Finally have my car back, and wouldn't you know it, they couldn't find anything wrong with the sucker. Figures. No, I wasn't imagining it. Well, one thing's for sure - I'm not stopping on the way home! Kudos to the repair shop, though - I had 'em change the oil, since they had the car. After spending most of the day trying to solve the problem, they only charged me for the oil change - got out of there for under $20.

At any rate, for one more day at least, I'm in a town that is the oldest original township in its state, settled in the 1660's! It is said to be the site of one of the earliest anti-slavery meetings in the U.S., held in 1783. And yes, George Washington slept here. One of the famous residents of this town was the man for whom Pike's Peak was named.

The area is known for fine clay deposits, and the bricks made from it.

The town has its share of Heroes - one former resident was a famous ship captain who, alone, fought to save his sinking ship for nearly two weeks, before finally surrendering her to the North Atlantic. The story made worldwide headlines.

Another Hero fell on a sunny summer day in September, 2001. A Port Authority police officer from this town, an avid fisherman, had already earned his part of a group valor citation for actions taken during the 1993 bombing at the World Trade Center. Serving in his current assignment - the emergency services and hazardous material response team there, he would lose his life in the collapse of the towers.

This town is also the home base of Heroes of the Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 2-113th Infantry, and Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Brigade, 50th Armored Division.

First correct response via email to iraqwartoday-AT-sbcglobal.net gets a copy of Masters of the Art: A Fighting Marine's Memoir of Vietnam, by Ronald Winter.

So...


Where Am I?


UPDATE: We have a winner! Margaret correctly guessed that I am in Woodbridge, New Jersey - for a little while longer, anyway - I head home this afternoon. Watch for details on some of the clues I gave, coming later.

Labels: contests, Where Am I

News of Note
Operation Iraqi Freedom
Petraeus: War Might Get Harder Before It Gets Better
Handover of Shaibah Logistics Base to the Iraqi Army
Al-Qaeda in Iraq Security Emir Killed
Bombers strike at Iraqi army, civilians
Military.com Op-ed: We Lost? Who Won?
Iraqi spokesman criticizes Senate vote
Congress clears Iraq bill, veto awaits
Petraeus eyes long commitment in Iraq

Operation Enduring Freedom
Northeastern Militant Killed in Coalition Air Strike

Homeland Security / War on Terror / Hamas-Hezbollah Happenings
Poll: Americans and Mexicans Agree Usama bin Laden Should Be Executed
Fighting flares in Mogadishu
Somali PM hails gains in Mogadishu war
Palestinians renew truce, demand it include W.Bank - Video

Troops on Trial
Army Officer Charged With Aiding the Enemy

Other Military News
Report: Prince Harry May Be Kept Out of Iraq
Military.com Def Tech: Air Power Most Deadly
DoD Urged to Close Secret Database
Military.com - WF: Ship Woes Continue

Worldwide Wackos
Iran says nearing unity with EU in some nuclear areas - Video

Politics / Government
McCain to Critics: Get a Life!
Senate Expected to Pass Troop Exit Bill
GOP Rep. Calls on Reid to Quit Post Over War Comments
Democrats Jump on Rudy Giuliani for Something He Didn't Say
Rep. Hunter Calls on Harry Reid to Step Down as Senate Majority Leader
Rice Hints She'll Reject Subpoena, Send Letter
'08 Dem Hopefuls Gather for 1st Tussle on TV
Putin Rejects Speculation He'll Seek 3rd Term
Putin ups stakes in missile shield row
White House held GOP prospect briefings
N.H. lawmakers approve civil unions
N.J. governor says he's 'blessed'
Rice at NATO: Missile defense no threat
Huckabee's son arrested with handgun

In the Courts / Crime and Punishment / Law and Order
Hugh Grant Arrested After Alleged 'Baked Beans' Attack on Photographer
'Girls Gone Wild' Creator Joe Francis Charged With Sexual Battery
New York Police Find Body in Burned Farmhouse Believed to Be Gunman Who Killed Trooper
Runaway Bride Back at Home
Spector Trial Opening Arguments Wrap Up
Arrest Warrant for Gere Over Bollywood Kiss
Kidney Transplant Fugitive Arrested in Mexico
Virginia Tech rampage lasted just nine minutes
Feds Smash Explosives Ring
Rapper Eve arrested after LA car crash
Massacres often bring tough gun controls
2 plead guilty in police drug raid death

