CLICK & DOUBLE CLICK: INTERNET HELPS SURFERS GET BIGGER BANG OUT OF INDEPENDENCE DAY (COLUMN 94)

Bang. Saturday is the birthday of our nation and the Internet offers lots of red, white and blue for the celebration.

People may have more time to observe the Fourth of July this year because the holiday falls on Saturday and many offices are closed on Friday. That means plenty of surfin' time.

Peggy: You may want to start your Independence Day celebration at a site we've visited before for other holidays.

www.holidays.net/independence

Joni: You know you're at the right place because you hear a medley of patriotic songs. And you also get some cyber fireworks.

Peggy: It tells us America is celebrating its 222nd birthday this year. You can read the story of America's independence, in case you've forgotten your grade school history lessons.

Joni: The first newspaper to print the Declaration of Independence was the Pennsylvania Evening Post. Although the signing of the declaration wasn't completed until August, July 4 was accepted as the official day. The first celebration was July 4, 1777. By the early 1800s, the tradition of fireworks, parades and picnics was already established.

Peggy: You can also read the actual Declaration of Independence of the 13 colonies and learn the names of signers and the new states they represented.

Joni: I see some familiar names and some not-so-familiar names. You can also download a movie of a fireworks display or listen to patriotic tunes like "Battle Hymn of the Republic" or the "Star Spangled Banner."

Peggy: There's even a recipe for Mom's Apple Pie.

Joni: One person who quickly comes to mind when discussion patriotism is Betsy Ross. She has her own home page at

www.libertynet.org/iha/betsy/index.html

Peggy: They explain that one person's contribution can make a real difference. Betsy Ross sewed the first American flag.

Joni: You can read the whole story at this site. She said three members of a secret committee asked her to sew the flag in May 1776. One of the members was George Washington. She was a widow struggling to run her own upholstery business. At that time upholsterers did all kinds of sewing.

Peggy: The original design called for a six-pointed star. Betsy, a whiz with scissors, showed how to make a five-pointed star with one snip. The committee members were so impressed, they changed to the five-pointed star.

Joni: You too can learn how to snip a five-pointed star on this page. You can also take a virtual tour of Betsy's house, which is maintained in Philadelphia. About 250,000 people annually tour the house.

Peggy: She didn't actually own the house. She rented. You can also learn about flag etiquette and test your knowledge of flag trivia with questions like "Is it ever appropriate to fly a flag upside down?" or "Who cut the flag into pieces and was honored for it?"

Joni: You can also look at the picture gallery of the flag at different times in history.

Peggy: If you need a fix of patriotic music, try the jukebox at

www.wilstar.net/july4.htm

Joni: You get more than music. There are links to full texts of historic documents like the Magna Carta, the Mayflower Compact, the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the lyrics to the Star Spangled Banner -- all four verses.

Peggy: For youngsters, check out Kids Domain for stuff about the holiday.

www.kidsdomain.com/holiday/july4/index.html

Joni: You can also find some patriotic activities like making patriotic jigglers or a flag. You can also get some free patriotic clip art. You can also try your skill on kid word searches. You can find more patriotic information along with a listing of the nation's big fireworks displays at

www.usacitylink.com/usa

Peggy: You can listen to President Clinton's Fourth of July address or to a child's rendition of the Star Spangled Banner. Yes indeed, it's a real child, singing about the "lamb of the free." You'll enjoy it, but it's a big file to download.

Joni: What has 60-foot high faces, eyes 11 feet across, noses 20 feet long, mouths that stretch 18 feet and is visited by 2.5 million people a year? Yes, you can learn more about Mount Rushmore on this site.

Peggy: You can search by city or state for fireworks displays. You can also add your fireworks display to the list.

Joni: You can also take their history test and get your answers back immediately. Boy, their third grade teacher "hired" for the task grades fast.

Peggy: We got 9 of 10 correct. We're true Americans. You can also learn some tips on respecting the flag.

Joni: You can also learn fireworks safety. The three most dangerous types of fireworks are firecrackers, bottle rockets and sparklers. Sparklers burn at a temperature hot enough to melt gold.

Peggy: You can take their 10-question fireworks safety quiz. To learn even more about American history and the U.S. presidents, go directly to the White House.

www.whitehouse.gov

Joni: You can learn more about the White House and the families who have lived there. You can also tour some of the rooms in the White House and see how they've changed over the years.

Peggy: You can also check out the White House for Kids and learn more about the First Families. Did you know the White House was the biggest house in the United States until the Civil War?

Joni: President George Washington oversaw plans for the White House but never lived there. It was our second president, John Adams, who first lived there. What's your favorite patriotic site? E-mail us at click@semissourian.com

See you in Cyberspace.

~Peggy Scott and Joni Adams are members of the Southeast Missourian online staff.