, but said he wanted gradual U.S. troop withdrawals from the country. Abdul-Sattar Abu Risha, the most prominent figure in a U.S.-backed revolt of Sunni sheiks against al-Qaida in Iraq, was killed by a bomb planted near his home in Anbar province. The NFL fined New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick $500,000 and the team $250,000 for spying on the New York Jets during a game.

Today's Birthdays: Actress Barbara Bain is 77. Actress Eileen Fulton ("As the World Turns") is 75. TV producer Fred Silverman is 71. Former White House spokesman Larry Speakes is 69. Actor Richard Kiel is 69. Rock singer David Clayton-Thomas (Blood, Sweat & Tears) is 67. Actress Jacqueline Bisset is 64. Singer Peter Cetera is 64. Singer Randy Jones (The Village People) is 56. Record producer Don Was is 56. Actor Isiah Whitlock Jr. is 54. Actress-comedian Geri Jewell is 52. Country singer Bobbie Cryner is 47. Rock singer-musician Dave Mustaine (Megadeth) is 47. Radio-TV personality Tavis Smiley is 44. Rock musician Zak Starkey is 43. Actor Louis Mandylor is 42. Olympic gold medal runner Michael Johnson is 41. Rock musician Steve Perkins is 41. Actor Roger Howarth is 40. Actor-writer-director-producer Tyler Perry is 39. Actress Louise Lombard is 38. Tennis player Goran Ivanisevic is 37. Country singer Aaron Benward (Blue County) is 35. Country musician Joe Don Rooney (Rascal Flats) is 33. Actor Scott Vickaryous is 33. Singer Fiona Apple is 31. Contemporary Christian musician Hector Cervantes (Casting Crowns) is 28. Actor Ben Savage is 28. Actor Mitch Holleman ("Reba") is 13.

Thought for Today: "We do not attach ourselves lastingly to anything that has not cost us care, labor or longing." — Honore de Balzac, French dramatist (1799-1850).
________________

Source: Associated Press

__________________
~Time owns each and everything~
~Useless youth if not useful for Pakistan~

By The Associated Press – 1 hour ago

Today is Sunday, Sept. 14, the 258th day of 2008. There are 108 days left in the year.


Today's Highlight in History:

On Sept. 14, 1814, Francis Scott Key was inspired to write his poem "The Star-Spangled Banner" after witnessing how Fort McHenry in Maryland had endured British bombardment during the War of 1812.

On this date:

In 1812, the Russians set fire to Moscow in the face of an invasion by Napoleon Bonaparte's troops.

In 1847, U.S. forces under Gen. Winfield Scott took control of Mexico City.

In 1901, President William McKinley died in Buffalo, N.Y., of gunshot wounds inflicted by an assassin. Vice President Theodore Roosevelt succeeded him.

In 1927, modern dance pioneer Isadora Duncan died in Nice, France, when her scarf became entangled in a wheel of the sports car she was riding in.

In 1948, a groundbreaking ceremony took place in New York at the site of the United Nations' world headquarters.

In 1959, the Soviet space probe Luna 2 became the first manmade object to reach the moon as it crashed onto the lunar surface.

In 1964, Pope Paul VI opened the third session of the Second Ecumenical Council of the Vatican, also known as Vatican II. (The session closed two months later.)

In 1975, Pope Paul VI declared Mother Elizabeth Ann Bayley Seton the first U.S.-born saint.

In 1982, Princess Grace of Monaco, formerly actress Grace Kelly, died at age 52 of injuries from a car crash the day before; Lebanon's president-elect, Bashir Gemayel was killed by a bomb.

In 1988, Hurricane Gilbert slammed into Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula after forcing thousands of residents to flee.


Ten years ago: President Clinton, struggling to regain his footing from the Monica Lewinsky scandal, pledged during a speech in New York to work with America's allies to deal with the "biggest financial challenge facing the world in a half-century."

Five years ago: Swedes rejected adopting the European common currency in a referendum overshadowed by the killing of Foreign Minister Anna Lindh, an ardent euro supporter. World Trade Organization talks designed to change global trade collapsed in Cancun, Mexico, amid differences between rich and poor nations. An older half-sister of tennis stars Venus and Serena Williams, Yetunde Price, was shot to death in Compton, Calif.

One year ago: Defense Secretary Robert Gates raised the possibility of cutting U.S. troop levels in Iraq to 100,000 by the end of 2008, well beyond the cuts President Bush had approved. In Iraq, some 1,500 mourners called for revenge as they buried the leader of the Sunni revolt against al-Qaida, Adbul-Sattar Abu Risha, who had been assassinated by a bomb claimed by an al-Qaida front.