Adventures in Political Correctness / Regulated Niceties
FCC: Congress Can Regulate TV Violence
Advocacy Group: Drop Shrek From Anti-Obesity Ads

U.N. News
Libya to host Darfur talks as U.S. patience ebbs

Media in the Media / Bloggers in the News / Watching the Web
Sportswriter Throws a Changeup
Rosie O'Donnell Leaving 'The View' After Contract Negotiations Fail
Rosie O'Donnell Decided to Leave 'View' When Walters Failed to Defend Her Against Trump
How Much Abuse Can Katie Couric Take?
Philbin happy to be back on talk show

Science / Medicine / Technology
U.K. Clears Way for 'Designer Babies'
Hawking: Zero-Gravity Flight Will Be 'Bliss'
Sony to launch video-sharing network
New diabetes genetic risk factors found

Mother Nature
McCain says Gonzales should resign
Ice shrinks, birds migrate early in Arctic
Polar explorer's bear cub cautionary tale for Knut
Taiwan stung by millions of missing bees (The same thing is happening here, Europe, and in South America...NOT good)

Oddities
Morticians Find Man Alive After Dublin Hospital Accidentally Declares Him Dead
"Women's town" to put men in their place (This really irritates me...Do you think they'd be able to build a "Men's town" or a "Caucasian town" ??)
Lawmakers upbraid FDA for food safety failings - Video
House backs bill barring genetic discrimination

Other News of Note
Democracy under fire in Botswana
China announces controls after U.S. petfood scare (Like I trust them)
Ecuador Boots World Bank - VIDEO

Fox News
Deadly Pileup
NEWS IN PICTURES: Today's Top Photos
Jobless Claims Drop; Labor Market Strong
Reality Check: A Shocking Surprise on 'American Idol'
St. Louis Archbishop Opposes Shery Crow's Appearance at Children's Charity Due to Abortion Stance
New Airline Offers $10 Tickets on All Flights

Reuters: Top News
Building collapses in Istanbul, no word on injuries
British Millennium flora store banks billionth seed
Jobs says Apple customers not into renting music
Travelers willing to pay extra for green holidays
Kanye West, Rod Stewart to perform at Diana concert
Ford results beat estimates
Aetna hits year high as profit beats
Apple shares surge after upbeat earnings
Stocks tread water before GDP
Office Depot sales miss, shares fall
Jobs: Rental music at iTunes unlikely
Housing's full earnings impact still ahead
Exxon Mobil profit boosted by refineries
Harman to be bought for about $8 billion
Wal-Mart cutting managers at Sam's Club
3M posts stronger-than-expected profit
World markets unfazed by benign dollar slide
Barclays says "very confident" ABN deal will succeed

AP World News
Dow edges up to new record
Red Sox insist Schilling's sock for real
Nintendo profits up 77 pct. on Wii sales
Sosa is 'Slammin' Sammy' again
Taiwan rejects China's torch relay plans
2 rescued in building collapse in Turkey
IBM adds video-game chips to mainframes

Military.com
Ace the ASVAB
SpouseBUZZ: Live! Going to SD
Fitness: Prehab Against Rehab
Podcast: From The Editor's Desk

CENTCOM: News Releases
CHARGES ANNOUNCED
AIRPOWER SUMMARY FOR APRIL 25
AIRPOWER SUMMARY FOR APRIL 24

USJFCOM
Liveblogging: Noble Resolve 2007
Learn more about Noble Resolve
Noble Resolve kicks off
Joint integration vital for Atlantic Strike participants
Deputy Under Secretary of Defense meets with USJFCOM - podcast

DefenseLink
Petraeus: Terrorists Reveal Iranian Influence - Story
Progress in Iraq Steady Despite Attacks, Petraeus Says
U.S. Leaders in Iraq to Evaluate New Security Plan
U.S., German Defense Leaders Discuss Military
BERLIN, Germany, April 26, 2007 – Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates met with German defense leaders yesterday on the last leg of a three-day trip to Moscow, Warsaw and Berlin to discuss U.S. plans to base a missile defense network in Europe. Story
Vietnam Vet Pace Advises Next Leaders - Story
England: Defeat Extremism With Understanding - Story
Official: Iraqi Police Becoming 'Very Capable' - Story
Leaders Plan to Evaluate Iraq Security Plan - Story
Army Moves to Fix Wounded Warrior Care - Story
Combat Vet Takes Lead to Improve Walter Reed

