Photo by James Nachtwey for TIME magazine.

I will never forget staring at the screen. I was stunned. It was just a few moments after I got the phone call to turn on the TV. Then the second plane hit.

On this date, twenty-one years ago, we experienced a great national tragedy in the United States. 2,977 lives that were lost in the terrorist attacks. So many  families were torn asunder. The way we view ourselves and our world changed. Emergency responders continue to suffer terrible health problems as a result of working at the scene. The way we view ourselves and our world changed too. Over 2,000 first responders have died of health issues related to 9/11.

In remembrance of that day, and to honor the lives that were lost, I am posting some tributes.

Norman Rockwell, “Freedom of Speech”, 1943.

Of the four “freedom” paintings by Norman Rockwell, this is my favorite. This painting was inspired by an actual town hall meeting in Rockwell’s home town. The faces in this painting are Rockwell’s friends and neighbors.

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Andrew Wyeth, “Christina’s World”, 1948

I love all kinds of art, including paintings, sculpture, photography and music.  Since August is American Artist Appreciation Month, I am sharing some of the most famous paintings by American artists. Do not be surprised if you recognize many or most of these paintings. Click on any of these images to see a larger version. Enjoy!

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Thomas Jefferson by Rembrandt Peale, 1800

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”

From the Declaration of Independence, signed July 4, 1776. Written by Thomas Jefferson (1762-1826). 3rd US President (1801-09).

More images (including Thomas Jefferson’s original draft) and the complete text of the declaration are after the break.

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We’ve been down this road before. A low quality product made in China is falsely advertised as a top of the line American made product.  The Stealth Bird Drone sells for $99, but you can buy the same exact drone on Amazon for $23.  Even at that, honest reviews say the flying is a bit erratic and the video quality of the camera is poor.

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President Reagan’s 13 minute speech at the U.S. Ranger Monument at Pointe du Hoc is considered to be one of the great speeches in American History. In addition to President Reagan, these world leaders were present: Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom, Queen Beatrix of The Netherlands, King Olav V of Norway, King Baudouin I of Belgium, Grand Duke Jean of Luxembourg, and Prime Minister Pierre Elliott Trudeau of Canada.

Links

The text of Reagan’s D-Day speech at The History Place

Video of Reagan’s D-Day speech at YouTube

President Reagan’s 13 minute speech at the U.S. Ranger Monument at Pointe du Hoc is considered to be one of the great speeches in American History. In addition to President Reagan, these world leaders were present: Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom, Queen Beatrix of The Netherlands, King Olav V of Norway, King Baudouin I of Belgium, Grand Duke Jean of Luxembourg, and Prime Minister Pierre Elliott Trudeau of Canada.

The text of Reagan’s speech follows.

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John Morris, Capa’s London photo editor, tells the story behind Robert Capa’s D-Day photos, including the terrible darkroom mistake that ruined most of the photos. The high resolution video is best viewed full screen. You can see a contact sheet of the nine surviving negatives (ripped sprocket holes and all), Capa’s photo notes, and hear the story of the rush to get the prints back to the U.S. for publication in Life more. Fascinating imagery.

Link

Robert Capa and D-Day, June 6, 1944

Cemetery, The Presidio, San Francisco, California. Photo © Jim Doty, Jr.

Memorial Day began unofficially in a variety of places as people felt the need to recognize those who gave their lives in the Civil War. Memorial Day was officially declared on May 5, 1868, when General John Logan of the Grand Army of the Republic ordered a day of observance when all Union and Confederate Graves at Arlington National Cemetery would be decorated with flowers on May 30, 1868. One state after another adopted May 30 as a Memorial Day observance until all of the Northern states had adopted May 30 by 1890. Many Southern states had picked different days to honor the Confederate dead.

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U.S. Flags at Sunset, Rose Hill Cemetery, Lamoni, Iowa

From Lincoln’s Second Inaugural Address, March 4, 1865.

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Richard Duane Klug (the name just above the rose) was born January 26, 1946. He died in Darlac Province, Vietnam, November 14, 1967 at the age of 21. He is one of over 58,000 American soldiers that died in Vietnam, and one of over 1.1 million American soldiers that have died in all American wars (almost half of them in the Civil War).

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The Maroon Bells and Maroon Lake, Colorado

I wanted to capture the classic view of the Maroon Bells with no photographers in the image. But the shoreline was packed with photographers. No matter where I stood there were at least a few photographers in my image. The only place to get the image I wanted was to stand on a rock out in the lake. But a photographer was already on that rock.

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Read this AAS article at the first link below. You could go blind wearing fake solar eclipse glasses and viewers. Just like in 2017, Chinese factories are selling fake eclipse glasses/viewers made to look like legit glasses/viewers.

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Where can you see the total eclipse?

(Also posted February 22, 2024.)

Go to this NASA site and to this Eclipse Map site and to this NSO eclipse site with a detailed, zoom-able map.

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