Today's Birthdays: Actress Zoe Caldwell is 75. Actor Harve Presnell is 75. Feminist author Kate Millett is 74. Actor Walter Koenig is 72. Actor Nicol Williamson is 70. Singer-actress Joey Heatherton is 64. Actor Sam Neill is 61. Singer Jon "Bowser" Bauman (Sha Na Na) is 61. Rock musician Ed King is 59. Rock musician Steve Berlin (Los Lobos) is 53. Country singer-songwriter Beth Nielsen Chapman is 52. Actress Mary Crosby is 49. Singer Morten Harket (a-ha) is 49. Country singer John Berry is 49. Actress Melissa Leo is 48. Actress Faith Ford is 44. Actress Michelle Stafford is 43. Rock musician Mike Cooley (Drive-By Truckers) is 42. Actor Dan Cortese is 40. Contemporary Christian singer Mark Hall is 39. Rock musician Craig Montoya (Tri Polar) is 38. Actress Kimberly Williams-Paisley is 37. Rapper Nas is 35. Country singer Danielle Peck is 30. Pop singer Ayo is 28. Singer-songwriter Amy Winehouse is 25. Actor Adam Lamberg is 24.

Thought for Today: "I venture to suggest that patriotism is not a short and frenzied outburst of emotion but the tranquil and steady dedication of a lifetime." — Adlai E. Stevenson, American statesman (1900-1965).
________________

Source: Associated Press

__________________
~Time owns each and everything~
~Useless youth if not useful for Pakistan~

By The Associated Press – 10 hours ago

Today is Monday, Sept. 15, the 259th day of 2008. There are 107 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:

On Sept. 15, 1789, the U.S. Department of Foreign Affairs was renamed the Department of State.

On this date:

In 1776, British forces occupied New York City during the American Revolution.

In 1807, former Vice President Aaron Burr was acquitted of a misdemeanor charge two weeks after he was found innocent of treason.

In 1821, independence from Spain was proclaimed for Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and El Salvador.

In 1857, William Howard Taft, who served as president of the United States and as U.S. chief justice, was born in Cincinnati.

In 1858, the third debate between senatorial candidates Abraham Lincoln and Stephen A. Douglas was held in Jonesboro, Ill.

In 1935, the Nuremberg Laws deprived German Jews of their citizenship.

In 1940, during the Battle of Britain in World War II, the tide turned as the Luftwaffe sustained heavy losses inflicted by the Royal Air Force.

In 1958, a New Jersey commuter train plunged off a partially open drawbridge into Newark Bay, killing 48 people.

In 1963, four black girls were killed when a bomb went off during Sunday services at the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Ala. (Three Ku Klux Klansmen were eventually convicted for their roles in the blast.)

In 1982, Iran's former foreign minister, Sadegh Ghotbzadeh, was executed after he was convicted of plotting against the government.


Ten years ago: Nine states and the District of Columbia held primaries. In New York, liberal congressman Charles Schumer won the Democratic nod to challenge Republican Sen. Alfonse D'Amato. (Schumer won.) In Washington state, conservative congresswoman Linda Smith won the right to challenge Democratic Sen. Patty Murray. (Murray won re-election.) Mark McGwire of the St. Louis Cardinals hit his 63rd home run of the season.

Five years ago: A three-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals halted California's recall election, saying it was unacceptable for several counties to use punch-card ballots. (However, a larger panel of 11 judges from the 9th Circuit later ordered the election to go forward.) The WUSA soccer league shut down operations five days before the Women's World Cup, saying it didn't have enough money to stay in business for a fourth season.

One year ago: In his Saturday radio address, President Bush said while "formidable challenges" remained in Iraq, the United States would start shifting more troops into support roles. Several thousand protesters marched from the White House to the Capitol to demand an end to the Iraq war. Sarah Thomas became the first female official to work a game in the Football Bowl Subdivision, formerly I-A, serving as the line judge in the Jacksonville State-Memphis game. Actress-comedian Brett Somers died in Westport, Conn., at age 83.

Today's Birthdays: Actor-director Jackie Cooper is 86. Actor Forrest Compton is 83. Comedian Norm Crosby is 81. Actor Henry Darrow is 75. Baseball Hall-of-Famer Gaylord Perry is 70. Football Hall-of-Famer Merlin Olsen is 68. Opera singer Jessye Norman is 63. Writer-director Ron Shelton is 63. Actor Tommy Lee Jones is 62. Movie director Oliver Stone is 62. Rock musician Mitch Dorge (Crash Test Dummies) is 48. Football Hall-of-Famer Dan Marino is 47. Actor Danny Nucci is 40. Rap DJ Kay Gee is 39. Rock musician Allen Shellenberger (Lit) is 39. Actor Josh Charles is 37. Singer Ivette Sosa (Eden's Crush) is 32. Actress Amy Davidson is 29. Britain's Prince Henry of Wales is 24.