More Headline News
Commanders Push for Three-Year Korea Tours
Bush: U.S. Security Tied to Success in Iraq
U.S., Polish Leaders Agree on Interceptors

Military News
Airmen Test Readiness With 'Mystery Package'
Officials ID Airmen Missing from Vietnam War
Extended Deployments Should Lessen Army Stress

War on Terror
Coalition Forces Kill 7 Terrorists - Story
Recent Casualties Identified
U.S. Army Officer Faces Charges of Aiding Enemy in Iraq
Raids Net Bomb Components
Forces Capture Six Terrorists

America Supports You
Families Have Fun at Pentagon - Story
Tour Brings Entertainment
Starbucks Employees Donate Coffee to Deployed Troops
Recognition of Soldiers’ Sacrifice

Transformation
Exercise To Test Crisis Response - Story
Officials Discuss New Copter
Service Integration Vital to Change

Face of Defense
Marine Applies Childhood Experiences to Military
Father Re-Enlists Son
Officer Improves Iraq Water
Coincidence Connects Friends

DefendAmerica
BLOGGERS' ROUNDTABLE with U.S. ARMY Brig. Gen. David Phillips
Iraqi Police Becoming 'Very Capable' at Law Enforcement, Official Says - Story - Bio
Transcript: Roundtable (pdf)
Bloggers' Roundtable Web Site

NEWS UPDATES
Defense Secretary, German Defense Leaders Discuss Military - Story

ON THE GROUND
Army Mechanics Turn Ideas Into Reality in Iraq - Story
Afghan Government Helps Save Boy’s Life - Story
Managing the Puzzle Pieces in the Horn of Africa - Story
Army Mobility Depends on Security Platoons - Story

IN IRAQ
Seabees Build Command Outpost in Al Anbar
Marines Command, Control Skies Over Iraq
Troops Deliver Supplies to Pediatric Hospital
Iraqis Benefit from Army Engineers' Mission
Civil Affairs Soldiers Near End of Deployment
Airmen Provide First Class Postal Service
Shadow Heroes Behind Curtain Making it Work
Military Transition Teams Help Train Iraqi Forces

IN DJIBOUTI
Army National Guard Unit Saves Lives in Africa

IN AFGHANISTAN
Military, UN Group Meet to Discuss Afghan Issues
Conn. Guard Soldiers Reflect on Deployment
Coalition Forces Train Afghan National Police
Turkey Partners with U.S. in War on Terrorism

Weather
Afghanistan
Bost/Laskar Ghurian Herat Kabul Qandahar

Germany
Ansbach Aschaffenburg Berlin Berlin-Tempelhof Berlin/Schonefeld Bremerhaven
Darmstadt Frankfurt Frankfurt/Main Freiburg/Breisgau Garmisch
Garmisch-Partenkirchen Geilenkirchen Gelnhausen Giessen Kitzingen
Hanau Am Main Heidelberg Mainz Mannheim Nurnberg Stuttgart Trier
Wiesbaden Wurzburg

Gitmo

Guam
Agana Agana Heights Agat Andersen AFB Asan Barrigada

Iraq
Al Azamiyah Al Basrah Al Hillah Al Karkh Al Kazimiyah Al Kut
An Nasiriyah Baghdad Baqubah Mosul Najaf Nineveh Tall Kayf

