My Backyard

I am taking the day off of work tomorrow and this is where I will be. In the morning with my coffee, relaxing on my back porch looking out across the Willamette river to the hills of Oregon City. In the early part of the afternoon, I will sit and read whilst I enjoy some ice tea and listen to the quiet peace of no kids running around the house or neighborhood. Just a day to myself. Ahhh, can you hear me un-stressing?

Vietnam's Missing In Action - Still POW's - Or - Just Another Conspiracy Theory?

Over the Memorial Day weekend a book was released, claiming that hundreds of soldiers were left in Vietnam at the end of the war knowingly abandoned by the U.S. government, with the possibility that some may still be alive. The book An Enormous Crime, written by a former US Senator, Bill Hendon (NC; 1981 - 1983; 1985 - 1987) and an attorney, Elizabeth Stewart, depicts accountings of sightings of American soldiers and boasts on its cover a spy satellite image of a rice field in Laos with five foot letters "USA" with an army code beside it known only to U.S. pilots, leading to the belief that one or more soldiers are waiting, hoping to be rescued.

When I heard about this book and its claims for the first time last night on the radio, I decided to look more into this story, because I'm all about conspiracies inside our government and this one just seems huge!

In my investigation I stumbled upon another site, MIA facts.com, claiming that in fact, Bill Hendon himself is a phony and is simply spreading this conspiracy with a few others as a means for publicity and monetary gain. By 1986, he had apparently raised over $2.4 million, as a sort of reward fund waiting for whoever returned or found the missing POW's. I hope he put it in a mutual fund, because today that would be a lot of reward money. If I was a guard of these American prisoners in Vietnam, and I saw that, I'd let them all go in a heartbeat.

Furthering his cause, Hendon teamed up with Congressman John LeBoutillier, who apparently is full of himself. I found an article about him here. Apparently, Hendon was overheard telling LeBoutillier to stick with him and they were going to make a book and movie out of this. Not someone, who I would team up with, if I wanted credibility. Nonetheless, to support the release of the book here is a letter from Congressman LeBoutilier dated April 13, 2007.

I will let you read the links and decide for yourself. Either there really is a government conspiracy comparable to the Watergate scandal, which would explain the negative verbage about these guys, in an attempt to undermine their mission or, they really are all about greed and politics and maybe a little pride thrown into the mix. It really would make for one hell of a John Grisham novel/movie though. My only request would be that Matthew McConaughey get the lead.

I guess the only appropriate conclusion is to pay tribute to the U.S. soldiers through history up to now. Thanks for all you have sacrificed and continue sacrificing now to serve our country, despite who is calling the shots.

Wanna Come Out and Play?

No birds were harmed in the taking of this photo.

What Happens to Blogs When a Blogger Dies?

Alone with my random thoughts the other day, I wondered what will happen to my blog after I die. Aside from the obvious, that it would sit unattended collecting “webdust”, more precisely the question in my head was for just how long? 50, 60, or even 100 years? Just how long will the blogosphere be around? Will bloggers still be musing their thoughts online 50-100 years from now? If so, it would be quite possible that my blog will remain just as long, if not even longer.

Imagine, had the internet been around in the 1600’s, 1700’s or 1800’s, what collections of personal accounts we would have to link us to the past. Astounding! On a personal note, how cool would it be to read a journal posted by my great, great, great Grandmother? To discover what they thought about, and how they felt first hand about events going on in their time. My great grandchildren, may be able to do just that!

It is hard to imagine a world that continues on beyond our life span, or even that of our children, but we should when it comes to our blogs. The personal accounts of many generations before us remain lost in a past without photographs or recordings. However, today each and every moment can be captured in the moment, so that future generations will have an open window into our thoughts and emotions, to learn how we lived, felt and believed.

Food for thought: How many blogs out there right now already collecting webdust, because their blog author has deceased and we will never know.

I’ll try and blog right before I die, so you’ll know.

I AM ABSOLUTELY FUMING ABOUT BLOGGER

If you can read this- well then I guess it wasn't lost like my last post somewhere in Blogger/Google "Autosave-land."

I came back after months of not blogging, only to find my blog replaced by an inferior "high-tech" product. Well, give me back my profile, NOW! And I want back what now I am claiming to have been my best blog ever - only to have it lost forever, from my heart to my draft box, then into oblivion! Gone, just like my patience is now.

Of course, what can be expected from a free service, right? If you have any questions, be sure and check the blogger help group first, then you can get looped through the circle of unanswered questions and not so very helpful answers.

Well, that's all for me - - Im going to find another place to blog!

Resuming Construction

Today, as I was driving in to work, a song on the radio took me back in time and I began thinking of someone. It's not that I have not thought about this person before through the years, but this time along with my remembrance, came a feeling of absence. I actually missed them. Throughout the day today I actually found myself captured in a sort of hypnotic, daydream like net of reminiscence. My mind was intricately surrounded by an overwhelming sense of this person.

I think I have discovered a pattern about myself. What it means, I have no clue. But, I tend to like to delve into my past and bring back people or ideas that were once close to me and conduct a kind of "where are they now" episode of My Life.

Dave Ramsey Is Coming!

Mark your calendars Portland for October 18th. That's when Dave Ramsey is going to find out just how much of an impact he is making on P-town! This is going to be the event to rock 2007.

Anyone interested in joining me for a pre-party that evening? If enough people are interested, it would be fun to get together and meet my fellow Debt-free neighbors beforehand and share stories. Let me know.

Im so excited! See you there - - or maybe before.

Alright, everyone ACT YOUR WAGE!

PEACE OUT.

Happy Birthday Brennan

Well, its finally come to pass - my baby boy - turning 15 and driving - all in the same day.

He has been so excited. Planning and studying and waiting. He has been wanting to drive since he was 10.

So today, we went to Starbucks in Lake Oswego, where he was serenaded by the baristas to the tune of "Happy Birthday" - Thanks guys! That started the day for him with flair.

Then off to the DMV to take the knowledge test. The title alone is intimidating, but add to it the pressure of all your friends back at school waiting for you to return, license in hand, you had better not fail! However, since the Wikipedia definition of knowledge is "the confident understanding of a subject, potentially with the ability to use it for a specific purpose", then it fits perfectly. And I know no one more confident than my son Brennan. If he lacks confidence about anything, he won't show it, and you will never know. Well it paid off today - he passed with 93%, which means he missed only 2 trick"All of the above" questions. If only I could get him as excited about his English and Biology at school.

So, now with permit in hand, we are off to drive around P-town and beyond. Anyone know where I could get one of those magnetic "Student Driver Aboard" signs? And something for my nerves - as I don't do well as a passenger - just ask my oldest son, Austin. So, here I go again for round 2. Being a proud parent comes with a price.