Thought for Today: "God made the world round so we would never be able to see too far down the road." — Isak Dinesen, Danish author (1885-1962).
________________

Source: Associated Press

__________________
~Time owns each and everything~
~Useless youth if not useful for Pakistan~

By The Associated Press – 15 hours ago

Today is Tuesday, Sept. 16, the 260th day of 2008. There are 106 days left in the year.


Today's Highlight in History:

One hundred years ago, on Sept. 16, 1908, General Motors was formed in Flint, Mich., by William Durant.

On this date:

In 1498, Tomas de Torquemada, notorious for his role in the Spanish Inquisition, died in Avila, Spain.

In 1810, Mexico began its successful revolt against Spanish rule.

In 1893, more than 100,000 settlers swarmed onto a section of land in Oklahoma known as the "Cherokee Strip."

In 1919, the American Legion was formally chartered by an act of Congress.

In 1940, President Roosevelt signed into law the Selective Training and Service Act, which set up the first peacetime military draft in U.S. history; Samuel T. Rayburn of Texas was elected Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives.

In 1966, the Metropolitan Opera opened its new opera house at New York's Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts.

In 1968, Republican presidential nominee Richard Nixon exclaimed, "Sock it to ME?" in a taped bit for the NBC-TV comedy program "Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In."

In 1977, Maria Callas, the American-born prima donna famed for her lyric soprano and fiery temperament, died in Paris at age 53.

In 1982, the massacre of hundreds of Palestinian men, women and children by Israeli-allied Lebanese militiamen began in west Beirut's Sabra and Chatilla refugee camps.

In 1988, Hurricane Gilbert slammed into the Mexico coast for the second time in three days.


Ten years ago: In his first news conference since the release of Kenneth Starr's graphic report, President Clinton said he'd told "the essential truth" about his affair with Monica Lewinsky; as for whether he might resign, Clinton responded that Americans "want me to go on." House Judiciary Committee Chairman Henry Hyde, responding to a report in an Internet publication, Salon Magazine, admitted to "indiscretions" with a woman in the 1960s at a time when both were married.

Five years ago: North Carolina Sen. John Edwards formally launched his candidacy for the Democratic presidential nomination. Actor-singer Sheb Wooley died in Nashville, Tenn., at age 82.

One year ago: A deadly shooting in Baghdad involving the U.S. security firm Blackwater USA left 17 Iraqi civilians dead. A One-Two-Go Airlines passenger plane crashed on the island of Phuket, Thailand, killing 89 people. O.J. Simpson was arrested in the alleged armed robbery of sports memorabilia collectors in Las Vegas. The Phoenix Mercury beat the Detroit Shock 108-92 to win their first WNBA title. "The Sopranos" claimed its final Emmy award as best dramatic series; "30 Rock" won best comedy series.

Today's Birthdays: Actress Janis Paige is 86. Actress Lauren Bacall is 84. Blues singer B.B. King is 83. Clergyman-author Rev. Robert H. Schuller is 82. Actor Peter Falk is 81. Actress Anne Francis is 78. Actor George Chakiris is 76. Movie director Jim McBride is 67. Actress Linda Miller is 66. Rhythm-and-blues singer Betty Kelly (Martha & the Vandellas) is 64. Musician Kenney Jones (Small Faces; Faces; The Who) is 60. Actress Susan Ruttan is 60. Rock musician Ron Blair (Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers) is 60. Actor Ed Begley Jr. is 59. Country singer David Bellamy (The Bellamy Brothers) is 58. Country singer-songwriter Phil Lee is 57. Actor-comedian Lenny Clarke is 55. Actor Kurt Fuller is 55. Jazz musician Earl Klugh is 55. Actor Christopher Rich is 55. Singer Frank Reed (The Chi-Lites) is 54. TV personality Mark McEwen is 54. Actor Mickey Rourke is 52. Magician David Copperfield is 52. Country singer-songwriter Terry McBride is 50. Actress Jennifer Tilly is 50. Former All-Star baseball pitcher Orel Hershiser is 50. Singer Richard Marx is 45. Comedian Molly Shannon is 44. Singer Marc Anthony is 40. Comedian Amy Poehler is 37. Singer Musiq is 31. Actress Alexis Bledel is 27. Actress Sabrina Bryan is 24. Actress Madeline Zima is 23. Actress Kyla Pratt is 22. Rock singer Teddy Geiger is 20. Rock singer-musician Nick Jonas (The Jonas Brothers) is 16.