Japan
Kadena Air Base Okinawa Tokyo Yokohama

Today in History
0757 - Paolo Orsini replaces his brother Pope Stephen II, as Paul I
1220 - German king Frederick II grants bishops sovereign rights
1478 - Pazzi conspirators attack Lorenzo & kill Giuliano de'Medici; Easter is celebrated for the first time
1514 - Copernicus makes his 1st observations of Saturn
1607 - 1st British to establish an American colony land at Cape Henry, VA
1654 - Jews are expelled from Brazil
1655 - Dutch West Indies Company denies Peter Stuyvesant's desire to exclude Jews from New Amsterdam
1721 - Smallpox vaccination 1st administrated
1777 - Sybil Ludington, 16, rides from New York to Connecticut rallying her father's militia
1803 - Meteorites fall in L'Aigle, France
1814 - King Louis XVIII lands on Calais, from England
1828 - Russia declares war on Turkey to support Greece's independence
1853 - Dutch King William III disbands 2nd Chamber
1865 - Battle of Fort Tobacco, VA; Confederate General J. E. Johnston surrenders Army of Tennessee, at Durham, NC
1887 - Huntsville Electric Company is established to sell electricity
1890 - Henry Morton Stanley inaugurated in London
1906 - 1st motion pictures shown in Hawaii
1913 - Sun Yet San calls for revolt against President Yuan Shikai in China
1915 - Italy secretly signes Pact of London with Britain, France & Russia
1920 - H. Shapley & H. D. Curtis hold "great debate" on nature of nebulae
1926 - Karachai Autonomous Region is established in RSFSR (until 1943); Germany & Russia sign neutrality/peace treaty
1928 - Madame Tussaud's waxworks exhibition opens in London
1929 - 1st non-stop England to India flight lands
1933 - Jewish students are barred from school in Germany
1937 - German Luftwaffe destroys Basque town of Guernica in Spain
1938 - Austrian Jews required to register property above 5,000 Reichsmarks
1941 - Potatoes rationed in Holland
1942 - Colliery explosion kills 1,549 at Honkeiko, Manchuria; Luftwaffe bombs Bath
1944 - 1st B-29 attacked by Japanese fighters, one fighter shot down; Papandreou government in Greece forms
1945 - Marshal Henri Philippe Petain, leader of France's Vichy collaborationist regime during WWII, arrested for treason
1948 - The XP-86 prototype for the Sabre Jet first "officially" breaks the sound barrier. The first operational F-86A Sabres entered service in May of the same year
1950 - Last horse race at Havre de Grace Track in Maryland is run
1952 - US minesweeper Hobson rams aircraft carrier Wasp, killing 176
1954 - Far Eastern Affairs conference opens in Geneva
1959 - Cuba invades Panamá
1961 - French paratroopers' revolt suppressed in Algeria
1962 - 1st Lockheed A-12 flies; Ariel 1 Launch (1st UK Satellite); Ranger 4 crash lands on (backside of) Moon
1964 - Tanganyika & Zanzibar unite to form Tanzania (Tanzanian Union Day)
1967 - San Marco 2 Launch (1st Equatorial Launch)
1968 - Students seize administration building at Ohio State
1971 - San Francisco lightship replaced by automatic buoy; Turkey state of siege proclaimed
1974 - Landslide in Huancavelica Province, Peru creates a natural dam; Malta adopts constitution
1976 - Pan Am begins non-stop flights New York-Tokyo
1977 - New York's famed disco Studio 54 opens
1978 - NASA launches space vehicle S-201; France sends troops to Chad
1980 - Iran begins scattering US hostages from the US Embassy; Longest jump by a jet boat is set at 120'
1981 - Largest US bank robbery (Tucson AZ), more than $33 million stolen
1982 - Argentina surrenders to Britain on South Georgia near Falkland Island
1984 - President Ronald Reagan visits China
1986 - Worst nuclear disaster -- the 4th reactor at Chernobyl (USSR) explodes, killing 31
1989 - AT&T announces New Jersey's 201 area code will split into 908 & 201
1990 - 126 die in a (6.9) earthquake in China; New York court of appeals ends 2½ year legal battle over 1988 America's Cup by refusing jurisdiction of the case
1991 - 23 killed in Kansas & Oklahoma by tornadoes
1993 - Boeing 737 crashes at Aurangabad, killing 56; STS-55 (Columbia) launches into orbit
1994 - 1st multi-racial election in South Africa begins [3 days] -- Dr. Nomaza Paintin in New Zealand is 1st Black South African to vote; Taiwan Airbus A-300 crashes at Nagoya Japan, killing 262

Birthdays
0121 - Antonius Marcus Aurelius [Marcus A Verus], Emperor of Rome (161-180)
1319 - Jean II the Good, King of France (1350-64)
1573 - Marie de'Medici, Queen of France
1648 - Pedro II, King of Portugal (1683-1706)
1718 - Esek Hopkins, 1st commander-in-chief (US Navy)
1726 - Pasquale Paoli, Corsican freedom fighter
1785 - John James Audubon, bird watcher/artist
1827 - Charles Edward Hovey, Union Brevet Major General
1839 - Cyrus Hamblin, Union Brevet Major General
1875 - Syngman Rhee, President of South Korea (1948-60)
1879 - Sir Owen Williams Richardson, English physicist (Nobel 1928)
1886 - Ma Rainey [Gertrude Pridgett], "Mother of the Blues", US blues singer
1895 - Rudolf Hess, Hitler's Deputy Führer, only prisoner at Spandau
1900 - Charles Richter, seismologist (Richter scale)
1903 - Geoffrey Worthington, Air vice-marshall
1910 - Johan Doorn, Dutch journalist/resistance fighter (Orange Newspaper)
1921 - Harry Knutton, Major-General/Director-General (London City & Guilds Institute)
1922 - Jeanne Sauvé, 1st female Governor-General (Canada, 1984-90)
1936 - Edward Cazalet, British High Court Judge
1939 - Roger Buckley, British High Court Judge
1942 - Vitali Andreyevich Grishchenko, cosmonaut
1944 - David Martin (Representative-NY)
1948 - Boyd Matson, TV host/correspondent (National Geographic Explorer); Gerry Sikorski (Representative-MN)
1951 - Lynne Jones, MP
1952 - Popo Simon Molefe, Secretary-General (South Africa UDF)

Passings
0757 - Stephen II, Pope (752-57)
1196 - Alfonso II, King of Aragon (1162-96)
1789 - Peter I Panin, Russian General (Pugatshov-uprising), dies at about 67
1865 - John Wilkes Booth, assassin, shot dead near Bowling Green VA at 27
1940 - Carl Bosch, German chemist (BASF, IG Farben, Nobel 1931), dies at 65
1960 - Wander J. de Haas Dutch physicist (Einstein-De Haas effect), dies at 82
1990 - Carlos Pizarro Leongomez, Colombian presidential candidate, assassinated
1997 - Peng Zhen, mayor of Beijing China (1951-66); Yegorov, Russian leader (1994-95)

Reported Missing in Action
1966
Anderson, Warren L., USAF (MI); RF4C shot down (w/Tucker)

Reilly, Edward D., US Army (PA); remains returned August, 1989

Tucker, James H., USAF (OK); RF4C shot down (w/Anderson)

1967
Austin, Charles D., USAF (CT); F4C shot down

Dudash, John F., USAF (NJ); F105F shot down (w/ A. Meyer) - remains returned June, 1983

Estocin, Michael J., USN (PA); A4E shot down

Meyer, Alton B., USAF (TN) F105F shot down (w/Dudash), released by DRV March, 1973 - retired as a Lt. Colonel - alive and well as of 1998

Meyer, William, USAF (MI); F105D shot down - remains returned August, 1985

Riate Alfonso R., USMC (CA); released by PRG March, 1973 - accused of collaboration

1968
The following USAF personnel reported MIA when their C130B was shot down - all listed as KIA / BNR:
McDaniel, John Lewis (NC)

Stow, Lilburn Ray (OK)

Todd, Larry Richard (GA)

1969
East, James Boyd, Jr., USAF (OK); A1J shot down - remains returned / ID'd July, 1997

1970
Elliott, Artice W., US Army (TX); released by PRG March, 1973 - retired as a Colonel - alive and well as of 1998

1972
The following USAF personnel reported MIA when their C130E was shot down:
Amesbury, Harry A., Jr. (IL); pilot

Cooke, Calvin C., Jr., (DC); crew

Dunn, Richard E., (CT); loadmaster - remains recovered

Hoskins, Donald R., (IN); crew

Russell, Richard L. (TX); navigator

Weisman, Kurt F. (IN); crew - remains returned February, 1975

Also reported MIA this day in 1972:
Hirons, Alan, Civilian-UPI; captured (w/Reynolds)

Reynolds, Terry L., Civilian-UPI (KS); captured (w/Hirons)

Labels: Headlines, History