Thought for Today: "Stoicism is the wisdom of madness and cynicism the madness of wisdom." — Bergen Evans, American lexicographer (1904-1978).
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Source: Associated Press

__________________
~Time owns each and everything~
~Useless youth if not useful for Pakistan~

The Associated Press - 9 hours ago

Today is Wednesday, Sept. 17, the 261st day of 2008. There are 105 days left in the year.


Today's Highlight in History:

One hundred years ago, on Sept. 17, 1908, Thomas E. Selfridge, a 1st Lieutenant in the U.S. Army Signal Corps, became the first person to die in the crash of a powered aircraft, the Wright Flyer. (The accident, which also seriously injured pilot Orville Wright, occurred at Fort Myer, Va., just outside Washington.)

On this date:

In 1787, the Constitution of the United States was completed and signed by a majority of delegates attending the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia.

In 1862, in the bloodiest battle day in U.S. history, Union forces fought Confederate invaders in the Civil War Battle of Antietam at Sharpsburg, Md.

In 1920, the American Professional Football Association, a precursor of the National Football League, was formed in Canton, Ohio.

In 1939, the Soviet Union invaded Poland, more than two weeks after Nazi Germany had launched its assault.

In 1944, during World War II, Allied paratroopers launched Operation Market Garden, landing behind German lines in the Netherlands. (After initial success, the Allies were beaten back by the Germans.)

In 1947, James V. Forrestal was sworn in as the first U.S. Secretary of Defense.

In 1948, the United Nations mediator for Palestine, Count Folke Bernadotte, was assassinated in Jerusalem by Jewish extremists.

In 1978, after meeting at Camp David, Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin and Egyptian President Anwar Sadat signed a framework for a peace treaty.

In 1983, Vanessa L. Williams of New York became the first black contestant to be crowned Miss America. (The following July, she also became the first Miss America to resign in the wake of her Penthouse magazine scandal.)

In 1988, opening ceremonies for the Summer Olympics took place in Seoul, South Korea.


Ten years ago: In Mexico, gunmen apparently sent by a drug lord yanked three families from their beds before dawn and opened fire, killing 19 men, women and children near a popular Baja California resort.

Five years ago: Spain's leading investigating judge, Baltasar Garzon, issued the first known indictment against Osama bin Laden in the Sept. 11 attacks. An audiotape purporting to carry the voice of Saddam Hussein, broadcast on Arab television, called on Iraqis to fight the American occupation. New York Stock Exchange chairman Dick Grasso resigned amid a furor over his $139.5 million pay package. Retired Army Gen. Wesley Clark entered the race for the Democratic presidential nomination.

One year ago: President Bush nominated former federal judge Michael Mukasey to become the next attorney general. The Iraqi government revoked the license of Blackwater USA security firm after a shooting incident that claimed the lives of civilians. During a forum at the University of Florida, Andrew Meyer, a student with a history of taping his own practical jokes, was Tasered by campus police and arrested after repeatedly trying to question Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry.

Today's Birthdays: Actor David Huddleston is 78. Sen. Charles E. Grassley (R-Iowa) is 75. Actor Paul Benedict is 70. Supreme Court Justice David H. Souter is 69. Singer LaMonte McLemore (The Fifth Dimension) is 69. Singer Fee Waybill is 58. Actress Cassandra Peterson ("Elvira, Mistress of the Dark") is 57. Comedian Rita Rudner is 55. Muppeteer Kevin Clash is 48. Movie director Baz Luhrmann is 46. Singer BeBe Winans is 46. Actor Kyle Chandler is 43. Rapper Doug E. Fresh is 42. Actor Malik Yoba is 41. Rock musician Keith Flint (Prodigy) is 39. Actor Matthew Settle is 39. Rapper Vinnie (Naughty By Nature) is 38. Rock singer Anastacia is 35. Rhythm-and-blues singer Marcus Sanders (Hi-Five) is 35. Actress-singer Nona Gaye is 34. Singer-actor Constantine Maroulis is 33. Pop singer Maile Misajon (Eden's Crush) is 32. Country singer-songwriter Stephen Cochran is 29. Rock musician Chuck Comeau (Simple Plan) is 29. Country singer Desi Wasdin (3 of Hearts) is 25. Rock musician Jon Walker (Panic at the Disco) is 23.

Thought for Today: "Governments exist to protect the rights of minorities. The loved and the rich need no protection — they have many friends and few enemies." — Wendell Phillips, American abolitionist (1811-1884).
________________

Source: Associated Press

__________________
~Time owns each and everything~
~Useless youth if not useful for Pakistan~